Mexico Update Summer-Fall 2025

Blessings from Nogales, Sonora! I have officially been living in Mexico for a little over nine months and I am glad to say that the Lord has been so generous to me these past months. His faithfulness has been evident in a way that I have never seen before, and as I reflect on my transition to a new life in an unfamiliar city, I can say I have tasted and seen that that Yahweh is good. I am excited to share with you what has occurred these past few months, and I pray that you may be encouraged by what the Lord is doing in northern Mexico.

May

I was able to go back home for a week and enjoy time with friends. I was overjoyed as well to be able to walk on stage at the TMU graduation ceremony. My high school years were depressing as I despised school and didn't participate in my graduation ceremony. However, this time I felt honored to be part of an educational institution and truly grateful to have made my parents proud by completing this milestone and celebrating it this way.

June

After graduation, I drove from LA to Nogales. I stopped in Phoenix, AZ for two nights to visit churches that were interested in sending STM teams to Mexico. I was grateful to see that two churches in the Phoenix area began to communicate a serious desire to send STM groups to Mexico. After these meetings, a church leader from each church visited our campus. They observed seminary classes, spent time in the homes of local pastors, and enjoyed good Mexican food. They left reassured and Northwest Community Church was motivated to send an STM team to Mexico in September.

July

I was able to visit Agua Prieta and Cananea; Two cities in northern Sonora. In Agua Prieta, I had the opportunity to visit a SEPE student and teach 1 John 4:10-11 at his church. In Cananea, I served with Faith Bible Church Glendale as they held a VBS there. The kids learned about the importance of the Bible and received backpacks with goodies at the end; one goodie being a Bible. One kid opened the backpack he received and cheered, "Look! It's a Bible!".

August

Northwest Community Church began preparations to send a construction team to Nogales. This was our first SEPE International team ever to come to Mexico, so I was a bit nervous about how things were going to turn out. Thankfully, I was able to draw on my organizational management training to coordinate operations with the kitchen, office, and maintenance staff. We were all very excited to receive the team and the staff's willingness to serve made work very enjoyable. I also began to learn how to drive stick-shift, as the new seminary van is diesel and has a manual transmission.

September

Eager and ready to pick up the Northwest STM team, seminary professor Hector Escobar and I drove to Nogales, AZ to find the team parked at local church. We picked them up, crossed the border into Mexico, and found our way to the seminary campus safely. I was expecting a short and easy border crossing, as whenever I cross into Mexico it is relatively quick; Thankfully, crossing the border with a van full of Americans was prompt as Mexican border control was wonderfully easygoing.

The grouped worked on the primary project throughout the week which was building a ramp for enhanced accessibility to the classrooms, chapel, and cafeteria. They were encouraged the entire time, and the ramp came out better than we had all expected. The SEBANO staff was truly appreciative of the team's hard work, and the students enjoyed the ramp when classes were in session just two weeks later.

October

The 9th through the 11th was SEPE's first conference in Mexico directed to men pursuing a call to ministry. Over 60 men from across Sonora and northern Mexico came and heard sermons on the importance of expository preaching and the centrality of Christ in the local church. It was refreshing to fellowship with pastors from Honduras and other men who are pastoring in Mexico or desiring to be pastors.

Another highlight for me personally was the opportunity to preach at a prison in Agua Zarca, just south of Nogales, CERESO II. I taught from 1 John 4:10-11 about the love of God. The brothers in prison were very attentive; One brother shared that clear teaching on the love of God has lacked in his life, and that he was comforted by the biblical view of God’s love.

Prayer Requests

As November begins and I prepare to plan STM's for 2026, I ask that you please pray:

• Pray for wisdom and grace in coordinating upcoming STM trips.

• That STM's would witness firsthand the importance of pastoral training in Nogales and be encouraged by the faithful service that the local churches are doing for the Lord.

• That God would grant me and those around me patience as I slowly but surely integrate into the life and culture of Mexico.

• That my new friendships would deepen in God's love and work to shape me to reflect Christ.

• That God would faithfully provide as I seek to raise financial support for the coming year.

• That the Lord would grant me opportunities to serve well in my new local church as I will officially become a member of Iglesia Bautista Bethel in January.

Thanksgiving

I am immensely grateful that the year has gone by so smoothly; The Lord truly has placed me in a great place to be of service, where although I have been overwhelmed at times by the need here and my responsibilities, He has shown Himself faithful. I am also profoundly honored to be in a position to make an impact on the seminary and the local churches affiliated with the seminary. I pray that the Lord would help me in this work, and that He would abundantly bless the Mexican churches and the U.S churches that send STM's here.

I conclude by saying thank you to each and every prayerful supporter. Your prayers have been very meaningful to me, and just the fact that I am able to continue serving here in 2026 show's God’s faithfulness through your generosity. May the Lord continue to bless you wherever you find yourself living on mission.

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9