October Prayer Letter

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August Prayer Letter

McDonalds in Mexico!

August 2013 Prayer Letter

Family and friends,

Summer is coming to a close here in Rosarito, Mexico! Thank you so much for allowing us to be here! We feel empowered by your prayer and support to minister freely! This season brings a change of schedules and responsibilities for all of us, so I'm going to update you on what's been happening to us this summer.

Jacob

Jacob is taking a break from school and his formal soccer team this summer to concentrate on some ministry opportunities. He has been serving as a translator for some teams this summer in the sports and kids ministries. He is enjoying using his abilities to serve the Lord and is somewhat of a kid magnet-- this white kid who speaks almost perfect Spanish-- and has been an asset to the teams he has served! He is also active in inviting friends to church and there is one family in particular that God is working in and saving through Jacob's witness!

 Caleb

Caleb received an electric guitar and amp for his birthday, and has been practicing- doing some “\jamming” at the Rosarito Outreach Center with his friend William, who happens to play the drums. He is also involved in the team ministry when there are construction builds, helping the build leaders, translating, and serving. He is enjoying his role!

Elijah

Elijah is in Canada this summer battling the quasi-eldritch mosquitoes and summer rains. He has been serving at Silver Birch Bible Camp (in Loon Lake, our former church), and Island Lake Bible Camp (in Turtleford, where we stayed for furlough). He has served as a counselor and has been enjoying himself a lot. He's spending the second half of his summer mowing lawns and doing odd jobs in Turtleford, SK. We only get to talk to him on Saturdays. We miss him a lot, but we're glad that he 's serving the KING!

Sharlene

Sharlene had the opportunity twice to speak in the Women's prison in Ensenada for the Celebrate Recovery baptisms! She is a blessing to that ministry.

Sharlene also serves as a group leader at the ladies Bible study at our church, Calvary Chapel Rosarito. She has gotten to know many of the ladies of the church there and they are finding out what an incredible, godly, kind woman she is. She finds lots of opportunities to serve, and love new followers of Jesus!

Shar is also helping to cook at the ROC - she is loved and appreciated there as well.

With the kids being more involved in serving, Sharlene has had time to help disciple a new believer too. Please pray for this young woman, Lupita. She was just baptised a few weeks ago and is battling through old life issues. Her family is against her and she has even faced physical abuse recently. Please pray for salvation for this household.

Mike

I'm back to directing “camp”! This summer I am the co-director of the ROC, responsible for the general operation of the camp program as well as my other responsibilities with pastors and leaders. It's an old role I am familiar with and God is blessing our efforts there.

There! You are all up-to-date on us and our lives! We'd love to hear from you! How is your summer going?

Prayer Requests:

As the summer ends and fall approaches, my responsibilities will again be changing. Please pray for wisdom, guidance and faith needed to follow!

I haven't mentioned anything in a long time, but we will still be in need of a reliable family vehicle within the next year or so. We currently have a little over $1200 in that account! If God may be leading you to give to that, you can at:

YUGO Ministries

PO Box 231

St. Albert, AB

T8N 1N3

Pleae send a note saying that it is for:

McDonald Vehicle Account

Thanks for praying and partnering with us in this endeavour! May God bless you!

Mike, Sharlene, Elijah, Caleb and Jacob McDonald

June Prayer Letter

Happy Summer!!

We trust that God's presence is real in your life and that this time of regeneration of creation reminds us all of the work that God is doing in each of us, and desiring to do in those around us!

We have had a busy spring!

Bible College grad.

CCBC -Ensenada grads Spring 2013

We graduated 12 students from the Bible College in Ensenada this spring. I love getting to teach and interact with the growing, dedicated young people! I usually teach 2 classes  each semester. This last semester I taught Galatians (I'm still marking exams for that one...) and Practical Ministry. I love the book of Galatians and it's call to freedom! The practical Ministry class was awesome too. I had people from different areas of ministry come in and share their passion, their calling and the Biblical imperative to be involved in their area of ministry. To finish off the class we took the guys to jail! Ivan Martinez and Irvin Penner brought us into the Ensenada prison where they serve each week. We served the men hamburgers as others served them in baptism (14 baptised that day!!), rap worship music and a biblical message from one of our students!

