NLM March 2018 Newsletter: Blessings from Baja to Oaxaca
Dear NLM Prayer Warriors,
Wow! February is just about over. Time has flown by. Thank you for your continued prayers for us and for the ministry. Our Lord has been faithful.
Don and I are in Papalote. We returned from Oaxaca the first week of February and came in contact with the Norovirus and were down for about a week. We plan to be in Mexico through March. Here are the many blessings and highlights from December to February.
• Papalote, Pastor Campos: February 25, 2018
Last night, Rev. Francisco Campos was installed as the new pastor in the “mother” church in Papalote. Francisco, Maria and their children had returned for one year from their missionary appointment in Barrio de Ceniza, Oaxaca this past summer. Maria had been ill for some time, and how is healing well.
Rev. Ramon Ross officially resigned this position and installed Pastor Francisco last night in the church.Ramon has become the Superintendent of the conference of some 30 churches; a key leader in the national conference; is the President of Seminary Biblico Baja and currently working on his doctorate degree as well as a key partner with NLM.
Papalote church leaders and pastoral staff of the local church plants elected Francisco and Maria to carry the torch for the mother church. Pastor Ramon and family will continue to live in Papalote and serve as the Lord leads.
• Mitla, Oaxaca, Pastor Diego: January through February 2018
Two multinational teams united in Mitla, Oaxaca to build a sanctuary facility that will become a
classroom/apartment facility in the near future (from Oregon, Alaska, Oaxaca, Baja California).
The teams completed a bathroom facility for church, redo of parsonage (outside stucco, additional cabinet, painting and tiling house). They completed the sanctuary. The church congregation has paid to tile the new facility and in progress of laying tile.
A new challenge has arisen… the congregation has already overflowing in the new facility. All services have been attended by 100+ worshipers. Our tentative time frame plan to build a stand-alone sanctuary will need to be revisited...perhaps beginning the fall of 2018 for a congregation of 350. PTL!
• Chapultepec, Oaxaca, Pastor Senen: December 30, 2017 - February 2018
A local carpenter team from Chalcatongo begins work on a chapel/classroom in Chapultepec, Oaxaca on Pastor Senen’s property and is nearing completion. Sheetrocking and finish work still needs to be done. We aren’t sure when that can be completed. Soon there will be a dedication and the community will be invited. The church can comfortably hold around 100 congregants.
Pastor Senen is dreaming of starting a new church plant this year in another community. Stand with him in prayer.
I (Ilene) was able to visit Chapultepec for a week in January. The carpentry work is beautiful. There are two new young Christian families who are growing strongly in the Lord. Pray for them.
• Vizcaino, Baja Sur, Pastor Lazaro: January 2018
The sanctuary/classroom facility has been completed. Three different teams from Oregon and 3 teams from Papalote have participated in the completion of this facility. A team from Madras, Oregon came in January to build a bathroom facility. It has not yet been completed. Pastor Lazaro is seeing significat spiritual growth and maturity in the adult congregants. Thank you teams.
• Benito Garcia, Baja California, Pastor Javier: February 2018
Benito Garcia church is overflowing … also a classroom/sanctuary facility, regularly 80 plus attending. New adult believers are growing strongly in the Lord and serving in the church with joy. It is so exciting to see. This is also a new challenge for the church. Pray with us as we consider the near future need of building a sanctuary.
• Nueva Era, Baja California, Pastor Julio: February 2018
The first team recently completed two weeks of working on a new addition of dining room/classroom/bathroom. One other team is coming in March to continue the work.
• El Rosario, Baja California, Pastor Max: February 2018
The El Rosario ( 45 minutes south of Papalote) church needs a bathroom facility for the congregation. Our SBB students will be taking on this project as their short-term mission trip in June of this year. Pastor Max’s church also needs a church facility. This church has also been growing steadily over the past few years.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERCESSION
Don has a left below the knee amputation scheduled with Dr. Hines in Bend, Oregon on April 10th. We are anticipating his freedom from pain and greater mobility with a prosthetic device with great hope. Dr. Hines feels that Don is a great candidate with a good prognosis. We were told to anticipate being able to return to Mexico three months after the surgery.
Pray for Pastor Francisco and family as they begin a new ministry in Papalote. Pray for the people as they adjust to a new pastor. Pray for Ramon and his family as they adjust to a new role as well.
Mitla, Oaxaca – a sanctuary facility to accommodate a minimum of 350 people should be started this year 2018 in late fall and teams to build
Benito Garcia, Baja California – a sanctuary facility and teams to build
El Rosario, Baja California – a sanctuary facility and teams to build
Prayer for our Mexican leadership, for wisdom, power from the Holy Spirit, unity, a vision and faith to trust God to supply all their needs
The need for more NLM staff continues. Our greatest needs right now:
A “MacGyver” of installations upkeep and troubleshooting skills in maintenance who could teach seminary students to do the same
Bilingual staff who could contribute in consulting and advisory capacities
Pray for Dwight and Sarah Hires as they take on the team load in our absence for Don’s surgery
Praise the Lord and pray for the Crumrines’, Dale and Carol, as they continue giving and loving others.
Pray for the Brocks, Leon and Rae Ellen. Rae Ellen was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. They accompanied us to Mitla in December.
Praise the Lord for the teams who have been coming this year 2018 to bless the family of God in Mexico. Teams from: Madras, Oregon; Ensenada, Mexico; Soldotna, Alaska; Christmas Valley, OR; Vancouver Island, Canada. Pray for teams who are planning to come through the month of August.
Pray for one another: your family, your children, your church family. Many are suffering and have not shared with others. We need each other…. we need the Lord.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
May the Lord bless and keep you. May his grace shine upon you. May the strength and peace of Jesus carry you day by day. There is no other hope. There is no other truth. There is no other life. There is no other way. Only Jesus.
Thank you for your continuous prayers and your faithful support of the ministry of God through NLM.
En Su Servicio,
