Dear BCM Friend and Partner,
I hope your Labor Day weekend was a great one! God has been so good to us and to this ministry! I am thankful for
His kind victories through His grace and tender loving care! Our God is so faithful and awesome!
It's been a while since I have sent an update letter to you! I'm sorry it's been so long! We had a great summer of ministry! God brought forth much fruit from the efforts, love, and perseverance of His people as they went forward in service.
We had wonderful groups serving with us over the summer! Houses and church buildings were built, lives were saved and discipled, much cheer and hope was spread. Many lives were blessed, touched, and changed on both sides of the border through God's orchestrated ministry interaction.
From June 2nd through the end of August more than 1500 volunteers passed over the border to serve with BCM to make an impact for Christ and to advance His kingdom in Baja. During that time 29 houses and 3 church buildings were funded and/or built by these wonderful teams through God's grace and provision. These were the teams that served:
Ten Days Baja/ Every Nation Church, Ten Days of Nashville, Tenn ; Lighthouse Community Church, Torrance, CA; Rock Harbor Church, Costa Mesa CA:; Catalyst Christian Community Church, Garden Grove, CA ; Metro-East Lutheran High, Edwardsville, IL ; Mariners Church (Youth Group), Irvine, CA ; New Life Presbyterian Church, Escondido, CA ; Mariners Church, Irvine, CA ; Wade Family Charitable Foundation, Seal Beach, CA ; La Crecenta Presbyterian, CA ; Salinas Valley Community Church, Salinas, CA ; Teen Mania/Global Expeditions/ Newsboys/Global Tribe- team 1 ; Teen Mania/Global Expeditions/ Newsboys/ Global Tribe--team 2 ; West Town Community Church, Evans, GA ; Wade Family Charitable Foundation, Seal Beach, CA ; Orange County Chinese Church, Irvine, CA ; Rock Harbor Church, Costa Mesa CA ; San Clemente Pres, San Clemente, CA
Three years ago God had enabled BCM to add and systemize another branch to the existing ministry of building houses and church buildings. This ministry of building lives took shape through an effective form of discipleship via the distribution of Spanish Bibles and Purple Book with group accountability and leadership built in. These are the present distribution stats since May of 2007:
BCM DISCIPLESHIP REPORT AUGUST 30, 2010
51,827 BIBLES AND PURPLE BOOKS DISTRIBUTED
25,685 PURPLE BOOKS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED
1,431 GROUPS HAVE STARTED THE PURPLE BOOK
927 GROUPS HAVE FINISHED
948,173 BIBLES AND PURPLE BOOKS YET TO BE DISTRIBUTED
974,315 PURPLE BOOKS YET TO BE COMPLETED TO REACH OUR GOAL
Along with the distribution through the pastor/leaders recruited by our BCM regional directors, we have also brought these Spanish Bibles and Purple Books into our street evangelism ministry that we do with the groups that come down. We have been going house to house, making spontaneous invitations to meet under a tree or other landmark location where surprisingly 30-100 people will gather for a meeting. Many or most of these people were unsaved, but almost certainly just about all were un-discipled. House build group members will then share testimonies, the gospel will be preached, an invitation to receive Christ is given, and most do receive Him! Then Bibles and Purple Books are handed out and people are appointed to a group with a leader to bring motivation and accountability to finish the discipleship course.
Many of these house building groups have been sending part of their teams to join our BCM evangelism team to do the work of evangelism with us.
Johnny Mathis, a member of Ten Days Baja, was part of one of these teams and sent this email to me. I want to share it with you:
"Bob, I just wanted to send you a note of THANKS for allowing us to witness and briefly be a part of your work in Baja! I know that Angie and myself took sooo many things away from this trip!! We're still talking about it...it's still deep in our spirits...it truly will change a persons life!
I've commented about this on my FaceBook...but I learned a valuable lesson regarding the power of the Gospel. It truly stands on its own merits and power. I was amazed to watch you present it in the dusty, dirty streets of El Nino... and see the people's faces as they began to receive it. No invitational music playing from a worship band, not having every head bowed and every eye closed while asking someone to slip a hand up so they wouldn't be embarrassed (not that there is anything wrong with any of that)..... and no special sales tactics or promises of prosperity. Just the plain, simple presentation of the Gospel message! And it works!!! Imagine that?!?!!? God bless you Bob and all you continue to do! And you have a very special team of people you work with...their hearts are wonderful! John Mathis Jr."
Peter Dusan, a leader from Texas who also served this summer with Ten Days Baja, did a short one page summary of his experience with a few photos, sharing that he loves America and why this Baja experience is good for Americans to participate in. Peter shares some good insight and an encouraging report. Along with building a mission compound and church with us, they also did a lot of street ministry, giving hundreds of Bibles and Purple Books out. Click magnifying glass on page to enlarge:
http://www.everynationtxstate.com/Updates/June2010.jpg
I wanted to also include this Baja documentary that a member, Nikolaus Wogen, of Catalyst Christian Church of Long Beach,CA, recently put together that expresses what this house building/ evangelism/Bible/Purple Book outreach means to him and his team:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XpFf_4I2M
Here are some recent translated testimonies of people in Baja who received Bibles and Purple Books and completed the course:
ANA E. BALLARDOS writes, "This study is very good, it has helped us in our spiritual growth, and to confront difficulties in our lives. Thank you for investing money and time in this ministry. May God prosper you greatly.....The work in the Lord is not in vain and through these Biblical Foundations many lives are growing in the the Lord."
SAUL A. SANCHEZ writes, "The study of the Bible with the purple book helped me to understand the word of God, and to put my faith and hope in Jesus....Outside of God's path my soul is lost and I want to draw closer to God to be able to teach my wife and children that without God we are nothing. I will ask God for wisdom and understanding to be closer to Him and have a good testimony.....Sincerely and humbly before God, please pray for me so that I may attain this. May God bless you for showing me how to love God and respect His word.
ALEJANDRO FLORES writes, "I am a man of faith, and I have a lot of enthusiasm and want to learn all things relating to the word of God. I want to do all I can to become well versed in the word of God, so that I can help to bring nourishment to anyone hungry for God. Thank you for the blessing you have given us with this book Biblical Foundations which is filling our lives with more of Christ Jesus. Thank you! Thank you! from a servant of God who is very grateful with our Lord Jesus Christ for all the blessings He has brought into my life....Thank you!
This is just a little peak. There is so much more to share! Baja is ripe! Please consider mobilizing a team and funds to come and build with us this fall or winter! For the harvest is ripe and laborers are you! We need more than a few to help work in the Baja harvest with us!
Thank you for your vital prayers, giving, service, and encouragement!
Harvesting Baja together with our King!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 07:24AM
Reader Comments (5)
Wow this was really long to read!
Just a thought. Could you guys condense your updates. Super long to read.
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