April News

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his way."

Proverbios 16:9

Plans, we make our plans and recently there have been so many plans that have been cancelled or changed or postponed. God knew the plans He had for us long before we even heard the words "corona virus" for the first time, it was always part of His plan. We can rest in Him and trust Him to establish our ways. 

Thank you for all your prayers this past month. At the beginning of April I needed to leave Mexico for visa reasons. Praise the Lord that I was able to leave, spend the night in Phoenix and fly back to Mexico the following day. There was a lot of worry and fear in my head during this travel because of the virus and things happening. God gave me peace and calmness though it all. I was able to renew my visa for another 6 months stay here in Mexico. As a result of traveling internationally we felt it best for me to quarantine for 2 weeks in my home. It was a LOOOOONG two week and a very odd Easter but I survived. It was a learning experience, God taught me several things about myself and about Him. 

During my time of isolation I took on the task of redecorating the kids classroom. It was in desperate need of attention. I made 100 or more new tissue paper tassels, painted two verses about scripture on the walls, painted facts about the bible on the chalk board and made this periodic table of books in the bible. The room is colorful and exciting now for the kids to learn more about the bible in fun ways. Can't wait for them all to see it when we are all back at church together. 

We have suspended all large group meetings at church for the past month. Ladies bible study meets over video call, small groups meet at a few different houses, it is so good to see everyone and continue to study the word together. Church services are all transmitted via facebook live. A large amount of families in our area are without jobs, those with the most need have be receiving bags of food and a visit from different people from church. This has been a great new ministry of outreach and evangelism. We have found that people are very open to the gospel, several new bible studies have started from this ministry. 

The most exciting thing that happened this month was that Jorge asked me to marry him!! We are now officially engaged and planning a September wedding here in Puerto Vallarta. We could not be happier to see what God has in store for us and our future ministry. Jorge and I would love to connect with anyone who would like to talk with us, and meet him for the first time. Please feel free to contact me. 

Jorge and I met almost two years ago at camp serving on the same team as counselors. Our friendship started there and we talked frequently for the next year through text messages and a few phone calls. This past summer at camp he invited me to the banquet on Friday and after the dinner he asked if we could talk. In our talk he asked me if I was interesting in praying together and seeing if God had more for us than just being friends, I said yes. Jorge was serving at a church in Queretaro (central Mexico). The long distance relationship was not easy but we made the best of it for 6 months. In February Jorge moved here to Puerto Vallarta, living with Frank and Rebecca (co-workers). We are now able to do ministry together and spend time together in person. God continues to bless Jorge with a job in construction and time to do ministry in the evenings and on the weekends. We appreciate your prayers for our future and seeking God's will in our lives and ministry. 

Prayer requests: 

• Praise that my travel and visa things all went smoothly, my safely and health. 
• For the families that are receiving help with food from church, that they would come to know the Lord as their Savior. 
• For health and provision for all of those affected by the world pandemic. 
• Praise for technology and ways to stay connected through social distancing. 
• Jorge's visa and english. In August he will have an interview for his visa, praying it will be granted so we can visit all of you in person. He is also studying english so that he can talk with all of you too! 

Thank you so much for your love and support. 

God is good and His timing is perfect! 

Blessings,

Alicia 

awhitmore@fim.org

Fellowship International Mission

555 S 24th St 

Allentown, PA 18104

Peace of Christ

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." -Juan 14:27

In the middle of everything that is happening in the world these days it is my prayer that each of us will find and live in the peace of Jesus. Before everything came to a stop for the moment, these are the things we have been doing since January. 

February we were in full force AWANA. The picture above is from mask day. Each kid receives extra points for making and wearing their mask. It is fun to see their creativity. The kids have school off until the 20th of Abril. We have also suspended large group activities until then; church services, AWANA and youth group. 

Youth group celebrated friendship in February. We had a dinner, played games, sang and shared a time of teaching about the love of God. It was a great time of fellowship. These youth loving spending time together, laughing and learning about God. Please pray for them, this is a hard time in their life as the word of God competes to win their hearts over all the temptations of the world. Several of the students in the picture are receiving discipleship, Praise the Lord! 

In the middle of a busy ministry life it is always refreshing to get away and spend a few days being refilled. Three of us ladies from church traveled to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico for three days of bible teaching at a conference put on by True Woman. We heard several Godly women share and encourage us in our faith and daily walk with Christ. One thing I was encouraged to pray for and seek in my life is a desire for God's word and to study it everyday. 

Please pray with my for my visa. In early April my visa will expire. I went and talked to the Immigration office last week. They are in the process of making a plan and offering options without consequences to those of us that are in this situation. I will know more on Wednesday March 25 what their answers are. For now I will do what I can here at church/home to serve and stay connected with those in my community, doing my part in keeping everyone safe and healthy.

Thank you for continuing to support and pray for the ministry here in Mexico. Here are a few prayer requests for the next month.

• Health and safety for everyone
• My visa situation and wisdom
• Those who are being affected economically and physically buy the Coronavirus. (there are several at our church who are on break form work and pay for the time being)
• That the world situation will pass quickly so we can be back to doing ministry again in person and not online. 

