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A few years ago, we began asking our supporters to join us in praying for ten new workers for the Highlands of Jalisco. That is a miniscule number in comparison to the need, but we set that as an initial prayer goal for this region. Now I want to give you a report on how God has responded to those prayers. Juan and Pat Guerra, whose names are not new to many of you, were among the first answers to this prayer. Juan is an hispanic born in the U.S.. He grew up speaking Spanish. He and his wife Pat became believers while Juan was in the military. Stationed in many different places, they found ways to serve the Lord wherever they lived. After leaving the military, Juan established his own successful business which he left to join the Gospel work in the Highlands. They had been praying for some time about moving to Mexico as missionaries, and when Juan and his wife saw the Power Point presentation ÒIt Is Time, Lord, For You To WorkÓ they decided to pray specifically about this region. They are currently settled in Tepatitlan (pop. 120,000), where a new congregation is coming together. Misael and Taira Hernandez - Misael moved to this area from Veracruz to take a job. When he arrived in Arandas (pop. 78,000), he was unable to find a Christian church, but he led two families to Christ. He participated in the CESI training program and took the principal responsibility in a new congregation while continuing in his other employment. A Christian working with Open Air Campaigners (OAC) in Washington D.C. had seen our website and communicated about bringing a short-term missions team to the area. This man, Paul Adams, worked with Misael in Arandas and recognized his gifting as an evangelist. Misael is now working as an evangelist full-time and is the director of OAC Mexico. While he travels to many different areas of Mexico, he continues to work principally in the center of the Circle of Silence, the Jalisco Highlands. When Misael stepped down from leadership in the local church to dedicate himself to his evangelistic ministry, the church looked around for another man to take the pastorate. The couple who moved from Guadalajara to work with the church in Arandas is Raul and Cheli Gonzalez. Linda and I have known Raul since he was a young boy visiting the church in the Legaspi neighborhood of Guadalajara and Cheli is the best friend of a young woman we were privileged to lead to Christ many years ago. They are faithfully serving the Lord in this major city of the Highlands despite many difficulties and battles. Judah and Alyssa Sali responded to a request published in the Shield of Faith Newsletter. We asked for a couple that would move here to coordinate teams visiting from the US and other parts of Mexico. They responded to our request and after some prayer and evaluation, moved to Arandas, where they are settling in and developing the ministry to teams. Leonard and Marcia Sali, the parents of Judah, visited us when their son and daughter-in-law were considering moving here. They have served in Central Asia in an agricultural project with a Christian ministry and were looking for a new area of service. We discussed the possibility of an outreach in the region through an agricultural project and after communicating with their local church in Washington and praying and strategizing with us, Len and Marcia moved to Atotonilco and presently working with the local government and several farmers to design an ag project that will bless Atotonilco, freeing it from economic dependance on tequila. The Guerras, the Hernandez familiy, the Gonzalez family, Judah and Alyssa Sali and Leonard and Marcia Sali are all in the Jalisco Highlands for one purpose: To glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by announcing His Gospel, strengthening the local churches and helping to establish churches where there are none. As we have prayed for workers for this extremely needy zone, we have not been asking that the Lord send people to work with us or through channels with which we are familiar - we simply want to see men and women raised up to reach out to the Highlands. We have told you about these families because we know of them. It is entirely possible that God has raised up others to work in this region, others with whom we are not yet acquainted. But the bottom line is this: God is raising up laborers for the center of the Circle of Silence, and He is doing it in answer to your prayer. Thank you! |
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