NOVEMBER MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradía, Mexico! What a month!  I have not had time, nor do we have sufficient internet to report on our blog.  I will get the reports done as soon as I can for those who are interested in reading, watching videos, and seeing pictures of everything that has gone on.  Be looking for a special email with links to those reports.

A mixture of emotions flew through our ministry and lives this month as they ranged from experiencing extreme excitement to sincere sadness.  In the midst of the ups and downs, our hearts remain at peace and our faith has been firm.

Here’s a glimpse of this past month...
Our annual Student Ministries outreach, EL RETO, has come to a close (see below in last month’s requests).  The team, “Los Decididos” (The Decided Ones), came out on top this year.

A special visit from hometown friends (The Sluys), was an absolute pleasure!

The Freedom in Christ Conference in Mexico City was a huge blessing (see below in last month’s requests).

Hurricane Willa devastated nearby city Tuxpan, Nayarit.  There is so much work to be done; it will take a long time to restore this city.

Our friend, Pastor Abimael (in the red shirt in the above picture) and his wife’s house was flooded and everything they had was inside their house.  They are trying to salvage what they can and trust in the Lord as they continue to serve him.  Their church building, church family, and community all have the same story.  Many houses were under water and two weeks later (today), some streets are still full of water and mud.  There is garbage everywhere from people emptying their houses.  We have gone to help a few times to clean and hand out food and supplies.  I will write more in the upcoming report, but I have set up a link for you to contribute in the meantime.  Please consider helping.

This is Pastor Abimael’s house as the water was rising...it rose a little more than a foot higher than the windows...

We visited with him last Monday; his spirits are up and he continues to clean inside his house...

Religious Association--it has become official, we are now a registered ministry in Mexico!

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

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

1. David Medina.  Thank you for your prayers for David.  He had a very successful surgery, but was left with partial facial paralysis which the doctors are saying is due to him being nervous.  We are praying that that is completely healed as well.  They continue to do studies on the gigantic rock-like substance to confirm there is no cancer. 
2. EL RETO 2018 came to a close the first Saturday of October with special speaker and author from Mexico City, Ernesto Ramirez, and worship leaders from Tepic; Pedro Castellanos and Hernan Mercado.  “Choose Truth” proved to be a very appropriate theme this year as it opened up many opportunities to talk about what is truth.  Please consider how you can help with next year, EL RETO 2019, by becoming a monthly sponsor now: $25 a month goes a long way for us!  Click here to become a sponsor of this event. 
3. Called to Freedom 2018.  We had an amazing time celebrating with William and Lourdes Gallardo and there team in Mexico City for the 10th anniversary of Freedom in Christ Ministries in Mexico.  We drove all day Thursday and spent all days Friday and Saturday in the Conference.  It was a very refreshing time and we really enjoyed meeting the speakers and the staff.  On Sunday, I spoke at a friend’s church and we met with our lawyer who has been working on our Religious Association papers (which have been finalized now!! Yay!!).  Monday we spent the day in the center of town site seeing and keeping an eye on Hurricane Willa as it was set to cause damage from San Blas to Mazatlan—we’re in the south part of that projection.  We left Monday evening and drove through the night in order to beat the storm. 
4. The Well Church from Salt Lake City will be with us on Saturday to build a house for a family in Cofradia.  We have poured the floor and are working on the final preparations for the team. 

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update 
• (New) Pastor Frank Uribe and his wife working with children in the nearby town of Paramitas.  Their hearts are to start a feeding program that will open doors for them to share the gospel with children.
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates 
• Pastors’ Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from our Pastors. 
• Quick Look into our Ministry: A two minute clip of some of the activities and more. 

This month, will you please pray for...

