Pastor Mariano Riscajche in Nayarit

Just over a year ago, Pastor Gollo and Centro Cristiano Cofradia joined a Pastor's Alliance here in the region.  That Pastor's Alliance hosted an Evangelistic Crusade with Mariano Riscajche from Almolona, Guatemala.  If you have not heard of what God has done in that city, you need to Google it!  Pastor Riscajche was one of 5 pastors whom God used to bring glory to Himself and literally transform that place.  The fruits and vegetables that come out of there are jumbo sized and more than plentiful.  They went from one or two truckloads of produce a week to various truckloads a day.  It has been mentioned that there are no bars, no police, and no violence at all!  Places where there were bars have been turned into church buildings.  People are being healed and raised from the dead.

Pastor Mariano Riscajche at the Tuxpan Baseball Stadium

Pastor Riscajche mentioned that he has been personally involved in 37 resurrections with the latest being this past December 31.  He shared of a young man who fell 30 feet as they were preparing for an event.  His body was crumpled.  After 20 minutes of no response, the doctors pronounced him dead.  They began to pray for him to return and to the doctors' surprise, the young man started breathing again.  After the doctors mentioned it was better for him if he had died because of the injuries, Pastor Riscajche asked for permission to see him.  When he got to the room he was in, the young man was wheaping because of the pain and Pastor Riscajche grabbed him, hugged him, and told him to declare, "There's nothing wrong with me!"  As the young man struggled getting the words out, he repeated that phrase over and over again.  The next day, the young man was walking around as if nothing had happened.

Incredible stories that you don't hear every day.  Instead, they sound like something you'd read in the New Testament.

On Friday, February 15th, Pastor Riscajche had a word with Pastors and Leaders.  In the evening there was an general service for anyone to come to.  Many people were touched by the Lord, one of which was an elderly lady from Cofradía (Horacio's mother-in-law) who has had pain as she walks for a year.  She was healed that night and has not used her cane since.  She is telling everyone what God has done for her.

It was an amazing and inspiring time.

Time with the Leaders at Tuxpan Town Hall

General service at the Tuxpan Baseball Stadium

Cofradia Married's Date Night

Abraham and Graciela

Abraham and Graciela are the Married Couples Leaders for Cofradia Centro Cristiano.  They have been teaching in the evenings of the first Sunday of each month for over a year now and headed up a Married's Date Night held at the church.  We planned for 45 couples and 48 couples came.  We had a packed house as well as visitors from the Rosamorada Christian Church just north of here. 

It was an excellent evening with games, testimonies, photos, dinner, and special speakers Doug and Jan Taylor who spoke about having "An Attitude of Gratitude" towards our spouses.  Here are a few pics from the special evening.

Speakers Doug and Jan Taylor with Steve translating.

An apple eating contest.  Without using hands, the first couple to finish the apple won a prize.

Doug and Jan Taylor in Cofradia

It is always a blessing to have former Cofradia Missionaries, Doug and Jan Taylor, come back to share their lives and ministry with us.  Each year, they come to do a variety of different conferences usually focusing on Marriage, Family/Child Rearing, and Leadership.  This year we had them come to share about Priorities.  The first meeting was with our Leaders on Friday night.  As a staff, we believe that having a clear set of priorities will help us be more effective in everything we do, especially if we're ministering and teaching others.  They taught our leaders that 1) our relationship with God was first priority, then 2) Family a) Marriage b) Children, then 3) Work; to provide for our family, and finally 4) Ministry.

Saturday night was a more general teaching on priorities for the whole church.  Sunday morning they shared what our priority as Christians is as far as sharing the gospel--what we do.  We are to seek first God's Kingdom and His Righteousness and Sow the Gospel wherever and to whomever.  This goes right along with what Pastor Gollo has been speaking on as this year's focus is being evangelistic.  He has quoted a number of times St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel at all times, and if you need to, use words."

Worship time during the Leadership meeting

Worship time during the Leadership meeting

Leadership meeting teaching on Priorities

General Saturday night service with Geña translating

Thank you Doug and Jan for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend with us in Cofradia!

FEBRUARY UPDATE

GREETINGS from Cofradía, Mexico!  We are in an exciting time right now in this ministry.  God has been touching so many lives.  Every week we are seeing new local people visit.  This last Sunday there was a comment from a visitor, “what are you guys going to do once this place fills up, because it’s going to fill up!”  This is a good problem as we set out 160 chairs each Sunday.

Our family is doing well, everyone is healthy and Mackenzie is growing fast.  She is a very good and happy baby.

Last time, we asked you to pray for...

• All Women Short-Term Missions Team Reaching 140 women who attended a banquet in our auditorium!  Click here for the report and photos
• Operation Christmas Child 300 boxes were distributed to children in the two towns of Las Pilas and Cofradia!  Click here for the report and photos
• Future Ministry Opportunities I have posted a little history and our purpose on our blog as well as some of the ways groups and individuals can get involved.
  

Links to other news:

• Pastor Heriberto Rodriguez was born and raised in Cofradia and now is an ordained minister living in Florida with his wife.  They work together preaching at the jails and visiting and praying for people in their homes.  Click here to read about his recent visit to Cofradía. 
• ALTERNATIVE MISSIONS COFRADIA VIDEO UPDATE  Sunday Church Services, Children’s Sunday School, and Youth Group: 
• La Fuente Heroes Tour came to Cofradía and many of our children were ministered to. 
• EL RETO 2012 
• Dwellings build in October
• Parents’ visit to Cofradía
  

This month, will you please pray for...

• Doug and Jan Taylor Conference Once again, former staff members will be returning to hold a weekend conference speaking to our leaders, congregation, and married couples.  Pray for accurate interpreting and open hearts to the Word of God.  People are always blessed when the Taylors come (Feb. 8-10).  
• Date Night We’ll be hosting a Date Night on February 10 with the Taylors as guest speakers.  All married couples are invited.  Many people have expressed interest, even the visitors and other people from town.  Please pray for open hearts to God’s Word and that not only many marriages will begin a process of transformation, but individuals a well (February 10).
• Pastor Mariano Riscajche We, along with the other pastors of the region, will be hosting a huge Evangelical event in Tuxpan, Nayarit with guest speaker, Pastor Mariano Riscajche from Almolonga, Guatemala.  Some of you may have heard of this town that was transformed by the gospel a few years back and is now exporting exaggeratingly huge fruits and vegetables from this land.  We are expecting great things to happen!  Please pray for healings and transformed lives throughout the region.  Pray for wisdom for the ushers.  Pray for travel safety for everyone, including Pastor Riscajche.  Pray that God will be glorified (February 15).  Google for more information on Pastor Mariano Riscajche and Almolonga, Guatemala.  It is known as the “Miracle City.”
• First Cofradia Youth Wedding I have the privilege of marrying the first young couple in the church where both are from Cofradía and have not yet begun to live together.  Please pray for a smooth service and that Jesús and Cinthia have a God-honoring marriage (February 17).
• Church’s 2nd Anniversary We will be celebrating our 2nd Anniversary as a church meeting in the new building.  It will be an exciting time as we have special guest speaker, Pastor Gregorio Hernández, all the way from Cofradía—yay! (February 24).
• EL RETO Training in Sinaloa Pray for a smooth time of teaching as I will be training a church in La Cruz, Sinaloa on how to reach students for Christ through a “Challenge” event (March 2).
• Men’s Mission trip to Oaxaca A group of 12 men in the church are going to Oaxaca on a Missions trip where they will be helping another church through teachings and some light construction.  Please pray for finances for these men as $3000 pesos is very hard to come by in this area.  If you would like to make a general donation, please click here and specify it for Cofradia Men (March 25 – April 2).
  

Thank you very much for partnering with us through your prayers and financial support.  

Click here to donate to our personal support.

Another way to donate is by sending a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 5835 / Goodyear, AZ 85338.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman

Missionaries to Mexico

Alternative Missions Cofradia

Area Director

Facebook

SKYPE: “srsilberman”

Alternative Missions Cofradia Video Update

La Fuente Heroes in Cofradía

La Fuente's Heroes Ministry came to Cofradia for Sunday School Teacher training and an evening event with the children last Saturday.  Here are some pics...

