Thoughtful Decisions

The very last chapter of the book of 1 Kings has a story about Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, going down to visit Ahab, the King of Israel. There was finally peace between the two divided Kingdoms and it had been three years since any war against Syria.. While he was visiting there, Ahab invited Jehoshaphat to go and take back some land that the Syrians had not returned to them. Jehoshaphat said, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses". Basically, he said, "I'm with you, buddy".

 

Then, Jehoshaphat suggests to inquire of the Lord first. Ahab proceeds to gather 400 of the prophets to ask them if he should go up against Ramoth-Gilead to battle. They all said yes, "go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king."

 

Something didn't settle right with Jehoshaphat; there was not a complete peace about going. The power of great numbers and the persuasion of the prophets was not enough to calm the lack of peace in Jehoshaphat's heart. Something just didn't seem right. Everyone said yes to the plan, why should he be doubting? Jehoshaphat asks if there were any other prophets besides these. Ahab replies, "Yes, there is Micaiah, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good concerning me, but evil." 

 

This is a red flag! Ahab was taking advise from people who would agree with him. He was avoiding the one who he knew would probably disagree with him. How many of us are guilty of this? I know I have been. If you have kids, you know this is true. We grow up with this human instinct of wanting our own way and it being approved by others. How many kids go to mom because they know dad would say no? How many kids go to dad because they know mom will say no?  How many people search for friends or leaders or pastors who will agree with them and their side of the story - or their own moral standard of living? How many people will avoid the person they know might question their choice of the one they want to marry? Maybe there's differences in a political position? Do we seek approval from only the people we know will agree with us? Or do we really want to know what God has to say? Maybe God is in agreement with some of our decisions, but a lot of times, we make decisions on our own and seek council from whom we want to receive it. These are some very, very heavy questions that force us to make Thoughtful Decisions. 

 

The story goes on and it does not turn out favorable for Ahab. What stood out to me most here is the red flag I just raised. This definitely challenges me to make wise decisions; to make Thoughtful Decisions. It challenges me to seek God's council even though I may not like it; even though it might mean I'll have to sacrifice my "desire". God is love and he wants us to experience the Abundant Life Jesus came to give us. To be able to have that, it includes listening to His voice.

 

Even though we may have made an "unthoughtful decision" in the past, God still speaks to us through the stormy weather we got ourselves into. John 10:4 says, "the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out." It doesn't matter what situation we find ourselves in, if Jesus is our Shepherd, he will help us get through the storm. In some cases, our decision may have bound us to someone. When we listen to the Lord with a humble heart and follow His leading, he will give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. He will guide us through the storm. He will lead us out of the turbulence we've brought upon ourselves. God did not cause the storm we got ourselves into, but he will help us through it if we listen to Him because "all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

 

It is our responsibility to listen to His voice in order to make Thoughtful Decisions that will allow us to live the Abundant Life and free us from having to experience some of the storms we sometimes put ourselves in. 

 

Let's stop, listen, and make Thoughtful Decisions. 

 

Comunidad de Asombro, Las Varas, Nayarit

Pastor Ruben and Valeria have been part of our ministry for over a decade. He, along with two other of his leaders, came to us (Pastor Goyo, Pastor Luis, and myself) for friendship, mentorship, and connection. Their former leaders were retiring from ministry and they found themselves alone, looking for accountability and a place to belong. We had met them a few years prior to this and our relationship with them has been a joy to be a part of.

 

Pastor Ruben is an amazing worship leader with extraordinary talent. It is not uncommon for Valeria to bring the Word on Sundays at their congregation in Las Varas, Nayarit; "Comunidad de Asombro".

 

Every other week they travel to a couple different towns to preach and share the Word with friends and family members who form their own House Groups in Mesillas and Mazatán, Nayarit.

 

Mazatán Home Group

 

Pastor Ruben and Valeria have a young daughter who lives with them and two grown boys who live in Michigan, United States. The two boys (Ruben and Hector) are married and have children of their own. One of Pastor Ruben and Valeria's deepest desire is to be close to their kids; whether it be them returning to Mexico or the Lord opening doors for them to go back to Michigan and serve in the church they attended over two decades ago.

 

One of the biggest needs they have is a vehicle. A couple years ago their Chevrolet Traverse was in the mechanic shop in Tepic and fell victim to a fire. They had not yet acquired any insurance on the vehicle so they lost everything. A vehicle is extremely important for them as they travel to and from Tepic (a little over an hour) almost every week and their trips to the other two towns (Mesillas - 20 minutes; Mazatán - 1 hour) to preach the gospel. If the Lord leads you to help in some way, please let us know.

 

This is what was left of their vehicle. 

 

Please pray for:

• A vehicle for them and their ministry.
• The work they are doing in Las Varas with their church.
• The two House Group Missions in Mesillas and Mazatán.
• The Lord to work out a reuniting with their boys and their families.  

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If you would like to support Pastor Ruben and Valeria, follow the instructions below:

 

Online Donations:

Click on the "Donate Here" button and you will be taken to a form to fill out. 

Please indicate the specific designation to "Pastor Ruben" where it says "add a note" under the amount.

Check by Mail:

Make checks payable to "Cofradia United USA"

and be sure to indicate the designation for "Pastor Ruben".

Cofradia United USA

PO Box 91

Tracyton, WA 98393

 

 

 

Cofradia Kitchen Kids 2026-03

Thank you all for your continued support. Her are some pics from March...

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Donate here and make a note for: "Cofradia Kitchen"

A Word from the Past

About three weeks ago I was reading in 1 Kings chapter 13 and could not continue. Has that ever happened to you? There was something there that triggered my spirit and whispered, "Stop, wait, I have something to teach you!"

 

For two weeks I read the whole context of Chapters 11 through 14 about Jeroboam's life over and over agian. There were many verses and passages that jumped out at me, but one in particular I could identify with more than the others at that moment. It was 1 Kings 13:33, 

"After this thing, Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places; whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places." 

It's a sobering thought to have the life of Jeroboam speak to you. eek! There were a couple of things in this verse alone that stood out, but I will focus on the first one where it says, "...Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again..."

 

The context of this story starts in 1 Kings 11:38 where he received a Word from the Lord through a prophet. He was to become King over 10 tribes of Israel and if he followed God the way David did, he would be with him and, in a sense, make his name great. 

 

Through a series of events and years later after not following God's instructions at all, a Man of God came to Jeroboam's worship place (ch. 13) and prophesied against the altar that Jeroboam had built. This offended Jeroboam and he ordered the Man of God to be taken away. As he "put forth his hand against [the Man of God]", it "dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him" (v.4) and the altar fell apart just as the Man of God had prophesied.

 

Now, desperate and recognizing the truth, Jeroboam pleaded to the Man of God to pray for him to be healed. He was, and out of what I see as gratitude, he invited the Man of God to his house and offered to reward him. The Man of God refused the invitation because of the Word he received from the Lord himself (another teaching for later), and went on his way back home.

 

The story in Chapter 13 continues about the Man of God and how he dies. The Man of God is no longer present; he no longer has any influence on Jeroboam; he has left and is no longer part of Jeroboam's life. Here is where it says,

"After this thing, Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places..."

Once the Man of God was no longer present in Jeroboam's life, he went back to what he had been doing before. He realized what he was doing was wrong, but now there was no spiritual guidance in his life. 

 

I can remember a time in my life when one of my mentors was no longer present; he had gone on to be with the Lord and I thought, "What am I going to do now? Who will I be able to receive guidance from?". Very valid questions for someone who is growing and learning that he cannot depend on a mentor, a pastor, a teacher, his leaders, or his parents to be the ones to continually guide him and help him make decisions. We need to learn that we have everything we need in order to develop that personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. 

 

How many times have we received a Word from the Lord or a conviction about something and the impact of that Word wears away? Maybe that impact came from someone in authority over us. What is a Word from the Lord we have received that has now become A Word from the Past?

 

Jeroboam's Word from the Lord through the Man of God quickly became A Word from the Past after the Man of God disappeared.

 

How do we prevent a Word from the Lord from becoming a Word from the Past?

 

I believe it starts with humility. Recognizing that we need Jesus and to develop an intimate, personal relationship with Him that leads to a genuine friendship. His Word is powerful and relevant for today. His Word is powerful and relevant for tomorrow. It is so exciting to open the Word and have the Lord show us what he wants to say each day. As our love for our friend Jesus grows, we will want to spend more and more time with Him. Someone once said, "The Bible is the only book in History where the Author shows up when you read it."

