As of the time in which I write you this update, we are 58 days from getting on a plane and moving our life to Japan. We are 75% funded as far as our recurring monthly needs are concerned, so please pray about partnering with us financially. And to all of you who have gotten behind us, and have helped to encourage and get us to this point, thank you and may the Lord bless you mightily for your commitment and care for us.
Hello, this is Alishia Root, and I am about to become a missionary wife. It has taken roughly 6 years to arrive at the gate of launching out as full-time missionaries. It’s been a time spent learning about culture and learning how to be ministry workers. The days have been full of change, adaptation, and reconstruction as we grow in our understanding of God’s heart for the unreached. The part we as the church are to play, as both goers and senders, in fulfilling the great commission. And most importantly growing in our understanding of His gracious love for us personally.
This is the analogy I use to illustrate and understand the life of a missionary … Remember the first time you wanted to tackle a big roller coaster? There was promise of thrill and some unknowing apprehension, but it seemed fun, so why not? So you get in line, and the line is rather long. You wonder if you will get to the ride head before the day is over ( I equate this to the waiting period of a young missionary), but it is moving so you just settle in and move along inch by inch. At some point the coaster is on top of you, and people are screaming. Then your time comes, you sit down willingly, and you get strapped in (those straps for a missionary are the prayers of the saints). And you start climbing that hill, click…Click…CLICK, up it goes. At this point there are all sorts of feelings and emotions, some excitement, some apprehension. Then you reach the top and whoosh down. You plunge into the places the ride is going to take you (or in this case the Holy Sprit). And then you get off and you realize you kind of want to do it all again.
My idea of what missions is, and what a missionary is tasked with, has grown and the weight of the task ahead has sunk in. Along with the size of the task ahead, my understanding of God’s sovereignty and hand leading has grown as well. I find myself looking back to all the trials and moments of growth that not just the last 6 years, but a lifetime, has prepared me for, all leading up to this moment. I think about the way my dad taught me as a young girl to use chopsticks in a game of picking up peas. Or how the reserved and pragmatic nature of Jeff’s parents, trained him up in a mindset very similar to the Japanese mind. I have thought of the ways the Lord has allowed me to experience a level of culture shock moving from rural Montana with its “Montana time” (if you know, you know) to the fast-paced scheduled out calendar of being an intern at a busy California church.
I have been blessed to love lives of people that serve the Lord all over this planet. I have been blessed with experiences I never expected to have. I have seen not just my husband, but other young missionaries learn to be missionaries, pastors, and ministry workers. There have been friends made. There have been moments that the Lord’s voice has been so sure. There has been fellowship in a depth that amazed me. There has been learning to support others and learning to be a wife that holds up a husband that has expectation on him.
And there has been costs to be paid. For every life I have been given the joy to love, I now place at Jesus’ feet as I will be separated by an ocean. There has been ministry lessons that have broken my heart. And personal trials that have brought me to my knees. But learning to be on your knees is the posture required of every missionary, so I rejoice in the lessons and shaping of Jesus.
So, it’s all led up to this point. We are strapped onto this rollercoaster and clicking up that hill. Please pray for all we have ahead of us.
And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.
JOB 28:28
I can’t think of anything that arouses more questions than human suffering. Everyone has asked God why they are experiencing pain in their life, but who has ever cried out to God in complaint of why God would allow them to have their needs met? It’s not surprising that the book of Job has more questions than any other book of the Bible, with a grand total of 330 (compared to the 160 questions in the entire book of Psalms).
This month, God blessed us with one of the most impactful moments I have experienced in our School of Discipleship. The eyes of our students were opened as we studied through the book of Job and contemplated the theology of suffering. At the heart of the animistic worldview of tribal Africa is witchcraft, and at the heart of witchcraft is the belief that nothing happens by accident. The belief that behind every success was a sell-out to a spirit, and behind every difficulty was an angry spirit who was most likely manipulated by a devious person. But this month, I had the privilege of watching God use the story of Job to chop at the roots of this destructive, false worldview. One of the book’s intentions is to remove suffering from the category of retribution: “Who did what to deserve what’s happening?” and put it into the category of God’s wisdom: “What is God trying to accomplish through allowing this in my life?” It was beautiful to watch ministers settle in the goodness of God’s power over pain.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
Matthew 28:18-20
It is always awesome to do what the Jesus says. Though people have been doing it for ages, it is not enough. So, we also love to have this kind of activity in our ministry. Thank you all who had been praying for us, because we could not have done this without prayer. To God be the glory!
“In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
We love to share the Gospel. It is only the Gospel that has the power to bring people to Christ. During the last couple of months, we have been sharing Christ. People came to Christ and are excited to follow the Lord publicly. These people came to Christ because our Bible College students love to share Christ together with us whenever they get a chance. These people are new in Christ want to live for Christ now. Please keep praying for them that they they may grow in His Word and grace. We believe that these young people may share Christ to their families and friends. So please pray that God may pour His Spirit upon them.
“Go Therefore”
We love to go and do outreach to share Christ. We also love to invite people who do not know Christ. Last month we invited non-Christian people. More than 100 people showed up! Thank God! All of this happened only through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible College students sang Gospel songs, performed skits, and danced. I shared the Gospel from Gospel of John Chapter 1. After this event, we made some good connections with neighbors and young people. These people started to come to the Bible College Compound. Please pray that they may come to know Christ.
“Teaching Them to Observe All Things that I Have Commanded You”
My wife, Usha, has been a great help in our Calvary Bible Institute and Calvary Chapel. Thank you all who have been praying for her. Now it is not only I that teach, but now Usha also teaches the women. She is a great cook, so we call her “The Best Chef of in Our Country”. Now she is teaching the women as well with the power of Holy Spirit. She is the mother of 2 boys, but still she loves to be busy in God’s work. Usha loves to talk with people. She is a good counselor and friend to the women. Last week, she invited a bunch of friends from the church and encouraged them from Word of God. They also played games and prayed together. Please pray that these ladies may grow in God’s Word and grace daily.
– Brian’s brother passed away recently. Please pray for Brian, his family, the Kanyike children, the church (he played a big part ), and the family business that he managed. So many people were touched by him . – Praise God for the teams that were just here. Pray for much fruit from their time and ministry. – Pray for Brian and Jill to get caught up and back into the normal routine after the team and the funeral. – Pray for Jill as she broke a tooth while the team was here and will be having 2 root canals done soon. – Pray for the children to finish school well as they only have 1 month left. – Pray for Jill and Liana as they finish the year of school as well. – Pray for Uganda as the US embassy has issued a high terrorism alert for the country . – Pray that the Kanyike children will be called soon for their citizenship interview. – Pray for all the ministries taking place at Arise Christian Fellowship and for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team.
Thank you for praying for the Kanyike Family and the people of Uganda.
In Him, Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana – EmailBlog
Aniku Family – Uganda
Thank you prayer warriors for your faithful prayers and love for us.
– Please pray for the coming Christmas party and outreaches. – Continue praying for our sports ministry as the first phase comes to a close. – We praise God this school year was successful! Please pray for our 800+ students as they are away for break. Pray for those who will be persecuted by their own families. – Please pray God goes before us as we continue the immigration issues. We praise God for all the open doors we have had to share His Gospel in America. Please continue praying for the few teachings both Vincent and I have this month.
– Praise God for a wonderful and fruitful time in S. Asia this past month. – Pray for the semester break in S. Asia and for the various Christmas Outreaches planned that people would come to hear the good news for the first time and turn to the true and living God! – Pray for Heather as she shares the Word on Dec. 7th for Women’s Christmas Dinner. – Pray for Breanna’s health and for healing from head cold and cough that have been lingering for several weeks. – Pray for a key leader that is Hindu and that God would draw her to Himself.
Thank you for your prayers, Bond, Heather and Breanna Gaona – EmailBlog
Jana Sandbulte – Indiana, USA
– Please continue to pray for my dad’s healing and complete recovery. Pray that the new medication and treatment will work for him, and that God will give us wisdom. – Please pray for the safety of all the workers in South Asia, and that God will strengthen their hearts and faith. – Please pray that God will use us for His glory.
Thank you so much for your prayers!
God bless you, Paul, Jana and Sari, Kaylee, and Rose – EmailBlog
Joni Houser – Indiana, USA
– Please pray for the new treatment they are trying for my dad. – Please pray for our brothers and sisters suffering persecution. – Please pray for the children’s ministry and nursing home ministry that I am a part of.
Hi Friends, Here are our prayer requests for our family and ministry!
– That God would provide good jobs for our children, Grace and Daniel! – That God would help us reach our community through our Christmas events and outreaches! – For God’s blessing on our church plant to South Tijuana in December. (Calvary Agua Caliente)
Thanks for your prayers, Mike and Sarah Vincent – EmailBlog
Jenna Pepin – Culiacán, Sinaloa Mexico
– Pray for the rest of my time with my family and our travels home in early December. – Pray for the health of my family: both our general day-to-day house and for continued healing in my neck and shoulder. – Pray for all of the Christmas activities at all of our Culiacán churches, that many people would be reached with the Gospel. – Pray for our continued ministry with the quarter, that God would open doors and continue raising up new believers in that community. – Pray for God’s continued direction in regards to the future ministry of me and my family.
Prayer Request: David’s mother is dying of liver failure. She is currently living with us in Loreto, Mexico 🇲🇽. We are praying she will be well enough to travel 1/2-1/9/24 to meet her 8-month-old great-granddaughter and celebrate blessings after Christmas with her grandchildren in Las Vegas.
Hello here on my prayer requests for the month of December:
– CONTINUED blessings and good health for my mom who lives alone and has Parkinson’s. God is so good he has been taking care of her like he always does. I am with her two days per week. – For an afterschool program for the junior high age kids. We need the Lord to raise up people with a heart for these kids. This is an urgent prayer request as we lose the kids at this age to the world and some, unfortunately to drugs. – For the Lord to use me to minister to the moms of the kids in our afterschool program. I’m not sure how to do this—maybe open my home for a discipleship class? I would like the the Lord’s guidance in this.
– Prayer that the people who attend Calvary Moyobamba would dedicate time in their mornings to read the Bible and spend time with God. – Prayer for wisdom and discernment on those that are interested in coming from afar to help Calvary Moyobamba. – Prayer for continual unity of the team. And thankfulness to God for the unity.
The 10/40 Window is a rectangular geographic area stretching from North Africa through the Middle East to Asia, covering 68 countries. Two-thirds of the world’s population live within the 10/40 Window.Three out of every five people in the 10/40 Window have no access to the gospel. According to the Joshua Project, 68.6% of the 10/40 Window’s ethnic groups (5,984) are considered unreached, with a total population of 3.09 billion.(Some names and faces have been changed or omitted for security reasons.)
Worker 3 – 10/40 Window
Prayer Requests:
– Please pray for the upcoming election, that a good leader will come to power, so that all believers will have freedom to worship and share about Jesus’ love. – Please pray for S.A., a first fruit of my ministry, and some friends of mine, that God will use them effectively for His kingdom. – Please pray for the growth of our church. – Please pray that we will find suitable land for our church. – Please pray for me and my family, may the Lord use us for the expansion of His kingdom.
Thank you very much for your prayers and support!
In Him, Worker 3
Worker 7 – 10/40 Window
Please pray:
– Please pray that I will be able to reach the families through the children I am working with. – Please pray for all of the men and women I am able to share God’s Word with in my ministry.
Thank you, Worker 7
Worker 8 and Family – 10/40 Window
Prayer Requests:
– Please continue to pray for the believers here. – Please continue to pray for the situation in our state. – Please continue to pray for open doors in new places for the Gospel. – Please pray for my good health. – Once again, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your partnership. May our loving God bless you abundantly!
In the Lord, Your brother, Pastor 8 and family
Worker 13 – 10/40 Window
– Please continue to pray for our ministry here in the village. – Pray that God will open more doors for us here.
God bless you all for your prayers! Worker 13
Worker 16 – 10/40 Window
Prayer Requests
– Please pray for my children to grow in the Lord’s fear and knowledge. – Please pray that the Lord will intervene in the problems the world is facing. – Please pray for the village ministry in our local area. May the villagers grow in Lord’s Word.
Worker 16
Anand and Usha – Nepal
Praise Report:
– Thank you everyone for praying for us. Last month we were able to do a youth conference where we were able to share about Word of God. There were 500 young people in this conference. We have invited them in our Bible College for study. – Thank you for praying, we had a blessed time in graduation. We were able to graduate 10 students. 5 boys, and 5 girls.
Prayer Requests:
– Please pray for our good health. – Please pray for the students doing a youth conference in Himalaya that it may be blessed. – Please pray that God may bring new students in the coming new semester. – Please pray for the Christmas outreach that people may come to Christ. – Please pray for all the students who are in semester break that they may serve where they are with what they have learned.
Thank you for your prayers and support, Anand, Usha, Asher and Amos – EmailBlog
Prakash and Muna – Nepal
– Please pray for the children’s ministry, that the Lord will work in the hearts of the children. – Please pray for the leper ministry and the slum ministry. – Please pray for the women’s fellowship and prayer and fasting. – Please pray for the youth meetings. – Please pray for the families in the house fellowships.
– Our ten students are graduating; please pray that they will go and preach the Gospel and proclaim the Word of God. We want to see many more Calvary Chapel churches in our nation, where many more people are unreached.Pray that God will protect, guide and lead the new graduates. – Pray for the leprosy colony ministry. – Pray for my wife’s women’s ministry.
Thank you so much for helping us and lifting us up through prayer and partnership.
– Pray for our good health. – Pray for those who we visit and those who call us for prayer, that we can win them to Jesus Christ. – Please pray for God to give us wisdom and knowledge to share the Gospel with people. – Pray for the church family members’ health. – Pray for the people group we work with.
Blessings, Majhiya and Sarita
Milan Pariyar – Nepal
We thank you for praying and partnering with us to reach this generation and equip them to lead the church in the future. Please keep us in prayer as we head to the mountains in December to host a conference and hike in remote places to share the Good News. We will also be hosting a Christmas Outreach with our church and inviting the community to come, so pray that many would come to hear the Christmas story and know Christ.
Thank you, Milan
Raju – 10/40 Window
Prayer Requests:
– Please pray for the different ministries in our church. – Please pray for the conference we will be hosting in December.
– We were able to host one of our good friends from the States, who belongs to CCSG. He stayed in our home for one week, And he taught at the CBI on Church History! We had a great time of fellowship with him. – A dear Pastor friend, his wife, and daughter were just here for one week. The Pastor was able to teach at the CBI for their last week of school. Three of the students graduated, and we all had a graduation for them. It was a great time of seeing this family after a long time, and to be encouraged by them!
Prayer Requests:
– The CBI semester just finished, please pray for all staff and students during this time as it’s now break time. Please pray for wisdom and vision during this break time for us all. – Lacey is now in her 9th month of pregnancy. Please pray for for a normal and healthy delivery. – Please pray for some of our family members who are not following Christ, to turn to Him. – Please pray for Lacey to continue to learn the local language and cultural adaption, and for our marriage, and ministry within the local church.
Thank you family for partnering alongside us, and waging war on our behalf in prayer,
Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.
Exodus 33:15
Hello everyone, welcome again to my update on Missions’! Thanks for your prayers and support, family. Thank God I arrived on October 24th to Yorba Linda, California, my new home for the next year! For those of you who are new to this newsletter, this past summer I spent 6 weeks in Calvary School of Missions (CSOM) with the Calvary Chapel Saving Grace team seeking God’s direction in my life. After returning to my home town in Mexico for 2 months, God confirmed His calling in my life to be a full-time missionary overseas. Thank you Jesus for your goodness, thank you for your direction.
By the way, admissions for CSOM 2024 are open! This school was such a blessing to my life and a tool God used to guide me to my calling. I highly encourage you to pray about it and contact the team if you have questions! Feel free to send me an email to adrianramoslimon@hotmail.es if you need more info!
Last Sunday at my church before departing to California
This next year, I will be praying for the country God placed on my heart, while I’m being trained as a cross-cultural missionary. A cross-cultural missionary is a worker of the Lord that leaves his/her culture to go preach the Gospel to a completely different culture, most of the time speaking a different language; this is my case. What has God spoke to your heart regarding your calling? I would love to hear from you! At the end of this blog, you can find the recap of Day 1 for the South America Missions Conference, “Comisionado” if you would like to hear a little more about missions. Take a moment to see how God is moving around the world!
What’s Beyond Mexico and why should we care?
I believe in the great work God is doing in Mexico through the His Church. The Gospel is being preached, churches are being planted and Jesus is being the light to my country. I am a living testimony that Jesus is saving Mexicans! Thanks to Lord for your mercy! As you may see (or, this is your first time hearing it) Mexico has a lot of need, but is still considered a reached country, as all the states have well beyond 2% of Christians living in them. But…how is the rest of the world doing?
