We pray that you are all doing well. I’d love for you to take a few minutes to watch our latest video update on our family and ministry!
Please continue to pray that the Lord would open up doors and give direction on where He would like me to travel next. I take traveling seriously, as it costs money and precious time from my family, so I want to make sure that when I do travel, it is exactly where the Lord would have me to go to minister to missionaries. So far, I have not sensed open doors from Him to any specific area.
Please also pray for our new batch of interns, that the Lord would direct their paths and help us leaders at SGWM to disciple them well.
I love you all and thank you for your support and prayers!
We also 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 button 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
I hope that you’ve had a wonderful Summer! The days are still hot here in Southern California, but Fall will be here before we know it. Our kids have already officially started school up again (though school never really stops for homeschoolers, does it?).
First Day of School for the kids!
This Summer reminds me of the importance of the crew it takes to send and care for missionaries. As Director of Missionary Care at SGWM, I help lead an army of people to support our missionaries. This includes our administrative staff and interns, but outside of our offices, there is a grouped that our own heroes, missionaries, look up to as their heroes: Missionary Care Teams.
Just this Summer, teams of believers from our church have supported a family on furlough from North Africa; a family who left just a few weeks ago to establish themselves in Rosarito, Mexico; and will help support a family in just a few weeks on furlough from South Asia. We’re also watching support teams from other churches care for our affiliate missionaries (missionaries who are not directly from our church), like a woman who is on furlough from Spain. Would you prayerfully consider becoming part of a Missionary Care Team? Please reach out to me for more information on what that looks like!
Paul Boubion, who is moving his family to Rosarito, shares at a Missionary Sendoff Night at CCSG
Zully Ruano, an SGWM missionary who serves in Spain, shares at a Missionary Update Night at her church
Finally, while it will probably be a while before I am able to commit to teaching more Skype classes to South Asia students, I was super blessed to be a part of the Zoom graduation for the last class I taught through the book of Hebrews a couple of weeks ago.
Zoom Graduation for South Asia students, featuring their American teachers
Please continue to pray that the Lord would open up doors and give direction on where He would like me to travel next. I take traveling seriously, as it costs money and precious time from my family, so I want to make sure that when I do travel, it is exactly where the Lord would have me to go to minister to missionaries. So far, I have not sensed open doors from Him to any specific area.
Please also pray for our CSOM students, as there has been some spiritual warfare that has led to changes in their plans that they did not anticipate.
I love you all and thank you for your support and prayers!
We also 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 button below:
We wanted to send you just a quick update in the middle of a busy Summer. Our family is doing great, and the kids are having a blast swimming, meeting friends, and learning new things this Summer.
As many of you know, we hold an annual six-week Calvary School of Missions in Rosarito, Mexico every Summer. This program provides a primer for training young people in the theology and practicality of international missions and reaching the unreached. The theme is always a surrender of their lives and plans to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. This year, Joel got to go for the first week of the school to meet the students, minister to them as they grapple with missions and theology through a whirlwind first week. This has been a huge blessing, as he has never gotten to go for the first week and establish relationship with the students like this! In particular, it is really awesome for him to use his gift of leading worship to create an environment of surrender, intimacy with the Lord, and fervent prayer for the students. Please pray that the Lord would give guidance and wisdom to the students over the remaining fives weeks, and that He would strengthen them through the spiritual warfare they will experience.
Leading the students in a time of worship, prayer, and surrender to the Great Commission
We also 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 button below:
Check out this video of some of the things going on in our life and ministry this Summer:
We would ask that you pray for the Lord to meet our financial needs and consider partnering with our ministry financially as the Lord leads. If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.
We also 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 button below:
Some people don’t realize that in a family in vocational ministry like us, the kids are as big a part of the calling as the parents! On this lovely Saturday morning as I write this, I’m sitting in the living room while my two oldest, Maggie (7) & Harrison (5) build a Magnet Tile house. I decided to take the opportunity to interview them for this update; hope you enjoy!
Funny picture from a recent camping trip!
What is your favorite part about mom and dad doing ministry?
Maggie: I like inviting people over and telling them more about Jesus.
Harrison: I like having the young adults group over at our house every Friday night and hanging out with them!
Why do you think dad goes on trips to other countries sometimes?
M: So that he can help other people learn about Jesus. And he visits missionaries that we help support
H: So that he can talk to people, be with people, and share with people about Jesus
What is the hardest part for you when dad goes on a trip?
M: I don’t like it because you aren’t with us, but it’s worth it because when you come home I get to see all the pictures you take.
H: I don’t like missing you, but if you didn’t go, then less people will hear about Jesus and go to be with Him in Heaven.
[Note: Missing my family is also my least favorite part of trips! But Amy and I have taught the kids how important it is for dad to go visit missionaries because it’s part of the gospel going to the nations!]
Dad leading worship on his last trip to Mexico
How do you serve Jesus right now, and how do you want to serve Him when you’re older?
M: I am working on writing books to sell and raise money for missionaries. When I’m older, I want to be an artist and draw pictures from stories of the Bible and write what the story is about.
H: I serve Jesus by giving money to missionaries [note: last year Harrison decided to give some of his birthday money to a missionary we support] and I pray for people. When I’m older, I want to serve Jesus by being a missionary in Australia and Arizona [note: this was news to me this morning!].
The Magnet Tile house came out great
I pray you all enjoyed this update, and I hope you remember to pray for our kids when you pray for our family’s ministry!
We would ask that you pray for the Lord to meet our financial needs and consider partnering with our ministry financially as the Lord leads. If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.
We also 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 button below:
Thank you so much for taking the time to check out our latest ministry & family update. Check out the video below to learn the latest from us 🙂
We would ask that you pray for the Lord to meet our financial needs and consider partnering with our ministry financially as the Lord leads. If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.
We also 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 button below:
This past month has been filled with some amazing ministry opportunities for us. I (Joel) was able to help lead a team of youth and young adults on a Mexico trip, where our church’s heart is to get the students stirred up for the cause of reaching the nations with the gospel. Joel’s main goal there was to help lead and disciple the students through that process, as well as taking a few opportunities to step out of his comfort zone and lead some worship in Spanish (a language he doesn’t speak!).
Loading up care packages Leading worship in Spanish
Amy had the opportunity to teach for a women’s event at our church. She spoke to a group of moms about establishing a biblical vision for routines, rhythms, and rest in our homes. Opportunities for this can be hard to come by for a busy mom of four, so it was a blessing for me (Joel) to see that she did such an amazing job pouring into other busy moms.
Amy teaching at a mom’s group at CCSG
Thank you all for supporting us in our ministry! Please be in prayer for Joel, that more opportunities to take trips to help strengthen our SGWM missionaries arrive as vaccines open up more doors. Also pray as he helps lead the vision of missionary sending and care from the home office.
We would ask that you pray for the Lord to meet our financial needs and consider partnering with our ministry financially as the Lord leads. If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.
We also 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 button below:
Hey everyone! Here is a short video update on our family and ministry. I encourage you all to meditate on Romans 15:30-33 and its implications for all of us as missionary SENDERS! We are so blessed by all of your support and prayers!
We would ask that you pray for the Lord to meet our financial needs and consider partnering with our ministry financially as the Lord leads. If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.
We also 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 button below:
I’m sure we were all ready for a fresh start in 2021. For our church, we started off the year with a week of prayer and fasting together, which was such an eye-opening time of denying our flesh and pressing into Jesus together. There’s no better way for us to start our year!
On the SGWM front, it has been so refreshing for me moving forward in our vision for missionary care, which I am privileged to lead. This has involved me meeting with multiple SGWM missionaries each week to get to know them better, wrap my head around their ministries and their needs, and simply let them know that SGWM is here for them. It’s like linking arms with missionaries all over the globe, and it’s exciting to have that kind of direction to sink my teeth into and do what I was made to do: simply play a part in the Great Commission! And I want to tell you, wherever you are and whatever vocation you are in, that you are called to play a role as well. In fact, those of you who support and pray for our family are playing a role in that way, and I can’t tell you how much I praise God for that!
Our family is doing well. Thank God we have all been able to stay healthy. Maggie just celebrated her 7th birthday! It is a fun, loud, and busy season with the four kids running around, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything. Amy and I continue to lead our young adults ministry, where we’ve just begun going through the book of Galatians. And Amy is helping out a few other ladies in our church with a ministry for moms to receive encouragement and discipleship. I get so much joy out of seeing the Lord use her in ways like this!
We would ask that you pray for the Lord to meet our financial needs and consider partnering with our ministry financially as the Lord leads. If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.
We also 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 button below:
This year has had its ups and downs. Well, let’s face it, for many of us, it feels like this year in particular has been chock full of downs. But as I (Joel) was in a staff Christmas gathering this morning, we talked about all of the good things God has done this year through our ministry, and the amazing teams He has placed around us to make it happen. And that got me to thinking about the amazing team my family has: all of you who read these updates, pray for us, and support us financially. Seriously, it blows us away that you guys support us and stand behind all that the Lord does in and through us for the sake of the gospel going to our neighbors and the nations. We are so incredibly thankful for each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts.
So while turning the calendar on 2020 doesn’t mean that everything will magically change and the woes of this year will end, it also doesn’t mean that God will stop moving; He won’t! Thank you for being used by Him. Your faithfulness is not just a blessing to us, but a way that you are actively involved in the kingdom from wherever you are. We couldn’t do it without you, and we wouldn’t want to.
We would ask that you pray for the Lord to meet our financial needs and consider partnering with our ministry financially as the Lord leads. If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.
We also 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 button below:
