EL RETO 2015 - WEEK ONE REPORT

EL RETO 2015 - WEEK ONE

The eleventh year of the RETO (Challenge) has begun.  This is a Survivor, Amazing Race, Fear Factor event geared towards reaching out to young people who are either unreached or have not made a decision for Christ in their lives.  The dynamics of this outreach seep into the hearts and lives of everyone involved.  God is always teaching us something; we just need to be aware of what He wants to show us.  Life is a challenge sometimes.  Whether we are experiencing a mountaintop high or struggling through the valley, God's desire is that we always look to Him, keeping our focus and faith in Him alone.  Author Dr. Neil Anderson wrote, "People may not always live what they profess, but they will always live what they believe."  Our desire is that everyone has a true biblical concept of God that allows them to live according His Spirit and Truth.

The theme for this year is "Identity".  We will be talking about the identity God gives us when we surrender to Him.  We become His children and receive his unconditional love.  This is a very important theme, not just for the young people, but for adults as well.  We are excited to see what God does during this time.

The event started out just as in the past with some team time as they chose a name for themselves that relates to the theme and Bible story they were given.  During that time, they creatively designed a flag that represented them.

From the church, they ran out to the soccer field.  On their way, they stopped at a tug-of-war challenge that led three teams to victory and the other three to defeat.  In the soccer field, there were a number of activities in different stations such as: kicking a soccer goal, knocking down an opponent with a ball while on a balance beam, passing a slimy water balloon behind you to your teammate, running through a simple maze to fill up cups and blow a foam ball from cup to cup, and finished with a small project that encouraged them to think about their identity.

After all the activities, everyone returned to "The Refuge".  The Refuge is the youth room at the church where all the teams blend together as they sit and talk, play games, watch Christian music videos, or just hang out.  When we start a time of worship, the students know to come together as we all sing a couple of songs together before Pastor Luis comes to share an applicable message that has the games and themes both integrated.

The final activity is for everyone, team by team, to go beyond the curtain and privately vote for the team of their choice to do the chores and clean up.  Everyone knows that the team that gets chosen also receives a clue to the hidden treasures that are revealed the final week (if found).

This year, we have six teams again:

Sporting yellow, The Christ-Sent, with last year's champion, Karo, as the Captain.

Sporting black, The Recognized by God, with last year's runner-up and former champion, Luis, as the Captain.

Sporting red, The Brave of Heart, with multi-year runner-up, Alfredo, as the Captain.

Sporting green, The King's Kids, with second year Captain, Cecilio.

Sporting orange, God's Sowers, with first year Captain, Lalo.

Sporting white, The Brotherhood, with first year Captain, Keren.

Week One Video Recap...


Thank you for your prayers for this event.  Pray that:

• Unreached students will be reached with an understanding of God's love for them.
• Undecided students will have the courage to make a decision for Christ.
• Everyone to learn something: Non-believers, believers, Captains, Leaders, Pastors, and Missionaries.
• Courage for the captains as they grow in their leadership skills.
• Wisdom for all leadership in their communication with all students in order to show God's love to them.
• That we can take advantage of the "teachable moments" that the Lord orchestrates.

You can be part of this great event by making a special donation to EL RETO online here.  Your gifts provide the resources, preparation, promotion, transportation, prizes, and the opportunity for the young people to come to this event.  NOT ONE of the students is charged any kind of admission fee because we want them to come.  We thank you in advance for participating with us!

SEPTEMBER UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradía, Mexico! We’ve made it back to Cofradía after meeting up with Lain and Kelly Grant, new Alternative Missions Missionaries, a couple of weeks ago in Tucson.  We crossed the border together and had one of the most smoothest trips ever all the way to Cofradia—Praise the Lord!

It was unusually dry and hot in the states while we were there.  One thing that sticks out to me about the weather here, is that it’s not as hot as it is in California, just a lot more humid :).
In our last update, we asked you to pray for our EL RETO youth outreach.  We are pretty close to reaching our goal of $2,000 to fund this event that reaches out to so many students in this area who do not know Jesus.  These are students who have not heard a clear message of who Jesus is and why he is important.  In my opinion, that would make them “unreached”.  We are two weeks into the event and will be posting some reports as we go on our blog.  In the meantime, here is a link to the video of the first week.  Click on this link to safely donate online to EL RETO.

