My heart was deeply touched last week as we heard you all share about the good thing God is doing with Hispanic Ministry here in our Kentucky Conference, with pockets of renewal and growth all over Kentucky in our United Methodist Church.

On my way home after the good meeting, I prayed a very simple prayer to the Lord: "Lord, how do we begin Hispanic Ministry in our Corbin District? Lord, show us the way!"

This weekend (Feb. 11-13), we experienced our Laurel County Cluster Weekend Revival hosted at London UMC, which is the county seat of Laurel County. During the meeting, Mrs. Luis (Judy) Cordero gave a wonderful testimony of the love and grace of Jesus in her life. She and her husband, Luis, and the family have been active members in the London UMC for almost 2 years, about the same time that we moved to the Corbin District.

The Corderos are a beautiful Hispanic Family, with a deep faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, a strong minstry and presence in the London UMC, and a calling from God to begin an Hispanic Ministry in Laurel County.

It is truly a God-Thing...the Lord spoke to my heart last week about this, and then Judy shared at the Revival, and told us later that she had been praying about this for some time, and had even done some research with our national UMC. I met with Luis and Judy during the Sunday School hour yesterday, as we prayed and shared about this new ministry.

Judy and Luis both were born in Puerto Rico, and Judy grew up in New Jersey. Luis is a Medical Doctor with the Federal Correction (Prison) System, and is working at the institution in Clay County, near Manchester, Ky. Their 22 year old son, Luis, Jr., is a college student at Fairmont University in West Virginia; their 19 year old daughter, Marie, is a student at Cumberland College (now called "The University of the Cumberlands") in Williamsburg, Ky., and their younger daughter, 11 year old Gloriann, is in the 6th grade in London.

In the attached photo "Cordero Family", Judy and Gloriann and Luis are in the front row, and I and my wife, Judy, and Wade Arp (Pastor of London UMC and Leader of our Laurel County Cluster) are standing behind them.

Pastor Wade is "enthused" (God-Within) that God is calling us to this new ministry, and has already learned much from the local Roman Catholic Priest of his good ministry with the Hispanic Community in Laurel County.

We see all our UM Churches in Laurel County Cluster (London First, E. Bernstadt, Olive Gilead, Macedonia/Twin Branch) being "united" in this new ministry.

Tom and Eliseo, please give us guidance and direction in this new work. Please help us, and come down and spend some time with us as seek to carry out our Lord's Great Commission to all His people.

Gracias! (which is really 'GRACE')!

Terry Faris, Corbin D.S.