I didn’t expect to have much to share this month, but it turns out there were several celebrations worth mentioning.
I believe the church had been using the same soundboard console from before I arrived in La Paz. It was even stolen and miraculously recovered, however its service ended the last Sunday of July. Praise the Lord that He put it in the heart of a member of the Mexicali church to donate a new console that Willy was able to bring back on his return from their family vacation. We also praise God for protecting Willy and his family when the steering went out on a curvy section along cliffs, and for also providing the necessary car repairs. They enjoyed their time with family and later in Mexicali while I realized that a staycation just meant working at a more relaxed pace. I hope to take a proper break later in the year.
Over the years, I have thrown a number of surprise parties for friends and colleagues. I have to congratulate Willy and Isela on pulling off a surprise party for me! The decorations featured a bird theme, a colleague I met at Candidate School (both of us “graduated” and joined the TEAM family) shared some kind thoughts, and several video messages that Willy had collected from friends and family were projected. It was a lot of fun and I deeply appreciated everyone’s contributions.
I left home to begin serving as a TEAM missionary August 13, 1984. My first prayer card reflects the original plan to serve in Mexico. The verse cited on the card is Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps”. When I finished Language School, I served briefly in Tampico, Mexico while waiting for my Venezuela visa. The Lord’s plan included ministry in Venezuela (arriving in 1985) and Peru (arriving in 2010) before arriving in Mexico in 2015. I am grateful for the privilege of these 40 years of missionary service, but I’m not done yet! I don’t retire until January 1, 2026, so I hope to count on your commitment to our team with prayer and financial support until I retire from being a TEAM missionary. Just as I served in my home church before becoming a missionary, I am excited to see how the Lord will repurpose my service after my missionary journey concludes.
Many of you have been part of the team from the very beginning, and some of you will soon be celebrating the milestone of 100 years of age! Many of you have also dedicated years of your lives in missionary service, some currently serving as missionaries. Others of you have joined the team along the way and are still young (especially compared to me!) and raising your families in the ways of the Lord. I am grateful for each one of you and your contributions — individuals, couples, families, and churches alike. Let’s pray that we finish the course well!
I’m not done this report yet either! The beginning of August, our small group met to enjoy a meal together and a photo presentation. The couple behind me in the photo had done a cruise of Greece, and we wanted to give them an opportunity to share of their experiences. We were joined by a few family members, but this marked the first time that all of our small group members were together. Technically, when we were a group of six we were all together for several months, but the first week with the seventh woman joining marked the beginning of several months with at least one person missing due to travel, illness, or work. This was another reason to celebrate, along with the group’s desire to continue meeting without taking a break.
The following week we celebrated the first time all of us were together for a regular small group meeting. The book in our hands is the devotional book that contains the Scripture we base our discussions on. The purpose is to help each of us develop the habit of daily Bible reading and prayer, while also providing opportunities to exhort and encourage one another. El Faro will be introducing a church-wide small group ministry in September. Please pray that people will get involved and grow in their walk with the Lord. The end of the month we’ll be offering Level 3 which encourages people to discover their gifting and to put it into practice in ministry.
I had a very interesting visit with a lady who has come to El Faro irregularly. I found out that years ago, she slept against the outer wall of the church when she was homeless. Later, she formed a family, and her in-laws shared Christ with them. Their young son wanted to go to the church “close to God,” as he called it, because El Faro is located up the hill from the road. Please pray for the spiritual and physical needs of the people in El Faro, and that more people on the outside will come inside. The celebration of Mexican Independence on the 15th is another opportunity to bring people inside. Please pray for this outreach as well.
Please continue praying for the process of transferring the property title into the church’s name. The document is still in the government office as they have required additional proof regarding the legalities. It’s reassuring to know they are doing their due diligence, and the necessary information was provided in a timely manner, but the delays are frustrating. Please pray for God’s perfect timing in the process and that the next steps move along smoothly once the document is secured, and praise God for all His provisions for the church.
Celebrating the goodness of God!
Brenda