Here are some links to more:

• EL RETO promo video
• Pastoral Perspectives: Click here to read reports from three of our Pastors
• “Dwellings” candidates in Cofradia: Meet three families that are in need of a home.
• 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. Civil Association Status.  Tomorrow, September 8, we are headed to Culiacan to finalize details of our Civil Association and sign papers.  Please pray for everything to be led by the Lord. 
2. Mexican Religious Association.  We are still working on this.  We’ve run into many obstacles and hope that tomorrow we can get some questions answered.  Thank you for your prayers. 
3. EL RETO.  We have four more weeks of the event.  Please continue to pray that students will be reached, the Lord’s guidance through the leadership, and safety for all people involved. 
4. Bible School. We’ll be starting our fall quarter the first week of October.

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

--- 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.

Pastoral Perspectives

Here are reports from our local Pastors in Cofradia.  In order to safely donate a tax-deductible gift to their families' well-being, click on their name.

Pastor Gregorio Hernández

Greetings!

I am pleased to share with you what is happening at Cofradía Christian Center. It has been satisfying to see the development of this ministry.

Because of the Bible school, several issues have been addressed. One of them was "vision." For our exam in that class, we had to present a vision statement, which was most interesting. The point is that every student wants to walk in that objective. Having vision generates a stimulus to the church providing a good motivation to press on.

This really gets my attention because in our culture, especially in these localities, having a vision isn’t really thought about. The difference today is that every student that is attending the Bible school now has a vision. That will be transmitted to the church, and it makes me see that we may be on the verge of entering a new phase.

For many years we were evangelizing a young man.  Several people from the church visited him regularly, with no apparent result. This lasted seven or eight years. We have been visiting him again for the last three months and to our surprise, it came to pass that on May 24 he was baptized and is joyous and eager to grow in the knowledge of God. He is now serving in the church, and we are meeting every Wednesday for discipleship. It is of great joy that this man has decided to walk in obedience to God.

In an earlier report, I had commented on Las Pilas and on the growth there. The gospel continues to take root, and more than twenty people are gathering together in that town.

Thank you for your spiritual and financial support. All that is happening is because of your prayers for this ministry.

Thank you very much for your prayers and support.

Sincerely,

Pastor Gregorio, Maty, and family

_______________________

Pastor Luis Vázquez

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I greet you through here, hoping that you are well and enjoying the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This is an opportunity for me and my family, my wife and children, to express our gratitude for how faithful you have been to God in your partnership with in which you continue even today. Thank you very much.

We are working hard at this time in the Bible school that gathers in our church on Tuesday afternoons. I'm facilitating the Hermeneutics class, which I enjoy. I am comfortable sharing because teaching is a strong call I have received from God, and I'm happy about that. Though I have been given the opportunity to facilitate a class, I am still a student in the school, and we are halfway through the requirements to graduate this program that will better prepare us to effectively serve Christ and others.

In another month we begin EL RETO. The event lasts for six weeks: it begins August 29 and ends on October 3. This time we hope to reach three hundred young people. I ask for your prayer support, which is essential. Over the course of EL RETO, we will talk about our identity in Christ. The six weeks of EL RETO will be a time of much work but also of great joy and blessing.

After EL RETO ends, I will be inviting three more young people to join our team of youth leaders, which is made up of young people who have completed high school and are now adults.

My vision for the youth group:

V    That they have VISION for their future.
I    That they be sure of their IDENTITY in Christ.
D    That they make DECISIONS that honor God.
A    That they serve in ACTION in their own group, their church, and their community.

(Translator’s note: “VIDA” is the Spanish word for “LIFE” and is also the name of the Youth Ministry at Cofradía Christian Center.)

My children are out of school for the summer, and all four will move up to new schools: one each to college, high school, middle school, and elementary school. My wife and I hope to be better able to help them in their studies and are committed together to achieving this.

I say goodbye to you, thanking you again for your generosity toward us. May God supply all that you may lack according to his glorious riches in Christ (Philippians 4: 19).

Sincerely,

Pastor Luis Vázquez

______________________

Pastor Horacio Garzon

Brothers and sisters,

As always, I am pleased to write these lines to greet you, hoping that you are blessed and prospering in Christ our Lord.

For our part, my family and I are well, thanks be to God. Maria, Martin, Alfredo, Ruben, and Kenya send their greetings. From me, receive my deepest gratitude for the blessings we have received from you, both through your prayers and your financial support. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for all the support you have poured out on us.

