A Story of Redeeming Love
Imagine praying for a family member lost to severe addiction for years, watching them disappear into the shadows until you’ve nearly lost all hope. You keep praying, but the silence stretches on. Then, on an ordinary day on a crowded street in Tijuana, a young man steps off a public bus—and walks straight into his sister, who just happens to be standing on that exact corner.
That isn’t a scene from a movie; it is the real-life testimony of Jose Vargas, one of the incredible potential church planters Dawn and I had the privilege of evaluating last week. His story is a powerful reminder that our God is a rescuer, and He specializes in using the most broken vessels to carry His glorious light.
Thirty Years of Discerning the Call
This past week, Dawn and I joined forces with Ministerios Transformación, led by Pastor Daniel Núñez in Tijuana, Mexico, for an intensive two-day process called the Discovery Center (Centro de Descubrimiento). Alongside a team of experienced pastors, our mission was to observe, evaluate, and encourage five potential church-planting couples.
If you’ve never seen a Discovery Center in action, it plays out a bit like a highly spiritual, two-day job interview. We watch these couples closely as they share their personal testimonies, preach sample sermons, and outline their philosophies of ministry. We even watch how they collaborate under pressure, challenging them to work together to present a comprehensive strategy to plant five new churches over the next seven years.
Dawn and I first began helping with these evaluations thirty years ago when we lived in Mexico City. Taking this intentional time is vital—it ensures that these couples are truly called, spiritually prepared, and emotionally equipped to take on the heavy ground-work of planting a new church. Beyond measuring their capability, it is a joy to identify their unique strengths and speak encouragement into their lives.
From Addiction to Church Planting
While the work is intense, the sweet fellowship and the opportunity to hear what God is doing across Mexico is incredibly life-giving.
Jose Vargas and his wife, Amelia, completely stole our hearts. After that miraculous encounter at the Tijuana bus stop, Jose’s sister immediately got him into a rehabilitation center, where he completely surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. After finding freedom and healing, he met Amelia, and today they make an unstoppable team.
Their current pastor, Tury, shared that Jose and Amelia have brought around 50 people into the church over the last two years alone! Having been rescued themselves, they now carry a burning passion to step back into the rehab centers, feed the hungry, and share the radical, redeeming love of Jesus with those who feel just as lost as Jose once did.
God Still Redeems and Sends
José’s story is a beautiful reminder of the Gospel in action:
God rescues… God restores… and God sends.
What once seemed like a life lost is now being used to reach others with the hope of Christ.
And José’s story is just one of many from this past week at the Discovery Center.
Extend Your Hands to Help
God is moving powerfully in Mexico and across Cuba, where new churches are being planted, leaders are being trained, and families are being discipled, even in extremely difficult circumstances.
And through Hannah’s Toys of Hope, children continue to receive:
Toys
School supplies
Food
Prayer
The message of Christ- The smiles, the joy, the spark of hope—each one is a gift of God’s love made tangible.
Your generosity through Beyond Borders becomes a powerful channel of God’s grace—empowering pastors, strengthening families, planting churches, and filling children’s hearts with joy and the hope of the gospel.
Because of your prayers and faithful support:
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Pastors and their families are being supported
- Marriages are being strengthened
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Churches are being planted in unreached areas
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New believers are being discipled, and leaders are being raised up
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Families in need are receiving food and supplies
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Children are being blessed with toys, school supplies, and the gospel through Hannah’s Toys of Hope
Together, We Can Reach More
As we celebrate all that God is doing through the Discovery Center and the churches that are being planted, we’re reminded that these stories are possible because of faithful partners like you.
Your prayers and generosity are helping plant churches, raise leaders, and bring the hope of Christ to families who need it most.
But the work is not finished.
There are still communities waiting to be reached…
families in need of support…
and children who have yet to hear that they are loved by God.
Would you prayerfully consider making a special investment today?
Whether it’s $50, $100, or a gift of $500, your support is the fuel that allows us to cross these borders. Your gift today becomes a brick in a new church, a meal for a hungry family, and a seed of hope in a child’s heart.
Your gift helps bring the love and hope of Christ to those who need it most.
Click below to give a special gift today. 
Thank you for your generosity and compassion in extending your hands to help.
In His Grip, Dave & Dawn Diaso