Celebrating One Year in Mexico

This past Thursday, April 25, we celebrated one year since we arrived in Mexico. It was a good time to reflect over all that God has done in our lives and our ministry over the last year.

Getting to Mexico

Behind the scenes of our first year in Mexico was the process of raising support. We spent approximately 1.5 years raising support from the time we joined Camino Global until we arrived on the field. We are so thankful to God for all of our friends and family that have generously supported us and prayed for us to get us here to Puebla, Mexico.

House

One of the first blessings God bestowed on us was providing the house we are currently in. Only 3 days after arriving, God led us to this place, and we knew right away it was the right one. It’s only a few blocks from the Seminary where Chris teaches, and it is very open--a great place for having people over for ministry.

Our rooftop view

Orientation

A big part of our first year on the field was our orientation process. We were given a list of books to read, places to visit, foods to try, important dates and other facts to memorize, and other important things to learn about the culture. Through our orientation as well as some Spanish tutoring, we feel that God has really helped us to integrate well into the Mexican culture, although we realize it will take a lifetime to fully adapt.

Visiting pyramids at Teotihuacan

Friends

Very early on we met a Mexican couple, Miguel and Génesis. We immediately hit it off and became very good friends. They have helped us so much in learning about the culture and especially the Christian culture here in Mexico. Miguel also works at the Seminary with Chris so they get to spend a lot of time together at work. In September last year, Miguel and Génesis began a new church plant. We are planning to join them in their efforts later this summer.

We also formed friendships with some of the missionaries serving here in Mexico, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside some really great people with big hearts for the Mexican people.

Our friends Miguel and Génesis

Bible Studies

Near the beginning of our time here we were invited to join a small group Bible study with some of our missionary friends, Zac and Jennifer Malthaner, as well as Miguel and Génesis and 2 other couples. At first we were just participants, but later on Chris was able to lead the study, and we’ve even hosted it in our home a few times. Chris loves the opportunity to teach the Bible, and we both enjoy hosting others in our home and serving them.

Dinner with our Bible Study group

Ágape Girls’ Home

In July last year we connected with an organization called Niños de México based in Texcoco near Mexico City, about 2 hours away. We went to visit and got a tour of the different boys’ and girls’ homes, and we stayed at a girls’ home called Ágape. We visited there a few times with our friends Miguel and Génesis, and we had opportunities to share God’s Word with them and to love on them and help them feel special.

Studying the Bible together

Making bracelets with the girls

Seminary

In August, Chris began teaching at Puebla Bible Seminary. In the Fall semester he taught Greek 3 Exegesis, and in the Spring semester he taught Hebrew. Sarah has also served at the Seminary by baking cinnamon rolls and other treats for the students. She is famous for her delicious treats! It is a blessing to invest in the future pastors and church leaders of Mexico.

Chris teaching Greek

Sarah's famous cinnamon rolls

Mentoring

During the Fall semester Chris served as mentor to two of the students at the seminary, Edwin and Adolfo. It was great to invest more personally in these two students’ lives and ministries.

Lunch with my mentor students

Church

Our search for a church was a long and complicated process, but we are grateful for the church where God led us to be most of this first year, Iglesia Bíblica El Sembrador (The Sower Bible Church). Pastor Carlos is a very humble man and a great leader. We are thankful for the friendships we’ve formed with the pastor’s family and many others. While we believe God is leading us to join Pastor Miguel’s church plant in the near future, we plan to maintain a strong relationship with El Sembrador and Pastor Carlos’s family. We are very thankful for the way God has used this church in our lives.

Mikey's first Sunday at El Sembrador

Discipleship

In late October, a young man named Carlos asked if Chris would disciple him. He is a pastor’s son but felt that he needed some more teaching about the Bible and theology. Chris has been studying with him through a systematic theology and they also did some study in the book of Philippians.

Francisco

One of the greatest opportunities we had in this first year was caring for an orphan boy in our home for two weeks. Francisco (“Frank” as he likes to be called) is 10 years old and comes from a very difficult background, having suffered abuse and abandonment. We were asked to care for him for the couple weeks before the New Beginnings home started in December. We were able to connect with him, pray with him and teach him from the Bible, and show him the love of a family that he so desperately needed. Even after he left us, we have been able to continue investing in him as he is at the nearby New Beginnings home.

Playing Legos with Frank

Frank loves to hold Mikey

New Beginnings

Very quickly and unexpectedly, God brought all the details together, and the New Beginnings Boys’ Home opened December 20th. We expected it to be a years-long process, but God made it happen in a way that made it obvious to us all that it was His doing.

God has given us a great relationship with the house parents Maycol and Rosario, with their two kids and with the 8 boys living there. Maycol asked Chris to share devotionals with the guys, and Chris has been teaching through the book of Genesis. Our friends and fellow missionaries Kevin and Andrea Bult (who started the New Beginnings project) have also had great opportunities to teach the boys from God’s Word. We’re so thankful for the opportunity to invest in them and set an example for them.

Through the generosity of our donors, we were able to get them several Christmas presents, school supplies, a printer, and most recently a piano.

We also love bringing them Sarah’s famous cinnamon rolls or other treats, playing soccer or other sports with them, and just doing life together with them. We trust that through our teaching and our example they will grow up to be godly men and loving husbands and fathers.

One of our prayer requests moving forward is that God would provide a house closer to the boys’ home so we can be more involved and continue to disciple these young men.

Opening Celebration for New Beginnings

New Beginnings Boys with their new Bibles

Mikey

Our biggest and most life-changing blessing during this first year was the addition of our adorable son, Christopher Michael “Mikey” Collins to our family. We are so thankful for his life, and we look forward to teaching and discipling him as he continues to grow. Our prayer for him is that he would come to know and love the Lord his God and serve him faithfully all his life.

Mikey loves his mommy

Moving Forward

God has done a lot this first year both in and through our lives. We can’t thank Him enough for all that He has taught us, all the blessings He has bestowed, how He has helped us through the challenges and difficulties, the friendships we’ve formed.

We look forward to many more years of serving the Lord here in Puebla, Mexico as the Lord provides. We look forward to more opportunities to invest in the lives of Mexican people, teaching them God’s Word and setting an example of what a Christian family should look like.

Thank You!

We want to thank all of you who are our supporters through your prayers, your giving and your encouragement. Thank you for your participation in our ministry and our lives. May God richly reward you!