August/September 2025. He who goes forth and weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:6

He who goes forth and weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:6 

I don’t have much time for gardening, but living in the Tropics it’s phenomenal! Everything grows! Kirt used to say that with my “green thumb” I could plant a cement post in the ground one day, and the next day it would be flowering! That’s slightly exaggerated, but along with sufficient light, nutrients, and lots of water, plants do flourish. 

This beautiful flower from my yard (they’re called maracas) reminds me of God’s important promise to provide the harvest in His perfect time, if we will sow the seed. I brought a little cutting back with me ten years ago from the opposite side of Mexico, when a group of IBBM-Tepic OANSA graduates—leaders in training preparing to become full-fledged leaders—traveled more than 1,000 km from Tepic to Veracruz on a mission trip. Our purpose was to “plant seeds” and provide training by example through an OANSA-style week-long VBS for another church group that was eager to join the ranks of seed-sowers and harvesters of children learning to hide God’s Word in their hearts and live out its truth for the Kingdom. Not only did our young leaders-in-training teach others by their example, but they also learned from the experience themselves. 

Today, those same young leaders form an active part of the very heart of IBBM-Tepic—as teachers, OANSA commanders, elders, musicians, and more—a rich return from seeds planted years ago. It’s been a long wait (ten years!), but even the maracas plant has finally produced a stunning flower of its own, just in time for Mexico’s Independence Day celebration! 

 

The IBBM-Tepic OANSA is back in action after a two-month summer break! The kids could hardly wait to return, and the leaders were eager to start planting again. Most of the red and white-shirted-leaders once sat in the OANSA kids’ seats themselves, so they know firsthand what it means to be passionately loved, nurtured, watered by the Word, and harvested for the Kingdom. 

OANSA in Tepic is not the only team around for raising strong disciples of Jesus and leaders in His family. Gregorio and Braulio shared activities from their club in the village of Zapote de Picachos. With buckets full of water carried from their precious community tank, the ladies scrubbed their amazing OANSA court sheltered by its treasured massive overhead structure. That court, its sturdy covering, the water tank, and the colorful OANSA uniforms and handbooks have all been donated by friends of this divine plantation to a hard-working, much-deserving body of believers who can’t seem to thank God enough for His overflowing provision. Most of the Zapote church OANSA leaders are men who take seriously their God-ordained responsibility to teach their children.  They are diligent sowers and waterers, and we can expect an excellent harvest from their labor.

In the village of La Bendición, believers recently celebrated 13 years since God provided for the completion of their beautiful church building. They see it as a “storehouse” for teaching, training, and preparing sowers to head into the fields. Over the years, church members have made countless mission treks through the rugged Sierra Madre, faithfully carrying the seeds of Truth to their Huichol brothers and sisters, some hearing for the first time, and others who have believed and now need fresh water and nourishment. To say they take orders from the Lord of the Harvest seriously, would be an understatement. 

Most recently, the congregation completed a multipurpose room that now serves as classrooms for the children (including their own OANSA club) as well as a temporary shelter for mountain travelers eager to learn more about the one true Kakaɨyari and His plan of salvation. Its thick cement roof doubles as an extended surface for frequent outdoor gatherings at the church. It was quite an engineering feat and a laborious challenge, but very practical. They joyfully dedicated their new space to their Master and His service. Let us not become weary. God dependably promises a harvest if we don’t give up just before the garden is about to bloom. 

Check out some August/September 2025 Tepic activities here. 

June - July 2024 Behold, I will do a new thing… This people have I formed for myself; They shall shew forth my praise.

Behold, I will do a new thing… 

This people have I formed for myself; They shall shew forth my praise.     Isaiah 40:19-21 

With the hope of the promised coming Messiah, God encourages His people not to get bogged down on the things of the past, but instead, we should focus on the future. He has promised to do a new thing. He has just reminded them (and us) that He is our God, and that they (and we) are precious to Him. The past has passed, and new promised things are coming. So, we remember, but we don’t dwell on those former things of the past, good or bad, and even though a desert may be presently before us, His new thing is on its way. It’s that long-awaited river of redemption and deliverance that He has promised and prepared for His rescued people. 

The past two months in Tepic have encapsulated a beautiful and profound reflection on God’s provision for yesterday's dreams, today's fulfillment, and God’s new thing -- tomorrow's expectation and hope. The following are a few of many examples: 

For 25 years, the people of the village of Guásima del Caimán, Pastor José López’ natal village, rejected him and the Gospel he carried back to them just after he believed. God answered our past dreams and our prayers when by His grace, at long last, a small group (36 of them) was convinced by the Holy Spirit of their need for the Truth and the Savior. That started a snowball effect of major persecution by unbelieving villagers, and the newborn followers of Christ were forced to leave the village where they had been born and relocate. In unity, through much suffering and great sacrifice, they began to rebuild, living under tarps, sticks, and thatch, and whatever else they could find for protection. None of us thought this lonely, neglected place qualified for the name they chose for the new village, La Bendición (The Blessing). Shortly after moving to La Bendición, Zacarías and Santiaga’s baby girl was born. 

