There is a saying in our language that a person is matured by his practical experience more than his education. However, that may not always be true. First comes the doctrine, then comes duty. That makes better sense.
Almost every year we organize a pastor’s conference. We invite all of the Calvary pastors from all over the country and also other local church leaders. We bring our Calvary Bible Institute students to the conference.
Pastor B* teaching at the conference
I want to thank Pastor B* and Pastor R* for bringing their Calvary Chapel mission teams. I also want to thank Pastor A* for teaching at the conference. The conference was very blissful. Praise God for the time to ponder from His Word in the book of Genesis!
Pastor R* teaching at the conference
Pastor A* teaching at the conference
We have a two year program at our Calvary Bible Institute. It has always been a blessing to teach and also to learn together from God’s Word with our students from the four corners of our country. It is a great joy to see our students learning God’s Word and maturing in their faith and to sense God’s calling in their lives for His ministry. Twelve students graduated on October 24, 2024 from our Calvary Bible Institute.
Hi friends and family. It’s crazy to believe that we are now in 2025! It’s also crazy knowing that the Denver Broncos are in the playoffs! (Don’t worry, this letter is not about the Broncos. I just had to throw that in).
God is on the move here in Moyobamba. Thank you to those who have prayed. You prayer warriors are a big part of this team. Your prayers are so meaningful to me. They are truly having an impact in peoples’ lives here.
A Busy December
Our goal as Calvary Moyobamba is to share about Jesus to everyone here in our city. December was stacked with several outreaches.
In the picture below (outreach 1), we shared with about 400 people in a stadium here in the city.
In this picture, we just finished a play called “Jesus is the Best Gift.” Five people from church acted out how Jesus is the only way to heaven. Then I explained the reason why Jesus came to this earth.
In the picture below (outreach 2), we shared with about 100 students in a middle school right outside of Moyobamba.
The director of this school told us that many people are afraid of Satan and evil spirits. So we shared with the students through a play and a message about how Jesus has the greatest power over the spiritual world. Afterwards we gave out over 100 gospels of John (the red book in their hands) and shared with them a Bible reading plan.
We had some wonderful group conversations with the students afterwards. We shared more about Jesus and also answered questions that they had about the Bible. It was a sweet time! There were 10 people from the church (in the green shirts) in total that came to this outreach.
Here is a picture of Martha (from Calvary Moyobamba) comforting one of the students and praying with her.
In the picture below (outreach 3), we shared with children and their parents in an indigenous jungle community about 2 hours from Moyobamba.
We played games, taught Christians songs, and finished with sharing the gospel. These kids were SOOO hyper! Next time we need to add another game with more movement to calm down these energetic kids! As a church, we plan to return to this village and do a mission trip this year. They are the Awajun people. There are some Awajun villages that are days away and completely unreached. These unreached parts have ZERO knowledge of the Bible or Jesus. But we know a guy who can take us to them. Please keep this in prayer.
A Peek into our Sunday Services
The fellowship on Sundays is sweet! We always serve free Moyobamba coffee to those who arrive before service starts. More and more people are singing the worship songs with joy and less timidity. Hearing their voices praise the Lord is like a little slice of heaven. In our study in the gospel of Luke, we are currently seeing how much Jesus suffered on His path to the cross, and the wonderful salvation that came out of that!
Here is a peak of our Sunday service in the gospel of Luke. We will finish Luke by February, and then we’re on to another book of the Bible!
Eros (yes, that is really his name) teaching Sunday school. He is one of the most faithful servants at the church. I see him as a future leader and right hand man. Please keep him in your prayers. We want to equip and raise up local leaders, and then send them out to plant other churches when the timing is right.
A New Group
With all of the outreaches, we decided to postpone our new believers group until January (in the last newletter, I said it would start in December). I will be teaching on what the Christian life looks like. Topics include “Following Jesus,” “How to have a devotional life,” “The family,” and many more! Aside from the teaching, there will be a time for questions, interaction, and homework.
The Land
As more and more are attending church and Sunday school, we are going to need a bigger space. It’s a good problem to have. We are working on a plan with the hopes of buying a lot of land for the ministry and have church services there. We also want to do other projects as well with the land. I will give more updates and details in the next newsletter.
