Worship Night '23 in Cofradía

A number of different churches came out for a Worship night in Cofradia. It's awesome to see churches come together and worship together. This is the heart of "La Cofradía United"; to see churches unite in Worship. "Cofradía" means brotherhood. We are small brotherhoods that are part of a bigger brotherhood of believers.

Keyboard for the Church

Thank you so much to some friends from my home church, Gateway Fellowship in Poulsbo, who provided the finances to purchase this new (to us) keyboard for the Cofradia Church! It's a Yamaha DGX-230 and plays really nice.

 

JULY MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Washington State! We have been in Washington State for just over a week and it’s great to be visiting the family.  We were able to see a number of you on our way up through Arizona, California, and Oregon.  We also were able to visit some of you already here in Washington.  Our plan is to stay here for the month of July before heading back to Cofradia the first of August.

Please contact us about getting together as time always flies when we’re in the states and our agenda gets filled up quick.

We are available for speaking at church services, mid-week services, home groups, youth groups, Sunday school classes, etc.
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as we can.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!
Last month, we asked you to pray for... 

1. Bible School Graduation: We were anticipating seven graduates, but it turned out that only three were eligible due to a requirement that we were unaware of.  The three graduates; Alfonso and Secundina from our church who live in Santa Fe and Noe from Mexico City who was finishing up his classes online after starting them in California.  It was a fun and blessed day. 
2. Trip to the States: Thank you and continue to pray as we return in August. 
3. EL RETO 2017: We are still considerably short of our $2,000 goal.  Please consider how you can help in order to reach out to students in need. 
4. Church Ministry: Thank you for your prayers. 
5. Jay and Faith TenBrink have left Cofradia and are on their way to their new, but former, home of Washington State.  Continue to lift them up in prayer as they adjust to returning to the states and find a place to live. 
6. Our Family: Thank you so much for your prayers over our family.

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update
• Lain & Kelly Grant’s Latest Update
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates
• (Updated) Pastors’ Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from three of our Pastors.
• A Quick Look into our Ministry: A two minute clip of some of the activities and more.
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.  

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Pastor Goyo fell and broke his elbow recently.  He underwent surgery and is recuperating well.  Please pray for full mobility and a quick recovery. 
2. Our time in the States as we visit with family and friends and try to get some relaxing in. 
3. The Restoration Center in Rosamorada as they are conditioning a rental while we continue to raise funds for land.  We recently went with Pastor Amado to purchase a section of land and was told we needed to buy the whole 8 acres at once and not in sections.  That puts us $12,000 short.  There is an anonymous donor who is matching up to $3,000.  That means that your donation would be doubled up to $3,000 dollars ($6,000).  This is a great opportunity to invest in the Kingdom of God.  We could use your help with a generous contribution.  I have written more information here.
4. EL RETO 2017 will be starting at the end of August.  This year’s theme is “Focus”.  Click here for more information and how to participate.

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
Ministry Website
Facebook
** 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.

Arrayanes Church

Pastor Goyo has been meeting with a few people in Arrayanes each week.  Please pray with us for an awakening in Arrayanes.  Here is our request of prayer for Arrayanes in our recent update:

"As many of you know we have church property and a building in Arrayanes where we gathered on Sunday evenings a number of years ago.  We eventually started to meet all together in Cofradía on Sundays and held home bible studies in Arrayanes during the week.  Activity in Arrayanes has gradually decreased and is almost non-existent.  The building is no longer being used and the property looks abandoned.  Some of the Arrayanes congregation continues to meet with us in Cofradía on Sundays, but many do not come or have quit coming.  We would like to see something happen during the week to give the opportunity of meeting together for those who do not come or cannot attend.  Pastor Goyo met with them last Friday night to talk to them about starting something up again.  We are praying that the Lord would begin to move once again in this town.  The enemy has taken ground and we want it back.  To give you a better picture, read all of Nehemiah 2 and give attention to verses 17 and 18.  After praying about this for some time, it has really been on our hearts to 'rebuild' in Arrayanes.  Pastor Goyo will meet again with them on May 19."

Las Pilas Church

In our latest update, I shared a request of prayer for this town and direction for the future of the church that meets together each week:

"For a number of years, one of the members of the Cofradía church has been visiting Las Pilas (the town right before you get to Cofradía from the Interstate).  She, Secundina, has adequately discipled one of the locals, Francisca (the wife of Mario the Taco guy), who in turn has been leading bible studies for a couple of years now.  About seven people in town came to her asking her to teach them and lead them.  With the help of Secundina and occasional visits by Pastor Goyo, their meetings have been consistent and they have been growing spiritually.  They currently meet on Thursdays home-group style and will continue to do so, but we’re also praying about a more communal place for them to meet which would include property and a building like we have at the mission base.  Please pray with us for their continued growth and direction for the future of the Las Pilas Church."

This is the style of building we would be interested in for the Las Pilas church.

Please continue to pray for the Lord's direction and provision.

NOVEMBER MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradía, Mexico! November is here!  We like November because even though the temperature hits an occasional 100 degrees, there is a noticeable change in the weather.  It is cooler with a little less humidity...a nice time to be here. :)

Pastor Goyo started a mid-week Bible Study at the church in October.  A few people meet together to worship and study.  One of the main purposes is to help those leading it gain experience as we raise up leaders.  The other night, I was asked to lead the worship to fill in for someone.  I took advantage of this opportunity to lead with my new gift...a ukulele! (Thanks, Alan!)

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

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

1. Drug Rehab Center. We are still having difficulties communicating with the owner of the land.  Our hope is that this month we’ll be able to get into contact...all in God’s timing! 
2. House Build - Dwellings Team.  We are hosting a team of men who will be here November 12 – 19 to build a home for the Ramos-Arreola family here in Cofradia.  We just poured the floor last Saturday and are preparing for the team’s arrival. 
3. Sandy Garzon.  This is Sandy’s last month as a missionary staff with us.  We have been working on transition for a couple of months and she is excited for her new adventures.  Please continue to pray for her.

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update.
• Cofradia Dwellings Candidates. See four families who are in need of a home.
• EL RETO: If you missed any of the reports or are curious about EL RETO, click here to see the latest.
• What is EL RETO?
• Pastoral Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from three of our Pastors.
• A Quick Look into our Ministry: A two minute clip of some of the activities and more.
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.  Click on this link to check it out.
  

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Drug Rehab Center. Please pray that we can get into contact with the owner of the land.  Please pray for Pastor Amado and his team for protection over him, his family, his staff, and all of those involved.  Let me know if you can help make a dent in the financial need he has in order to get this ministry safely on it’s feet. 
2. House Build - Dwellings Team.  Pray for safety, divine encounters, and that this family will know that God is their provider. (November 12 – 19) 
3. 16th Anniversary! Geña and I will be celebrating 16 years of marriage on November 18.  Thank you to all who have been a part of our lives, family, and ministry.  We love you! 
4. Public School Mini-RETO:  We have been invited to help organize and carry out a two-day Mini-RETO for a Jr. High and High School in San Ignacio, Sinaloa November 25 and 26.  Pray for safety and that we will be able to share the love of God to these students.  What an opportunity!  Our Student Ministries pastor, Luis, and his family will be accompanying us (the Silbermans) for this outreach.  We will need $300 to cover the cost of gas, tolls, meals, and supplies.  If you would like to make a special donation, please click here.
5. Bible College: We currently have 10 students taking classes right now.  We are studying Eschatology and Discipleship Counseling.  It has been very helpful and challenging.  Please continue to pray for the students as they are challenged to grow in their knowledge of the Lord and practical aspects of ministry.  Fall classes end on November 29. 
6. Mazatlan Women’s Conference: Eleven women from our church will be headed to Mazatlan for a women’s conference the weekend of December 2 – 4.  Pray for the Lord’s anointing on the speakers and open hearts for the women.  Also pray that the Lord works on the hearts of the husbands who will be staying home.

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 ---

OPTION A---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. 

OPTION B---BY POSTAGE MAIL/CHECKS: 

Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

AUGUST UPDATE

Greetings from Washington State! It has been an enjoyable month visiting family and friends.  Our plans are to begin our trek back to Mexico and leave from Washington on August 9.  We’ll be heading down via I-5 and staying with family in California for the next couple of weeks and speaking in Bakersfield on the 21st just before we cross the border.

As many of you know through facebook, all nine of our Passports were stolen out of our truck along with a checkbook, $50, our dog’s vaccination papers, and a few other less important things.  Everything has been recovered except our checks, the $50, and one passport!  Within a day, three of our passports were found along side the road in different locations.  A couple days later, four more were found and just a week ago one more was found.  We are so grateful for those of you who have been praying.  We have been at peace and our hearts go out to the people who felt the need to take these things and pray for them to be able to find hope in Jesus!

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

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

1. Religious Association Status.  We are still waiting for the government to respond and finalize our paperwork; the financial need is still at hand. 
2. Drug Rehab Center.  We are still praying for a place to be able to house these people who need help. 
3. Trip to the States.  Thank you for your prayers!  We are enjoying our time as we visit family, friends, churches, and have even had the opportunity to go camping. 
4. EL RETO 2016: Thank you to those who have already began to send in contributions for this outreach!  We do not charge the students to attend so your help is very appreciated.  Our goal each year is $2,000 to pay for transportation, materials, prizes, and snacks; we are almost at 50% of that goal.

Here are some links to more:

• **NEW** Pastoral Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from three of our Pastors.
• Last Month’s Update.
• A Quick Look into our Ministry: A two minute clip of some of the activities and more.
• EL RETO 2015
• What is EL RETO
• “Dwellings” candidates in Cofradia: Meet two families that are in need of a home.
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.
  

This month, will you please pray for...

1. The final passport to be found. 
2. Religious Association Status.  $2,000 USDollars. Donate here to help.  
3. Drug Rehab Center. Please pray that Amado would be able to raise the $20,000 he needs to get things going.  What the Lord has called him to do will put a dent in the Kingdom of Darkness and Satan will not be happy and try to impede this work.  Please pray for protection over him, his family, his staff, and all of those involved.  Let me know if you would like to help make a dent in the financial need he has. 
4. Trip to the States. Continue to pray for travel safety, good visits, and time to rest. 
5. EL RETO 2016.  Pray for all of the planning that is happening right now and the Pastor Luis, the Leadership team, and the team captains who are currently preparing for this event.  We still need just over $1,000 to reach our goal in order to pay for transportation, materials, prizes, and snacks.  Donate here to help.  Click here to view a video spot for this year’s event. 
6. Speaking in churches.  Hosanna Bellevue on August 7 and Templo Calvario Bakersfield on August 21. 
7. Birthdays this month.  Rebecka turns 14 (13th) and Mackenzie turns 4 (31st).

SPECIAL NEEDS:  We are looking for: old iPhones, old macbook laptops, mountain bikes, RETO raffle items (cameras, cell phones, tablets, instruments, etc).  Let us know if you have anything you’d like to donate before we leave.

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 ---
OPTION A---ONLINE:
Online, you can make a one-time, tax-deductible gift, or set up to make automatic monthly donations to our personal support here.

OPTION B---BY POSTAGE MAIL/CHECKS: 
Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

JUNE MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradía, Mexico! Praise the Lord for the seven people who were baptized this month at the river.  Some were new converts while others have been visiting church off and on for nearly 20 years!  We look forward to their growth! Click here to see the report.
GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

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

1. Religious Association Status.  We are still waiting for the government to respond and finalize our paperwork; the financial need is still at hand. 
2. Bible School. Thank you to those who have responded to the tuition sponsorship request.  All the students who were in need have been covered! Graduation is June 19! 
3. Drug Rehab Center: Please keep this in prayer as Pastor Amado and his team continue to reach out to young people while they try to find a place to rent and/or land to buy. 
4. Internet. Thank you for your prayers!  I found out this week that there is a new internet service to become available soon in our town.  Today, I visited with the company who is bringing out the service.  The man says that for us to have internet at the mission base that will serve our needs, we would need to purchase a tower and antenna ourselves.  It is available!  We need $1,000 dollars for the purchasing and installation of the tower and antenna.  Our monthly cost will be less than what it is now and the service will be much faster and not limited like it is now (The service we have now limits us to a certain amount of use.  If we go over, we lose service for 24 hours).  We are excited about this opportunity! Please consider how you can help.  This will help us with our communications with the Mexican IRS (Hacienda), Reporting, Updates, National and International Video calls (Facetime, Skype, etc).  This is an incredible answer to prayer!!  Click here to help us reach our goal of $1,000 dollars.  Geña and I will be joining you as we give also. 
5. San Diego.  We have not gone to San Diego because we’ve been told the leaders of the bible study have not returned and it looks like they do not have plans to do so.  We still lift up San Diego for Jesus! 

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update 
• Emma’s 10th Birthday Mini-RETO See a quick report and video of her birthday party here: 
• A Quick Look into our Ministry: A two minute clip of some of the activities and more.
• Pastoral Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from three of our Pastors: 
• EL RETO 2015: 
• What is EL RETO: 
• “Dwellings” candidates in Cofradia: Meet two families that are in need of a home: 
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Religious Association Status.  $2,000 USDollars. Donate here to help.
2. Bible School. Graduation will be on June 19.  Our friend, Francisco Jimenez from Oxnard, CA, will be our guest speaker and we look forward to this first generation of graduates.  The next term begins July 5. 
3. Drug Rehab Center: Pray for Pastor Amado and his team as they continue to reach out to the community.   There are so many people in need who seek him out for help.  Pray for finances to purchase land; he will initially need $15,000 to $20,000 US dollars to purchase a piece of land (6 acres).  In the meantime, he is looking into renting a house in town for those who are coming to him.  If you would like to help him, please let me know.  
4. Civil Association: I feel like we took a few steps back this month.  I was informed that we are obligated by law to open a bank account that allows us to pay taxes online through the bank’s internet page.  Now we NEED to open an account.  This will incur extra (unwanted, LOL) expenses of about $50 per month.  There are no options for internet banking without fees.  I have been working on this for three weeks now researching banks and trying to figure out what we’re supposed to do and have.  Please continue to pray as my hair continues to fall out and turn a lighter color. :) 
5. Trip to the States: Pray for us as we head back to the border to turn in our truck permit.  We will continue on to Washington for a few weeks then be back in Cofradia by the beginning of our youth outreach, EL RETO, which starts the last Saturday of August.  We will be available to speak at your church, Sunday School class, home group, etc.  We also would love to meet up with you for either lunch, dinner, or coffee.  Respond to this email if you have time to visit. 

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 ---OPTION A---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. 

OPTION B---BY POSTAGE MAIL/CHECKS: 
Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

Pastors' Perspectives

Here are the reports from the local pastors in Cofradia.  They receive very little for what they do and any donation you can make to them is appreciated.  You can click on their name to safely donate online.

Pastor, Gregorio Hernández

Lead Pastor

As 2015 came to a close, we were able to reflect on all of the things that were accomplished during the year, and with satisfaction we saw that it was a year of great blessing for the church. For example:

• The bible college that is providing us with brothers and sisters who are equipped to do the tasks that GOD entrusts to each one.
• The Freedom in Christ conference we hosted in December that was good preparation for those who attended that will help others learn to live free in Christ.

And we know that all this isn’t just a blessing for the church but also for the town in general—that is, for those who will enter the church in the future.

In the area of worship, Hugo’s efforts as Worship Minister really stand out; we are extremely grateful to God for the work He is doing through him. During 2015 he was in charge of leading us in worshiping God on many Sundays, and I am certain that he will continue growing in this area. 

Each one of the Cofradía Christian Center leaders has incomparable potential. For all of this and more we are grateful to all of you for your support in prayer and intercession as well as in finances. I tell you that what you are doing out of love for GOD is not in vain. It is translating into lives transformed for the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are all a part of that!!

Our passion is to continue reproducing what God has done in Cofradía, in communities both near and far, and to continue living out the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18‐20. We thank you in advance for your continued and future support. Please be praying for this year’s theme: “Free to Live, Worship, Preach, and Pray.” And as always, we are so grateful for your passion and dedication to God.

Blessings to you all.

Yours Sincerely,

Pastor Gregorio Hernández, Mati, and Family

___________________________________________

Pastor Luis Vázquez

Youth Ministries and Maintenance

Greetings, and may God bless your lives through Jesus Christ, His beloved Son!

In recently days we have been enjoying God’s blessing in new ways as we have continued to know Him better each day, both in His personality as much as in His fullness. He is manifesting Himself in our lives, our ministry, and our church.

THE CHALLENGE (EL RETO), the event for which we asked for your prayers earlier this year, was excellent and provided many opportunities throughout all the activities to talk about all the aspects related to Identity. Over the course of the event, we taught the youth about who Christ is and about His forgiveness. That great truth was planted in their hearts, and God will make His Word prosper in them. We also enjoyed the participation of other church youth groups, one of which continues to bring their youth to our weekly meetings to work together as partners in ministry, which is part of our vision for the youth.

The youth leaders and I are still passionate about pursuing the youth and gathering them together each Saturday and grow deeper roots together in the love of God.

As a family we are still adjusting to the absence of our daughter, who moved to Tepic for college. We believe it is God’s will for her and we receive that; the rest of us keep pressing on and we enjoy having her home when she returns each weekend. We ask for your prayers for:

• Carolina and her studies and for our adjustment to her absence.
• Unity for us as a family.
• The new members and attenders to our youth group.
• Growth in the youth who are already established in the group.

May God richly bless your lives and those of your families. Thank you for your generosity to us.

Blessings to you all,

Pastor Luis

_________________________________________

Pastor Horacio Garzon

Indigenous Ministries and Arrayanes

Hello, brothers and sisters. As always, it is a pleasure to greet you once again. I hope that you are all well. I assure you we are all well, though I tell you that because my wife, María, was ill for a month with a digestive ailment, which was complicated by her diabetes and therefore necessitated two or three rounds of treatment.Though she lost quite a bit of weight in the process, she is finally recovering well.

In ministry we are still confident in and grateful to God for all things. We continue ministering in the Cora community of Mojocuautla. We are organizing the distribution of the Operation Christmas Child boxes, praying that many children will receive the love of Christ through that event.

Your support is a precious blessing that allows us to resolve several needs that have beset us. In addition, through it God has allowed us to go to a distant mountain community of Cora called “El Cangrejo.”

Thank you!

JUNE UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! We have a lot of news to share with you this month!  One of the more exciting answers to prayer is that we will be receiving new staff members by the end of the summer!  We have seen the need since becoming the Directors of the mission four years ago and have been praying regularly about this for the past couple of years.  You can meet Lain and Kelly Grant here

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

In the “links to more” section below, you’ll see that we also had some baptisms.  Plus, see what kind of “rare find” Geña came across in our back yard!

Thank you for your prayers for our family and ministry as we walk through challenges and victories.  We really appreciate your participation.

In our last update, we asked you to pray for...  

1. Bible School.  We are finishing up the Spring Quarter which has definitely served as one of the most productive so far, studying Biblical Theology and Vision. There were a number of excellent visions for ministry that came out of the Vision class.  Once we get the Civil Association squared away, we have the potential of this organization, “Cofradia United”, exploding!
2. Mexican Civil Association.  We’ve sent in our objectives for review and are waiting for a response.
3. Upcoming Activities.  Thank you for praying for these as the planning continues to be fine tuned.

Here are some links to more:

• Baptisms of Centro Cristiano Cofradia 
• Geña’s “rare find” 
• New “Dwellings” tab in our blog. Meet three families that are in need of a home. 
• Last month’s update 
• Emma’s 9th Birthday video (3 minutes) 
• Pastor’s Perspectives: Click here to read reports from three of our Pastors 
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Bible School.  The Summer Quarter will begin on June 30 with Pastor Goyo and Pastor Luis teaming up to teach Hermeneutics and Pastor Martin will be teaching Homiletics. 
2. Mexican Civil Association.  Please continue to pray for a smooth start-up to the official organization.
3. Trip to the States.  Please pray for safe travel, smooth border crossing, and wisdom as we look forward to the God-encounters on the way.  We’ll be speaking in churches and visiting friends throughout California, Oregon, and Washington.  We would love the opportunity to share at your Church, Sunday School class, Youth Group, Home Group, etc.  Please contact us about setting up a date!  We leave Cofradía on Saturday, June 13 and should be arriving in Bremerton, Washington on Friday, June 26.  Then, tentatively, we’ll start our way back to Cofradía leaving Washington on Monday, August 10 and crossing the border into Mexico on Thursday, August 27.  Can’t wait to see you! 
4. Upcoming Activities.  Please pray for wisdom and direction for all the leaders and staff involved in our upcoming events; pray for those who will be ministered to to have open hearts and lives to be changed; pray that our ultimate goal of glorifying God will be fulfilled.  Three major activities coming up are a Short-term Missions Team in July,  EL RETO youth outreach that begins August 29, and we’ll be hosting a Freedom in Christ conference (through Neil Anderson’s ministry) in December.

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

--- PLEASE JOIN OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM ---

ONLINE. Click here to donate to our personal support 

BY POSTAGE MAIL/CHECKS. Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

MAY MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! There has been a few exciting things happen this month. The first was Emma’s Birthday.  She wanted a Mini-RETO and we spent over four hours playing games, having fun, and enjoying her and her friends.  You can see a video of it here.

Another exciting thing is vision.  Talk about vision has been at the forefront of many conversations lately.  “The Power of Vision” class has come at a perfect time as we are perfecting the vision for our Mexican Organization as well as helping the students determine more clearly what the Lord wants to do through them once they have finished the required amount of classes in order to graduate.  It’s been really exciting to hear how God has been speaking to people.  This has become something very essential as we “Raise up Leaders in Rural Mexico.”  My passion is to help people reach towards their leadership potential.  Many of us are afraid to take risks and I’m so excited to see how everyone is growing!  A couple of weeks ago as I was reading in Proverbs 13, a verse stood out to me that alludes to this.  You can read my thoughts here.

On the contrary to these exciting things, a beloved friend, mother, and grandmother went to be with the Lord this month.  Paula Vega was 55 and slipped away as they began to operate on her.  Many of you donated towards’ the family’s financial need and they received almost exactly what they needed.  The Franco-Vega family thanks you and are very grateful to all of you who prayed for them and helped them.

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

Thank you for your prayers for our family and ministry as we walk through challenges and victories.  We really appreciate your participation.

In our last update, asked you to pray for...  

1. Bible School.  This quarter has been very productive and exciting.  The students are really enjoying the Theology class as well as being challenged in the Vision class. 
2. Music Ministry (Worship).  Praise the Lord!  Through the vision class, a couple of people have mentioned that this is something they’d like to get involved in and see developed more.  I’m all for them doing this!!! 
3. The Mission in Cofradía.  Thank you for your prayers.  It turns out that the change that was to take place has been reconsidered and we are no longer in need of the change. 
4. Mexican Civil Association.  No new news here; we’re still where we were at a month ago.  Thanks for your continued prayers.

Here are some links to more:

• Emma’s 9th Birthday video (28 minutes)
• Emma’s 9th Birthday video (3 minutes) 
• Rebecka and Emma’s first music together. 
• Do Something; Expect Something. 
• Last month’s update. 
• Pastor’s Perspectives: Click here to read reports from three of our Pastors. 
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.  Click on this link to check it out.

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Bible School.  Thank you for your continued prayers for the students as they spend time with the Lord to hear His voice and see His vision for each of them. 
2. Mexican Civil Association.  Pray for a smooth start-up to the official organization. 
3. Upcoming Activities.  Please pray for wisdom and direction for all the leaders and staff involved in our upcoming events; pray for those who will be ministered to to have open hearts and lives to be changed; pray that our ultimate goal of glorifying God will be fulfilled.  Summer Bible classes tought by Pastor Goyo, Pastor Luis, and Pastor Martin, EL RETO youth outreach, Short-term Mission Teams, Freedom in Christ conference (through Neil Anderson’s ministry), additional missionary staff, and our family as we’ll be in the states for two months during the summer.

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
Office: 011-52-319-232-5046
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

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