To The Best Year Of My Life (So Far)

Looking back on this past year, I've been through a lot of stuff:

• Important stuff has been stolen from me
• I've been in excruciating pain
• I've been threatened
• My patience has been tried countless times in so many ways
• Amazing people have left my life
• At one point, I was living off the least I possibly could
• I've broken down several times
• I've thought of giving up and moving on

After it all, though, I can definitely say:

It was worth it.

All of it. I don't think there is a single thing I would have changed. Would I like my amazing laptop back? Yes. Would I rather have skipped all of the pain and sickness and stress that I went through? Most definitely. Would it have been nice to get rid of all the trouble and have a perfect year? You bet. But, because of these things that have occurred in my life, I gained something more valuable than all of the niceness that I could have received: a stronger faith in my God. After every one of these things that happened to me, I always did my best to direct it to God and give it to Him. Was it easy? You'd be crazy if you thought it was. It's never easy to just give something up like that. As humans, we want to have control over everything. We want to know what is going to happen when and why it's going to happen. The thing is, though, when we try it on our own, we fail. Every time. Maybe not right away, but it falls in the end. There's always something not perfect in everything we try on our own. Yeah, maybe you have that dream car or house you've always wanted, but you went through innumerable amounts of stress, and still are, due to working to pay that off. Maybe that amazing job is all you could ever imagine, but it's caused you to draw away from your family and friends due to your unfair boss giving you unreal hours, and now you're thinking it over. Maybe you've become super popular and everyone's your friend, but you're never sure who actually is your friend and who's just using you. I'm not saying that God's going to make you super popular and have everyone love you, but the point I'm trying to get across is that when you do it on your own power, something is bound to fail. It's true. I've learned that the hard way so many times. But, after I realized what I was doing wrong, I looked to God and placed it in His hands. And EVERY time, He comes through. It may not be right away, but He does. And the more I did it, the more simple it was to do it. I look back on everything, and so many good things have come from my stronger faith in God. It has really helped me persevere and make change in my little neighborhood of Terrazas II in Tijuana, Mexico:

• The kids’ program has grown from 12-15 avg. to 25-45 (30 avg.) weekly
• 28 new kids have come to the church because of the soccer team I started
• 12 of those kids come regularly
• 2 kids have learned how to read
• David (1^st kid) has gone from almost knowing his letters to reading short stories with ease
• Enrique (2^nd kid) has gone from almost knowing his letters to reading short paragraphs
• 8 kids have learned/are learning how to sing or play an instrument
• Brayan was practicing drums with the worship team due to this
• 20 people are learning English, 17 of them being kids
• 6 families receive in-home relational discipleship

After seeing all the amazing things God did through me this year, I can 100% say again that it was worth it. And this is just the general stuff. All of the spiritual and emotional chains and walls that I've seen broken has been indescribable. Seeing how much my kids have changed and been made new has got to be the greatest thing that has happened all year. And it all happened because I put it in His hands.

With that being said, I'm super pumped for what God has done this amazing year and what He is going to do and bring in this next chapter of my life!! Hopefully, you are, too. Just remember to place it in His hands. He's got this.

"...be content with what you have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" - Hebrews 13:5b-6

October 2013 Newsletter

Here's the newsletter for October!¡ Again, I know it's late, so forgive me for that. Hopefully, I'll be on time this month. Also, I might start posting other things other than newsletters here. It's just that it's really hard to find the time to do so with my super busy schedule.

September 2013 Newsletter

Here's the September newsletter!¡ New things are happening here at Mision Familiar Bethlem, so be sure to check this out!¡

August 2013 Newsletter

It's that time of the month!¡ Well, it's a little late, but things have been so busy around here with soccer games and jealous kids and now music classes. I really have my hands full, haha.

If you or anyone you know is able to donate monthly, please do so by filling out the info on the side under Recurring Donations. I'm really riding the fine line with finances, and it would be such an amazing blessing if you could help me out. Not just for me, but for the kids, as well. Seriously. A huge portion of my money goes into things to help them, such as the kids food program on Saturdays, the kids' soccer teams (I have two now), English classes, and other events we're planning for the kids. With God's provision, you could be the reason why these kids have food every Saturday, are able to score that winning goal, or have a better education. Please consider this greatly, as you would be pouring so many blessings into these kids' lives.

To the few of you who are helping me out, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. Without your help, I wouldn't be able to show these kids the amazing love of Jesus through these practical things, let alone live. I seriously appreciate it so much. Through your generous support, I'm able to reach out to these kids on a daily basis, lend a helping hand, and to be there and console the broken-hearted, as you'll read about in this month's newsletter.

Anyway, here's the August newsletter!¡ Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and may God bless you abundantly!¡

July 2013 Newsletter

It's a little late, but here's the July 2013 newsletter!

If you have any questions/comments/concerns about any of the info in this newsletter,or any in general, feel free to contact me by email: daniel.ratz92@gmail.com.

Camp Is STILL Possible!!!

