Covenant News

Puebla Kids Program Receives $13,000 for VBS

PUEBLA, MEXICO (January 10, 2002) - Puebla Kids, a children's club chosen as the Vacation Bible School mission project for the Evangelical Covenant Church's Department of World Mission, has received more than $13,000 from numerous donations, according to local Covenant missionaries Jerry and Vicky Love.

Funds are being used to purchase land for a permanent site for Vacation Bible School and other youth programs. Puebla Kids is operated in a highly populated area of apartment complexes in a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants.

"We are happy to report that to date over $13,000 has been given, mostly by children, to children in Mexico to purchase land for a permanent place for them," said the Loves in a recent report from Mexico. "This is, of course, not enough to buy the property yet, but it is a significant start. It reminds us of the loaves and fishes put by a youth into the hands of Jesus to multiply and feed the crowd of over 5,000. Right now, we meet in an open concrete plaza, among the buildings - great in the dry season, but not so great in the other six months."

The Loves hope that money from the fundraising project can help the church purchase 2,500 square feet of property for a play area. The church that sponsors the Puebla Kids also seeks property for a new facility because the current facility is too small for the recent increase in attendance.

It has been a positive year for the local church, report the Loves. Two doctors, Darwin and Maria Jose, recently came to the church. And Bolivian missionaries for the well-known children's program AWANA - Victor Hugo, Becky, Melissa, Andres, Sergio and Juan Marcos - have also committed to attending the church. "Victor plays guitar, preaches, teaches and generally inspires. Becky teaches in the Sunday school, hosts young people and raises the greatest kids you could want around."

The influx of extra staffing was important for church as it presented its annual Christmas "Pastorela" entitled "Ángeles Alertas", a Mexican adaptation of the well-known story "Angels Aware." The play was performed in the open air in the plaza where the AWANA club meets.

"It was a wonderful success," reported the Loves. "With 45 angels, 17 prophets, 14 shepherds, the holy family and various other actors, hot fruit punch makers, candy bag packers, lighting and sound technicians and make-up artists, over 130 people were directly involved. Parents, friends and neighbors filled over 200 chairs. Besides presenting a clear gospel message in the drama, we gained additional credibility and good will with the people of Agua Santa (the name of the apartment complex area near the church)."

Other activities going on at the church include a new women's Bible study program and Christian Education Learning Laboratory (CELL) training sessions with a half dozen parishioners. The church is also helping educate other local churches through a bi-monthly Christian education workshop format.

For more information about the Puebla Kids project, contact the world mission department by telephone at 773-907-3321 or Patty Retamal by email at patty.retamal@covchurch.org. More information about the Puebla church can be gleaned by emailing the Loves at mexmish@pacto.org. The Puebla Kids web site is http://pueblakids.org.

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