Emma's Birthday - short video

Click here to read about Emma's birthday and see a longer, 28 minute video of it.

Here's the short, 3 minute version (Thanks, Max):
Emma birthday 9th 3.min from macx on Vimeo.

Emma Rose's 9th Birthday!

For the past few years, we've held a "mini-RETO" for Rebecka's birthday parties.  They have been such a hit and it's something that the girls look forward to each year.  This year, when we asked Emma what she wanted for her birthday, she said, "RETO!".  Ok, so here is a 28 minute video of Emma's 9th birthday put together by our friend Max.  We divided the children into two teams and played games together; they got wet, had some interesting things to eat, hit the piñata, and finished the evening off with cake.

Emma has been helping on the Worship band as her and her little cousin, Zundury, have been singing with me.  I had my guitar laying around one day and she picked it up and started playing with it.  She has shown an interest in learning how to play, so one of her gifts was a mid-sized classical guitar.  She loves it!  Can't play it yet, but she loves it!

Here's the video...
Emma Rose 9th from macx on Vimeo.

April Ministry Update

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! Happy Resurrection Day, everyone!  I love thinking about how important the resurrection is to Christians.  This is the foundation of what we believe.  Christ died for us, but he didn’t stay dead, he rose again—in order for us to be reconciled to God the Father!  If there were no resurrection, our faith would be pointless.  Without our faith, we would be hopeless.  It’s nice to have hope.  Our hope is based on faith, our faith is based on His love.

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. Church Anniversary.  Thank you for your prayers throughout the years for this church and the continued growth in Dischipleship and Leadership.  Close to 200 people came out to celebrate with us...(read more here).   
2. Bible School Students.  The Winter Quarter is over, the exams are graded, and we’ve had some great conversation about the classes...especially the counseling class! 
3. EL RETO Mission: Las Varas.  Pastor Luis and I along with four students (including our daughter Rebecka) went to a church in Las Varas, Nayarit and shared with them how to work with youth.  We did a mini-RETO on the Saturday and I shared about leadership from Nehemiah at church on Sunday morning.  We enjoyed ourselves and so did they.  There were 22 students who came not knowing what to expect.  They all had lots of fun and we were able to share the gospel with them; most of them do not go to church.  Click here for a short report and quick video. 
4. Music Ministry (Worship). Please pray for the continued growth in the locals as we develop this ministry. 
5. Bookkeeping.  I’m almost finished with getting everything caught up; I made good progress this month.  Thank you for your prayers! 
6. The Mission in Cofradia.  We appreciate your continued prayers for the change that will occur this year. 
7. Mexican Civil Association.  We have an official name for the Civil Association!  “La Cofradia United International” will be our official name as we continue to carry out the Lord’s work in this town of Cofradia and the surrounding areas.  “Cofradia” is literally translated as “Confraternity”.  A Confraternity (brotherhood/sisterhood) is a group of people who set out for a purpose, usually religious or charitable.  It fits really nicely with what we do here.  We are still working on legal paperwork for the Association to be birthed.

Here are some links to more:

• Student Ministry Awards Night: Four students received awards for their enthusiasm, service, leadership, and dedication.  Click here to read the report and see photos (see what family member is amongst the winners!). 
• Last month’s update
• Pastor’s Perspectives: 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.  Prayer for the students as they continue to move forward in their relationship with God.  Prayer for me as I lead and facilitate the classes.  The two classes that we have this Spring Quarter are: Systematic Theology II and The Power of Vision. 
2. Music Ministry (Worship).  Please continue pray for the ongoing growth in the locals as we develop this ministry. 
3. The Mission in Cofradia.  Thank you for your continued prayer for wisdom, discernment, and patience.  Pray that the Lord would guide us to the right people to talk with concerning these changes. 
4. Mexican Civil Association.  Pray for a smooth start-up to the official organization.  As I mentioned, we still have some paperwork to do, but we’re excited about getting the name authorized.

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
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

--- 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.

Awards Night - Student Ministry

This is the tenth year we've held an Awards Night for the Student Ministry.  What initially started as the Oscar Awards event brought to us by Cy-Fair Student Ministry has continued on as we recognize students who have stood out amongst the rest in their service, enthusiasm, leadership ability, and dedication to the Lord's work.

This year, four students received awards:

Enthusiasm Award.  This award goes to the person who shows a lot of spirit in the activities, isn't afraid to participate, and encourages others to join in.  This person is a spark in the youth group.  This year, this award went to...

Kenia Garzón
from Arrayanes

New Generation Award.  This award focusses on the new students who have joined the youth group this year just coming out of Elementary School.  The winner of this award has displayed leadership ability since joining the group and in the future could be part of the Student Leadership Team.  This year, this award went to...

Rebecka Silberman
from Cofradia

Servant Award.  This award goes to the person in the youth group who is always willing to help and shows great leadership within the group.  This person helps others with a selfless, servant attitude.  This year, this award went to...

Keren Vázquez
from Santa Fe

Brave Heart Award.  This award goes to the person who has shown a lot of growth in their walk with the Lord.  They have set examples for others and are willing to serve no matter what the cost.  This year, this award went to...

Martin Garzón
from Arrayanes

Thank you for your prayers and support of the Student Ministry of Centro Cristiano Cofradia.  Home of EL RETO!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THIS STUDENT MINISTRY

EL RETO: LAS VARAS

Over a year ago, we were invited to give a class on how to reach students by a pastor in Las Varas, Nayarit.  This past weekend, six of us went to "show" them what has had huge success with us here in Cofradia where hundreds of youth have been exposed to the gospel and have participated in our Student Ministry's EL RETO.

Pastor Luis, his daughter Carolina, his son Luis, Alfredo and myself along with my daughter, Rebecka put together a small mini-RETO for the students at Redeem Church in Las Varas.  It was very impactful for all of us as we saw students excited about EL RETO and open to learn.  

EL RETO is mainly designed for reaching young people.  However, during the event, all of us can learn something if we allow ourselves to "listen".  Luis and Alfredo helped as coaches to the local captains from Las Varas.  Both of them shared in church the next morning about how they learned to work together as a team.  One shared from the point of view of being on the losing team, and the other shared from the point of view of being on the winning team.  They were great testimonies of how God teaches us through EL RETO.  I'm proud of Alfredo and Luis for helping and seeing something that God was speaking to them about.

What caught my attention most was the dynamic of one team who started really strong, but lost most of the activities...it seemed like everything went wrong for them.  One game after the next, they lost.  In the end, they ended up with minus points!  This is something that can happen, and probably has happened, to all of us.  When we feel like the world is against us.  Things don't always go the way we've planned them.  And, "When it rains, it pours" is a common phrase that many of us claim when so many things aren't going "right."  But, this is something that we can look at and say, "What are you teaching me, Lord?"  I can remember some instances of things happening last year that surprised me.  It seemed like every time something got "fixed", something else would happen and we would end up focused on "fixing" that problem.  I think ultimately, God wants us to trust in Him in all things.  He is faithful and will continue to be faithful.  His love endures forever.  So, when things aren't going the way we've planned, we can trust in Him that He knows His plan.  When we submit to His Will, we only come out winners--even if we loose in a simple, yet complex, EL RETO game.

Are you facing a hard time right now?  Are things not going "your" way?  The most simple answer is to put your trust in Jesus and know that He loves you and cares for you.  He will make a way where there seems to be nothing.  If you haven't, you can ask Him for forgiveness of your sins and invite Him to be Lord of your life.  He has already won the victory over evil.  We can only win with Him!

Cofradia Church Anniversary

Close to 200 people came out to celebrate four years of being in the new church building.  We worshipped together, Pastor Goyo shared a very appropriate message called “Jesus, the Name Above All Names.”  Three people came forward to make Jesus Christ Lord of their life and many others followed.

Each year we have a free time that allows members to share a song, drama, or a testimony.  We had a number of participants this year and we had a great time followed by a great meal together!

Why do we celebrate? Four years ago we inaugurated the new building for Centro Cristiano Cofradia after meeting for over a decade and a half at the Mission Base Compound.  What a testimony to God’s Faithfulness!  On this day, we recognize the hundreds of people who have come down to minister through short-term missions as they helped lay a foundation for this ministry.  Many people have been saved, refreshed, encouraged, and blessed by relationships that have been developed.  We think of all the teams and individuals who have come to work on all kinds of construction projects, even those who had the opportunity to help build the church.  Finally, we are very grateful for all who have given sacrificially to the work here.  When we all work together, we can do great things in God’s Kingdom. 

So, a big THANK YOU to you all who have prayed and given so much of your time and finances.  Through Christ, you have helped make Centro Cristiano Cofradia a reality.  We love you all!

MARCH UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! Just a couple of weeks ago I shared with you our last update in which I mentioned our annual Valentine’s Day Date Night for married couples and links to a couple of small reports on Short-term mission teams from Texas and Washington.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!

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

1. Church Anniversary.  We will be celebrating our 4th year in the new building this Sunday.  It’s always a great time to look back and consider the faithfulness of our Lord.
2. Bible School.  Tonight we finish our Winter Quarter with 17 students.  It has been very informative and the discussions we have at the end are very thought-provoking as they challenge us to grow.  The students will be spending this next week working on their final exams.  Thank you for your prayers for them and me as I grade them.
3. Music Ministry (Worship).  God is continuing to work, please keep this in prayer. 

Here are some links to more:

• 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.
  

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Church Anniversary.  Thank you for your prayers throughout the years for this church and the continued growth in Dischipleship and Leadership (Anniversary Date: February 27; To be celebrated on March 8).   
2. Bible School Students.  Again, thank you for your prayers for them and me as I grade their exams.
3. EL RETO Mission: Las Varas.  Pastor Luis and I along with four students (including our daughter Rebecka) will be training a church in Las Varas, Nayarit on how to work with youth on March 14.  We’ll be executing a mini-RETO as well as coaching their leaders about their needs.  I will be sharing from Nehemiah with the congregation the next morning about Leadership.  We are really looking forward to this as the Lord continues to open doors for us to minister to people and churches in this region and state.
4. Music Ministry (Worship).  The main Worship Leader who has been helping me will be leaving after the 15th of March to the United States to work as a Contracted Laborer; He will be gone until next December.  Please pray for the continued growth in the locals as we develop this ministry.
5. Bookkeeping.  I am way behind with the mission’s bookkeeping.  Pray that the Lord would help me see windows of time in order to update everything.  I love to do bookkeeping, but haven’t been able to get caught up.
6. The Mission in Cofradia.  We will be experiencing some changes this year and would really appreciate your prayers for wisdom, discernment, and patience.  Pray that the Lord would guide us to the right people to talk with concerning these changes.
7. Mexican Civil Association.  We are still working on making this happen.  Pray for guidance as we move forward to establish the mission in Mexico.

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
Facebook
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

--- 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.

Pastors' Perspectives

Here is an update from the three main Pastors of Centro Cristiano Cofradia.

Pastor Goyo

During 2014 our theme was "One More" with the idea that each of us journey with someone to the feet of Christ and not simply to have them come to church.  During an evangelistic campaign in a neighboring town, through the efforts of visiting pastors, several people were saved, to the glory of God!

Throughout the year, a woman from a nearby town called Las Pilas who attends our church has been ministering there on Tuesdays and Fridays.  This happens in the home of one of the new believers from that town. In all, 7 people have received Christ through this ministry. It is a new group that is meeting together for the purpose of growing through the study of the Bible.

All this happens thanks to God and the partnership that you all provide through your prayer and financial support. Thank you for your gift of giving your heart to this work in Cofradía Christian Center. For us it is a motivation to keep pressing onward knowing that the work done for God is not done in vain. Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” Thank you! Thank you so much!

For 2015 our theme is “Armed by the Power of God.” May the Church believe and live the power of God in its life, expecting God to bring spiritual freedom for our church and for all the surrounding villages. May God bless you, and we thank you in advance for their unconditional support and for believing God.

Pastor Gregorio Hernández Galván, Matilde Espinoza (wife), and family

***********************

Pastor Luis

God bless you always in all you are doing and will set about to do.

I am pleased to greet you through this means, since I cannot do it by any other. But God is the same no matter where we may be; that God continue to strengthen you all in your lives and family is my desire and prayer.

We are very well—encouraged and with much hard work in the ministry, but strengthened in Christ. In this new year, our family is anticipating big changes, for which I request your prayers: all of our four children will change schools, but the biggest change is that our oldest daughter will leave us to continue her studies at college in the city. We know this needs to happen, but the separation hurts nonetheless. We understand that it is God's plan, but sometimes His plans hurt us the most when they involved our children. I mention this so you may know more of our lives and may help us with your prayers for everything to go well.

We are pleased that our children are doing well in their studies and getting good grades. Despite experiencing some difficulties with our third child, we are working together with his teacher to help him. We have seen such improvement in his behavior and grades that his teacher asked me to present a lecture to her students about sexuality. My wife, Mary, joined me and it was quite fun!

We continue working with the youth, now that EL RETO has ended. That is a youth event in which around 240 young people participate over six weeks. It was hard, but it was a great blessing.

We will begin visiting the surrounding villages with the youth group at least twelve times per year—at the end of each month—so that our youth group can see what Christ is doing in them He can also do in those other communities. We will host games and present dramas we've had in our church or have seen in other places we’ve visited. 

The other leaders who work with us attend the Summit Bible College program here in Cofradía, and I am grateful to God for that because they are being discipled in truth. My wife and I are also attending and are studying the necessary subjects to continue working in ministry.

These are just some of the things we are doing, and I just want to thank you for your time that you have invested in us; if the time ever comes, my prayer is to someday meet you in person. May God continue to bless you forever. I love you all with the love that is good and eternal.

Pastor Luis Vásquez

***********************

Pastor Horacio

Hello! Once again it is my great pleasure to greet you, and I hope you are well in the blessing of God. Brothers and sisters, I thank God because we too are well, except my wife María who suffers from diabetes. She is following medicine-based treatment, but we hope she will overcome this illness in due time.

We have also been busy with the new semester of classes through Summit Bible College in Bakersfield, California, which has an extension campus here in Cofradía. We are preparing ourselves; for me it is a bit complicated to use computers for different assignments because I'm not that familiar with computers. But brothers and sisters, the good of this is that God gives me patience so that I may be prepared for His work.

Thank you for all you have given financially to support us. This is a blessing that allows us to use our time to study and go out on missions in the sierra once a week. Keep praying for this ministry because the deep-rooted cultural superstitions of these indigenous groups rise up powerfully to oppose the truth.

Receive greetings from my family.

God bless you, and THANK YOU!

Horacio and María

FEBURARY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! Chicken Pox!  Yep...Emma and Mackenzie just went through that experience along with a number of other children in town.  It’s not uncommon right now to see a child with dots on his/her face.  It’s been a little rough, but everyone is healing well.

I’m a little late in getting this update out this month and was unable to share with you about our annual Valentine’s Day Date Night at the church.  It was an excellent evening with a great Word!

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.  We really appreciate your involvement and pray for you often.

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

1. Back to School.  Rebecka and Emma are doing well at the local school and home school.  We are still a little behind with home school, but things are looking good.  The adults are almost finished with the Winter Quarter of the Bible school.  We are incredibly enjoying the two classes: Discipleship Counseling and Biblical and Systematic Theology.  Our conversations as we debrief after watching the videos have been very good and thought-provoking. 
2. Short-Term Missions.  You can read here about one of the best teams we’ve had as the Cy-Fair Couples ministered and worked with the local couples.  And, as always, the His Place team from Washington did a great job accomplishing a number of projects for us. 
3. Music Ministry (Worship).  As we are trying to integrate more worship leaders into the Sunday Services, we are seeing an excellent response from some of the adults.  One in particular, Magdaleno, has lead worship half of the time since we returned in December.  However, he will be leaving for the United States for contract work in March.  Other people are also beginning to show interest in helping.  Thank you so much for your prayers as we continue to “Raise up Leaders in Rural Mexico”! 
4. Ministry Opportunities.  We have been continuing to pray for those of you who would like an opportunity to serve.  We trust that the Lord is working and are excited about the opportunities here.

Here are some links to more:

• Last month’s update
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Church Anniversary.  We will be celebrating our 4th year in the new building on March 8.  It’s always a great time to look back and consider the faithfulness of our Lord.   
2. Bible School.  We’ll be wrapping up the Winter Quarter on March 3 and the students will begin to work on their final exams.  Thank you for your prayers for them and me as I grade them. 
3. Music Ministry (Worship).  Thank you for continuing to lift this up.  God is working. 

Thank you so much for being part of our team!

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions Cofradia
Area Director
Facebook
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

--- WANT TO 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.

Date Night 2015

Approximately 60 couples from all over the region came out for our annual Valentine's Day Date Night meal and message.  Missionaries Doug and Jan Taylor were our guest speakers again and brought a very applicable and clear message about our marriage relationships.  This is one of the events we have that opens a door for evangelism and gives us an opportunity to share with others how much God loved them by sending His Son Jesus Christ to pay for our sins.  Jesus is our example to follow as husbands.  Some who came accepted Christ into their life for the very first time while many others renewed their commitments to Him reassuring that He is the Lord of their life and marriage.  We have noticed that this event is something that married couples look forward to each year...whether they know Jesus or not.

His Place Team

Each year a team from His Place Church in Washington come down to help out with either specific projects and/or small tasks that need to be taken care of around the Mission Base and Church.

This year there were seven on the team and their main project was to put a roof on Don José's house in Arrayanes.  Don José is 95 years old and came to me months ago asking if a team could come down to help him with his leaky roof.  Very appropriately, the His Place team was the perfect team as they have made great relationships with the people of Arrayanes throughout the years.

Other projects were painting, cleaning, repairing a few things, and hanging fans in the kitchen area at the church.

They were able to participate in a few ministry events we had during their time here as well.  Thursday afternoon we went up with the group who goes out to evangelize and visit the Indigenous village of Mojocuautla where we held their once a month service in a building they helped construct last year.  Friday and Saturday were open-air events in the center of town in Arrayanes and then at the Arrayanes church facility.  It was been a while since we've reached out to this community that way and the response was great!  Many people came out, some of which were surprises!  We had some singing, a testimony, drama's, and a message.  We look forward to follow-up on the relational opportunities that presented themselves during those times.

Thank you His Place for all your hard work and blessing our ministry once again!

Cy-Fair Team

Connection, Family, Completeness...these are a few words that go through my mind as I think back to the Couples team from Houston.  It was the first time we had a team come down to specifically work with the married couples.  It was one of the best we've had!

Each morning the team would head out to Arrayanes to work on a couple different work projects...

A much needed bathroom for Pastor Horacio and his family...

And real roof on Manuel and Josephina's house... 

Everyone worked together and some of the locals even came out to help.

The evenings were filled with meeting times with the married couples.  Sometimes we would meet altogether, sometimes we had separate men/women sessions.  We talked about a number of different topics such as leadership, communication, spirituality in the home, etc. and heard some great testimonies from the team.  All the topics were very helpful and the locals responded well.  Many were participating very comfortably in the separated sessions as they shared some of their own stories of areas they need to work on.   

During the final evening together we had grilled beef and played the Newlywed Game which brought a lot of laughter to everyone.  We also gained more insight on the couples who participated as we learned about them and a little about how they communicate with each other. :)

After having had separate teams in the past of men and women, this year's ministry time brought a sense of completeness.  As I sat observing all the activities during the mealtime, I saw one big family mingling together, enjoying one another's company.

Thank you Cy-Fair Christian Church for your humble servanthood year after year and making it a point to develop relationships.  What a blessing!

JANUARY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! Happy New Year to everyone!  We pray that everyone is doing well and continues in our hope of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We always enjoy this time of year as it gives us time to hang out in the evenings circled around a fire with s’mores, fireworks, and the like enjoying fellowship with friends and family.  Unfortunately, the clock continues to tick and the season of those times comes to an end.  Tomorrow is the beginning of classes for all the schools here (K-12) and we look forward to our Bible School which will be starting up again next week on the 13th.

In our previous note at Christmas, I mentioned I’d be letting you know of a few things to keep in prayer.

Will you please pray for...  

1. Back to School.  In general it’s nice to remember our kids as they try to adjust once again to going to school every day after the Holiday’s.  Usually, this adjustment is really quick.  Please keep in mind the adults who are in the Bible school as they make adjustments after having a month off.   
2. Short-Term Missions.  We have two teams coming up: Cy-Fair Christian from Texas (Jan. 24 – 31) who will be building relationships through Men’s, Women’s, and Couple’s ministries; as well as building a roof and bathroom for a couple of families.  Also, His Place from Washington (Feb. 2 – 11) will be here to help with a number of projects around the missionary base, church, and community.
3. Music Ministry (Worship).  Thank you for continuing to lift this up.  We’re trying to integrate more worship leaders into the Sunday services.
4. Ministry Opportunities.  If you or someone you know has a desire to work in Missions, let me know.  This  is a great place to get plugged in.

