January 2024

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

I pray this update finds you well! It’s been a little more than one week of being sent out and living down in Peru. It’s already been a productive time and I am so blessed by all of the relationships that are being grown and the new ones being forged. I’m excited to see all that the Lord is going to do in this coming season and semester. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Right now, there are a lot of people on campus, but many are still to come. It looks like we’re going to have at least a few more people from the states so that will be nice to be able to grow in our Spanish together. If you didn’t know when we took off, we left last Wednesday around 1pm. We were able to talk with someone waiting near us for our flight about where we were going and what the Lord was doing and that began one of multiple conversations where we got to share Jesus. Please pray that those conversations will be seeds that the Lord will water. During our flight to LAX we got to have a great conversation with a college student sitting next to us. She had a lot of questions and I pray the Lord helped us to answer well!  We had about a 6-hour layover in LA so we went to Santa Monica. It was my first time, but Andy had already been there (for those of you who don’t know, Andy is the other missionary being sent out from my home church). We had a good time exploring a little. It was a great way to pass the time and also provided an opportunity to share the Gospel with our driver who was from India named Gouthem. Please pray that those seeds would turn to salvation!

When our second flight was getting ready to leave, there was a man who was having some health difficulties, so the flight ended up being delayed by a couple of hours. As far as I’m aware, things ended up being okay. There were several people who were health care workers flying with us so that was a blessing. We got into Lima a couple hours later than anticipated—right at the time we were supposed to start boarding our flight, which led to a 7-hour layover until our next flight. Praise the Lord there was no lost luggage, and only minor delays. During our layover we went exploring a little in Lima and I got a much-needed haircut. We quickly realized that we weren’t in Santa Rosa anymore as we began to feel how hot it was outside. Thankfully we packed accordingly!

We arrived in Trujillo around 8:15/8:30pm Thursday night. We got all settled in as they already had a place picked out for us. We’ll be staying with the guys in the guy’s dorm for now. I’m excited to get to know them all better and to be able to speak Spanish more and more. On our first day here, we got to say hello to people we haven’t seen in a long time and met some new faces as well. They showed us the ropes and we got right into working on some projects. There’s already a lot that has changed since our last visit, but there’s much more to come! All the growth that is taking place here in Trujillo is very encouraging. Not only that, but the new CBI campus is starting up in Brazil this semester!

Right now, we’re working on finishing up a new storage unit next to the current men’s dorm, and then we are going to begin prepping the floor for the new men’s dorm that CC the Rock is going to come and build. I even get to do cabinets, so when things slow down with the priority projects, I’ll be working on some cabinets in the kitchen and doing some things with the coffee shop as well.

The Spring semester starts on Feb. 13^th, and I’m excited to help receive new students and some old ones too as not everyone is here yet. This Tuesday we’re going to get to see more what our roles will look like ministry-wise, and how we can pour into the students, make disciples, and be a blessing to the campus. Outside of our time helping in our ministry roles here and with construction, I’m trying to spend as much time as I can to grow in my Spanish speaking ability. Thank you all for your prayers with that. My Spanish is already getting better, and there’s a lot of work ahead.

How to Get Involved:

Thank you so much for all your prayers, generosity, and support as I’ve come out on the field. It’s been an overwhelming blessing, and I’m really excited for what He’s doing. Right now, my greatest need is prayer. I want to honor the Lord and walk in all that He has for me to do here. If you feel so led, I think the greatest physical need is monthly giving and support. Your giving makes outreach and ministry possible, as well as opens doors to provide for physical needs as well.

Prayer:

• to be open to whatever the Lord has
• to be flexible
• to grow well in this season
• to learn Spanish quickly
• to aid however I can in the growth and development of the students and to help them understand and realize God’s call on their life through prayer and His Word
• to be faithful in the little things as well as the big
• to be an example of how a Christian man ought to conduct Himself in every way
• for physical growth as we train at the gym and are able to use that weekly for a Bible Study to reach the wrestling/jiu-jitsu/MMA gym
• continued prayers for my family’s health back home

Thank you for your prayers and support, Dios te bendiga,

-Jordon

Hey family! I hope you are all doing well and your new year started out great! The new year is a great time to reflect on the past year and give thanks to God for the good that He has done and look ahead to what He wants to do in the future. I want to share with you the ways God has been comforting me and teaching me. I hope you are all encouraged!

