EL RETO 2020

EL RETO is a annual event that takes place usually in September at the beginning of the school year. It is an outreach to REACH new students for Christ, RE-REACH students who no longer attend church, and LEARN about God, Leadership, and Life. 

In 2005, we started with 12 students from our local church in Cofradia and it soon exploded into a 6 week event with over 200 students from over 10 different churches. It was a highlight of the year as everyone looked forward to it. This year, due to restrictions, we waited until December to do a one day "mini-RETO". 

Pastor Luis and his team of leaders put together a simple event geared towards reaching out to students and giving them an opportunity to get active in a healthy way.

The theme this year was "Unveiled Face" from 2 Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with open [unveiled] face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The main thrust of the message was that we sometimes wear masks that prevent others from seeing us for who we really are. We were encouraged to take those "masks" off and allow God to do His work in us because He sees us for who we are and accepts us. It's up to us to take the step of accepting Him and what He's already done for us.

Somewhere around 45-50 students came out from at least 6 different towns and cities. Here is a very short one-minute clip of the activities...

A special thank you to those who contributed towards this event. You make it possible for the gospel to be reached to students who do not normally have an opportunity to hear it. 

If you did not have the chance and would like to contribute to this outreach in preparation for next year, you can donate here. Our yearly budget is $2,000 for EL RETO. We already have some funds due to the nature of this year's outreach not lasting as long as normal.

Thank you so much for partnering with us in RAISING UP LEADERS IN RURAL MEXICO.

December Ministry Update

  This month's update features...

• Video Update
• Thanksgiving Dinner at the Silberman's
• Spirit, Soul, and Body Study (Brief interview of pastors)
• Centro Cristiano Cofradia Sunday service Facebook live-stream feed link
• EL RETO starts
• Grace Conference video report
• How you can pray for us this month.
  

Here is a link to our December Update

Thank you for partnering with us! We appreciate your much needed prayers. We are very grateful to all of you who contribute to our personal support and thank you for your investment into the Kingdom of God through separately contributing to the ministry in Cofradía.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD;

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Spirit, Soul, and Body Study

We started looking at this book, Spirit, Soul, and Body by Andrew Wommack, to see if it's something we'd like to implement into our Leadership Training teaching. Right away, we saw that this was very helpful. We've been teaching about our Identity in Christ through Freedom in Christ Ministries for a number of years now, and this book has made things even more clear in our understanding. It is a true blessing and is something we will definitely implement.

In this video, I have Pastors Luis, Goyo, and Amado share a very brief comment on how they've been impacted by reading and studying this book.

Raising Up Leaders in Rural Mexico!

Thanksgiving Dinner 2020

Friday night (Nov. 27) we hosted a dinner for the families of four pastors and other leaders. It was a wonderful time of fellowship with 35 people including children. I shared a little about America’s true history of when the Pilgrims first came and how the first Thanksgiving feast was celebrated. We went around the room and shared with each other what we are thankful for and it was probably the highlight of the evening. People are mainly thankful for being able to be part of a ministry where people genuinely love God. We are thankful for all of our brothers and sisters who came and it was a great blessing to be able to celebrate and be thankful to God together.

 

Geña cooked two turkeys, five pies, and a number of other things over the period of two days while Emma decorated the house with a little help from her sister, Mackenzie. I made the coffee .

 

Thank you to all whom pray for our family and our local pastors here in La Cofradía United. We are blessed because of you and are thankful for your partnership as we Raise Up Leaders in Rural Mexico together.

Here are some pics from the evening...

Grace Conference 2020

It is always a joy to be able to share about God's love and grace. This course on Grace has impacted my life personally as it has opened my eyes up to how much God really loves us. Just the fact that He loved us even when He was the last thing on our mind is incredible. He loves us, accepts us, and wants the best for us. That is a great motivation for loving Him.

This conference is supposed to be extended to 6 or 7 weeks of meetings. Because of so many that come from out of town, we have done this over a period of three days.

The message is that we love and obey God because we want to, not because we "have to." It's an amazing thing to understand God's love for us. Once we do, we will be motived by love instead of the false motivations that we get tangled into sometimes: guilt, shame, fear, pride.

Freedom in Christ is accessible. It's a freedom to obey God and not be enslaved by sin anymore.

Thank you for investing in God's Kingdom and helping us Raise Up Leaders in Rural Mexico.

