July / August / September 2014

“…it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” 1Sam. 14:6

2014 Juarez Campaign – June 11th-14th – The above verse became the theme for our fist campaign of 2014. Although we were few in number the Lord worked for us in a mighty way! We had just a handful of workers each day to help with the distribution but we were able to distribute right around 94,000 Chick tracts over the 3 day period. The balance of the 100,000 tracts have mostly been distributed. Thank you so much for your prayers! It was very hot with temperatures well over 100 each day of the campaign and apart from sunburns everyone survived!

Won’t you consider planning on coming to help in the next campaign scheduled for November 6th – 8th? The heat will have calmed down by then and with just a few more workers we’ll hit our goal. E-mail me for more information.

Iglesia Bautista “Castillo Mio” – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua – We had turned this work over to national leadership in December of 2012, however due to a rebellious uprising last summer we felt like we needed to return here in order to re-enforce this church. We have been back for almost a year and things have stabilized. We plan to stay here until the 5th anniversary on September 7th then concentrate our efforts with the new mission work started just a few miles away. Please pray for Pastor Manuel Garcia as he leads this church through the next stage.

Our VBS is scheduled for the last week of July. Our goal is to have around 100 children from the neighborhood each day. Kelly will be teaching the 5-8 year old class, and I will be in charge of the recreation time, 2 days with the 5-8 year olds and 2 days with the 9-12 year olds. Please pray that many children would be saved and then remain in the church.

NEW MISSION WORK – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua – The Lord has really blessed our efforts in this new mission. Right now we are holding Sunday evening services and have soul-winning on Tuesday evenings. There have been several dozen professions of faith. One of our sister churches has been helping in evangelizing and in the services on Sunday evenings. In the service on July 13th there were close to 30 people in attendance from the area, and another 20 or so from the other church.

One of the recently saved men (Eduardo), asked last Sunday “where should I give my tithe?” What a blessing to have people willing to participate in the Lord’s work. I have been working with a family since we first started in the area, although the wife (Maria) made a profession of faith the husband (Antonio) has been reluctant. I have gone by their house 2 times a week since May. Last evening (July13) they both came to services.

We are holding services in the open air, and while that is fine this time of year, when the weather turns colder we will need a place to meet. Please pray that we would be able to locate a suitable place close to where we are right now. There are several houses that we might be able to rent, but they are small. Pray for Pastor Angel Luna and his family as they are the ones spearheading this new church plant. See some photos on the back of this new work.

Looking for that Blessed Hope and Glorious Appearing!

For a PDF printable version; Click Here (letter) and here (photos)

April / May / June 2014

Greetings once again from Juarez, Mexico. We have been very busy since our last report, and I know that this letter is overdue so please forgive my tardiness. Thanks to your prayers and support, the Lord has done some wonderful things in the past couple months! While we still face daily challenges, we know the Lord is on our side and it is comforting to know we have your prayers on our behalf as well – Thank You!

Iglesia Bautista “Castillo Mio” – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua – We held our annual missions conference Feb 27^th to March 3^rd and had guest speaker Brother Samuel Gomez from the state of Guanajuato, Mex. The Lord blessed and our faith promise commitment increased, and we were able to take on a new missionary for this coming year. Faithfulness to the promise has always been a challenge, so please pray that this year all would be faithful to their commitment. A few of our people were also blessed to attend a 3-day Bible conference taught by a messianic Jew here in Juarez. He taught us about prophecy and about the messiah from Isaiah.

Beside our own campaigns in June and November we were able to help in the campaigns sponsored by Bearing Precious Seed in early April. I calculate that we were able to distribute close to 35,000 John and Romans during the 2 days we participated.

Manuel Garcia is now fully installed as pastor. Brother Hugo has returned at least for the time being to Bermejillo, Durango where he is helping Pastor Lorenzo in the Grace Bible Baptist Church. Please pray that the Lord will bless this church as it moves forward.