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will compete it until the day of Jesus Christ
Philippians 1:6 

We started off the new year with a week of prayer and fasting as a church body. This was something that I had never really done before, so I was excited to see how God was going to move. I have fasted before but am always so busy when I do, so I don’t put much emphasis on my prayer life. This time my week was filled with praying, reading His Word, and worship. It was hard and I felt weak every morning getting up from my bed ( I was okay!), but I felt that the Lord was strengthening my spirit, I was drawing near to Him and He was drawing near to me and I loved every moment I had with Him. Of course, while seeking Him, I was also seeking answers, but I knew that the Lord would reveal those details to me when He wants to. But He was revealing other things. It’s like the Lord was cleaning out my heart. The things that were not of Him, he was throwing out and I saw that. One thing I was convicted of was not having big faith. When I pray, I give my requests to God, but sometimes I find myself asking but not really believing. There were certain things that I just couldn’t see play out (being completely honest here). But God convicted me. Who am I to doubt the creator of the universe? I devoted more time to praising Him in my prayers and making requests for everything that the Lord put on my heart, and being more aware of how God is answering prayers.

We also had a time of prophetic prayer. There were a group of people with the gift of prophecy who came and prayed with individuals in the church. This is a gift from the Spirit that is meant for edification and exhortation (1 Cor. 14:3). This was a sweet time. After they prayed over me it felt like God just gave me a big hug. He hadn’t forgotten about me. He has me where I am for a purpose. This was something the enemy was discouraging me with, but God reminded me through other people who knew nothing about me and even during my time with Him, that He is doing something and it’s going to be great. Not because of who I am but because of whose I am, because of Him! He continues to reassure me still and I am so in awe of the work He is doing. My heart is full…

So, with that. I am trusting this process. I don’t know what exactly God wants to do. But I know that He is equipping me, taking me through His process, so that I can do His will and that is what my heart longs to do, what He wants. I desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

God is stirring up hearts

There are many things happening! Many students are on their way to vision tours (where they visit places God has put on their hearts and pray to see if this is the place He wants them). Other students are staying here, as we continue studying and serving, and being diligent in praying for them. I am grateful that God is answering prayers and sending people into His harvest and I am still praying for this. I am also praying that God would send people into the Unreached. I have shared the statistics with you all before but just to remind you. There are still 3 billion people who have not heard the gospel and never will unless someone goes to tell them. Only 3% of missionaries are going to the unreached, the other 97% are going to places where the gospel already is. This leaves 1 person for each 250,000 people who have never heard about Jesus. I am seeing hearts being stirred to go to the unreached but we must still pray that God would send people into these hard places. Pray that He would open doors into these countries and that we would see the unreached, reached. I encourage you all to share the Gospel where you are and keep praying for the world. God loves the world, so we should too.

"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 28:19-20 Jesus' last words to His disciples, this is The Great Commission 

I thank you all for your support. I am very grateful to have such awesome brothers and sisters in the Lord who are constantly encouraging me and praying for me. If you have any questions, I am always open to answer. Let me know how I can be praying for you guys as well.

Prayer Requests

• That God would give me wisdom and boldness as I share the gospel with the people around me.
• Pray for students on vision tours and the students staying back.
• Revival in the church!

Praise Reports

• Praise God for the open doors that He has given me to share Jesus with people close to my heart.
• For the work He is doing here at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace.

It’s been quite some time since I last wrote and I have plenty of exciting news. In the past 4 months, much has happened and I will briefly sum it all up so you don’t have to read pages upon pages of information. Let’s get right into the reports.

What Happened after Mexico?

In the last newsletter, I wrote I was in Mexico. About a week later I was on my way to Israel. I spent the following 3 months in Israel with Study Tour Israel or Calvary Bible Institute Israel (CBI). I was able to connect with a small Jewish Russian congregation in the Golan Heights. During the first half of the trip, we were able to tour lots of the southern parts of Israel and got to explore all the various biblical sites and experience Jewish culture, as well as daily life in Israel. About a month and a half into my stay in Israel, on October 7th, tragedy struck. Around 1,500 people were butchered in their homes and over 200 men and women were taken captive by Hamas terrorists. Our hearts were broken when we heard the news. Soon after, war broke out and the Lord shifted the direction of our time in Israel. Sadly, the majority of the group was either called home or chose to leave due to safety concerns. I along with the director of CBI Israel and his wife (Spencer and Kylie) and the pastors of the Jewish Russian congregation (Steve and Misha) began to aid another local congregation and prepare meals for Israeli soldiers. This group soon began to cook home-cooked curry for the soldiers stationed all over the Golan Heights. It was through this experience that the Lord taught me so many things, I wish I could tell you it all, but for time’s sake, I will keep it brief.

