Greetings from Mexico,
In this update, I wanted to tell you about an exciting missions trip I was able to take during the month of October! I got to spend a week in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. (The famed home of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel and their incarcerated leader, El Chapo) We have planted two churches in this nearly unreached state. We planted a church in the capital city of Culiacan in 2015, and more recently another church in Mazatlan just a few months ago! As I visit these church plants, please know that I represent you as our precious co-laborers!
On this trip I was joined by one of my assistant Pastors (Fernando Serrano) and we began our journey by spending three days in Culiacan. In this state Capital, we stayed at the house of our church planters (Hugo and Brenda Limon) and ministered at their church. On Wednesday night I taught their normal verse by verse study, and was able to present the message of salvation and 3 people made first time professions of faith!
On Thursday night, our church provided a Carne Asada BBQ for their servant team. My assigned topic were on the blessings of serving the Lord! This church in Culiacan is our largest church plant numbering over 200 adults after just one year! They will be transitioning out of their present building in the next few months so please keep this big change in your prayers.
Upon leaving Culiacan, we took a 2 hour drive over to the resort city of Mazatlan. We spent three days there where we visited with our two church planting families that we sent there. We were especially blessed to stay at the house of the Senior Pastor, Tony Carranza and his wife Angela kept us stuffed with the delicious local cuisine! (CAMARONES/SHRIMP)
This bilingual Mazatlan church plant is only one month old and are still busy training up their core team for a projected November grand opening launch! We held a training meeting on Saturday where Pastor Fernando and I were able to talk about the Pillars of our Christian faith! On Sunday, I had the opportunity to teach the sermon to 20 adults, and at the conclusion of the service, we had two new believers get baptized in the clear warm waters of Mazatlan.
Presently, this group of 20 adults is meeting in Tony’s living room, but it seems like the Lord is moving them to a building very soon! The ministry team found 3 rentals in a strategically placed strip mall that should work perfectly for the new church plant. Please keep this move in your prayers.
I wanted to talk with you about this trip, because at each of these locations (and all of our church plants) I meet new believers that are on fire for Jesus and receiving hope and healing in their lives! These lives could never have been changed without the partnership of you and I and the church planter working together to spread the Gospel and send out workers to the nations. Truly as the Apostle Paul says in 1st Corinthians 3:6, we all have an important part to play but it is God who gives the increase!
As an early heads up for our continued partnership together, I want to give you a sneak peek into our future church planting plans. For early 2017, we have a church plant that is scheduled for the 2nd largest city in Mexico, Guadalajara. (7 million people) We also have plans to plant a bilingual church in an important city located up in Central California next summer! Stay tuned for more details as God’s plans move forward!
Finally, I want to thank you once again for your partnership with us in this ministry! It is through your prayers that God meets our spiritual needs, and through your financial giving that God meet’s our physical needs! We love you and are thankful for you!
Con mucho amor de Mexico, (with much love from Mexico)
Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel
Prayer Requests:
#1- Pray for that God will provide the right buildings and finances for these two church plants!
#2- Pray that God will continue to provide for the financial needs of our family personally!
