Houston Team June 2012 Update

Introducing the Keystone Project Houston Team
From the team leader:

In March we finally got located into our apt. in the Sharpstown area of Houston. After moving our stuff down in a 6×12 trailer in January, we spent time in prayer and research and ended up in a region of the city with more than 25 apartment complexes in 1 city block (aprox. 50,000 people).

Houston is the third most culturally diverse city in the US. The majority of the people living in our particular complex are refugees from other countries. Just in our complex alone we have identified and built relationships with people from the following nationalities:

• Sudan,Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, India, Burma, and Iran
• Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Bolivia, Thailand, Nepal, and Italy
• Plus all of the nationalities that are Spanish Speaking (Mexico, Columbia, Guatemala, Hati, Cuba, El Salvador, just to name a few)

We moved our family here specifically for the purpose of living amongst the people as missionaries—and we are in the middle of their lives. Family and friends that have visited are amazed that our area of the city feels like a third world country. This is our home and we desire to see the same things that we have experienced in other countries happen here in the US. Most specifically, we are praying for a movement of disciples to take place that emboldens many of them to return to their home country as missionaries to their own people.

We are continuing to work internationally, but we wanted our family to be engaged with a multitude of different cultures and people and grasp how God desires to use them even at their age to change the world for Jesus Christ.

According to the UBA:

• This region of Houston is 98% Unchurched—less than 2 % are involved in a local church
• 67% of the people living in our zip code were born in another country
• 45.1% of the families in our zip code speak neither English nor Spanish in their homes

The people that we are working with (in order of numbers of people) are primarily Buddhist, Animist, Hindu, Muslims & Catholic

We are currently working to accomplish a disciple making movement, which means we are working in a one-to-one capacity, but we are highly involved in the community. In addition to reaching the lost home to home, we have developed:

• ESL programs
• Job placement/transportation
• After school homework tutoring
• Summer school math tutoring
• Young adult life training (Dealing with gang activity & summer camp)
• Community donations for food & clothing

Our team consists of:

• 9 adults (plus 4 kids)
• Located in 6 different apartments
• Doing work in 7 different apartment complexes

June 2012 Update

As of the last month, every team member now has led someone to Christ and has at least a first generation disciple.

Even more exciting; we have some of the members of our team that have multiplied to the fourth generation. In other words, they have a disciple, their disciple has led someone to Christ and is discipling them (second generation) and that disciple has led someone to Christ and is discipling them (third generation) and that disciple has led another person to Christ and is discipling them (fourth generation). This is very exciting news as this demonstrates that those that we are working with have captured the vision of reaching the nations. A movement has begun!