1. David Medina.  Continued prayer for a full, healthy recovery from surgery.  
2. Disaster Relief for Tuxpan.  Most of our friends who are from Tuxpan have lost almost everything.  Please pray that the Lord would use this for His glory and draw people to Himself.  This is the city where Rebecka goes to High School, which had over 6 feet of water go through the campus and destroyed the property wall in front.  They have been forced to rebuild and have cancelled classes until January.  Many of us have been going to clean and taking food and supplies to help our friends and spiritual family.  There is a lot of rebuilding to do and if you would like to help financially, you can make a tax-deductible contribution and send a check made out to “Alternative Missions” and mail it to the support address below marking it as Cofradía Disaster Relief, or donate online here. 
3. The Well Church from Salt Lake City will be with us on Saturday to build a house for a family in Cofradía.  Pray for safety, good health, wisdom, and opportunities for the family to commit their lives to Christ.  Here is a video of when we informed the family of the news (the audio is really bad, but there are sub-titles). 
4. 18 Year Anniversary!! Yep, it’s been eighteen years since we were married.  We both feel very, very blessed! (November 18) 
5. Freedom in Christ Conference in Cofradía.  Pastor Goyo, Pastor Luis, and I will be leading another conference soon.  We are really excited about this and ask for your prayers of protection over our lives and families and for openness and honesty in those who attend.  Many times, not being completely honest makes the road to freedom that much longer.  (November 29 – December 1) 

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

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

Blessings,

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

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

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

Visitors From Home

Marion and Loretta Sluys came to visit us in Cofradía while they were vacationing in Mazatlan.  They brought their son, Dan, and his wife, Stephanie.  I was personally really excited to have someone from Poulsbo come to visit!  We felt blessed with their presence and had a wonderful time talking with the Pastors and their families after church on Sunday over carne asada and habiscus juice.  The family they sponsored for a house build was with us that afternoon.  One of the biggest blessings to me was to see the look on their face as they took every word in when the Sluys talked about their marriage, child rearing, and relationship with God.  We also visited Florentina who received a house built by Cy-Fair Church from Texas with the help of a matching gift from the Sluys.

Thank you, Sluys family, for visiting with us, attending a church service, and staying the night.  We appreciate it very much!

After the church service

The Sluys with the Romero family

Loretta with Florentina

EL RETO 2018.4

This week started out with low attendance which is to be expected when teams have to present their project.  This year, three teams participated; two with a choreography and one with a drama.

Once the team projects had been presented, each one hopped in a vehicle and took off for the "Amazing Race".  There are a number of activities to be done in the different surrounding towns of San Marcos, Las Pilas, Paso Real, and Santa Fe.

The simple activities consisted of working together as a team in order to get their pass for the next town.  In Santa Fe, we had the "Splash" activity, which has now become a classic in EL RETO.  It's kickball, but the bases are swimming pools and the base lines are plastics covered in soapy water.  The teams played against any staff and young children who were available in the area.  All the members of the team had one shot at getting on base and making their rounds.  One point for getting home and a minus point for each out.  Needless to say, every team ended up with minus points.  BUT they all had fun!

After the Race, they finished at the church with The Refuge where there was a time of worship and a message by Jessica, Pastor Amado's daughter.  Again, it was an electric time.  There are so many teachable moments so please pray for the staff to see them and be able to take advantage of the opportunities.

For video footage, see EL RETO FINAL's video.

ADMISSION IS FREE

BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU

WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS MINISTRY.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO

EL RETO

The Uribe family working in Paramitas

Over twenty years ago, Pastor Francisco Uribe of Rosamorada accepted the Lord's calling on his life and began to pastor a church.  For many years he would come to visit us in Cofradia, sometimes riding his bike on the nearly twenty-kilometer (about 12 miles) dirt road.  On occasions, we would go and speak or lead worship at his church. He wanted to be part of what we were doing, but it was not the Lord's timing as our ministry at the time was still forming and not in a position to expand into Rosamorada.  Thus, he felt "left out." 

After pastoring the denominational church in Rosamorada for many years, he accepted an invitation to start a work in Tijuana.  It was not at all what they were expecting and it became one of the biggest trials their family had to endure.  A little over four years ago, they returned to their home in Rosamorada, but not the church as a new pastor within their denomination had taken over.

Last year, Pastor Francisco and his wife took part in our thirteen-week Freedom in Christ discipleship course.  It was there that the trust in our relationship with them took giant steps forward.  We saw a hurting pastor who had been through a series of rejections for many years and in need of being ministered to.  Today, they form part of our ministry, La Cofradia United, and our relationship continues to grow through visits and assuring them of our love for them. 

