In May, our three bible school students gradated from our missions bible institute which is located outside of Tijana in Tecate, Mexico. When we became part of the mission 9 years ago, we didn't cross over the border because we didn't have passports for them yet. So we never saw the bible institute that trains people to be in ministry to be pastors, children's leaders, teachers, and missionaries. So I (Andy) made a trip to the border to see where it was that we had sent three young people and to celebrate the next stages of life for them. With much excitement, I brought with me German. If you have followed our ministry at all, he is a young guy that we have loved for many years. The short story of his life is his mom had an affair with a man down the street. Her husband said "me or the baby". She chose her husband and left the baby in the care of her mother. German's biological father wants nothing to do with him. He has lived 20 years of his life being unloved and rejected. He had never been on a plane before. After the trip he is now talking about the possibility of studying at the bible institute.
We arrived at the BI on Thursday two days before the graduation. For some reason, I thought it was bigger and more students. There were only 5 4-year graduates and 3 1-3 year gradates. There are only 30 students altogether. The five graduates are all connected to Autlan, three being students we had sent, one of the others is now married to one of the students, and the other is a boyfriend to a member of La Roca church. It was an honor to see these young people finish what God had brought them to do. Now we get to watch and see where God will lead them.
Barbara and Charlie are moving to Autlan in July with their new born baby boy name Franco. We eagerly await their coming. We will be partnering with them in ministry. One of their main focuses will be opening a Christian primary school in the coming year. This is a huge project and vision.
Chavo is now working in Tecate looking to get married in a year or so. He is working for a church doing construction and leading bible studies. After talking with him about the coming years, he expressed a desire to come to Jalisco and do ministry maybe start a church plant some where near Autlan. After years of working near the border of the US and Mexico, he said he sees the need for healthy bible believing churches.
Vicente is not sure what he is going to do. He is in Argentina for next 4 months to work with Jews there. The ministry he has gone with paid for everything. After his trip he is looking to go back to school. He has expressed a desire to work with Muslims in a middle-eastern country.
Now we have at least three other young people who are interested in studying at the bible institute. I have to state that we have never even suggested this to anyone. The only thing we have done is provided information to anyone who asks us for information. What I think has happened and is happening is that there is a sense of how much darkness there is all around us and the need to be equipped to share the faith. When you see a border town like Tecate having over 150 different Christian churches and Autlan has only maybe 15, you can see the contrast. Our prayer request is that God would bring the harvest of new believers and raise up solid and faithful workers in the mission field.
We arrived at the BI on Thursday two days before the graduation. For some reason, I thought it was bigger and more students. There were only 5 4-year graduates and 3 1-3 year gradates. There are only 30 students altogether. The five graduates are all connected to Autlan, three being students we had sent, one of the others is now married to one of the students, and the other is a boyfriend to a member of La Roca church. It was an honor to see these young people finish what God had brought them to do. Now we get to watch and see where God will lead them.
Barbara and Charlie are moving to Autlan in July with their new born baby boy name Franco. We eagerly await their coming. We will be partnering with them in ministry. One of their main focuses will be opening a Christian primary school in the coming year. This is a huge project and vision.
Chavo is now working in Tecate looking to get married in a year or so. He is working for a church doing construction and leading bible studies. After talking with him about the coming years, he expressed a desire to come to Jalisco and do ministry maybe start a church plant some where near Autlan. After years of working near the border of the US and Mexico, he said he sees the need for healthy bible believing churches.
Vicente is not sure what he is going to do. He is in Argentina for next 4 months to work with Jews there. The ministry he has gone with paid for everything. After his trip he is looking to go back to school. He has expressed a desire to work with Muslims in a middle-eastern country.
Now we have at least three other young people who are interested in studying at the bible institute. I have to state that we have never even suggested this to anyone. The only thing we have done is provided information to anyone who asks us for information. What I think has happened and is happening is that there is a sense of how much darkness there is all around us and the need to be equipped to share the faith. When you see a border town like Tecate having over 150 different Christian churches and Autlan has only maybe 15, you can see the contrast. Our prayer request is that God would bring the harvest of new believers and raise up solid and faithful workers in the mission field.
