The Art of Waiting…
(May - June 2025)
It’s funny how God always answers our prayers, but rarely in the way we expect. After desperately begging Him for a solution to our financial situation, God gave me an unexpected answer: Waiting is good for you; here’s how to do it well. Due to several last-minute schedule changes (a.k.a., divine appointments), I ended up preaching online two Wednesdays in a row. Both passages from James 5 spoke in detail about HOW to wait on the Lord. In the first, God clearly taught me that godly waiting requires steadfast patience, applied wisdom (DO what the Bible says in the meantime), and an unshakable faith. What great advice!
In the second passage, God taught me “3 Mistakes We Make While Waiting and How to Avoid Them,” in James 5:9-12.
1. Instead of taking out your frustration on others, apply the golden rule.
2. Instead of forging your own path, follow in Jesus’ footsteps.
3. Instead of looking for the easy way out, guard your integrity.
So, how did I put that into practice? Through patient, faithful obedience to the Word of God! While waiting for Him to supply our needs, I got to work obeying the Great Commission: “… and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8b
“WAITING” IN JERUSALEM (on the home front)
Idónea, our women’s ministry, is under new management, and I was invited to join the team. Starting with a special Mother’s Day celebration, we will now have a perpetual monthly event. On May 17, we learned how to be virtuous women and made clay birds. The bird reminded me of Matthew 6:26 which says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” God’s reassurance in the waiting!
On June 21, I was privileged to share the first teaching in a new series entitled, “Women of the Bible.” I got to preach about Abigail, one of my favorite Bible characters. Her life clearly teaches us to be God-dependent rather than codependent – another applicable truth for waiting! Her story and example ministered not only to me, but to many other women, including Dora, who gave her life to Christ. Praying with her gave me great joy!
Mother’s Day celebration on May 17 (top right), Ruby and I with our finished clay birds (left), and Dora and Bertha (right). I had the privilege to pray with Dora to receive Christ on June 21.
Our church is also stepping out in faith as we restart our Wednesday night services – in person instead of online. Though the violence continues, our pastors made the bold decision that it was time to stop living in fear and take our first baby step of faith. On May 28, we had our first in-person service where we will be studying the very applicable book of Nehemiah: a story of great restoration and new beginnings. While we are using an earlier time slot and a shorter service so everyone can make it home early, it felt wonderful to be able to meet together for a mid-week service again.
May 28 – At “home” at Calvary Culiacán North on a Wednesday night for the first time in 9 months!
“WAITING” IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA (reaching outward…)
The month of May started with a homeschool conference in Mazatlán. These events are always laden with blessings – seeing far-away friends, learning, improving our teaching, parenting, and organizational skills, and having fun, family fellowship. It’s an all-day field trip loaded with Christ-centered teaching and encouragement! I translated for several incredible workshops, including one where the teens were taught to use apologetics to confront societal wrongs. What a blessing!
Sammy discussing apologetics with other teens at the homeschool conference (left) and Jenna participating in a wake-up dance after a long teaching session (right).
In a sad turn of events, our ministry in Valle de Agua may have to be put on hold again. May went on more or less as usual but with only half of our usual attendance. In spite of the small numbers, several women and children made first-time professions of faith.
In June, however, we found one lone boy waiting for us. He tried to help us invite the rest of the community, but in the end, only 5 children and 2 adults came. The rest said it was too hot to be out in the sun… and they were right! With summer temperatures between 100-110o and heat indexes well over 120o, having an outdoor, afternoon activity is… well, less than ideal.
Pastor Saulo sharing the Gospel with a man in Valle de Agua (left) while our youth leaders teach the children (right)
June 15 marked the end of this year’s EPICC (church-planting school). While it felt odd to NOT have a family member graduating this year (I graduated in 2022, Sammy in 2023, and Ruby in 2024) we are thrilled to celebrate the 13 graduates from our North campus where I serve as administrator, tutor, and coach. We also celebrate the 24 graduates from the South, East/Patria, West, and Aguaruto campuses. We are excited to see what the future holds for them. Two will be ordained as pastors, and two others will be planting a new church very soon! Pray for all of them to hear and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.
(Above) 13 graduates celebrate completion of Calvary Culiacán’s intense one-year church-planting program (EPICC) at our North Campus. (Below) Me awarding Belem her diploma (top left), graduates and staff of the EPICC’s East/Patria campus (top right), graduates of the EPICC’s South campus (bottom left) and Aguaruto campus (bottom right)
“WAITING” TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!
Since February of 2024, I have participated in Mexico and Beyond, an online missions-minded prayer group. We meet every Friday morning to learn about missions and to pray and intercede for missionaries and unreached people groups around the world. Our main prayer is for God to raise up Mexican missionaries. Due to their appearance and culture, Mexicans easily blend in with most European, Asian, and the Middle Eastern cultures, and due to Mexico’s reputation as a pacifist, they are freely welcomed – often without visas! – even in the most closed countries, including the 10/40 window – the greatest concentration of unreached people groups in the world.
As a group, we have seen much fruit! We have adopted missionaries in India, Spain, and Jordan and support them with our prayers. We also pray for many national missionaries, including Pastor Antonio, Elias and Santana, our missionaries in Nayarit, and a couple in Zacatecas opening a Mexican missions agency. In addition, we are training a family who will be moving to Spain in 2026!
Since our leader himself will be moving to the Middle East in September, we had to form a new leadership team. As part of that team, my responsibilities include missionary care and leading prayer times. Who would have thought that, as a missionary to Mexico, I would be supporting missionaries around the world!
Praying for Mexico, for the unreached people groups of the world, and more Mexican missionaries to reach them
“WAITING” THE FUN WAY
With longer daylight hours, people are venturing out more now, and we jumped on that bandwagon. First, we visited the Culiacán ZOO! It has lost some of its former glamour, but we still had a great time seeing the animals and having the place to ourselves. Ruby was nearly attacked by an angry parrot who didn’t want his picture taken, and Sammy found a litter of kittens he wanted to bring home. (I said no, but we played with them before moving on.
On Ruby’s birthday, we were finally able to visit the “Centro de Ciencias,” Culiacán’s famous children’s science museum. We learned about dinosaurs and fossils in Mexico, asteroids and space exploration, local wildlife, robotics, technology, and more. We all had a blast, including the birthday girl!
(Above) Enjoying the Culiacán Zoo with my kids (Below) Celebrating Ruby’s 23rd birthday at the children’s science museum – Ruby and I became part of a virtual reality movie, and Sammy built Ruby’s name with giant foam blocks in honor of her birthday.
HOW CAN YOU PARTNER WITH US?
Pray for us! The best way to support us is with daily prayer support. We can’t do what we do without the support of those at home who are committed to covering us in prayer every day. Here are a few things you can pray for…
1. Pray for an end to the violence in our city. In June, we remained the most dangerous city in Mexico, but now with double the crime rate of the #2 city.
2. Pray for my children – that they would continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord and find their niche in the ministry.
3. Pray for the future of our ministries in Valle de Agua and the women’s rehab center.
Rejoice with us! God has miraculously provided for our finances for two more months, Sammy finished 6th grade with excellent grades, and Ruby has been given a small raise and 2 weeks of paid vacation!
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Become a financial partner! God has called me to leave secular work behind and become fully funded. That means raising approximately $2,000 in monthly support while serving on the field. Please pray that God will raise up monthly donors, so we can budget more accurately and participate more actively in ongoing ministries. And if you feel lead to do so, sign up! Any amount goes a long way. Thank you for your partnership!
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God bless you as you continue to support our ministry both financially and with your prayers.
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