Posts Tagged ‘Mexicali Mexico’

A Proud Papa: A New Church

Posted: May 18, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Thankful for God’s Provision
Pastor Federico and Blanca with the people from their church Verdad y Vida

I feel like a proud papa as Dawn and I minister with Pastor Federico and Blanca Muñoz in Mexico. We’ve just put a down payment on some property and hope to build on it this Fall. I’m thrilled for them, because they’ve been working so hard to plant this church. For the last year and a half they’ve been meeting in a park on Sunday mornings.

Even though it hasn’t been easy to meet at the park, Federico and Blanca said that a number of people are coming to faith as they hear the preaching and worship. It creates a curiosity, and causes people to come to see what is going on. They hear the message and they like it.

Church in the park

While there are some advantages to meeting in the park, the problem is that Mexicali has extreme weather. It’s a desert climate, so in the summer months it can get as high as 120. As you can imagine, not many people want to be outside in those temperatures. The other problem is that there are no bathrooms nearby.

God is Answering Our Prayers

We’ve been praying that we will be able to build a place to hold services by the end of this year. We found a property nearby that we like that is suitable for construction. It’s also in a community where a number of new families will be moving. Federico and Blanca took the people to the site on a recent Sunday to pray together over the property (photo below). This lifted their faith and created momentum as they begin the process of purchasing the property and work towards building a church.

Praying over the new church property

Pastor Federico put a down payment on the property in this week! Now we are praying for and working to raise the funds to finish construction in November of this year. The down payment and construction costs are $31,100.

We believe that the new property is the next step in seeing the church grow, and reach out in the community. A permanent location will give them a greater presence. We are excited that more people are coming to faith and growing in Christ. We thank the Lord for these testimonies of lives that have been changed by the gospel.

Our goal is to raise the funds so that we can build the church in November. We’d like to launch the first church services in early November of this year.

Join us in Prayer!
  • Pray for Federico and Blanca Muñoz that the Lord will guide and lead them.
  • Pray that many lives will be transformed.
  • Pray that the gospel continues to go out powerfully and effectively.
  • Pray that the Lord will raise up the $31,100.
  • Prayerfully consider making a donation today to help us build this church.
Extend Your Hands to Help!

Your generosity is bringing life transformation to families in Mexicali. Would you prayerfully consider joining us, and making a commitment to help us accomplish this God-given vision to impact Mexicali for generations to come. Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

Video: God is Building His Church in Mexicali

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

The Ever Expanding Kingdom

Posted: January 19, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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God is Building His Church in Mexicali
From left to right: Daniel, Federico, Blanca, Dave, Damaris, Paola, Junior with Mykela, and David

In my last post I wrote about Pastor Jorge Alvarado and his wife, Lucy who are planting a church in Mexicali. Dawn and I give thanks for them and for how the Lord is using them to shine the light of Christ in a dark place. Today I would like to highlight another church plant in Mexicali that we are excited about. The church is called, Verdad y Vida, “Truth and Life” and it’s led by Pastor Federico Muñoz and his wife, Blanca.

Federico and Blanca were renting a nice hall for their Sunday services, but the church wasn’t growing. They thought they were in a good location, but when you are a new church plant and you are not reaching new people that is a problem. Federico realized that they needed to do something different. He and Blanca prayed and they found another community where there wasn’t a church, and there was a need. They left the building and started meeting in a park. The weather isn’t always ideal in Mexicali, because it is a desert climate similar to Phoenix.

Even though it seems like a park wouldn’t be ideal they did start to grow. In a few weeks they doubled in size. This month they just completed one year of meeting in the park. The church has left the building!

The Gospel is Changing Lives
Fun during the ministry event at the park in Mexicali

Last weekend Federico and Blanca held an outreach event on Saturday afternoon. Initially we had a church from Southern California that was going to join them and help them with the event, but the church ended up not being able to come. The Muñoz’s felt like they should hold the event anyway. That is one of the qualities that I love about them is they are very committed and they will work through adversity.

Blanca praying for Kimberly while Federico is leading the group

They had a great response as many showed up for the games and food at the park. After the fun time Federico presented a gospel message to the people and thirteen people said “yes” to following Jesus. Pastor Federico and his team invited them to join them for church on Sunday and ten of them returned. Now they are busy following up and encouraging these friends in their new found faith. It’s so exciting to witness God changing hearts and building his church in Mexicali. We have six churches that we are working with in Mexicali and five of them are recent church plants. Eight years ago only one of these churches existed.

