My First Mission Trip to Mexico

Randy took his second team to Mexico in August 1998. They went to help Doug Millar in his work in Playa Del Carmen. My mom, Yvonne Stockman, who is the director of Children's Ministry with I Am Able Ministries (and my Mom), presented the gospel to the children. Many children accepted Christ. The Wordless Book was used to share the gospel, as were other materials. Bracelets and tracts using the wordless book colors were used to share the gospel. The message was recorded in Spanish on a cassette tape. We could not speak the language but God worked it out so that the Gospel message was heard even though there were no interpreters. Once the workers there heard the message, they could present it in their own words effectively.

You can see what the Wordless Book and Bracelet is all about by going to Child Evangelism Fellowship's web site. The gospel message of the 'Wordless Book' and bracelets have become effective witnessing tools. This methods crosses language barriers and makes the gospel easy to understand.

I have been sitting with Jackie's mother at the hospital. She had a stroke about 2 months ago. Recovery was slow but she was getting there until she fell and broke her hip 2 weeks ago and had surgery 3 days later. Her blood pressure would not come up and during caring for her they discovered a bleeding ulcer in her stomach. Once they corrected that problem, her blood pressure stabilized. In the mean time, they flooded her weak heart with fluid and she still has more fluid than she can get rid of. Anyway, her mind is not so good since all this has happened. Sometimes she recognizes us and sometimes she doesn't.

Yesterday one of the nurses asked her name and she said "Victory in Jesus". My point is that even as ill as she is, Jesus is using her to witness of His place in her life. The nurses said "Amen, sister!" It was very special to witness that. She is able to share Jesus even in her condition. Those of us who don't have such obstacles should take heart and not let anything keep us from sharing Jesus with the world we live in.

The Gospel Bag

As I was working on these bags for our upcoming mission trip, I realized that this design came from the Lord. It actually tells the gospel. God gave Randy this design. I understand why now. I will try to explain what I see in it. The wordless book concept falls right into line with the logo.

The GOLD color reminds me of a very special place, heaven. Heaven is a place of incredible beauty where there's a street made of pure gold that's clear like glass! In fact, there is a whole city of gold! On the light house, it represents the light that a sailor sees when he is coming in from sea. He looks for the light so that he can make it in safely. A lost person looks for that light (Jesus) that shines through you and me. Like the light from a candle in the dark, we can lead a person to the light, to Jesus.

Jesus is preparing His children a place in heaven. John 14:2

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

No man comes to the Father (heaven) except through Him.

John 14:6

The DARK cross in this design makes me think of the sin that Jesus died for, my sin, your sin. He took on the sin of the whole wide world and the sin that I hide in heart.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

The RED heart reminded me of the life-blood that Jesus shed for my salvation. Accepting Jesus into my heart washes away that sin.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become

children of God, to those who believe in His name.

John 1:12

The WHITE around the cross represents the sin that is covered by the blood of Jesus.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:7

Jesus loves me in WHITE makes me realize that after I accept Jesus, He will do His wonderful work in my life. I will be as white as pure snow because my sins are washed away. He did it all because "Jesus loves me."

For God so loved the world (me), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

The GREEN lighthouse represents Jesus as He is revealed by the Child of God who has the light of Jesus shining through them. Green represents in the wordless book growth. Part of growth is sharing Jesus with our friends, our family, and our world.

We are the light of the world. Matthew 4:14 We are to let our light (Jesus) shine and not hide it under a bushel, but put it on a lamp stand (light house)for all to see. Matthew 4:21

We use the wordless book in our ministry. It is one of the best tools to reach children and adults alike. It provides an easy way to present the gospel and bring people to saving knowledge of Jesus.

If you would like to use my embroidery design to make bags like these, I'd love to share it with you. I can also give you the information on how I made the bags. It's really not hard at all. I'm going to call it the Gospel Bag. Email me for the embroidery design at sparker@iamable.info at no charge. Also, I have made a pdf file for a card to put in the bag that presents the gospel using the colors of the embroidered logo and wordless book.

Jesus Loves Me

Today I started working on bags for our mission trip to New Mexico for the kids to put their stuff in that we are going to give them during our time with them. Hopefully we will have a good group and be able to plant some seeds, water some seeds and bring in the harvest.

I digitized something similar to our logo but without the world. I just couldn't get the world to work out in the design. I am using denim for the bags and I have some bright variegated red, green, yellow thread that I will use to do the top stitching. I also used the "Wordless Book" colors. How cool is that? I'll get you a picture soon, you know I like pictures.

Some Call her "Lady Moses"

This is an artical about a Native American woman

who gives her testimony in this article.

We will working in Cuba in October 2009 with

I Am Able Ministries.

This is the same lady in the picture in my slide show on the

Sharing Jesus in New Mexico blog wearing the fur coat.

Reprinted from the November, 2003 issue of Missions Mosaic, Woman’s Missionary Union, Birmingham, Alabama. Used by permission. To receive this issue, or subscribe to Missions Mosaic, call 1-800-968-7301.