10/40 Window
Beyond Mexico, the world is not doing so great. 3.2 billion people haven’t EVER heard the name of the Lord Jesus Christ preached in their own language, nor do they have the Bible available in their own tongue. This is crazy and heart-breaking right? Have you ever heard of the 10/40 window? The 10/40 window is the most Unreached region on planet earth. The people in this region are dying every day without ever hearing from our Savior. Lord, please send workers to your harvest.
God has placed a burden in my heart for those Unreached People Groups in the world, especially in the 10/40 Window. They remind me a lot of the Gentiles, as Paul describes them in Ephesians 2:12, those “having no hope and without God in the world“.
After months of prayer, God directed my attention and prayers to a specific group in the 10/40 Window: the Muslims. Muslims are predominant in the Arab World. They are the leading religion in the North of Africa and in the Middle East, and the second leading religion in the whole planet (Almost 1/4 of the world is Muslim!).
A vision to reach the Middle East
God has opened a door through long time prayers from the team in Calvary Chapel Saving Grace and many other members of the body of Christ, and a team has been sent to the Middle East to take on this work of the Lord with the mission of planting a church and opening a Bible Institute that is to be a Sending Hub to the whole Arab World!
I’m praying to be part of this team of many nationalities from around the world, and be one of many Mexicans that will serve the Lord in the Middle East. We are called to preach Jesus in Mexico and Beyond! I believe in this! God is preparing the way for many more Latin Americans/Spanish-speakers who are called to this region and I praise Him for that.
Middle East countries
As many of the Middle East countries are closed countries to the Gospel and with high persecution to christians, the country I’m praying for isn’t going to be named. We will call it Country N. God has clearly called me to this region of the world, so I ask for your continuous prayers for the team in Country N and for my life as I prepare to head out to the field. As God provides for me to be a fully supported missionary, my next goal is to save enough money to head out to the Middle East and have a vision trip to confirm God’s calling to this region, to recognize the land, and get to know the culture. This trip has an approximate cost of $2,000. Help me in praying for this, please!
Don’t forget the training!
This whole year, Calvary Chapel Saving Grace will be preparing me in the Missions Training School by providing me training in God’s Word, giving me the opportunity to serve in different ministries, enrolling in culture classes, dealing with financial management, and I will also be able to connect and be encouraged by other missionaries (especially the youngest ones) who are called to the nations. One month ago, I decided to start learning the Arab language, as most of the Middle East countries and muslims speak variations of Arabic, so I pray for perseverance in this matter.
MTS students 2023
Has God called you to be a missionary or support missionaries? Have you ever thought of preaching the Gospel in the Unreached regions of the world? Do you want to know more about the Unreached or have a burden for them already and don’t know what to do? Pray for this and reach out to me, I would love to have a conversation with you!
As I am living by faith, I depend on God’s provision each day, and I encourage you who are reading this, not to worry about how God is going to provide for you. Just trust with all your heart that He will. If God’s calling you, step forward and answer His calling, “seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you” (Luke 12:31, Matthew 6:33). Thank you for your prayers, see you in my next update!
Praise Reports
God brought me just in time for the beginning of the Missions Training School!
The Lord has provided finances to pay 90% of my housing. Thank you Jesus!
God is moving His Church in Mexico to reach the most remote places on earth.
PRAISE GOD. ALL GLORY TO HIM!!!
Prayer Petitions
For love, wisdom and to be guided by the Holy Spirit in every decision.
For more Latin Americans answering the call to serve the Lord in the most unreached areas of the planet (especially in the Middle East!).
For continuous confirmation of God’s calling in my life to this region and these people.
For God to provide long-term support for my basic needs as a full-time missionary.
Jesus loves you,
– Marcelo Ramos
“Comisionado”, South America Missions Conference 2023
Mexico y Más Allá!
UNA VISIÓN PARA ALCANZAR EL MEDIO ORIENTE CON EL EVANGELIO
Y Moisés respondió: Si tu presencia no ha de ir conmigo, no nos saques de aquí
Éxodo 33:15
¡Hola a todos! ¡Bienvenidos nuevamente a mi actualización sobre Misiones! Gracias por sus oraciones y apoyo familia. Gracias a Dios llegué el 24 de octubre a Yorba Linda, California, mi nuevo hogar para el próximo año. Para aquellos de ustedes que es su primera vez leyendo este blog, el verano pasado pasé 6 semanas en la Escuela de Misiones de Calvary (CSOM) con el equipo de Calvary Chapel Saving Grace buscando la dirección de Dios en mi vida. Después de regresar a mi ciudad en México durante dos meses, Dios confirmó su llamado en mi vida para ser misionero de tiempo completo en el extranjero. ¡Gracias Jesús por tu bondad, gracias por tu dirección!
Por cierto, las admisiones para CSOM 2024 están abiertas. Esta escuela (sólo inglés) fue una gran bendición para mi vida y una herramienta que Dios usó grandemente para guiarme hacia mi llamado. ¡Les recomiendo bastante esta opción! Ora por ello y siéntete libre de contactar al equipo si tienes preguntas! No dudes en enviarme un correo electrónico a adrianramoslimon@hotmail.es si necesitas más información.
Último domingo en mi iglesia antes de mi llegada a California
Todo este año estaré orando por el país que Dios puso en mi corazón para servirle, mientras me capacito como misionero intercultural. Un misionero intercultural es un servidor del Señor que deja su cultura para ir a predicar el Evangelio a una cultura completamente diferente, la mayoría de las veces hablando un idioma diferente; este es mi caso. ¿Qué ha hablado Dios a tu corazón respecto a tu llamado? ¡Me encantaría saber de ti! Al final de este blog, puedes encontrar el resumen del Día 1 de la Conferencia de Misiones de Sudamérica, “Comisionado”, si desea escuchar un poco más sobre las misiones. ¡Tómate un momento para ver cómo Dios se mueve alrededor del mundo!
