Collins Family in Mesick, MI

Mexico appears to be about 10 days behind the US in the transmission of the coronavirus. The number of confirmed cases just surpassed 100 yesterday, and I heard that the first person died from it yesterday as well. My guess is, though, that the numbers are even more skewed than they are in the US, and the actual number of those infected is probably 50 to 100 times more than those reported. I believe that’s due in part to the extreme poverty of many people here, the lack of testing, and the overall poor quality of healthcare in Mexico (we do have a private hospital near us that has great healthcare!). The Secretary of Public Education has cancelled all pre-college classes for a month, and many universities (including the seminary here) have also moved classes online. But most people do not seem to be taking this seriously. Semana Santa (Holy Week) vacations are coming up in two weeks, and many people are still planning to travel and go to beaches. Unfortunately, the pres...

Children’s Homes Each week we visit the children’s homes and share devotionals with the kids, Sarah teaches the girls how to make desserts and other fun foods, and we enjoy spending time with them and having fun together. Sarah is also personally discipling one of the girls named Laura.  Another way we support the children is by going to their soccer games. Many of the children are involved in a private Christian soccer league, and they invite us to their games. We enjoy going and cheering them on, and it’s an enjoyable way to show our love and support for them.  Please pray with us for these two homes, for each of the children, and for the house parents: Maycol and Rosario (boys’ home) and Marco and Nayeli (girls’ home). Ágape Baptist Bible Church Preaching and Teaching We are continuing our Sunday sermon series in the Gospel of John. I had the privilege to preach chapter 9 (Jesus heals a man born blind) over the course of two weeks. In our Sunday s...

Children’s Homes We’ve had a lot of great opportunities to serve at the children’s homes over the last few months. We praise the Lord for good relationships we’ve developed with both house parents and the children, and for many opportunities to speak into their lives. A new piano for the girls' home At the girls’ home Chris has given weekly devotionals and started piano lessons with 3 of the girls. Sarah has taught the girls how to make several delicious desserts, and she recently started discipling one of the older girls, Laura. Leslie, one of the younger girls, has also shown great interest in the devotionals and often wants to read the Bible with us for a while longer after the devotional time! Reading the Bible with Leslie At the boys’ home Chris has also given some devotionals, and Sarah has helped many of the younger boys with homework and is even teaching English to the house mom, Rosario. With both of the homes, we’ve gone to some of their soccer g...

A NEW AGENCY After months of prayer and consideration, along with counsel from pastors and other friends and family, we want to inform you of a big and exciting change for us! In an effort to be the best stewards of the resources God has provided through our supporters, we are resigning from our current mission board, Avant, and we are transitioning to a new agency, Mission Quest ( https://missionquest.org ). WHAT IS CHANGING? This change does not affect our ministries here in Mexico. We plan to continue in the same ministry as before: Making disciples of Jesus Christ in Puebla, Mexico through orphan care, theological education, and church ministries . This is also not a change in doctrine . Our beliefs have not changed! You can check out Mission Quest’s doctrinal statement here: https://missionquest.org/about/Missionary-Statement-of-Faith/ WHY CHANGE? For us, this change is about stewardship . For our family to continue with Avant would not be good stewardship of th...

New House! Many of you know we have been praying for a new place to rent, closer to the children’s homes. The Lord has provided a place for us, a house in a very beautiful neighborhood within walking distance of the children’s homes, and still only about 10 minutes’ drive from the Seminary. We are hoping this will be a good place for us to settle for years to come, and we’re praying we’ll have good opportunities to reach out to neighbors here. Praise God for this answer to prayer! Orphan Care We are thrilled that God recently brought about the opening of a girls’ home, Casa Nueva Vida (New Life Home) near the boys’ home. We were able to be at the house to receive them the day they arrived, and we got them some delicious tacos al pastor for lunch. Marco, the house dad, asked me to share devotionals with the girls, and we are excited to develop relationships with both the house parents and the girls. We’re also thankful for continued opportunities to serve at the boys’...

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 orientat...

26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. 27 Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. 28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.  (Psalm 73:26-28, NLT) This morning I was discouraged thinking about a loved one who is far away from God. I so badly want this person to repent from their sin and turn to God. I want them to experience the joy and happiness of a right relationship with God, not His righteous judgment for their sin. But at the end of the day, I’m not responsible for them. I don’t get to make that choice—it’s up to them. I can pray, I can speak the truth in love, but I can’t turn them back to God. What I am responsible for is me. My own relationship with God. That’s what the Psalmist is saying here. There is a frightening destiny for ...