I hope you note the recommendation. My prayer letters will always look better reading them on the website.
You may have been part of a glitch in publishing my prayer letters. I found out that a number of you hadn’t received a report since October 2023. I have written and supposedly published monthly reports – you have access to them on the website under “Archives”. It’s the 6th category in the left-hand column. If the Spanish translation appears when you click on the month, just click on “Previous Entries” (under the title) to see the English version. The March and April reports are actually for the previous month and this one gets me back on schedule for April. If you were not receiving the reports, I apologize. The admin thinks he caught the error, so I hope everyone on the mailing list receives the reports from now on.
In the past letters, I explained how several factors converged the beginning of this year leaving me alarmingly under-supported financially. Thanks for your prayers for the Lord to supply that need. I was hoping to be able to report a spectacular answer to prayer, but instead the Lord is supplying in increments. I am grateful for those who have increased their giving and to the new supporters, and I continue to invite you to pray with me for the Lord to meet the need for the last 21 months until retirement. To facilitate giving, click on the verse for the US donor page and click on the “Mexicanized poutine” for the Canadian donor page. The Lord is my refuge and my source of hope.
Willy and I taught the Level 1 course several times and Josué joined us last Sunday. Almost 50 people completed Level 1 and they were all invited to take Level 2. We are thrilled with the high level of participation.
Willy taught the first session after church on Bible reading and last Sunday I taught the second session on prayer. This Sunday the treasurer will teach on giving and the last week focuses on fellowship through small group ministry and also gives guidelines on how to develop new habits. Saturday we plan to teach all 4 Level 2 sessions in an intensive course and we may do that again to facilitate that all the Level 1 graduates also complete Level 2. Since our desire is that they develop the habits of a daily devotional time with the Lord, regular giving to His church, and participation in small groups, and since it takes time to develop those habits, we won’t offer Level 3 until the fall. Josué and I are scheduled to teach Level 3. Please pray that the church does develop these habits and that the spiritual maturity will be evident.
Last month I shared about discovering the sea lions and then I took a group on that hike. There were even more sea lions, but they were way less active. We all enjoy God’s creation and the time spent together deepening relationships.
After the kids enjoying a playground, I took them to a lagoon where the Lord blessed me with another opportunity to see a Green-tailed Towhee and a Belding’s Yellowthroat. Belding’s are endangered and endemic to this area. If there were a white band above the mask, it would be a Common Yellowthroat which I’ve seen here and in Ontario.
But the extra-special blessing was seeing the male Blue Grosbeak for the first time. Immature males and females look the same, but I also got to see a young male beginning to show the blue on its head (last). After seeing the female in the larger photo, you know why I wanted to see the male.
On a trip taking a ministry team from the Mexicali church back to the Los Cabos airport, I saw another new bird – a Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater.
And speaking of teams from the Mexicali church, a work team from there is here now improving the church property. And speaking of the church property, another step has been taken in the property title process. Please continue to pray for the legal process. Hopefully soon we will have the document needed so Willy could try to reactivate the church bank account. BREAKING NEWS – that document was just released! Please pray that the bank would facilitate the process.
Our small group enjoys sharing and being edified by what the Lord impresses on as through our daily devotional times. We were glad to have one of the two travellers return and also began celebrating my birthday early. 
On my birthday, we couldn’t get the whole group together, so one part and their kids went on a hike to a waterfall that is slightly visible behind the group. 
Then another group and their families celebrated with authentic Mexican food. Any excuse for a party, and these are parties with a purpose! The final activity was postponed until Wednesday with another grouping. Through these outings, new friendships are being formed with the families. Please pray that the barriers continue to be broken so that the unsaved family members will be drawn to Christ and place their faith in Him.
Please also pray for the ladies’ ministry. I was temporarily leading it, but it seems that the time will be extended as Isela continues to adapt to a newborn and a toddler. As always, please keep Willy, Isela, Lilian and Livier in your prayers. We are looking forward to a visit from their pastor (of the Mexicali church) and having him preach and his wife lead a Mother’s Day activity for the ladies. (Happy Mother’s Day to all you biological, adoptive, foster, and spiritual mothers!) There is a lot to pray for and to praise God for!
Deeply grateful for each of you,
Brenda