November Ministry Update

 This month's update features...

• Video Update
• Cofradia Kitchen Interview
• EL RETO update
• Pastors' meeting
• How you can pray for us this month.
  

Here is a link to our November Update

Thank you for partnering with us! We appreciate your much needed prayers. We are very grateful to all of you who contribute to our personal support and thank you for your investment into the Kingdom of God through separately contributing to the ministry in Cofradía.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD;

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Cofradia Kitchen

I was with Isabel and Maty on Friday afternoon at the "Cofradia Kitchen" while they gave the once-a-month birthday lunch to the kids who had a birthday. It was open to all those who normally come to the breakfast they serve in the mornings. I had Isabel say a couple things and took a few photos/videos. Here's the video...

If you would like to contribute to feeding the kids in Cofradia, you can do so by clicking this link:

Donate to Cofradia Kitchen

Thank you for your participation in Raising up Leaders in Rural Mexico.

October Ministry Update

 This month's update features...

• Greetings from Mexico Video
• Cofradia Kitchen progress
• The Restoration Center news
• EL RETO update
• How you can pray for us this month.
  

Here is a link to our October Update

Thank you for partnering with us! We appreciate your much needed prayers. We are very grateful to all of you who have contributed to our personal support, especially while were in Washington, as well as your investment into the Kingdom through separately contributing to the ministry in Cofradía.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD;

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

August Ministry Update

This month's update features...

• The Cofradia Kitchen
• The Restoration Center in Rosamorada
  
• A quick video featuring the annual youth outreach, EL RETO
• Pastors' Perspectives
• How you can pray for us this month

 

Here is a link to August's Ministry Update

 

Thank you for partnering with us! We appreciate your much needed prayers. We are very grateful to all of you who have contributed to our personal support, especially while we've been in Washington, as well as your investment into the Kingdom though separately contributing to the ministry in Cofradía.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD;

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

 

July Ministry Update

This month's update features...

• A note about our family.
• The Pastors' Perspectives semi-annual report of what's going on in their own areas.
• What happened in the Cofradia Men's Ministry this past month.
• The new Cofradia Kitchen as they distribute food to the indigenous.
• The Restoration Center in Rosamorada.
• A quick video featuring the annual youth outreach, EL RETO.
• How you can pray this month.

Here is a link to July's Ministry Update.

Thank you for partnering with us! We appreciate your much needed prayers. We are very grateful to all of you who have contributed to our personal support, especially while we've been in Washington, as well as your investment into the Kingdom though separately contributing to the ministry in Cofradia.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD;

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Pastors' Perspectives 20.2

Every six months, the pastors that are connected to our ministry share an bi-annual update from their perspective on what the Lord is doing in their areas of ministry to let you know what's going on and how to pray. Your investment is making progress in the Kingdom of God. Thank you for your donations and prayers!

___________________________________________________________

Pastor Gregorio Hernández
Lead Pastor of Centro Cristiano Cofradia
Cofradia, Nayarit

Individual Donation Link

The past six months have been somewhat difficult due to the state of emergency that has gripped the world. Because of this, we have not been able to gather as a congregation, but we are sure it is for the best and allows us to minister to the vulnerable.

Specifically, we have begun a men’s meeting centered on the book The Resolution for Men by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, forming small groups of three to four men, with a total of fifteen attending. We have seen growth in these men. One man in particular was experiencing serious trouble in his marriage, but he has been attending for three weeks now and during that time GOD has worked wonders in the lives of him and his wife, to the point that they are now ministering to others together as a couple.

We hope to continue these meetings and inviting other men to join us with the hope of continuing to reach and disciple others. We see that this time has been of great blessing so we want others to have the same opportunity for growth as we pursue our goal of raising up leaders here in the church.

Concerning the leadership school, we hope to resume classes in July, and we will study Traditions and Customs of the Biblical Lands. With God’s help, and yours, we can be part of extending God’s kingdom throughout this region of Mexico.

Friends, I thank you for your prayers, support, and active participation in the ministry of La Cofradía United.

With much gratitude,

Sincerely,

Pastors Gregorio and Maty Hernández-Espinoza

_____________________________________________________________

Pastor Luis Vazquez
Centro Cristiano Cofradia Student Ministries
Maintenance Director
Cofradia Dwellings Director
Cofradia, Nayarit

Individual Donation Link

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  —John 7:38

This passage has been on my heart during this season. The rivers of His Spirit flow from my heart during this pandemic because I have believed as the Scriptures say. I want to encourage you all to believe, as the Scriptures teach, because if the rivers of the Spirit are not running in our hearts, it is possible we are believing a lie.