Iglesia Bautista “Esperanza Mia” – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua took part in celebrating the second anniversary of this work on May 4^th, there were over 200 precious people in attendance. The Lord has certainly blessed this work with over 80 baptisms in their first 2 years. Pastor DeAnda and his family have done a wonderful job establishing and leading this church. Even after all the modifications that have been done to this house they meet in the room is insufficient.

Please pray that the Lord would guide them as well as provide a larger building for them to meet in. They will need more room if they continue on this pace.

NEW MISSION WORK – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua – On April 22^nd, we had first contact with the neighborhood where we plan to start the next church. For 3 Tuesday evenings in a row we’ve been able to go out to soul-win in the area as well as hold a kid’s club in the park in this area. We’ve had an average attendance in the park of around 25 children and 10 adults. There have been several professions of faith. Please pray that these sowing efforts would bear fruit. Pastor Angel Luna has moved back to Juarez and is heading this work. He is still unable to walk but is doing a great job from his wheel chair, pray for his continued recovery. Pray for this mission in an area called “Royal Desert”.

2014 Juarez Campaign – June 11^th-14^th– Please be in prayer for the first campaign this year. We plan to distribute 100,000 Chick Tracts on the streets of Juarez! We’ll also plan to have 3 open-air evangelistic meetings in the area surrounding our churches.

We have passed the half way mark towards the funds we’ll need to pay for the tracts. We still need your help! We need Just 50 more churches or individuals to sponsor these campaigns with a 1-time donation of $100 or more.

Please help us, just like you wouldn’t send your soldiers to battle without bullets, don’t let us go to battle without our ammunition!   I’ve enclosed a couple more of the campaign brochures, ignore the deadline of May 1^st (we arranged to make 2 payments) we’ll need these funds by Labor Day. Would you help? Please give extra brochures to those who might help. Even if you cannot help with the full $100 every little bit will keep souls out of hell.

Looking for that Blessed Hope and Glorious Appearing!

February / March 2014

I am excited to bring you another report on the ministry in Juarez. We have been very busy as we started 2014. I am happy to report that we have seen several souls make professions of faith during our weekly soul-winning efforts. We have seen growth both numerically and spiritually in the churches and we were blessed to have missionaries Leonard and Susie Smith with us for a 3-day conference on children’s ministries in January. Next week we will be starting our missions conference. Please pray that the Lord will move in the hearts of our people to take a more active roll in the worldwide mission effort.

Iglesia Bautista “Castillo Mio” – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua – We have been making good progress to recover from the split we had in August. In December, we discovered another problem in that the treasurer had stolen all the money the church had been accumulating. This included our building fund, mission fund and general fund. Needless to say we had to take disciplinary action against the treasurer and so we lost another family. It saddens our heart that Satan deceives and uses “good” Christian brothers to try to destroy God’s work. Please pray that those who have caused such problems would repent and get right. On a brighter note, brother Manuel Garcia took over the pastorate from brother Hugo beginning in February. He has brought a new vision and excitement to the congregation. We are looking forward to what the Lord will do through us as we continue to move forward. Brothers Hugo and Angel Luna and I hope to start a new mission work sometime this spring or early summer. Once the area is determined, we will begin evangelizing and holding weekly Bible studies to raise up a new congregation. Once a group is established, we will look for a permanent place to meet. Initially we’ll plan to meet in a park or home in the area. Pray that the Lord will guide us to the area he wants us to establish a new church.

Iglesia Bautista “Esperanza Mia” – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua – What a privilege it has been to work together with this church over the past several months. The Lord has knit our hearts together; and although we meet in 2 different locations and are 2 separate churches, we are going the same direction and have been able to be a blessing one to another. Pray for Pastor DeAnda and his family and Missionary Marshal Dies and his family as they work in this church.

Announcing the 2014 Juarez Campaigns June 11th-14th & November 5th-8th – Join with us as we distribute 200,000 printed missionaries (Chick Tracts) on the streets of Juarez! We’ll also hold 3 open-air evangelistic meetings each evening where we’ve seen 100’s of professions of faith and helped the local churches directly in their outreach efforts.