If I could throw another angle at this and say it is an important principle for us not only as individuals who receive a Word, but as disciplers as well. What are we teaching? Are we giving people truths only or are we helping them find those truths in the Word on their own with the help of the Holy Spirit? If we continue to neglect teaching how to "eat" the Word, we will be forming followers of ourselves who, when we're gone and no longer around, will go hungry.

 

Many of us have heard the famous proverb: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." While this proverb is not in the Bible, the concept is still biblical. 

Let's not let the Word of the Lord we receive today become A Word from the Past.

Freedom in Christ Church of Tamarindo, Nayarit, Building Project

UPDATE 4/27/26: Thank you for your generosity and prayers. Yesterday, I took Pastor Ramon to town to buy most of the material they need for the bathroom. When he told his congregation that Cofradia United was going to help, he said many of them began to cry with gratitude. What a blessing you all are for helping! Thank you for supporting the ministry of Cofradía United! 

 

There is still a real need for them to build their church building. If you're interested in forming a team to come help, contact us. 

 

UPDATE 3/27/26: Last night we had Pastor Ramon and Zaida over for the evening. As we finished up our time together, we asked them how we could pray for them. Pastor Ramon paused and with a deeply heartfelt request he looked in my eyes and said, "the construction of our church." The town recently started to charge them rent in the old tavern they have been meeting in. The completion of this project is urgent for them. If they could at least get the bathroom finished, they could build a temporary shelter to meet in. They estimate the bathroom to cost $3,000 US Dollars. Please consider helping them with this project. They have about $700 saved up at this moment. See below at the bottom of this post for information on how to give. Thank you in advance.    

 

UPDATE 6/30/25: Thanks to your generosity to the Ministry of Cofradía United, we were able to participate financially to help the Freedom in Christ Congregation in Tamarindo finish their septic tank to the bathroom before the rains began! See the process of the pictures below.

UPDATE 5/27/25: They have dug the septic for the bathroom and have prepared the ground to build the septic tank. The goal is to have the septic tank built and covered before the rain...this weekend! They have reached $1,400 of their $3,000 budget and a word of mouth donation of some blocks to build with. Thank you for continuing to help with this project. We'll keep you updated here.

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We recently had an additional Pastor join our Cofradia United network. Pastor Ramon and his wife, Zaida, are the pastors of Freedom in Christ Church (Templo Libertad en Cristo) of Tamarindo, Nayarit. Tamarindo is less than one-half hour from Cofradía and they have been meeting each Sunday evening for the past 5 years in a vacant tavern on the edge of town. 

This is a very similar situation to our House Build ministry. Teams have come down to build 25 homes for people in Cofradia and the surrounding areas. Many of those families are in borrowed homes and need housing. This is a similar situation in that this church family of Tamarindo needs to relocate in order to have the peace of mind of meeting together without the concern of not knowing how long they will be able to use the facilities.

Recently, someone donated land to them in order to build a church facility to meet in. Now, Pastor Ramon and his congregation are in need of finances to build their facilities. They will be starting with digging and making a septic tank for the restroom. Their goal is to finish this before the rainy season (mid-June). The total cost for the restroom which will include Men's and Women's bathrooms is $3,000 US dollars. They have already raised $300 US dollars and have had a few donated materials for this immediate project.

Once they are finished with the septic tank, they will work on the restroom building and main facilities. If you would like to contribute and help this church family with their facilities, you can either donate online here or send a check (payable to Cofradia United USA) to:

Cofradia United USA

PO Box 91

Tracyton, WA 98393

Please make sure to designate your gifts to "Tamarindo".

Another option is to put together a construction team and come on down to help. The Lord does special things in the hearts of the people here and of those who participate on a team while on mission trips. This is a great opportunity to tangibly fulfill the Great Commission. Contact us here to get things started.

Thank you so much for partnering with us to Raise Up Leaders in Rural Mexico!

The future site of Tamarindo's Freedom in Christ Church

Breaking ground - April 30, 2025

The digging is complete.

Working on the forms for the septic.

Almost ready for the lid.

the lid being poured.

Pastor Ramon helping with the finishing touches of the lid.

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Thank you for your generosity. If you would like to make a special donation towards the rest of the bathroom and the church building, follow the instructions below:

Online Donations:

Click on the "Donate Here" button and you will be taken to a form to fill out. 

Please indicate the specific designation to "Tamarindo" where it says "add a note" under the amount.

Check by Mail:

Make checks payable to "Cofradia United USA"

and be sure to indicate the designation for "Tamarindo".

Cofradia United USA

PO Box 91

Tracyton, WA 98393

And, contact us about bringing a team to help build the church and build relationships in the process!

CENTRO CRISTIANO COFRADIA CHURCH ANNIVERSARY

In 1991, the first missionaries arrived in Cofradía through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) for their DTS (Discipleship Training School). Within a few months, the began to establish the ministry location with a Medical Doctor and leading bible studies for those who would listen. Some things changed in 1994 and the ministry evolved from a Humanitarian Evangelistic Outreach to a focus of Planting a local Church. That vision continued into what we recognized during this anniversary celebration. 

 

In 2006, we broke ground to begin construction of a church building that the locals could call theirs. February 27, 2011, we inaugurated the new building; 15 years ago. As we celebrated God's faithfulness over the past 15 years in this location, we also recognized some of those who invested their time and resources as missionaries; long-term and short-term. While not everyone was able to attend, we had a few share a greeting by video which was very special to everyone.

 

There have been so many missionaries come through on Short-term mission trips throughout the years. I would have no idea how to count how many teams or individuals who dedicated time to the locals, made relationships, played with the kids, prayed with people, participated in "light construction", and went home with a powerful memory the Lord planted in their hearts. Some even returned as long-term staff members.

 

While we mentioned by name a number of those who spent time here, we specifically focused on three couples:

1. Tom and Linnea Hackett - if it was not for Tom's obedience to the call of the Lord on his life, none of this would be happening. He started as the Director of the YWAM ministry, was the founder of the ministry in Cofradia, and has pioneered many other projects in his life. We are very grateful for Tom and Linnea.
2. Dave and Kathy Elias - through their dedication and faithfulness, a lot of what we have experienced in Cofradia is due to their obedience to the Lord as well. They were the Directors of this ministry location up until 2011 when the church building was finished. Dave is an amazing mechanic and did a phenomenal job with heading up the construction of the new building as well as so many structures at the Mission Base and the Houses and projects we've built for the locals. Kathy is a mastermind with the children's ministry and organization skills. Her expertise in those areas have been missed.
3.  Jay and Faith TenBrink - they spent a number of years evangelizing and discipleing new believers in the Indigenous Village of Mojocuautla and played a major role in the Arrayanes church. They even spent a while up in the Sierra Madre Mountains living among the Korah Indians, learning their language and teaching them about what the Bible says about Christ. 

This was a grand celebration. Since 2011, we have been focusing on Raising Up Leaders in Rural Mexico and have developed a number of healthy relationships with local pastors in the area. Some of those pastors have asked to join our ministry in order to be part of what we're doing and have a loving community in which to belong.

At the end of the service, we had all the Lead Pastors of the Cofradía United churches come up and share a quick word before we had everyone pray over them. It was a beautiful picture of the unity in the body. We are not in competition, we don't compare each other's work, we just "...receive one another as Christ also received us..." (Romans 15:7)

 

We thank everyone who has participated in this ministry whether it was a long-term commitment, short-term mission team, special visits, finances, prayers, and the list can go on.

 

We look forward to the next many years of God's faithfulness manifest in the lives of the people of Cofradía United and in whatever part of the world they encounter themselves in.

 

Here are a few videos of the event (the first two are a slide-show like presentation of photos)... 

 

 

This final video shows the beginning years of the ministry in Cofradía until the inauguration of the new building in 2011.

• In 1991, the first groups of YWAM Mazatlán arrived in Cofradia.
• On April 12, 1992, the town officials donated a piece of land that nos is the Mission Base.
• In February of 2006, we broke ground for the construction of a large building for the local brothers and sisters could have their own place to worship the Lord.
• On February 27, 2011, we inaugurated the new building and we began to experience God's faithfulness there.
• On March 8, 2026, we celebrated 15 years in the new building and 35 years of ministry presence in Cofradía.

Online Donations:

Click on the "Donate Here" button and you will be taken to a form to fill out. 

Please indicate any specific designations where it says "add a note" under the amount .

Check by Mail:

Make checks payable to "Cofradia United USA"

and be sure to indicate your designation.

Cofradia United USA

PO Box 91

Tracyton, WA 98393

The Secret Place

At the beginning of January when we were in Puerto Vallarta sending off family that had visited during Christmas and New Year's, I went to a café in the morning to have some coffee and sit and read. That is my secret place, coffee and the Word! I get excited every time I open the Word because I'm constantly hearing the Lord's voice speaking to me.