Praise God that…
There are lots of open doors to preach the gospel in Moyobamba
More and more people from church are stepping up from their own desire to help with different responsibilities in the ministry.
Many at church now have a daily devotion time in the Bible and prayer.
Many come to the church services with notebooks, pens, and hunger to learn more.
Prayer for…
Strength and boldness. I recently had a difficult but necessary conversation with someone at church. It didn’t go very well. Another conversation is needed.
That we as a church stay humble, always looking for peace and reconciliation with all if possible.
Our new believers group that starts January 18th. May biblical principles be embedded, and that we all have the same mind.
That all of the Awajun people hear of the salvation that there is in Jesus Christ.
The heart of man plans his ways, but the LORD establishes his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
Dear Friends, Family, and Loved Ones,
Happy New Year everyone! What a blessing it has been to look back over the year and see God’s amazing faithfulness, love, and provision. This concludes my last month before moving full time to Peru, and I am so excited for what God is going to do. But I also want to share some amazing things that happened in December!
First of all, in the beginning of the month I had the opportunity to go with a group from Calvary Chapel Saving Grace to a sister church in Pedregales, Mexico! During this time we helped them host a yearly children’s day-long VBS and shoebox gift giving. We went for a Friday and Saturday. Friday evening we also got to help with setting up and serving a group of women who came for a lady’s dinner event at the church.
I had the awesome role of leading the kids’ games! My custom the last two years when visiting my home church in Texas is to lead their games at the VBS, so I have gotten lots of experience leading games with kiddos! It is always an exhausting, but a very fun time. At the end of the VBS we handed out about 100 shoebox gifts for the children to open! It was so cool to hear all the screams of excitement and joy. It was actually so loud that it took me a solid minute before I could get them to quiet down as I got to give all the kids a goodbye message before they left. It was a challenging, but exciting little endeavor as I am improving my Spanish speaking skills.
Mid-December I went with Paul Rygalski to a safe home for girls out of trafficking located in California. Paul is a board member of Olive Crest, a faith-based foster organization on the West Coast. I believe God used that time greatly to help prepare me and give me practical advice and experience on how these types of homes function. Working with children and teenagers with severe trauma is no easy task. It takes a large team of people to make sure that they are recovering, safe, and able to grow and eventually transition to adulthood. While I was there I got to see a panorama of girls at different stages in their recovery. Each individual has different needs and different coping mechanisms, and being able to see how to handle different situations was a great help to know ways I will be able to organize, assist, and support the caretakers and psychologist when we begin the home in Peru.
Me, the lead clinician, and Paul overlooking Hope RefugeA view over the facilities
Before Christmastime, my brother Jonathan finished his last semester at CBI Joshua Tree in Yucca Valley, CA. I got to go with my mom to his graduation! It has been a huge blessing to see him grow and change from where he was a year ago just coming out of rehab. Afterwards we brought him home and spent Christmas together. Then, after New Years, we dropped him back off for his new season as an intern at the school!
Christmastime this year was exciting, but also felt so different. It was just my parents, brother, and I at home, as one of my sisters moved to Missouri, and the other one is serving in the Middle East. The most difficult part about moving to another country is leaving family. But I realized that I need to make the most of this time while I am still here! Regardless of this big transition coming, it was an amazing season celebrating the birth of Christ, who is worthy of all our sacrifices in life. Now, with New Year’s past, God has been comforting me with Proverbs 16:9 as I look forward to His plans for me this year.
Finally, this season God has abundantly provided for me spiritually, physically, and financially. I am all set and ready to move the 18th of January to Peru and begin assisting this new children’s home with Cory. The main thing to be praying for right now is for the right property for the home; we are still looking!
Calling All Partners!
I will be moving to Peru January 18th. If you believe the Lord is calling you to be a part of this work He is doing through me for the children and church in Trujillo, you can do so through the “Financial Partner” button below! It is my honor to connect you, my sisters and brothers of the American Church to all God is doing on the mission field, and show you the fruit of your work through me.
Praise Reports
The wonderful time spent with family and friends during my last Christmas and New Year’s living in the USA.
All the continued prayer, encouragement, and financial support I have been receiving!
All the little ones in Mexico who got to enjoy presents for Christmas this year!