One of the most important lessons I learned was truly how great the need there is for people to lay down their lives so that others may come to know Jesus. During my time in Israel, I met a girl on a bus to Jerusalem (and no this isn’t some Hallmark love story) we talked for about 2 hours and I got to share with her about Jesus. We had a long conversation about Jesus and why I believe he is the Messiah. Not only that, but I got to share with her how God has personally transformed me. During this time she told me she lived on a Kibbutz or a farm town of about 100 people. The next day, it dawned on me that I am most likely the only Christian she will ever meet in her whole life. Israel is not like America where there are churches on every corner where she can hear the gospel or be discipled. The point of that story is that the need is so great for people to go to these places where the Gospel isn’t so people can come to know Jesus.

What Now?

Since coming home from Israel I believe God is leading me to the mission field, where the need is so great. I recently began the first step of the process which is to wait. However, this isn’t a passive waiting but an active waiting upon the Lord. About 3 weeks ago I joined the Missions Training Program at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace in Yorba Linda, California. This program is designed to disciple those who may sense a calling to the mission field but don’t know how to get equipped. During the time I will be here, I am attending classes and serving at the church to prepare myself for the mission field. It has been quite an adjustment but God works all things out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose and I am learning to trust that promise.

Prayer Requests / Praise Reports

• Join me in praying for the peace of Israel and the equipping of the saints for the spreading of the gospel which brings true peace
• Lift up Steve and Misha for protection and opportunities to share as they are still ministering in Israel
• Pray for me as I begin working a secular job again, that I might have opportunities to share about Jesus
• Pray that God will transform me throughout the process of this program
• Praise God that He has provided a place to stay and a job
• Praise God has been faithful to provide for me financially
• Praise God that He is already working on my heart and will continue his work

I would like to thank all of you who prayed for me during my time in Israel, I truly believe that if it were not for your prayers and for all of those who reached out I would have lost hope. So, thank you again for all the support. If you have any questions regarding anything please, feel free to contact me. Until next time, God bless you.

Hello Friends and Family!

As we near the end of the first month of 2024, we look back on last year with gratitude for all that the Lord has done, and for your faithful partnership in prayer and support; and we also look forward to what the Lord has for our family and ministry through the rest of 2024 ahead of us. Please see below for an important prayer request as we begin this year!

Amy and I are now the proud parents of a kid in “double digits,” as our precious Maggie turned 10 this month! Time is truly flying by, and we are soaking in all that we can with the kids. They are all doing well and flourishing.

As far as ministry goes, the church and running Missionary Care at SGWM keeps me busy. Our young adults group is growing both in numbers and spiritual depth, and we can’t believe what God is doing there! On the missionary care side, there were a lot of missionaries in town over the holidays, so I did a lot of planning for that and spending time with them. And this month, we have the privilege of sending our five new missionaries to unreached countries straight from our church. All glory to God!

As far as travel for this year, my hope and prayer is to make it to Uganda, my first time in Africa, in June; then deeper Mexico and Japan in the Fall, all for missionary care for established works and works just in their infancy. Of course, all of this is subject to change and is in the Lord’s hands.

We do have a personal prayer request for you all: We are in the middle of figuring out what to do next as far as housing. The housing market is not friendly right now for a single-income family of six on a ministry salary! We are not sure whether the Lord wants to provide for us to stay where we are right now, or whether He wants to provide to move to a new house, as our current lease is up at the end of February. We are waiting on Him and trusting Him, as Amy and I received a very specific prophetic word for us during this month’s week of prayer and fasting with our church: Provision. We know He will provide, but we want His wisdom and to know His heart for us. Will you please pray with us to know and walk in however He wants to provide for us?

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:

Email Updates

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

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” 

Proverbs 3:6

Our lives and ministries have been quite active since our last update in early December. We continued our regular ministries, work, and partnerships (Precious Women, churches, Light Times, and others). From the beginning of December to the end of January, I have been teaching Apologetics (and Evangelism) at the Cambodia Presbyterian Theological Institute (CPTI). The students were very engaged and kept up with the lectures, class discussions, and asked good questions. I have been teaching this class at this seminary (founded and run by Korean missionaries) for more than ten years and am blessed to have been used to equip hundreds of Cambodian Christian leaders.

In early December, God allowed us to become uncomfortable in our apartment building. We lived in the same apartment building since 2016 even though we changed units a few times. To make a long story short, God opened the doors for us to move to a better place, with a better environment, closer to Benjamin’s school, etc. The place was completely unfurnished so we had to purchase and install some major appliances and equipment, but God opened the doors for that as well. We were able to move during Benjamin’s Christmas vacation with the help of some Fijian brothers. The move was a step of faith. The day after we moved in, the transmission went out on our car and the mechanic found many other problems (brakes, steering, and an oil leak). This was also a step of faith for provision.

God worked out the schedule of the move, housing set-up, and car repairs so that they didn’t interfere with hosting ten visitors from Japan for four days and then one more retired woman from that group stayed with us and worked alongside Kayo for another week. During that time I was sick for a few days.