Each one of you is a blessing to my life and ministry, thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Mexico. 

Blessings,

Alicia

awhitmore@fim.org

Fellowship International Mission

555 S 24th St

Allentown, PA 18104

Over due post!

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Matthew 5:14&16

The last two, almost three months, have flown by. Full of so many good things and blessings from our good Father. In mid November the youth group met up with another local youth group to spend the evening on the beach. We played games, shared the word of God and had a great time in fellowship with other youth. 

Awana is still going on in full force. We took a few weeks break for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The first two weeks back have been great. The kids are excited to memorize scripture and invite their friends to attend as well.

 In December the ladies from church hosted a Christmas breakfast. Invited friends and family to share the morning with us and learn about the birth of Christ and the fruit of the Spirit. The kids also presented a song and dance for the ladies.

During Christmas break the little girls at church had a fun night with Alicia. We painted nails, played games, watched movies and did very little sleeping. In the morning we talked about faith in Jesus and they sang praise songs while pretending they were on the praise team. It was a great way to spend more intentional time with them.

The kids worked hard all month memorizing lines and learning songs to share the true meaning of Christmas/the birth of Jesus. This is a high light for many this time of year. The kids get very excited to dress up and share the story of Jesus.They did a wonderful job!

At the beginning of January I celebrated another birthday. We ate cake after church on Sunday. There are tons of kids who come each Sunday morning to worship the Lord with us. 

At the end of the year my parents came to soak up the sun for two weeks. It was great to see them and spend time exploring Puerto Vallarta and a few surrounding towns with them. 

Also in exciting news, Rebecca, my co-worker, has made it safely back to Puerto Vallarta. Frank, her husband should be arriving soon. We have greatly missed them since last May, we have grown individually and as a church in their absence but it is SO GOOD to have them back with us again!

Prayer requests fro the next month:

• That the kids will continue to delight in the memorization for the word of God
• That we would have wisdom in making plans for the upcoming year
• That Frank would be with us again soon
• For fruitful outreach to parents of Awana kids

Thank you so much for your prayer and support. God is doing big things here in Mexico. 

Blessings,

Alicia 

awhitmore@fim.org

Fellowship International Mission

555 S 24th St

Allentown, PA 18104

Outstanding October

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

1 Timothy 4:12

October was filled with fun activities. I was able to represent Fellowship International Mission at the Moody Bible Institute's fall missions conference. This week was a blessing for me, it was great to be able to share with the students about being a missionary and encourage them to follow God's call in their lives. It was also great to spend time with a couple of my friends from my time at Moody. 

Every Tuesday in the month of October we did an activity for the kids at church, Navegantes. We learned about how to face the storms of life with God and keep our faith in Him. A few of my favorite high lights were that one of our new kids came back the second week with the memory verse perfectly memorized (praise the Lord!) and how helpful my helpers were. They asked me if they could teach the bible stories and one completely took over crafts! This gave me time to do other things and I love watching them take responsibilities and grow in this area of service. 

 On of the most anticipated and beloved activities of the year was started back up again this past Saturday. AWANA! We had 40 kids and loads of help and fun. My biggest God moment was seeing four junior high students take over the youngest group of kids and really help them with bible verses and crafts. Looking forward to a great year of growing in Christ with these kids! 

November 6th the church here in La Misión completed 3 years of ministry. On Sunday the 10th we celebrated God's faithfulness. The kids sang songs and recited verses they have learned this year, youth and adults presented a skit in the park and after the service we all had lunch and fellowship together at church. God is good and we are thankful for these 3 years! The church was full of people who's lives have been impacted by the ministry here. 

Thank you for your prayers and support this fall. God is at work changing lives and impacting the world with His word. 

Pray for: 
AWANA and the continued outreach to the kids. 
The young women I do bible study with, that they would grow in their relationship with God.

Thank you! 
Blessings,
Alicia
awhitmore@fim.org

Fellowship International Mission
555 S 24th St
Allentown, PA 18104

¡Viva México!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

This will be one of the key verses for the kids club, it is our prayer that they put their faith in Christ and remember that He is with them no matter what storms of life come their way.

 It is so exciting to see the church grow. There are several new faces each week. The church is full each Sunday morning for the morning service. Next week we will start a 5 week kids club on Tuesday evenings, excited to see how God will use this time to impact the lives of the kids. 

A few of the ladies at church felt the burden to visit the elderly at a local nursing home and share the gospel with them. We had a lovely afternoon with them and look forward to our next visit. The lady in the white blouse was very happy to see us and hear a few hymns be sung. 

September 16th is Independence day here in Mexico. This year I traveled to Guadalajara to visit a friend for her birthday. While I was there her church did a medical outreach. Several people from the community came to receive medical attention, they were also provided with spiritual healing. My main jobs were to invite and help with the kids. It was a very fun day. 

This Saturday we are having a youth girls activity at my house, we will tye-dye t-shirts and make pizzas together. The number of youth girls is growing and it is super exciting to see them excited to learn about Jesus and invite their friends to church!! God is good! 