Brothers and sisters, thanks be to God that his work is alive and his marvelous plan of salvation continues to manifest itself in my life and in that of others.

We continue learning in a discipleship class every Tuesday at 5 p.m. We are almost to our goal; it’s so close! This class has been so beneficial, as it has equipped us in aspects that apply to very important areas of life.

I'm pleased to see Martin, my son, teaching a homiletics class. We have also learned about counseling through books by writers God has used greatly, such as those by Dr. Neil T. Anderson. With these powerful tools we can better guide people in the remote mountain villages where we minister to a clearer understanding of the great truth of Christ.

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for helping me to be effective in the work of Christ. Receive from me greetings and thanks!

Thank you and may God bless you.

Horacio Garzón Orozco

AUGUST UPDATE

Greetings Everyone! We’re on our way back to Cofradia after having been gone for two months already.  Time has flown by and we always seem to not be able to see everyone we’d like to.  It has been a great time visiting friends, speaking at churches, and spending time with the family including a couple of camping trips.

We are gearing up to start our annual Student Outreach called, EL RETO (The Challenge) on August 29, and we need your help.  This event costs us $2,000 dollars and it is set up in order to not have to charge ANY of the students who participate...WE WANT THEM TO COME!  This is where you come in.  If you can help us with a special donation to EL RETO, we can continue to make this event exciting for the students.  We have $1,238.25 already raised in offerings from churches we have been to.  That means we only need $761.75 to reach our goal.  Please consider how you can help reach out to the students in Cofradia and the surrounding areas.  Last year we had over 240 students from 10 different churches in the region.  We expect more this year!

Here are a couple of videos to give you an idea of what we do:

ONE MINUTE PROMO VIDEO
WEEK #1 OF EL RETO 2014

Here is the link to safely donate online to EL RETO

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
Office: 011-52-319-232-5046

--- 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 (not on the check), indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

JULY UPDATE

Greetings Everyone! We are in Washington State staying at my parents.  It has been great to be able to see some of you already and we look forward to seeing others.  Contact me for setting up a lunch, dinner, or a quick visit.  We look forward to seeing you.
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, we asked you to pray for...  

1. Bible School.  The Summer quarter has started with Pastor Goyo and Pastor Luis teaming up to teach Hermeneutics and Pastor Martin is teaching Homiletics.  The reports that I’ve been getting all good. 
2. Mexican Civil Association.  We will be continuing with this when we return to Cofradia at the end of August.  Pastors Goyo and Luis are working on getting a Religious Association started in our absence. 
3. Trip to the States.  We’ve been visiting family, friends, and churches since we arrived.  It has been really good and thank you for your prayers of safe travels as we continue to do much of the same. 
4. Upcoming Activities.  A short-term mission team arrives in Cofradía on Monday, July 20.  Please continue to pray for wisdom and direction for all the leaders and staff involved as it will be the first time the locals will be leading the outreach.

Here are some links to more:

• Last month’s update 
• Baptisms of Centro Cristiano Cofradia 
• Geña’s “rare find” Mother scorpion (Alacrán) with babies.
• New “Dwellings” tab in our blog. Meet three families that are in need of a home.
• Pastor’s Perspectives Updates 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 Religious Association.  Wisdom and direction for Pastors Goyo and Luis as they work on preparing to apply. 
3. Stateside Activities.  Please pray for safe travels and God-encounters throughout our time here.  We’ll start our way back to Cofradía as we leave Washington on Monday, August 10 and cross the border into Mexico on Thursday, August 27.  Here is a quick look at our itinerary through August.
4. EL RETO.  This is a huge open door for us to share the gospel and plant seeds with A LOT of young people who don’t know Jesus.  This is our 11th year and we have taken this event to other parts of the state as well as other states; we have also been invited to take it overseas.  You can make a one time donation or sign up to make monthly donations as this event continues to grow each year.  Right now, we need $2,000 for this year’s event on August 29 – October 3.  Click here to make a donation.  Also, Click here for more information and a ONE MINUTE VIDEO

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
Temporary US Cell Number: 951-751-5960

--- 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.

Silberman Itinerary for July and August

July
19-24: Camping with the family
25: Family event in Granite Falls, WA
26: Speaking at Living Waters in Bremerton, WA

August
2: Speaking at Hosana Asamblea in Bellevue, WA
8: Wedding in Bellevue, WA
9: Speaking at El Camino, Gateway Español in Poulsbo, WA
10: Leaving Washington
16 AM: Speaking at Templo La Hermosa in Taft, CA
16 PM: Speaking at Templo Calvario in Bakersfield, CA
23: Speaking at Community Presbyterian Church Spanish service in Ventura, CA
27: Crossing the border into Mexico
29: EL RETO starts!

