A Ministry of the Calvary Culiacán Church Network

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for me and my family.  Instead of updating you on all that God has been doing this summer (which I will do soon), I’d like to take a moment to highlight our newest ministry, “TRANSFORMED BY HIS LOVE.”

TRANSFORMED is run by 20+ women from 5 of our Calvary Culiacán churches. We go to a women’s rehab center every Friday morning to preach the Word of God verse by verse (currently the Gospel of Mark) and have a time of sharing where the women can talk about what’s going on in their lives and reflect on what God is speaking to them. We leave them with a homework assignment to complete during the week – memorizing verses, praying or reading the Bible, making amends, and more – so they can apply what they are learning and be transformed by the Word as Paul says in our theme verse, Romans 12:2.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

In the nearly 3 months we have been working here, we have witnessed many miraculously transformed lives. Margarita was freed from her 40+ year marijuana addiction by learning to pray and satisfy her cravings with tortillas. Others have been freed from alcohol addictions, drug addictions, and mental illness. Bitterness and seeking revenge have been replaced with forgiveness and seeking reconciliation.  Many women have made first-time professions of faith, and many hardened and damaged hearts have been softened by the love of Jesus.  Those that once prayed only for a quick release, visits, or permission to leave campus are now praying for patience to complete their healing processes, opportunities to reconcile with family and friends, and that they would leave TRANSFORMED.

Today, we had a super INTENSE day of ministry and spiritual warfare. Due to technical glitches, endless interruptions, and distractions, including two women who seem to be possessed, it was a very difficult day, but our God is bigger, and He accomplished more than the enemy! 

The sermon was titled, “Chosen with Purpose.” Flor showed them through Jesus’s chosen disciples that, 1) those who are chosen must be obedient to God’s call and 2) God equips us to be used by Him.  During the time of reflection, we asked the ladies, “What is God speaking to your heart? What is He calling you to do?”  Their answers were varied, but intense, and many were left with a big task for this week – reflect on what God is calling you to do and start obeying.  Here are a few examples:

• Liseth said that God told her it’s time to obey. As a Christian, she has been listening for a long time, but God is calling her to start obeying and putting into practice all that she has heard.
• Delia and Carmen (a former dealer and her client) said that God is speaking to them about starting a support group in the same neighborhood where they did drugs to share their testimonies and help others find freedom from addiction.
• Rocio recently accepted Christ through our ministry. She has never entered a church in her life, but says that God told her it’s time to start reading the Bible, because if she is going to believe, she has to know who/what to believe in, and that can only be found in the Bible. She also said that, when she leaves, she will go directly to one of our churches to be baptized and learn more about Jesus.
• Dinora, a recent arrival whose only concern was getting out as quickly as possible, said that God told her that she has to calm down, be patient, and let the recovery process run its course, because while her children do need her, they need her clean and sober.  She asked us to pray for her complete restoration and transformation.
• Alejandra says God is calling her to help other women with similar problems. “Coincidentally,” one recently arrived at the center, and she has been assigned to help her.
• Recently, Josefina proudly declared that when she died, she would go straight to hell, but first, she wanted to take revenge on the countless people who had hurt her. Today, she said God told her that, upon leaving, she needs to go to her mother’s grave to make amends.

And there are many more stories… just as incredible as these!  Despite all the opposition we faced today, God spoke to these women’s hearts clearly, directly, and specifically.

I also ask you to help us pray for the women/girls who were distracting others today. They are in dire need of Jesus’ TRANSFORMING LOVE!

