More and more kids have been showing up for breakast each day at the church before school. They have some hang out/play time, a devotional by Pastor Goyo, and the ladies serve the meal. Thank you to all who participate by sending contributions to make this happen.
Macx spent one of the mornings taking pictures and we put a video together of them:
"A Day in the Life of Cofradía Kitchen"
Here are some more pictures taken through out the month...
Thank you for your contributions to the Cofradia Kitchen!
We have made it back to sunny, hot, and humid Cofradía! It was a definite warm welcome (pun inteded, LOL).
So many things have happened since we left Washington on September 4. We made our way down through California stuffed in our rental car to visit family and friends. We spoke at Templo Calvario in Bakersfield which is always a blessing to see the brothers and sisters there. They are truly a blessing to our family!
We continued on to visit one of our long time friends Francisco Jimenez and his wife, Teresa, in Camarillo. I met Francisco on one of my first trips to Mexico as a youth when he interpreted for our short-term missions team. He was also the interpreter at our wedding!
From there we headed to Geña's sister's house in Perris, California, where we stayed the next few days. Rebecka and Emma joined us there to be at their cousin's wedding on Saturday. It was nice to see them one last time before flying out as well as getting to see some more family.
At the last minute, Geña's sister's pastor called me up and asked if I'd like to speak at church. I gladly accepted and started to put some things together.
The next day we flew in to Puerto Vallarta where Pastor Jimmy, one of our Cofradia United Pastors was waiting for us. It was Mexico's Independence Day so they were having a party at church that night. Minutes before we left the house for the party, he asked if I'd like to speak. I gladly accepted and arranged a quick "Independence Day" message for the occasion. We spent the next day visiting with them.
We arrived in Cofradia on September 17 to a heavy humidity that at times was almost unbearable...especially after being in the states for three months. It rained that first afternoon which was nice because it lowered the humidity and we were able to fill our water cistern which had gone dry.
We got here in time for EL RETO Week #4 which traditionally is the RETO AUCTION. During the auction, teams bid on an unknown item in a tote box with points they've accumulated throughout the event. So fun! At the end, for the first time in a long time, there was a bidding war where they were going back and forth very fast. I little challenging for this auctioneer! The energy was so strong and exciting. The auction doesn't have much spiritual application to it (however, if I meditated on it long enough I know I could find one!), but the kids love it and they get prizes...or sometimes negative results.
That night, Pastor Amado asked if I'd speak the next evening at his church. I gladly accepted and we had a great time of fellowship with them afterwards. Pastor Goyo almost got me to speak Sunday morning, but I wanted to have a little more time than a couple minutes to prepare for Cofradía. I love speaking in Cofradía.
We have settled in now and Mackenzie is all set up for her online Jr. High classes through Western Christian Academy. (I HIGHLY recommend this school if you're looking for a home-school-type alternative for your children!! Contact us if you'd like to know more information.)
It was a blessing to see everyone we were able to see. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers, we REALLY appreciate it. If you would like to donate specifically to our family, here is a link that explains how to do that. Thanks again!!
EL RETO (The Challenge) is an annual youth outreach here in Cofradía we started in 2005. It has reached hundreds of students who mostly are unchurched and have not heard the good news of Jesus Christ. This is a wide open door to receive these students and share with them God's Love.
It is a Survivor, Amazing Race, Fear Factor style event that looks like youth camp, but for five Saturdays instead of one solid week.
The purpose is to Reach Out to new students, Restore them to Christ, and Learn about leadership and God's love. Everyone benefits from this, even those who are in charge. I often have mentioned that God has something to teach all of us through this event and He will teach you if you are open and receptive to being taught.
EL RETO 2025 started at the end of August and continued for five weeks until the end of September. This year's theme was "Awaken" and based on Romans 13:11 in the Amplified version which says:
Do this, knowing that this is a critical time. It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep of spiritual complacency; for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed in Christ."
Over 100 students heard the gospel at least 5 times during this activity filled event. They participate in games in four different teams and accumulate points throughout the month. After the activity/game portion, all the students come together upstairs in the youth room called "El Refugio" (The Refuge) where they hang out, worship in song, and listen to the gospel message. At the end of the night, the students make their way behind a curtain team by team where they have one last "call" to follow Jesus. Then, they corporately vote for another team to have to do chores (set up the chairs for church and clean up the youth room the next day). Whichever team gets chosen, they also receive a clue to a hidden treasure (somewhere in town, out of town, in the fields, or who knows where) that has the potential of launching them into final victory. Then, the votes are read and everyone is dismissed.
This year, there were two hidden treasures found by two different teams. Neither team had accumulated the most points during the event so there was a RETO SEMI-FINAL to determine who would be the team to face off the team who had most points in the end in a RETO FINAL.
The "Chosen Ones" were victorious.
Technically, it does not matter if your team has the most points, wins, or loses. What matters is that we all learn something and can take whatever that is home with us. If we learn something in EL RETO, we are winners! One of the captains of the teams mentioned that this year's event helped him understand the gospel better and the reason why we do this. During the last meeting, all of the students were prayed for and many of them were receptive to God's love. We have planted the seed and there is a common bond and open door to continue to minister to them now. To God be the Glory!
Thank you to all who contributed towards this event. We do not charge the students in order to encourage them to come and participate. It's because of your involvement that we are able to put this event together and reach these "un-reached" students for Christ. Thank you so much!
If you would like to continue to support this ministry, click on the donate button and make your designation for EL RETO. Our budget is $2,500 for materials, transportation, t-shirts, snacks, props, and more. Thank you for being a blessing!
School is back in session and that means the Cofradia Kitchen is as well. Pastor Goyo and Mati have been doing an excellent job with this ministry. This has been a dream of Mati's for a couple of decades and thanks to the help from the Lord and the encouragement of Homes of Hope Ministry, it has become a reality. Each morning the kids are fed physically and spiritually. This has been making an impact on families who have begun to come to church through this ministry. It's not so much that we want them to come to church, although that is important, but we want people to experience the Love of God in tangible ways that will help them know him and make a decision for Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Thank you to all who have donated towards this ministry. Whether it's directly to the Cofradia Kitchen or for our General Operations, those funds are making an impact!!
Here are some pictures of this past month...
Thank you for your contributions to the Cofradia Kitchen!