At the beginning of this year, with help from God and from you, my faithful brothers and sisters, we were able to complete the construction of our own home. We are so happy and grateful to God and you all for the great faithfulness that has been shown to my family and me in this season.

As you already know, due to the virus that arrived in Mexico around the beginning of March, we have suspended gatherings in our church building, but my family and I have continued to worship together in our hearts and our home, as well as with those whom we invite over or whom we visit in order to encourage them to follow Christ in the midst of these circumstances. We also gathered with the elders of the church each Sunday to encourage them by means of a discipleship class of 15 sessions that concluded on June 21. It was a season of much internal growth for everyone who attended. In the first week of July, I will begin meeting weekly with two friends in order to lead them through this same book.

Due to the virus, we are anxiously waiting to see if we will be able to do EL RETO this year. I have been thinking about some ideas for the event, but have not decided on anything concrete yet. We continue to hope that God will make a way for it to happen.

Prayer requests:

• That my daughter would be able to return to her residence at the university so she can continue her studies (she had to leave because of the pandemic).
• That we would continue united and focused in our marriage and responsibilities.
• For my son Ángel who is battling with the rebelliousness of adolescence (though nothing serious).
• That the youth in our church would seek God even at their young age.
• For our congregation, that fire for God would continue to burn in their hearts because during this season of suspended gatherings, some are struggling in their relationship with God.

As always, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you have done for us because of your love and passion.

Gratefully yours,

The Vázquez-Sicairos Family

__________________________________________________________

Pastor Horacio Garzón
Indigenous Ministries
Centro Cristiano Arrayanes Facilitator

Cofradia, Nayarit

Individual Donation Link

Greetings! It is with much pleasure that I take up paper and pen to offer you my deepest gratitude for your generosity toward us. I hope that this letter finds you well and rejoicing in good health. That is the desire of us all as we always remember how much God has blessed us through the knowledge of His love for us. It is with joy that I tell you my daughter, Kennia, completed high school in June. I pray she will find a university program in which to continue her professional preparation and in that way equip herself to serve others even more effectively.

We have also had the opportunity to host another round of the discipleship course Freedom in Christ, based on the book by Neil T. Anderson. For me personally, it has brought more freedom for me and for others. It continues to be a substantial part of my walk with Jesus. I thank God for involving me in this dynamic movement of ministry in this area, and I am grateful for this vision of my pastors and leaders. Brothers, there is much more I could say, but I don’t want to forget to tell you thank you! Thank you for your support and backing. Receive greetings from María and Kennía, and from me my profound gratitude.

Sincerely,

Pastor Horacio Garzón-Orozco

__________________________________________________________

Martin Garzón
Missionary to Cora Indians (temporarily home)
Centro Cristiano Arrayanes Adolescent Ministry

Cofradia, Nayarit

Individual Donation Link

Greetings. Brothers and sisters, here I offer you my gratitude for all that you have done in my life. To begin, I thank God for all that you are doing, and that you are pleased to do. I thank God for all the support received from you. It has been a great help for ministering to the children. I always say that you are a wonderful example to me. I love you with the love of Christ! I also thank God for the money you send because it makes it possible to purchase ministry materials and to host outreach events.

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for all that you do for me. I know that God will reward all your efforts. And so I say may God bless you.

Sincerely,

Martin Garzón-Solís.

__________________________________________________________

Pastor Amado Verdin

Lead Pastor of Casa de Oración, La Hermosa

Director of Restoration Center, El Faro de Esperanza

Rosamorada, Nayarit

Restoration Center Donation Link

In February, we received a donation from a Christian group that does house construction, which we invested in aluminum roofing sheets for the roof of the restoration center.

On March 9, we admited our first resident to Lighthouse of Hope Restoration Center. He has been with us now for three months. According to our admittance agreement, he has already completed the blood testing required by law, and he has complied with all resident regulations. His daily activities begin when he wakes at 6:00 a.m. to prepare for his first devotional; then from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., he attends Bible study classes on restoration, using a lesson book, a study guide, and his Bible. From 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., he attends vocational classes—on Fridays he it’s electrician training, and the rest of the week it’s mechanics training—so that when he leaves the restoration center, he will be able to get a job and contribute to society. At the very beginning, he also took the Freedom in Christ course, which lasted approximately two weeks.

