OCTOBER FURLOUGH UPDATE: POST SABBATICAL

Greetings from Washington State! As you know, we spent August and September on a sabbatical rest for the first time in our 16 years together on the mission field. We really enjoyed our time even though we kept ourselves busy with getting settled in our rental and starting school for the girls. We saw the Lord’s consistent faithfulness as He guided us through that time.

I am very thankful for you all who kept us in your prayers which was, and still is, very needed. A big thank you to Pastor Brad Pembleton from Houston as well with whom I kept in contact for accountability and guidance.

Although I set goals with high aspirations, I did hear from the Lord as I focused on the primary goal of “listening” to Him. He spoke to me as I read and studied the Epistle to the Hebrews and read 30 Days to Experiencing Spiritual Breakthrough by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson. I kept a journal and wrote down “Beckons” when I felt the Lord speaking to me. After taking time to review my notes and journal entries, the main message to me was:

“Keep your eyes focused on the finish line with the big picture in mind. Do not get tangled up in the details; trust in the Lord for He is watching over you. Focus on the most important things: Seek God, Love your wife, and Honor your kids.”

We experienced the Lord’s faithfulness through many ways: Your generosity (we have been fully funded through your pledges until we return full-time next summer—THANK YOU!!), Provision for a rental (through people we know and within our church family—and only one mile from my parents’ place), Provision for the girls’ schooling (This was a huge one for me as the Lord blessed us beyond what we could have imagined! All three girls are attending Crosspoint Academy in Bremerton and the Lord is answering our prayers, even ones we didn’t think of!--the school teachers and staff have been extremely hospitable and helpful making our time a huge blessing!).

Geña and I are headed to Cofradia to host a Short-term Missions team from Utah who will be building a home for someone next week. We will return on November 10. I have not had a chance to return emails as I said I would in October. If you emailed me during August and September, I will get back to you as soon as I can.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Before we disconnected, we asked you to please pray for...

1. The Pastors and Leaders in Cofradia as they continue to grow and take ownership of the ministry. I have spoken with them and have received excellent reports that things are going well and the Lord is using them to minister to those in need. The administrator I left in charge is doing an excellent job as well. 
2. Our family over the past couple of months as we Listened to the Lord during our rest, study, and family time. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers! 
3. School Registration for the girls (Rebecka-12th grade; Emma-8th grade; Mackenzie-2nd grade). Please pray the Lord will guide us to the right school for all three of them. HE DID IN A BIG WAY!! 
4. Martin as he house-sits for us during our time in Washington. We are grateful for him and cannot think of someone we trust more. Martin had a couple struggles with the electricity as it was out for three weeks in August, but things were resolved and we look forward to visit with him more.

Here are some links to more:

• Our last Update: Click here to view our update sent out the day before we disconnected.
• Pastors’ Perspectives (NEW): Click here to read bi-annual reports from our Pastors.
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates (NEW): We have added 7 new families to our waiting list. Let us know if you would like to put together a team or help a team that is signed up.
• New Donation Links: We have revised the links for specific donations to our ministry. Click here to get those links.
• Quick Look into our Ministry  

For the next few weeks, will you please pray for...

1. Short Term Missions Team in Cofradia. The Well from Salt Lake City will be building a house for the Solis-Huizar family the first week of November. Please pray for safety and a fun experience for everyone as we give this “unmerited” gift as an evangelistic tool. (November 2 – 9) 
2. Steve and Geña as we fly down on Wednesday to host the team. We are excited to see everyone and reconnect. However, we will be very busy. (October 30 – November 10). 
3. Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie as they stay with my parents. Pray they don’t miss a beat with school and have a wonderful time with their grandparents. 
4. The Grandparents as they run the girls to and fro while we are gone. Pray for strength and peace. 
5. The Ministry in Cofradia Please continue to pray for the ministry in Cofradia as a whole. Pray for fortified leadership skills, growing confidence, and disciplined direction. They are doing great!!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever!

Thank you so much for being part of our team as we work together to RAISE UP LEADERS IN RURAL MEXICO!!!!

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman

Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions
Cofradia Area Director

** JOIN OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM **
ONLINE:
Online, you can make a one-time, tax-deductible gift, or set up to make automatic monthly donations to our PERSONAL SUPPORT at this link.

MAIL IN A CHECK: 
Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  Indicate that it is for The Silbermans for our PERSONAL SUPPORT.

AUGUST MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Washington State! Tomorrow, August 1, we officially begin our two-month sabbatical rest and will excitedly re-connect with our pastors and leaders in Mexico whom we already dearly miss in October. They are doing very well and I have full confidence in them!

Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership with us during this time as we rest, study, spend time with family. God continues to show us His faithfulness as he meets our needs during this time. You all are so generous!!

This is the last email we will send out until October.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Last month, we asked you to please pray for...

1. Continued Safe Travels on our way to Washington—It was a very smooth trip with no problems; thank you for praying! 
2. A place to rent that suits our family for one year—we have a place to rent that is only 5 minutes from my parents’ house. We feel blessed with this opportunity. 
3. School Registration for the girls—we are still trying to work this out. Please continue to pray. 
4. Martin is doing a great job house-sitting for us. 
5. Employment Projects We have received a donation to help start the Bricks Business and Pastor Luis will soon start putting up a fence and begin working on the first 10,000 bricks. This means that someone will have a job in Cofradia and a dad will not need to leave his family to look for work elsewhere! Thank you!! 
6. Restoration Center. To all of you who have so generously donated to this project, thank you! We really appreciate your help as we are so close to reaching our goal! Pastor Amado and his team have received approval from the government and the organization in charge of all Drug Rehab facilities in Nayarit. They will be officially opening in October of 2019! Yay!

Here are some links to more:

• Pastors’ Perspectives (NEW): Click here to read bi-annual reports from our Pastors.
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates (NEW): We have added 7 new families to our waiting list. Let us know if you would like to put together a team or help a team that is signed up.
• New Donation Links: We have revised the links for specific donations to our ministry. Click here to get those links.
• Quick Look into our Ministry 

These next couple of months, will you please pray for...

1. The Pastors and Leaders in Cofradia as they continue to grow and take ownership of the ministry. I am very, very proud of all of them! 
2. Our family over the next couple of months as we Listen to the Lord during our rest, study, and family time. 
3. School Registration for the girls (Rebecka-12th grade; Emma-8th grade; Mackenzie-2nd grade). Please pray the Lord will guide us to the right school for all three of them. 
4. Martin as he house-sits for us during our time in Washington. We are grateful for him and cannot think of someone we trust more.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever!

Thank you so much for being part of our team as we work together to RAISE UP LEADERS IN RURAL MEXICO!!!!

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman

Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions
Cofradia Area Director

** JOIN OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM **
ONLINE:
Online, you can make a one-time, tax-deductible gift, or set up to make automatic monthly donations to our PERSONAL SUPPORT at this link.

MAIL IN A CHECK: 
Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  Indicate that it is for The Silbermans for our PERSONAL SUPPORT.

JULY MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from ...the Highway! We are currently in Southern California visiting friends and relatives.  We crossed the border last Wednesday night and it was an extremely smooth crossing. We appreciate all of those who have been praying for us!

We have had some exciting news this month as the Lord continues to help this ministry move forward.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Last month, we asked you to please pray for...

1. Furlough Preparation: We continually thank God for His provision through those of you who have responded to our request of 30 people to give $100 a month for 13 months (July 2019 to July 2020). We are down to only five more people to make that commitment so we can reach our budget goal. We also have a lead on a rental house that is within that budget. We continue to trust in the Lord for His guidance and peace if this is the house He has for us. 
2. Administrative Assistant. Goyito is doing a great job. 
3. Leadership Training School Project: Pastor Goyo and Pastor Luis continue to teach the Pastors and Leaders on Tuesday nights using John Maxwell’s book The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader’s Day. People are hungry and absorbing these studies. 
4. Establishing Employment Projects: We have purchased land and are working on some test bricks for the brickworks business; you can see a video of that process at the very site we bought and a business plan style document explaining what we want to accomplish with this and how will we do it here.
5. Restoration Center. Praise the Lord that the paperwork has come through and the government has approved “Lighthouse of Hope Restoration Center” as a legitimate Drug Rehabilitation Center in Nayarit, Mexico!!! We are excited for Pastor Amado and his team as they will no longer have to send people in need away, but can now officially and legally help them.

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update 
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates (NEW): We have added 7 new families to our waiting list. Let us know if you would like to put together a team or help a team that is signed up.
• New Donation Links: We have revised the links for specific donations to our ministry. Click here to get those links.
• Pastors’ Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from our Pastors.
• Quick Look into our Ministry  

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Continued Safe Travels on our way to Washington. 
2. A place to rent that suits our family for one year. 
3. School Registration for the girls (Rebecka-12th grade; Emma-8th grade; Mackenzie-2nd grade). 
4. Martin as he house-sits for us during our time in Washington. We are grateful for him and cannot think of someone we trust more. 
5. Employment Projects in Cofradía as Pastor Luis is working on getting things started. $1,400 is the amount we need to put up provisional fencing and make our first 10,000 bricks. Contact me if you would like to help get this ministry started. Click here for more information.
6. Restoration Center. As we praise the Lord for the big step that has been taken in making this Center legitimate, we still are raising funds for the land we want to build on.  The total need we have is $9,000. There are matching funds of $2,500. That means your donation will be doubled up to $5,000! We will be able to purchase the land, pay the taxes, and put us in a position to start building. Some of you have already given towards this and we are so grateful! If you have not had that opportunity yet, please consider what you can do. Here is a link to make a safe online tax-deductible donation.  If you would like more information on this, please email me.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever!

Thank you so much for being part of our team as we work together to RAISE UP LEADERS IN RURAL MEXICO!!!!

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman

Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions
Cofradia Area Director

** JOIN OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM **
ONLINE:
Online, you can make a one-time, tax-deductible gift, or set up to make automatic monthly donations to our PERSONAL SUPPORT at this link.

MAIL IN A CHECK: 
Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  Indicate that it is for The Silbermans for our PERSONAL SUPPORT.