Now, I am gearing up to start teaching Apologetics and Evangelism 2-3 times a month at Faith Family Church and also to equip and train the teachers at Sonshine Kids International School (connected to Faith Family Church) on the spiritual and Biblical aspects and foundations of Christian education.

Please pray for wisdom and strength for us as we continue with our existing ministry activities and possibly expand into new areas with current and new ministry partners in 2024.

In Christ’s Love,

Darryl, Kayo, and Benjamin

It’s been too long, but I’m excited to be here writing my first newsletter of 2024! 2023 was a year of God’s faithfulness in ways that I can’t even begin to fully describe, but those of you who know me know this! To think where my heart was, my head was, not more than a year or so ago; all I can say is that God is faithful, so faithful. Missions wasn’t a blip on my radar, let alone all else that has come about. There is a lot going on, so I am eager to share with you all, family, friends, and followers, what His continued faithfulness looks like right now.

As mentioned, 2023 was a blessing of a year, and the way it played out was something I could never have predicted. Among the many things that the Lord gave me this last year, one of the most special blessings has been the church family at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace. It is a place, a body, a group of believers where to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Something that came to my mind recently is how special it is to be in the Lord’s will, exactly where He wants you. In this, you so clearly see just some of the ways in which He perfectly moves and works all things for His glory and for your benefit, but you also get to see His movements in the lives of those around you; it is not about any one of us, and it’s not even about all of us! All glory, honor, and power is His. There is a fellowship in Christ that the world desperately longs for, so many just don’t know. Oh to taste and see that He is good!

Missions Training School

The Missions Training School at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace has been such a change of pace to my schedule, one that I am still adjusting to, but it is an invaluable resource, and the Lord is moving in this place. I am grateful… I’m grateful for the hours of sermons that we listen to, the many books on teaching, missions, the heart of God, the growth in learning to study properly, learning to teach God’s Word, and learning the importance of availability in ministry. The school is teaching me the importance of commitments, in a new way. Answering to man is one thing, and we ought to represent the faithfulness of the Lord in all our dealings with one another, but how much more ought we to hold to our commitments before the Lord, in light of who He is and all of His faithfulness?

1 Samuel 13:14 – “The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart…”

I feel called to missions, I know this, but I do not know where in this world or when. One thing that is clear to me is that I want to be like David, a man after God’s heart. Through our studies in 1 & 2 Samuel, it has been made more and more clear to me that no country, people group, or achievement for the kingdom of Heaven can be the goal. My call to missions, my call to ministry, my call to anything is only a call; yes I must obey, and yes I must work out my salvation, I must walk in faith. But the goal is always the same, the goal is Jesus, even when that goal feels like sacrifice. Just as Jesus prayed, “…not My will but Yours be done,” so I seek to daily pursue His will. There is nothing better than Him, so my will is rendered dead before His; what a joy!

In the passage mentioned above, the kingdom of Israel is taken from Saul and given to David. What is a man after God’s heart? It is a man who loves the Lord with all of his heart, mind, and soul. A man after God’s heart is one who knows that the LORD is the goal, and that He is the only love; all else falls where it will, but the Lord is his all and his only. This kind of man knows what he has, the sweet inheritance of heaven, yes! But what’s more, this kind of man has a relationship with the Almighty, and nothing else should matter more. As I mentioned at the beginning, missions wasn’t on my radar not much more than a year ago, but God has led me here; how will He not perfectly keep me and sustain me through what His will has yet to reveal? How could I doubt? I pray to be a man after God’s heart, not a man after his own idea of God’s heart. The real thing is what it’s all about, and I pray that all of you can know this… our goal is for the whole world to hear, to hear of the love of Jesus Christ, for He is the one and only way to life, and even better, to communion with the Father.

Indonesia

In three weeks we have a team flying out to Indonesia. It is going to be an incredible time of seeking the LORD and seeing firsthand what the books and classes have only told us about! It is going to be a time of seeking God’s will for our lives and for the lost people groups of Southeast Asia, all for the sake of the gospel being spread. It is a part of the world where darkness is evident; spiritual blindness, misguided religions, and hopelessness will surely be palpable. But greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world (1 John 4:4); we could not ask for a greater confidence than that our God goes before us, and that His work on the cross has defeated the power of sin; His ascension has defeated death! The world must know, and so we go.

I have purchased plane tickets, but for what we’ll be doing on the ground I am still in need of around $700. I have no concerns, as I know that the Lord will provide all that I need as I need it, as He always has. Should any of you feel led to partner with me financially, the link is attached below! Your prayers are absolutely essential. Prayers for the people of Indonesia who’ve never heard the gospel, prayers for the leaders of this team as they seek to ensure that our time is spent well before the LORD, and for us team members, that our hearts are set after God alone, our ears open to His voice, our eyes fixed upon Him, our hands open to do His work, as our feet take us where the Light of Christ has never shined.

