After a very busy December I was able to have a couple of weeks holiday with my uncle in the city of Santa Cruz. Spending the days with family drinking coffee in the garden, long walks searching for monkeys, exploring waterfalls and eating the best food that the city has to offer, was a much needed way to start the new year and left me rested and ready to return to Trinidad and push on with all the good things planned for the coming year.
One of the main changes in my role for the coming year is that I will be taking on more responsibility within the charity “Fundacion Totai”. The charity has two parts:
1) Clinica Totai – a low cost medical clinic that offers vital support and care to so many in the local community and beyond.
2) Academia Totai – known as “the Academy”, oversees the football ministry, educational support classes for kids, sign language classes, women’s craft group, English lessons and music courses. Fundacion Totai is a Christian charity and at the heart of everything we do either in the clinic or academy, is to spread the Gospel message. The aim is that people in the community can receive the vital support and help they need, but also that they might receive the greatest gift of all, knowing Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
I have been invited to take a leadership role on the Academia side of the charity helping to organise and develop the various ministries for the coming year. I’m really excited to take on this role and I’m looking forward to seeing and being a part of all that God has planned for the charity over the course of 2024.
The new role won’t be taking me away from my current roles as I will continue to work daily with the football ministry. The school holidays are over so the new season has begun. Our teams taking part in the leagues this year will be the under 7s, under 9’s and under 11’s. All the players who played for us last year are continuing for us again this year, which we are really pleased about as it means we can continue to develop the relationships we have with the players and their families. We are also partnering with a football charity in the UK called “Onside Soccer” who are supporting us in buying new uniforms for the coming season. It’s a real blessing to be able to connect with various churches and charities and we are so grateful to God for their support to the ministries.
El Jireh Church is doing well and we are nearing the end of our journey through the Gospel of Mark as we approach the Easter period. I continue to preach on a monthly basis and am really enjoying the blessing that it is to preach in another language to another culture. I continue to lead the children’s ministry as we return from our Christmas break. We have also started a course on Monday afternoons for those involved in community work. We are following a course called “Christian Community Development” looking at how we as the church, can impact and empower the community around us as we serve in the community on a daily basis.
Praise and Prayer Points
- Praise God for a time of good rest over January as all the various ministries took a break before restarting in February.
- Praise God for the growth in El Jireh church over Christmas with 12 new members joining.
- Praise God for a successful holiday club with over 100 children attending each day to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Prayer Points
- the charity Fundacion Totai that oversees the football academy and school programs has changed leadership. Please pray for a smooth transition. I will also be taking on more leadership responsibilities within the charity this year. Prayer as I move into this new role.
- All leaders and volunteers involved in community work are working through a Christian Community Development course together. Please pray this is will be impactful and a fruitful time of growth.
- For the church El Jireh as we restart home groups and finish our series walking through the gospel of Mark. I will be preaching again on the 24th March.
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