Update Fall 2021
“... for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls...” Matt 11:28
January, 2022.
Sometime this year it will be the 40th anniversary of my spiritual birth. I am overwhelmed by my LORD and SAVIOR’S amazing grace, unfailing love, eternal mercy, and great faithfulness towards me; yes me. As each day goes by, I am humbled that He talks to me through His Word, gently teaching, reproofing, correcting and training me; allowing His Spirit to empower me to obey Him, discovering how good His perfect will is, and how assuring it is to build my life on the ROCK... He also hears me as I talk to Him by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, granting me His peace that surpasses all understanding... Oh! How very sweet it is that, as I come to the Throne of Grace, my High Priest knows my weaknesses, my failures, and He receives me graciously to discipline, restore, encourage, and help me live victoriously... “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable His ways!”... He has also blessed me richly as I co-labor with each of you. Thank you for walking with me all of these years. What a blessing is our Family in Christ! Thank You, LORD JESUS, for giving each of us the privilege of serving You. Oh, may we rest in You to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with You. May You increase and may we decrease, we pray...
Family Camp. Mid-September the Lord once again blessed us with challenging teachings and rich fellowship, and health! He protected the 190+ of us from COVID! I had the privilege of helping with the bookstore. LORD, help us to live holy lives as we await Your soon return, we pray.
Liz, from the Hispanic church in Cannon Beach, has been living with me since September while studying her senior year majoring in Cinema Studies (mainly, film editing). She desires to serve the LORD with her carrier, and to be biblically prepared to minister to young ladies. It has been a joy to disciple her as we review in Spanish the beautiful truths of “Five Aspects of Femininity for Young Ladies” by Barbara Mouser. LORD Jesus, we desire to grow to know and delight more in Your design of us, to be givers of life to many more. Please, conform us to Your image, we pray...
MiniCamp. The ladies of Iglesia Biblica de Eugene (IBE) lovingly hosted 24+ young ladies and counselors from the five Hispanic assemblies in Oregon for a weekend in mid-October. A time packed with five challenging teachings, by Arlene & Denny Norris, a beautiful picnic at the park, sports and a craft. Several of them have expressed a genuine desire to grow spiritually, and to have a daily quiet time with the Lord in His Word. Father, we pray that these desires will come true in your daughters, and may You bring to Yourself the ones that continue to reject Your amazing grace...
Quico (Frederick). He turned 25 in October! God has blessed him with spiritual mentors who challenge him to keep his eyes on JESUS, on His Word, in fellowship with believers, and not on the things of this world. The Lord has given him a career that he enjoys very much, and he honors God with it. He has also given him godly roommates. He desires to disciple Ben Koleno, a young man who trusted Christ a few years ago when Quico served reaching out to high-schoolers. Please, pray for them... I am so blessed to have Quico around. He encourages and helps me continually! I respect and admire him in many ways. He is a gift from God that I do not deserve. Father, You are our good Father; may we perceive Your love so we may trust You more, and not our own ways. Have us flee from idols, we pray...
Good News Clubs. We praise the LORD for He has graciously opened the opportunity to evangelize children in two Good News Clubs (GNC) this school year. The majority of the children are Hispanic. Xiomara and her daughters Josie and Valeria, from our Hispanic church, are of invaluable help in one of the clubs. The other GNC, in which I am a helper, has three Hispanic children from very thankful families that we knew since the former children’s program that closed four years ago. Lord Jesus, we pray for the salvation of these precious souls, their older siblings (several of whom professed to have believe in Christ some years ago), and for their parents...
CEF-Christmas Across America. The weekend of November 12-13, Josie and I were invited to promote and help training teens to share the gospel with children through Christmas parties. Josie taught on how to teach a Memory Verse, and I directed the games. It’s beautiful to see she chose to serve the Lord on her 18th birthday! Lord Jesus, may You continue to give her and other Hispanic teens (believers) the joy of serving You, their King.
Sunday School. Also in November, I had the privilege of teachingthe children of IBE. They are learning the attributes of God through Bible Stories. Father, we pray for Kathy, Kiara, Kassandra, Valeria, Caleb, Benjamin, Bethany, Thomas... May they see Your greatness, experience Your love and be convicted of their sin, to see their need for Your Son as Savior and Lord...
El Rey de Gloria. Very generous donors provided 290 Spanish copies of The King of Glory evangelistic book for my mother’s secular school in Celaya, my hometown in Mexico. The books arrived just in time to be sent to 270 families tucked in the school’s Christmas gift bag! Some of the staff got a book too. Parents have started commenting how wonderful it is! LordJesus, we continue to pray for revival in Celaya. We are encouraged as we see how You are answering our prayers. We praise You and ask for the salvation of our family members, relatives, neighbors and friends.
Seven Principles of Sexuality, by Bill and Barbara Mouser, the study book I had the privilege of translating into Spanish, is now in print! For a short time you can pre-order it at ICGS website for only $8. Lord Jesus, we thank You for this important tool that biblically and in a concise manner instructs us on the importance and beauty of Your design of genders, and equips us to face present times of distortion and perversion.
IBE Women’s Study. We are studying the book of Colossians, by B. Pillette. Adriana Chavez continues to train several women to guide the study, and God is raising teachers among us! Lord Jesus, You are sufficient for our salvation and sanctification. Amazing is Your grace! Father, we continue to pray for these precious women: Margarita, Alba, Mary, Yosicely and Steffani. You know where they are spiritually. We long to see them, and each of us, walking in the truth and in fellowship with believers, growing in wisdom and bearing every good fruit in love...
February 12, IBE. Pamela Chavez (now back from a one year discipleship program at Camp Berea in Mexico!) is directing our church on an evangelistic event celebrating the day of Love and Friendship (February 14). We are so excited to participate in an evangelistic mime, and making crafts with the children. We will be also preparing and serving food, and visiting with our invitees. Father, we thank You for this wonderful opportunity to grow together as a church reaching out to unbelievers. May the Holy Spirit mightily touch and convict each heart that comes... We pray for a clear message and presentation of the gospel, for both, adults and children... We long, Oh, Lord to see others saved, and glorifying You as they walk with You...
Father, we present all these requests to You with thanksgiving. In Your kindness You have provided prayer warriors that support this ministry. What a privilege is to co-labor for Your glory. In the name of Jesus we pray and thank You. Amen.
Monica Sernatinger