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.”

In the same vain of thought as mentioned before, the beauty of God being all that He is is that His ways overwhelm my ways, and His heart overwhelms my heart. Psalm 63:3 says, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.” The lovingkindness of God is better than life; His presence is the fullness of joy, and He is always present. I pray for myself, the team, the body at Saving Grace, and every one of you reading this, for rest in the grace of God. The freedom of the verse above lies in the truth that this world is not my home; my home is the House of the LORD, where I will dwell forever (Psalm 23), thanks be to God. Until then I am here to be used exactly as the Father wills, in order to bring as many as will hear His voice and follow Jesus into His glorious presence. There’s one Way, one Truth, and one Life, and His name is Jesus Christ. I’ll gladly wear His name.

If any of you have questions, concerns, or need prayer, I am available and, more importantly, I’d love to hear from you and talk with you! Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

PRAISE REPORTS:

• The LORD’s faithfulness in this past year; using all circumstances to remind me of my desperate need for Him, and then to lead me into deeper fellowship with Him and His people.
• The vision tour to Indonesia; the LORD’s faithful leading, and His making a way for the gospel in the wilderness of Southeast Asia.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For the people of Indonesia; that the LORD would bind the enemy, and that the name of Jesus would sweep through their hearts like a mighty wind!
• For the warfare that has already started for myself and the team. God is absolutely in control.
• For the remaining finances that I need; the LORD will always provide.
• For my heart to be after the LORD, in all things, all seasons, all places, always!

Happy New Year fam! I’m praying the Lord continues to shine His face upon you this year and may His peace + love overflow in your life and to those around you. The year ended on a small bump, but it started off with a great blessing.

Yes, use me for Your glory
Oh God
Here am I, send me
Yes, pick me up and write Your story

SONG: ISAIAH 6 BY LINDY COFER + CIRCUIT RIDER MUSIC

Nothing is Impossible

Okay- now to the good news! I still am speechless and in awe, however, I want to share the past couple of weeks with y’all. It was a rough last week of the year- falling into doubt and unbelief and questioning the decision to continue in Missions Training School. I started feeling anxious about my finances and I decided to take matter in my own hands (never a good thing). I applied for jobs and immediately after, I felt convicted. Not because applying for jobs is bad, it’s great, I still have a job. However- that is not what God wanted me to do. I prayed, I confessed, and I asked the Lord to open a door- whether more hours coaching, or another client. And He did just that- He heard my cry for help and He answered me.

A couple days later, I was studying at my favorite coffee shop, studying God’s Word, reflecting on His faithfulness + kindness, when I notice I received a donation to the Mission’s account. I opened it, and I was speechless. Someone from my church family donated $1000. I couldn’t believe it. I immediately started to weep, give praises to God, and ask Him how He wanted me to faithfully steward His money. That is when I heard, “Japan.” “No way, that’s impossible,” were my next words. Right after, I heard His still small voice, “nothing is impossible with me.” Thankfully, I don’t have access to that account or else I would’ve bought my plane ticket right then and there, but it allowed me to pray for God’s will to be done and for Him to show me confirmation that this was actually from Him. And God is so faithful to do just that!

I was in San Clemente finishing up training my good friend Leslie, when she tells me she has something for me. She asked me if I wanted a box of candies that her Chinese sister-in-law had given her. They weren’t just any kind of candies. Yup, you guessed it… Japanese candies. I was in awe- yet again. I opened the box and inside was a reminder, the title of my last post’s newsletter, Be Bold! And after speaking to the Missions and Senior Pastor, I got the yes to go to Japan for two weeks! All glory to God!

Next Steps

On January 29th, we will be heading down with a small team to Tokyo for one week and Osaka for another week. We will be coming alongside a missionary couple moving to Japan! It is such a blessing to be able to be a part of this new journey with them, to be in prayer with them, and to be able to serve them in any way needed. We will be visiting churches in the local areas, getting to know the people, and embracing the culture.

The goal of this trip is to seek the Lord for His guidance, to pray for the country, and to be led by His Spirit. After two weeks in Japan, we will also be heading to Indonesia for one week. Here we will be visiting local churches and also serving alongside current missionaries there. Lastly, we will be heading to the Philippines for a Pastors and Leaders conference, as well as visit an orphanage.

“Speak, Your Servant Hears”

I pray this is a testimony you needed to hear today- of not only God’s faithfulness and provision, but also of His kindness and goodness. He is so patient and gracious with us when He calls us to serve Him. He doesn’t just call us once, He continues to call us and draws us in closer and closer to Him.