That January 7 morning, I went to the coffee shop a couple blocks from the hotel and sat down in an enclosed side room where people can sit and read. I was looking forward to some quiet time to listen to the voice of the Lord as I read. Quietness was nowhere to be found in that room. The music was loud, the fans made lots of noise, and the three Americans at the table next to me were talking as if I was part of the conversation. They were having a good old time talking about their apartments, their kids, when they were going back to the states, and their dogs...their dogs that were with them in the cafe. Yes, and they were barking sharply as other dogs walked by outside the glass wall and door. All three of them had their dogs with them. I was tempted to leave, but I thought, "No, I'm going to stay and see what the Lord shows me."

I sat there reading 1 Kings 6:1-10 about Solomon building the temple. Most of the passage deals with the measurements of the rooms, windows, etc. When I cannot see anything that jumps out to me right away, I ask the Lord, "How is this information so important that it made the pages of scripture?". Every time I've asked that, He shows me something. This time, it was in verse 7...

"And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building."

How ironic! I was in an obnoxiously loud cafe with sounds I've never heard in any other cafe and this is the verse that jumped out at me. Solomon did not allow the noise of "neither hammers nor axe nor any tool of iron" be heard inside the temple area.

The Lord showed me that it doesn't necessarily have to be quiet "outside" for Him to speak to you on the "inside". Our temple (body) can be "quiet" on the inside no matter what kind of noise is surrounding us. 

That spoke volumes to me. 

Don't allow the "noise" of this world (actual noise, circumstances, people, worries, job, etc.) to distract you from spending time with him in The Secret Place. What the enemy wants is for us to not have quality time to spend with our Lord. He knows that if we do, He's in trouble. He's already been defeated, but he wants us to believe he's not. Unfortunately, I think he's convicted many of us of that in the church today.

It is in The Secret Place that the Lord speaks to our quiet hearts.

Centro Cristiano Cofradia Church Anniversary

We are celebrating 15 years in our new building. On February 27, 2011, we held our inaugural service in the new church building in Cofradia. 

The ministry has had a presence here for 35 years. Land was officially donated to the Mission on April 12, 1992, a few months after having a number of YWAM DTS students come through. 

That's when things began and we'll be celebrating this special occasion as we invite churches and pastors in our region who we've become friends with as well as all of the pastors and their congregations that make Cofradia United their home.

We do not have a set budget for this occasion, but expenses will be real. Join us in our celebration.

Cofradia Kitchen 2026-02

Thank you so much for your help this past month for the Cofradia Kitchen. The kids have been consistently receiving breakfast before they go to school. The Word of God is being planted in their hearts as well each morning. Here are some pictures of this past month... 

 

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Donate here and make a note for: "Cofradia Kitchen"

 

The Recent Civil Unrest in Mexico

Taken from the bridge near Las Pilas our taco town. (P. Salaiza) 

Some of you have been asking us and wondering how things are going where we live. As you know, just recently the Mexican military captured and killed the leader of one of the biggest drug organizations in Mexico. This caused a retaliation by the drug organization towards the government to bring Mexico to a halt. They succeeded on Sunday, February 22, to freeze Puerto Vallarta, Guadlajara, and Tepic, which had an affect on smaller cities throughout the region. While it still had an affect on even smaller communities like ours, the affects were more of people just being scared.

People are safe. The attacks were strategic in blocking major toll roads and city streets by burning vehicles. Most of those vehicles were buses and taxis...the modes of transportation. Other vehicles included tractor trailers parked sideways and burned. They were taking people out of the vehicles and lighting them on fire. They also burned some businesses, banks, and gas stations (by the way, Costco DID NOT get burned, only vehicles and semi's in the parking lot). As of right now, I have not heard of any civilian deaths, only those who were in the standoff between the National Guard and the drug organization. 

We were supposed to head to Puerto Vallarta on Sunday after church to visit some friends whose cruise ship was docking on Monday. We were going to leave early to visit other friends, pastors, and a church on Sunday evening. Before we left the house, our friends let us know that their ship had cancelled the docking into Puerto Vallarta. So, we did not go and instead enjoyed the afternoon at home and got a few things done around the house.

 

Thank you for all who have inquired about our safety. We are fine and life is pretty much back to normal already and it's only been just a few days. We are not and never were scared because of what was going on. Our trust is in the Lord and we know that He is with us. We appreciate your concern. Blessings to all!