¿Qué hay Más allá de México y por qué debería importarnos? Creo en la gran obra que Dios está haciendo en México a través de Su Iglesia. El Evangelio está siendo predicado, iglesias están siendo plantadas y Jesús está siendo luz para mi país. ¡Soy un testimonio vivo de que Jesús está salvando a los mexicanos! ¡Gracias Señor por tu misericordia! Como podrás ver (de lo contrario, esta es la primera vez que lo escuchas) México tiene mucha necesidad, pero todavía se considera un país alcanzado, ya que todos los estados tienen más del 2% de cristianos viviendo en ellos. Pero… ¿cómo le va al resto del mundo?
Ventana 10/40
Más allá de México, las cosas no van muy bien. 3.2 billones de personas NUNCA han escuchado el nombre de Jesucristo, nuestro Señor proclamado en su idioma, tampoco tienen biblias traducidas en su lengua nativa. Esto es algo que todavía no termino de comprender y que quiebra mi corazón. ¿Alguna vez has oído hablar de la Ventana 10/40? La Ventana 10/40 es la zona menos alcanzada por el Evangelio en el mundo. Las personas en esta región están muriendo cada día sin haber escuchado de nuestro Salvador. Señor, envía obreros a tu mies.
Dios ha puesto una carga en mi corazón para servir entre aquellos Grupos No Alcanzados en el mundo, específicamente en la Ventana 10/40. Me recuerdan mucho a los gentiles, como los describe Pablo en Efesios 2:12, aquellos “sin esperanza y sin Dios en el mundo”.
Después de meses de oración, Dios dirigió mi atención y oraciones a un grupo específico que se concentra en la Ventana 10/40: los musulmanes. Los musulmanes son predominantes en el mundo árabe. Son la religión número uno en el norte de África y en Medio Oriente, y la segunda religión líder en todo el planeta (¡casi una cuarta parte del mundo es musulmana!).
Una visión para alcanzar el Medio Oriente
Dios ha abierto una puerta a través de las oraciones del equipo de Calvary Chapel Saving Grace y muchos otros miembros del cuerpo de Cristo, y un equipo ha sido enviado al Medio Oriente para comenzar con esta obra del Señor con la misión de plantar. una iglesia y abrir un Instituto Bíblico de Calvary (CBI) que será un centro enviador a todo el mundo árabe.
Estoy orando para ser parte de este equipo de muchas nacionalidades de todo el mundo, y ser uno de tantos mexicanos que servirán al Señor en el Medio Oriente. Estamos llamados a predicar a Jesús en México y más allá! ¡Tengo fe en esto! Dios está preparando el camino para muchos más latinoamericanos/hispanohablantes que serán llamados a esta región y le agradezco de todo corazón por ello.
Países del Medio Oriente
Como muchos de los países del Medio Oriente son países que se encuentran cerrados al Evangelio y con una gran persecución a los cristianos, el país por el que estoy orando no será nombrado. Lo llamaremos País N. Dios claramente me ha llamado a esta región del mundo, por eso les pido sus continuas oraciones por el equipo del País N y por mi vida mientras me preparo para salir al campo misionero. Mientras continúo en oración para que Dios provea para ser un misionero de tiempo completo en el Medio Oriente, mi próximo objetivo es ahorrar suficiente dinero para viajar al Medio Oriente y tener un viaje de visión para confirmar el llamado de Dios a esta región, reconocer la tierra y conocer la cultura. Este viaje tiene un costo aproximado de $2,000 dólares. ¡Ayúdame a orar por esto, por favor!
Todo este año, Calvary Chapel Saving Grace me estará preparando en la Missions Training School brindándome entrenamiento en la Palabra de Dios, dándome la oportunidad de servir en diferentes ministerios, exponiéndome a clases de cultura (¡muy importantes para todo misionero!) y manejo de finanzas, así como dándome la oportunidad de conectar y ser animado por otros misioneros (especialmente los más jóvenes) que son llamados a las naciones. Hace un mes, decidí empezar a aprender el idioma Árabe, ya que la mayoría de los países de Medio Oriente y los musulmanes hablan variaciones del Árabe. Te pido de tus oraciones por perseverancia en este asunto.
Estudiantes de MTS 2023
¿Dios te ha llamado a ser misionero o apoyar a los misioneros? ¿Alguna vez has pensado en predicar el Evangelio en las regiones No Alcanzadas del mundo? ¿Quieres saber más sobre los Grupos No Alcanzados o ya tienes una carga por ellos y no sabes qué hacer al respecto? Ora por esto y comunícate conmigo, ¡me encantaría platicar contigo!
Como vivo por fe, dependo de la provisión de Dios cada día y animo a todos aquellos que están leyendo esto a que no se preocupen por cómo Dios va a proveer para su obra. Sólo confía con todo tu corazón en que Él lo hará. Si Dios te está llamando, da un paso al frente y responde a su llamado.”Buscad el reino de Dios, y todas estas cosas os serán añadidas.” (Lucas 12:31, Mateo 6:33). Gracias por sus oraciones, ¡nos vemos en mi próxima actualización!
Agradecimientos a Dios
¡Gloria a Dios porque me trajo justo a tiempo para el comienzo de la Missions Training School!
El Señor ha provisto las finanzas para pagar el 90% del lugar en donde me estoy hospedando. ¡Gracias Jesús!
Dios está moviendo a Su Iglesia en México para alcanzar con el Evangelio a los lugares más remotos del planeta
TE ALABAMOS SEÑOR. ¡GLORIA A DIOS!
Peticiones de oración
Por amor, sabiduría y la guía del Espíritu Santo en cada decisión.
Por más latinoamericanos respondiendo al llamado de servir al Señor en las zonas más remotas del planeta (¡especialmente en el Medio Oriente!).
Por la confirmación continua del llamado de Dios en mi vida a esta región y a esta gente.
Para que Dios brinde apoyo a largo plazo para mis necesidades básicas como misionero de tiempo completo
Jesús te ama,
– Marcelo Ramos
“Comisionado”, Conferencia de Misiones de Suadamérica 2023
I’m excited to be in the middle of the holidays, spending more time fellowshipping and thanking God for His grace towards us. Praise God for this country, for our provisions, and for the freedom to fellowship in His name; I pray that these opportunities always point us back to Him, and the greater purpose of love that is always behind His giving and taking away! I haven’t written a newsletter in some time, and as always, there are praises to report and prayer requests. The Lord has given me eyes to see His sovereign hand working all things for His glory, and I’m excited to share these insights with all of you.
MISSIONS TRAINING SCHOOL
MTS has kicked off, and so far it’s been exciting and fruitful. I’m grateful for the individuals that we get to hear from, men and women serving all over the world, living out the same love and passion that we have to reach the “ends of the earth”; we have true fellowship with them in the gospel. We’ve had workers in the field come in and share from South Asia, South America, and the Middle-East, most recently. In all the variety of their ministries and settings, a common theme between all of them that stood out to me was humility. They were all individuals who had their own directions and prerogatives in life, with missions not even on their radar; but God grabbed a hold of their hearts and showed them a greater purpose, the same purpose He has for every one of us; to know Him AND to make Him known.
In addition to the classes and numerous ministry service opportunities that the school is providing, I am also preparing for a vision tour that was mentioned in my previous newsletter. The vision tour will be to Bali, Indonesia, and it will provide myself and the team with a first-hand experience of what the work of missions looks like in a completely foreign culture. From weather, language, and food to social customs and expectations, I fully expect to be shocked and to learn a lot. Seeking the Lord, His will, and His heart for the people of Southeast Asia will be the central goal of the trip, and I can’t ask enough for prayer for our team, in preparation and in spiritual fortitude, as the trip is being planned for February!
SHARING THE GOSPEL, HERE AND NOW
“They will come and will declare His righteousness to a people who will be born that He has performed it.” (Psalm 22:31)
I mentioned in the previous newsletter that I have had and continue to get opportunities from the Lord to live out the gospel here and now. As much as I plan, pray, and look to the future, to the foreign lands that have NEVER even heard the name of Jesus, there is also a purpose to where I am right now, and the same is true for you! There are good works that the Lord has set aside for here and now, and these have become more evident, the more that I die to self and act off of faith and not off of feelings. I have been able to take steps like these in going to the college outreaches through the church, and on certain weekends, to beaches in Orange County. This is a process, and I’m making mistakes left and right, but there is nothing greater than walking in God’s will, with no confidence in myself to make anything miraculous happen, but full confidence in Him. He always meets us right where we step out, perhaps we feel fear or uncertainty, but we still step in faith! It is His will that we give as freely as we have received. With that in mind, I have one invaluable gift to offer to absolutely anyone that I encounter; rather, God has an invaluable gift to offer through me, and that is the good news of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross! The cross is where Jesus performed His amazing love!
Alani and I at Fullerton JC, with Pastor Nick (off camera)
My brother Carter and I sharing the gospel in Laguna Beach!
The conversations that I have had the privilege of being a part of have been incredible. I’ve spoken with individuals from all kinds of backgrounds, religiously, socially, etc.; I had a 40-minute dialogue with a kind and intelligent Muslim man named Zach. He is new to his faith in Islam, and though he has basic foundational knowledge of it, he was interested in hearing what the Bible says about who Jesus really is; I had the honor of sharing just that with him, as the Spirit gave me the words to work with him through his many deep and earnest questions. I hope to meet him again soon at the next outreach to Fullerton JC! Check out Pastor Nick’s podcast and YouTube channel (Convinced Ministries; Instagram: @askingconvinced) for this interview soon to come, and a lot of other great content, all glory to God. At Laguna Beach, Carter (a brother and a partner in the gospel) and I got the opportunity to spend a couple hours talking with a homeless woman named Barbara. Though very scarred by her past and spiritual abuse, she was friendly, alert, engaging, and gentle in dialogue. Simply seeing that two young men cared for her, and enjoyed her company was a testament to how beloved she is, to Jesus and to us, and it’s our prayer that she recognizes that, and that we get to see her again.
With these as just a couple examples of some of the opportunities that the Lord has sovereignly provided, my joy and confidence is in simply casting the seed (the gospel), and seeing the Lord do exactly what He wills when He wills, then getting me out of the way so He can continue HIS work; He knows what He’s doing, with or without us! It’s His loving heart that He should desire for us to be a part of it.
Thank you to all of you who prayed after reading the last newsletter; the Lord answered, and continues to answer. Should any of you feel led to partner with me, in prayer, financially, or in serving the Kingdom, please reach out!
PRAISE REPORTS
MTS starting strong and already revealing God’s heart for us to be equipped for His work.
For the Lord speaking clearly regarding what my next steps are in the near future.
For the awesome divine appointments that have taken place while witnessing.
PRAYER REQUESTS
For Zach to keep seeking the truth about Jesus, and for godly men and women to be available to minister to him; myself included, Lord willing!
For Barbara to know how loved she is, and always has been; that she would let go of the lies and look to Jesus.
For more love and boldness in seeking and taking up opportunities to share the gospel.