Pastor Francisco and his family minister each week to children in the town of Paramitas which is very close to Rosamorada and again in La Colonia of Rosamorada in the evening with the help of some other adults.  They have a Bible study in their home on Sunday morning and attend Pastor Amado's church in the evening.

The other day, Geña and I visited with them as they ministered to the children in Paramitas.  They have been doing this for four years moving from borrowed property to borrowed property.  At the moment, someone is letting them use a house whose owners are in the states.  There is a one-room building they use for storing materials and chairs as they meet each week under a huge tree in the yard.

Storage room

Bible study under the tree.

Their hope is to instill God's love and promises in these children.  Their desire is to be able to do this in a number of different places, but because of their limited resources and no vehicle, they cannot expand. 

I made a short video clip of our time with them and as you will see, they are in need of a number of things: chairs, tables, and a vehicle.  Eventually, they would like to have a place that they can call their own in order to minister.  They do this out of their own pocket.

If you would like to help them in any way, contact me 

or send a gift at this link for "Cofradia Francisco".

OCTOBER MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradía, Mexico! Praise the Lord that we are reaching the end of the monsoon weather.  Even though I really like the thunder and lightning storms, the power-outages are getting really old.  Since we’ve been back in mid-August, we have had only one solid week (last week) of no power-outages.  The stagnant, humid air with no escape and the annoying mosquitoes really make you miss a different climate.  However, we will rejoice in our sufferings! LOL :)

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

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

1. David Medina.  Praise the Lord that the doctors have finally set a date to remove what’s left of whatever is in David’s abdomen.  And the doctor has confirmed after a series of tests that there is no cancer in his bones.  They want to test the substance they remove during surgery to make sure he is healthy.  Thank you for your prayers. 
2. EL RETO 2018 has, like always, been a blast for not only the young people, but the whole church.  We’ve seen well over two hundred different students participate in these five weeks and they’re all hearing the gospel.  We have the first three weeks updated with a short report and video on our blog.  Week One;    Week Two;   Week Three.
3. A group from Las Varas, Nayarit, was postponed to this past weekend.  We had a phenominal time with them as they led worship at EL RETO on Saturday night; at the Sunday morning service in Cofradia, and the Sunday evening service in Rosamorada. 
4. A group from Guadalajara cancelled their trip. 
5. EL RETO FINAL will be October 6 with special speaker and author, Ernesto Ramirez, from Mexico City who specializes in youth.  It should be a really good time! 
6. Called to Freedom 2018.  We are so grateful for those of you who responded to our financial need.  We received everything we needed for our general expenses and unexpectedly enough to get the van ready for the trip as we will be driving.  Thank you so much for your generosity!

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update 
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates 
• Pastors’ Perspectives: Bi-annual reports from our Pastors.
• Quick Look into our Ministry: A two minute clip of some of the activities and more. 

This month, will you please pray for...

1. David Medina.  Please pray for everything to go smoothly during the operation on October 22. 
2. EL RETO 2018 finishes up this week.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support for this.  Pray that the leadership and staff will be able to take advantage of the teachable moments that occur.  Opportunities abound.  Please consider how you can help with next year, EL RETO 2019, by becoming a monthly sponsor now: $25 a month goes a long way for us!  Click here to become a sponsor of this event. 
3. Called to Freedom 2018.  Please keep us in your prayers this month as four pastors and their wives will be joining Geña and me as we attend a two-day conference in Mexico City with the Freedom in Christ ministry.  Our itinerary is the following: Thursday, October 18, we will set out to drive to Mexico City in order to arrive in the evening.  Friday and Saturday we’ll be attending the conference.  I have been invited to speak on Sunday at a friend’s church and we’ll spend the afternoon with them.  Monday we have set aside as free in order to visit and sightsee.  We will be returning to Cofradia on Tuesday, October 23. 
4. The Well Church from Salt Lake City will be with us in November to build a house for a family in Cofradia.  Here is a video of when we informed the family of the news (the audio is really bad, but there are sub-titles).
   

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

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

Blessings,

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


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


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

EL RETO 2018.3

Week three was so far the most exciting week.  With 130 students to start, there was the ice-breaker at the beginning that allowed the staff to disperse to the locations they were to have their organized game.