Join Us in Prayer and Extend Your Hands to Help
Isabel working with the children who came to the outreach in the park

One of my goals for this year is to raise the funds and find enough partners to come alongside us to buy some land for the Verdad y Vida church. I also would like to be able to build at least the initial building for the church. My prayer is that we can begin building the church by this Fall. Join Dawn and me in prayer that this dream will become a reality. We’d like to invite you to prayerfully consider giving towards the construction of this new church. We will need $25,000 to put a down payment on the land, and build the church.

Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift today.

Click to Donate…

Video: Jesus is Bringing New Life to Mexicali
We Give Thanks for how the Lord is Building His Church in Mexicali

In His Grip, Dave
P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

Giving Thanks for New Life

Posted: January 12, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Helping Start New Churches in Mexicali
Pastor Jorge & Lucy in front of the new church building as it was being built in April of 2022

I hope that your year is off to a good start! One of the things that I enjoy doing at the start of the new year is to think back over all the good things that God has done in the last 12 months. One of the highlights for us was helping to start new churches. It’s always encouraging to think of the good news of Christ being proclaimed in a new neighborhood. I love that we are able to change the atmosphere and bring light into a dark place.

In 2022 we helped build and start a new church in Mexicali, Mexico. We are actually involved in a number of church planting projects in Mexicali. Today, I would like to highlight the church that Pastor Jorge & Lucy Alvarado are leading in this capital city.

The Light of Christ is Shining Brightly Through His Church
Worship in Mexicali as the church was being built. Lower left: Dave & Dawn with Lucy & Jorge on the property before construction had begun.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts Jorge and Lucy have an amazing testimony. Jorge was saved out of a life of addictions. He was also literally brought back from the dead. God rescued Jorge and Lucy’s marriage. They were divorced, and the Lord used their daughter to bring them back together. It’s amazing that they are now ministering together to people in the community where Jorge lived with his parents when he was younger. These neighbors have seen a huge change in Jorge’s life over the years. What a difference Jesus makes! Hallelujah!

God brought them back to this neighborhood to reach all the hurting people. They are reaching a number of men and women who are struggling with addictions. The Lord has given them a heart to see these people’s lives transformed by Christ. Men and women who are caught in some of the same addictions that Jorge used to deal with, before God set him free.

Children’s Ministry in Mexicali
Children’s ministry at the church in Mexicali, Mexico

Jorge and Lucy love to send me photos about the people that they are ministering to. There are also a number of families and children that live in the community where the church is located. Just this last week they were able to bless the children with gifts provided by Samaritans Purse. If your church participated in Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child your gift might have blessed one of these children.

There is always a lot of good life giving activities going on in Mexicali through the ministry and outreach of Pastor Jorge and his wife, Lucy. They live very simple and humble lives. They have demonstrated that are willing to make sacrifices and give the little that they have to make a difference in the someone else’s life. It’s one of the many reasons that we give thanks for all that God is doing through them. (See video: New Birth in Mexicali below)

Extend Your Hands to Help Reach the Lost in Mexicali!
The new church building

Last year we helped raise almost all of the funds needed to build their church, and buy the property that the church sits on. Just yesterday I met with Pastor Daniel Nuñez the leader of Ministerios Transformación (Transformation Ministries). Daniel told me that they just need $2,000 more to finish paying off the property. I told Daniel that we would like to cover the remaining $2,000, so that the church owns the property, which will take a huge burden off of Pastor Jorge and Lucy.

Dawn and I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider giving to this need. Help us pay off the last $2,000 that the church owes to pay off their property. You can make a difference by making a donation today. Click on the donate button below.

Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift today.

Click to Donate…

New Birth in Mexicali, Mexico

In His Grip, Dave
P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

Celebrating the Advance of the Gospel!

Posted: September 26, 2022 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Thankful to be On the Road to Recovery
Dave & Dawn with Monse Santiago the night before my surgery celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day. Lower right Pastor Eliel & Jessica Osorio in Oaxaca. Lower left the celebration on the plaza in Mexico!

