Top: Federico and Blanca Muñoz family at Damaris’ quinceañera; bottom right: Noe & Eneydi Reyes family; bottom left: Eliel and Jessica Osorio family
The church is growing all throughout Mexico, and we are excited that we get to be a part of all that God is doing. The expansion of God’s church is inevitable. We see from the book of Acts how the church has grown. Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Then in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost the promised Holy Spirit was poured out and the church began to grow like wild fire. The once fearful disciples, became bold and brave when they encountered opposition.
We have the same Holy Spirit today who emboldens his people. The gospel is going forth in power. Lives are becoming transformed by Jesus Christ. That is why we start new churches. We pray for and work for the ever growing expansion of God’s kingdom through the proclamation of the good news of Jesus.
I put together some videos with my good friend and fellow missionary, Jim DeWitt that highlight some of the church plants that we are working on in Mexico. Oaxaca led by Pastor Eliel and Jessica Osorio. Durango led by Pastor Noe and Eneydi Reyes. Mexicali led by Pastor Federico and Blanca Muñoz. Each one of these churches are making an impact in the communities that they are reaching. In the video I expand on what each church is doing. How the Lord is using them for His Glory!
Video: God is Building HIs Church
Extend Your Hands to Help!
Dawn and I are grateful that we can be a part of the great and mighty work that God is doing in Mexico, on the Big Island and the Dominican Republic. Your prayers and your gifts play a critical role as the gospel goes forth. We are supporting church planters and the life changing ministries that they are involved in. Extend your hands to support our church planters, our familia today!
It’s so good when the churches we are planting thrive! It’s wonderful to see God at work building his church. Dawn and I give thanks for the amazing work that the Lord is doing through Pastor Eliel and Jessica Osorio in Oaxaca, Mexico. Pastor Eliel and his wife, Jessica are doing a marvelous job leading the church. They launched their public worship services in September of 2021, and the church just took off. I just talked to Eliel this week and he told me that they’ve had 80 or more attending their church services this year. It’s so encouraging to see the Lord changing lives and using Pastor Eliel and the team he has put together.
Eli Osorio Moved to Heaven on January, 1st
Eliel on the right with his father, Eli Osorio
2023 began in a painful way for Eliel and Jessica. Just days after Christmas Eliel’s dad, Eli suffered a massive stroke. The doctors operated and thought there was hope for Eli, but after a valiant battle Eli moved to heaven on January 1, 2023. Eliel was very close to his father, and it’s been hard on him and on his family to have to say goodbye. Soon after Eli moved to heaven they found a cancerous growth on Eliel’s mom, Maria’s face. Maria had surgery just a few weeks ago, and the prognosis is very positive. Pray for Eliel and their family as they adjust to life without Eli. Maria has now moved in with Eliel and Jessica, so that they can take care of her. The Osorio’s are going through a difficult season with much change.
We’ve noticed that our church planters and their families often get attacked. It’s a good reminder of how important it is to be lifting each of them up in prayer as they invade the enemy’s territory. We know that our God is greater than he who is in the world, but as Paul says in Ephesians 6 we are in a spiritual battle. It seems like the battle is fiercest for those working on the front lines. Your prayers for them are essential.
The Church is Growing
Some of the young people from the church – it’s wonderful to see the smiles
Eliel told me that the place they are renting for their Sunday services holds 110 people, but it begins to feel cramped when they have that many people. They are praying about whether they need to go to two services or find a bigger place to meet. You can pray with us for that need. I told Eliel, “well, this a good problem to have, when you are outgrowing your meeting place.” We are praying with them that they can find some property to purchase and begin to build so that they have a bigger and more permanent place to meet.
I put together a short video that will give you a better idea of the wonderful work God is doing as He builds His church in Oaxaca.
Video: Lives are being Transformed by Jesus in Oaxaca
God is at work in Oaxaca, Mexico
Join us in Prayer for the church in Oaxaca
Pray for Eliel and Jessica and their two girls, Sarvia (right) & Tirsa (left)
Pray for Pastor Eliel & Jessica Osorio as they lead the church plant
Pray for them as they raise up and develop leaders
Pray for the new people that they are discipling
Pray for the Lord to provide property to build a church
You can give to this church planting project by clicking the button below
Your gift will allow us to accomplish the God-given vision to impact Oaxaca for generations to come. Make a Donation Today.
Evangelism training course for pastors and leaders in Tijuana
I hope that you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. Dawn and I celebrated Christmas at home this year, and we spent the afternoon with some good friends for an outstanding meal and a fun time.
It’s hard to believe that 2022 is almost over. One of the highlights for us this last year was the evangelism training we helped lead for pastors and leaders in Tijuana. We teamed up with a friend, Steve Dueck who works with Cru. He and his wife, Alyssa were missionaries in Italy and now they’ve been ministering in the San Diego area for the last 8 years or so.
Dawn and I enjoyed partnering with Steve in training pastors and leaders about how to share their faith in a natural way. This experience took us back to our roots, because when we first met in our 20’s I was attending Campus Crusade’s seminary, the International School of Theology and Dawn was on staff. Campus Crusade, which is now called, Cru used to be headquartered in San Bernardino, California. We met there in the mid-80’s, and we were married just outside of San Bernardino in Redlands.
CoJourners: Showing Others the Way to Jesus
Steve Dueck and Dave leading the evangelism training course in Tijuana
Steve led the training, and I recruited the pastors and leaders. I also translated for Steve as we went through the four week training. We made the time interactive and it filled my heart to hear the testimonies of those that participated. There were 20 pastors and leaders that went through the material with us. It was so encouraging to get feedback from them on how they were putting the principles that they were learning into practice. One of the main things that stood out to me was when we talked to them about the importance of praying for people that don’t yet know Christ. We explained how it’s essential to lay the groundwork through prayer. All of them had testimonies of family members and friends that they have been praying for. Some of them have already come to Christ. God is at work in drawing people to himself through the prayers and testimonies of his people!
The course is called, CoJourners: Joining Others in Spiritual Journey. The basic idea is that everyone is on a spiritual journey, and we get to join them on their journey. God is already at work in other people’s lives. He uses us to help guide and lead them towards Christ. We have the privilege of showing them the way to Jesus.
One of the main reasons that people don’t share their faith is because of fear. Fear can paralyze us. Many are afraid that if someone asks them a question they won’t have the correct answer. People are also afraid of rejection. These are some of the things that we address in the training.
Steve and I had actually started talking about doing some training like this over two years ago, but then COVID happened and it slowed down our progress. This was a pilot run for us. Everyone that went through the course with us loved it, so in 2023 we’d like to work with more pastors and leaders. Pray that the Lord guides us and leads us as we prepare and plan for 2023!
Extend Your Hands to Help!
Starting from bottom left: Pastor Federico & Blanca Muñoz; bottom right: Pastor Eliel & Jessica Osorio with Sarvia and Tirsa; Top right: Pastor Ernesto with his wife, Dayana and their daughter; Top left: Our familia on the Big Island
You can help us to end the year strong, so that we can continue training and coaching leaders. Our desire is to spread the flames of faith and ignite church planting movements on the Border, the Baja and Beyond!
Please consider giving an extra gift of $25 $50, $100, $500, or more to plant a new church and to equip and encourage ministers who are bringing the love of Christ to the Border, Baja, and Beyond.
Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift today.
Pastor Eliel & Jessica Osorio decided to throw a party on Saturday. They called it, “Noche de Vivos” (Night of the Living). On November 1 and 2 the “Día los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico. In the USA Halloween is celebrated on October 31st. Some of these traditions and celebrations have crossed borders and cultures over the years. There is much darkness associated with these days.
Eliel and Jessica decided to turn the tables and celebrate life instead of death. They promoted this event in the city of Oaxaca where they are planting their church. 90 people showed up to play games, have fun and hear about life in Christ. Our God is the God of the living!
The God of the Living
Pastor Eliel Osorio leading the churchWorship in Oaxaca at their new place on Sunday morning
I asked Eliel about their celebration, and he told me that, “during these days many people celebrate, and in some ways invoke death. They do this both consciously and subconsciously, which only adds to their misery.”
“Jesus taught us that we have a God of the living and not a God of the dead, therefore we live full of hope. The Master of Galilee also challenged us to be the light of the world, precisely in situations like these where there is much darkness.” Eliel went on to say, “our church is committed to being a light, even when there is the deep darkness.”
I love the creativity that Eliel and Jessica used to turn what can be a negative and dark time into a celebration of life. A message and an event filled with much hope. The fact that almost 100 people showed up to their church’s event shows they hit a nerve. People definitely resonate with a message of hope!
Join Us in Prayer!
