Jared Zapata Family: Merry Christmas

Dear Reader,
Christmas Time!! Wow, how it seems like it came so fast! This is one of my favorite times of the year, first and foremost for the celebrating of our Saviour's birth! In the middle of all the hurrying and celebrating of this season we all have to take that moment to be thankful for a God who would send down His Son to be born in a manger. What greater gift could anyone receive on Christmas day than the memory of such a time. Christmas also brings with it, time with family and another favorite time for me, giving gifts to other people. It has alway been a personal excitment for me to give gifts to other people and watch as they open their gifts with such joy!

Gabriella is loved!

We were able to be home from Indiana on December 19th and sort of get acquainted with our house again! We got unpacked and prepared for the local church we were going to be in that Wednesday Night in Ft. Worth, TX. Pastor Ogdie allowed us the opportunity to come and present in his church in Ft. Worth and what a blessing that was. We enjoyed his service as young girls sang of Jesus' birth and the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas Eve was spent with our parents as we fellowshipped and had some fun with family! Gabriella even did her part in providing everyone with entertainment and even at five months old joining in on opening her presents! Christmas day we were able to be at our home church and see our many church family members that we had missed for a while! What a great time we had to be back around those who have been behind us one hundred percent since we had begun our deputational trail.

Matthew 1: 21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

New Years came just as fast as Christmas and how exciting it is to be able to start a fresh new year with goals, plans, resolutions, opportunities, and more! The Bible tells us in Philippians 3: 13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Two thousand and eleven has passed and what joy and praise can we find in rem

embering all that God has done for us in that year, but now begins a new year. What will we allow ourselves to move forward with? What will we do for God that will allow this year be one of the most accomplished in our life. The time is now as the clock begins to tick away on two thousand and twelve! Let us not wast what precious time we do have to accomplish great things for God. In doing so, great things will happen in all the other areas of our life.

With Jesus should we be yoked

December 28th, we were able to present our work in Iglesia Bautista Puerta Abierta in Dallas, TX. They asked Elyssa and I to sing and for me to preach. I preached a sermon entitled "What Yoke Are You Carrying?" The principle behind the sermon was concerning two types of yoke. In Matthew 11: 28-30 we will find how Christians can be yoked up with Jesus Christ who will allow each and everyone of our burdens to seem lighter and easier to carry. Through this we are able to make it through all our trials and troubles in life because

of the uncomparable strength of Jesus. The other yoke is the yoke of sin found in Lamentations 1: 14 where it states how this yoke binds us until we fall resulting in much pain and heartache. Which yoke do you carry as the new year comes? Will you be willing to give it to God and allow him to help you bare that burden that perhaps only you know of?
      The altars were filled and many tears were shed as people came forward giving their burdens to God and allowing thier yoke linked to God to help them in their lives. Praise the Lord for His moving in that service.
      Again we were able to spend new years with our church family and bring in two thousand and twelve with motivating sermons from our pastor, Dr. Mike Wells. I was encouraged by his sermons and, as always, fired up to do even more in my personal life and in our family as a whole.
      We have alot coming up in the new year, many churches, conferences and also a trip to the Philippines for me later in January! Please pray for our safety and for the Lord to do great things in our lives for this year. We believe He can and I believe that if God can use someone like me than He can use anyone for His service if we only let Him. I would encourage you to search deep down in your heart and find in what area God could use you most this year. This world need more Christian people to shed the light of God's Word in the darkness that inhabits it today.