Pastor Misael Loera and Doris LaresPastor Misael Loera and Doris Lares are the field directors of the Amigos en Cristos Ministries (AeC) in Juarez. They are the proud parents of Anita and Doris Judith “DJ”. Anita is a college student at Paine College in Augusta, GA and DJ is a bright high school student who is also attends the After School Program.
Doris is a medical doctor by profession who has been a driving force behind the arts and crafts programs for children and their parents at the community centers. Doris and Misael share a passion for evangelism and discipleship. Doris sees that God is working greatly among the teachers as they work with the children in the community centers. Among other roles, she functions as the principal of the community centers, coordinates food services in the kitchens, and teaches an art appreciation class to students. Art is a passion for her and she believes that teaching the children to look beyond their own environment has been a central part of the transformation in the children and their families. Forty pictures done by the Amigos en Cristo children were on display during August 2012 in the El Paso public library. This is, in fact, the eighth exposition of children’s art coming out of the Amigos en Cristo community centers. Pastor Misael said that he agrees with Doris’s observation of God’s work. They work as partners in following Christ in life and in ministry. Because they follow Him and obey—“not making anything up” he said it makes the work easy: it’s their “passion, pleasure, and joy.” When Jerry Quick invited Misael to serve as AeC director, Misael wondered whether he should give up being a local pastor. He felt that when he’d focused on youth ministry earlier in his career that he had neglected his local church; he did not want to do that with assuming responsibilities for a new ministry. Jerry told him not to abandon his church. What Pastor Misael has found is that by first building up the members of El Peniel Baptist Church he sees that God is “accelerating” or “speeding up” results in the church and in the Amigos en Cristo ministry. Having his church grounded has resulted in a “win-win” situation. New believers in the church are serving and growing and their lives and the lives of families affected by Amigos en Cristo ministry are being transformed. Making disciples and inviting those disciples into the work in the community centers he is doing the “core (work) of the gospel” and also fulfilling his passion for the lost. Please pray for Misael and Doris and for El Peniel Baptist Church and their ministry with Amigos en Cristo. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” (Isaiah 52:7) |