For the teams going to Japan and Indonesia to seek the Lord’s will in the coming months, and to trust His sovereignty.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15
Thanks be to God! Praise God! During these past two years, our CBI has produced many more faithful students. They learned the Word of God. They experienced how to work in a field of carnal places. They learned how to serve. They learned how to preach the Gospel. They learn how to plant Biblical churches and teach the true doctrine of the Bible.
Jesus’ life and teachings in His Word and ministry also taught us how to be faithful. He commanded His disciples to go to the ends of the world and preach the Gospel of Christ.
Now our ten students are already ready to go and to do that task for the Kingdom of God. Our ten students have graduated. The field is empty without servants of God. Pray that the harvest is ready because the workers are few. Our ten graduate students can go and preach the Gospel and proclaim the Word of God. We want to see many more Calvary Chapel churches planted in our nation. There are many more people that are unreached. Pray that God will protect them, guide them, and lead them through His spirit.
During the end of the CBI semester, all of the teachers and our beloved students spent a beautiful time together (above). We went on a hike to a place called the white house that is near our CBI. It took only a 16km (10 mile) hike by foot to get there. We spent this time with the students.
Another way that God is doing a wonderful work is through technology and social media. I have been busy on social media. Through social media I teach, preach, and train others from the Word of God. Through the help of social media, five students have come to CBI and have already graduated.
Jesus said, “if you do not speak, then the rocks will speak on behalf of you”. I thought that I could not speak frequently like others could, because I cannot speak fluently. But God can use me like a rock who cannot speak. God uses me through social media to speak the true Word of God, and fight against cults and wrong teachings of Biblical doctrines.
As I mentioned above, five students came to CBI through social media. God is reaching this generation through social media where we can teach, preach, proclaim and train people in the Word of God. As I experienced while working for many years with this generation, we can use technology to help bring them into church as well as to our Bible school. Also, through social media a huge crowd can hear the Word of God. They can hear the Gospel of Christ. Then they will know what it means to get salvation and how they can be saved.
Every Sunday, my beautiful wife is also teaching a verse-by-verse Bible study at a women’s fellowship. She physically meets them, teaches them, and trains them. Before she taught them eschatology (about the end times, from Genesis to Revelation). Now she is teaching them through the book of Revelation.
We are doing Bible study at the leprosy colony (above). By the grace of God, everyone is growing day-by-day. By the grace of God, we are feeding God’s Word to them. We already finished 1st Samuel. Now we are teaching them from the book of 2nd Samuel.
Thank you for your support and prayers for us.
Thank you so much for supporting us, praying for us and raising us up. May God bless each one of you and your families and those in Saving Grace World Mission.
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
I am doing well by God’s grace. Hope you are also doing well! Thank you for your prayers and support!
By God’s grace our Bible college is nearing the end of this semester. We have only a few weeks left. The students are doing great as they continue to study and learn the Word of God!
Last month I was invited to the southern Bible College campus to teach. They had just begun their semester. I taught the book of Genesis. Although the students came from Christian families, most of them did not really know their Bible. So, I was grateful to God to have the opportunity to teach them about Creation. Even though the students did not know much about the stories and doctrines, I could see the eagerness in them to learn. That is why they were there.
At first the students did not ask many questions because (as I they told me later), they were a bit intimidated when they were informed that a teacher from another state was coming to teach them. But as the Lord helped us to bond well. They slowly began to open up, while bringing up thoughtful questions from the Bible which God helped me to answer.
When it was time to leave, I noticed one of the student’s tear-filled eyes. They call sometimes just to let me know that they miss me. It means a lot to me even though we were only together for a short time. This provides a good opportunity for the Lord to use me to continue to serve them even while far from them. I trust that God will help me minister to them whenever they have needs.
In one of the states of our country, Christians are being attacked and killed. Hundreds of Christians have lost their homes and their lives! Furthermore over 300 churches have been burned down. The government has not been taking any serious action to stop this persecution because the government is anti-Christian. Many believe that the government is actually behind this persecution. Last month all the churches of our city held a peaceful rally in support of our brothers and sisters of that state. We also signed a petition which is being sent to the President appealing for action to be taken.
Prayer Requests:
Please pray that I may continue to be mightily used by God.
Please pray for my health, as I depend on medications to prevent me from sneezing nonstop every morning due to some kind of allergies
Please pray that all the students God has entrusted to me will grow in their faith and be prepared for the future ministry that God has in store them.
Pray for the upcoming rally in my city organized by all the churches to help the Gospel be preached and heard by many.
God bless,
Pastor 9
* Names and faces have been changed or omitted for security reasons.
I often question myself wondering, will I ever go on the field? Will I be able to complete the call the Lord has placed on my life? Well, we are getting one step closer to that goal of going to Japan. First let me start with some life updates: Lydia and I finally have a date for our wedding, I got a new job at St. Jude Hospital, and we are going on a vision tour!
I’M GETTING MARRIED!
We are getting married on January 6th of next year, only a month away! It’s been stressful getting prepared for the big day. To balance our school at our church, plus job, and preparing for a vision tour has been a lot to handle. Through it all we have amazing friends and family helping us every step of the way. I am so blessed by each and every one of you who helped us get to the place we are right now.
NEW JOB!
I am still working at Starbucks for two days, but I have begun working as an administrator for the radiology department at St Jude. I’ve learned so much already and the doctors have taken me under their wings and helped me to understand all the medical terms to succeed at my job. Typically, my job consists of sending out results to other doctors’ offices and taking calls. I find that the job has allowed me to connect to others in a way I couldn’t before at Starbucks due to the fast-paced environment there.
NEW YEAR NEW CHAPTERS
The internship is now progressing into missions training School. When I say school from here on, I mean the missions training I am doing in the church. For this new year I am overseeing the booth ministry. I will be looking to work myself out of the job if you will. My prayer is that I can take the things I’ve been given and give them to other people. The pastors have given me so much opportunity to grow in leadership. I am so thankful for the leadership’s heart wanting to see me grow in Christ.