Pastor Heriberto Rodriguez

Pastor Heriberto Rodriguez was born and raised in Cofradia and now is an ordained minister living in Florida with his wife, Alba.  They work together preaching in jails and visiting and praying for people in their homes.   Pastor Heriberto and Alba came to visit Cofradia in January for a couple of weeks.  During their time here, they were able to participate in some of the ministries in the Church sharing testimonies and messages in the Men's Ministry, Youth Ministry, and Congregation.  Before meeting Christ five years ago, Heriberto was involved in some pretty rough things that led him to a dead end in his life.  Now, free from all of the addictions and habits, he and his wife enjoy a life of ministry together with heavy hearts for children and youth. 

There are two interesting facts about Heriberto that relate to this mninistry.  I met him in the late 1990s, but had very little contact with him.  In the year 2000, we started a weekly prayer meeting here on the base.  There were consistently about 10-12 people that would come and a few others who, if they had a need, would come as well.  We saw miracles happen during that time.  One of which had to do with a grandmother asking for prayer for her grandson whom she had not heard from for a long time and she was worried.  The next day to her surprise, she received a phone call from him.  Heriberto was that grandson.

Also, in 2006 we purchased the property where the church located.  That property belonged to Heriberto's family.  His mother sold it not knowing that Heriberto had plans to build a home on that land some day.  Needless to say, when he found out it was sold, he wasn't very happy.  Since conversion to Jesus Christ, he is more than excited to know that the property where he once was going to build a home, is now used for the Kingdom of God to which he belongs.  His home is built.

We were more than delighted with their visit and look forward to working together in the future.  This is a very exciting testimony to how God works in the lives of people to whom we minister.  God answers prayers, He frees the enslaved, and gives hope to the hopeless.  What an exciting reality!  Thank you for praying for this ministry!

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES IN COFRADIA

Cofradía seems to possess a unique flavor of the true heart and soul of Mexico. Located between Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, we have a ministry planting churches in the rural agricultural villages of Nayarit. We have built an outreach center where our staff and short-term mission workers can be housed and from which they can minister.

Here is a little bit of information about the History and Purpose of the Alternative Missions Cofradía Ministry.

History

In 1986, Tom Hackett was introduced to the municipality of Rosamorada during a short-term mission outreach. Since Rosamorada is the municipal seat for this area, it was not long before they heard about the nearby village of Cofradía; then in 1992, government officials directed them to specific needs in Cofradía. This eventually led to the purchase of property and the establishment of a full-time medical ministry, led by Dr. Andy Moore, Tom & Linea Hackett, and David & Kathy Elias.

For quite some time the ministry in Cofradía was a traveling medical clinic in which Dr. Moore treated patients while the other staff members led Bible studies in the waiting areas. Eventually, the Mexican government decided to build a government-run clinic in Cofradía, which ended the need for medical ministry. However, by that time the vision for the area had developed into one of church-planting; while Dr. Moore felt called elsewhere, the Eliases and Hacketts decided to remain in Cofradía to continue evangelizing the area, discipling and nurturing the church that was beginning to take root.

In July 2011, the Eliases obeyed the Lord’s call to return to their home in Canada, and Steve and Geña Silberman took over as directors of the A.M. ministry in Cofradía. Since that time, the purpose and vision of this ministry has shifted from church-planting to equipping the now-established local church and assisting it to fulfill its call.

Our Purpose and Vision

We exist to assist the local church that was planted and established by this ministry to pursue their God-given vision through discipleship, evangelism, networking, and pioneering new ministry locations.

The Church's vision is to be a leader church that maintains a consistent spiritual growth where Christ is the head of the body and everyone is a leader/discipler.   The Church is committed to the Word of God as its authority and to being a place where people can find the truth and restoration.

Two slogans that are repeated consistently in order to help us keep our focus are "Grow and Let Grow" and "Raising Up Leaders in Rural Mexico."

