What a couple weeks we have had! So much is happening in our ministry lives and our personal lives, and until now I finally have the chance to sit down and share about it all. God has been so good and I am so thankful.

We’d like to share about a new project started here in Mexico by One Life One Chance Ministries. Stan Schultz, Arturo and I had been feeling a nudge for weeks that there must be something more that we could be doing to support and encourage the pastors of this community, and we had been talking about what that could look like. Arturo & I host monthly meetings with the pastors at Los Olivos where they can come together for a time of worship, prayer and encouragement, but we wanted something more. Some kind of deeper fellowship, something outside of their normal, for them to grow too. In those divine brainstorming moments, Project Unity was created.

So many of these pastors have been a part of house builds with groups that have come down, but now we wanted to give them their own opportunity. Thanks to an incredibly generous gift from Canada, we had the funds for an entire house build and all that was missing was to put hands to it. From October 26-30, the pastors all came together to be those hands, and the experience exceeded our expectations.

As we began planning, we didn’t know how much interest there would be for a project that would take these pastors away from their daily routines and that would require a lot of effort on their part. However, from the moment we announced it, we received so much positive feedback and it only grew from there. After announcing it in the pastor’s meeting at the beginning of October, we continued to meet individually with pastor couples to talk about the project and the excitement increased.

The week before the house build, a group of 5 or 6 pastors helped us in pouring the concrete pad for the home, and that day we knew that this project was a good thing. The pastors had such a good time, having fun just being there and working together. A week later, on October 26, the project began. Each day of the week, we had a consistent number of about 20 pastors (including wives) participating, which blew us away. All of them who came were so willing and enthusiastic, it was honestly a huge blessing for us to see.

The pastors worked so fast, they were already finishing up the final details by Tuesday afternoon and by Wednesday morning we had pretty much finished the home. The men had worked away, having a great time, laughing and telling jokes, just being people. I think that’s what I liked most about this project. I love that these pastors could come together in a different setting, not to be “pastors”, not to be “spiritual”, not coming to a monthly meeting with preaching and prayer (although of course those things are so beneficial for them), but just coming together as people, as friends, and still knowing that that spiritual fellowship is there. In the midst of all their joking around and their working hard, there was something so holy about it all.

Arturo & I were also blown away by how these pastors loved on the family which doesn’t belong to a local church. This family is one that Arturo & I are personally connected to, and we were so happy to see how the pastors joked around with them, how the ladies got right down to it with both the mom and the kids to evangelize, to teach and encourage. They were so intentional in their conversations, which was another thing we were hoping for as well.

Each day the pastors collaborated to cover the meals; a different couple bringing the food each day. That was something that really impressed us, how they were so willing. Even pastors who weren’t able to be involved in the house build itself still sent food for one of the days.

By Thursday, as the men had finished up the house, and the ladies and I had finished up all the painting, the ladies went out with me to do the shopping for the family. We had a great time filling the house with blessings and I loved seeing how these ladies who didn’t know each other before chatted away, exchanged phone numbers and made plans for future get-togethers.

On Friday morning we had a beautiful time of dedication; each pastor expressed what a blessing it was to be a part of this project and the family just overwhelmed with happiness and thankfulness.

Before we even mentioned the possibility of another project or that we have the funds for future projects, the pastors were talking amongst themselves about how they could collaborate as churches to try to raise the funds to do this again. What an amazing experience for Arturo & I. First, to see a family that we had personally connected with be blessed so hugely from a place of such need. And secondly, to see these pastors in a whole new light, coming together to love this family and love each other and having such a great time doing it.

Thank you so much for all of the prayers that went up for this project! We hope to make it something that happens again very soon.

Arturo and Heather Molina

Directors of Indigenous Ministry

Read more at heatheronelife.tumbler.com