Family of Four…
Hi family and friends!
We are excited to share all that God has done in our lives in the last year. It’s been busy and full of His grace, from ministering, to working, to moving, to parenthood. We look back to when we were both just missions students, now three years ago, and we can’t help but praise God for all He has given us, in His perfect will and timing.
LIFE WITH MOSES
Where do we begin! Moses is 1 year old now, and every single day he finds new ways to make us laugh and melt. He’s an incredibly good sleeper, thank God. We can only describe his personality as joyful. He wakes up with a smile every morning! He has grown so much, and is already taking steps!
We don’t take any moment for granted in getting to be his parents. We have purposed to soak in every stage of his growth, and we can see in each other the ways in which God has grown us as new parents already. Putting him first is something the Lord has showed and continues to show both of us. We ask that you join us in praying for his life, in God’s hands, that he would grow up knowing and loving Jesus.
Moses’ 1 year photo
WORK
I (Barek) have been working for a city in Riverside County for over a year now in Code Enforcement. It has been a privilege of an opportunity, for many different reasons, the greatest of which being able to share my faith and the love of Christ with co-workers. I have been learning to expect that God has, at any moment He so wills, conversations in place for me to have. This happened most recently when I least expected it! I had an opportunity to share what I do outside of work with one of my co-workers. Sharing about being in youth ministry at my church, and my wife and I pursuing full time ministry, opened up doors for me to hear his heart as he has been “returning to faith” in his own words. I was able to touch on the truth of the gospel of Grace, over the structure of man’s religion. To say I left the conversation in shock is an understatement; in my estimation, he wasn’t someone I expected to have any open doors with, but praise be to God! It was a glorious reminder that the fields are indeed ripe for the harvest, as Jesus said!
LIFE
After a year at our first apartment, we have recently moved back in with Barek’s family. It was bittersweet for me (Araceli) as the apartment was the place where we created so many memories as our family of three. We were blessed with many opportunities to host people and do ministry, as well as watching Moses grow. Yet we are so grateful that Barek’s family have received us in this transitional phase, providing us a place. We truly don’t know what the next step is, but we are at peace knowing that He is leading us, and that this move was a step guided by Him!
JR HIGH MINISTRY
One of the great privileges we have had in the last year has been in starting and leading the Jr. High Ministry at CCSG. We shared in a previous newsletter that we were serving in Youth Ministry, at which time the leadership saw God bring more Jr. Highers to our church. We were prayerfully invited to take this new ministry on, and it has been amazing. We have now led two Youth Camps, one in the winter and one most recently in the summer, and have seen God move in incredible ways. For myself (Barek) stepping into a more pastoral/leadership role week after week has been something my heart has long desired, and for all my shortcomings, the grace of God has been with me. I have taught through the book of James, and am currently teaching through the gospel of John. In the course of leading this ministry, God has put Psalm 145:4 on my heart:
“One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.”
We, as the youth leaders, are a generation of lives saved by Christ, and our great privilege is to declare who He is and what He’s done to our Jr. Highers, and to see what God will do in and through them, for His glory!
I (Araceli) have started to disciple one of the Jr. High girls, who came to both of our camps, and goes to a different church. We are going through the gospel of John. It has been such a sweet time being able to show her how to take notes in her journal bible and how to highlight specific topics. Lord willing, in October I will start my first bible study with the jr high girls going through the book of Ephesians. I am looking forward to this as the missions training school equipped me to teach the Word.
Summer Camp 26’
Jr High Park Outreach
COMING THIS CHRISTMAS!
We are so excited to grow our family! God has blessed us with a baby girl on the way. I (Araceli) am due December 25. This pregnancy has had its different challenges, but overall it has been good to the point that I forget I am pregnant!
GOING TO THE MIDDLE EAST
We have been talking about this for quite some time and have shared our desire in past newsletters. We have officially and prayerfully set a date to go to the Middle East on a vision tour in April 2027. Lord willing, this will give us more clarity in where the Lord is calling our family long term. We are hoping to raise roughly $3,000.
Praise Reports
For God’s constant provision
For ministry opportunities
For our baby girl so far growing healthily, and Moses’ health!
Prayer Request
For us to be bold in sharing the gospel, not wasting our many opportunities
For wisdom and surrender with our current plans of going to the Middle East
For a healthy remainder of the pregnancy
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