On Sunday we had a small farewell party for two of our volunteers that are heading back to the US this week. We said good-bye to Dave Sigrist and Grace Bey, two WELS Kingdom Workers that have been teaching English at El Redentor (Redeemer) here in Torreón.

Dave had been in Mexico for one year, first teaching in Pachuca and then in Torreón. Grace came for two months and taught an intensive English course during her stay here.

We are extremely thankful for the time that both of them dedicated and their hard work. Their efforts resulted in not only happy students, but also students that learned of salvation through Jesus Christ. We expect to see the seeds that they planted here grow during the coming months.

Dave and Grace also rolled with the ups and downs of life in Mexico. They dealt with issues like staying in a place with no air-conditioning (during our hottest months of the year!) and making many trips to the immigration office to work through the visa process (often a long, complicated one here!).

So gracias Dave and Grace! We wish you both God’s continued blessings in the future. And should you return, you have a casa waiting for you here!

When we lived in the United States I always looked forward to winter, to sitting in a warm house, reading a book and drinking hot chocolate.  I remember being cold when I had to go outside, but there was always someplace warm you could escape to after the cold outdoors.

In the southern part of Brazil, where we live, winter weather starts in May and goes through August.  The highs are usually in the 50’s or low 60’s with lows in the mid 40’s – but occasionally they can reach the freezing point!  This never sounds very cold to those of us who grew up or still live in the northern part of the U.S., but with no heating there is no place to escape.  The first few days of the cold weather don’t seem that bad – that’s when the house is warmer than the outside air.  After that a change happens and suddenly the house and the outside feel about the same temperature.   The last to happen, and the worst, is when your house is actually colder than it is outside (especially on sunny days!).  That’s because the houses here have no insulation, so the cold gets in and it takes quite a while for it to warm up again.  It just doesn’t seem right when we wake up and can see our breath – in the house!

Space heaters do exist, but the cost of running them is quite high, so many Brazilians make do without them.  We have one that we run at night in our daughters’ room and one that we use in the bathroom when we take showers.  Did I mention yet that there are no hot water heaters?  We do have electric shower heads tries to give us hot water, but in the dead of winter even that doesn’t feel very warm!  The water that comes from the sinks and that we use to wash our hands is painfully cold in the winter.

So what do we do to try and keep warm?  One of the most important lessons I’ve learned here is that of layering clothes.  My 3 year old doesn’t especially appreciate it, but she might when she’s a little older.  We also have lots of blankets on our bed.  I used to think it was funny when our members would brag about how many blankets they had used the night before, not any more!  Other than that we drink lots of hot chocolate, tea, and coffee and wait for the occasional warm day so we can recharge and get ready to face some more of the cold.

Brandi Bivens

A few days ago, we were invited to be godparents at a middle school graduation. This was for the daughter of a couple who we are friends with, and are also members of the church. They stopped by at about 11 p.m. the night before to drop off the official invitation we would need to attend. It stated that the ceremony would start at 4:30 p.m.

As godparents, we needed to bring a gift for the graduate, so we headed to the center of town where the typical graduation gifts are sold. We purchased a large bouquet of red plastic flowers that was decorated for a graduation.

When we arrived at the auditorium where the ceremony was going to be held, it was almost 5 p.m. But there was no need to worry - the program didn’t start until a little after 5 p.m. Shortly after it began, a mariachi band walked on to the stage. A group of students would walk through to receive their diplomas, and then the mariachi band would play a few songs, and so on. There was also a lot of dancing.

Two hours later, the graduation service ended and we were invited to the family’s home for a meal. By the time we left, it was pretty late in the evening.

On the way home, we realized just how “normal” everything had felt. A few years ago, I might have been bored by a two-hour long ceremony that started half an hour late. I might have been upset that we weren’t home by six or so (not the case for things in Mexico). Or I might have worried about what gift to bring.

I guess we have been here long enough that we were able to go, have a great time, and get home feeling tired but happy. And Trinity took it all in stride too. Although I suppose she has less adjusting to do, since she was born here ;).

Playing the time game in Mexico is not an exact science, and one that needs to be learned through trial and error. I remember a birthday party were were invited to during our first year in Mexico. The event would start at 5, we were told. Being good Americans, we showed up at 5:15 p.m. Well, the hostess had not even showered yet! Since they were typical hospitable Mexicans, they insisted that we come in. We waited for about two hours while the family finished getting everything ready and then a bit longer till the next guest arrived!

So it has been a learning experience. Fortunately, somewhere during our years here, our fast-paced American blood has slowed down quite a bit. We are now remarkably good at arriving late, and I must say I consistently do it ;).

(more…)

Last Sunday, 32 people came into fellowship with our church body in Mexico (officially known as the Evangelical Confessional Lutheran Church in Mexico). This group has been studying with Pastor Esequiel Sanchez, one of our Lutheran pastors, since January of this year. Pictured above is one family from this group.

During the last months, Pastor Sanchez has taught them about the Bible and the Lutheran church. The people grew more and more excited as they learned about Jesus and salvation, as well as issues like the Lord’s Supper and baptism.

The group is very excited about joining the Lutheran church and learning more about the Bible. The plan is that they will join the congregation “Jesus Pan de Vida” (Jesus Bread of Life) in Torreón.

This is good news indeed! It is evidence of the Holy Spirit at work here in Mexico. We are thankful for a growing church body!

There are many joys on the  LATTE team as the men  are involved in many areas of ministry not only teaching.   One of the special blessings  is the privilege to baptize children.  While serving the congregation in Gomez Palacio recently my husband was not only  honored to baptize Ramon Romero Rodriguez but he and I were also honored to be the god-parents. 

The mother of Ramon is a member of our church and the father is going through the self-taught Bible lesson series as they do not live where we have a church.  He has taken on his fatherly duty of reading the family devotion and leading the prayer each evening for their family devotion.  May the seed planted in their hearts continue to grow in the Word in this young family.

- written by Roxanne Martens

One of the Mexican seminary students, Carlos Rosales, is currently in northern Sonora, a Mexican state that borders Arizona. To get there, he had to take a 19-hour bus ride from Torreón.

His long trip has a good purpose: Carlos is there as part of seminary recruitment efforts. Missionary Ron Baerbock is working with many souls in the Sonora area, and some of them may be interested in becoming a pastor. Carlos will talk to them, tell them about what his life is like, and see if they are interested in full-time ministry.

Next month, another student, Jorge Briones, will head to Monterrey and Juarez. Both of these citites also have congregations with young people that are at about the right age to enter a seminary program.

It is our prayer that God bless their efforts and bring more students into the seminary. The number of pastors in Mexico has increased during the last few years, and we would like to see it continue that way.

Join us in giving thanks for another church building in Mexico! On June 1st, Missionary Ron Baerbock, together with fellow Christians in the city of Altar, dedicated a church home to the Lord.

The congregation, called El Buen Pastor (The Good Shepherd) had a special service for the event, followed by a meal and festivities. Pastor Eduardo Vazquez, who serves a congregation in the Monterrey area, came to preach for the special occasion. God is good!

(more…)