Prayer Requests
God to be glorified in the calling of rescuing children, and that many children will be saved and able to grow up in a Christ-centered home.
Legal and financial provision for a property that will have space for the church, Bible school, and children’s home.
Safety, strength, and an easy passage as I move down to Peru this January.
I love January! I’m always looking for a fresh start, a blank slate. It excites me to think about all of the things the Lord may have for us in the year ahead!
It’s been a great holiday season. October through December is a busy time for our church, with Halloween Front Yard Party Outreaches, our annual Thanksgiving Potluck, and Christmas services (which means dusting off the old Christmas songs for the worship teams I lead!). But it was so great to celebrate all of these things with our church and family.
Celebrating Christmas at Amy’s parents’ house!
There is also the added bonus of receiving back some missionaries over these last couple of months who are back from the field, visiting on furlough, or here to have a baby, from places like the Middle East, North Africa, and Peru! And speaking of Peru, we are sending out a new missionary, Joshua Vanrenterghem, to be a missionary in Peru just next week! On top of that, we are sending a young couple from our Missions Training School, Geoff & Lydia Hamano, on a 3-month vision tour to Japan this month as well, so they can get a better feel of what it will be like to live in this country that they feel called to. Click their images below to check out more about their ministry!
Geoff & Lydia, who are leaving for a 3-month vision tour to Osaka, Japan
Joshua Vanrenterghem, who is moving to Trujillo, Peru
It is always hard to send out some of our best co-laborers in Christ, but we know that the need is so great in other unreached parts of the world, and they need these amazing servants of God!
This new year is a blank slate as far as travel plans. I will need to do my traveling in the first half of the year this year, so would you pray for us in that? We would ask two things:
That the Lord would guide us as to where Joel should travel. None of these trips are arbitrary or randomly chosen; there are so many good options in front of us for which locations need missionary care, but we can only choose one or two a year to travel to and make an impact, so we want the decision to be the Lord’s.
That the Lord would provide the necessary funding for Joel to travel where the Lord leads him this year.
We would love to keep you updated on our ministry via our newsletter email updates if you are interested. You can sign up for those by clicking the link below:
You can also become a one-time or ongoing financial partner with us by clicking the button below, or by mailing a check made out to SGWM with “Joel Garcia” in the memo line to 17451 Bastanchury Rd, Ste 203, Yorba Linda, CA, 92886.
Love in Christ, Joel, Amy, Maggie, Harrison, Jude, and Clara Garcia
“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
1 John 1:3-4
Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas!
I know that by the time this newsletter reaches you, you most likely will have already celebrated Christmas and I pray that it was a wonderful time with family and friends celebrating of our Savior’s birth.
As for us, Brian began his Sunday morning Christmas series and taught on the significance of the characters in the Christmas story. Each week focused on specific characters and on Christmas he shared specifically on Jesus. My women’s study went though the names of God and for our Christmas message we looked at the prophecy of Jesus in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” I was excited to prepare for this because I have seen how studying the names of God has already impacted the ladies significantly. The children’s ministry also prepared so many activities. We had a kids’ day that focused on the gifts God has given us. The older youth had a conference in Northern Uganda with the youth from South Sudan. The children also put on a Christmas play.
I also wanted to mention that after the Thanksgiving season, I was reminded of what a gift people’s testimonies are to us and how they help others know them and God better. I thought what better way to enter this season of Christmas and New Year then sharing some of these testimonies and the blessing they have been to us.
The first one I want to share is from Wes Bently. He recently shared at our church. Everyone knows him and knows he is the director of Far Reaching Ministries and that he and his wife minister in many countries. When Wes shared at the church, he shared about how he came to where he is now. The beginning of the ministry was a step of faith, leaving the security of secular employment. He shared how daily he had to trust in the Lord not only for direction but for provision of simple everyday needs. It took time, obedience and much prayer for the ministry to develop and become what it is today. It also took knowing that whatever we have is from God and that when we share it with others He will bless us with more to keep sharing.
This message really impacted the church. As you know, most of our church comes from the slums and market place but through this message realized that they too can be used by God and it’s not about how much they have but what they are willing to share, even if all they have is the love of Christ!
Recently, we had 2 ladies who work in the FRM office come through the guest house. They happened to be around during my women’s Bible study. I asked them if after the study they wanted to share anything with the ladies. One of the ladies who shared had a testimony that really challenged the ladies as they could relate so well to it. She shared about how when she first got invited to a Bible study she was a single mother and that she really agreed to go to the Bible study only because she was told they would have donuts and snacks and she was poor so she wanted to eat. She shared how she would ride her bike there with her baby on her back and she would just stare at the food waiting for when they would say it was time to eat.
She said that after a while of attending she began becoming more interested in what the teacher was saying than the food. This resonated with my ladies who are mostly very poor and almost all are single mothers or daughters of single mothers. I was aware of a couple who come mostly for the food but I have been praying that as they also hear the Word, their lives will be changed and they will hunger and thirst for righteousness as well. A while after that Bible study, one of the ladies asked to give a testimony at church and in her testimony she referenced both Wes’ and these ladies’ testimonies on how she used to have different motives for coming to church and Bible study and even used to be in sin while coming. But after seeing, hearing and experiencing the love of God through the brothers and sisters at church, she realized that Christ loves her and she loves Him. She is so thankful that even through the times of wrong motives, God was calling her to Himself and she is now living for Him.
The last testimony that recently was shared was from Brian. We were reading through Exodus at home when we came to Exodus 14:13-14, “ But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.” He said the verse brought back memories from when he was around 7 and his family had to flee their home because the fighting of the war came so near. He felt led to teach these verses and to share this testimony with the church. He shared how they ran and ran and then they saw this little dilapidated mud house and they ran inside. He said he was with his mom and baby sister and there were others with children as well. He said that in those moments they could hear the guns and fighting and knew that the mud walls couldn’t protect them. But those verses about being still, being quiet, and about God’s salvation spoke to them. Even the babies did not cry. God delivered them that day and the fighting moved away from there and they were safe to go the rest of the way to a camp that was set up near the lake for families displaced by the war. He and the church praise God that his family and so many others were saved and that since then there has been no war in Uganda.
Thank you for praying for our family and for the people of Uganda.
In Him,
Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana
PRAYER REQUESTS
I am so thankful for the many testimonies the Lord has blessed us with ourselves and for those that have been shared with us by others.
We are thankful for our church family: for those who come to serve, those who come to hear, and even those who come for the food. We pray that all will find Jesus and the blessing of knowing Him personally.
We are thankful for the visitors who come through and bless us with their teaching, testimonies, and outreach.
Pray for Arise Christian Fellowship as they finalize all their plans for the new year.
Pray for the Kanyike family as they continue to serve the Lord in Uganda. Pray for their spiritual life as well as their physical needs.
Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.
Greetings from Mexico. Our family hopes that you and yours had a wonderful and blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! On the church side of things, we had a number of wonderful Christmas outreaches in our community that I would like to share with you!
The most creative of our outreaches was definitely our annual Christmas parade! We had over 40 vehicles covered in Christmas lights and filled with singing and smiley Christians from our church! This Calvary Rosarito parade slowly drove 5 miles through our community’s main streets while giving out Christmas candy and Gospel tracks.
This festive parade ended at our church, where we enjoyed a fantastic Christmas musical. The highlight of this musical celebration was seeing several of our guests make first-time professions of faith in Jesus.
On the family side of things, we now have both of our children working full time in San Diego. Thankfully, they come back home to Mexico for the weekends to join us at our house and attend the church (so I guess you could call us mostly empty nesters now)!
We are very thankful that God provided both Grace and Daniel good full-time jobs, and they are both doing really well in their employment. We are also thankful that they love Mexico and our church, so they come home to be with us each weekend. With Sarah’s mother and father now also living in Mexico full time, we were blessed to have a full house this Christmas!
With the New Year arriving of 2025, I am full of hope for myself, for our church family and church planters, and for you, our precious ministry partners. The Apostle Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old things have passed away, behold all things have become new!” The New Year is a wonderful time to allow God to give you new vision for the upcoming year. And there is not a doubt in my mind that God has a good plan for your life and we are praying you get to see His plan bless your life in 2025!