There are 2 ways you can help:

100 for Juarez – we need 100 churches or individuals to sponsor these campaigns with a 1-time donation of $100 or more. Your donation of $100 will effectively sponsor 2,000 paper missionaries! Where else can you make an eternal impact with so small of an investment? Please help us reach these precious souls.

Short Term Mission Trip – You could come and participate with us as we hit the streets of Juarez. For 3 days we will go into the streets, parks and commercial center of Juarez and distribute these gospel tracts. Those that have participated in these campaigns in the past have always left blessed and refreshed spiritually. Come and experience first hand what a few days on one of the world’s most receptive mission fields is all about. This is an opportunity for a short-term mission trip you’ll never forget! Please see the enclosed brochure and the back for more information. You can also send me an e- mail or visit our web page at www.2EveryCreature.com

Looking for that Blessed Hope and Glorious Appearing! – Keep looking up!

Dear Pastors, Friends, and Prayer Partners,

We are excited to share with you a little of what God has been doing through our ministry the past few months.  It has been a busy time as we have been working hard to reinforce the work we started 3.5 years ago after the church split that I reported in our last letter.  Things seem to have returned to normal and although attendance dropped for a while we seem to be now growing again as we have re-focused our efforts in Soul-winning and our discipleship program.

I feel like we are on tract to be able to start a new work in late spring 2014.   We are praying right now for the Lord’s guidance in this area.  Right now we feel the Lord leading us to have Bro. Manuel Garcia take the pastorate at Castillo Mio while Bro. Hugo, Bro. Angel and myself will form a team to plant a new church.  There are 2 areas within just of few miles of Castillo Mio that really do need a church.  Please pray with us that the Lord would guide us to do His will.

Update on Fractured Hip: I have a fracture that the Dr. says most likely will not heal.  It is located in the hip socket and is a little over ½” wide.  The Dr. has recommended reinforcing the fracture with a plate, but says it is a temporary solution until an eventual replacement.  I have decided to put up with the injury as long as I can (hopefully until I get my new one in Glory!).

Iglesia Bautista “Castillo Mio” – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua – Kelly and I continue teaching the children’s class and they have been a real blessing to us. I teach a Bible lesson each week while Kelly has been teaching a missionary story.  We had 11 of the approx. 35 in our class win a Pizza Party, and there were 5 that won the big prize.  Most are working hard at memorizing their verse and doing their “homework” assignments each week.  We have been having good attendance both on Sunday and Wednesday.  Please pray that more would participate in soul winning efforts, there is just a few that are participating right now.  It is difficult this time of year because of the lack of sunlight and conflicting school schedules but more could be working than are.

Iglesia Bautista “Esperanza Mia” – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua – We have been working closer with this “Daughter” Church.  We have been helping with their soul winning efforts and they have been helping us.  We have had several special services together and we are planning to hold our New Years Eve service together.  They have grown to a point where they need to consider buying a property and building a building.  Pray for the Lord’s guidance and provision.

Brother Angel Luna – Bermejillo, Durango   For the first time in over 16 months Brother Angel was able to stand up!  His physical therapy sessions were suspended for several weeks but he continued to do exercises at home and has been able to make some great progress.  He has been preaching weekly form his wheel chair.  Please pray that he will be able to regain some mobility, as that will be necessary to help in starting the new church next spring.

Juarez Tract Saturation – We were able to spearhead a campaign in November that resulted in more than 70,000 Chick tracts being distributed in 2 days!  At one point on Saturday the team was distributing over 10,000 tracts per hour! Due to the success of this campaign, as well as the urgent need, we are planning 2 campaigns for 2014, and would love to have your participation.  The dates for these campaigns are: June 11-14 and Nov. 5-8 both start on a Wednesday and end on a Saturday.  In addition to the tract blitz we will hold 3 open-air evangelistic meetings.  If at all possible, would you set aside time to come help in one or both campaigns?  See enclosed flyer for more details.

We want to express our sincere gratitude for your prayers and support in 2013.  We hope the Lord continues to bless your ministry as you serve Him.  We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2014.

Looking for that Blessed Hope and Glorious Appearing! – Keep looking up!

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