ANNOUNCING...EL RETO!!

EL RETO 2015 is just around the corner!  Don't miss out on being a part of this 11th annual event!  Not one student will be charged in order to participate in this 6 week event that will take place every Saturday from August 29 to October 3.  This is possible because of your faithful giving each year.  Again, we'll need $2,000 dollars to cover all costs such as: transportation, materials, promotion, and prizes.  Last year we had over 240 students from over 10 different churches.  This year we expect MORE.

So, consider how you can help reach new students all over the municipalities of Rosamorada, Tuxpan, Ruiz, and Santiago, Nayarit.  Help us contact those students who have had seeds planted.  Follow us on Facebook to see what they are experiencing and how God's love is impacting their lives.  We learn a number of things each year such as hope for a future, who we are, why do we exist, and life-long skills such as leadership and teamwork.

Help us make an impact as we teach these students to live DYNAMICALLY!

DONATE HERE

WHAT IS EL RETO?

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.

New Alternative Missions Cofradia Staff Members

I would like to introduce to you Lain and Kelly Grant from Cy-Fair Christian Church in Houston, Texas who will be joining our Missionary Staff at the end of the summer for a two year commitment.  During their recent visit to Cofradia in January of 2015, the Lord began to stir in their hearts a desire to return full-time after learning that we were in need of staff.  We are all excited for this new adventure for the Grants and look forward to seeing how the Lord works in them and through them as they serve here.  They will be living on the Mission base, helping with maintenance and cleaning, assisting with short-term mission teams, creating windows for people to see what’s happening inside this ministry through reports, and serving in any other specific area and ministry they can.  They are an answer to prayer and we are delighted to receive them.

Please pray for them as they wrap things up in Texas and prepare for this transition in their lives.  You can help them get started here.

Centro Cristiano Cofradia Baptisms

Four people were baptized on Sunday out in the San Pedro River south of Cofradia.  After the long, dusty, dirt/gravel road drive, we all met under neath the bridge of the freeway that connects Mazatlan and Tepic.

Here's what happened...

Three vehicles at the bridge already waiting for us, 3 more ahead of these two, and one more behind us.  10 vehicles to transport those of the church who went.

Arriving...

A few songs for worship...

After a brief message and explanation, prayer.

Hermana Alicia, gave her life to the Lord just recently and has been attending church for about two years.

Hermana Valeria prayed to ask Christ into her life in an EL RETO event in 2012.

Hermana Lupita is from Arrayanes and accepted Christ has her Lord a couple years ago as well.

Hermano Marco Polo is from Cofradia and Pastor Goyo's nephew.  I, as well as others, did personal studies with Marco Polo 18 years ago.  I believed back then and still do that he has great potential in leadership.  Great guy!  Because of negative, family pressure, he only recently accepted Christ as his Savior.  He's been attending church for just a few months.

L to R: Pastor Luis, Pastor Goyo, Marco Polo, Pastor Horacio, Lupita, Valeria, Alicia.

Hanging out afterwards with tamales and horchata (rice water).

Rut, Isaac, and Pedro

The only pet invited...

It was a great morning and afternoon!

Rare Find

Some places have bears,

Some places have anacondas,

Some places have poisonous snakes,
Some places have other dangerous animals and/or insects,

and some places have...

As Geña was cleaning and moving around some blocks and bricks where I roast coffee, she came across a "rare find."

It is not unusual to find scorpions in the yard, but what makes this find a rare one is that if you look closely, you'll see baby scorpions attached to the back of it.  They say that after a female scorpion gives birth, the babies eat her.

Before and after trapping this scorpion, Geña killed 7 others in the area.  The next day in a different area where there were some bricks laying around, she killed 3 more.  A week before this, she was stung by one on the tip of her finger, but didn't affect her.

Any guesses as to how many babies were attached to the mother???

53!!  That means, that in those two days, Geña killed 64 scorpions (alacranes)!

New Tab "Dwellings"

Click on this link or the tab above to see the new page...

ON YOUR MARK...

Click on this link to read a brief summary of yesterday's message at Centro Cristiano Cofradia...

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”

--- 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.