Transformation Testimony: CFCI Guatemala

God is doing amazing things in Christ For the City International's ministry in Guatemala - whether it's at the soccer school, the daycare, the medical clinic, or any one of the multiple ministries that CFCI-Guatemala is involved with. 

The medical clinic alone is a story in God's provision and success. Though it is only handled by a single doctor and a single dentist, the people are coming. Some days, they serve as many as 200 people. 

They also are seeing miracles. One certain man came to the clinic with the intention of stealing from the clinic. Then he saw the work - how they didn't charge anything (and as a result, didn't have any money at the clinic), and were ministering to the needs of the community. He decided to help them out. "The only thing that was stolen," he said, "Was the evil from inside me."

And this is only one example of the many ways that God is changing hearts and minds through the work of CFCI-Guatemala. 

To get involved with the ministry of CFCI-Guatemala, contact us at missions@cfci.org or click the button below.

Written by: John Michael Den Hartog

Making a Difference: Who Owns You?

By Dr. Chip Anderson

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Christ For the City International!

In these days it is always wonderful to look back at our history and see all that God has done through us, for us, and with us to bless others and bring them into His kingdom.

When the prophetic voice of God is not present it is natural for man to turn to the law and traditions in order to preserve the remembrance of when the voice of God was active among us.

During these times of celebration, we are also being tempted. Instead of seeking to keep the voice of God prophetic and active in our lives, our families, and our ministries, we can be tempted to start to build monuments to commemorate what God has done in the past. This is dangerous for any of us. While keeping God's voice active in our lives is not an easy thing with all the noise and the pressures we feel around our busy lives, it is absolutely essential.

I want to share with you an interesting and somewhat obscure verse. It’s one of my favorites because it helps me to maintain my thirst to hear God's voice. It is Galatians 6:17.

In Galatians, Paul is dealing with a church that has lost the prophetic voice of God in their midst and who has started to substitute that voice for laws and traditions of men. In this case, circumcision. This upsets Paul very much. To the point that this is the only epistle that Paul writes where there is no loving salutation from him! At the end of Galatians, Paul writes these words in verse 17.

“Henceforth let no man bother me for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”

Our workers and missionaries inspire me to remember that we owe our allegiance to God alone. It is God who owns us, not man or the world. In fact, we do not own ourselves!

Our workers have many years (for some, decades) of faithful service to God through a variety of hard and dark circumstances. They are truly warriors: in prayer, definitely, but also in being so faithful and committed to God's work through their lives in order to bring others into the Kingdom of God. They have fought the battles, they have been faithful. You who have fought the battle with us understand what I'm about to tell you.

First, let us remember that because we have borne the battle for so long we bear the mark of Jesus in our hearts and souls. For some, even on our bodies. You need to honor and celebrate these battle scars; not as a source of pride but of ownership - God’s ownership of your life. Because of those scars we are not accountable to mere man; we are accountable to God. You are no longer held accountable by man’s culture, by man’s values, or by man's manipulations. You have passed the test, and you are only accountable to God.

Second, these scars should also remind us that we are not owned by our feelings and desires. You were crucified with Christ when you became a Christian and put Jesus Christ on the throne of your life. At that time you died, and you dedicated the rest of your life to being God's servant and doing God's will on earth in a way that would demonstrate His Kingdom.

In other words, we have been set free from the slavery of sin and now are slaves of God and so enjoy the fruit of holiness as well as eternal life. (Romans 6:16-22)!

The conclusion is that we can relax. God is in control of our lives and the history of CFCI. Seek, cherish, and listen for the prophetic voice of God in your life and enjoy the freedom that God brings to us all!

Maranatha!

Chip Anderson is the president and CEO of Christ For the International. 

To give to Chip or other missionaries who continue pouring themselves out for Jesus Christ and the good of others, follow this link.

Edited By: John Michael Den Hartog

Missionary Testimony - Through Trials

By Luis and Cintia Aguilar

Luis and Cintia Aguilar serve as Christ For the City International missionaries in Mexico. Their passion is ministering to the indigenous peoples in the mountains. However, lately, their primary mission field has been to a four-month old bundle of joy named Abigail. Here, they share about how God has used trials and tribulations as the catalyst for growth in their lives.

