The Schedule:

June 9-13 --
Junior High Kids Club and 
Albuquerque Kids Club

June 23-July 4 – Kids Club

July 20-25 – Kids Camp

Senior High activities go throughout the summer …

Beginning July 8 – August 22 – team members leave for Ethiopia and Kenya for four Children’s Workers Trainings and four Kids Clubs –
For up to date information on this Africa expression log on to our Africa blog @ nmafrica.blogspot.com

Dear Friends,

My name is Alicia Solano and I am 19 years old.  My walk of Christian faith began when I was 13 years old when I started going to Neighborhood Ministries Church.  It was then that I placed my faith in the Lord.

Every time I leave home, while I drive and walk about, when I’m in my most desperate hour, I go to my heavenly Father and He rescues me.  I am very dependant on God.  No matter what happens, I am always sure of the God I know and believe in. Without Him I am hopeless, lost and consumed in a life that can be unfair, a burden, and difficult to handle.  I have recently read in the book More Precious Than Gold by M. Basilea Schlink, that describes in words the proof of my faith: “In the darkest of nights cling to the assurance that God loves you: He always has counsel for you, a road you can follow, a way out of your troubles.  Trust, and you will experience what you believe.  God never disappoints those who place their trust in Him.  He rewards our trust with His help here on earth, and with crowns and thorns in His kingdom." 

At Neighborhood Ministries they teach us the importance of sharing our stories with others so we may be healed by one another.  For this reason I want to share my story with you.  I am a freshman and a Spanish major at Arizona State University.  I was born in Sinaloa, México and was brought to the United States when I was only seven years of age. As you can see I have spent more than half of my life in this country and have grown attached to all its beliefs and lifestyles.  I now call this country my own, although I am punished in many ways for not being a U.S. citizen.  This has been a big part of my testimony in the last few years. God has acted upon my life because of my faith and my love as an offering.  I am very thankful to be a child of God.  I am thankful to fall under His mercy, which saves me from the dangers many undocumented people are facing today.  The desperation began a couple of years ago, but this past summer was when it all hit rock bottom.  Emotionally speaking, as well as politically, millions of undocumented people are being treated in an inhumane manner.  They accuse us of being criminals and bad people that are only in this country to do harm, but the truth is that we want better futures for our families and to live in a peaceful environment.  We want to have the assurance that we can grow old and have a home to live in, and leave great things for our sons and daughters. 

I was a recent high school graduate from South Mountain, desiring to head to college with hopes and dreams to become a better student, a proud daughter and sister – but ahead of me was the infamous Proposition 300, a law that would deprive well-deserved students of having a good possibility of attending a university, since it demanded that students like me pay triple the amount of in-state tuition. 75% of Arizona voters voted for this proposition. I was academically successful in high school, graduated top 15 percent of my class, involved in clubs and sports, and participated in honor society, wilderness club, and varsity soccer team.  I believe I am more than capable to be treated equally as any other student and human being. 

Other than sharing those circumstances I am facing, today I want to share with you the purpose of this letter. Neighborhood Ministries has been the main source of my faith development, and fills my life with endless joy and hope!  Throughout many summers, since I was a freshman in high school, I have been volunteering in many of programs that are offered there.  In my junior year of high school I was fortunate enough to be a member of the summer intern team.  We are responsible for making all the necessary preparations to bring God’s ministry to our neighborhoods (e.g. Kids Camp, Kids Club, High School Camp, etc). We also receive ongoing training, as well.  Once again I would like to be part of the summer intern team.  Neighborhood Ministries is a non-profit organization.  In order for us to take part in this internship we must raise our own financial support of $2000.  Any prayer and financial assistance would be greatly appreciated.  If you wish to be part of my summer support team please mail to Neighborhood Ministries any contributions with the enclosed card. 

I want to thank you for taking a few minutes out of your busy schedules to read and consider my support letter.

Sincerely, 

Alicia Solano

CONGRATULATIONS
TO OUR GRADUATES!

Juanita Romero
Celene Varela
Anaya Coker
Tanya Miguel
Louie Gonzales
Johnny (Bobo) Mendivil
Daniel Zabala
Adriana Bravo
Andy Sandoval
Priscilla (Chela) Ozeta
Oneida Ramirez
Mirna Morales
Jose Luis Leal
Cesar Talamantes
Danel Talamantes
Cesar Mora
Johnny Garcia
Nina White
Ashley Schilling
Nadine Navarro
Cristobal Nevarez
Shylia Baisey

and

the first kid who grew up
in Neighborhood Ministries
 to graduate college:
ASU Grad Tony Navarrete

Dear Friends and Family: 

Just wanted to say thank you so much for your support throughout this past year.  I am very thankful for the experiences God has given me and for you who partnered with me last summer. I honestly believe that I could not have done it with out you!!  Last summer was really fulfilling for me as it gave me an opportunity to get closer to the Lord, myself, and others. 