Next, I am beginning the hard road of learning language and continuing my studies in the Scriptures. Lydia and I are going to be using an online program called “Japanese Pod 101,” it’s a program that works you through modules of Japanese. I have to be honest I am quite intimidated by learning Japanese, I barely learned English, and I am taking on another language. It’s quite daunting to say the least.
New Things Same Calling
And finally, the Japan trip. We will be going for a week at the end of January. It isn’t a very long time but the prayer is that it is only the start. Our goal there is to go and see the land that the Lord has called us to and get solid confirmation. We are looking to also grow relationships there as well. We have a few connections in Osaka. We hope to partner with them as well a possible connection in Okinawa. We hope to get a taste of the culture and learn how we can be planted there.
In conclusion, there is so much opportunity the Lord has given to be trained up and to prepare to be sent out. Please be praying for Lydia and me as we prepare for a new chapter in our lives and continue in the school that the Lord would allow us to grow in His ways and be sent out.
Thank you for all your support and prayers, we couldn’t do it without each of you. You guys are such a blessing.
Skateboarding, dancing, and sharing the love of Jesus at school assemblies. Hosting a missions conference that connected and encouraged over 400 people from South America and all over the world. “Invading” a jungle city with eighty people, to make some noise and help our friends plant a Bible-teaching, grace-filled church in an area full of apostasy and loosely practiced religious traditions.
Those are a few things we’ve been graced with doing since we’ve written you last! The end of September and all of October were eventful to say the least. Please enjoy photos and captions of some highlights.
Our friend and Whosoevers rep, Jairus, olleying over four students and a giant raccoon. Just to break the ice.Ryan Ries from the Whosoevers preaching the gospel, with our friend Mili translating. Did you know YOU are a whosoever, too? John 3:16.Youth group at our house the other day! One of the high schoolers here got connected with us through the Whosoevers event we did at his school. He comes to every church service possible now, and brings his Bible. Just some of the fruit from those outreaches!
Racquell, Amalia, and I are grateful for your prayers and partnership in this work in Peru. On a personal level, I feel very humbled to be part of this work. Paul said of himself and his ministry, “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…” (Ephesians 3:8 NKJV). I resonate with Paul on this, it is truly a GRACE that God has given us to be His ambassadors and specifically to be used in these capacities in South America.
Below are some pictures of our time in Moyobamba. It took a 19-hour bus ride and some motion sickness medicine to get us there.
Getting ready for an outreach we hosted at the local rec center in Moyobamba. We had kids activities and fed over 500 people with free hot dogs (AKA salchipapas). Matches, cardboard, and some laughs helped get the fire going on the BBQ.
The day after the BBQ, we put on a free concert with our friends from CBI Kauai. After the concert, Cory and Andrew presented the gospel and some people made decisions to follow Jesus that night. The guy in the middle, Alexis, was one of them! Racquell and Maxx met him earlier, and he decided to come! He goes to Calvary Moyobamba now.
Pouring cement on the second story at Calvary Moyobamba’s building.First Sunday service at Calvary Moyobamba. Andrew started teaching verse-by-verse through the Gospel of Luke. From that trip, 76 of us left, either flying back to Kauai, HI, or taking a long bus ride back to Trujillo. 4 stayed back to live there and continue the work in Moyobamba. May God strengthen their hands and bless their work!
For many South Americans, Jesus was “a good man.” Others will even acknowledge His death on the cross as payment for their sin. But many, when I ask them, do not know where they are going when they die. Or they believe they will be in heaven because their “good outweighs their bad,” essentially. The name of Jesus is known, but He is often believed to be only an option, or a piece of salvation. He is even known as “Savior,” to some, but not as “Lord” to most. Our family, then, gets to represent to others what it means to follow Jesus, to be His disciples, and to know and walk with Him. It is a joy to share the love of Jesus here.
Just some of our friends who came for the Comisionado missions conference in Trujillo. It was a weekend full of great teaching focusing on John 20:21 and fellowship with friends from all over South America and other parts of the world. It was a big task, but we had so much help putting this conference on!
It’s our prayer that souls be saved and strengthened through the fellowship of our local church, Calvary Trujillo. And that leaders be trained, discipled, and sent out of CBI Peru—planting Bible-teaching churches all over South America and beyond. In just these past four short months living in Trujillo, we have gotten to see some of that. We have not been alone. Thank you for praying with us and for us, for encouraging us in the ministry God has graced us with, for supporting us financially, and also for those who have come and helped us.
Our prayer for YOU, and those we serve in South America, is really what Paul prayed for the Ephesians. We encourage you to read and pray Ephesians 3:14-21 with us, that the love of God in Christ would be KNOWN and STRENGTHEN MANY.
Here are some specific ways to pray for us:
Divine appointments as we connect with locals here in Trujillo.
Wisdom as we house hunt for a new place to live. We’ve been sharing a house with two other couples for a few months, but need to find a new place by January. Our prayer is to rent or buy a home or apartment with enough space for our family, and another married couple.
Continued financial provision as we prepare for things like appliances and a car.
Boldness and courage to press on.
Wisdom as Racquell and I learn how to be parents of a one-year old, living in Peru.
In Moyobamba, we got to spend time with Mario, Racquell’s brother and my best friend. He was the first in our family to visit Peru. Look what he started.
We love you all so much and thank you for partnering with us. Through your prayers and generous financial support, you have made this ministry possible for us, and we want to let you know that this is the fruit of your labor as well. If the Lord leads you to partner with us financially, or increase your already generous support, you can do so by clicking on the financial button below or mailing your support check to:
