Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.     Gal 6:9

So this is the challenge of the season.  How long can I hang on.  The needs are great, the trials many, nothing is certain until it is past, and even then I'm still wondering!  As Pastor Tom might say,  I am ripe for a miracle.  I am on the cusp of seeing God do something amazing.  I'm so grateful you all are on the journey with me, joining in through prayer and support.  Together we are going to see God move in amazing ways this season.  Will you stand with me for the following miracles on the mission field this fall?

praying and believing:

• God will open doors into the camps, no more delays, no more rain cancelations, or workers backing out.  onward!
• God will send an abundance of new students to keep me occupied and pay the bills
• God will raise up more workers to assist me in the ministry here
• God will bring in a harvest of more people saved and discipled this year than ever before
• God will enable me to overcome in my personal life and grow in faith and perseverance.
• God will guide for this years Caborca trip and next summers plans

That sums it up saints,  pray those things, let God do what only He can, and I'll write back with testimony to His faithfulness.

Sharing our faith until He comes back to get us,

Sal

Pray my neighbor Fatima and her family respond to the gospel

Hi all,

I think its been quite a while since I sent out an update.  Here's a run down of what the Lord has taken me through these past two months:

      Starting in June, I moved out of the big house, ran up to SanDiego for supplies, had the little old truck stolen, bought a new old truck, came back, stayed in a friends house for a few weeks here in Culiacan and finally moved in to my own place just a couple of weeks ago.  

Itty bitty house with great AC and new, old truck

 Whew!  all things with prayer and fasting ;o)

Ariel and my workers Bethany and Claudia

  oh yes, and Ariel came to visit in the middle of the heat and insanity.  it was awesome.

       As I mentioned last letter, the ministry really settles down a lot in the summer.  we only visit one camp a week now to disciple my friend Griselda and her family. 

 It has actually worked out to be a good time to move and get the new place fixed up, adopt a kitten, and try to get my fledgling business back up to speed.  hey at least this little place has air conditioning, THANK GOD!  I was gonna die!

    The Lord has also taken advantage of the time off to do a lot of inner work on me and a few of my workers as well.  Its been a great time to pray and seek the Lord,  discover areas that need work and pray some more.

Griselda and kids,  her daughter Bethsaida fell in love with the kitten

Because of all the coming and going I was not able to start the bible school yet.  Griselda however, did come to stay at my house for a while, and proved to be my most interested bible student. Therefore, I have opted to begin the bible training in her camp next tuesday.  Gerardo, Claudia, and Bethany will hopefully be joining us out there.

    So here's the prayer requests in summery:

• pray we really can start the bible training next tuesday and everyone can make it.  They all really need this.
• pray I get a lot more students and don't starve
• pray the new old car gets fixed. (some mystery to do with a gasket I think)
• pray God gives my workers and I opportunity to keep sharing the gospel even during our summer break from regular ministry
• Pray God provides me with roommates

Well, thanks so much for your care and support for me while I'm serving the Lord down here.  I couldn't do it without you guys. If you like the pictures, there's loads more on facebook, mostly of the cat ;o?

God's biggest blessings to you all in these last days

sal

Hi Everybody,

Booboo always in the middle of things

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on the recent changes, and ask for prayer.  It doesn't look like I'll be able to rent the project house after all.  My friend Rosa owns it with her brothers,  one of them is not interested in renting it out.  She has another home that could be available for us, I'll be looking at it today.  Please pray God gives me wisdom and shows me what i'm supposed to do.

Meanwhile, God has been giving me lots of opportunity to share with Rosa and I'd love it if you all would join me praying for her salvation.  She comes from a Catholic background and she's very interested in the bible.  She just needs to do something about that pesky live-in boyfriend!

The ministry is just about done for this season.  We showed our last Jesus film in a mosquito infested camp far from church or chapel bell.  They were so grateful for our visit it made the sacrifice of time, gasoline, and comfort well worth it.  Pray they continue to walk with God and read the little new testaments they received.  Now we have only two camps we're visiting each week, leading discipleship groups and watching people grow in Christ.  The response is amazing, I thank God every day for the joy of serving Him here.  When the tuesday night group shuts down for the summer I'm planning on starting a 6 week leaders training.  I'd like to help my workers learn how to hear God's voice in the word, prepare a message for the camps, and gain a better understanding of the Bible.  A big task.  please pray I'm effective and they gain some much needed skills to prepare them even more to serve the Lord in evangelism and discipleship.

    Lastly, I could really use prayer for more work.  Some students have not returned after the Easter break and money is getting tight.  I'd like to start some evening classes now, so please pray lots of new students sign up.  I really enjoy teaching and it feels good to be able to provide for my own needs down here.

I love to hear from you all, even just a short email with a prayer request assures me that someone is still out there.  I miss you guys and enjoy your comments very much.  I'm so grateful to all of you who support me in one way or the other, giving me the opportunity to serve the Lord like this.  Its the most rewarding years of my life that is for sure.

Praying Gods blessing on you all

Sal

word on revival

Hey All,

I heard a word from the Lord this morning.  Just have to share it with you all.  God has been answering many of the requests from the last letter so a hearty thank you to each of you and a praise to God for His swift power in answer to our petitions.  so to encourage you even further, i got inspired by this verse this morning.  A number of us have been fasting and praying for revival this lent season.  topics for intercession include daily prayer for revival and the sending out of workers into the final harvest here in the last days. Here's what God said to encourage us to keep vigilant in prayer and not to faint. hope its a blessing to you.

 Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime, 

it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms.

He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.

zech 10:1

  I feel very strongly in my spirit that God is really behind what we're doing this spring.  He just wants all that He does down here on earth to be in response to our prayers.  Its like He wants us to almost feel like it was our idea or something, only we know all revival starts with Him.  He has a thunderstorm of power revving up to send out workers, to get revival, repentance, salvation and change in our state and nation.  NOW is the time to pray!  Now is the season for new things to spring up by divine surprise.  This outpouring of His Spirit will be poured out on all people, just like brother Joel told us (Joel 2:28,29).  In turn the results will mean spiritual food, the bread of life, made available to everyone. 

 The nations are going to be glad as they hear of His saving love and power.  The gospel will spread out with even greater speed, greater unction. I see a ridiculously happy multitude of evangelists boarding plans and trekking thru jungles and mountains eager to get the Word out.  I see the mighty angels laughing as the Holy Spirit like a batter who knows He's awesome, whacks that little ball out of the park!  What a great day of rejoicing this is for the believer as we join in with Gods perfect timing and saving love to be a part of the biggest revival this world has ever seen.

 

hey everyone,

things are humming along down here in Culiacan.  I've been very busy in the ministry and in the english school leaving little time to slow down and write an update for you all.  In addition I've been dealing with one illness after another, so when I'm done with a class or a drive out to the camps I come home and die on my bed.  Prayers for strength would really be great right about now.

 

booboo helping make gospel CDs

So, we're getting ready to add two new camps to our schedule but we need Gods mind to know which of the remaining 100+ we should choose to focus on.  Some camps have large groups of folks from the deep jungles of the south.  These people listen intently to the message of salvation and respond to the Lord with fervency and gratitude.  Other times we find a laziness and a carelessness, often among the spanish speakers, who have already heard the gospel and just like us to visit to talk to them about the bible.  this group is nice enough but bears little fruit, making small effort themselves to continue with the Lord.  Naturally we want to focus our energy on group 1.  We just really need God to show us where they are.

          In another awesome answer to prayer, God has sent a missionary couple here to work with the indigenous as well.  They are my age but have been working in other parts of Mexico for some 30 odd years.  They are a tremendous source of encouragement and wisdom.  we have started having regular missionary meetings to seek to edify one another along with the other missionaries in our area.  what a blessing.

 

 Lastly, i wanted to ask you all to pray for my coworker and friend Gerardo.  Please pray that he can find some kind of tech school to learn a trade, as well as a job that allows him to support himself while continuing to preach in the camps.

 

Ok,  here are the prayer points in brief and a hearty blessing to all of you up there supporting the work in your prayers.

 

• God make me strong and healthy to keep serving Him with joy and vigor
• God direct our steps to what camps to visit next
• God help the indigenous to really lay hold of the Lord and pursue Him even after they leave Culiacan
• God continue to raise up more english students, ie. financial independence
• God provide a great job, training school and better living situation for Gerardo
• God provide a house for next season
• God keep us all walking closely with Him, spreading the gospel to all who will listen until He comes to get us

 

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus

 

sal

Hi Everyone,

  I wanted to thank you all for your prayers and your financial support this past year.  God has done so much with what we each have brought to the table it's amazing.  This past fall we saw quite a number saved and a steady group of about 15 people coming regularly to church.  Its such a privilege and joy to disciple people who are so hungry for the word of God.

    In just a few days, I'll be making my annual trek up to Caborca in the northern part of mexico.  It will just be a quick 10 day trip to reach out to the indigenous Mexican indians, most of whom come from the state of Chiapas where it is very difficult to be a christian.  A big part of your financial support goes to bibles and CDs for audio gospel to this region.  If any one wants to make a special one time contribution to that project now is a great time.