Eliel & Jessica with their two girls Sarvia and Tirsa
Pray for Pastor Eliel and Jessica as they reach many young people in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Pray for wisdom as they build a team and disciple those that the Lord is bringing to them.
Thank the Lord that they found a good place to meet, and that they have access to this new location every day of the week.
Pray for the Lord’s provision for this church plant, and other church planting projects that we are involved in.
Dawn and I invite you to join us through prayer and by giving a special gift today to help advance the kingdom through our church plant in Oaxaca and Beyond! Thank you for praying for this ministry and for considering this request!
One of the joys that Dawn and I experience as we minister is the wonderful people we meet. We love hearing their stories. Many of them have amazing testimonies of God’s goodness and grace.
One of the special families that we met was Angel and Damaris. Eliel and Jessica recruited them to lead worship for the church. They have wonderful gifts in music, and their love for the Lord is evident. We loved worshiping the Lord with them.
After church on Sunday we went out for lunch with the leadership team which included Angel and Damaris. While we were eating our Tlayudas, which is like a Mexican pizza, we got to know them better. Dawn told Angel and Damaris that I was having some problems with my prostate and that my doctor wants to perform a surgery to improve my health. We asked them to pray for us, and specifically for God’s healing hand.
Damaris’s Amazing Testimony
Angel and Damaris leading worship in Oaxaca
When we finished our meal Damaris wanted to pray for us. She believes that God can heal my prostate. In the process she told us how God had healed her.
A few years ago Damaris had some fibroids growing in her uterus. The doctor felt like they needed to perform a surgery to take them out. when they went in to surgically remove her fibroids they discovered that the problem was bigger than they first thought. For this reason they had to take out Damaris’s uterus. The doctor told her that she would never be able to have children.
Damaris is short of stature, but she is mighty of faith. She believed that she would one day have children and she prayed for God to bless her in this way. Even when she recounted this story to us we could see the strength of her faith.
She never lost hope and Angel and Damaris prayed together. Damaris said that friends and some family members began to tell her that maybe she should accept the fact that she couldn’t have children by natural birth. Yet, Damaris was determined, she believe and she continued to pray.
After some time she thought that she might be pregnant. Damaris took the the pregnancy test and it came out positive. She went to the doctor, and told the doctor about her test. The doctor said, “that’s not possible, you don’t have a uterus.” Damaris insisted that the doctor check. Finally, they did an exam, and said in surprise, “we don’t know how, but you are pregnant!”
The doctor couldn’t believe it! He said, “it’s not possible since you don’t have a uterus!” When he performed the medical exam he noticed that her uterus was perfectly healthy. God does good work when he heals! Angel and Damaris had a little girl, who they named, Sarah. Since then the Lord has given them the gift of another little girl, Amelie.
Damaris with Sarah
Damaris’s testimony strengthened Dawn and my faith. We hope it might do the same for you! After she shared her testimony she prayed for us. She prayed that God would do a miraculous healing work in my life. As she prayed we felt the presence and power of God. God is so good! He does indeed hear and answer our prayers.
I did have my prostate checked this week, and I’m not healed yet. The doctor said that I need to have surgery in the next 6 weeks. We are praying for God’s healing touch, while realizing this might come through the doctor.
Damaris and Angel’s testimony encouraged us a great deal, and we hope it will strengthen and encourage you as well.
Join us in Prayer
Dawn in Oaxaca with Eliel, Jessica, Tirsa (she’s a little tired from the day out) and Sarvia
Pray for Angel & Damaris and they lead worship and minister with Pastor Eliel and Jessica.
Pray with us for Pastor Eliel, Jessica and their team as they plant the church in Oaxaca.
Pray for a more permanent place for them to meet where they can make the best impact.
Pray for more lives to be transformed by the gospel.
Pray that the Lord will provide the funding for the land and for this church planting project.
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!
Eliel and Jessica have raised up an amazingly talented young team that are helping them plant their church in the northern part of of the city. They began planting their church in the middle of the pandemic, which is no easy task. At first they were forced to meet remotely, but in September of 2021 they launched their services, and the church took off!
Every week they have new people coming to the church. Dawn and I enjoyed meeting a number of them while we were there. God is clearly on the move, and they’ve become our fastest growing church plant. On Easter Sunday 110 people showed up, and they’ve been averaging 82 since then. Pray for them as they reach young people for Christ.
A Birthday Celebration – A Changed Life
Celebrating Irving’s birthday with friends (he’s seated in the middle)
We attended a birthday celebration 🥳 at their house on Saturday evening. One of the young men, Irving celebrated his 20th birthday. When Irving’s mom asked him how he wanted to celebrate his birthday, he said that his friends at church had become like family to him, and that he wanted to have a party with them. The only problem was that Irving’s parents home isn’t big enough to host all the people. Eliel heard of Irving’s dilemma, and said why don’t you have the party at our house.
It was a great time, and so good to see all the happy faces at the fiesta, which included a piñata🪅!
Eliel and Jessica have done at outstanding job of creating a safe, friendly and fun community. The majority of their church is made up of young people in their 20’s and 30’s. This group is under reached in Mexico.
Eliel & Jessica’s Dream
Eliel leading Sunday worship
Pastor Eliel has a vision to create a community center that will be an attractive place for young people to come and hang out. Apart from being the gathering place for church on Sunday it will provide opportunities for outreach during the week. They can come for a cup of coffee with a friend, take music lessons, and play games.
Angel and Damaris are key leaders for the church, and they are gifted musically. They lead the worship, and have built a wonderful group to lead with them. Dawn and I throughly enjoyed worshipping with them. Angel and Damaris are also teaching music during the week, which is something they would like to be able to do at the church once they have a more permanent place to meet.
Eliel took us by one property that they are looking at the possibility of renting. This particular location is ideal as it is just a couple blocks away from a college. This would provide them with a wonderful opportunity to reach out with the love of Christ to the students. It may be possible to buy the property as the church grows.
Join us in Prayer
Dawn in Oaxaca with Eliel, Jessica, Tirsa (she’s a little tired from the day out) and Sarvia
Pray with us for Pastor Eliel, Jessica and their team as they plant the church in Oaxaca.
Pray for a more permanent place for them to meet where they can make the best impact.
Pray for more lives like Irving’s to be transformed by the gospel.
Pray that the Lord will provide the funding for the land and for this church planting project.
God is on the move in Oaxaca, Mexico. One of the tremendous blessings that Dawn and I have is that we get to work with some amazing people. God opened the door for us to begin partnering with Pastor Eliel and Jessica Osorio about two years ago.
Pastor Eliel Osorio is leading a church plant in Oaxaca which is south of Mexico City. Oaxaca is the capital of the state of Oaxaca. It is the second poorest state in the country with 70% living in poverty. Thousands of people visit the city each year, because of the beauty and rich culture.
The Great Opportunities for the Gospel in Oaxaca
Jessica & Eliel
Eliel and Jessica are a fun couple and they relate well to people in their teens to thirties. They are among the most innovative and gifted people that we work with. God has given them a heart to reach out to young people. In Mexico 59% of the population is under 40 years old, sadly they are largely absent from our churches.
Their vision is to plant a church that shares the grace, love, and power of God. They launched their public worship services last September in their carport, and are now meeting in a school (photo below). Even though the church is just starting they had 110 people come to their service on Easter Sunday, and every week new families are showing up.
El Refugio – Connecting People
Their vision includes a more permanent ministry center called “The Shelter” (El Refugio) that will be a point of connection for evangelism and discipleship during the whole week. El Refugio will provide a place for young people to come and hang out. They will be able to get a cup of coffee, study, take music lessons, play ping pong, etc. This will aid them in reaching more people for the gospel.
I believe that the Lord wants to use Pastor Eliel and Jessica to lead the way in reaching this upcoming generation. There is an outstanding opportunity for them to make a difference in Oaxaca, which will have a ripple effect on the rest of the country. Pray with us that God will make it happen for His honor and glory.
Pray for the Osorios in Oaxaca
Eliel & Jessica with their two girls, Tirsa and Sarvia
We give thanks for Eliel and Jessica. They’ve become like family and they have been a breath of fresh air as we partner with them. They have two beautiful little girls, Sarvia and Tirsa. Pray with us for their ministry and that the Lord will provide the place for them to host these activities. Pray that the Lord will guide them and lead them as they work to reach Oaxaca with the good news of the gospel.
Extend Your Hands to Help Those in Need
Your prayers and your financial gifts are making a huge difference as we sow the seed of the gospel. We are continuing to send monthly aid to families on the Big Island. Each time we talk to the pastors, our familia they tell us how it is increasingly difficult for them to buy food, medicine and basic necessities. I hope to write more about the Big Island in my next post. You can read more about the growth of the church and the challenges that our familia is facing on the Big Island here…
Beyond Borders 