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Things are getting busier here in La Mision!! Please keep praying for us and all God has in store for us the next few months!

Blessings,

Alicia 

awhitmore@fim.org

Fellowship International Mission

555 S 24th St 

Allentown, PA 18104

Super summer!

"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith."

Hebrews 12:2a

The summer kicked off with a three week kids club. The theme was "Victorious" and the kids learned about times in the bible when God gave his people the victory. Each day we learned English vocabulary that went with the story, then I taught the bible story in Spanish using the English words they had just learned and after that we did a craft that went along with the story. These weeks were so much fun! We made new friends and continued to build relationships with old friends. The ladies at church were a HUGE help each day. Our biggest day we had 31 kids! 

This summer our youth group has been on a break. The picture above is of one of our last times together. This Saturday we will be starting back up for the fall. It is hard to believe that this group has only been meeting together for one year. God is good! 

 Rain, rain, go away! The theme this year at VBS was "Jesus, my life saver". We learned about times in the bible when Jesus saved people from storms. It was very fitting that it rained everyday this week. Our numbers were lower than other years but the kids had just as much fun and heard the gospel several times. It is our prayer that in the midst of their life storms that they will remember that Jesus is always with them. 

One of the most anticipated weeks of the year is Radical, the camp Frank and Rebecca put on for youth from across Mexico. It is a joy to serve as a counselor and to learn and grow with these kids. There are over 200 youth that come to learn and grown in their faith in Christ. 

Thank you all so much for your love and support. God is good and is at work here in Mexico. This fall I will be focusing on discipling 6 young ladies, as well as doing a kids club once a week. Thank you so much for your prayers. 

Blessings,

Alicia 

awhitmore@fim.org

Fellowship International Mission

555 S 24th St

Allentown, PA 18104

Baptisms and end of year activities

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Sprit."

Matthew 28:19

One Friday before Holy week/Spring break, two kids (Jenny and Julian) from church invited me to their sports day at school. This time I was with Jenny's group. They played "cachi-bol", better know as a version of volleyball. In this version you don't hit the ball, you catch it, hence the "cachi". Julian's 3rd grade team won their section of soccer!! Yay! 

Days like these are so fun. The kids all shout my name and give me big hugs. Jenny told one of her classmates, "Hey! Alicia is here with me!" This interaction at the school helps me meet parents and be more involved in the community.  

During the Holy week vacations we spent 4 days in Guadalajara. Two of those days were spent at training for camp this summer. We played games, did team building activities, talked about counseling and several other things for camp. It was so much fun to spend time with old and new friends. After the meetings one of my friends invited me to hang out with her and another friend. We ate ice cream and talked, what a BLESSING it was to be with them. 

 After much anticipation and with great joy we attended the wedding of Francisco and Maribel. Francisco is a friend and leader at church. It was a privilege to be part of their special day. They asked me to be the "Madrina de la Biblia"; which means I gifted them a bible and presented it to them at the wedding. I encouraged them to study their bible daily and to continue to grow in their relationship with God, the only one who can make their marriage work. 

 Praise the Lord for our youth group!! These people are such a blessing to me. They are faithful and know how to have fun together. During Spring Break we had a fun night at the beach and then a movie and very little sleep at Frank and Rebecca's house in Vallarta. It was a great opportunity to get to know them all better. 

Easter Sunday we had a grill out in the park by the church. It was a special way to celebrate our risen LORD! 

The following Sunday we headed to the beach where several people from church took a step of obedience and were baptized. We celebrated with a lunch and time of fellowship together. God is so good! 

The weekend of Mother's day we had a breakfast for all the ladies in the church. We invited other ladies from the community as well. Rebecca shared the gospel and encouraged us to have a heart like Christ's. 

This past Friday we ended our women's bible study for the year. We shared what we had learned and encouraged each other one last time. Rebecca and Karissa will be heading back to the United States for a furlough and Karissa will be starting college in the fall, we celebrated their ministry and thanked them for their friendships on Friday too. They will be greatly missed. (Rebecca will be back in early 2020 and for camp this summer) 

 On Saturday we had our last AWANA day in the park for the school year. Several kids graduated to their new class and others graduated to Youth group! This ministry is growing and the kids love learning their verses. We will miss them in this break but have several fun things planned for them during summer vacation! 

Youth group: we welcomed the new youth from AWANA to our group with games, and at the same time said "see you later" to Karissa. She has been such a leader and key player in getting this group started. Each of us told her how much we are going to miss her and thanked her for being an example of Christ to us. This summer the youth will start having english classes as an outreach, do service in the neighborhood, practice dramas for VBS and enjoy a week at camp. Lot of exciting things happening. 

Prayer request: Please pray with us in this season of transition. We are going to miss Frank, Rebecca and Karissa very much. We know they will be back and that God is always with us. May the church grow and may we be faithful and a good testimony in all that we do for the Kingdom. 

Thank you for standing with us. 

Blessings,

Alicia 

awhitmore@fim.org

Fellowship International Mission

555 S 24th St

Allentown, PA 18104