I’m grateful for all those that prayed for me this last week. On Friday, September 16, which is also Mexican Independence Day, I had my surgery. I stayed in the hospital overnight, and came home the next day. I’ve been home resting and recovering since then. I’m feeling much better now, so I give thanks to the Lord for His healing work, and for the prayers of his people.

Dawn and I had planned to be in Mexico City for a Discovery Center, our church planter evaluation. We were going to be part of the team to assess and evaluate the church planting candidates. Unfortunately, we missed the Discovery Center, but it went well without us. The only hiccup was an earthquake in Mexico City on the 19th. It wasn’t a major earthquake, but it did cause some fear. It’s interesting that this is the 3rd time since 1985 that there have been earthquakes in Mexico City on September 19th. The last two did cause a lot of damage.

God’s Work Continues to Advance!

Our church planters in Mexicali have been giving us some encouraging updates about how the Lord is working. We actually have a number of church plants going on in Mexicali right now. The two most recent start ups are being led by Pastor Federico and Blanca Muñoz and Pastor Jorge and Lucy Alvarado.

Every week they are sending me photos and encouraging testimonies.

Pastor Federico & Blanca: New Life in Mexicali
Blanca praying for Teresa

Federico and Blanca are still meeting in a park on Sundays. We are praying for a better more permanent place for them, but in the meantime they are faithfully sharing the love of Christ in the park. Blanca loves to send me photos of the church services and the people that they are ministering to. She has a heart to pray for those that come.

She recently told me that she was praying for the people in the park and one of the women that she ministered to is Teresa. She came with her son Fabricio, who is 10 years old. Teresa told Blanca that from the first time she saw them worshipping in the park, her son really wanted to come and participate. In fact, he was insisting that they go. Teresa shared with Blanca how the preaching that morning had touched her. She was very encouraged and she said that she will continue to attend, because she felt God minister to her life and to her son as well. Praise God! (See video below about how Jesus is bringing new life to Mexicali).

Pastor Federico and Blanca Bringing New Life to Mexicali
Pastor Jorge & Lucy: New Birth in Mexicali
Pastor Jorge & Lucy Alvarado

Jorge and Lucy our other church planters in Mexicali are working with a number of people that are being set free from a life of addictions. God has given them a special heart to reach out to people many of whom are living on the streets. It’s so exciting to see these lives that are transformed by the power of the gospel.

We are raising funds for Jorge and Lucy so that they can finish building their church. We only need $2,200 for the windows, doors and air conditioning. It’s great that we are getting so close to finishing! As I’ve mentioned before Mexicali is in the desert, so an air conditioner is essential. (See video below about the new birth in Mexicali.)

New Church led by Pastor Jorge and Lucy
Extend Your Hands to Help!
Dave & Dawn with Jorge and Lucy as their church is being built

Dawn and I are praying for these special friends who are like family to us. We are working on raising funds for their church planting projects. We need $2,200 to finish building the church for Pastor Jorge and Lucy. We are just beginning to raise funds for a building for Pastor Federico and Blanca, so we still need $30,000 for their project. God can do it! It’s exciting to be on this journey with Jesus.

Dawn and I invite you to join us through prayer and giving a special gift to help advance the kingdom in Mexicali and Beyond! We appreciate the pivotal role you play!

  • Join un in prayer for Pastor Jorge and Lucy Alvarado, and for Pastor Federico and Blanca Muñoz
  • Prayerfully consider making a gift today, by clicking on the link below
Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

The Church is on Fire in Mexicali

Posted: August 4, 2022 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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The Heat is on as God is Building His Church
Pastor Federico and Blanca Muñoz ministering in the park

I just spoke to Pastor Federico Muñoz and he said that it’s been up to 122 degrees in Mexicali this summer. That’s hot 🥵! The church doesn’t have a building, so they are meeting outside in the park. They have started meeting a couple hours earlier during the summer to beat the heat, but it still has effected their attendance.

In spite of these obstacles the gospel is going forth and lives are being changed. Federico and Blanca are some of our most committed pastors. I’m always amazed by their faith and their willingness to make sacrifices so that the gospel might advance. Their faith is a great example to me and they encourage Dawn and me a great deal.

They wrote me this week and shared some testimonies from their ministry. I think these will lift you up as you read them.

Rene – Freed from Witchcraft
Rene far right worshipping the Lord

Rene, who is a boxer and the brother of one of the leaders in the church has been involved in witchcraft. He had made a vow with the saint of death, which is a thing in Mexico. He actually worshipped this “saint”.