• Valeria and Alison are new arrivals. After laughing and chattering through the entire sermon, one declared that she is a fallen angel sent to “move” the other women, shake them up, steal their peace, sow discord, and destroy the work we are doing in the center.
• Brianda was recently admitted for addiction, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. She reminds me of the girl who followed Paul everywhere shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation,” … and later had a demon cast out of her!  (Acts 16)  Like that girl, Brianda talks loudly and constantly, reciting Bible verses, anecdotes, and throwing out trick questions, all while fidgeting, pacing, coming, and going.
• Norma, too, seems tormented by an evil spirit.  She related an unbelievable tale of invisible, venemous vipers trapped inside her body, repeated poisoning attempts, invisible wounds that won’t stop bleeding, murders and conspiracies, a dead son and another hidden where the snakes can’t find him, etc… When I told her to read Psalms 91 for peace and protection (because He is the only one who can save her!) she asked, “Does that book talk about getting rid of snakes and surviving poisons?”

We know that our God is far greater than any demon or unclean spirit, and with faith and boldness, we continue to work and pray, doing spiritual warfare to rescue these souls from the enemy and bring these women to the point of decision where they choose to surrender their lives to Christ and be TRANSFORMED BY HIS LOVE. 

To accomplish that purpose, we want to purchase Bibles for ALL these women.  There are approximately 60 residents, but with so many coming and going, we want to start with 100 Bibles. In bulk, we can pay as little as 60 pesos per Bible (less than $3.50 USD each).  If God puts it on your heart to help us with that purchase, please contact me privately or make a dedicated donation through SGWM with a description of your gift (Jenna Pepin, Bibles). 

As always, we thank you for your prayers.  We are on the front lines here, rescuing souls from the enemy’s camp, and the battle is intense. Remember to pray each Friday morning (and throughout the week) for each of the Calvary ladies who will be participating. You can also join us in prayer each Tuesday evening during our weekly prayer meeting (8:00pm AZ time via zoom, Spanish only).

In addition to the previously mentioned women (Liseth, Delia, Carmen, Rocio, Dinora, Alejandra, Josefina, Valeria, Alison, Brianda, and Norma), please join me in praying for the complete transformation of all the precious ladies at this center and the requests they have shared with us:

• Káterin (a young woman who tried to take her life her first week in the home wants to know Jesus)
• Heidy (a vivacious, young woman with a deep desire to know Christ and reconcile with her mom)
• Gloria (an older woman battling severe depression)
• Silvia (seeking to reconcile with her husband and children)
• Alma Alicia (a doctor’s wife battling a prescription addiction who needs Jesus)
• Mirna (anxiety about her mother with Alzheimers)
• Lizette (has schizophrenia, recently left to live with an aunt but was sent back)
• Margarita (overcoming a 40-year tobacco/marijuana addiction)
• Margarita (missing daughter, addicted daughter, estranged son)
• Pamela (open and seeking a relationship with Jesus)
• Concepción (wants a complete transformation!)
• Rosa Isela (has a knee injury, a pain pill addiction, and a missing son)
• Miriam (battling severe mental illness)
• Arely (seeking reconciliation with her mother and salvation for her brother)
• Génesis (a young woman who believes going to the USA will solve all of her problems)
• Elvira (battling addiction and cancerous cysts)
• Adriana (a back-slidden Christian who desperately wants to return to Jesus)
• Arlín (a new Christian battling addiction and mental illness)
• The rest of the ladies who have not mentioned specific requests – América, Sinahy, Miriam, Yesica, Naymar, Connie, Abigail, Elizabeth, Jazniel, Ariany, Carolina, …

Finally, pray for those who have recently left the center (Zaire, Lorenza, Priscila, Alina, Patricia, Brisa, Sonia, Martha, Nayeli, Denisse, Mercedes, Ana, and Claudia), please pray that they remain firm in their newfound faith, join a good Bible-preaching church, and do NOT fall back into their previous habits, vices, or lifestyles.

Zaire is one of our favorite stories of TRANSFORMATION. The weekend she was released, she brought her mother to our church, and both women gave their lives to Christ. A few days later, they brought their whole family (9 people) to our fellowship dinner, and many more professed faith in Christ. While they are still developing church-going habits, they faithfully attend at least 4 services per month. With your support and prayers, we hope to have many more stories of TRANSFORMATION, just like hers!

Thank you and God bless you all!