Cynthia has already left on a journey that God is leading her on ... one that is taking her to Juarez, Mexico ... and beyond.
Let me explain.
The Alvarez family has been attending ICC for a number of years. Cynthia graduated a year ago from CSU with a degree in Music. In addition to being a Youth leader at New Creation, Cynthia has served God at ICC through teaching in the children’s department, and more recently, through our music ministry.
Since graduation, she has been teaching piano full-time at the Piano Institute. Cynthia recently said, “I’ve loved my job there and have learned a ton about teaching as well as working with kids. But several months ago, I felt God leading me to leave the Piano Institute and look for something that would let me invest in people on a deeper level.”
As she began to pray about her next step, God began using situations in her life to reveal His plan to her. Through the inspiration of some books she read about YWAM Missionaries, and Rachel Christen’s life and death, God changed her priorities about her future, and gave her a sense of urgency around His call on her life… a call to service and to missions.
Sometimes God moves in ways that we will never fully understand. As a result of God’s leading in her life, Cynthia applied for, and was accepted into YWAM’s Discipleship Training Program in Juarez, Mexico, from August-December 2008. YWAM (Youth With A Mission) is a non-denominational missions organization that provides training and missions service opportunities around the world.
The five-month Discipleship Training Program consists of a lecture phase and a serving phase. During the lecture phase, there are classes about God’s character, worship, relationships, the church body, evangelism, and missions. In addition to classes, they do ministry in the neighborhoods of Juarez. The second half of the program consists of the outreach phase, in which they travel to another country (or possibly to another location within Mexico) to do mission work and evangelize. Different projects might include working with children, ministering to the homeless, performing music and dramas, and doing community clean-up projects.
Cynthia is asking first for our prayers, in the same way that Jesus prayed for his followers: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me,” (John 18:23). Second, she is asking for financial assistance. In order to attend this program, she needs to raise over $5,000 by August 4th. She has stepped out in faith to follow God’s call on her life. She has asked her friends and family to help.
But Cynthia isn't waiting until the program starts on Aug 4th. She left Fort Collins on July 12th, the day after her job ended, to go to Juarez on a mission trip with 48 others from our church, Immanuel Community Church. Amid what will surely be many tears, she will stay behind as the team leaves Juarez tomorrow. She will stay with a families of the church we were working with in Juarez until the YWAM program starts on Aug 4th.
As soon as Cynthia gets internet access, she will post updates on what she is doing in Juarez, and also prayer requests for the many people who know and love her. Keep checking back over the next couple of weeks until she begins posting regularly. I will post updates for her until she can do it herself.
Blessings,
Terry Jackson
Missions Director
Immanuel Community Church
