What greater way to usher in Christmas, than to focus hearts and minds on the urgency of proclaiming the gospel throughout the world? This past week marked our church's second missions conference. What a blessing it was to have Juan Alvarez, a Mexican missionary to Spain for nearly 10 years. His messages were not only challenging for our people but for us as a missionary team. We were also encouraged with the participation of three other churches that were represented at some point during the conference. The Alvarez family will join the Araujo family, Peruvian missionaries in Peru, and the Mercedes family, part of our team, as missionaries supported by our church! Pray that God continues to enlarge our vision and burden our people for the world! Pictured above is Juan Alvarez preaching

What do you get when a classy, committed Christian baseball team comes to help in your church ministry and baseball program? Pure excellence. For the second time in as many trips, the Cedarville baseball team headed by Coach Greg Hughes, delivered an outstanding trip - one in which helped strengthen our baseball outreach from our church. Testimonies and preaching were a part of every game, and the team was able to pass out literature and tracts about the church, conduct a baseball clinic for our church's baseball program, and participate in our worship services. Along the way, we took in a couple of professional winter ball games and had a Thanksgiving feast. A few of the players are seriously considering our internship program and one is seriously considering full-time missions! We are so grateful for the baseball team and look forward to their future involvement in the ministry vision. As we tell them, we want Cedarville to have a "home field," right here in San Pedro. We are also very appreciative of former Cedarville Athletic Director Don Callan who originally introduced us and continues to be very supportive of the team, Coach Hughes and the ministry vision here on the field.

This Christmas we are able to give a baby package to every baby born on Christmas Eve and Christmas in the city of San Pedro! I know it sounds like a big task, but thanks to Lewis Memorial Baptist Church and Grace Gospel Church in Huntington WV, Hickory Valley Baptist Church in TN, and a group of individuals we are able to do so. This is becoming an annual community project. On Christmas Eve and Christmas we enter the hospitals and clinics in San Pedro and give a package to every newborn. The package includes diapers, booties, pacifier, bottle, teether, a baby bathtub and a Bible. We also have a chance to pray with each new mother! This year we are also including a baby care class in early January so we can meet the mothers a second time and minister even more! Pray that this project is a blessing to the new mothers and to our ladies who participate.