First, at the baseball field in Cofradia, 

From there the student hopped in their trucks and headed to Arrayanes for a RETO classic, "Gladiators".  In Gladiators, one team is placed in the corner of the speed soccer court while all the other teams (team by team) have to run the course to get to the "goal."  As the students run through the course, the team in the corner is throwing water-balloons at them!  Such an amazingly fun game!  And it paints such an incredible picture of how lies get thrown at us daily.  Sometimes, we don't even realize they're a lie, but the hit us and, unfortunately, sometimes we believe them.

After everyone was soaking wet, they headed to the basketball court in the center of town for another RETO classic, The Fear Factor Banquet!  Not much to fear this year, but having to suck the innards out of a raw egg, then drink a small Pepsi.  Yuk!  The atmosphere was incredible and loud!  The students had so much fun!  The black team took barely took this one away from the green team.  What's the moral?  Well, sometimes we need to make sacrifices for the team!

The Refuge was electric with worship and a message to tie everything up.  Then, the votes!  After two consecutive weeks of being chosen to do chores, the grey team was free!  The white team had to do chores this week.

Here's the video for week #3:

ADMISSION IS FREE

BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU

WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS MINISTRY.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO

EL RETO

EL RETO 2018.2

Week two of EL RETO 2018 was packed with 170 students!  "La Caminata" or, "The Walk" was the activity.  This year, as the students kept together (or at least were supposed to) walked through the streets of Cofradia, extremely muddy back roads, and rising rivers.  Along the way, there were obstacles and games they needed to accomplish before continuing.  All of this happened in order for Luis to talk during The Refuge time about how life is a journey and sometimes we encounter difficulties, but it's easier if we have people around us to help us get through them.  Choosing Truth (this year's theme) will help us even more to make wise decisions and the path will sometimes be a little smoother.

A few students took a wrong turn, but in the end they were brought back with the help of some staff.  The power went out so some of the Refuge activities were cancelled.  It turned out to be an exciting time with a lot of teaching.

Here's the video for week #2:

ADMISSION IS FREE

BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU

WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS MINISTRY.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO

EL RETO

EL RETO 2018.1

The first week of the RETO (Challenge) was a success in terms of the turn out we had.  One hundred and thirty students arrived as they formed 6 teams.  About half of these students come from the cities of Rosamorada, Paramitas, and Tuxpan.

The theme this year is "Choose Truth".  We want to help the students know the truth.  We get bombarded daily with lies that are all around us and, unfortunately, they usually are formed in our mind.

After registering the students, there was a fun ice-breaker that many got involved in.  From there, the students went to three different locations (San Marcos town center, San Marcos soccer field, and the Cofradia High School basketball court) where they participated in a number of different activities.  Before heading up to "The Refuge" where all the teams come together for singing and a message, the teams met with a counsellor where they were able to engage in a small group talk about what we can learn through the activities of the day.

Finally, one by one the teams passed through a curtain into the voting room and selected another team to do chores.  Once they voted, they went back outside, down the stairs, and stood in the courtyard waiting for the verdict.

It was an exciting time!

Here's the video of week #1:

ADMISSION IS FREE

BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU

WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS MINISTRY.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO

EL RETO

SEPTEMBER MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradía, Mexico! We arrived on August 17th and got to work right away meeting with the pastors who form part of our ministry, La Cofradía United.  The girls are back in school doing very well and this is Emma’s first year participating in the annual youth outreach, EL RETO, which started on September first.

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

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

1. David Medina.  David is doing better, but could still improve. 
2. Pastors of La Cofradia United.  We had a good meeting with our pastors; a time of fellowship, planning, and accountability.  Here is a quick report.
3. The Final Leg of our Stateside Trip: Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.  Apart from spending an hour and a half at the border as we had to unload the whole truck and a small fender-bender in Hermosillo, we made it to Cofradía without any problems.  We are thankful for Gustavo and Cuca who took care of our house while we were gone; no break-ins! :) 
4. FREEDOM IN CHRIST CONFERENCE in San Vicente was cancelled, unfortunately, by the pastor of the church there at the last minute.  We will be doing another conference in Cofradía at the end of November. 
5. EL RETO 2018 started with 130 students from all over the area.  It was an exciting time as 40 of them had never been to EL RETO.  The captains spent some time with their teams explaining their team name, flag, and bible story before heading out to three different locations for some simple activities.  As they all came back to the church, the teams met with their counselors before entering “The Refuge” for worship and teaching.  The evening finished with the Grey team getting most of the votes to have to do chores...but, they also get the first clues to the four hidden treasures.  It will be an exciting year!

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update 
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates 
• Pastors’ Perspectives: These are bi-annual reports from our Pastors.
• Quick Look into our Ministry: A two minute clip of some of the activities and more. 

This month, will you please pray for...

1. David Medina.  Continued strengthening in his body. 
2. EL RETO 2018 will continue each Saturday in September and finish up the first weekend in October.  CHOOSE TRUTH is the theme for this year.  Please pray for the students as many do not know Jesus as their personal Savior.  Pray for the captains and leaders to have wisdom in their responsibilities.  We do not charge these students to participate.  Throughout the year and while we were in the states, we received $2,080 for this outreach ($80 above our budget!).  You can start helping for next year by becoming a monthly sponsor now: $25 a month goes a long way for us!  Click here to become a sponsor of this event. Click here to see a one-minute promo video. Click here to read about EL RETO.
3. A group from Las Varas, Nayarit, is coming to participate in EL RETO and minister through music.  It’s always a special time with Pastor Ruben leading worship.  We led a one-day EL RETO in Las Varas a few years back and the students there loved it! (September 15-16) 
4. A group from Guadalajara is coming to participate in EL RETO and minister through drama and music.  Pray the Lord uses them in a special way to reach the students. (September 21-23) 
5. EL RETO FINAL will be October 6 with special speaker and author, Ernesto Ramirez, from Mexico City who specializes in youth.  It should be a really good time! 
6. Called to Freedom 2018.  Four pastors and their wives will be joining Geña and me as we attend a two-day conference in Mexico City with the Freedom in Christ ministry.  We are really looking forward to this as it has helped not only us, but so many here in their walk with the Lord.  Freedom in Christ ministries is paying our entrance fee, but we will have other expenses for which we need to raise money such as travel, hotel, and meals.  We estimate that this will cost us $700 dollars per couple.  If you would like to sponsor one or more of us, please do.  The couples are: Pastor Goyo and his wife, Mati; Pastor Luis and his wife Mari; Pastor Amado and his wife Lourdes; Pastor Abimael and his wife Martha; and Geña and I.  You can make a contribution online here and indicate it as “Cofradía Freedom” in general or the couple’s names.  --OR-- you can send a check to the address at the bottom of this page.  Please make sure you designate it specifically where you want it to go.  Thank you so much for always being so generous towards our ministry.

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

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

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions
Cofradia Area Director
** JOIN OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM **
ONLINE:
Online, you can make a one-time, tax-deductible gift, or set up to make automatic monthly donations to our personal support at this link. 

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

THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF OUR TEAM

AS WE RAISE UP LEADERS TOGETHER!!

                                                                              

Pastors' Meeting--La Cofradia United

We began to meet every couple of months with the primary pastors of the ministries that we work with throughout the region.  As we returned from our very busy two months in the states, we met with 7 of the 8 primary pastors for a time of encouragement and accountability.  I love these times!  It's energizing to me to hear about how pastors are doing as well as when they humbly open up about personal struggles.  "La Cofradia United" literally means "The United Brotherhood", and that's the name of our ministry.  Romans 15:5-7 talks about how God allows us to be united and challenges us to accept one another just as Christ accepts us.  We want to Raise Up Leaders and Extend the Kingdom of God everywhere.  As pastors unite, we can do this more effectively; for it is the Kingdom of God we are working for, not our own. 

LEFT TO RIGHT: Pastor Gregorio Hernández (Cofradia); Pastor Ruben Perez (Las Varas/Mazatan/Compostela); Pastor Abraham Garcia (Compostela/Mazatlan/Las Varas); Pastor Luis Vazquez (Cofradia); Missionary Steve Silberman (Cofradia); Jonatan (Friend from Las Varas); Pastor Amado Verdin (Rosamorada); Pastor Frank Uribe (Rosamorada). 