It was a great day where I got to see my Rosarito ministry world collide with my Bible college ministry! Praise God for His work there!

New Pastors training class begins.

Jose and seve Barbosa have started a new class in Tijuana. They have 35 students from several churches in their area teaching them through the 3 year course. We have been speaking to other pastors and leaders in Tijuana / Rosarito and we may have up to 100+ more students this coming fall. Please pray for these students- that they would have the perseverance necessary to complete what they begin. Pray for protection as the enemy begins to attack as they prepare for service in the Kingdom. Please pray for clarity and that they would fall in love with Jesus and His Scriptures! That they would base their beliefs on the Bible, not on tradition or teachings of men. Please also pray for the teachers and wisdom on how to organize this growing ministry!!

Trip to Southern Mexico

In my ministry with our local church, I assist them with our church planters. We have a couple in Central Mexico in the state of Guanajuato who were sent out almost 2 years ago.

Jose Luis Rangel, Mike and Ryan Gause in Irapuato, Guanajuato

It is a difficult place to serve, in that it is the most traditional state in all of Mexico. Christians are not welcomed very warmly and people are bound in traditionalism. The work there has progressed very slowly and it has been discouraging for the couple who are there. I wanted to go and encourage them and give them some instruction on planting churches and evangelism, so a colleague and I flew down for a 3 day trip to meet them and a couple other churches in the area.
We had a great time buzzing around in our tiny little rental car (cost us $9.00/ day !!) visiting and encouraging pastors. I am planning on going down again in the fall with some more formal training. This is difficult, hard ground, but we believe that rain is coming. We're preparing for rain, as they say!

New responsibilities

I reported a few months ago that we were given some new responsibilities in the Rosarito Outreach Center  (ROC) with YUGO Ministries. The good news is that I still have those responsibilities, the other news is that they've given me more!  I am now the co-director of the ROC with a great brother in Christ, Ron Struska. Ron serves in the areas of the finances, food and facilities at the Center, and I serve those in the areas of the actual "camp" program, the ministries that serve directly with Mexican churches and pastors as well as administration / volunteers. It seems to be a good fit as we complement each other well.

Please pray for me in these new responsibilities  that I will be faithful to the Lord and His calling on my life; That we would serve well; For unity in the team; that God would be honoured in our service to Him!

Summer Schedule

With the end of homeschool (soon...) comes a change of schedule. Shar and I will be helping out at the ROC more often this summer. Caleb will be there as well. He has some interest and ability in the area of construction, so he will be serving in our house building ministry this summer, learning the ropes and being a servant! Jacob will be going with teams to different sites translating and serving in the sports / soccer ministry. I can't think of anything he'd love better than combining soccer with serving the Lord!  Elijah is on a bit of a different trajectory this summer as he will be going back to Saskatchewan! Elijah will be serving at a Bible camp for a few weeks and then making work for himself to earn some money. He will be staying in Turtleford, SK with good friends the Steins, where we stayed on furlough last time in Canada. He had the opportunity to jr. counselor last time we were in Canada and we saw tremendous growth in him then. He feels he needs to grow up a bit and wants to jump into the deep end of the pool and serve and work! We will miss him tremendously, but know that he is in good hands as our Heavenly Father cares for him wherever he is!

Thanks so much for your prayers and your support! God is moving here in Mexico and we are incredibly blessed to be a part of it!

Terrazas del valle, Tijuana, Mexico

Please let me know if you want to be physically present here as well serving alongside us! We have lots of opportunities to help repair churches, build buildings, train leaders, serve the humble and love the forgotten! You are invited!

God bless,

Mike, Shar, Caleb, Jacob, Elijah

Ivan Martinez Prayer Letter

Many of you know Ivan through stories and posts here in our blog---

I just wanted to share with you all Ivan's Prayer letter. He is a missionary like us and raises his prayer and financial support in order to be able to serve here in Mexico. Ivan works very closely with me and is my right hand man. Irvin Penner works with Ivan in the Ensenada Prison-- here is his report!

Dear brothers,I pray my letter may find you and your love ones enjoying of God's faithfulness,along with His warming and peaceful presences in your hearts.

Praise Report:

These past few months we have been preparing through prayer,for our pastors meeting on May 4.and so we met with all 15 or so.

Well it was a success.Now we are re-connecting with them on a more personal level,visiting them at their church or homes.

As we head out to meet with them,we ask our Lord to guide us through His Holy Spirit,and to be attentive to what they share with us and what they don't share.

Our aim (YUGO) is to let them know they're not alone,that we understand how hard it can be.So we want to come along-side of them and help with the burden and load (Galatians 6:2).But we want to be led by God and God alone,so we are praying earnestly,we want to have success and bring glory to CHRIST JESUS our LORD.

Prison Ministry,has also been a success,our God is bringing and raising up Godly men in there.Today we went to prison thinking we were only gonna baptize 7 new believers,we ended up baptizing a total of 16 believers,the Lord added more to the group.

Tho I myself don't live in there with these brothers,I could see the change in their lives,God's Word indeed does not returned void,but does penetrate the hearts,even when they're hard as a rock.

Again God is being glorify.

Our plan is continue to pursue the clear vision God gave us,and establish a very equip church in there,and to prepare men to return to their families a new person.All this through the power of God's word And His Holy Spirit.

Plans:If God is willing my family and I, would like to take a vacation sometime mid-July or end of July,again if God is willing.

Prayer request:Please pray with us and for us,that we may be attentive to the Holy Spirit and His guidance,to know and understand what our Lord is asking from us with the new group of pastors.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support,it has really been a big blessing,you have been a Big part of what God is doing out here in Mexico,many lives have been changed,again thank you and may our GOD ALMIGHTY add to your riches in heaven.

Your family and friends,

Ivan,Alma,Aleyda and Gregorio Martinez.

Perogies and Sausage Fundraiser!!

Hello friends!

Just a short reminder that we are having a perogies and Farmer Sausage fundraiser on May 10th!

It is at Martensville Baptist church-- 209 Centennial Drive North, Martensville, SK

Time: 5:00-8:00pm

Irvin Penner will be speaking and I will be there in spirit and on video!

We are raising money for our ministry here in Mexico-- these are the specific areas:

Mexican Youth Camp-- this is a camp that Mexican youth come and get trained in ministry and are sent out to churches to serve with youth, children and women's ministry. We need some help in offering scholarships to allow teens from our poorer churches to come and participate as well!

Pastor and Leader Training- This is our Bible Institute on wheels! Part of your donation will go towards helping pastors and church leaders be trained in a Bible Institute that comes out to their neighbourhood. We are praying for 100 graduates in this next generation!

Evangelism and Discipleship- This is a ministry of local Mexican missionary, Ivan Martinez. Part of your donation will go towards Ivan's ministry expenses as he is involved in ministry in prisons, with newly deported ex-gangsters and with pastors.

Pastors Benevolance-- We run into incredible needs with our pastors- mostly related to health concerns. Poverty affects peoples health and keeps them from receiving timely and adequate care. Many of our pastors sacrifice their own resources to help their people, we want to be able to give to the givers to lighten their load.

We are praying for $15,000 to cover this years ministry expenses-- Thank you for being a part of this ministry!! Please pray that God will supply these needs and if you can go, please come!

God bless,

Mike

pretty bird

April Prayer Letter

Hey folks!

 here is our April prayer letter--- put your cursor over the HIGHLIGHTED link below and it will direct you to the prayer letter!!

God bless!!

APRIL PRAYER LETTER-- CLICK HERE!!

Leadership Training

Almost 6 years ago a couple came to me wanting Biblical Training. The husband  (Jose) was a co-leader of a small church that had a heart for missions for the nations, but was very dry in its local missions and in its teaching / preaching.

This couple thrived in the class- almost always being the first to arrive and the last to leave. The wife's ( Seve)  books were filled with notes, comments and questions. At 60+ years old she was consuming the Bible voraciously and was amazed at all she had not learned in 30+ years of following Christ. For the first time in her life she felt free to explore the Bible on her own and discover the depths of Jesus!

Jose wanted his fellow leaders to go to  the Bible Institute as well, but none were interested. He offered it to the church and noone expressed interest in the training. So for 2 years he faithfully took a 160km round trip to another town to teach pastors and leaders in La Mision. Church planters, pastors, orphanage workers, rehab center workers all took the classes and celebrated their graduation last spring.

Jose's church got pretty frustrating for them. Jose and Seve have a heart to reach their community, to send out church planters and to glorify Jesus through their lives. Everytime they tried to make headway, the church would drag its heals. Jose and Seve were ready to give up co-leading the church and move on.

Then, over the course of a few months, the 2 other co-leaders fell spiritually. Their were other very public issues within the church and almost as if at once, the entire church realized their collective and individual sinfulness and need for Jesus. They had several days of meetings with people asking for forgiveness, offering forgiveness and publicly confessing sin. It was a real work of God and Jose and Seve were taken aback by it all.

Within days or weeks the church was completely different. It went from a "serve me" church where the majority of people sat to be served to a church that was excited to find out their gifts and serve one another! They went from having 3 or 4 people serving to many with a ministry. They began to get a heart for their community and a desire to know Jesus more.

This all happened these last few months. And a few days ago Jose called me to ask if he could take the Bible Institute to his church with his people. 16 in his church have expressed desire to learn. 3 others from outside the church also want to join them.  I had planned on not starting again until September to give our teachers a break, but the people are begging to learn more and so we are in the process of registering 19 new students this spring.

They will study for 4 hours a week over the course of 3 years, most of them receiving a Diploma of Christian leadership.

We are excited for this new group of eager leaders- and more excited to see what God will do in this church. God is working, it's an exciting pleasure to be working alongside Him and His people!

Please be in prayer for this group-- It is very common for people to face spiritual opposition when they decide to study God's word. One man already lost his job and we know that others will face illness, discouragement, family strife. It is normal. Please pray for perseverance!

James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.  Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. And perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything.

February Update

Hello friends and family!

I just wanted to send you an update about how things are going and how our life looks here in Mexico these days...

Ministry

There have been some ministry and responsibility changes these last few months. Prior to this, our part of the ministry was fairly independent of the other YUGO ministries here in Mexico. We have new leadership now and they have been working on consolidating some of the different areas. So, Sharlene and I are now connected to the Rosarito Outreach Center. A ministry center that hosts US, Canadian and Mexican Churches and helps them to minister here in our area via outreach and construction ministries. I am on the leadership team responsible to serve those working on the field in areas such as addiction recovery, evangelism and discipleship, prison ministries, pastoral and leadership training, pastoral care of pastors and mercy ministries (clothing and food donations, feeding programs, Christmas gifts for children, school supplies in poor neighborhoods and orphanages).

I have a great group of people to work with, and I am enjoying serving them in this new capacity.

Along with that, I am still teaching at the Bible College in Ensenada and helping with pastoral training. This coming February we're hosting a Sunday School teacher's workshop at one of our partner churches in Tijuana, as well as a 3-day church planter training seminar at the Rosarito Outreach Center. Later in spring, we'll be putting on a School of Leadership in Tijuana to help train leaders and pastors. Because of the new relationships with the Outreach center, we will be partnering with fellow missionaries to do all of these events. God is pleased when we work together in unity, and I believe that these new relationships will result in much fruit in His Kingdom.

Praise Items:

I'd like to both praise God and thank you for continuing to pray for our requests in our last letter--- as of right now, Ivan Martinez and Abelino Jacome are both fully supported for this coming year!!

Our Pastoral training ministry fund is growing and will allow us to begin a new year of Bible Training Center for Pastors and Leaders soon. We are about half way there!!

Our National Workers Fund received a $500 donation that will help to take care of the unexpected emergency needs for pastors.

Our feeding kitchens have received some excellent support this year. Unfortunately, about a week ago I was informed that the costs for the ministry that provides us with food have been higher than they expected. So they are doubling their fees in order to cover their costs. One of our feeding kitchens had grown to almost 80 people / day and will need to halve their serving amount, or figure out a more cost effective way of meeting this need-- please pray for wisdom for our feeding kitchen partners...

Other

Sharlene and I will be traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico for 5 days to visit our fellow missionaries at their language school assignment. We have many new missionaries desiring to come on the field and others who have been here for a while but are struggling in their Spanish. Many are wondering about the language school so we are going to check it out and encourage our missionaries while we are there! Please pray for traveling mercies, wisdom and that our kids will be well cared for here while we are gone.

Thanks again for caring enough to pray for us and sacrificially give so that we can be here representing you in the ministry here in Mexico.

May God bless you!