I want to ask you… are you heeding His call? Are you opening your ears to hearing from Him? Are you, like Samuel, replying- “Speak, Lord, Your servant hears,” (1 Samuel 3:10) when He calls? Are you open and willing to go wherever? I had to truthfully ask myself all those questions again.

To be honest with you, I had my own plans. I had my own path laid out for where I wanted to go and how that was going to come about. Through this whole process, these past couple of weeks, God kept reminding me to be available and willing. To remain in a state of complete surrender. To believe and trust that HIS ways are better, not mine. I pray the same for you today, may you also FULLY surrender to His will in your life- may HIS will be done.

Praise Reports

• God continues to show me His faithfulness & how HE is going to provide! He is Jehovah Jireh!
• God continues to strengthen our gifts through Missions Training School & continues to equip and prepare us for full-time missions work.
• God is SO good- I am officially a Calvary South OC Missionary!!!

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for the Women’s Conference next week- I will be sharing my testimony- may the Lord speak through me!
• Please keep Alishia & Jeff, missionaries moving to Japan, in your prayers- for protection, for guidance and for provision.
• Please keep our team heading to Japan, Indonesia, and Philippines in your prayers- may we seek the Lord and hear His still small voice.
• Please pray for the team moving to the Middle East! May the Lord protect them and bless them.

I am still in awe. Never in a million years would I have told you I would be doing what I am doing, but I am truly honored to be a part of what God is doing here on earth. I want to thank you, even more, from the bottom of my heart for your faithful partnership in the gospel- both through prayer and financial support. It is because of your obedience, what God has placed on your heart, that any of this is even possible. I am nothing without my church family. I am eternally grateful for you all.

To the glory and praise of God,

Mayra Alejandra

Discouragement

Hello friends and family. Thank you for taking time to read what has been happening for the last 2 months here in Moyobamba!

The last 10 days or so of December have been very challenging. A depression out of nowhere came and would not leave me for some time.

Thankfully, the Word of God has sustained me and I am finally out of that rut!

Reading through Matthew has reminded me to keep my eyes on Jesus, not the circumstances.

Reading through the Psalms has reminded me of King David’s difficulties and him crying out to God. Here are 2 verses that have ministered to me.

Psalm 25:5

Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.

Psalm 25:17

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.

The Calvary Moyobamba family

While the enemy has attacked, the Lord has been at work!

The blessings have been like the Amazon rain! Numerous and overwhelming. One of the many blessings I am thankful for is the church family.

Christmas surprise!

The plan was to have people arrive at church at 7pm on Christmas Eve and eat at 8pm. “We will probably wrap things up at 11pm,” I thought to myself. “Four hours is a good chunk of time.” This was far off! Most people came around 9:30pm. When asked if they were hungry, the majority responded that they were full and just ate. Come to find out, the Christmas tradition here is to eat starting at midnight! My team and I didn’t know what to do because we were very hungry, yet wanted to eat together with everyone else. We decided to wait and allow the stomach noises to continue.

After approximately 7 hours together our friends realized it was late and time to return home. I arrived home around 4:30am and slept until 1pm! Please DO NOT tell my parents.

As a church family, we love spending time together and all those hours were worth it.

“El Hueco”

There is a huge abandoned building close to the church where homeless people sleep and other things occur. It is known as “el hueco,” or “the hole” in English. Some of the men from there came to our Christmas dinner, as they had nowhere else to go for the holidays. As we served them food and conversed with them, we built a good relationship and gained some trust. This allowed me to enter there days later to read the Bible and pray with them. There were no lights, so they had a candle lit to where I could see the pages. As several men gathered to hear, almost all said that they wanted out of that lifestyle and to be right with God. Long story short, 2 of them have now left. One has had close to a month without alcohol and drugs, found a job, reconciled with his family, now attends church regularly, reads his bible that we gave, and has helped with some construction projects. Praise God for His power of radically transforming our new brother in Christ’s life. The other guy has asked to be discipled, so he and I will meet up on Saturdays and go over the bible together.

Mateo’s curiosity

Most of the children in Sunday school have been coming on and off to church, but one boy who has been fairly consistent is Mateo. He has been asking a lot of questions about God and has the earnest desire to be part of His family. Gina the Sunday school teacher shared the full gospel with him. He understood and said he wanted to receive Jesus into his life. A few days later he ran up to me shouting with joy that he is now a child of God with a big smile on his face. I almost cried.

Three Months of Verse-By-Verse Teaching

Since the middle of October, we have had 13 teachings in the gospel of Luke on Sundays and 13 teachings in Genesis on Wednesdays.

One of my favorite messages was the call of Abram in Genesis 12. The first verse reads, “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” I can identify with Abram, because although I miss my family in Colorado dearly, there is no better place to be than where God calls you.