Usually, I have trouble sharing my tragic past with others, but the Lord began to strengthen me by giving me courage to open up to my 6^th graders a little bit at a time, by the time summer ended I was able to share with them my entire testimony and answer very personal questions that they had with out feeling ashamed.  That was a very huge step for me.

In the last 2 years that I’ve been walking with the Lord, I’ve come to learn several different things.  I learned that our Heavenly Father is greater than the guilt and shame that consumed me for so long, because of his unconditional love for me.  Second, is redemption, God truly is amazing; he has changed my life completely.  I’m the total opposite of who I once was because I trusted Him to navigate my heart, my mind, and my life.  Third, the Lord works in mysterious ways.  There was a time in my life where I had no direction or idea what I wanted to do with my future, but as I’ve trusted in God, he’s using me in wonderful ways and at the same time, using these experiences as a healing process.

I thank the Lord for all of you and want you to know that you were part of a very huge thing last summer; I ask that you please pray that the Lord will continue to use me here at Neighborhood Ministries.

As always, summers here at Neighborhood Ministries are the best!!  There is nothing like it!!  We get very busy, kids and adults alike look forward to them with eager anticipation.  As wonderful as this summer is going to be, it’s also going to be very challenging.  I need people who will continue to pray with me for me and for the kids who I will be working with.  I also need a financial support team.  I am raising $2,000 for my summer support, I am asking you if you would prayerfully consider being on my team.  If you could let me know by filling out the enclosed card and checking how you would be involved, both with prayer and with a financial gift I would very much appreciate it.

Thank you and God Bless, 

Marcos

Dear Friends and Supporters,   

Hello, my name is Nathaniel Gordnattaz and I am applying to be a Neighborhood Ministries’ summer intern which is a summer long training experience where I'll work with urban kids. Our mission at Neighborhood Ministries is to be the presence of Jesus Christ, sharing his life-transforming hope, love and, power among distressed families of urban Phoenix, igniting their passion for God and His Kingdom. We search for that something more on this earth, something that will change our lives or someone else’s. I believe this is what I was meant to do.

I grew up not far from Neighborhood Ministries, where there were drugs, gangs, and violence all around me. I was a very closed and angry person when I did hang around gangs and drugs. I was never into the whole gangs, but when you are around that environment you just become part of it. I really thought living there and doing what I was doing I would become like my brothers who were locked up. Seeing this in my family made me want something more, something that would not get me into trouble. I started to come to Neighborhood Ministries about five years ago. I was invited by some friends of mine to come one night; I didn’t think much of it because it was a church. Every Wednesday I would go to church, and I started to see how much fun it was and how many cool people are part of Neighborhood Ministries. Going to Wednesday Night Church didn’t really fill the void in my life and I wanting to get more involved, I went on a mission trip to Mexico. There I really saw how much of an impact God made on my life and it guided me into what I really wanted to do. There in Mexico, the kids were amazing, happy and cheerful, and even though they were going through tough times, they were still happy. That changed my heart and made me fall more in love with God. Now I love going to church and hanging out with a lot of my family and friends. Trusting God, I see working here is what he wants me to do. I have a group of kids I hang out with on Mondays and Tuesday Night Church.

The kids I hang out with are great and they truly love Jesus Christ. They are Adolfo, Jose, and Walter. They are truthful and have a strong desire to follow God. I first met Adolfo when he was in the 5^th grade; he was a shy kid and was never bad. He did all his work, paid attention and worked hard every Monday Night at church. I see so much goodness in him. His family also supports and loves him and God. He just wants to have fun and let God lead his life; I really look up to him. Jose is new to my group but we learned so much from each other in a short period of time. He is a great leader to the little kids on Monday Nights. It’s wonderful to see him do what I did when I first started to come. His brother Walter is the same way – they just make me happy to see them together serving God. I met Walter when he was in the 6^th grade; he is an energetic kid who loves to have fun and hang out with friends. He always asks me if he can be a leader at his age, and I just say “its not your age that matters it’s your maturity.” These kids mean a lot to me and they each have told me, “One day I want to be like you, Nate, helping and being a leader.” That helps me work even harder to be a good role model for them.

In order for me to continue to mentor these kids during the summer I’m going to need financial support and prayer support. I need to raise the amount of $2,000 to be a summer intern with Neighborhood Ministries. Enclosed is an envelope which you can send back with your prayer and/or financial support. Thank you and God bless.

Your Friend,

Nathaniel Gordnattaz