December 2007
CHRISTMAS MINISTRY UPDATE
Tim and Barb Wood - Ometepec, Mexico
Dear team,
Wow! it is Christmas time already. What happened
to 2007? It sure flew by. What an exciting year!
God sure gave us some real blessings and some good
testings, what tremendous victories. How great it was
to see most of you this summer 2007. It was really
neat to talk with you and hear what is happening in the
church and in your families, to learn of the challenges
you have lived through and those which still lay ahead
from which growth will continue. Although our time
with you was shorter than we would of liked it was a
blessing to see you, laugh together, pray together and in
those short moments relate again. Time always seems
to be in demand and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR TIME AND YOUR LOVE that you shared
with us this summer.
Christmas, what a great season! As Simeon said
“Sovereign Lord as you have promised ….for my eyes
have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in
the sight of all people” (Lk.2:29NIV). It is always a
time of giving and receiving. The latter to some is
difficult but, oh, it means so much to give. God gave
His Son to live on earth to show us how to enjoy life.
Then He sacrificially gave His life so we would have
life, eternal life. What a gift. To accept this gift of life is
a blow to the ego since the individualistic thought is we
can do it all, but salvation is a gift from God and only
through His grace can we receive it, there is no other
A PUBLICATION OF SPORTS OUTREACH INSTITUTE
way. You can not earn
it or buy it. This past
October our church
studied God’s Grace.
We reflected joyfully
over the assurance
in knowing that God
has given us salvation
through His Grace.
Bernabe, a man in my small group Bible study said, “In
Roman Catholicism so much is taught about what you
need to do to please God and nothing is said about the
free salvation He gives us. In Roman Catholicism you
pay for mass at your baby’s baptism, you pay for the
priest’s blessing at your daughter’s first communion, you
pay for the mass at your family members funeral. All
is money and works in Catholicism, you never hear of
the promises the Bible tells us about when Jesus enters
your heart, or the eternal life we are given as we repent
and trust in Jesus Christ. So a Catholic here never
has salvation and therefore the real joy of Christmas
is lost. The slavery to sin is never broken and there is
never victory”. Oh yes! Christmas is to be a real joyful
season as we rejoice with the victorious Saviour.
Looking back at the events of the past year we are
thankful to God for what He has taught us and provided
for us in 2007.
 This summer, while we were in the USA, our
church elders worked together very well and we
have seen our church attendance grow from 115
to 140. Of course this growth means we have
increased the number of discipleship classes on
Sunday morning and are training more teachers.
Twelve new people were baptized and 15 added to
the church membership.
 The soccer teams have been a bit of a struggle
as we lack coaches to work with the players. Praise
God as we see some players getting closer to know
the Saviour through the testimony of the Christians
on the teams. Please pray for Christian coaches
and the spiritual strength of the Christians on the
teams.
 and help in the Jr. High school. In October
a college friend of Josh’s, Trevor, came down
to help in the school and in the ministry. We
thank the Lord for them. Barb and I enjoy
serving the Lord together.

As we enter into this Christmas season we

 The school is doing great and it is exciting to
see how much the students have learned. Pray
they will apply the Christian principles to their
lives, and the teachers will show them how to be
wise integrating their faith with there knowledge.
PTL as we now have a school bus, and committed
teachers.
 Thank the Lord for 3 more men who are
helping in the Amistad hospital chaplaincy.
want to than you for teaming with us through
your prayers, letters and finances in serving
the Lord Jesus Christ. For some of you it
has been 25 years that we have formed the
team together on the foreign mission field.
Thank you very, very much. It is humbling
and at the same time we feel honoured to
know we are part of your team for the Master.
Jesus said; “I have come that they may have
life and that they may have it in full.” John
10:10b. Isn’t it fun being part of His team?
Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo,
Barb and Tim, Susie, Andy, Josh, Nathan.

The New Year comes to us with the challenges in

ministry and we ask your prayers as we need help and
money to build a 2nd floor on the school to handle 60
more students. The church, camps, and sports teams
keep growing and we need more leaders to work in
them. As we go into 2008 please keep these prayers
before God.

In family life we are doing great. Nathan is establishing

a business with a friend in Rosarito, B.C. Mexico. Josh
is going to school at College of the Ozarks in Missouri.
Andy is being home schooled and attending a local
high school and Susie is going to the Carey Brenton
Jr. High school and getting home schooled. We have
been blessed for 4 months with a childhood m.k. friend
David Stewart and his wife Carolyn who came teach

USA (Mailing Address) Mexico (Home Address)

P.O. Box 11855 Calle Pedro Ascencio Pte. 17
Lynchburg, Virginia 24506 Ometepec, Gro.
Info@SportsOutreach.net C.P. 41707 Mexico
timowood@prodigy.net.mx