Dreams and miracles DO come true . . . just ask Vida Abundante Pastors Salomón and Mariela.
March 2014 has been an incredibly exciting month hosting visiting mission volunteers while bringing unexpected surprises to benefit the community. As a result, the property Vida Abundante has rented since November 2013 has been transformed into an inviting, comfortable outdoor worship center. Add to that, Friends of Cozumel has received nearly all the school supplies needed to reach our goal of helping 300 children this summer.
Land in October 2013 prior to move.
Ready for worship service in March 2014.
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Thanks to the Worldwide Christian Scuba Divers Organization who sponsored a mission effort involving 27 volunteers for a day and a half doing various projects to enhance Vida Abundante’s rental property (i.e. plumbing, painting, donating chairs). They also brought loads of school supplies. Mission Ships, a Christian cruise group of 19 women and teens, arrived for a day to share in worship, hosted a children’s festival, visited children with special needs and they donated literally hundreds of pounds of school supplies, shoes, flip flops, Bibles, educational materials in Spanish and other donations. Several other visitors arrived during these mission activities also bringing donations from their churches to bless Cozumel families.
The pastors as well as our Friends of Cozumel volunteers were buoyed with enthusiasm hosting mission visitors. Just when we thought we could relax a bit the second week of March, the unexpected happened. Vida Abundante’s prayers of many years were answered when the opportunity and resources all came together in a matter of days to purchase the land where they are currently located in Colonia Emiliano Zapata. The RIGHT place, the RIGHT time (landowner dropped the price of the land nearly 1/3 from ~$44,000 USD to ~$30,400 USD if paid for in a short time), and the RIGHT resources (donations for the down payment and offer of free legal services) allowed the church to seize the moment. The decision was made based on faith supported by a realistic financial plan.
Vida Abundante signed the purchase agreement and made the initial payment on March 14, 2014. The church is working hard to earn money for the monthly payments and is seeking funding for $13, 880 USD to help pay the balance owed to the landowner by December 2014. For more information click on the following links:
Pastors Mariela and Salomón sign the purchase agreement
Financial Plan for Vida Abundante Land Purchase
Purchase of this land is critical to Vida Abundante’s vision of serving the community as shared by Pastors Salomón and Mariela:
“We were called to this neighborhood, the one with the most need in Cozumel. The Lord brought us here because it has the highest rate of domestic violence, addictions, family breakdown and suicide.”
“Our vision is to purchase this land as a center for spiritual help, a refuge and education center. But the costs are high. Our vision is big, but so is God. He will help us.”
The congregation celebrated the land purchase recently during a Sunday evening family service. They have already put plans in place for weekly fundraisers, member pledges and are exploring opportunities for additional funding sources. If all goes as planned and depending on donations received, they can have the land paid off in 2 and 1/2 years.