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Flying the Nest
 By John Evans
Guadalajara, Mexico
John Evans led El Camino church in Guadalajara, Mexico for twenty years but then God started to speak to him and his wife Flor about ‘flying the nest’ and planting a new church. That was nearly three years ago. Here is a brief report, written by John, of how God has led him and how the church has become established.
‘The Ark’ (El Arca) was launched on the first Sunday of May 2006. After twenty years of leading El Camino, God shook up our nest and led us to do what no one had ever expected (particularly me) … leave. Ray Lowe (Biggin Hill, UK) commented, ‘I didn’t think wild horses would get you out of there!’ But there is a wild Holy Spirit at loose in the world who still does what he did in Acts 2 – come suddenly with fire to fill us up and send us out.
We were sent out with a group of around 30 people, including children, with the vision of planting a new apostolic base on the west side of the city of Guadalajara, an area called Zapopan.
A few months before we left, I’d spoken to Flor about the direction I felt God was taking us. Pointing to a world map that hung on our kitchen wall, I made a triangle with my finger linking Mexico, Spain and the southern tip of Latin America. ‘That’s the triangle of my life,’ I said, meaning that’s where I believe God wants us to give our lives to build His church and extend His kingdom.
The day we were sent out to plant El Arca we received a prophecy from a lady in the church, who said, ‘I see a triangle stretching from Mexico over to Europe and down into South America. God wants to use this new church to touch those areas.’
So the new church was born with the faith that God has big plans for us. God has been faithfully and powerfully with us. The original 30 have grown to 80. We have had the privilege of sending our best couple out to lead another work. God has opened a door for prison ministry, and many women are being saved and changed. The prison authorities themselves have thanked us for what’s been done!
God has also opened a door for us into Brazil, where we are working to gather folk in a home and soon see a Newfrontiers church planted in Rio de Janeiro. That has meant learning Portuguese but my teacher was one of the first people we baptised – blessing all round! We are also hosts to a leadership training programme for Newfrontiers Guadalajara.
It has, at times, been frightening but always exciting. Jumping out of the nest is safe when God pushes you, and the view is breathtaking!
I think I’ll be helping to push a lot more out in the future! |
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