After making several arrangements and emails, the price for camp has changed A LOT. Now, it's only $80 per person! It's still a bit up there, but I know God can work miracles, and through YOU, He can! Only a few dollars have been donated so far, and we're still in need of a lot of help. The planned dates for camp, August 15-18, is coming up quick! If you or someone you know can donate ANY amount of money, it is 100% appreciated. Every little adds up!

Here's a list of the kids again that are on the list to go. Choose a kid or kids you would like to sponsor and put his/her/their name(s) in the for space in the donation form:

Boys:

• Carlos, age 8
• Samuel, age 10
• Israel, age 9
• Raul, age 7
• Alfonso, age 10
• Brian, age 8
• Sami, age 7
• Oscar, age 11
• Everardo, age 10
• Alan, age 9
• Osvaldo, age 11
• Estif, age 8
• Bryan, age 8
• Juan, age 8

Girls:

• Karla, age 11
• Estefani, age 10
• Noami, age 9
• Angela, age 11
• Danely, age 8
• Danitza, age 7
• Paola, age 10
• Melanie, age 10
• Angeles, age 10
• Miriam, age 10
• Clara, age 11

This will be a life-changing event for all of them, and you have the awesome opportunity to be a part of it! We also have 13 counselors going who also need funding, so if you feel led to sponsor one of them, feel free to do so! Also, funding for camp supplies/games/crafts is also needed. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to specify which you are donating for in the for space on the donation form. You can do so by clicking on the yellow Donate button on the side under One-Time Donations. Again, ANY amount is 100% appreciated, whether it be $5 or $500. It all adds up! Thank you for considering to be a part of changing these kids lives, as God is going to break chains and set lives free!!!

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8

Help Make Camp Possible!

A few weeks back, I was reminiscing about how I was involved with kids camps last year and how awesome it was. Then, it hit me: why don't we do one here? Pastor Elvis had been mentioning about how he wanted to do camps for the teens and young adults, so why not for the kids? We started to talk, which now has turned into planning. We possibly might be having our FIRST EVER Kids's Camp here at Mision Familiar Bethlem!!! Unfortunately, the keyword is: possibly. That "We possibly might" can be changed to "We ARE" with YOUR help! And you can help in multiple ways:

• Pray. We need all the prayer we can get: for God to show us which kids need to go, for God to send us leaders to help with camp, for awesome ideas of things to do with the kids at camp.
• Donate camping items. It could be anything you might think we could use for camping: tents, pillows, sleeping bags, blankets, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, bug spray, sun block, flashlights with batteries, and whatever else you think would be useful.
• Donate craft/game items. This camp is something I want the kids to remember forever and look forward to every year. For that, I need several items to make this a super fun and exciting experience: several large tarps, TONS of baby shampoo, a giant, inflatable beach ball, TONS of water balloons, multiple rolls of different colored duct tape, an assortment of wood paint, thick, wooden picture frames that can be painted/drawn on (3x5), beach/sand toys, floaties, life jackets for kids, good walkie talkies (actual ones, not kid ones), shaving cream, square swim goggles for kids/adults, and anything else that you think would be useful/fun to do. I am open to ideas!
• Sponsoring a Child. Unfortunately, camp costs money, and almost all of these kids that want to go don't have the money for it. For one kid, it costs $120 to have an amazing experience at this camp. Not only with fun and games, but they will be entering into the love and presence of God in an environment where there aren't any distractions of home/chores/work getting in the way and where only God's true and amazing love is shown. We are planning on bringing around 20-30 kids to camp, and with your help, we can. Here's a list of kids that we are praying for to be able to come to camp and have their lives changed forever:

Boys:

• Carlos, age 8
• Samuel, age 10
• Israel, age 9
• Raul, age 7
• Alfonso, age 10
• Iliseo, age 7
• Bryan, age 8
• Sami, age 7
• Octavio, age 11
• Oscar, age 11
• Everardo, age 10
• Leo, age 9
• Alan, age 9

Girls:

• Karla, age 11
• Estefani, age 10
• Noami, age 9
• Angela, age 11
• Danely, age 8
• Danitza, age 7
• Sara, age 8
• Paola, age 10
• Melani, age 10

I will be adding  kids on this list once I find out about more kids that can go, and I will be updating the statuses of the kids once they get paid for, so be sure to keep watch on this list to see our progress! Also, our teachers/camp counselors need to be paid for to go (12 in total as of now, same price as the kids) and transportation costs need to be funded for, as well. If you have a van/bus you can donate, we would be more than happy to accept that, as well. We are planning on the camp being on August 16-18, so it's coming up fast! Please feel free to also pray for all of the finances to be covered.

If you would like to donate any items for camp, please contact me via email: daniel.ratz92@gmail.com

If you would like to sponsor a child, please do so by clicking the donate button on the side and, in the for space, indicate which child you wish to sponsor.

If you would like to sponsor a teacher/camp counselor, donate towards transportation costs, or would like to send a financial donation for a non-specific purpose, please feel free to do so as well by clicking the PayPal donate button on the side and indicate in the for section where you would like the money to go towards. If there isn't a specific purpose, be sure to put that in the for section.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for joining us in prayer, as God is going to move in these kids' lives like never before!