Greetings again friends, family and partners in the Gospel! Our second week here in Rosarito has just concluded, and we have been seeing God move! It’s been such a pleasure not only to serve the various communities here but also to see men, women and children accepting Christ into their hearts at each and every outreach. We have been witnessing the beginning stages of the redemption Christ brings to the lives of those He saves. Redemption from lives plagued with bondage and oppression from the enemy, the father of lies. Christ’s love will always prevail, and new believers here have been inspiring examples of how that will always be enough.

Tuesday we were blessed with the opportunity to set up an outreach at a small park near Pastor Eddie Mijares’ church Calvary Chapel Homex. We began by cleaning up trash, and almost a week later it still looks great! There was a bounce house, and as with the rest of our outreaches crafts, face painting, games, teachings and testimonies. For this outreach I gave my testimony, after which a sympathetic gentleman approached me, understanding the sin which so easily ensnares us. It was a nice reminder of how God uses our weaknesses to reach those around us; being able to sympathize with those who are struggling makes such a difference in helping with their battles. After serving up pulled pork sandwiches, and getting ready to head out, we meet Victor. Victor was yet another resident of the dump, and he had been waiting patiently so he could accept Christ. He seemed determined to leave his old life behind him, even claiming that although he did not know where he was living, it was no longer at that oppressive landfill. We didn’t see him at church Sunday, but he remains on my heart and in my prayers.

We had a wonderful time with Pastor Arie and his wife Nasiema this week, gleaning from their experience ministering in a Muslim community, and the steps they take to combat the enemy. One way they do this is physical training, which they liken to spiritual warfare; when the enemy, or in this case our flesh, wants us to give up, we keep pushing. This is especially beneficial for them since they are rather isolated where they serve, and the enemy will attempt to use this to discourage them. Arie had a great analogy regarding spiritual warfare: You can’t stop a bird from flying overhead, but you can stop it from nesting on your head. A great reminder to quickly tear down any strongholds the enemy may be attempting to establish in our minds. Interestingly enough, I had an unusual bird experience this week as I was reading Strategies of Satan. A man clearly demon possessed, having had his life ravaged by drug abuse, was lumbering down our street. I prayed for him. Then a mourning dove followed by a white dove flew over him as he was leaving my line of sight. This isn’t my first experience with doves, and I’m not sure what to make of it, but I pray that God brings restoration to his life.

Thursday we were blessed with a couple of special guests from CCSG, one quite special to me in particular, my lovely girlfriend Maribel. It was such a blessing not only to see her after almost two weeks, but also to serve the “Beirut” community alongside her. “Beirut” is a densely populated community down the street from CC Homex, where residents have to salvage scrap materials to complete their homes. Doors of plywood, blanket covered windows, there was even a resident cutting out air holes for a new Styrofoam window. On the outskirts of the settlement there is a small playground for the numerous children, which we enclosed with a tire wall. It was awesome to see residents coming out to help, especially with the digging and transferring of dirt to weigh down the tires. It’s a beautiful thing to see a community come together for the sake of restoration.

This idea was also demonstrated at the CC Homex Sunday service. We saw three men from the dump there, Jorge and Fernando who accepted Christ on our visit two weeks ago, and Pascual who accepted Christ about a month prior. Pastor Eddie Mijares, who blessed us Friday with his redeemed ex-con testimony, will drive to the dump to bring them to church. But on the occasion he cannot, these new brothers keep one another accountable and make sure no one gets left behind before making the trek to the church. A beautiful sight to conclude the week with, one that so wonderfully exemplifies a key point from Sunday’s message:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up – Ecclesisastes 4:9-10

Thank you all, the body, so much not only for reading my update but responding as well. It truly is a blessing. Please reach out to me as well with any questions, concerns or prayer requests. We are all just seeking the Lord here and I would love to be in your corner as well. Again your support is greatly appreciated, ministry such as this would not be possible without your prayer, intercession and financial assistance. I look forward to the future of our partnership in the Gospel.

Prayer Requests

1. For an overflowing of the Holy Spirit, with confirmations of callings and giftings

2. For protection from spiritual warfare against the students, staff and administration

3. That the Lord continues to work in and through us, as well as our new brethren