Healing Hands Ranch

In February of 2006 Deaf Prison Ministries Network was given the opportunity to acquire a twenty-seven acre retreat center. This facility previously provided aftercare for hearing ex-offenders. It is located approximated fifty miles north of Houston, Texas near the beautiful Sam Houston National Forest and has been named Healing Hands Ranch. This aftercare facility is also approximately thirty miles from where over one hundred deaf offenders are housed in Huntsville Texas. Our needs are tremendous but we are trusting God, and praying that all resources and programs will be in place by January 2007 so that we can begin accepting residence who are deaf ex-offenders.

Our Program at Healing Hands Ranch will consist of:

• Spiritual growth and discipleship training.
• Life skills training.
• Education and GED completion.
• Mentoring.
• Addiction rehabilitation.
• On-site job training opportunities.

For more information contact HHR at 936-856-0819 or Pastor Arthur Craig 713-467-3325 or email him at Arthur.craig@hfbc.org. Their website is: www.healinghandsranch.org

Click Here for the Healing Hands Brochure

You Are On Missions!

The constant reminder of the Activity Director, “You are on Vacation” is still ringing in my mind as I write this article.  Her task was to keep encouraging the sailing vacationers to have fun and enjoy themselves because “you are on vacation.”  Doesn’t that sound like the continuous tug of the Holy Spirit on our hearts to remind us that we are always on missions, bearing the saving message of Jesus Christ and being His presence to those that He puts in our way?  God is passionately at work to redeem the lost and to reconcile the world unto Himself.  He chooses to use you and I in the process to be his presence so that the lost will be compelled to come into a personal relationship with Jesus.  Hence, You are on Missions.  II Corinthians 4:10-12 reminds us that “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body.” (NIV)  Jesus was dying to self daily so that others could come into a relationship with God the Father and be the whole person as God originally intended them to be (Shalom).  When we die to self so that Jesus can live in our body and conquer the flesh and trials of life then others can see the power and life of Jesus in us.  This then is being on Missions, be it in and around our own communities or beyond where we live.  We can be the presence of Christ ministering to the needs of others so that they might see the life of Jesus in us and be compelled to come into a relationship with our Lord.  This is being on Missions.

The Activity Director also gave constant reminders of upcoming opportunities for shows, entertainment, shore excursions, etc.  The Local Transformational Missions team would like to make you aware of some Summers Missions and Ministry Opportunities around the state of Texas.  We have received these opportunities from Missions Centers and Churches from around the state.  The list is not an exhaustive list of every opportunity so therefore we would like to know of the opportunities in your area so that we can make the list more comprehensive.  This list will become a page on our web site where you’ll be able to have access to all the opportunities that have been submitted to our office.  So send us an email identifying the opportunities and we will update this list with opportunities in your community, church or mission center.  Remember, You’re on Missions!!

A Volunteer Deficit in the Valley

I am sure that most of us are familiar with Luke 5:1-11 the biblical passage of the great catch of fish.  The part of the passage that really gets my attention is the part that says the catch of fish was so great that they had to ask for help from another boat to get them.  Then both boats were so filled with the fish that they began to sink.  (vs. 6-7)

The Passage goes on to say that all the people were “astonished” at the catch.  Jesus calmed them by saying “Do not be afraid, From now on you will catch men”.

Every summer we have hundreds of Summer missionaries come and help us with VBS.  Yet every year we can only fill about half of the 30-40 requests that we receive requesting VBS groups.  We are asking for your help to bring in this “big catch”.  Summer VBS is probably the biggest evangelistic event we have in the Valley every year. Let’s work together to answer the call for help.  God wants to bless us with a “big catch”.

Trust in Him,
E. Daniel Rangel
Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association
Director of Missions

For more information you may contact Vanessa Quintanilla, Mission Groups Coordinator, at 956-968-3161 or e-mail: borderministries.rgvba@gmail.com.

LifeChangers Wanted!

The Dallas Baptist Association is looking for six young people, eighteen and older, to serve as our LifeChangers summer missionaries.  This summer we are going to be serving in many different ways. We will lead a few soccer camps, work with refugees transitioning into life here in Dallas, work with the mentally ill, do some construction projects and so much more. We will also, for the second year, take a life-changing trip to Waco to participate in one of Mission Waco’s poverty simulations. LifeChangers are going to have a blast this summer discovering all that God has in store for our time together.  For more information you can visit our website: www.lcdallas.org or contact Stacy Alvizo, Community Ministries Intern at the Dallas Baptist Association.  I can be reached at 214-319-1169 or 214-324-2803.  See you there!