26 February 2015 Update!

Hey all,

Greetings from warm and sunny Oaxaca!

Thank you for your partnership in prayer for the work happening in our part of the world.  As you know, relationships are the key to sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel in southern Mexico.  Often, it is a group of believers working together that results in someone surrendering their life to Jesus.  We have seen that happening here in southern Mexico over the past few weeks as several precious people have made decisions to follow Jesus.  These are significant decisions that, many times, come with serious consequences.  The animistic Catholic culture here often is threatened by those who seek to have an authentic, personal relationship with Jesus.  Faith alone in Jesus alone and allowing God's Word to serve as the guidebook for life is incompatible with a religious tradition based on following ritualistic practices and a view of a distant, disengaged Father.

Would you join us in praying for more open doors in the communities of southern Mexico?  The Enemy has certainly been effective in limiting access to the Gospel here.  The Enemy has convinced many people here that a personal relationship with Jesus is not needed or not possible.  Join us in praying for more workers and for our Mexican churches to break away from unhealthy doctrine and unbiblical traditions so that the Gospel can flow freely.  There is so much to do.

Pray also for:

• On a recent visit to Oaxaca, one of our USA churches faced resistance from a community where they have been working.  They don't like the 'Christians' in their community.  Pray for a better understanding of culture for the USA church and for the Christians in this community to engage their community instead of living in isolation and separation.
• Summer Missionaries arriving on June 1!  Here is our Summer 2015 Team so far:
• Zapotec Village Disciple-Makers
• Brooke Pullen (Mississippi State University)
• Tory Ford (Multnomah Bible)
• Chontal Village Disciple-Makers
• Anna Beth Caves (University of West Alabama)
• Brittany Foster
• Kate Warner  (Louisiana Tech)
• Disciple making and Teaching English
• Erika Hofacker (Mississippi College)
• Rachel Robb (Liberty University)
• Lauren Cullen (Mississippi College)
• Disciple making and Sports Ministry
• James Swinney (Kosciusko High School)
• Matthew Yeager (Wake Forest University)
• (WE REALLY NEED TWO MORE FOR THIS ONE!  PRAY!)
• A large population of our people do not speak Spanish and they do not read.  So, getting the Bible into an oral format is very important.  Pray for an event in April that will bring together several different language groups for the purpose of developing sets of Bible stories.
• Our mission organization is once again undergoing some changes.  Pray for our missionary team as we determine what adjustments we need to make in these new directions.

Thank you so much for your prayer support and your financial support through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program.

Blessings!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson.