The Gray Family BlogServing the Lord in Mexico

Sep 12th September Update

    School is back in session and is bigger and better than ever before. What a tremendous blessing to have forty three students living on campus this semester. It’s exactly what we are in Mexico for. Our aim is, To be a place for believers to be rooted in God’s word and sent out by Him to reach the world for Christ..”

These students are from all over Mexico, the US, and one from Nigeria. They come to study the Bible and grow in their faith and walk with the Lord. I can’t think of a better place to be than with people like that. It’s like being around friends at church all week  long.

It’s hard for us to believe but we are the oldest people on Campus. A lot of the students kind of adopt us for a couple of years. Pilar is becoming more and more their Mom away from home. She brings home clothes to sew,  projects she’s helping them get done, helps with the grocery shopping, runs the campus store, and is always there with a smile and a prayer when they need it. A majority of the students work with me  on the operations crew so I’m more of the boss, Jefe in Spanish. For some reason I get called that a lot here, even in town by people I don’t know. I used to be bothered by it but I think that here it is said with fondness and respect. One student did mention I’m like the Dad making sure everything is alright and keeping them out of trouble.

We sure appreciate those who are supporting us and are praying for us as we work with the students here. We have a sense of making a difference for His Kingdom.  As we hear reports from around town and around Mexico, we see God is moving and people are responding to the gospel message. It is so exciting to be a part of His plan. We hope you will continue to pray for us and the students.

Pray too that others will join us in the ministry here. The fields are ready to harvest but the laborers are few. Our prayer is that God will call many to serve Him and come alongside and partner with us ministering to these students.

To contact us by mail:                                                          By email:

Leo and Pilar  Gray                                                                   leo@ccbcmexico.com                                                       3621 Vista Campana South #75                                            Pilar@ccbcmexico.com                                        Oceanside, CA 92057

New Dormitory and Offices

Chapel (Shiloh) Addition 

Jul 10th August News

What a great summer so far. We have had week after week after week of teams coming to help us here at the Bible College. What a blessing to have them come and share a part of their summer with us. They are all so fired up and ready to help. Despite what the news has been saying they come to Mexico and share their time, talents and resources to move the college forward.

Our projects this summer include the expansion of Shiloh – our worship center, finishing the new student dorm – Nazareth, moving the store – La Viña, adding gravel to our road, expanding a parking lot, improving the landscaping, and a whole lot of other projects. Our returning students will be so surprised and blessed by all that has been done this summer.

Pilar and I would like to thank all who have come to help and pray that God will draw you close to Him and bless you for serving him in Mexico. Thanks too for partnering with us and allowing us to continue to serve Him here at the Calvary Chapel Bible College Mexico. We want to be a place where believers are rooted in God’s word and sent out by Him to reach the world for Christ.

To contact us by mail:                                                          By email:

Leo and Pilar  Gray                                                                   leo@ccbcmexico.com                                                       3621 Vista Campana South #75                                            Pilar@ccbcmexico.com                                        Oceanside, CA 92057

Jun 10th June News

This has been a most incredible spring for us. There are so many flowers and plants blooming like crazy at the college and on the road to the College this year. God is so amazing how He plants and waters and makes so many different and incredible plants grow and blossom.

We’ve been in Mexico now for two and a half years. It seems like we have been here longer because it feels like home and sometimes it seems like we just got here and are still amazed that God has put us here. Recently we’ve seen a lot of the things we have been doing beginning to blossom and grow because of seeds planted and being watered. Paul talks about that in 1Corinthians 3:5-9  he planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth and  the increase.  It is so encouraging to see what He has done.

Our son Alex graduated from the Bible College here in Mexico in May. He was co-valedictorian with another student from Mexico. He gave a speech at the graduation ceremony and everything. We are so proud of what God has been doing in his life. He moved back to Pensacola to work for a while and plans to return to Mexico as a Missionary at a later time.

At the graduation one of my former students, Jose’, was so excited to tell me he was starting five small groups with the high school group at his church. He was in my Discipleship class and one of the leaders of the small discipleship groups that meet on campus once a week. He is training the  leaders of the small groups and will meet with them regularly to help them develop as leaders and disciple makers. Another one of the students who has a lot of discipleship training from his church in Mexico City is leading a Bible Study in a migrant farm community outside Ensenada. It only took a little bit of encouragement to get him started and I have been amazed at how God has blessed him and provided for everything he needed. This summer he is working there with another ministry and keeping the Bible Study going.

Ensenada Surf and Skate – the surf ministry we help with on Saturday mornings,  continues to amaze me. We see some of the kids there maturing and stepping in to help and are teaching the Bible study or sharing what God is teaching them. They are getting better at surfing too. Though I haven’t been able to surf the past few months I still enjoy seeing them and hanging out with them on the beach.

Pilar and I both see God working in our Bible study groups. The relationships and friendships we have been able to establish have been so special to us. A lot of them are missionaries like us, so we share in their triumphs and difficulties. We both thank God for the opportunities we have to be a part of their lives as they serve Him in Ensenada.

Now that school is out and summer is here we are busy hosting short term Mission teams. It is so incredible to see how God works on people’s hearts as they serve alongside us and help us at the College. Our prayer is that He will call many of them into missions and that they will experience His love in new and fresh ways while they are in another culture.Corrie Schweigert interned with us last semester came to Mexico with us two summers during her high school years. It was fun to see her grow in her walk with the Lord and love for Mexico while she was with us.

There is so much more to say but we want mostly to say THANK YOU. Thank you for partnering with us in your prayers and support for us and for being a part of what God is doing in Mexico. Without your support we wouldn’t be here and we are so thankful for you.

In case you didn’t get the new address and want to mail financial support and partner with us in our work here you can click on the Become a Financial Partner button on our site at SGWM.com/gray  for bank draft or credit/debit card. Or you can send a check to SGWM 17451 Bastanchury Rd. Suite 203 Yorba Linda CA, 92886. If you send a check please make it payable to Saving Grace World Missions and in the Memo Line write – “Gray.”

To contact us by mail:                                                          By email:

Leo and Pilar  Gray                                                                   leo@ccbcmexico.com                                                       3621 Vista Campana South #75                                            Pilar@ccbcmexico.com                                        Oceanside, CA 92057

Mar 7th March 2012 Newsletter

Greetings Family and Friends,

We have made a change recently and wanted to give you a brief update. Pilar and I have joined Saving Grace World Missions in Yorba Linda, California. A lot of missionaries work with an agency like Saving Grace World Missions for accountability and administrative support. For those of you who are getting this newsletter and are supporting us and praying for us, we really appreciate your being a part of our ministry. Pastor Mike will fill you in on some more of the details at the bottom of this update. We do believe this new partnership is the Lord and are excited about being a part of their vision for Missions and reaching the lost world for Christ.

Ministry Update

Pilar and I both serve at the Calvary Chapel Bible College. She manages La Viña, the campus store. She also helps in the kitchen and goes shopping with Lupita, our cook, every week for groceries in town.  It has taken some time but she is not afraid of driving here now and gets around like a local. If you’ve ever driven in a foreign country you know what I’m talking about – not bad just different. The Lord keeps adding some amazing ministry opportunities to her schedule. On new addition is on Tuesday mornings hosting and co-leading a ladies Bible study at our house. There are about twenty who are now coming to the study. Another opportunity the Lord has blessed Pilar with is leading a Thursday night study across town for a different group of ladies while I lead a men’s group a few blocks away. I am blessed to have her as a wife and agree with Proverbs 18:22 when it says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing.”

My days are spent as Director of Operations at the College. I have three interns, a builder, and a bunch of students who help me keep things going and cleaned up. It is a little more difficult than I had imagined since we are in a remote location with limited resources – water, electricity, sewer, vehicles, tools and equipment, phone service, and internet. Somehow we manage but it is always a challenge. It stretches me and makes me more flexible in how I have to do things – I guess I was spoiled being able to drive down the street and pick up what I needed to fix stuff. One of my greatest joys is to teach a class on Discipleship on Monday mornings. I teach the small group leaders who lead small groups on campus each week. It is great to see the impact that making disciples has on those who are making other disciples. It’s like multiplication instead of addition.

Another ministry the Lord has given us is to surfers at Ensenada Surf and Skate. We have a Bible Study on the beach and give surf lessons to kids in the community on Saturday mornings. It is such a joy to see the kids catch their first wave but an even greater joy when they come to know Christ as their Savior and start growing in their walk with Him!

Continue to pray for us as we serve here. It is truly a blessing to be a part of what God is doing in Mexico.

God Bless You,

Leo and Pilar

A Note From the Director

Greetings! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Pastor Mike Thiemann and I have the privilege of leading Saving Grace World Missions and working directly with all our missionaries all over the world. 

I wanted to write you a brief note for a couple of reasons. One is to introduce myself and the second is to help answer any questions you might have. 

It is the vision and passion of Saving Grace World Missions that our missionaries are the most loved, cared, and prayed for missionaries out there. However, the only way we can accomplish this goal is through all of us linking arms together and doing our individual parts. Leo and Pilar are called by God to go and minister in Mexico and God has called those of us who are at home to send them well. I encourage you to seek the Lord on what your part is. Has God called you to partner with them in prayer or  administrative support  and or  financial support? However God has called you to be involved in the Great Commission and in sending Leo and Pilar to Mexico we are here to help you.

You are receiving this e-mail because the Gray’s added you to their e-mail list. If you wish to be removed to to use a different e-mail please don’t hesitate to notify me. 

If you wish to sign up to receive weekly prayer requests from Leo and Pilar and the rest of our Missionaries you can do so by visiting –http://sgwm.com/wp2010/category/prayer-requests and filling out the e-mail sign up form on the right side of the page. And don’t worry. Your e-mail will never leave the safety of our lists and won’t be used for any other purposes. 

If you desire to partner with Leo and Pilar financially you can do so in a couple of different ways –

1. Electronically (Check or Card) – visit their website at sgwm.com/gray  and on the right hand side you will see a button that says, “Become a Financial Partner.” That will take you to our donation page. There you will have a couple of different option. The main two I would like to highlight is the, “single gift” option and the, “monthly gift option.” The single gift option is there for you if you desire to give a one-time gift and the, “monthly gift” option is there if you desire to give on an ongoing basis. If you click that it will ask you what date you would like your gift to be processed (on the 3rd or the 18th). I would highly encourage you to consider the monthly gift option simply because it helps the Gray’s manage their budgets and know how much is coming in on what day. 
2. Check or Cash – You are welcome to send in a check or cash to – 17451 Bastanchury Rd. Suite 203 Yorba Linda CA, 92886. If you send a check please make it payable to Saving Grace World Missions and in the Memo Line write – “Gray.” 

I want to thank you for taking the time to read this note and again if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact our office at 714-993-4801.

God Bless,

Pastor Mike Thiemann
Director
Saving Grace World Mission
mike@sgwm.com