For me, I am very excited to start the New Year by hosting our very first church planting conference in Southern California.Calvary Chapel Bear Creek has been a long-time church planting partner of ours, and they host their own church planting class that they have modeled after our ministry. Last year, their elders invited me to host a church planting conference at their church, and I am excited to do that in just a few days on Saturday, January 11th!
My good friends, Pastors Hugo Limon (Horizon Ensenada), Bruce Zackary (Calvary Nexus) and Trent Douglass (Calvary Chapel Saving Grace) will be joining me as we focus on helping ministry leaders, pastors, and their churches move forward in the great missions work of church planting.
I wanted to let you know about this conference, because it is open to anyone interested in church planting. So if you live in Southern California and would like to attend, I would love for you to join us on January 11th from 9am to 1pm. The conference is free, but registration is required. You can register at CC Bear Creek’s website (www.calvarybearcreek.com).
Finally, I want to once again thank you for your generous partnership with our family over this past year! To have you partner with us each month means the world to us, and we feel honored and blessed to serve with you as your missionaries. We love you and are praying that you have your best year ever in 2025!
Con mucho amor de Mexico, (with much love from Mexico)
Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel
Prayer Requests!
#1- Pray that God will bless our upcoming SoCal church planting conference at CC Bear Creek!
#2- Pray that God will bless our church and church plants with fresh vision in 2025!
Praise Reports!
#1- Praise God for good jobs for our children, Grace and Daniel!
#2- Praise God for a blessed and fruitful Christmas at our church!
Greetings to you in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you, dear supporters and prayer partners, for your prayers and financial support. We are praying for your family and your country. By the grace of God my family and I are doing well. God has kept us safe.
Last month we got the chance to visit the brother A*’s house along with a CBI student. We had fellowship with their family in the Word of God. A student who is in his final year of our Calvary Bible Institute shared from the Word of God.
Last month, we conducted a Bible quiz in our church from the books of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Our church members and Bible college students participated. It was a great way to check their knowledge of the Bible.
Last month, we organized a cleaning day along with our students, staff, and church members.
Last month an annual convention was organized by the Christians of the district. We got the chance to lead the convention along with our church brothers. It was a great time to pray for people. Many dedicated their lives to Jesus and decided to walk with the Lord!
Last month, our church organized a one day youth retreat. About 96 young adults participated. They were blessed and renewed by the Word of God.
Prayer Requests:
Please pray for my children to grow in the Lord’s fear and knowledge. Please also pray for their final exams.
Please pray for our house visitations. Please pray for the students as they share the Word of God. May the Lord use them.
Please pray for our local village ministry. May they grow in Lord’s Word.
Please pray for youth of our local area. May they walk in the Lord.
Please pray for the CBI students to grow in the Word.
Blessings,
Pastor 16* and Family
* Names have been changed or omitted for security reasons.
I recently had the privilege of teaching in the pulpit on a Wednesday night. It was during the World Series, but my mom said she still watched my sermon! I taught a passage in Acts 19 where the great Apostle Paul does great miracles as he preaches the Word of the Lord in the ancient city of Ephesus (now in Turkey). Now, there is a passage that says,
“ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books
together and burned them in the sight of all.” (Acts 19:19)
Isn’t that incredible? Not only do the people see God’s miraculous power, they respond to the gospel in transforming repentance by burning their witchcraft books!
I mention this because it is very similar to what we have witnessed in Mexico! Many people since before the Spanish Conquest in 1519 have worshipped demonic spirits in a bloody trail that persists to this day. Today, Santeria, witchcraft, and other openly demonic practices occur all through Mexico and Latin America. Many people suffer the bondage of fear to these evil powers!
However, when people encounter the REAL Jesus Christ and HIS power and they turn to God in repentance, great things happen! People destroy their idols and books and are transformed by the Holy Spirit!
When you see photos of people worshipping and celebrating, remember that some were in bondage to demon worship, black magic, or similar occultic practices.
My title of this newsletter, “Challenging Faith,” has a double meaning as we challenge people to follow Christ in genuine repentance and at the same time our faith is challenged! We must believe that Jesus’ power is greater than the forces of darkness, of demons, criminals, and the general feeling of insecurity that persist in our country.
