Hello everyone! I hope that your Septembers have been memorable and enjoyable! I know mine has! I'm coming to the end of my stay in the states, and I find myself so incredibly thankful that the Lord allowed me to come home for September and part of October. I missed this fall-ish (ok, we have had some) weather, the changing of the leaves, the seasonal tastes and smells that come out this time of year, etc. It has been glorious, and I'm positive that heading back to the unimaginable heat of Mexico will be all the more sweet for having had this time to rest up and be home. I've enjoyed the time I've been able to spend with family, my church family, and friends. I know I haven't even made a dent in the list of people to see while I'm home. Hopefully in the next two weeks I will cover more ground. If you will be free at all and would like to get together, please don't hesitate to let me know! My schedule is flexible, and I travel! :)
Well, I head back to Mexico on October 16, and I just wanted to send out different sort of email update before I leave. Yes, this is a support request, but it is not just for me! There are several REALLY exciting giving opportunities in the ministry right now, and I just wanted to highlight them for you as well.
Of course, my first request is for my own budget support. I came home with the goal of raising $300 per month in order to reach 100% of my monthly budget. The Lord has been faithful in providing responsive hearts! Through verbal pledges, the Lord has raised $200 of that goal!! However, I still need $100 more per month before I jump up and down and do the happy dance! This is a really critical goal because I will be required to start paying off the rest of my student loans beginning in January, and that $300/month is the amount of my student loan payment every month. So, if you haven't already spoken to me or aren't already on my support team, please pray about whether or not to join me as a financial partner in addition to your prayer partnership! The Lord is doing REALLY EXCITING THINGS among the people of Mexico, and I'm totally pumped about what we see for the upcoming year of ministry among the youth, among the young ladies, and within the church in Cofradia and the surrounding area! God is preparing something really big, and it's starting to take off NOW! If you would like to hear more about my recent presentations about the last year or see pictures, just let me know. Regardless, thank you for your support and encouragement during the last year and a half. I look forward to enjoying them for the year to come!
As for giving opportunities within the ministry, there are several!
1. Youth Scholarship Fund: Riki and Jose Luis
Because of all the Lord is doing among our youth, we have begun a Youth Scholarship Fund. The design for this fund is to help the youth who feel that the Lord is calling them to ministry where they are required to raise some sort of support in order to follow that call. This fund is available to receive donations all the time, whether we have specific youth in mind or not. So, if you feel the desire to support the Lord's work in the lives of our youth, then please feel free to give any time!
However, we have two young men who are currently in the YWAM Discipleship Training School in Mazatlan who are in need of some pretty quick support. They left for the program at the beginning of September having received all they needed for their lecture phase (the first three months, $1000 each!). The Lord was very faithful to provide that through other supporters like you! However, I have recently heard from our staff in Cofradia that the money for their missions phase (the last three months) is due October 12!! Riki will be staying in Mexico and needs $1700; Jose Luis is hoping to go to Africa and will need $3500!!!!! Even though we only have less than two weeks to raise these funds, we are believing that the Lord is once again going to pour out his generous provision over them. If you would like to support Riki and Jose Luis, then please let me know ASAP!
However, we have two young men who are currently in the YWAM Discipleship Training School in Mazatlan who are in need of some pretty quick support. They left for the program at the beginning of September having received all they needed for their lecture phase (the first three months, $1000 each!). The Lord was very faithful to provide that through other supporters like you! However, I have recently heard from our staff in Cofradia that the money for their missions phase (the last three months) is due October 12!! Riki will be staying in Mexico and needs $1700; Jose Luis is hoping to go to Africa and will need $3500!!!!! Even though we only have less than two weeks to raise these funds, we are believing that the Lord is once again going to pour out his generous provision over them. If you would like to support Riki and Jose Luis, then please let me know ASAP!
2. Central Church Construction/Sanctuary Roof
We are still in the throes of construction on our new central church facility. This facility is so thrilling to us as we see this massive seemingly impossible dream taking form and shape before our eyes! We have come to the point in construction where we need to raise funds and specially-skilled teams for the raising of our sanctuary roof. The sanctuary is a gymnasium-sized room and will have a 29' roof! It is LARGE, and it will cost $21,000 just to fabricate and install the roof! We currently have $16,000 for the funds for the roof. Please consider if the Lord would have you partner with us in this amazing dream project! We are in need of more finances, first. To provide one whole rafter section would cost $1800. We have been encouraging folks and churches and organizations to consider raising the funds to donate a rafter section. But the Lord has appointed his givers and their gifts, and we are trusting Him in that.
We also need specially-skilled teams who would be able to donate a week or so of their time and labor to come to Cofradia and fabricate and install sections of the roof. Dave our director has an idea of how this will get accomplished once the teams are in place. We simply need the man-power.
If you and your friends/co-workers/church family, etc are interested in helping on a construction team or in donating financially, please contact David Elias, our director, at david@alternativemissions.com. We would rejoice over your partnership!
3. Radio Ministry
In January, our Pastor, Goyo, began preaching over the radio in our area. His program, "Restoring Relationships", is a half-hour show once a week that reaches not only our towns and the surrounding area but also far up into the mountains to the indigenous villages where the Cora Indians live. Goyo has been preaching once a week on the town PA system for quite a long time. There has been opposition to this, but the Lord has protected him through it all. I heard him say once that even though he has been threatened, he continues because He does not want to hear the Lord say to him one day, "Who told them about me?". When he hears the Lord say that, he wants to be able to answer truthfully, "I did for you, Lord!" This is the heart of his radio ministry, and the Lord has been faithful to provide the funds in our general budget for the once-a-week show.
However, Goyo's vision for this is that it eventually be aired three times a week for a half-hour each time. This, however, is expensive. The Mexican government does not grant radio licenses to religious organizations. Therefore, we must continue purchasing the air time. The cost of the program for three times a week would be $60/month. Compared to the cost of American airwaves, this is extremely inexpensive. However, our general budget would not support that expense. Therefore, we are asking that you pray about whether or not the Lord would have you support this specific ministry and reach not only the people we see but, more importantly, the people we don't see everyday! If you are interested, please contact David Elias, our director, at david@alternativemissions.com.
However, Goyo's vision for this is that it eventually be aired three times a week for a half-hour each time. This, however, is expensive. The Mexican government does not grant radio licenses to religious organizations. Therefore, we must continue purchasing the air time. The cost of the program for three times a week would be $60/month. Compared to the cost of American airwaves, this is extremely inexpensive. However, our general budget would not support that expense. Therefore, we are asking that you pray about whether or not the Lord would have you support this specific ministry and reach not only the people we see but, more importantly, the people we don't see everyday! If you are interested, please contact David Elias, our director, at david@alternativemissions.com.
Thank you all for reading through these opportunities. If you have any questions or would like more information, do not hesitate to let me know. If you have friends or family you believe would like to know about these opportunities, then please forward this email on. If you know of other avenues we should pursue in our fund-raising, then please drop me an email and let me know about them so that I can contact the right people.
You are great friends and family, and I'm blessed to call you mine! Even better, I'm blessed that you are my brothers and sisters in Christ and that I get to spend ETERNITY with each one of you!! Thank you for your partnerships in prayers, financially, and in encouragement. I wouldn't be here if it were not for each one of you!!
Grace and peace to each of you in our Lord Jesus Christ
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