February 2008 in Mexico has been a busy time for us. There were 13 people baptized at the church one Sunday, including an entire family. Before being baptized, the people have to go through a course to let them know just what it is to be baptized. Joe is teaching one of the 3 courses available. And it is a big deal to be baptized here. Many times people are shunned and even considered dead to their family.

Mujeres en Conquista (Overcoming Women) held their first meeting of the year this month. The topic was "I can't get Organized." The meeting hall was packed with over 500 women, two-thirds of them were first timers. The decorations showed a bedroom in a mess with clothes and such thrown all around. There were 10 men outside in two tents "baby sitting" over a hundred kids for us. Women were touched and we will be hearing later how their lives are changing as these meetings are used as a starting point for reaching them with the gospel message. After the meeting, many of the women signed up for "Volver a Empezar" (Starting Over) which is self help group meetings. There are groups for depression, eating problems, problems with children and two new groups, one for girls 13 to 18 and one for couples with marriage problems. I will be leading the group dealing with depression. Last year, many of the women came to know Jesus as Saviour and we pray that that will happen this year as well.

Read on there's alot more...

This past weekend Joe was in Juarez, just the other side of the border from El Paso, at a men's conference "De Hombre a Hombre" (Man to Man.) Pastors Leo and Matias were there along with Joe and men from the church. They left Thursday night after the barcas (cell groups) on a bus and returned in time for church services Sunday morning.

CCE, Centro Cristiano Esperanza (Christian Hope Center) has been asked by the government of the state of Durango to take part in several government programs already established here in the city. We, the church, have supplied volunteers in these programs for some time. But now, the government will continue to supply the money and we will be guiding the programs and doing the work. Isn't the Lord awesome?! The church has been praying for the prosperity of the city and has had several church services where we drove our cars in a parade around the center of the city while praying for the needs of the people. The first 2 government programs are "Semilla" (Seed) and C.A.S.A. (House.) "Semilla" is aimed at children in poor neighborhoods of the city and we are adding activities for the moms who come with their kids every Saturday. This is a time when abuse can happen and we are aiming the programs at stopping this and teaching ways to show love in the family. C.A.S.A. (House) provides counseling and meals for people, and their families, who are in the general hospital, which is the social medicine hospital for those who have little or no means to pay for services. And C.A.S.A. is adding a general food distribution program.

Together With Christ will be doing a movie outreach with the pastor of a small church just beginning here in Durango. We will do a movie at the end of each month with them to help their church reach out and grow.

I am still teaching Bible Panorama each Saturday morning at Instituto Canzion. And this semester I have also been asked to teach a course on the Great Commission. How appropriate, a missionary teaching about going out and reaching the lost for Christ!