They named her Abigail (The joy of our Father). A little more than 15 years have passed since that first group moved to La Bendición. God has marvelously provided homes for them to live in, discipleship training, a thriving OANSA club for helping instruct their children, the complete Bible in their heart language, and an amazing church building (completed 12 years ago), the dedication of which they celebrated again this past month. Most all of them have become transformed, dedicated disciples, leaders, and very hard workers.

Refugio, who sets the example as a strong and faithful shepherd of his flock, one of the most valuable translators on the Huichol Bible team, and a missionary himself, celebrated his 44th birthday and 15 years as their loyal pastor. 

And little Abigail – well, she celebrated her “quinceañera,” her 15th birthday, where, remembering the past, she gave the glory to God for having rescued her family just before she was born, acknowledging present challenges, she vowed to remain faithful, but best of all, looking forward to the future thing that He has promised, she showed forth His praise for the hope and anticipation of her eternal home with Him in heaven. 

That little pilgrim group has grown spiritually, prospered unbelievably, and increased numerically many times over. In dozens of remote mountain villages, they have shared the Gospel with and discipled Huichols in need of their own rescue. At long last, those original persecutors of the first group of believers formerly from Guásima, have been transformed miraculously by the Truth of the Gospel, and now there is a thriving church “back home” also awaiting the promised new thing. 

Behold, I will do a new thing… God’s inspired prophetic words foretold by Isaiah in the Old Testament pointed to the now past coming of the Messiah to earth. Meanwhile, Jesus sits at His Father’s right hand interceding for multitudes of Abigails, Refugios, and for us. He has a mission that He will fulfill. He is determined, able, and has always had a plan. May we continue in unison to shew forth His praise in all the world as we await His new thing.

See a collection of Tepic June/July 2024 activities here. 

January/February 2012 "...shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life…”

January/February 2012

"...shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life…”           ~Philippians 2:15, 16

Huichol evangelists from five distinct villages prayed for open doors as they scheduled a week-long trip to the village of Guamuchilillo. They have earned the right to share the truth by shining like lights in their exemplary lives in which their relationship with the one true God, Kakaɨyari, has made a radical difference. The joint-effort gave birth to a brand new church in which the eager body of believers began a course of discipleship, 28 were baptized in the icy stream, and Felix (center, in white) was called to be pastor of the hungry little flock.   

The 7 Huichol mother-tongue-translators (MTTs) involved in the Old Testament project met for their 16^th 2-week workshop. They have now finished 100% of the first draft!  There is still much need for prayer and a very long way to go in team checks, community testing, back translations, and consultant checks before publishing the word of life in the Huichol language.

UIM pilot David Wolf returned to Tepic to transport Huichol pastors José Lopez and Manuel to the remote mountain villages of Los Aires and La Quemada to continue their scheduled appointments for teaching extension theology classes to the students of those respective villages. Hilario and Angelina met José at the airstrip, 40 minutes hike from their home, with little 2 ½ month-old Manasés in their arms. (Manasés’ miraculous story is highlighted in the December 2011 prayer update.) May Manasés and his family never forget God’s provision for his life as they fulfill their task where He has placed them to shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life.

For the fifth year, we were selected by the Samaritan’s Purse organization to be the recipients of shoe box gifts for Operation Christmas Child for two Huichol villages and for IBBM-Tepic. One thing everyone knows is that very little is expedited through the border at Christmastime, so we were unable to have our big gift-giving celebration until Valentine’s Day. A big evangelistic outreach, “Friendship Party,” was held for the children of the two Huichol villages of La Bendición and Loma Alta, and one in Tepic. Hundreds of children were given personal invitations and lovingly-packed and delivered gift boxes; but best of all, they received the opportunity to listen to the word of life and experience personally, the greatest gift of all, forgiveness of sins and a permanent place in God’s family. Only the Greatest Giver of all knows what the final result will be of this mega effort involving the teamwork of an army of workers and prayer partners shining as lights in the world, some from places we’ve never even been.

Way back in November 2005, two days after the dedication celebration, some of the national church leaders were at my house rejoicing over the completed project of the new church building in the Huichol mountain village of Zapote de Picachos. Eight months after Kirt’s graduation to heaven, God had miraculously provided the funds necessary for the purchase and transport of building materials, and many willing Mexicans and Huichols offered unimaginable sacrifice and physical labor in getting the materials to the site and in the building process. Mention was made, implying that since Kirt is no longer with us, this would probably have to be the last of the mountain village building projects since “provision like that doesn’t grow on trees… future village churches would just have to be content to congregate under thatched ramadas and mango trees.”  What a mistaken assumption that was! The detailed story is too long for this update, but rejoice along with me at God’s constant provision, not only of leaders, evangelists, teachers, students, disciples and true servants, but also for the tangible provision of more-than-suitable places for His followers to congregate. Construction is underway of a beautiful multi-purpose church/education center in the very exemplary village of La Bendición (The Blessing). Everybody in the village is having a part as they shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life…”