This picture was taken in November. Our hope was that our service would eventually open a door to share the gospel in the classrooms.

“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word”

Colossians 4:3a.

Praise God for:

• My team, our unity, and their hard work.

• God’s Word sustaining me.

• The open doors to share the gospel.

• People’s testimonies in the church of repenting, loving greater, joy, peace, and many other works of God.

Prayer Requests

• That Calvary Moyobamba can be a culture of arriving on time

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

Psalms‬ ‭63‬:‭1‬

During the week of prayer and fasting that takes place at my church, God gave me this longing for Him like never before. In the Psalms, we know David had a relationship with God yet he wanted more of him, he longed for more of Him. God began to show me He is doing something new in my heart and all I have been wanting to do is remain still in His presence and never leave. My prayer for you is that you would long for more of Him. That you would not remain complacent in your walk with God but that you would go running after Him, that you would chase after your first love like never before.

Last Month

In my previous newsletter I told you all that I would be visiting my family over the holidays and unfortunately the Lord led me not to go. I ended up in the hospital one night after not feeling well and the Lord clearly showed me that because of my health and not knowing what was going on, it was not wise to leave. This was heartbreaking for me because since coming back from Israel all I have been wanting is to see my family and it has been the same for them; especially after what I had experienced. But, man, God uses all things to prepare me more for missions. Knowing that there will come a time where I will not be able to see my family and them not see me. Please continue to pray for my family.

Grateful for the Body of Christ

For Christmas I spent it with the Brzezinski’s. I am grateful for the friendship I have with Amy who is in the left photo and her mom who is in the right photo. Amy has truly been an amazing friend and I have been blessed by her and her family in so many ways. I was able to have brunch and dinner with her family and had such a good time.

For New Years, I spent it with Denise, aka Gramma (she is the one who houses the girls who are in the missions training school) and church friends.

Both of these groups of people brought such genuine joy to my life when I couldn’t be with my family and I will never forget that. God is so gracious to have provided a family amongst the body of Christ.

My Health

I have been doing so much better in regards to my health and my anxiety. Thank you all so much for you prayers. I have been able to recognize the causes of my anxiety and know how to navigate through certain situations that could trigger my PTSD. I began to see a psychiatrist. I can truly say that it is the Word of God that continues to bring healing to my soul and having such an intimate relationship with the living God.

It’s almost time, LETS GO

The Indonesia trip is approaching and I absolutely cannot believe I am going. Everything was up in the air because of my health and lack of finances but the Lord provided by giving me better health and money to buy my plane ticket. It was just last week that I found out I was going. Praise God! For weeks I thought I was not going and I was discouraged. In the waiting, the Lord put Genesis 22 in my heart, Abraham offering his son at the altar. God was showing me I needed to offer my missions calling at the altar, I needed to put this trip at the altar. Waiting on God can be difficult but that is where our faith is being refined and growing us. God was faithful to reveal His will on His timing and He has given me permission to GO!

Please continue to pray that the Lord would provide for the rest of the cost of the trip. I am still in need of $1,000. If you feel led in any way to give towards this trip you can use the link below. Thank you all dearly for coming alongside me through prayer and partnership to fulfill God’s call on my life. As you know, my desire is to reach the unreached and eventually move overseas.

Praise Reports

• Praise God for His continual pursuit after me and having me fall in love with Him
• Praise God for the church body
• Praise God for opening the door to go to Indonesia
• Praise God for His continual healing

Prayer Requests

• Pray for my family, that they would have an understanding on God’s call on my life and pray that my mom would have a fire to read God’s word
• Pray for the team going to Indonesia, that God would work out all the details and for a smooth landing
• Pray for a continual healing for my body and mind and that God would give me the strength and all the energy I need to serve Him

The new year has started off with our church having a week of prayer and fasting. This was a time we got to seek God and focus on what He wanted to say to us. A time to surrender our lives, lift up our 2024 year and plans to listen to God. It was a sweet time and the Lord brought us through it. Doing it as a whole church community was also something that we experienced as a sweet fellowship. Koinonia, communion/fellowship/partnership with fellow believers, is amazing. We have really grown and learned so much since our move here to California.

“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed,”

Psalm 127:4-5

Last year began with Sven recovering from back surgery and us praying about moving to California from Texas to attend Calvary School of Missions and going on the mission field. What we had to surrender for the Lord and what was needed to be done. We can tell you that what we gave up is nothing compared to the blessings we have received since then. Since we’ve moved here our entire family has joined us. We added to our family last year with Jorden and Aleah marrying and Bryan and Kayla giving us a grand baby girl. Our son Jonathan came back to the Lord; is walking passionately for the Lord and is now attending bible college here in California to learn more about Him. Joshua will be staying in California from Peru for the next year as a student, training to be a missionary alongside us. We have had a busy year but with many blessings.