We now have a Facebook page so that more people may find us through social media. Sometimes we post ministry updates there, being careful to protect the identity and security of our residents. Here is a link to our page:

Over the months, we have received calls to admit more residents, but due to the pandemic we are currently experiencing, the State Counsel Against Addictions (CECA) has prohibited us from admitting anyone new until further notice.

Due to the fact that we did not have adequate facilities for our church, we were gathering in a borrowed facility. La Cofradía United blessed us financially for this necessary construction project.

On June 16, we received a donation of one full and one twin mattress for the restoration center.

__________________________________________________________

Pastor Frank Uribe

Paramitas Children Feeding Program Director

Rosamorada, Nayarit

Donation Link (Indicate for "Pastor Frank")

Report Unavailable

__________________________________________________________

Pastor Ruben Perez
Lead Pastor of Restauración y Vida Nueva

Church Plant Pastor in Mazatan, Nayarit

Las Varas, Nayarit

Donation Link (Indicate for "Pastor Ruben")

Hello and blessings to you. My name is Rubén Darío, and I am a son of a pastor of a church here in Nayarit, Mexico. My wife, Carla, and I pastor a congregation, and we have another mission in Mazatán, Nayarit, about an hour from Las Varas. It is very pleasant for us to serve and fulfill the calling that God has designed for us, to go and make disciples. Therefore we go, and we are grateful for your prayers for our ministry. Receive a hug from us and the ministry of Restoration and Life.

Blessings.

June Ministry Update

The Silbermans

This month's update features...

• Where you can watch Rebecka's High School graduation on June 6
• What's happening in Cofradia
• The Restoration Center in Rosamorada
• News about EL RETO
• A short message on how God interrupted Peter and what that means for us
• And how you can pray this month

Last month was our first month in this new format of sending out our updates and now I'm wondering what took me so long (smile). It is exceptionally easier! Here is a link to June's Ministry Update.

Thank you for partnering with us! We appreciate your much needed prayers. We are very grateful to all of you who have contributed to our personal support, especially while we've been in Washington, as well as your investment into the Kingdom through separately contributing to the ministry in Cofradia.

Blessings to you all!

The Silbermans

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD;

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

May Ministry Update

The Silbermans

This month's update features... 

• Where we're at as far as our return to Mexico, 
• How the Cofradia church is functioning through this stay at home order, 
• Video updates of our Brick Business and last year's Student Ministry Outreach EL RETO, 
• The progress of our Restoration Center, 
• News about our daughter, Rebecka,
• And how you can pray this month.

Because of some changes in my computer operating system, I have had to change the way we send out our monthly updates. Here is a link to May's Ministry Update.

Thank you for partnering with us! We appreciate your much needed prayers. We are very grateful to all of you who have contributed to our personal support, especially while we've been in Washington, as well as your investment into the Kingdom through separately contributing to the ministry in Cofradia.

Blessings to you all!

The Silbermans

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; 

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Brick Making Project

LADRICU (Ladrillos [bricks] Cofradia United) is a ministry to provide employment opportunities to those families in need in order to create a strong and healthy community.

"BUILDING STRONG AND HEALTHY FAMILIES
ONE BRICK AT A TIME"

Last November I was in Mexico and had the chance to interview Pastor Luis who is in charge and Juan Diego who is benefiting form this employment project. Here is a video of that interview...



Become a Partner with us.

EL RETO 2019

"A+ LOVE" was the theme for last year's RETO. EL RETO is our annual student ministry outreach held in Cofradia. It has the style and some taste of Survivor, Amazing Race, and Fear Factor. Last year, 2019, was our 15th year holding the event.

Our desire is to Reach out to new students, Restore relationships of non-committed students, and Learn about all we can of God's Love and Leadership. More than 200 students come to this event in the 6 weeks that it is running.

Here is a video of the event made by Macx Diaz, a friend who has been making videos for us since 2011.

HELP REACH OUT AND CHANGE THE LIVES OF STUDENTS IN OUR REGION. WE DO NOT CHARGE ANY OF THEM TO COME, IT IS COMPLETELY FREE FOR THEM BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO COME. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

THANK YOU FOR PARTNERING WITH US

DONATE HERE