When the Lord called us to missions in 2011, it was a beautiful and supernatural moment, but He never showed us the whole panorama of the future, only enough to begin walking by faith. We didn´t know what was going to happen, but God had set us apart to serve Him.

From that moment on, the Lord began to work in us by strengthening our character, changing our thinking and fine-tuning our faith. He wanted us to be able to follow His will and be more fruitful. That´s when we understood that the supreme goal that our God has for his children is to make us more like Jesus. Often, the best way to learn how to do that is through trials. We can see an example in Joseph (Genesis 50:20) and the trials that changed his life. In the same way, God shows us His face and allows us to feel His presence in ways that are only possible through affliction.

During these years, the Lord has allowed us to live through many experiences. Some have been beautiful and others have broken our hearts, but in each one, the Lord has been faithful. He has never abandoned us. He has helped us through adversity without allowing us to sink into depression in the process. When prosperity has come, He has showed us how to use it for building His Kingdom, not our own. The joy of living each day for Jesus has helped us keep our balance, in spite of the ups and downs of the circumstances.

All the trials and difficulties in our walk as missionaries have challenged our hearts and convictions and have helped us discover who we really are. God, through His mercy, has made it possible for all things to work together for our good. No adversity has been without purpose. All of it has been under God´s control because He desires to fulfill His goals in our lives and ministry…which is why we give glory to His name!

We still have a lot to learn as missionaries (and right now we are busy learning to be new parents to boot), but we will not fear. The Holy Spirit renews us from within each day and helps us be fully confident in the Lord´s sovereignty. This Spirit is the guarantee that we have to hear God´s voice and the power that will lead us to fulfill the Great Commission.

Edited by: John Michael Den Hartog

Transformation Testimony: Costa Rican Street Girls

In the beautiful country of Costa Rica, there have been many problems with drug abuse.  While there were young men that were getting treatment, there existed little to nothing for adolescent girls. Then, eighteen years ago, Christ For the City International stepped into the gap. Watch the video to discover just how God has used this relatively young ministry to transform the lives of more than 400 girls over the course of the last few years.

And check out this link to find out more of what God is doing through CFCI in Costa Rica.

Partner Profile: 'Shining Stars' Lives Up to its Name

One of the simple ways to measure the effectiveness of a program is to ask one question: what would happen if that program did not exist? In the case of Shining Stars, it would mean that 400-500 children per day would not be ministered to, would not hear the hope of the Gospel, and would not have the opportunity to grow holistically in a Christ-centered environment.

Peter Wiig has been running the operation for the past seventeen years. He saw the need for a place for children to go after school – a place where kids could receive tutoring and discipleship, as well as develop their athletic and artistic abilities. In India, training in the arts is often neglected in favor of education in math and science. Each week, the centers work to develop youth in a variety of different arenas, focused on maturing and advancing the whole person. His fourteen centers in Hyderabad, India and the surrounding regions have been doing exactly that. 

CFCI-Asia has partnered with Shining Stars with the purpose of bringing hope to the children of India – an important demographic. One in sixteen people on the planet is an Indian child. The centers provide an opportunity for the Gospel to reach these children and, by extension, their families. The vast majority of the families involved with Shining Stars are Hindu. The centers provide a place where children can hear the Gospel and bring the light of Jesus to their loved ones. However, in order to gain a foothold in the neighborhood, they often have to begin by being quiet about their faith.

Through the program, there are stories like that of Moses. He started coming to one of the centers in the sixth grade, when the center was still pretty new. He excelled as a student in the center, returned as a volunteer, and ultimately, worked as a teacher there. He continued his own education, completing his MBA. Now, working for Amazon in India, he contributes financially to the centers and serves on the Board of Directors. Even with Moses's busy schedule, he still chooses to hang out at the centers, spending time with the children.

And there are countless other stories of the ways that God has ministered and moved in the region. Truly, God is transforming India, one little shining star at a time.

Peter Wiig is a long-term missionary in Hyderabad, India. He was the son of missionaries to India, though he attended Biola University and worked nine years in inner-city LA. He is married to Mercy and has three sons, Josiah, Stephen, and Caleb. Like his Facebook page by following this link. 

Written by: John Michael Den Hartog