Here are some links to more:

• Last month’s update
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.  Click on this link to check it out.
  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Thank you so much for being part of our team!

Blessings,
Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions Cofradia
Area Director
Facebook

--- WANT TO 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.

DECEMBER UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! We just want to send out a quick note wishing everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS and update you on a couple of things.  We will be sending out another update after the new year to let you know of the things ahead.

We have returned to Cofradía after spending just over a month in the United States visiting family and friends.  It was great to see all of you whom we were able to visit, yet it is always a little frustrating that time doesn’t allow us to visit more of you.

Some of you may not have received an update in a while and that is due to our computer’s hard drive failing.  We were able to get it fixed and have, for the most part, updated our information.

In our last update that some of you did not receive, we asked you to pray for...

1. Our trip to the states.  Thank you.  Our truck worked just fine after sitting for 8 months and we made it to Washington to help my parents sort through a few things after their move.  It was nice to spend time with them during Thanksgiving.  We made our way down through California to visit Geña’s family and more friends.  At the border on our way in, we learned that if Geña enters Mexico as a US citizen, our truck’s 6 month permit CAN BE RENEWED after we hand it in!  What a blessing that was to hear!  (By the way, if I did that, I would lose my Permanent Resident status).
2. Our Anniversary and Geña’s Birthday.  We had a nice dinner together for our Anniversary.  As for the birthday, it was great to celebrate it along with a niece in California and a house-load of family!
3. The Bible School Students have finished their final exams and it’s time for Steve to grade them all.  Every student we’ve talked to has been blessed by the classes!
4. Music Ministry (Worship).  Everything went really smooth while we were gone and the Lord is raising up Worship Leaders within the congregation.  Thank you so much for your continued prayers over this area as we continue to grow.
   

Here are some links to more:

• Last month’s update
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.  Click on this link to check it out:
  

After we get more settled, we’ll send out another update about how to continue to pray for us.  In the meantime...

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Thank you so much for being part of our team!

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions Cofradia
Area Director
Facebook
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

Thank you very much for partnering with us through your prayers and financial support.
Click here to donate to our personal support

MAILING ADDRESS FOR SUPPORT. Another way to donate is by sending 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.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico 

We give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever! 

Just recently, the computer that I use for dial-up internet at our house was damaged from lightning and no longer turns on.  The good thing is that we had no important information on it.  The challenging thing is that the computer that we use for all of our communication, documents, and finances was somehow damaged just a couple weeks later by something totally unrelated and will not recognize the Operating System.  Through a recent backup, I have been able to retrieve most of our information, but still working on email addresses.  

For that reason, we have delayed our latest update.  I want to share really quick with you some of the things we’ve asked prayer for…

EL RETO (The Challenge).  This was our 10^th year and there were 270 students from 10 different churches involved.  It was an exciting event that has evolved into a different level of purpose.  Many pastors brought their students and are anxiously waiting for an opportunity to do something similar in their town/church.  Click here to read about the event and how Victor Daniel came to know Jesus as his Savior at the Grand Finale.

The Gradillas.  We also had the privilege of having Pastor Rafael and his wife Susana here from Bellevue, Washington for a special Evangelistic outreach.  Many people made decisions to serve and accept Christ into their life.  We are excited about how God moved.  Click here to see some pictures and more about the weekend.

Will you please pray for: 

A quick trip to the United States.  We will be heading to Washington in November for a couple weeks to visit family and friends.  We’ll be there through Thanksgiving, and then we’ll make our way south through Oregon and California to visit more family, friends, and the Bible School.  We should be back in Cofradia by mid-December.

We’ll be sharing in all services at Gateway Fellowship in Poulsbo on November 16.

Anniversary.  We will be celebrating 14 years of marriage on November 18!

Please continue to lift up the students who are taking Bible classes through the Summit Bible College extension here in Nayarit.  We have five new students joining us.

Geña celebrates another year of life on December 13.

Music Ministry.  I have been working for a decade on teaching students how to play instruments and including them on the Worship team.  The past few years I have not been able to invest sufficient time to keep this going.  I see a need for someone to step up in this area to help me and the church body.  Please pray with me that God would place a fresh genuine spirit of Worship on someone to come along side and help.

