PPM365 Puerto Rico

We have the blessing to partner with pastora Nilka once again this week with a returning team. For years, we have been able to see how the pastor pours herself to the community of Barrio Obrero. After the Hurricane and the Pandemic, she has been able to continue offering hot meals to the community in part thanks to mission teams that come in partnership alongside pastor and the church of Iglesia Metodista San Pablo. Because of her commitment to her community and to spread the Gospel, we are proud of calling her one of our PPM 365 partners in Puerto Rico! Please keep her and the team serving with her in your prayers!

We are celebrating with the Primera Iglesia Bautista de Rio Piedras and pastora Laura, she has accepted to lead the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship department of Missions! As she moves to this new position the church is celebrating a Commission Service for her! Is a testimony of your impact in a community when their leaders testify of what a good servant of the Lord you have been!

We love when we can have mission teams come alongside our local pastors! In Puerto Rico, our pastors end up using some many hats, that is very special when a team can lift up and renew our pastors strengths. But when a team can return and can establish a deeper bond with them, you can get a glimpse of heaven in their faces. Here Hannah from Our Savior Lutheran Church is having a casual friendly conversation with pastor Lou from Vina de Agua Viva about the Bible.

Today we are celebrating with one of our partners on the island, the Iglesia Evangelica Emanuel Mi Amada. Pastor Rodolfo Caraballo has been given the commission of Apostleship, which he accepted, and will now take on more significant responsibilities in spreading the Gospel. At the same time, pastor Alexander Caraballo was selected as the new pastor of the church.  We rejoice with both of our brothers in Christ, as well as with Emanuel Mi Amada, and remind our pastors that we will be here to support the local church and the ministry however we can. Congratulations!

I sat with one of our local partners, pastor Aniceto Sustache from Primera Iglesia Bautista de Mediania Alta. More than a partner, he's family, a mentor. We talked about PPM 365 and our desire and heart to take care of our pastors. He is very excited about what this could mean for not only him but the other pastors on the island. Then, he proceeded to teach me a lot about what it means to care for our pastors.  It was very humbling and eye-opening. Our pastors need us. 

I invite everyone to take time and maybe have a cup of coffee with your pastor. Help us care for them. Our pastors are awesome.

Today I got to sit down and have a long conversation with pastora Nilka about ministry and the challenges of being a pastor in a community of locals, immigrants, and the poor.  Often invisible to society, but not to God.  I got to hear from her vision and the needs of her church as it is like a safe haven for people from all walks of life. This church serves a hot meal every day for the community in a ministry called "Mesa extendida de Jesús" the extended table of Jesus.  Seeing her and her team of women all working to serve the community fills my heart with Joy and I'm glad we can partner with Nilka in PPM 365. You can just feel the love of Pastora and her team!  

Today we celebrate alongside one of our oldest partners on the island: Iglesia Bautista de Metropolis. The reason? They are celebrating the installation of their new pastors, pastor Ricartel Rivara and pastor Omayra Gutierrez! These two pastors grew within the congregation, and we have had the blessing to have worked in the past with them! They have been pastoring the church since July, but today was the official ceremony. We love you pastors, and we rejoice alongside Iglesia Bautista de Metropolis!

Looking forward to continuing to work alongside you, we are lifting you in prayers so that God will overflow blessings and His guidance over you! 

Today I got to sit down and talk with my friend pastor Lou. We talked about his vision for his church and the community, set ups for teams coming to serve, hobbies, ministries and so much more. We are so excited to have pastor Lou be part of PPM 365 in Puerto Rico and can't wait to keep you updated on his ministry.

We love hearing from our pastors and partnering with them in Puerto Rico. The pastors in Puerto Rico often have a tough job, and they wear so many hats. As we continue to partner with smaller churches in Puerto Rico, we often see pastors take on so many responsibilities, and they can experience burnout. 

You can encourage and build up our Puerto Rican churches and pastors in two ways. You can either go on a mission trip or sponsor a church in Puerto Rico through PPM 365!