Mission trip to San Luis Colorado, Sonora
Recently, Claudia and a team from her women’s group travelled to a more rural part of northwest Sonora to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to 40 women and 70 children. The ladies enjoyed a time of worship, the Word which was taught by Claudia, food, games, and a raffle. Meanwhile, the children enjoyed celebrating a birthday party for Jesus.
Our sister Elodia, (one of the leaders in the women’s study) brought the fun games and gifts to the large group of children! We thank you for your prayers and financial support as this is your spiritual fruit as well.
Here is a photo of some of the team! (Elodia, Claudia, Mariela, and Tania)
Wedding Fun
This is Lupita and Cupertino, who wanted to have a church wedding!
Lupita and Cupertino have been legally married for 3 years, but wanted God’s blessing over their wedding. This woman’s genuine faith has had a wonderful impact on her family! Many faithfully attend our church.
Celebrating a wedding is an honor and privilege because Jesus loves weddings too! Did you know that Jesus’ first public miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding feast? Blessings, miracles, and transformed lives occur when Jesus is invited.
Biblical Counseling Ministry
Please pray for us as we lovingly confront folks who ask for counseling. We live in a culture, whose national slogan includes, “El Orgullo Mexicano!” Which is the legendary MEXICAN PRIDE! Pride is a cultural value God hates! Pride prevents correction. In fact, I have had people correct me and quote Bible verses to me in counseling! When I suggest that a person would benefit from LIVING a bible verse, rather than preaching it to a pastor…I have sometimes triggered a very angry response! God’s Word says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble!” (quoted in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5).
Often, we scratch our heads wondering if the person seeking help even knows Jesus! We like to ask people their “testimony” and when they are confused, it is a great opportunity to share and explain the Gospel and invite people to cry out to God in repentance! Obviously this is a process that sometimes requires more than the 6 weeks we dedicate to a counselee.
Do you have a personal testimony of how Jesus Christ has radically transformed your life?
In our Mexican church culture, many folks are just like I used to be! I would sin and ignore God all week (unless I had a test in school) and then go to Mass on Sunday, and repeat this every week! If I felt especially convicted of some sin, I would go to confession (a super rare occasion – like once a year)!
I never knew nor experienced the transforming power of a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ! That didn’t happen to me until 1992 at age 28! I want everyone to know our Savior!
The good news is that when we come to God in repentance and honesty, He receives us. See what Jesus says in John 6:37,
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out!”
Our Christmas Celebration!
We celebrated Jesus’ birth with family and friends! What a blessing to invite folks to celebrate my favorite holiday! We had the privilege of celebrating not only with most of our children, but also with a few friends who are not able to be with family this season! We randomly divide our guests into 3 teams and they complete three challenges, each within 5 minutes. They build a Nativity scene, color a picture, and put together a puzzle! Fun with a purpose!
Most people ask, “what food did you prepare?” So if you are curious…we had turkey, potatoes, stuffing, macaroni & cheese (thanks Costco!), hamburgers, pizza, and chicken from Pollo Feliz!
Pastors’ Christmas Photo!
One of the things I love about our church is that God consistently brings us faithful and gifted men and their families! Right now we are 17 pastors! What a blessing to have so many at hand! Here’s why it helps to have so many leaders, pastors, and servants: In 2024, we had 197 baptisms and 599 professions of faith!
Poiema in Guatemala! By Poiema Boubion
My third semester at Calvary Bible Institute has just come to an end. I’m amazed about how I even ended up there! I never even considered going to Guatemala, but God had other plans! And I give Him thanks for it! I never imagined I’d get to live in such a beautiful place. I’m not used to so much greenery, volcanoes, and color everywhere! God brought me to grow and teach me to be more like Him. God used a new environment with new rules, routines, and people, to mold my character. I learned more self discipline and dying to my own desires and will, in order to obey God’s will. I’m so incredibly thankful for the time I got to spend in CBI Guatemala.
I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me in 2025! So please pray for me! I need God’s guidance for courage and initiative to take steps of faith to where I believe He is leading me. I would like to finish what I started and complete the 2-year CBI course. God willing, I will be able to return to CBI Peru for my last semester.
