Greetings from Mexico,
In October we had another blessed month here in Mexico. Daniel and Grace are both staying busy studying and working hard in their college courses, and Sarah is once again teaching school full time online this year. On the ministry side of things, we had a full month which included local ministry and missions trips, and in this update, I want to tell you about an amazing mission’s trip God let me take to Las Vegas!
We all know what Sin City is famous for, Gambling, Sin, and plenty of other vices. But it is in this world famous city that God has called our church in Mexico to reach through our “sending Hub” ministry of church planting. Last month I was blessed to travel to Las Vegas with my two church planting assistants Dan Valdez and Mario Medrano, and a future church planter named Jason Toscano.
We had multiple destinations planned for this quick three day visit, and while the slick advertising slogan claims “What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”, I am happily going to break that rule with this update. I would like to share with you the four main highlights of this fruitful trip!
Our first stop was visiting my good friend Fernando Serrano and his home Bible study. You might remember that Pastor Fernando and his family served at our church as full time staff for over ten years. And while Fernando has been serving for a season at an established church while leading their Spanish ministry, the time has now come for Fernando to plant his own church.
Fernando invited me to teach his weekly home Bible study and I was blessed to teach a message out of Mark chapter 2, I titled “Friend of Sinners!” As this is a Spanish Bible study, I was challenged to teach the sermon in Spanish, which I stepped out in faith and did. God really touched our hearts while we were seeing his amazing group of saints. Yes, the worship was amazing and there was an atmosphere full of love, but (best of all) this large house was packed out with over 60 adults preparing to join Pastor Fernando and his upcoming step of faith!
We also were blessed to visit my good friend Derek Rosario and his “Fit to Serve” Christian cross fit gym. Derek has become a great friend of mine over the past four years. He has sponsored and pioneered several “Fit to Serve” workout outreaches and classes at not only our church in Rosarito, but also in several of our church plants.
Derek has also trained up with me through my online church planting course I offer for future American church planters. Derek leads an amazing ministry and the hope is that some day in the future, he can not only plant a church himself out of his gym, but start up a new “Sending Hub” of churches that are planted along with a Christian cross fit gym!
While in Vegas we were also blessed to visit two of our church planting partners. Pastor Gregg Seymour is an amazing friend that pastors Calvary Chapel Red Rocks in Vegas. From the beginning of his church plant five years ago, Gregg has consistently and generously partnered with us through supporting church planting. I was also able to make a new friend, Pastor Wayne Rispalje of Calvary Chapel Sonrise that is the longest Tenured Calvary Chapel Pastor in Las Vegas, and also a church planting partner with us.
Our final stop was to see my good friend Rick Arcotta and his ministry. Rick had been beaten up and trashed by different churches over the years, so he decided to start a home Bible study in his garage five years ago. As that home study grew, Rick and I came in contact three years ago and after meeting and talking, he asked me to be his spiritual covering as he moved forward. In response, I gave Rick a bunch of things that I needed him to accomplish if I was to be his pastor and for his home study to develop into one of our church plants. I am happy to say that after three years, all of that hard work and preparation has been done with excellence.
Our team got to be there with his home Bible study that now numbers around 80 adults as I ordained Rick as an official church plant. I am proud to officially welcome Calvary Chapel New Zeal Las Vegas and Pastor Rick as our newest church plant. They already partner with us by supporting church planting, and they host their own weekly church planting class with twelve students.
This trip to Las Vegas was very exciting and encouraging for me. When our family moved to Mexico over 21 years ago, I would have never dreamed that God would use our ministry to encourage and plant churches up in the good ole US of A! But our God is the God is the impossible! Our God is a God that is always able to do more than we could ask or think!
So Thank you Lord Jesus and THANK YOU to our amazing friends and co-laborers. It is an honor and a blessing to serve the Lord with you!
Con mucho amor de Mexico, (with much love from Mexico)
Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel
Prayer Requests!
#1- Pray that God would bless my church planting trips to Florida (USA) and Morelia (Mexico) in November!
#2- Pray that God will bless our preparations for our Christmas outreaches and events.
Praise Reports!
#1- Praise God for a great trip to visit our church plant in Peru! (South America, my first visit there)
#2- Praise God for His continued blessing and provision for our family, ministry, and church plants.
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