CENTRO CRISTIANO COFRADIA - 5 YEARS!

CENTRO CRISTIANO COFRADIA ANNIVERSARY

The Christian Church in Cofradia has been alive for more than 20 years, but it wasn’t until recently that they obtained a meeting place just for themselves.  It was a sweet accomplishment led by missionary Dave Elias who proceeded to move his family back to Canada shortly after its completion.

It marked the end of the era of planting a church body and meeting together at the mission base...

The inauguration took place on February 27, 2011...

It has been five years since we opened the doors to the new church building after five years of construction projects brought to fruition and funded by your help.  It was a large project, but definitely worth every drop of sweat that went into it.  The locals also gave so much of their time and heart into the project helping teams and working while no teams were present.

Now, it is a place where the locals meet together to worship God; it is a place where people find restoration through a Savior named Jesus; it is a place where people find freedom in Christ; it is a place where people grow in their leadership skills and are trained through a Bible school; it is a place where people of all ages meet to have fun together playing soccer and volleyball during the week; it is also a place where a diverse group of Christian churches meet in unity to worship the same God and share the same purpose of extending HIS Kingdom.

This past Sunday, we celebrated God’s faithfulness to His children.  Throughout the years, He has shown His kindness and love in so many different ways.  As we look to the future, we continue to march forward towards the goal of finishing the race that has been set before us.  We are “La Cofradia United”.  “Cofradia” means a brotherhood that shares a common goal whether it be religious or charitable.  We are working together with other churches to expand the Kingdom of God and raise up leaders in rural Mexico.

Pastor Ruben from Las Varas leading worship. 

Pastor Benjamin from Chiapas sharing from God's Word.

Dramas

Children's graduation from Samaritan's Purse Christmas Box Bible Study (12 weeks).

Thank you for your dedication to prayer for this congregation.  Thank you to all who have come and participated on a team.  Thank you to all who have donated financially to increase the Kingdom of God in this area.

The work here is not finished.  With the foundation set, we are excited about extending “La Cofradia United” to other towns where meetings are already taking place.  We need your help.  Here is a quick look at our ministry and the current needs we have and ways you can help.

One-time or monthly gifts can be made online or by sending a check made out to “Alternative Missions” with a separate note indicating that it is for “Cofradia Operations” to: 

ALTERNATIVE MISSIONS

PO BOX 3107

FERNDALE, WA  98248

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A ONE TIME OR MONTHLY CONTRIBUTIONS ONLINE.

SPLASH REPORT

SPLASH 2016!

It was definitely a Splash!  With at least six different churches, we made 8 teams and played kick-ball with a splash.  It was a lot of fun, the students were all mixed together randomly in order to break the invisible walls of comfort.  All the students were able to participate (if they wanted).  After kicking the ball out in the field, the students would proceed to slip-slide-slither in an unbalanced half-run along the soapy wet plastic baseline to finally tumble and plunge into the small pool at first base with a big SPLASH.  This was the scene as those who actually made it, continued along to 2nd and 3rd bases.  Making it to home was enticingly attractive after wriggling out of the way of being the target for an out--a sweet dive through a hoop, down a small wet slide into the final pool.

Tumbling into first.

Splashing into 2nd.

Escaping the out.

Sliding Home!

After a couple hours of the tournament-style event, Pastor Luis shared with all the students about the connection that our dreams have with our heart.  If our heart is right, our dreams are right.  What is the essence of our dreams?  Are they selfish or are they selfless?

The Winning Team

Thank you for supporting this Student Ministry in prayer and finances.
Click here to donate towards the students.

MARCH UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradía! eeHAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!ee  Not to Geña and me, but to our local church.  Five years ago was the inauguration of the new church building and we’ll be celebrating the Lord’s faithfulness this Sunday!  The ministry started over 20 years ago with a medical team when the ministry was Youth With A Mission.  The focus was to assist the locals and the travelling indigenous workers who would come down from the mountains to work in the fields and serve them, in a sense, as a City of Refuge.  The ministry evolved into a church plant and the Lord continues to be faithful as people meet Him and grow in Him.  Click here for a quick two-minute video of our ministry.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!
Last month, we asked you to pray for... 