Ministry Opportunities

There are many ways to be involved whether it's with a Short-Term Mission team or dedicating part of your life as a staff member.

SHORT TERM MISSION TEAMS

Teams play a unique role as they can reach people that others cannot.  When a team of "Gringos" comes down, they attract a good crowd.  Through the years, teams and individuals have developed a relationship with the locals; this has opened up numerous opportunities for growth and encouragement. 

Some of the things that teams are involved in are Relationship Building, Evangelism, Construction projects, Building Homes through Dwellings, and Dental work in our on-site Dental Clinic.

FULL-TIME MISSIONARY STAFF

We are looking for Full-Time Missionaries who will dedicate long term to help with outreaches, teaching English, Property management, mechanics, the list goes on into the variety of gifts you have.

PART-TIME MISSIONARY STAFF

Part-time Missionaries can dedicate portions of their year in the same areas as a Full-Time Missionary.

INTERNS

We would love to have Individuals come down for 2 to 6 months to help the Missionary and Church Staffs.

FINANCIAL PARTNERS

We need Financial Partners who will help us reach out to this region.  Some may not be able to come and live here, but can help support a local to extend God's Kingdom.  Donations can be made online here or by checks made out to Alternative Missions and sent to Alternative Missions / PO Box 5835 / Goodyear, AZ 85338.  Designate the funds towards "Cofradia Operations", "Local Church Staff Member", or "Church Planting."

CONTACT INFORMATION

Area Director: Steve Silberman

Stateside Short-Term Missions Coordinator: Amber Crafton

Cy-Fair Women's Team

A wonderful success once again as the Women's Team from Cy-Fair, Houston were right on target as they ministered and shared their lives with the women from Cofradia.  The relationships that are made and nurtured when they come are relationships that are never forgotten and last for eternity.  It's always exciting for me to see the connection that is made with this team.

This year, the team participated in two Operation Christmas Child events, spent the week ministering through the book of Jonah, making a craft with the women, and visiting.  Once the women were done with their craft, they gave it away as a gift to a loved one in order to be able to minister to that person.  It was the first time for many of the women who came and attended the teachings in the mornings.  The final evening was the icing on the cake as they served 140 women from Cofradia and the surrounding towns at a banquet held in our auditorium.  For a teaching time during the banquet, the Cy-Fair women used and interesting and creative way to speak about the life of Mary Magdalene and Paul as two women were interviewed as those characters.

Craft time

Finished Crafts 

Teaching time in the morning

Visiting, learning how to make tortillas.

Ministry time

Praying together 

Worshipping together.

The Banquet with 140 women!

If you are interested in bringing a team down, please let us know.

Operation Christmas Child - Samaritan's Purse

The Operation Christmas Child / Samaritan's Purse Ministry returned to the Cofradia area this year as we handed out 300 Christmas boxes to children in Las Pilas and Cofradía.

This year, the children of our Children's Ministry participated in an outreach to the children of Las Pilas as they handed out 100 Christmas boxes.  Our Children's Ministry Leader, Antonia Franco, spent a couple of months ahead of time taking a few of our children on Thursdays in "preparation" for this event.  In a sense, our children were being "Missionaries" to another town nearby.  They shared bible stories and sang songs each week up until January 6 when the boxes were handed out.  Our children did this not knowing they were going to receive a box later.  At first for some, it was a little difficult because many of them would not even receive a gift for Christmas, now they would be handing out gifts and not getting one.  As to their surprise, we were able to purchase 200 more boxes so the children of Cofradía could receive a gift as well.

Our kids ministering to the kids in Las Pilas

Handing out boxes in Las Pilas

Operation Christmas Child Cofradia - Teaching time

Cofradia children and their boxes

Cofradia children and their boxes

Cofradia children and their boxes

On behalf of the children in Las Pilas, Cofradia, and around the globe that receive Christmas Boxes, THANK YOU to all who participate and give towards this.  It really does make a difference.  The excitement on the faces of the children is priceless!

To donate to the Cofradia Children's Ministry, please click on this link and specify it likewise.