Muchas bendiciones

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season with family and friends. It has been very cold here in Ensenada over the course of the last week. On Monday we had a very heavy rain with very high winds. Several signs and billboards were knocked over by the wind. The winds were so high that a crane here in the port was knocked off its foundation and into the ocean. More rain and cold is in the forecast for Thursday and Saturday of this week. Please be praying for the people here. Things get tougher with the rain and cold especially for those who live outside of the city.

This past Sunday the group from Murietta led by Tom Begin handed out food sets, bags with gifts for the children, and a sack lunch to the members of the church in Maneadero as well as many from the community. It was incredible to see the smiles on the children's faces when they received their gifts and the relief on many of the adults faces when they received their food sets. Things are especially tough economically here in Baja right now with the work being slim in the fields along with the current economic situation. A big thanks from all the people in Maneadero to the group from Murietta that came as well as to all those who made the gifts and food set possible with their donations. I can't tell you how many people in Maneadero say thank you for what you did for them.

Members of the church and community in Maneadero receiving lunch

A look at the sacked lunches

The group preparing the lunches, over 500 hotdogs were prepared

The bags of gifts for the children of Maneadero

Members of the Murietta group preparing the food sets

This past Saturday night Alejandro organized a teen event for the churches from the Ensenada area in El Zorrillo. Teens from Colonia 89, El Zorrillo, Maneadero, Chapultepec, and Camalu all came to the event. There were several activities for the teens as well and dinner and a bonfire devo. It was neat to see the teens from the different congregations get together and get to know each other better. The preachers were very impressed with the activity and are eager to plan more events of this type for the teenagers of their congregations. Thanks to Alejandro for all the effort he put into this event and to Brother Franco and the the church in El Zorrillo for hosting it!

Sister Irma (Chapultapec) helps Yolanda fix hot dogs

Misael showing off his cooking skills with Yolando

The night was full of activities for the teens

The teens involved in an icebreaker activity before the bonfire

Teens from Colonia 89, Chapultepec, Maneadero, El Zorrillo, and Camalu came to the event hosted by Alejandro and the church in El Zorrillo

Thank you all for your support and love!

Futbol, pavo, y un gran siervo de Dios

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and enjoyed time spent with family; I know that I did. I got to spend Thanksgiving in Cincinnati with my family. Great things were happening here in Baja during the Thanksgiving holiday and I am more and more in awe every day of how God is moving and working here in Baja. Let me tell you a little bit about what has been happening recently.

Last Saturday at the City of Children there was a soccer tournament for all of the teens in from the Baja churches. The City of Children and the La Cortez church from here in Ensenada organized the event and teens came from all over Baja to play. Basically all of the churches from Ensenada, south were represented as well as two from Tijuana. The City of Children also had a team in the tournament. From what I heard when I arrived back on Tuesday from many of the preachers and kids here at the City of Children is that the tournament was a huge success. In a heated final match the team from La Cortez beat San Quintin in penalty shots to claim the crown of the first annual Soccer tournament at the City of Children. The teen girls also challenged the all the preachers to a match. Special recognition for putting on a fantastic event should go to Patty and Ricardo and the City of Children, the La Cortez church, as well as to Stan Stout and brother Franco for preparing delicious hamburgers. It was a great day of fellowship and fun for the teens of Baja! Thanks to Leah Phillips for the following pictures.

In spite of the rain the games went on as planned!

The team from El Zorrillo with coach Franco

The teen girls from the City of Children as well as from the other churches challenged the minister to a futbol match.

During the Thanksgiving holiday two students from Lipscomb University also came to visit the Francos and the families of El Zorrillo. Leah Phillips and Siobhan Hickerson came and spent several days with the Francos visiting families and enjoying each other's company. They were able to purchase food sets and blankets for the members of the church in El Zorrillo. I saw Franco on Tuesday and he said that the members of the church in El Zorrillo send their deepest thanks to these two young ladies and to everyone who donated so that they could provide the church with these great blessings! Thanks to Siobhan, Leah, the Goodlettsville church, and to everyone who helps take care of the needs of the people in Baja!

This coming weekend a group from the Murietta congregation will be coming to do their annual visit to Maneadero. During this visit they plan to spend time with the church membrs in Maneadero, give gifts to more than 70 children, and also pass out food sets to need families. It is truly a very difficult time during these winter months here in Baja, and food sets can really lighten a families burden during these times of little work. I am very excited to get to spend time with Tom Begin and the rest of the group and see the smiles that they put on the children of Maneadero's faces! More to come next week on how God moves in this event!

Also, on Saturday evening Alejandro has planned an event for the teens from around Ensenada. We will be going to El Zorrillo where the teens with get a chance to eat together, play some games, and have a devotional around a bonfire. Brother Franco has volunteered to cook hotdogs for all the teens and I am trying to convince Alejandro that a bonfire isn't a bonfire if there aren't any s'mores. I'm not sure if s'mores are a common bonfire treat here or not, but hopefully I'll get a chance to share something from the States with the teens here in Baja! Please be praying for Alejandro and the work that he is doing with the teens.