1. Religious Association Status.  We have completed a big chunk of the paperwork and sent it in to Mexico City last week.  We need $2,000 to help with the cost. 
2. Bible School. Thank you to those who have responded to the need of the three students who have been unable to pay their tuition.   
3. Drug Rehab Center: The City Commissioners of Rosamorada have said there is no land available to donate towards this project.  The Municipal President is still anxious to see this project get under way and is willing to help build the facilities.  We’re just waiting for land.  A while back, Pastor Amado was offered an abandoned movie theatre for roughly $40,000 US dollars, but there are no finances for the purchase.  In the meantime, he and his wife have been treating and helping drug addicts from their home and attending funerals of young people.  Just last week a young girl slit her wrists due to her addiction!  These people are desperate for help.  
4. An Accountant: Keep praying for the Lord’s will to be done. 
5. Internet. Keep praying for the Lord’s will to be done. 
6. Date Night.  What an excellent time!  We enjoyed having Doug and Jan Taylor speaking for us.  Click here to see a quick report with pictures.
7. Church Anniversary Celebration.  This Sunday, March 6th. 
8. Leaders.  Continue to pray for leaders to be raised up in this area. 

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update
• Pastoral Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from three of our Pastors
• EL RETO 2015
• What is EL RETO
• “Dwellings” candidates in Cofradia: Meet three families that are in need of a home.
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.  

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Religious Association Status.  Finances. We need $2,000 US Dollars in order for this to be accomplished.  Please consider how you can help; click here to safely send a tax-deductible contribution online.  Thank you. 
2. Bible School. Partner with us as we raise up leaders in rural Mexico.  Graduation will be here before we know it and some of the students still have been unable to pay their tuition.  Of the ten students currently eligible for graduation in June, three of them are coming up short: Hugo Diaz ($70), Mily Garzon ($240), and Angel Martinez “Niko” ($360). If you know one of these people and want to help, I can share with you instructions on where to pay.  Or, if you’d like to help any of them in general, simply send a gift with a special note of “Cofradia Tuition” here.
3. Drug Rehab Center: Pray for the Lord to open up doors for land or the opportunity for a building.  Also, pray for the pastors to have wisdom as they serve these young people so desperately in need. 
4. An Accountant: We are in need of an accountant in Mexico to help us with our Civil and Religious Association finances.  We have been working with one, but her availability is very limited.  All receipts are done electronically through the internet which makes things very difficult for us in a location where the phone company does not want to install internet.  Please pray that God would provide us with the right person or that our current accountant will be able to help us better understand what we need to do. 
5. Internet. Pray that a better system becomes available to us.  We currently are using dial-up at home; at the mission base, we have a satellite system from the states through Hughesnet which is slow, limited, and expensive. 
6. Splash 2016: We’ll be hosting a mulit-church youth event this weekend with games and a message to continue creating a sense of unity amongst the churches in the region and reach out to new youth.  Click here for more info.
7. Church Anniversary Celebration.  This Sunday, March 6, we will be celebrating 5 years since our inauguration of the building.  Pray for the evangelistic opportunity that this brings. 
8. Mesa Team.  A group of people from our local church plant, Centro Cristiano Cofradia, will be travelling up to La Mesa, Nayarit, to work with the Cora Indians for a week as they present the message of Jesus through a VBS-style camp for the children (March 13 – 18). 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever!

Thank you so much for being part of our team as we work together to RAISE UP LEADERS IN RURAL MEXICO!!!!

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions
Cofradia Area Director

--- JOIN OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM ---

You can make a one-time, tax-deductible gift or set up to make monthly donations online at the link below.
ONLINE. Click here to donate to our personal support.

BY POSTAGE MAIL/CHECKS. Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.