Through the Eyes of Yahir - November 2016 Newsletter

Here's the newsletter for this month!! Like I had mentioned before, it was requested by several people that I just do one newsletter every two months. If one of you disagree and would like for me to do a newsletter like this every month, feel free to let me know!! I will also publish a list of prayer requests and financial needs, as was requested, as soon as I can. As always, feel free to comment with whatever suggestions you may have!!

Through The Eyes Of Jaqueline - September 2016 Newsletter

For this month's newsletter, I had Jaqueline, one of the teens that is interning with the ministry, write it!! It's something fresh and different this month, so please take the time to check it out!! Don't forget to check out the prayer requests and financial needs below!!

Prayer Requests:

1. For Juan Carlos, Fernando, Alex, Cesar, their baby brother, and their parents. The first four have just recently been coming to our kids program, soccer team, and church services every week, so I'm just starting to get to know them. Their family seems to hardly have anything. Their parents don't go to church. I'm not sure if their parents even believe in God. Please pray for them.
2. For Danny at the children's home. He's really struggling in school with everything. He's in second grade, but he does not know too well how to do simple math operations and does not know how to read. He also has a bad cough at the moment.
3. For Vianey at the children's home. She's also struggling a whole lot in school. She's in sixth grade, but she does not know how to do simple math operations and does not know how to read, either.
4. For my health. I currently have bronchitis, and I was told by the doctor that I need to see a cardiologist for something with my heart. Please pray for healing and peace for me.

Financial Needs:

1. Kids' Club at church: snacks, craft supplies, toys for prize store, candy for prizes
2. Soccer Team: new uniforms (a lot of the kids have ripped their jerseys due to overuse, and a lot of new kids do not have a uniform), soccer balls, soccer cleats
3. (NEW) Missions Team: We are planning on doing two missions trips within the next year to help out the poverty-stricken kids and families in San Vicente. Any amount that you can help out with will be more than appreciated!!
4. My Car: insurance, repairs

Like it says in the newsletter, I am really in need of monthly financial donations. If you are interested in doing so, there is a button on the right side of this blog where you can do so. Feel free to contact me at daniel.ratz92@gmail.com for any questions.

August 2016 Prayer and Financial Update

So, I thought that it would be a little too much to put my five prayer requests and five financial needs in the same post as my newsletter, so I've decided to make one month a small update post, while the next month will be a full newsletter. Here's some highlights from this month:

Adolescentes Unidos (Teens United) happened!! This was our teen summer camp that we did for thirteen teens. Although there weren't many of them, God still impacted them in a huge way. Thank you all who supported this vision through prayer and/or donations. Things like this can't happen without you!!


We also had our Vacation Bible School, which helped us add four new kids to our regular Saturday attendance, and we also were asked to lead the kids' church for a city-wide conference, which opened the door to do another Kids Crusade!! Unfortunately, I have no pictures of either one, but God did some great things through us in these kids' lives at both events!!

Here's five prayer requests that I would like you all to join in prayer with me:

1. For Alexis. I've posted about him on Facebook, but I can't ask for enough prayer for him. He's been to the doctor/hospital more times than I can count this month. He's been told that he possibly has diabetes, needs heart surgery, and he's been sick and not been able to keep his food down on several occasions. At seven years old, I can't imagine how hard this is on him and his family. Please keep him in your daily prayers.

2. For Danny and Antony. These two just recently arrived at the children's home, and I can tell that things aren't too comfortable for them. I mean, I don't think it would be for any kid who's lived a normal life to being away from their parents. I'm not too sure about their situation, but they might be going back with their mom to Puebla soon. Please keep them in your prayers.

3. For Luis. I asked for prayer for him in my last update, but he still needs prayer. The devil seems to be attacking him hard. He's had an unusually bad attitude lately, and it's not like some normal bad attitude. God has huge, I mean HUGE, plans for this kid, and I won't let Satan try and change any of that.

4. For my health. I've been pretty exhausted these past weeks, and I'm guessing it has to do with overworking myself this summer. I did a LOT. This was the busiest summer of my life, and I never really took some time to recuperate from it. Not only exhaustion, but I've had a weird pain in the middle of my chest for a couple weeks, too. I've been doing more and more to rest, and it seems to be helping a bit. This has probably been the first time in my life that I've actually wanted to rest, which leads into my next and final prayer request,

5. For peace for myself. I've realized that it's not just this past summer, but my weekly schedule is way too busy and exhausting. I'm always working on my rest day, and that's not ok. Due to this, I've decided to remove something else from my weekly schedule: helping the kids at the Tecate garbage dump. This has been a hard decision for me, as I have prolonged this since April, but I feel that now is the time to say goodbye for now. A lot of new kids have arrived there, and I have good friendships with almost all of them, and I want to help them, but there's a family there that's from the church in Centro that I sometimes help, and the wife does an excellent job with the kids. I don't necessarily need to be there to help them. Before, there was no one, so it was necessary. Now, the place has been filled. With that in mind, it's a little easier for me to go, but I'm going to miss those kids a whole lot. I'm huge on relationships, and it's hard for me to separate from those relationships, but I need to if I want to continue living next month. Removing this from my schedule will help me a lot, but I feel that I'll be doing less. I know I'm not, but the feeling lingers there. That's where I need peace. Not only in this, but peace for what's to come. Many things are on my mind for the remainder of this year, and I need to be able to have a sound mind to do it all.