Thank you so much for your prayers over these fellows.  May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and may we all be willing to listen and obey with a readiness to serve.

If you would like to make a much needed contribution to them, please indicate "Pastors" or one of the specific names at this link.

LET'S RAISE UP LEADERS

AND

EXTEND GOD'S KINGDOM

TOGETHER!

AUGUST MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from the Interstate! We are making our way back to Cofradia after spending the month of July in Washington State.  We are thankful for the opportunity to have spoken at six churches in nine different services, visited friends and family every day, and spent 4 nights camping near Mossy Rock, WA.  We’ll be speaking again this Sunday and then head to Mexico next week.

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

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

1. David Medina.  David continues to do very well. 
2. Pastors of La Cofradia United.  This may become just a reminder each month as all the pastors need prayers for them, their families, and their ministries. 
3. Stateside Trip.  We enjoyed our short trip.  We never are able to see everyone we wish to, but we are thankful for those of you who reached out to us and made time to have us over even if it was just for a quick hello. 
4. EL RETO 2018 we have received a few more donations as we continue to raise the $2,000 needed for the outreach.  Click here to read about EL RETO.  Become a Sponsor of this event here. 

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update  
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates (updated)
• Pastors’ Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from our Pastors. 
• 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. David Medina.  Continued strengthening in his body. 
2. Pastors of La Cofradia United.  Please pray for the pastors who we are working with.  Pray for growth in their personal relationship with Christ, protection over their families, wisdom as leaders, and financial provision.  Click here to read about each one. 
3. The Final Leg of our Stateside Trip: We are currently in Perris, CA, visiting with Geña’s sister, Julia.  After speaking at her church on Sunday, we’ll head out next week through Arizona, cross the border, and arrive in Cofradia about 800 miles later.  Please keep us in your prayers for safety and finances. 
4. FREEDOM IN CHRIST CONFERENCE in San Vicente with Pastor Samuel De La Rosa and his congregation.  We will hold the conference from August 22-24.  Please pray for the Holy Spirit to do His work.  Pray for us (Pastor Goyo, Pastor Luis, and myself) as we lead it.  Pray for open hearts and a willingness to seek the Lord with humility. 
5. EL RETO 2018 will begin on September 1st!  CHOOSE TRUTH!  That will be the theme for 2018 as we reach out to youth who usually do not have an opportunity to hear about or experience the love of God.  We do not charge these students to participate; our budget is $2,000.  Please pray the money comes in and consider how you can help.  Click here to see a one-minute promo video. Click here to read about EL RETO.   Become a Sponsor of this event here. 

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

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

Blessings,

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

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

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

JULY MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Washington State! We have arrived at my parents’ house after spending two weeks on the road visiting friends and meeting the team from The Well in Salt Lake City who will be building a house with us for a needy family in Cofradia in November.  Our trip started in Cofradia with a special Sunday service where Rebecka was baptized.  We made our way north driving through Grand Canyon National Park, Salt Lake, visiting friends in Twin Falls, Kennewick, Goldendale, Yakima, and Auburn.  You can read about our adventures and see some pictures here.

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

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

1. David Medina.  Thank you for your continued prayers for David’s progress.  He has been doing well and started attending church again as he has now gained enough strength to walk.  Praise the Lord! 
2. Pastors’ Breakfast/Meeting We had a great time meeting with local pastors.  We shared with them our desire to see us all on the same page as we Raise Up Leaders in Rural Mexico in order to extend the Kingdom of God.  We are all on the same team and discourage competition amongst pastors. 
3. Mazatan and Las Varas.  Pastor Luis’ family and ours visited these two congregations in order to invest in their ministries.  I spoke in Mazatan and Luis spoke in Las Varas.  Great time!  We also met a new pastor who has been teaming up with Pastor Ruben (who pastors Las Varas and Mazatan).  He is leading a group in Compostela, Nayarit. 
4. Women’s Ministry The women have been consistently meeting on Saturday mornings and have been seeing some really neat things happen in their lives.  A spark has been ignited and it’s great to see! 
5. Freedom in Christ Seminar. The seminar for June 7-9 was postponed until August for when we return. 
6. Father’s Day, Congregation Day, and Baptisms.  We had our quarterly celebration service as a number of churches and individuals in the surrounding areas attended.  You can read what happened during the service in our blog post “Traveling Adventures to Washington”.
7. Stateside Trip.  Thank you for praying.  We had an excellent time during the two weeks we spent traveling to Washington.  We will be in Washington for the whole month of July and spend two weeks returning to Cofradia via Oregon, California, and Arizona.  We’d love to see you!

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update 
• Cofradía Dwellings Candidates (updated) 
• Pastors’ Perspectives (updated): Click here to read bi-annual reports from our Pastors.
• 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. David Medina.  Continued strengthening in his body. 
2. Pastors of La Cofradia United.  Please pray for the pastors who we are working with.  Pray for growth in their personal relationship with Christ, protection over their families, wisdom as leaders, and financial provision. 
3. Stateside Trip.  We’d love to see you and will be in Washington State all of July.  We will return to Cofradia through Oregon and California at the beginning of August.  Pray for wisdom, financial provision, and that we will be a blessing to all we come in contact with. 
4. EL RETO 2018 is here!  We have received a few donations throughout the year, so this year our goal is only $1,000!  So many students who do not attend church come to this event and it gives us a huge open door to minister into their lives.  Click here to read about EL RETO.  Become a Sponsor of this event here. 

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

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

Blessings,

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

** JOIN OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM **

ONLINE:

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

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.

Traveling Adventures to Washington

Our trip started on June 17 while we were still in Cofradia.  The church service was on Father's Day, but we had a number of activities that day as well.  

This year, we recognized those who participated in the 13-week Freedom in Christ discipleship course.

We had a number of people be baptized including our daughter Rebecka.

  

After the service, we rented some toys for the kids to play on...

Emma

Rebecka

Even Pastor Amado got into the action!

Just after the church service on June 17, we hit the road to stay with our friends the Robles Family and the Quintero family in La Cruz, Sinaloa.  That gave us a head start to cross the border the next day and stay in Green Valley, Arizona, at my former High School teacher Konopaski's condo.

The next morning we stopped in Tucson for lunch and continued on to Flagstaff for dinner and stay the night.  Making our way to Salt Lake City, we headed to the Grand Canyon via Williams, AZ.  We drove through town admiring the decorated buildings of the famous Route 66.

After stopping at the National Geographic Gift shop to watch a movie about the Grand Canyon, we entered the park to get a room at the Yavapai Lodge.  Then, spent a couple of days mini-hiking and taking pictures of the big 'ol crack in the ground.   Our first impression was, "WOW!".  It is definitely big and scary looking up close (I'm not a fan of heights) knowing that every year, someone falls down to their death.  It really is pretty impressive!

Our first look! 

A mini-hike panoramic

Right in the center is the roughest rapids of the Colorado River

The next night we stayed at the Cameron Motel before heading to the North Rim of the Canyon via Marble Canyon and arrived in Salt Lake City with our friends the Ongs.  We stayed in Salt Lake for four nights as we visited with the team that will be joining us in November to build a house and was able to greet the congregation during the services on Sunday.  We also had time to go hiking up to Alta and Donut Falls as well as swimming at the outdoor community pool with the Orr family.

The Well Church in Salt Lake City

@ Donut Falls

From Salt Lake City, we headed to Jerome, Idaho, to visit a college friend and his family, the Scarrows.  We had a great time catching up; it was so good to see him and meet his family.  He showed us the Dairy Farm that he and his brother run the next morning before we headed to Kennewick, WA.  In Kennewick, we stayed at the Best Western and visited with the Leakes.  I haven't seen them in ages either.  From there, we headed to Goldendale, Washington, to stay with the Schillings.  Loved the openness and felt right at home in the "small town" atmosphere.  

Our final two days took us through Selah, WA, and was able to visit my former elementary school teacher, Mr. Platt.  I have not seen him since grade school!  Great to see him and Dr. Bethel over lunch before we headed to Auburn, WA, to visit and stay with Geña's sister and her family.

Finally, we arrived at my parents' house on Saturday night, after 14 days on the road and over 3,000 miles.  

It was a special treat to see everyone and the sights on the way.  We appreciate all of you who pray for us and invest in our ministry.