December 2023
Hola familia!
November was an incredibly busy, incredibly special month because.... I GOT MARRIED! On November 11th Adonay and I said "I do," (well, it was more like "sí, acepto" 😜) in front of our dear friends from here in El Salvador, my family and a few close friends from home. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the Lord blessed us with an incredible peace and a spectacular sunset while we said our vows to one another. We feel a profound joy for this new step in our lives and cannot wait to celebrate with you back in the states one day. Thank you to everyone who reached out with messages of well-wishes, prayers, and congratulations! Please pray for us in this new chapter as we settle into our new routine and start building our lives together, that Christ would be the cornerstone of our marriage.
P.S.- just in case you're wondering, my new name is Alyssa Sooy Bonilla, and my email will change to alyssa.bonilla@reliant.org but I can still be reached at alyssa.sooy@reliant.org 😊
CDI
The year is quickly winding down at the CDI as we prepare for our last week of classes this week! Monday, December 11th will be our last day with the kids as we do a small closing ceremony in which the kids will perform a little song and dance for their parents that I've been working on with them.
On November 23rd we had a small Christmas party which was donated to us by a friend of the San Salvador CDI, so we celebrated the end of the year a bit early. When the clown got sick the morning of, we made the best of it and still had a blast. Each kid got to take home a small toy and a bag of piñata candy.
We will return to classes at the beginning of the next school year in February.
Conexión Youth Group
Although the CDI is almost out for the year, youth events are just getting started! December is a special time of year and we love to take advantage of the openness that people have towards God and the church by doing lots of outreach and youth events. On December 16th we will host our annual Youth Christmas Dinner, which we're doing with a fun "Shrek" theme. Last year we started a tradition of dressing up according to a specific theme and not only was it a blast, but a great hook for inviting new people. We're also looking forward to the annual Conectados retreat, which will be December 28-30th. Since Ado won't be able to go for the whole time due to his job, I'll be going as a co-leader and staying in San Salvador with the youth group.
Please be praying for these events, that our youth members would invite friends and that they would come to know Jesus!
A special prayer request..
For several months now I've been trying to sell my car after continuous problems, but without success. Just this week the air compressor broke again (3rd one this year). It's exhausting and frustrating to say the least and we're unsure how to proceed, not wanting to replace the compressor again yet also not sure how likely it is we'll be able to sell the car without functioning AC. Please pray with me that the Lord would guide us in how to proceed, and provide the right buyer and that his peace would cover the whole process.
Financial Support Update
I took a short pause in support raising this past month to focus on the wedding, but even so the Lord continues to be incredibly faithful! We now are only $600 in monthly support away from our support goal. I am so grateful for your prayers and support which allows us to serve the community here in La Libertad. Please continue to pray for this process and connect me with any friends, coworkers, or family that you know who might be interested in hearing about how the Lord is moving in La Libertad!New Paragraph
Pray with Me
- CDI- for the kids and their families during break, that they would be safe and make wise decisions
- The upcoming youth events and Christmas services
- For Ado and I as we adjust to married life
- That he would provide the remaining $600 in monthly funding
Grace and peace to you and your family this holiday season!
Love,
Alyssa
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship.
