JEM Ministries Update
The last two years have been amazing for JEM Ministries in El Paso, Texas and for the Ruiz family. In February of 2008 Maria Ruiz was nominated as a CNN Hero. Maria and her family were selected from thousands of nominees from all over the world. In April 2008, CNN aired three two minute segments of Maria and JEM Ministries. But, it didn’t stop there. In September Maria was nominated as one of CNN’s Top Ten Heroes. As a result, the ministry received $25,000 and Maria was honored at a black tie event at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood with many celebrities in attendance.
But, the blessings from God didn’t stop. The Ruiz family were nominated and selected for an Extreme Home Makeover from the hit ABC show. The Ruiz family had been living in an unfinished two-story home in El Paso for years. They slowly did work on it over the years when they had the money. Most of their time, effort and money went into their ministry in Juarez, Mexico – just across the border. The building of a church and bringing food for thousands of hungry children in Juarez had been going on since 1996. Over the years their hose became structurally unsound and needed many repairs. In keeping with Extreme Makeover’s theme of “heroes”, the old Ruiz family home was torn down and a new one was constructed in one week.
See the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode.
But, things didn’t stop there.
The T.V. show “Viva La Familia”, aired on Spanish language network Univision, did a story on the Ruiz family and then surprised Maria and her husband Jesus with a second honeymoon for their 25th wedding anniversary.
Every local T.V. station in El Paso did a story on the Ruiz family and JEM Ministries.
Several national affiliates continued to do stories on Maria: Univision’s Tony Dandrade, Tenth Planet Productions, and CNN newsroom with Kyra Phillips, Primer Impacto, and Telemundo’s “Al Rojo Vivo”.
Jesus and Maria Ruiz were recognized as one of El Paso’s Top Healthy Marriages at the Vista Hills Country Club in El Paso.
The Ruiz family was invited to the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and Conference in Washington DC. Maria was presented with a “Certain Woman…Woman of Hope” award. The family also got to meet president Obama.
You see, when God pours out blessings He doesn’t do it halfway – He goes ALL OUT!
With all the publicity for JEM Ministries, much needed money was contributed, but still more is needed. They still need money for:
-
An orphanage and vocational training center.
-
Community kitchen.
-
Conference room for teaching and training.
-
Warehouse and medical clinic.
-
Worship center and gymnasium.
-
Playground and recreational area.
JEM Mission
JEM Ministries is committed to God’s love with people of all cultures and to help them in areas where help is needed. We exist to advance the cause of Christ through ministries that educate, build character and share the good news of Jesus.
With the growing violence among the drug lords in Juarez, Mexico, the Ruiz family needs your prayers to keep them and their workers and followers safe from killings and violence going on around them.
Say something