Cristian in Mexico
Cristian has made some great friends at school and church. Below is a photo a friend made and sent to him on his 19th birthday. He is attending Medical School at Xochicalco University in Ensenada (5.5 years to go!). It is very rigorous with NO free time, but he is doing fine! If you visit, he will measure your blood pressure for 5 pesos!
Posadas and English Speakers Christmas Party!
We attended a lot of parties (posadas) this season! I think Claudia’s favorite was the white elephant gift exchange. Have you been to a white elephant gift exchange before? Everybody gets to choose a new gift or “steal” one someone already opened. The third time a gift is “stolen,” it is locked! Claudia is the happy owner of a locked gift!
Below is our team assembling candy bags to throw out along the route of our second annual parade!
Post-Christmas in Southern California
The day after Christmas, we returned to SoCal. The ladies went dress shopping for my daughter Natalie’s wedding this June!
Prayer Requests
Family unity and protection
Provision for Poiema to return to Peru one last semester!
Renewed vision and focus for 2025 ministry service
Developing Spanish language resources for our counseling ministry
For God to raise up more women’s leaders for the Bilingual Women’s study!
Provision & Travel Visa for Poiema to return to CBI Peru.
Praise Reports!
Selling one of our lots in Rosarito has provided for Cristian’s schooling for 1 more year!
Claudia and I have been faithfully doing daily bible devotions all year!
The blessing of counseling and discipling many successfully this past year!
A successful year for MDVP Bilingual women’s Bible study!
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Revelation 22:20-21
When we read these words from our Lord Jesus Christ and His beloved Apostle, forty church leaders and I gave a long moment of cheering. As the last verses of the Bible, those words represented the end of another three-year journey through Scripture with the shepherds of God’s people in Northern Uganda. The students will return in January to present their final projects, Gospel Sermons that utilize biblical themes, and to recap what they have learned. After that, they will return one final time to celebrate their graduation on April 5th!
The first week of this third class (April 2022)!
Unfortunately, we are ending this journey with only two-thirds of the students that we started with. However, we are so proud of the men who have stuck through to the end. We have seen God move in powerful ways in their lives through the transformation that naturally occurs when people saturate themselves in God’s thoughts. Most of our graduation candidates used to lead the church away from the truth of Scripture towards African superstitions, works-based salvation, cultic glorification of celebrity “pastors,” and many false doctrines learned from others or fabricated themselves through a twisting of God’s Word. Yet, after three years, those same pastors are grounded in the message that ties God’s Word together, the Good News of Jesus’ advent, perfect life, substitutional death, resurrection, ascension into heaven, and soon return as Judge. Now, not only do they grasp the Gospel, but they can now teach it from Scripture. In the past, when asked to preach, instead of explaining and applying their texts, they quickly left their passage in order to preach popular, unbiblical ideas they learned from pastoral “telephone tag.” Eric is a good example of this transformation. Despite his Anglican overseers initially trying to dissuade him from coming to an evangelical school, Eric was placed as the teacher over a circuit of four churches after his leaders witnessed his newfound careful handling of God’s Word.
The wedding of one of our students, Ojok Luise, to his wife, Sharon, that took place last weekend!
This journey has been very rewarding and strenuous, but it has not been lonesome. Much like the feeling the Apostle Paul expressed in his second letter to the church in Corinth (2 Cor. 11:28-29), I am continually burdened for the purity of the church here in Acholi-land. Because of the responsibility that I feel, I often go without days off, I wake up to study and pray hours before dawn, and continually intake knowledge from God’s people who have come before me in order to grow as a teacher and leader. But God has given me support from six Acholi men who have served with me through this process. While all the students have become my true friends, the six discipleship group leaders have become more like brothers. I was reminded of this fact last week when I visited Pastor Walter, who sent me home with more than 20 ripe papayas, a humongous jackfruit, and a sack of casava and corn from his garden to show his appreciation.
The ordination of one of our group leaders, Ocaya Peter, pictured here with his wife, Fiona.
We are frequently reminded of God’s reasons for calling us here, and ask for your prayers to continue the work, being steadfast and immovable. We don’t take it for granted that so many of you are sacrificing for our family to be here. You labor with us in the forwarding of the Gospel.
All the staff at the Terebinth Christmas Party!
