CMF holistic development – May 2015 – Ministering outside the church walls

Mexico City church focuses on community transformation

Located in Fuego Nuevo, Iztapalapa, a marginal area on the southeast side of the city, Maranatha has been a community-focused church since it began eight years ago. Misael Cruz, a school teacher and CMF partner, has served as the church’s part-time pastor for about six years. He and others in the church have been instrumental in developing the Zone 10:14 Community Development Center, which uses Community Health Evangelism (CHE) to engage the neighborhood.

“The church runs about 120 in attendance, but it reaches out to about 400 neighborhood families through its Community Center,” said Steve Palich, CMF’s Director of Ministry Center Development. “And the new soccer league that was launched this year reaches another 120 boys.

“They really care for those in the community who are not part of the church,” Steve added. “They want to see Mexico City transformed by the power of the Gospel.”

Pastor Misael Cruz takes us on a tour of his church and community and shares his vision for its transformation in the video below. Watch and see what God is doing through these Christians in Mexico City!

Empanada business keeps kids in school

First microbusiness from partner church in Ecuador is growing!

Maria was already making and selling empanadas from her home in a barrio in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, but after taking a microbusiness training program with new CMF partner Project New Hope (PNH), she wanted to go big!

“Maria wanted to grow her business and hire a few people in the church who wanted and needed to work, said Mike Bukta, a Team Expansion missionary who has worked with his wife Danelle in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, and Trujillo, Peru, with PNH for seven years.

“Our goal with CHE is to help people who want to start small businesses by training them in marketing, accounting and the everyday work that is involved with a business,” he added. “Maria presented her business plan, and the first week we helped her get started by showing up at the church at 3 a.m. to begin making empanadas! They were long days, but it was so rewarding to be a part of helping someone reach her goal.”

Need to grow

Maria needed to grow her business because she has six children who are in school, and she was afraid they would have to drop out because they couldn’t afford the uniforms and school supplies.

Now, however, Maria’s children are helping to make and sell the empanadas, and Maria is learning how to save her money and tithe. Even through there have been a few bumps, Maria is learning a lot.

“This is the first microbusiness that has been started out of the church in Santo Domingo, but it won’t be the last,” said Mike. “Others are being inspired to start their own businesses, too. It’s encouraging to see people put what they’ve learned into action to solve their financial problems.”

New BUV at Joska!

After a long journey by freight truck from CMF’s BUV-Tanzania workshop in Arusha, a BUV provided by CMF donors arrived at MOHI’s Joska farm outside Nairobi, Kenya, in early April. (Missions of Hope covered the transport expenses and the Kenyan government duty fees.)

This new vehicle will be put to use moving harvested food products from the farm to the school kitchens, transporting water, tools, seed, fertilizer and other supplies around the farm, and as an emergency vehicle to transport sick or injured students and staff to the main road, especially during the rainy season.

Thank you for giving a big boost to the Joska farm and schools!