I love being able to write this update because I know that you all love the people and the work that is being done here in Baja. I know that many of you can't wait to get word of things that are happening here in Baja. I also know that those who come to work here form strong bonds within their groups and with those who serve side by side with them. I want to take time in this weekly report to mention a man that meant a lot to many not only here in Baja, but to everyone he came in contact with. Bill King passed away early in the morning on November 14th. He will be missed by many, but has left a legacy of faith in his family and friends, as well as the people that he came in contact with here in the Baja. Please be praying for his wife Phyllis and the rest of their family!

Bill King administering a test for reading glasses in San Quintin

Thanks again for your love, support, and prayers!

En la 89

This past Saturday the monthly youth event was in Colonia 89. It started at 10:00 with singing and a welcome. At 10:30 we broke out into our different classes. I had the chance to talk to the teens after we sang sang together. I had a blast getting to talk to them about 1st Timothy 4:16. As usual, I'm sure that I learned more than they did, but I am very thankful for the opportunity that I had to get to spend some time talking with them. After the class, the teens went out into the community to pass out flyers about the church and get to to know the people that live in Colonia 89. While the teens were out in the community, the preachers had their monthly meeting. After the meeting we were served pozole and had a great lunch together. Thanks to Reyes and Chanita and everyone who worked to pull off a great event this past weekend.

Today we are waiting on the arrival of the Jent family from Lewisburg, TN. They will be coming in this afternoon and are planning to have a pizza party with the teens tonight at the City of Children and then tomorrow are planning to take blankets and food sets to the people in Colonet. I am looking forward to spending time with them and seeing how the people of Colonet react to these much needed items. It is getting cool here during the day and downright cold at night. This is also the start of the part of the year were work becomes very scarce. Please remember your friends in Baja, especially during these next three of four very difficult months!

We have several visits planned for the beginning of December as well as my trip to Raleigh, NC coming up at the end of next week. I would ask that you please be praying for all the groups that will be coming in December and the preparations they have made. Thanks for your support!

Reuniones

This past weekend was the teen retreat in San Felipe. I took Arturo, Jesus, and Alejandro and we went along with a group from the City of Children. There were several churches represented at the retreat from Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, and Tecate. On Friday night they had a devotional and then games and a bonfire. On Saturday morning they had worship and a class, followed by lunch and time at the beach. The group from Ensenada was one of the larger groups. In total there were around 65 or 70 teens from this area. It was a lot of fun and a great chance for everyone to spend time together and get to know more people from the local churches.

The group from City of Children and La Cortez in Ensenada

Baja teens around the bonfire

Devo on Friday night at the campground in San Felipe

Church building in San Felipe

This weekend the church in Colonia 89 will be hosting the monthly Baja Missions teen meeting. I have been asked by Reyes to do the class for the teens. I am really excited to get to talk. The theme for the meeting is from 1st Timothy 4:16. Many of the Baja churches will be in attendance this weekend. The monthly teen meetings are something that have really taken off here in Baja and are some of my favorite times. There will be food and games after the classes in the morning and everyone really seems to look forward to the time that they get to spend with friends and family from the other churches.

I am very excited to let you know that this week Alejandro Guzman started working full time with Baja Missions. He has spent this last week visiting churches. His plans are to work with the teens and to encourage them to be leaders and take and active role in their respective churches. This is something that the local preachers have been suggesting and really think would benefit their churches. He will also be helping us with the groups. We are very excited to have him here and to watch how his work impacts the teens in the churches here in Baja! Alejandro grew up at the City of Children and worked in Tijuana as an architect before coming to work with us at Baja Missions.

Alejandro leading singing in San Felipe

Thank you all for everything you do for the work here in Baja. Please pray for us as we pray for you!

Lunada en San Felipe

I hope everyone is doing well this week, I know I am really enjoying the onset of "fall" here in Mexico. There is a lot going on in Baja right now and I'm excited to be able to tell you all a little bit about it.

This coming weekend there will be a teen retreat in the town of San Felipe. San Felipe is located on the Sea of Cortez side of Baja about two hours from Ensenada. Many of the Baja Churches will be sending teens and adults to this retreat. I will be leaving from the City of Children on Friday with a group of the college aged guys and girls. The plans for the retreat are classes and activities on Friday afternoon as well as time at the beach and then a sort of "lock-in" on Friday night. On Saturday there will be more activities and everyone will head home on Saturday afternoon. The event will be taking place at a campground the church in San Felipe owns.