May God bless you all with newfound intimacy with Christ and spiritual growth,
In Christ,
Matt & Noelle, Cynthia, Emma, Maddie, Noah & Charlotte
The kids picked the gifts and did most of the wrapping for the neighborhood Christmas party.
We celebrated Christmas by sharing a meal, hymns, presents, and the Gospelwith some of the neighbors we have been reaching out to!Our family singing Carols with the youth from Calvary Chapel Gulu during a Christmas party that we hosted!
We are excited to announce that we are married! We can’t believe it has been a month already; it has been so awesome! Marriage is such a gift from God and we both can’t wait for all that the LORD has in store.
Leading up to the wedding it felt so slow at times, and yet at other times, time was flying! There were many challenges for both of us in our engagement season, lots of difficulties that we did and didn’t anticipate, but the LORD was absolutely enthroned through all of it. We can honestly say that we are grateful for all of the stretching and growing, for all of the various trials by which He has tested our faith and gifted us with perseverance, preparing us for seasons, trials, and victories yet to come, but now… as husband and wife!
The Bridegroom and His Bride
Right from our engagement back in February, we knew that this wedding was going to be centered on Christ and the good news of His death and resurrection; after all, it is the gospel that has transformed both of our lives and has brought us together for a purpose so much greater than we ever could’ve asked for or imagined. Therefore, we are not ashamed!
Our prayers were answered as our whole church family rallied around us in cooking, serving, planning, coordinating, setting up/tearing down, etc.; we were so grateful to see them being the hands and feet of Jesus, which was perhaps the strongest witness of the whole event to our unsaved family and friends. They heard AND saw the gospel in action. Do join us in praying for all of those seeds planted in their hearts, so that there will be a harvest for His kingdom.
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
– REVELATION 19:7
Something one of our pastors told us when we were first engaged is that a wedding is only one day, one party, and as incredible as it is, the true witness of marriage comes with time, with aging, with growing; therein lies the witness of two regenerate hearts beating after their Lord and Savior! We are His bride, and He is our Bridegroom!
Presently…
We had prayed for months leading up to the wedding about where we would live and how we would be able to afford anything, and God has provided! We are living with my family while we grow our business and continue to train for missions. We do ask for prayer for our business, as it has been challenging, but also fruitful; we know we have been called to steward it in this season, so we want to do so with diligence and with grateful obedience.
We also want to share that we have struggled with health concerns, and we’d love for prayer in regards to these as well! Araceli has been struggling with her breathing, and though at this time we believe it to be asthma, we are not yet sure. I (Barek) have been struggling with a random and rapid onset of vertigo, These have been challenging for sure, but we are grateful to have each other and to have access to the medical/professional help that we need.
Missions Training School
MTS 2024-2025
We have started the new year of MTS, this being Araceli’s third year and my (Barek’s) second year! It has been so awesome seeing all of the new year-one students who went through the School of Missions (CSOM) this summer. God is using this school, this small but mighty church, to reach out unto the ends of the earth, and it is the honor of our lifetimes to be a part of this eternal work. God be glorified! Please pray for all of us students as we seek to grow in ministry, in the Word, and in our callings to fulfill the Great Commission.
Regarding the Mission Field
We mentioned in a previous newsletter that we wanted to go on a vision tour to the Middle-East, which took place in October. But between our business and the wedding planning, we strongly felt that it wasn’t the right time. Our hearts are still eager, however, to see this part of the world. Please join us in praying for an opportunity to go in the next year.
When we look back, we are astounded at the faithfulness of our God, for all that He has given both of us. We look forward to writing our next newsletter as we are praying through some exciting new ministry opportunities!
PRAISE REPORTS
For the gift of marriage! We are so excited and grateful.
For the gospel going forth in power on our wedding day.
For provision in every way as we surrender our lives to His will.
PRAYER REQUESTS
For our unsaved family and friends who heard and saw the gospel!
For our business, as we seek to grow and steward it well.
For our physical health.
For ministry and missions opportunities!
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter! We appreciate your support through prayers and ask that you continue to seek the Lord with us in regards to this calling on our lives. If you feel led to partner with us financially, with a one-time or a recurring gift, it would be such a great blessing. There is a giving link below! God bless you, and please reach out with any questions or encouragements.
