JUNE MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradía, Mexico! In just three weeks we will be heading north to Washington.  We will be there for the month of July and will need to return to Cofradía for a week of orientation classes at the High School for Rebecka in August.  During our time in the US, we will be driving up through Arizona, California, and Oregon with hopes of arriving in Washington just before Independence Day.  Then, about the first of August, we’ll head back south the way we came and hopefully celebrate Rebecka’s 15th (Quinceañera) birthday on the way.

Please contact us about getting together as time always flies when we’re in the states and our agenda gets filled up quick.

We are available for speaking at church services, mid-week services, home groups, youth groups, Sunday school classes, etc.
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as we can.

A little over a month ago, I was approached by an elderly man named Gustavo from Las Pilas who needs help with the labor of building a room onto his house with materials the government supplied for him.  The rainy season is coming and he was desperate for help.  Pastor Goyo has been leading small groups of helpers to pour the floor and build the walls.  Here is a link to some of the activity there.

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

1. Pastors’ Retreat: Thank you for your prayers as we Raise Up Leaders in Rural Mexico.  This retreat went really well and the pastors who attended were encouraged and felt refreshed (to put it mildly).  Here is the report.
2. Las Pilas Church: This will be a continual request for prayer.  I have posted on our blog our prayer petition.
3. Arrayanes Church: This is also a continual request.  Pastor Goyo has been meeting with a few people, praying together, and planning what to do for an awakening in Arrayanes.
4. Our Family: Thank you for your prayers!  We are constantly in need of prayer and appreciate people like you who faithfully pray for us.

Here are some links to more:

• Last Month’s Update 
• Lain & Kelly Grant’s Latest Update 
• (UPDATED) Cofradía Dwellings Candidates 
• Pastors’ Perspectives: Click here to read bi-annual reports from three of our Pastors.
• A Quick Look into our Ministry: A two minute clip of some of the activities and more.
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more of our mission in detail.
  

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Bible School Graduation: Seven students will be graduating with different degrees on June 18.  Pray that this will be a blessing for them and the church as we continue to raise up leaders.  Our friend, Francisco Jimenez, from Oxnard, CA, will be joining us again this year as well as some graduating students from Mexico City.  We anticipate a great day! 
2. Trip to the States: Please pray for travel safety, God’s provision, and good health as we travel the next couple of months.  We look forward to seeing as many of you as we can while we’re in the states. (June 23 – early-August). 
3. EL RETO 2017: Please pray for Pastor Luis and his team as they begin planning for our annual youth outreach.  The event starts the last Saturday of August, but it’s not too early to start praying for the staff, captains, and students who will be involved.  This event operates with a $2,000 US Dollar budget and is funded by mostly donations from many of you and some minimal fund raising here.  This way, we do not have to charge anyone for attending.  Because of some faithful givers throughout this past year, we have roughly $400 USD already raised!!  That means, in order to reach our goal, we need at least $1,600 more.  Please prayerfully consider a generous contribution to reach out to these unchurched students.  Here is a link to contribute online.
4. Church Ministry: Pastor Goyo and his leadership team have been doing an excellent job lately as they are leading small group meetings and evangelisms in different towns.  He is heading up the meetings in Arrayanes and overseeing the meetings in Cofradia and Las Pilas where Angel and Francisca lead their groups respectively. 
5. Jay and Faith TenBrink will be leaving the mission field of Mexico and returning to Washington State in July.  They recently had returned to Cofradia to help facilitate a ministry in the mountains where Martin, Pastor Horacio’s son, is now living.  Jay has been a huge help around the base and church with mechanics, media, and a number of other things.  Pray for them to be able to reestablish their lives in Washington, for work, and direction for their future. 
6. Our Family: Please continue to pray for our family.  Pray for the Lord’s wisdom, clear communication amongst each other and with others, a considerate and loving heart to hurting people, God’s guidance in leadership, and whatever else the Lord lays on your heart.

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
Ministry Website: www.cofradiaunited.com
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** JOIN OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM **

ONLINE:
Online, you can make a one-time, tax-deductible gift, or set up to make automatic monthly donations to our personal support at this link.

MAIL IN A CHECK: 
Send a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  Indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

Arrayanes Church

Pastor Goyo has been meeting with a few people in Arrayanes each week.  Please pray with us for an awakening in Arrayanes.  Here is our request of prayer for Arrayanes in our recent update:

"As many of you know we have church property and a building in Arrayanes where we gathered on Sunday evenings a number of years ago.  We eventually started to meet all together in Cofradía on Sundays and held home bible studies in Arrayanes during the week.  Activity in Arrayanes has gradually decreased and is almost non-existent.  The building is no longer being used and the property looks abandoned.  Some of the Arrayanes congregation continues to meet with us in Cofradía on Sundays, but many do not come or have quit coming.  We would like to see something happen during the week to give the opportunity of meeting together for those who do not come or cannot attend.  Pastor Goyo met with them last Friday night to talk to them about starting something up again.  We are praying that the Lord would begin to move once again in this town.  The enemy has taken ground and we want it back.  To give you a better picture, read all of Nehemiah 2 and give attention to verses 17 and 18.  After praying about this for some time, it has really been on our hearts to 'rebuild' in Arrayanes.  Pastor Goyo will meet again with them on May 19."

Las Pilas Church

In our latest update, I shared a request of prayer for this town and direction for the future of the church that meets together each week:

"For a number of years, one of the members of the Cofradía church has been visiting Las Pilas (the town right before you get to Cofradía from the Interstate).  She, Secundina, has adequately discipled one of the locals, Francisca (the wife of Mario the Taco guy), who in turn has been leading bible studies for a couple of years now.  About seven people in town came to her asking her to teach them and lead them.  With the help of Secundina and occasional visits by Pastor Goyo, their meetings have been consistent and they have been growing spiritually.  They currently meet on Thursdays home-group style and will continue to do so, but we’re also praying about a more communal place for them to meet which would include property and a building like we have at the mission base.  Please pray with us for their continued growth and direction for the future of the Las Pilas Church."

This is the style of building we would be interested in for the Las Pilas church.

Please continue to pray for the Lord's direction and provision.