New "Star Seamstress" by Lori

It exciting to announce that another lady has joined the group of “Star Seamstresses”.  Anaid attended the community-wide sewing course that I held a few months back and caught onto the machine quickly. She grew up in a home where her mother used a treadle machine and looks forward to having a machine of her own soon. In the mean time, I’ll be teaching her out of the house the new skills to more her knowledge to the next level. She was so thrilled to get started last week.  The first items in her product line are these colorful zippered bags that are perfect for those little items.

Anaid, along with her husband and three elementary school –aged children, live in the agricultural community of San Vicente Ferrer. She and her family attend the church “Templo Elim” where she has leadership of the youth group.  With her first earnings she is planning on purchasing a refurbished sewing machine and some basic supplies. After that, her goal is to be able to put money toward purchasing a small piece of land on which they can build a home. Please pray that her new home-based-business gets off to a strong start.

San Vicente from the 'Eye in the Sky'...

San Vicente...
Mision San Vicente Ferrer, the village we are primarily 'based' out of... four hours south of the US-Mexican border (thru Tijuana, thru Ensenada-Maneadero, up-and-down three mountain ranges, into the northern cusp of the San Quintin valley basin)... found Google Earth with some great shots, long-shot of Ensenada to San VIcente, then a close-up of the village... our rental house in right in the middle of the village... about 1500 people IN the village, another 1000 in the surrounding work-campos and ejidos (co-op farms)

Pray For The Mexico Ministry Daily (because we don't...)

Sept 9, 2015

Hello, Partners and Friends!

We regularly are asked, "why don't you email or Facebook when you are going to be in Mexico... so we can pray for you"???

Answer: we will not 'put on-line' our travel plans, mainly for our security and safety. Please just pray for the Mexico ministry daily.

Question: How dangerous is Baja Mexico, where the ministry projects are?

Answer: Well, it's complicated... if you read the US State Dept website, it would make you want to never go TO Baja Mexico (ie, scary!)
https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=17205
^ However, we [] have multiple nationals who serve as our 'trusted safety advisors' : they keep us up-to-date on security and safety issues  [] we keep our eyes and ears on Mexican news media sources, both official and un-official, [] we do a regional safety assessment QUARTERLY and re-assessment with any major/significant event or occurance (such as the recent farm-worker uprisings), [] we are THERE alot, and keep our eyes and ears open, AND [] yes, we always have 'plan B' in place.
 ^ More than anything, we TRUST our great and powerful GOD to guide and protect us, no matter what happens!

SO... Ministry Partners and Friends... pray daily for us and the ministry GOD is bringing forth!

you brother,
Chris 

Unintended Blessing by Lori

It's wonderful when God uses us to bless others! Last  month, after a church service in San Vicente, Alejandra approached me to express "Thank you so much for teaching me sew."I was a little confused as she hasn't attended the classes in several years because she has been studying at a Bible School 4 hours away. She was excited to tell me that her sister, Citlalic, and herself had secured summer jobs at the local sewing factory because they ALREADY knew how to sew. Both girls were regulars at the week long community-wide sewing classes that have been held for over 8 years in their community. The focus is on "learning the basics" while sewing items for one's self and home. It was never purposed to be a way to get a factory job. However, the Lord has used the sewing classes as a way to provide for these two lovely young ladies to attend college. Alejandra is in her last year of Ministerial studies and is praying about where the Lord will use her after graduation. Citlalic is in her first year of college studying to be a teacher. Both are growing Christians and have hearts to serve people. Please join us in praying for Lord's direction and provision for these two.

July 2015 community wide sewing week

Word spread quickly about the opportunity to make  school backpacks, book bags and pencil cases. A few strategically  placed posters around San Vicente along with personal invites lured 41 different students to participate in the week long sewing course. With upward of 18 learners in a single class, patience was a must for us all even with 10 sewing machines and 6 cutting tables. Morning classes almost seemed like a vacation with an average of 8 students while afternoons were brimming with an average of 15 students daily. I was blessed to have some help teaching the basics to the 17 NEW people. Yes, 17! Many of them had never worked with a sewing machine. There were lots of pre teens and teenagers, including 5 boys, anxious to make bags for their upcoming school year. Many of the seasoned students are willing to step up and assist their neighbor when the room begins to echo "Lorena, Lorena, Lorena". It may be time to rethink how to have smaller classes where more individual attention can be given to each student. Pray for the Lord's wisdom on how to proceed.

New Season, New Projects... and the Blessing of Isaiah 58

New Season, New Projects... and the Blessing of Isaiah 58

Hey! Chris here.
I wanted to pen a quick note that THIS WEEK celebrates entering our 25th year of service in missions!
I can barely remember Lori, Ruth, Hannah and I standing in the Redeemer sanctuary in June of 1991, being commissioned out as missionaries to Mexico...
So, is it time to slow down, take it easy and put the mission thing on 'coast'... NO WAY!

God is breathing some really EXCITING and NEW directions into what HE would like us to begin work on. Yes, the 'development' project in San Vicente will continue... Yes, we will still be involved in health outreach and education to 'the least of these'.... but a number of new and exciting projects are coming... STAY TUNED.

I have been praying fervently for those who are our PARTNERS in ministry... the ones who give $$$ sacrificially, the ones who care for us and our needs, the ones who have come and regularly worked with us... and the Lord had me take another fresh look at Isaiah 58. This has been a foundational chapter in our ministry; as the Lord teaches us what His 'acceptable fast' is [serving the poor], He outlines clear assurances that HE will care for us AS we sacrificially give.

What He showed me is that this passage is speaking to a group of people, not just a few individuals. He encouraged me in that, as our PARTNERS 'spend themselves' as part of this roller-coaster ministry, HE will be their provider and ever-present friend. For those PARTNERS who take part in this mission ministry, check out Isaiah 58 and BE BLESSED!

Here's to the next quarter-century!

Humbled and Surprised (because you never know at the time...)

Chris here.
Meet Pastor Elim

He is a pastor from Tijuana with a large, growing church. Lori and I were in a recent (2015) Baja meeting where Elim shared how, many years ago, he participated in a series of Tijuana-San Diego Promise-Keeper (PK) events that significantly shaped his ministry and poured the spiritual foundation for his church. The leader of this same meeting, Pastor Jose Luis followed Elim to share that he also was drawn into the Promise-Keepers events, and that God spoke very formative words to him way back then. Both pastors were grateful to the Lord for what He did through Promise Keepers. Memories of 1995 came rushing back, when I was asked to serve as facilitator for the Tijuana-San Diego PK events. There was a clear sense that God wanted to do new works of understanding and restoration between American and Mexican Christian leaders, and being one of the few missionary members of the Tijuana Pastors’ Alliance allowed me to liaison between the two groups. Over the next year, I planned PK Tijuana events, secured 100 scholarships, and coordinated Mexican pastors’ attendance in the week-long San Diego 1996 event. Later that same year, I was able to connect 40 more pastors with the massive Los Angeles conference. Needless to say, those two years were filled with a great deal of work to ‘make it all happen’. We know the Lord led us to take up the PK project as part of our eclectic mission-service, but at the time, we had no clear idea what HE wanted to plant and water in the soil of these pastors’ lives. Now, I am humbled and surprised at what God did, and the role HE allowed us to play in His Kingdom. What a blessing to hear the long-term fruit recounted by Elim and Jose Luis nearly 20 years later. Humbled, surprised and blessed am I.