Sorry for the length of that last one. Here are my five financial needs:

1. Saturday Kids' Program: arts and crafts, snacks for the kids.

2. Special Events: Kids' Crusade in November, possible two missions trips with the teens, outreaches every month

3. Soccer Team: Cleats, shin guards, soccer balls, equipment bag, ref/league fees

4. Vehicle: repairs (unfortunately), insurance

5. (last, but definitely not least) Alexis: I want to be able to help his mom with his medical bills. There's been a LOT of bills, and Alexis's mom has had to pawn off a bunch of stuff that she owns to pay them. If any of you are able to donate to help Alexis out, please contact me asap.



Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this, and may God bless you all over-abundantly, and then some.


- Daniel Ratz

Días Locos Para Cristo - July 2016 Newsletter

After taking the opinions of some of you guys, I've decided to make a newsletter every two months. Less is more, right? Or is that just with Charmin? Also, at the bottom of this blog, I have included five prayer points and five financial needs that I have, also requested by one of you guys, so please take the time to check that out, as well:

Five Prayer Requests:

1. For José and his mom. Details above.
2. For Brayan. His mom won't let him come to the church, small group, or soccer team. I'm not sure why. After talking with Brayan, he's started to come back to the team, but it would be more awesome if he came back to the church and small group so that he can get back with God.
3. For Luis. He's going through a trial right now, and it's been hard for him. He's really been getting in tune with God, but his family isn't helping with that.
4. For direction for myself. There's been many opportunities that have been brought my way on what I can do in the future, and they all seem great. I have learned, though, that I can't do it all and that it would be a lot better if I just really focused on just one area instead of three, like I'm doing now.
5. For my recently purchased car. It's been making a weird noise, and I don't have any money right now to get it fixed. I did get it checked out, and I was told that it could have something to do with the transmission. Praying against that.

Five Financial Needs: (In general, I am in need of monthly supporters, but here's why)

1. Kids Soccer Team (for shin guards, uniforms, league fees, soccer balls)
2. Kids Club (for art projects, at least a little snack for the kids, little toys for the toy store)
3. Garbage Dump Outreach (for food for the kids, to bring/do for them something special)
4. Children's Home (I take some of the boys once every two weeks for a fun day out so that they can live normal lives and have fun like other kids)
5. My Newly Purchased Car (for payments I'm still making to my friends who lent me money for the car, car insurance, maintenance)

Camp Agua Viva - May 2016 Newsletter

Better late than never!! I promise that I will get back on posting these in the correct month. Thank you to the ten people who actually read this. Also, I'm in need of monthly supporters. With Teens United, two small missions trips, vacation Bible school, and a possible camp for the kids coming up this summer, I'm really in need of funds. For those of you who haven't seen, I just recently bought a new car due to having to return the car that was lent to me, and that used all of the money that I had saved up for these things. Whatever amount you can donate is completely, without a doubt, the most awesome amount that you could possibly donate, whether it be $500 or $5. Please email me at daniel.ratz92@gmail.com for any questions/comments that you might have.

God's Feet Moving (April 2016 Newsletter)

I apologize for the tardiness in April's newsletter. I thought that because I was in the U.S. for most of April that I didn't need to do a newsletter for April. After I rethought that thought, I realized that was a lazy thing to do and that I should still do one. So, here's the newsletter for April!!

Niños Locos Para Cristo (March 2016 Newsletter)

It's that time of month!! Check this out!! Also, I'm currently looking for monthly donators. If you are in a position to where you can donate $10, $20, $50, or whatever amount a month, please do so along the right side of this post or at danielratz.blogspot.com. Any amount is truly appreciated and will be used towards more things like you see below!!

Dreaming Big - February 2016 Newsletter

Here's the newsletter for this month of February!! Check it out, ya'll:

The Simple Things - January 2016 Newsletter

Newsletter for this month!! The story about José and Ulises is the extremely short version. Like I mentioned below, I will be writing more about them in these next letters to come. If you guys would like to know more about them or about any of the kids I've written about, please ask away!!