Greetings from Mexico. As I write this update, I am in the Central Mexico state of Morelos (near Mexico City) preparing to board a plane to fly back home. While on this trip I was blessed to lead two church planting conferences in different churches located in key population centers of central Mexico.

I write this letter with sadness in my hearts because my good friend and church planting assistant pastor Dan Valdez was planning on being on this trip with me as one of the featured speakers at our conferences. Dan had been sick for the past few weeks, to the point of being hospitalized. But as I prepared to start our first conference, I received a shocking text from Dan’s precious wife Cecilia that Dan had suddenly passed away in the hospital an hour earlier.

Death is so difficult for us as believers. But Jesus gave His disciples this encouraging word in John 14:1-3, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.“

I know that Dan is alive in heaven today, and as a faithful believer, I know the words he heard as he stepped into eternity! Dan heard these words from our Lord Jesus Christ found in Matthew 25:23, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ These eternal promises are true not only for my friend Dan, but for every one of us who are faithful servants of Jesus!

My friend Dan was a long-time assistant pastor of a Calvary Chapel up in the Southern California, but then five years ago, God called him and his family (wife and four daughters) to move to the Mexico mission field full time to serve as missionaries. Dan and his family moved up the street from the church in Rosarito, and he and I became quick friends.

Dan and I bonded over our shared love for Jesus, missions, sports (Go Dodgers and UCLA) and corny jokes. When Dan moved down to Mexico, he served in another ministry full time, but he and his family immediately got deeply involved in our church. Two years ago, Dan decided to move over to our church staff to serve full time as my church planting assistant pastor.

Dan used his amazing social gifts to connect with our church planters, and he made quick friends wherever he went. For the past two years, Dan has faithfully led our church planting classes, and he was by my side on most of my recent church planting trips. Everywhere Dan went, he seemed to know tons of people, and he was also quick to make everyone laugh as he was the king of the silly dad puns!

Dan and I had so many future plans that we were dreaming about as we focused on the great mission’s work of church planting. When I heard the tragic news of his passing, my first thought was to return to Rosarito to be there for his family and our church. But after talking to our missions team (all friends of Dan) we quickly realized that Dan would have wanted us to continue on with the conferences that he had helped us plan. We dedicated both of these church planting conferences to Dan and his missions work.

Dan left a legacy of faithfulness to the Lord Jesus, His family, and missions work, and I am thankful for the time the Lord gave us as close friends. I know and believe that Dan’s memory will continue to inspire the future generations to continue with the great work of church planting. To help that happen, our mission’s team decided to create the “Dan Valdez Memorial Church Planting Scholarship” that will be given out in his name and memory each year at our annual church planting conference for as long as the Lord allows us.  

Precious friends, when a loved one passes away it is a good time to remember the brevity of life and commit to live every day for the Lord. My friend Dan Valdez did that, and I intend to continue moving forward in this great missions work God has called us to.

So once again, I want to thank you for supporting me and my family as your missionaries. We are honored and blessed to have you as our ministry partners!  

Con mucho amor de Mexico (with much love from Mexico),

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests!

#1- Pray that God will comfort Dan’s widow Cecilia and their four daughters. (Ages 19 to 28)  

#2-  Pray that the “Dan Valdez Memorial Church Planting Scholarship” can continue to help new church planters do the work God has called them to do.

Praise Reports!

#1- Praise God for two wonderful church planting conferences in Cocoyoc (Morelos) and Calpulalpan! (Mexico City)

#2- Praise God for 31 baptisms of (mostly) new believers in our September baptism.