San Felipe is located on the cost of the Sea of Cortez here in Baja

This is where I will be spending the last weekend in October

Also, coming up, is the Baja teen meeting on November the 7th in Colonia 89. These meetings are done monthly throughout the year (they take a break from doing them in the summer because of the groups). They have asked me to give the teen class for the meeting. I am very excited; I love being able to talk to the teens of the Baja churches. Also, during these classes the preachers normally have a monthly meeting to get things planned and work out the details for coming activities. That same day, the 7th, there will be a meeting in Tijuana to plan, among other things, the state wide meetings that will be held in Tijuana and in Baja. If you remember, the Baja churches just held their meeting this past September. Please keep these plans in your prayers.

I am also excited about the opportunity I will have to visit the North Raleigh church and talk with them about Baja Missions. Shannon Townley has been leading a trip from North Raleigh and Providence Road for several years now to Vicente Guerrero. I am looking forward to being with them and seeing familiar faces from Baja. I will be there on the 22nd of November.

Thank you all for your support for the work here in Baja. It would be impossible for me to name every person and every time that people here send you greetings. Know that the people here think about you and pray for you just as you do for them. God is good!

Conferencias y predicaciones

These past few weeks have been great here in Baja. In the last update I published we were making plans for our annual Baja Missions conference here in Ensenada. What a great weekend it was. We had representatives from over 15 churches here in Baja present. That number was only exceeded by the number of American congregations represented at the meeting which we figured to be somewhere around 20. In total there were around 100 people at the conference, what we believe to be our largest number ever!

The conference got kicked off on Friday with some sessions for the Mexican preachers done by Liberato. He did a great job talking about his God's plan for developing leaders as well as his work in Chiapas. The theme of the weekend was leadership. The American leaders arrived on Friday afternoon. It was great to see the love and support that everyone involved in the work here in Baja shares for one another. We continued with sessions Friday night until heading to bed at about 10:00. On Saturday morning the conference began again at 8:00. On Saturday we heard from Stan Stout, Jeff Fincher, Phillip Bradley, and Paul Kelly. We finished up with a panel discussion about elders in the church. At 1:00pm we were dismissed to the local congregations where all the leaders who came had an opportunity to spend Saturday evening and Sunday with the people of the congregations that they sponsor. We hope that everyone who came found the weekend valuable for preparing and planning for your future trips. It was an honor to have you all here!

At the conference we have developed the custom of buying blankets and taking them to the churches on Sunday. It is getting cooler here during this time of the year and a blanket is a great help. We were very excited to be able to have the blankets here and waiting for the groups this year. We'd like to thank all the churches who helped out with this cause, and especially Mr. Ron Brown and

This past Sunday I went to San Vicente to worship with the the church there. When I arrived they asked me if would do the sermon. Luckily, someone much wiser than myself suggested that whenever visiting a church in Mexico be ready to give a class. I know many of you have experienced this same invitation. I was glad to be able to do it and had a great time on Sunday morning in San Vicente. After service, Lola and Guillermo invited Misael and I to eat at their home. Being with people like Guillermo and Lola is something that, to me, is priceless and I know its what brings many of you back time and time again!

This week there is a group at the City of Children from Boyd Buchanaan School in Chattanooga. Pilar has been going out with them to El Zorrillo everyday to pass out food and spend time encouraging the members of that church in their homes. It has been a really neat experience to spend time with this group again after having been here last year when they came. It's amazing to see how we can form such strong friendships and relationships when we serve the Lord together.

I thank you all for your interest in and love for the people of Baja and for those of us who are here. Your prayers and words of encouragement are much appreciated! Have a great week!

Conferencia

This week's update will be shorter than normal. We have spent most of the week getting ready for our fall leaders' conference that will take place October 9th-12th. We have many exciting sessions planned with a lot of great speakers. We are very excited about this weekend.

If you are coming to the conference and would like to buy blankets and take them with you to the church that your group works with, please let us know. The cost will be $9 per blanket and you can order the quantity you would like. Please let us know ASAP how many your group will want so we can place the order and have them waiting for you here. Please be ready to pay for them when you arrive on Friday.

This past weekend, while in Tijuana, Brother Franco had his van stolen. Many of you may have already read about this in his report. It was parked outside his son's house and when they came out after about an hour of being inside, it was gone. Please pray for Franco and his family, a van is an indispensable tool here in Baja. Franco wants to thank all of you who have sent and encouraging word about the van, he really appreciates it!

Next weekend, a group from Yorba Linda, CA will be hosting a weekend meeting at El Zorrillo. They have been making plans now for a while and the weekend is looking like it's going to be a great one. They are bringing in a speaker, Orlando Cruz, and have a lot of great plans for the weekend. Please be praying for this weekend in El Zorrillo. All the Baja churches plan to attend.

That is all for this week. Please keep praying for our conference and the Yorba Linda group's trip to El Zorrillo. Looking forward to seeing you all here in Ensenada in a couple of weeks!

That is all for this week. Please continue to pray for our meeting