I have so much to share with you!
I’ll begin with the sad news. Last month, my Venezuelan mother was called Home. Those of you who have been with me for decades have often read about Eva. She and her daughter, Danila, were among the group that welcomed me to Barquisimeto, Venezuela 40 years ago. Though she made her decision to follow Jesus the night before my arrival, I had the privilege of discipling her. She took me under her wing, embracing me as part of her family. Over the years, her husband, three children, and three grandchildren have all become believers and faithfully serve in their churches. Please continue to uplift the family, especially Danila who was her main caregiver. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.” (Ps. 116:15, NIV)
Our small group continued to meet through the holiday season. Apart from our regular meetings, we had several opportunities to invite family members, including a mother, children, and a husband who are not yet believers. This month, we celebrated a birthday which included the unsaved mother again along with some friends in addition to our group. Please pray for the spiritual growth of our group and for the salvation of family members and friends.
I was also encouraged this week when the leader of another group shared with me how their group is growing in commitment and in numbers. Pray for growth in all the small groups and that it would lead to growth in the church as well.
Our small group led the church service a couple weeks ago (photo – offertory prayer), and Aracely shared a beautiful testimony of what the group has meant in her life.
In January, El Faro hosted a Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoebox event. The attendance exceeded our expectations. Those who led the activity and participated in the evangelistic drama all did a fantastic job! Unfortunately, the follow up attempts have had complications. Please pray that the seeds planted would take root and bear lasting fruit.
I last wrote a couple hours before our TEAM Mexico Annual Conference was held. As a colleague wrote, “Our TEAM Mexico family includes Mexican, Columbian, Argentine, Guatemalan, British, Ugandan, Canadian, and American global workers–along with Adult Missionary Kids who grew up in Japan, Indonesia, Bolivia, Spain, and Venezuela!” We enjoyed fellowship, workshops, and outings with the focus on our unity in Christ. The four of us retiring appreciated a special time of recognition for our service. Interestingly, we also welcomed four new missionaries. May the Lord continue to grow and bless the TEAM Mexico field to reap a bountiful harvest for the Kingdom.
In my last letter, I mentioned Poleth in my prayer requests. Her parents joined the church plant in Mexicali when she was 4 years old. Now, at 22, she has moved to La Paz in obedience to the Lord leading her to serve in the El Faro church. What a blessing! Her parents came for a week to help her settle in. In addition, they ministered in El Faro, and her mother shared with us in the Ladies’ event.
Last month, I also asked prayer for Willy’s trip. I am happy to report that Willy’s visa was granted, and that he and his family have safely returned to La Paz.
This month, instead of a Ladies’ event, the church hosted an event for couples (one couple missing from the photo). We had two couples visiting from Mexicali who shared their experiences and counsel to strengthen the marriages. Please pray for the upcoming Ladies’ event in March.
Please continue to pray for the property title transfer. We are still waiting on a response from the Notary, so it feels like we are taking baby steps in slow motion.
At our greeters’ meeting, only one person wasn’t able to attend. I informed the group of a few new implementations before presenting the new leader of the ministry. All of us confirmed our commitment to continue serving in the ministry and expressed our desire to continue to improve our service. Please join me in praying for the Lord to indicate the person to replace me as guide of my small group.
Planning for my Retirement Home Assignment has brought a mix of emotions. There is grief in anticipating the end of active missionary service this year, yet also excitement about what the Lord has in store for future ministry. Purchasing tickets came with apprehension, and frustration followed as three of the seven flights have been rescheduled. There is joy in looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible, but also sorrow in learning of so many health struggles. Time and again, I am reminded of the need to trust the Lord every step of the way. Progress is being made with the trips covering NS, PE, AB, OR, MI, IN, IL, and WI having structure. The NY portion of the third trip is scheduled, so I need to finish that trip and then I will be contacting the rest in ON. I am working on the HA planning, continuing to serve with reduced ministry responsibilities, preparing for retirement in 2026, and sorting through my possessions to decide what I need to keep into retirement, to sell or to give away. I deeply cherish your prayers for effective ministry, for wisdom in organizing my time, for discernment in decision-making, and for grace in handling frustrations.
Recently, I received an email from a friend using her email address that turned out to be a scam. The clue was the request for money. This raised the concern that my mailing list had been hacked. Thankfully, that does not seem to have happened, but if you ever receive a message from my email address that is requesting money for help to pay for a gift, or an emergency, or a ransom, etc., please be assured that it is NOT from me and delete it. I have never asked for a dollar amount or used an emotional plea and, Lord-willing, I never will. From my acceptance in TEAM as an appointed missionary in 1983, I have communicated the financial and prayer needs through my prayer letters and in meetings in a general way. I have only provided specific information in response to a personal request. My faith and trust has always been in the Lord and it has deepened as I’ve seen Him supply in a variety of ways and often at the last minute. Each time I begin to worry about future needs, I turn the need over to the Lord and experience His peace as taught in Philippians 4:6 and 7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
Desiring God’s peace and provision for each of us,
Brenda