Federico and Blanca prayed for him and through prayer they broke off the vows Rene had made so that he would be free. After they prayed, he felt peace and he started sleeping well at night after months of nightmares and fear. They continue discipling Rene and you can see the difference in him. He is very happy for the change that the power of God has brought in his life. Praise the Lord!

Katia – Freed from Drugs
Blanca praying with Katia

Katia, a single mother suffered greatly as she was addicted to drugs for a number of years. Some friends from the church, Anibel and Miriam were helping her care for her baby. They began to share with Katia about the love of God. She recently came to one of the church services so that Federico and Blanca could minister to her. As Blanca prayed for her, Katia began to cry. Blanca hugged her and told her that God wanted to strengthen her and heal her of all her wounds. She told her, “God loves you and your baby.” Katia is beginning to grow as she experiences of the love of the Father.

Alberto – Physical and Spiritual Healing
Blanca praying with Alberto

A little over a week ago Alberto’s brother was in a terrible accident. He was fighting for his life. Anibel and Miriam the same women that ministered to Katia and brought her to church are friends of Alberto and his family as well. Anibel y Miriam asked Federico and Blanca to pray for Alberto and his family. Last Sunday Alberto and his brother, Jonathan came to church to give thanks that their brother who was involved in the accident was doing much better and that he was no longer in danger of dying.

We can see in these testimonies that each of these people, Rene, Katia and Alberto are experiencing a real living God who has the power to change and transform lives. It’s thrilling to see the Father work through his children and his church.

Every week Federico and Blanca are seeing the fire 🔥 of God touch the lives of people in need. There’s a spiritual fire, the power of God as they worship in a place where there is much heat.

Join us in Prayer
From left to right: Daniel, Federico, Blanca, David, Damaris, Paola, Junior, Maykela and David

Pray with us for Pastor Federico and Blanca and their team as they continue to share the love of Christ in Mexicali. We are praying for a more permanent, cooler place for them to meet. Pray with us for the funds for a building or some land where we can build a church.

Video: New Life in Mexicali
Extend Your Hands to Help Our Familia
Some of the people and families that we are helping 

We are still sending funds every month to help the pastors and families on the Big Island. We would like to raise at least $18,000 this year to cover these needs.

Since the COVID-19 hit in March 2020, we’ve been able to help more than 2,000 people in 9 different cities, because of the generous gifts of many friends like you. Although we cannot help all 11 million people on the Big Island we can help some. It is a nation with tremendous needs. Where your feet cannot go, your prayers can go! Your offerings of love can go! You can extend your hands to bless these men, women and families who are waiting for a miracle every day.

Help us help the church and our familia! Will you join us? Please prayerfully consider partnering with us to help us bring aid to these beautiful people.

Thank you for your prayers and for your support for this work on the Big Island!

Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

Video Update: New Birth in Mexicali

Posted: June 20, 2022 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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God is Building His Church in Mexicali
Pastor Jorge and Lucy Alvarado

Pastor Jorge Alvarado and his wife Lucy just launched a new church in Mexicali, Mexico. Mexicali is the capital of Baja California. It’s an influential city on the border 2 1/2 hours east of Tijuana.

We are partnering with our good friends, Ministerios Transformación (Transformation Ministries) led by Pastor Daniel Nuñez, who has a God-given vision to plant 50 churches. Dawn and I have enjoyed our relationship with all the pastors and leaders with Ministerios Transformación. We give thanks to the Lord for opening the door for us to train and mentor many of them. It’s one of the most fruitful church planting ministries that we’ve partnered with in all of our years in missions.

We are thrilled to see how the light of Christ shines through this new church and the ministry of Jorge and Lucy. After being saved out of a life trapped in addictions, Jorge and Lucy want to help people break free of the chains of addiction through Christ.

Pastor Jorge and Lucy have an amazing testimony that I wrote about in three earlier posts: A New Birth!; A New Birth in Mexicali; Jesus Brings Beauty From Ashes.

Video: New Birth in Mexicali

We put together a short video about the ministry in Mexicali, which includes an interview with Pastor Daniel Nuñez as well as Pastor Jorge and Lucy. They have a great story, that we are sure you will enjoy.

Help Us to Complete Building This Church!

God is on the move in Mexicali! He is building His church. One of the challenges of ministering in Mexicali is that it is in the desert. It’s hot, and the temperature often exceeds 100.

We’ve raised enough funds to put up the walls and part of the roof, but we haven’t completed the project. There’s a big need to finish the roof and walls and to put in air conditioning as they head into the summer months, and the temperature rises. We are working on raising an additional $6,000 to finish building the church.

Would you prayerfully consider making a donation today to help us finish building this church? We are almost there! Please consider giving a gift of $50, $100, $250, $1,000, or more to plant a new church in Mexicali, Mexico. This will also encourage and help equip Pastor Jorge and Lucy who are bringing the love of Christ to their neighborhood, and this city. Dawn and I appreciate the pivotal role you play!

  • Join us in prayer for Jorge and Lucy
  • Prayerfully consider making a gift today, by clicking on the link below
Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

Jesus Brings Beauty From Ashes

Posted: May 9, 2022 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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God’s Miraculous Work
Pastor Jorge Alvarado and Lucy

God brought one of our church planters back from the brink of death. I’m often amazed by the testimonies of those that Dawn and I partner with in ministry. It’s been so good to get to know Pastor Jorge Alvarado and his wife, Lucy. Jorge is planting the church that we just started in Mexicali.

You can read more about that, and more about his story from my last two posts: A New Birth in Mexicali and A New Birth! In my last post I shared how Jorge was shot three times. He was at death’s door. The doctors told Jorge’s mom, Petra that they had done all that they could and there was nothing more that they could do for him.

The Rest of the Story
Jorge with his mom, Petra

Here’s the rest of the story.

It was at that moment that Jorge, cried out, “Madre!” The medical staff ran back into the room where Jorge was. When they saw that Jorge woke up they all got down on their knees and said it was a miracle! Praise God! It’s not every day that we see a miracle like this.

While Jorge was on the operating table he had an experience with God. He said it was as if his spirit left his body and he could see himself on the operating table. He saw his mom and the doctors. Some angels took him by the arm and they took up to the doorway to heaven. It may have actually been the doorway to heaven and hell. Jorge told me he could hear crying and groaning coming from one of the doorways and the other one was bright, like a light shining.

There was an angel at the doorway and he was leafing through a big book. Jorge could feel the breeze as the angel turned the pages. The angel looked up from the book at Jorge and asked him what he wanted. He didn’t know how to respond. At this point Jorge was still caught in his addictive lifestyle and he hadn’t yet given his life to Christ.

After thinking about it Jorge said that he wanted to make things right with his family. He wanted to ask them to forgive him. At that moment Jorge was ushered back down to his body. Again he could see his body on the gurney and the medical staff in the room.

When he came back to his body he woke up, and cried out for his mom! Wow! A modern day resurrection, like Lazarus. Pastor Alvarado had been in a coma for 3 days. I love the imagery. He like Christ and Lazarus was without life for 3 days and God raised him up and brought him back to life.

Setting the Captives Free

After this life altering experience Pastor Jorge found a Christian drug rehabilitation center. It was there that he found Christ. The Pastor of the drug rehab is Juan Huape, who is one of our church planters. Pastor Juan and his wife, Virginia planted a church in Mexicali a few years ago. They also run a drug rehab.

Dave with Pastor Jorge, Pastor Juan Huape and Pastor Daniel Nuñez at the church planting site

Since Pastor Alvarado was saved out of a life of addiction God has given him and Lucy a desire to minister to people who are seeking to break the chains of drug addiction. This is a focus for their outreach and their work in church planting.

This reminds me of Isaiah 61, which is the passage that Jesus quoted from when he began his public ministry. The gospel is good news for the poor, the broken-hearted and the captives.

““The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,’


‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When I first heard Jorge’s testimony last year tears welled up in my eyes as I listened. It was like the Spirit touched me and encouraged me through his redemptive story. His story reminded me of our daughter, Hannah. It was like a glimpse into heaven where our daughter has been for the last 5 1/2 years.

I hope Jorge’s story might encourage you as well. I hope that the Lord will use his testimony to strengthen your faith.

You Can Help!

We just began building the church for Pastor Jorge and Lucy last month.

The partially built church in Mexicali

We have enough funds to frame the walls and put up some of the roof, but we weren’t able to complete the project. We still need $6,000 to finish building the church. That’s where you come in.

  • First, pray for Jorge and Lucy and this vital ministry. 
  • Second, prayerfully consider making a gift today. 

Mexicali is in the desert. It’s hot, and the temperature often exceeds 100. The church needs a finished roof and walls and air conditioning as they head into the summer months. 

Dawn and I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider making a donation today to help us finish building this church. We are almost there! Please consider giving a gift of $50, $100, $250, $1,000, or more to plant a new church in Mexicali, Mexico. Dawn and I appreciate the critical role you play in bringing the light of the gospel to Mexicali and Beyond!

Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

A New Birth in Mexicali

Posted: April 25, 2022 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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An Exciting Day – Building a New Church
Building the new church in Mexicali

Last Monday, the day after Easter was a wonderful day. I got up and I drove 2 1/2 hours east to Mexicali. Once I arrived at the church site, I noticed that the walls were already up for the new church. I count it a privilege to be involved in starting new churches. This particular church is being led by Pastor Jorge Alvarado along with his wife, Lucy.

I wrote about Jorge and Lucy in my last post. They have an amazing testimony that reminds me of God’s love and how He pursues prodigals. Our God transforms lives in the most astounding ways.

Pastor Jorge & Lucy’s Story
Pastor Jorge and Lucy

On this trip I not only was able to witness the construction of this new life giving church, but I was able to met Jorge’s mom, Petra and others to learn more about their story.

If you remember from my last post Jorge was caught in life of drugs and addiction for a number of years. He was so bad that he said that he would wear shoes that didn’t match in public, and his hair was a mess. People in the community where he lived disliked him, some even hated him. He and his wife Lucy were separated and she moved to another city a long ways away.

While Jorge was on crystal meth and involved with the wrong people he was shot three times. Once in each leg and once in his stomach. He was in the hospital for 50 days, and in a coma for 3 of those days. There was a point were the doctors took Petra outside of the room where he was being treated, and they said he was dying and that there wasn’t anything else that they could do. While they were outside giving Jorge’s mom that devastating news, Jorge cried out, “Madre!” (Mom!).

A Miracle!
Jorge with his mom, Petra

The medical staff rushed back into the room. Petra said when she walked backed into the room that all eight of the people on the medical staff had gotten on their knees and they said it’s a miracle.

One of the amazing pieces to this story is that neither Jorge nor his mom were believers at the time. Yet, God decided that He had a better plan for Jorge.

After this incident Jorge got into a Christian based drug rehab center where he gave his life to Christ.

A Restored Marriage
David & Dawn with Lucy and Jorge

His wife, Lucy was living in another part of Mexico with their daughter. They were not yet believers either. Their daughter found Jorge on Facebook, and told Lucy that she wanted to go back to Mexicali to be with her dad. God brought them back together and restored their marriage and gave them new life in Christ.

That’s just amazing! It warms my heart when I hear their testimony. I found that when I’m with Jorge and Lucy and we are sharing and encouraging one another one of us if not all of are crying.

Jesus Light Is Shining in Mexicali
Dave with Pastor Jorge, Pastor Juan Huape and Pastor Daniel Nuñez, who are all part of Ministerios Transformación (Transformation Ministries)

They not only came to Christ, but now we are partnering with them to build a church and shine the light of Christ in the community where they now live. This is the same community that laughed at Jorge. No one liked him, but God changed all of that. Now he is respected and God is using him to bring the good news of the gospel to the people. Many others who were or are caught in addiction are finding Christ through this church.

I’m so thankful for the life and testimony of Jorge and Lucy. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s grace and His power to bring life transformation. I give thanks that we can partner with them to start this new church.

You Can Help!
The Partially built church in Mexicali

Last week we had enough funds to frame the walls and put up some of the roof, but we weren’t able to finish. We still need $6,000 to finish building the church. That’s where you come in.

First, pray for Jorge and Lucy and this vital ministry.
Second, prayerfully consider making a gift today.

Mexicali is in the desert. It’s hot, and the temperature often exceeds 100. The church needs a finished roof and walls and air conditioning as they head into the summer months.

Dawn and I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider making a donation today to help us finish building this church. We are almost there! Please consider giving a gift of $50, $100, $250, $1,000, or more to plant a new church in Mexicali, Mexico. Dawn and I appreciate the critical role you play in bringing the light of the gospel to Mexicali and Beyond!

Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

A New Birth!

Posted: April 13, 2022 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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God is Building His Church in Mexicali
Pastor Daniel & Yoli with Pastor Jorge & Lucy on the property where the church will be built

Next Monday, April 18th the day after Easter we are building a church in Mexicali, Mexico. We are partnering with our good friends, Ministerios Transformación (Transformation Ministries) to begin construction for a new church plant. Pastor Daniel Nuñoz who leads Ministerios Transformación has a God given vision to plant 50 churches. Pastor Daniel has almost accomplished this goal. This will be the 45th church that he’s started.

Dawn and I love the friendship that we have with Daniel and his wife, Yoli. They’ve become some of our closest friends. This is the 8th church that we’ve help them start. God has enabled us to raise funds to expand the ministry of 7 of their other churches as well. Dawn and I have enjoyed our relationship with all the pastors and leaders with Ministerios Transformación. We give thanks to the Lord for opening the door for us to train and mentor many of them. It’s one of the most fruitful church planting ministries that we’ve partnered with in all of our years in missions.

God Rescued Pastor Jorge and Lucy

Pastor Jorge and Lucy

The church in Mexicali will be lead by Pastor Jorge Alvarado and his wife, Lucy. Jorge has an amazing testimony. He was enslaved to drugs for many years. God rescued him from this life, and now he is serving as a pastor. After being saved from a destructive lifestyle, God has given Pastor Jorge a heart to help men who are stuck in addictions. His dream is to someday be able to open a drug rehab center as a ministry of his church.

Jorge had a near death experience before he came to Christ. He was shot 3 times in a drug related shooting. While he was in the hospital he laid in a coma for three days. The doctors told his mom that he was was going to die, and it would take a miracle for him to survive. Jesus showed up and miraculously healed Jorge. God had a different plan, a better destiny for Pastor Jorge.

When Jorge told me his story it brought tears to my eyes. It made me think of my daughter, Hannah. God’s plans and purposes are mysterious in many ways, but I love redemptive stories, like Jorge’s.

Dawn and I went to see the site where we are going to build the church for Pastor Jorge and Lucy. It’s a simple place in a poor neighborhood. We have been impressed by their commitment to serve the Lord and to sacrifice for Christ.

Jorge and Lucy set up a canopy for shade and have started holding services. The church is growing even though they don’t have a building! People are coming to know Jesus!

We are so excited by what God is doing, and how He is building His church.

Extend Your Hands to Help Us Finish Building This Church
Dave & Dawn with Lucy & Jorge

Even though we are starting to build the church this coming Monday we still don’t have all the funds we need to finish the church. We will begin construction, but we need to raise $6,000 more to complete the project.

Dawn and I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider making a donation today to help us finish building this church. We are almost there. Please consider giving a gift of $50, $100, $250, $1,000, or more to plant a new church in Mexicali, Mexico. Dawn and I appreciate the critical role in play in bringing the light of the gospel to Mexicali and Beyond!

Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

Jesus is at Work in Mexicali

Posted: March 14, 2022 in Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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The Gospel is Bringing Life Transformation on the Border
Pastor Federico & Blanca Muñoz in the middle on the front row with some of the people from their team

Jesus is at work in Mexicali. We give thanks for how the gospel is going forth and transforming lives through the ministry of Pastor Federico Muñoz, his wife Blanca and their team. The Muñoz family has become like family to Dawn and me, and we love the opportunity to partner with them in ministry. I just put together a short video that highlights what God is doing in this capital city in Baja California, Mexico.

Video: New Life in Mexicali
Join us in Prayer for
  • New Contacts
  • More People to Come to Christ
  • Their Leadership Team
  • A place for them to meet for Sunday Services.
Extend your Hands to Help

You play an important part in seeing the extension of the kingdom of God in Mexicali, Mexico, and other cities we are reaching in Mexico and Beyond. We’d like to ask you to extend your hands to help those in need. Your gift will help us to accomplish the God given vision to impact, Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, La Paz, Colima, Oaxaca, and beyond the borders of Mexico to the Big Island for generations to come. 

We are thankful that we can be an instrument to bless others, and we’d love for you to join us in this effort.

Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

BeyondBordersLife.org

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