Thank you for keeping our family and ministry in your prayers.  Be blessed and we hope to see you if you’re in Washington, Oregon, California, or Arizona this November/December.

To be part of our support team, click on this link to donate safely or send a check made out to Alternative Missions with a separate note indicating that your donations are for Steve Silberman to:

PO Box 3107

Ferndale, WA 98248-3107

USA

Blessings,

The Silbermans

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie

Missionaries to Mexico

Alternative Missions Cofradia

Area Director

Pastor Rafael and Susana Gradilla

Once again we had the great privilege of having Pastor Rafael Gradilla from Hosanna Asamblea in Bellevue, WA to visit us in Cofradia with challenging and motiving messages.  This time it was a little different than those of the past because his wife, Susana, was able to join him for the first time.

As soon as they got off the plane in Mazatlan, we took them to Cofradia and right to a meeting for our leaders.  It was an excellent message from the example of Noah's leadership and was a great start for the weekend.  Friday night Susana sang a couple songs and Pastor Rafael spoke to the married couples.  Saturday he spoke to some of the local pastors from the area in the morning and in the evening we had a special event in the Auditorium in downtown Tuxpan with Susana signing and Rafael sharing the message.  Many pastors were present as well as many other people from those churches.  The altar was full after the invitation to receive Jesus Christ as Savior.  We had the privilege of having them both again on Sunday morning as he left us a challenge to continue to share Christ's love to others and help others find their way to Him.

We are very thankful for the Gradilla's ministry and were blessed to have them.

Preaching in the Tuxpan Auditorium

Singing at Centro Cristiano Cofradia

EL RETO FINAL 2014

What an event!  We saw 270 students this year from 10 different churches located in towns and cities around this area!

The final week is when we wrap everything up closing the raffle and exposing the hidden treasures.  This year, five hidden treasures were placed in different locations and only three were found after the students received clues in a code language (hebrew letters and order).

We started with a time of Worship in song and a message from special guest speaker, Pastor Brad Pembleton, from Texas.  Then continued with the raffle and treasures.  Finally, the moment that everyone was waiting for...


the winners of EL RETO 2014!

The "Obedient Ones to the Lord"

The team will be heading to the beach in San Blas soon to celebrate their win.  

As we continue to reach out to those who came, one of the students who is from one of the churches in another city, came to know Jesus after we were all finished and started packing up.  I called out this young man not knowing who he was to congratulate him on his good attitude and how he helped his leader during the event.  When we were all finished, he asked if he could have a picture with me.  This opened up a conversation that led to him giving his life to Jesus for the first time.  Things like this make EL RETO worth it!

Thank you for your support and prayers!  Along with other students, Victor Daniel's life was changed!

For the updates of each week, you can click on the links below:

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five

 DONATE TO EL RETO / THE CHALLENGE HERE

You can make a difference in a young person's life!

EL RETO 2014 - WEEK 5

Week #5 was our version of Amazing Race as each team had drivers take them to five different locations in five different towns.  Each team chose from certain options which town they wanted to go to next.  In each location there were activities to do and off to their next destination.

The final destination was the center of town in Cofradía for our annual "RETO AUCTION".  This is always a fun time as teams bid on certain unknown items using points they've accumulated throughout the event.  This is a dynamic that gets everyone involved!  Even the people watching are intrigued!

After the auction, we make our way to The Refuge once again for snacks and the Word.

Here is a video of week #5:

 DONATE TO EL RETO / THE CHALLENGE HERE

You can make a difference in a young person's life!

EL RETO 2014 - WEEK 4

Week #4 took us to the Santa Fe soccer field to play 1 on 1 on 1 on 1 on 1 on 1 soccer with an american football!  It was definitely an exciting game that kept the students attentive as they heard their number called and headed out to the field.  Individuals from three teams faced off individuals from the other three teams.  The one who scored, received points for their team.

Each year the students put together a team project.  This year the teams performed sketches about their team name and bullying in the Plaza at Santa Fe.  The all did a great job and we had a lot of participation this year.

After all the "drama", we all headed back to The Refuge for snacks and the Word.

Here is a video of week four:

 DONATE TO EL RETO / THE CHALLENGE HERE

You can make a difference in a young person's life!