        In light of giving, i needed to alert you all to a few changes.  As of this year, Agape will no longer be handling my funds.  Instead my church back home, First Baptist, has agreed to handle my accounts and donations for me. This means that from now on, any donations you would like to make need to be checks made out to First Baptist Church, with Mexico Mission in the memo.  Also a note included with a check is the best safeguard that the money will go to its intended destination.  The church address is:

first baptist church

2075 Johnson Ave

San Luis Obispo 

CA 93401

Here is a link for the First Baptist Church website where you can find me under missions.

http://fbcslo.wordpress.com

          Thank you all once again for your faithfulness in supporting me thru prayer, finances and your words of encouragement.  its what keeps me going.

Lastly. let me close with a brief list of prayer requests for the coming year.

• continued provision and protection as my teams and I aim to spread the gospel to the indigenous people of mexico.
• Increase in the number of workers so we can double the number of camps we visit. 
• Workers and funds for Caborca coming up jan 19th
• Pray God increases the number of students at my English school so I can bring in more income and  can be less dependent on outside funding.
• Pray God provides for me to buy the house I'm currently renting in culiacan.

Many blessings to you all in the coming new year.  I pray God prepares us all for His soon coming by giving us pure hearts and a readiness to share the gospel.  Lift up your heads for your redemption draws near!

Love

sal

Hi everyone,

First of all a big thanks again to those of you who contributed to the flood relief last month.  Things have dried up now,  most the broken sewer pipes are fixed, and praise God the mosquitos are finally starting to dwindle.  Those in the small towns who lost everything will still need prayer, ask God to help them seek the Lord for their needs and find Him to be all sufficient.

      As for me,  I'm glad to find there are enough people already here in the camps to fill up 4 nights a week.  Even though I've been doing this for a year now, I'm still so pleasantly surprised at the grand reception they give us.  One of the common responses when i ask someone if they are a christian and if they want a bible is this.  "well i'm not a christian but i really would like to read the Word of God."  Oh MY GOSH OF COURSE HERES A BIBLE!  

           This past monday i started up bible study again in camp san Nico with a number of these not-christian-yet types.  Esther translated as i shared how receiving Jesus into your heart begins a life long relationship similar to the first time you receive a guest into your home.  You're not really friends if thats the only conversation you've ever had.  We need to keep the friendship going.  I'm making great effort this year to teach people how to seek God directly in prayer and in the word right from day 1 of salvation.  Its common around here for people to only worship, pray and hear the word at church time while forgetting him the rest of the time.  We talked a lot on monday how babies need to learn to be self feeding as do babes in Christ.  Please pray I'm able to communicate this effectively

Esther, Booboo, me and the kids of San Nico.

    I also want to thank you all once again for the truck, we're packing it with more and more people each week, as we go to church in Villa Juarez.

------- hold on a minute.... here comes the ice cream man.... gotta go share Jesus.... brb------

       So, after a full sunday morning at Amigos and Hermanos, i rest up for an hour or so before leaving for Pastor Cesar's church in Villa Juarez.  On the way i'll stop by two or three different camps, to pick-up whoever wants to join us.  this always reminds me of the verse that says go to the highways and byways and compel them to come in.  Its a lot of fun and there are more people each week.  The church is still small enough to fit in Cesar's front patio, but not for long.  I'm looking forward to preaching there one of these sundays when pastor Cesar has to go visit another church plant.  please pray God gives me something very encouraging to edify the church.

Add 8 more people to this picture to get an idea of how many we're packing in now

    Lastly, i wanted to share about Abel.   I told many of you about him in service last summer when i spoke.  He and his family are still doing really well.  In fact, they now join us in reaching out to the other camps.  This is so wonderful to see.  I pray all the others coming to small group bible studies will pursue the Lord the way he and his family have.

this is abel, and Cesars gang at Almas birthday party.  they were so proud to serve us dinner ;o)

so prayer requests in summery are as follows:

more workers sent out to visit more camps

continued open doors into the camps

young believers truly grow in Christ

God anoints my messages

God adds students to my school and thus more gas in my tank

The Lord enlarges our understanding and vision of His will for this season of ministry

Gerardo and Ruben, on mission to Oaxaca this month with my boss Mike Hendricks, get some good missionary training

Gerardo and Ruben with guitars donated from FBC members

Thanks all for your prayers and faithful monetary support.  I really appreciate it and God is clearly using you all in many lives.

If any one of you writes me back and shares prayer requests, I'd love to pray more specifically for you.

Biggest blessings ever!

sal

PS  dont forget you can join me, natalie, gerardo, ruben and several others on a short mission trip to Caborca this january.  Its only about 500 bucks and 10 days out of your life to bring bibles and the gospel message to people who have never heard it before.  pretty awesome.  com'on pastor Tom,  you know you wanna!