Japan

So we are finally off to Japan. We’ll be here for four weeks and then we’ll head to Indonesia for 10 days. It doesn’t seem real. We have been praying for this vision tour for a while. You may be wondering why we are going to Indonesia too. Well, we will share more on that in a bit.

Our first leg will be going to Japan. We had wanted to go for a longer vision tour around Japan but that isn’t possible at this time. So for two weeks we’ll be touring around Japan, then the rest of the team will be flying in on the 29-30th of January, and staying for the next two weeks. We plan on going to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kanazawa and some areas outside of these places. We are connecting with some churches and pastors but we are really just going to see the areas and pray. We pray God will lead us and guide us and speak to us about Japan. We have been told that sometimes He will confirm after vision tours, so we are open and want to let God lead and not our agendas.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:10

Indonesia

After the four weeks in Japan we’ll be flying down to Bali, Indonesia. There we’ll also travel to East Java island and visit some local tribes and the rest of the time in Bali. You may be wondering why Indonesia? Sven lived in Indonesia for four years and this is also where he accepted Jesus into his heart through missionary kids at his school in Jakarta. So the Indonesia vision team asked him along. Many people may not know where Indonesia is. We have a map for you to see. Indonesia is a very interesting place, there are tribes to big cities. In Bali the main religion is Hindu, the tribes have mainly animism (spiritual worship of nature and animals), while the majority of Indonesia is Islamic. So a variety of beliefs and livelihood. We are open to what God may be leading and if Indonesia is where He’d like us, then we will go.

Sven’s Corner

We are off to Japan and Indonesia! The preparations that have gone into these vision tours you would think would be extensive on the planning and practical application side. But for the last couple of months, since we have come back from Peru, that has not been the center focus. What I mean by that is, of course the details of going to all of our missions classes, serving at the church almost daily, doing all the homework, reading the books, researching about Japan, culture, etc., planning out the itinerary, and purchasing the necessary tickets, hotels, etc., are all very important. But that is not the main thing that God has been doing.   

The preparation that God has been doing, however, has been mostly internal (and He is still doing it by the way). For as long as I have been walking with the Lord (since January 18^th, 1991) I have never gone through as much gut-wrenching pain and trials as I have the last few months. I, much like yourself have been through my fair share of suffering, whether that be physical, financial, mental, or spiritual (all trials on one level or another are spiritual in nature) but this has been on a whole other level. These have been intense emotional trials, so yes the heart for sure, the mind absolutely, but emotionally involves feelings in the seat of emotions (the gut) that can be hard to combat, and yet God is using it all for the good. I am not sure yet how what I am going through will further the gospel, but I know it will because God’s Word says so! God has and is working on the internal, literally from the inside out.  

But I want you to know brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.

Philippians 1:12

All of this has caused me to rely on the Lord more than ever before. Taking my thoughts captive consciously seems like on a minute-by-minute basis. The cause, root, and attention of these particular trials are between myself and the Lord and are not important to our conversation. I merely wanted to point out that when we go through trials, it is because God loves us and does not desire to leave us in our current state.  

He desires for us to grow in our walk with Him and in His grace more and more, as He molds us and shapes us to be more like Himself every day. This process can only happen, however, if we are willing to go along with His program and not the building of our kingdom of self and desires.  

The Lord needs a willing vessel for eternal, fruitful change to take place. So turns out preparation for the mission field (whether short or long-term) is done in the heart and mind much more than in the practical outward.  

I pray this encourages you. You perhaps are going through a difficult time, the kind of difficult time where you are praying impossible prayers because you know that God is the God of the impossible. “Nothing is impossible with God.” 

Be of good cheer, God is here with you. He is sovereignly in control. Because God sees the big picture and knows, however heartbreaking and gut-wrenching your trial is, it will bring you closer to Him and you will grow in your relationship with the Lord more than you ever have before.  

Abide in Christ, like the branch abides in the vine.  Let the Lord do His perfect complete work in you. He loves you and knows what is best for you.  

On that note, we are excited to go on this vision tour and are excited to see what the Lord will do and more importantly what He will say while we are there. Please pray for us that God’s will will be done in the whole trip. See you here, there, or in the air! 

PRAISE REPORTS

• We had a year of growth- family, personally, and mainly with the Lord.
• We had an amazing holiday season with family and friends.
• We are both healthy for our travels.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Our travels.
• Financial support.
• Health and safety for travels.
• The Lord speaks and directs.
• Divine appointments and contacts in the countries we are traveling to.
• For team unity.