2024 Update Newsletter (1st Semester)

We are already almost a quarter of the way through 2024 and we are so excited to share with you everything that God has been doing down here in Mexico these past three months. These months have brought many blessings, relationships and in general we have seen so much fruit in the ministry. We are so thankful for having been called to a place where love is prevalent and His work is being done 24/7. And, once again, we are thankful to have all of you to share this journey with.

San Martin Outreach

As you may know, since Covid, we have begun to visit the community of San Martin. A very small and impoverished community in the mountains about 2 hours away from our campus. We are now currently in the final phases of construction of a multipurpose building in this community which will serve hundreds of kids and adults with great need.

Once we establish this base, we will be able to connect with the population in a way that we weren't able to before; providing them with a place to meet together with us to learn more about the gospel and even to just get cleaned up in our bathrooms and showers. This will be a place where we will eventually be able to provide medical and dental care among so many other possibilities, that I am confident God will allow us.

As you can see in these photos (left and above), this outreach has not only impacted hundreds of children within the community, but it has also been a way for our kids to give back and serve people that are in the very situation that they were once in. It is amazing to see how God continues to work in the lives of our children and we are excited to see him work in and through so many more lives as we continue this work.

Family

My wife, Ame and I, honestly do not see the work that we are doing here at the orphanage as 'Work'. Each and every one of the children we serve has a special place in our hearts and has truly become family. We cherish these times that we get to share with the kids as we cheer them on in their flag football game. We love seeing them flourish in this safe place as they are able to continue to just be kids.

In the video to the left, you can see many of the teen boys interacting with our son, Theo. He may not have any blood-siblings, but he definitely has around 115 older brothers and sisters that love to teach him how to play basketball with a volleyball.

Dormitories

One of the biggest reasons as to why I became a missionary was because I wanted to be an example and a role model to these kids that really needed one. Before I was married, I had the privilege of serving full time as a caretaker of a dormitory of 15 teen boys.

Many people might think I am crazy for saying that I loved every moment of living in the dorm with those hormone-filled adolescents. But, I did. Being a part of bringing these young men up as Men of God and Men of Integrity is something that satiates me the most.

Recently, we have had a shortage of caretakers. Specifically male caretakers. We currently have only 1 male caretaker per teen boy's dorm. Because of this, some of us, married men, have had to step up and stay the night once a week with a dorm so that the normal caretakers can rest. These have been amazing times that I have had, staying with the teen guys again, and really connecting with them on a deeper level. We play games, have fellowship and we are often able to have deep 1-on-1 chats about life and next steps.

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for my family and me as we continue to do the work that we do.

• For our hearts as we continue to feed into the lives of countless children and visitors day after day.

• For more lives to come to the feet of Jesus as we build up our outreach program and reach hundreds of more people in need.

• For my wife's medical situation as we are hoping to begin a new treatment soon for her atopic dermatitis.

• For our son, Theo. Months ago he got an umbilical hernia. Please help us pray for complete healing. If it doesn't go away on its own, it will require surgery when he is 3-4 y/o.

• For our finances, as this year's taxes and medical expenses have unfortunately piled up on us. Although, we thank God for keeping food on our table, nonetheless.

If you feel led to support us you can follow the link below. We are currently right around 65%-70% funded. All donations made through this link are tax deductible. We thank God for your life and we constantly pray for all of our financial and prayer supporters.