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!