For the last several blogs, I’ve talked about ways to offer practical assistance to those in need. I shared how Elton Lin, a church planter in San Jose, CA, gave $5,000 to each cell group and said, “Find a significant need and meet it.” I also highlighted how James Penner, pastor of a church in Canada, began to serve a local elementary school and then positioned the small groups to help the needy families of that school. 
I’m feeling very burdened right now for the situation in Tabasco, Mexico, the home of Jesuscristo es la Vida Eterna. In my blogs on October 17 and 19, I talked about my seminar in this cell church of 3,000 people and 400 cell groups. When I was with them in mid-October I noticed that it was raining a lot, yet I was shocked to find out that the rains never stopped. Right now some 80% of the city of Tabasco is underwater. MNSBC reports, “A week of heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, leaving 70 percent of the Gulf state of Tabasco underwater, and forcing thousands of people to cling to rooftops or flee to shelters. It is the worst flooding the state has seen in 50 years. Nearly all services, including drinking water and public transportation, were shut down.”
One of the pastors of Jesuscristo es la Vida Eterna, pastor Alejandro, told me that the church itself is not underwater but that many members of his church are in crisis. Pastor Alejandro sent me an email saying, “Many of the brothers of the church have lost everything, and because we are a very large church, I’m talking about a lot of people. The way to help us at this time is economically. If it’s possible please take a love offering.”
He then gave me a way to wire money to the church’s bank account. My wife and I plan on sending an offering to help during this time of crisis. If you’re interested in helping, please send me an email and I’ll tell you how.
Joel