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EVENTS OF 2017
Here are some of the events planned for this year:
1. January 16 – students return to classes from Christmas Break
2. January 23-27 – modular week of classes
3. February 13-17 – Missions Trip to Fresnillo, Zacatecas
4. February 11-12 – – Friend Day celebrations in the churches
5. March 6-10 – modular week of classes
6. March 16-April 19 – furlough in Florida and Indiana
7. April 9-16 – Semana Santa (Easter Week and Spring Break)
8. April 24-28 – last week of classes (final exams week)
9. April 29-30 – churches celebrate Children’s Day (churches celebrate the kids with special services and celebrations as an outreach ministry to their families)
10. May 1-5 – Graduation Week
11. May 5 – Graduation Day – Morning Session – 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Lunch
Evening Session – 6:00 pm (dinner after meeting)
12. May 13-14 – Mother’s Day celebrations in the churches
13. June 17-18 – Father’s Day celebrations in the churches
14. June_August – summer S.E.N.D. Groups
15. July_August – VBSs in the churches
16. July_August – junior and senior youth camps
17. August 14-21 – married students arrive at campus to enroll children in local public schools
18. September 4 – 9:00-11:00 am. students arrive at campus, Convocation at 6:00 pm
19. September 5 – first day of classes for the 2015-2016 school year
20. September 11 – first day of classes for BA students
21. September 28-October 18 – Furlough in Florida
22. October 23-27 – modular week of classes
23. November 3-5 – Missions Trip with Bayshore Church
24. December 4-8 – modular week of classes
25. December 12 – Christmas Party with staff and students
25. December 14 – last day of classes before Christmas Break
26. December 15-January 14 – Christmas Break
DECEMBER 2016
REBECCA BLACKWELL/AP
CARTEL WATCH
The Mexican Cartels’ Christmas Slaughter
Extraordinary violence has become perfectly ordinary in Mexico, and it takes no break for the holidays.
“Merry Christmas,” the note added.
’Tis the season to be jolly, but for many in Mexico, fear still outweighs joy this week, as violence proves to be a sinister gift that just won’t stop giving.
For a country now celebrating its 10th year embroiled in a brutal militarized drug war, the best present this season, greatest regalo de Navidad, would be a few days of rest from unending violence and horror.
But as millions of children in Mexico hope and wait for piles of colorfully wrapped presents to be delivered this weekend, some of the grown-ups have delivered less joyous packages:
Six nude male corpses wrapped in garbage bags were discovered on Sunday in Jalisco, on their way to be publicly abandoned by 10 men traveling in two pickup trucks. Among the near-dozen men who were arrested, authorities found an investigator with the state attorney general’s office, a former state official tasked with assisting in missing women’s cases, and the local leader of an organized crime cell, in addition to seven other criminals, and the half-dozen dead men.
Hours later, in Sinaloa, three men were found murdered execution-style outside a children’s day care center, in the sort of killing that has become mundane in Mexico. The following day, two more were found executed in a taxicab—an example of the sort of killing that barely makes the news in Mexico these days.
Just in the cartel-rattled border state of Chihuahua, at least 16 people were murdered in similar violent fashion in less than 24 hours between Sunday and Monday—some bodies showing signs of torture and mutilation.
In Guerrero, a state known for its heroin production and as the site of the disappearance and probable mass-execution of 43 teaching students, authorities confirmed on Tuesday that seven alleged poppy growers were killed in gun battles over the weekend, but the bodies were retrieved by family members before the authorities arrived.
In the coastal state of Oaxaca, an elderly woman was hacked to death on Tuesday with a machete inside her home in Xoxocotlán—another in a string of murdered women across the state, and country at large.
A 40-minute drive down the road takes you to Ocotlán de Morelos, where Mayor José Villanueva was assassinated on Sunday while eating outside with his brother, who has been hospitalized for gunshot wounds.
He is just one more Mexican politician taken out by cartel violence. But it isn’t just the bad guys putting influential people out of commission.
Just two weeks after assuming his position as city councilman in the border city of Tijuana, local politician Luis Torres Santillán was arrested at the San Diego crossing on 10 counts of money laundering a week ago Friday. At his arraignment Wednesday, he pleaded not guilty.
Although U.S. authorities accuse the politician of participating in a scheme to send dirty money north across the border, before wiring the funds back into Mexico, his lawyer told the San Diego Union Tribune that there is nothing illicit about the money, which he claims his client, who also manages a grain import business, sent to “distributors of rice, lentils and beans.”
The state’s complaint against Torres Santillán remains sealed, and he will remain jailed over Christmas with a $5 million bail set until a January reduction hearing. Things could be worse for him. As anyone who has ever played Monopoly can attest, sometimes it is safer in jail than it is to try to pass GO.
But not always.
A shootout early Thursday morning during a prison transfer in Tamaulipas was caught on video. Gunmen with the Zetas cartel attempted to regain custody of one of their men as authorities moved 12 inmates to a federal prison. One of the prisoners, Victor “El Karate” Becerra García, is thought to control the Ciudad Victoria jail, ordering hits from within the confines of the facility.
The escape attempt was unsuccessful, and no deaths have been reported so far. But for those still playing the game this week, Christmas-time has brought no mercy.
On Wednesday, the same day as the handless “extortionists” turned up with season’s greetings in Mexico State, a corpse was discovered wrapped in a blood-soaked blanket there. With it was a narcomanta allegedly signed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Proving more reliable than postal workers, criminal groups in Mexico keep delivering through the holidays, come rain or shine—Christmas be damned.
But while crime does not let up, this season does bring festive overtones to its typical displays of cartel violence, and criminals—who are known to play the part of do-gooders on occasion—show a penchant for spreading holiday cheer in unlikely places.
In 2012, then just six years into the drug war, messages directed to then-President Felipe Calderon, the intellectual father of Mexico’s cartel crackdown, repeatedly wished him a “Merry Christmas,” and said the president could “count on” these “well-meaning” criminals in their fight toward a common goal.
Today, this seasonal trend has not ended. A dead man was found with his body parts strewn around him in Boca del Rio, Veracruz, on Wednesday. The young man, whose ears and other extremities were removed, was sitting on a colorful blanket, under a sign that read: “This happened to me for robbing banks and stealing cars […] Merry Christmas.”
He is one of at least three young men found under similar circumstances this week in Veracruz. In the case of another such murder, a disembodied hand belonging to a partially skinned man held down a sign calling for a safer “rat free” Veracruz, and featured a drawing of a broom, indicating that his death had been a form of housekeeping. These victims’ signs also displayed holiday greetings.
A star-shaped piñata full of candy was discovered in Acapulco a week ago Friday, along with a sign: “This is what will happen to all of those who switch to the Progreso gang.”
“Merry Christmas, prosperous New Year,” the sign added, with a nudge to look inside the piñata. Buried in the candy, a bloody heart.
One could wish for a prosperous New Year. One might pray for it in this violence-rattled country, now winding down its most violent year since President Enrique Peña Nieto took office, following Calderón in 2012.
Hopes run thin, however, as—following the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States—2017 promises economic uncertainty in Mexico, stagnant growth, and a weaker peso, which does nothing to help curb the poverty that encourages organized crime and furthers violence.
Already the hope of “prosperity” is out the window, before the year has even begun. As for the “new year,” pundits have already begun predicting that violence in 2017 may surpass this year’s gruesome tally—which is more than 20,000 dead, so far, and counting.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016
Dear Friends in Christ, November/December 2016
We praise God for His blessings in the churches. There have been over 35 souls saved and several presented for baptism! The churches continue discipling new converts and training future church leaders. The newest work, Los Jardines, is going well and being led by Cirilo de la Rosa.
In November a church group of men from Bayshore Bible Ch. came to work on some closets and other things for the Bible Institute dormitories. They did a tremendous amount of work in just a few days and also raised money to buy water heaters for the dorms. The students were thrilled to finally have hot water!
The Bible Institute students have won more than 16 to Christ these two months. Along with the maintenance and cleaning work they do in the afternoons, they also are involved with soul winning, discipling, their studies, and making pies to sell in order to raise funds for their annual missions trip in February to Fresnillo, Zacatecas.
Susie’s “Christmas Kids” was a great success due to the participation of several churches sending offerings to buy candy and toys for the church kids and Bible students. She was able to prepare over 500 bags of candy and presents for them in at least eight of the churches. Thank you for your participation in sharing the love of God with them. God bless you all.
Yours in Christ, Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Rick and Susie
SEPTEMBER 2016
The incident Tuesday in Michoacan comes at a time of increasing violence in Mexico from drug cartels fighting each other as well as law enforcement groups.
Homicides on the rise in Mexico
While Mexico’s organized crime groups have always engaged in violence, there was a dramatic rise in murders after President Felipe Calderon assumed office in 2006 and began a war on criminal gangs. By the time Calderon left office in 2012, the murder count had gone well over 20,000 per year.
Under his successor, President Enrique Peña Ñieto, the murder toll began to subside, but still remains well above 18,000 per year.
Recorded homicides in Mexico during the first six months of this year represent a 15 percent rise over the same period last year. According to Mexico’s National Board of Statistics, the murder rate last year was 16.9 per 100,000. By comparison, the national U.S. murder rate is around 4.5 per 100,000.
Balkanization of drug cartels
Crime experts see various reasons for the uptick in violence, including the imprisonment of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman, which has led to fighting to fill the leadership vacuum. But there are other factors as well.
Tristan Reed is an international crime expert who keeps a special watch on Mexico for Stratfor, a global intelligence company headquartered in Austin, Texas. In a VOA interview, he explained how Mexican crime organizations have become more tightly identified with certain regions.
“Fragmentation, what we call the ‘balkanization’ of organized crime in Mexico, is a trend that has been going on for decades now,” Reed said.
Before 1980, the most powerful organized crime group in Mexico was based in the city of Guadalajara, in Jalisco state in central Mexico. But it fragmented into a number of other groups.
Now, Reed said, smaller gangs have emerged in the states that produce most of the drugs being smuggled. In the area known as “Tierra Caliente,” (the hot land), in Michoacan state, these groups operate on their own, but exist under the same geographic umbrella, as do gangs operating in particular regions in other parts of the country.
“There are distinct organizations that may be fighting with each other, that may be allied with groups from different regions. But ultimately the groups within each umbrella are fairly tight-knit in terms of operations, and allegiances and rivalries can emerge overnight because of that.”
In the past these groups were mainly focused on producing heroin and marijuana, but Reed said they now have their own smuggling operations on the border, and have even set up distribution centers in Texas and other states.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016
Dear Friends in Christ, September/October 2016
Susie and I are doing well and in good health, although both of us recently have been sick with a bronchial infection.
We praise God for His blessings in the churches. There have been more than 38 souls saved and thousands of fliers have been distributed during evangelistic efforts in several churches! The Garcia Church is experiencing new growth, and the remodeling of the building is going well.
We thank the Lord for the new work getting started in Los Jardines de Cadereyta. The first month (September) saw 30 saved! Several new discipleships are now on going. In October we won 12 to Christ and a Saturday morning “Kids Club” has been started! Bro. Cirilo will be the pastor of the new work.
The Bible Institute is going well with a great group of students this year. They have won 30 to Christ these two months over the weekends when they return to their area churches.
Please pray for these two married couples at the institute. They have sold what belongings they had, paid their debts, left their homes, and came to study for the ministry. Both young ladies are with child and have certain needs. They are receiving very little help outside what we can do for them. Would a Sunday School class or someone consider supplying them with a scholarship to pay their monthly tuition and book fees?
Tuition is $40 per month for each couple. The book fees for each couple is a one-time payment of $55 (the couple shares each book). Thank you for your consideration to help these worthy students study for the ministry. God bless.
Yours in Christ, Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Rick and Susie
JULY / AUGUST 2016
Dear Friends in Christ, July/August 2016
Susie and I are doing well and in good health. We were able to take a short break in June from the work in Mexico to visit a few churches and see some of our family. You may remember our Grandson James who was born with spine a bifida.
At three months in the womb the doctors recommended that he be aborted because he would be a vegetable, be horribly crippled and deformed. His parents said no. At two, James is doing remarkably well. He is very intelligent and is not deformed or crippled. His ankles are a little weak, but he will be able to walk soon. He can pull himself up, stand, and walk while holding onto something or someone. He is a special blessing from the Lord as are all of our grandchildren.
The churches are doing well and many have done VBSs. They have seen over 30 souls saved and several baptized! We chartered a bus and took 50 people from two of our churches in Monterrey to the city of Cuernavaca south of Mexico City, a 14 hour bus ride. We were there for a week to do a missions conference with one of our missionary families. We had a great time evangelizing in the community, presenting dramas and skits at two plazas, and yours truly preached each night of the conference. God blessed with 201 souls trusting Christ! Several of the new converts came to the evening services.
Please pray that we have a great year at the institute, churches, and new works getting established. Also, please remember “Susie’s Christmas Kids” offering. Last year with your offerings, she was able to prepare Christmas bags with candy and toys for about 500 kids in the churches. Please consider helping them this year. It is a tremendous blessing for them. If possible please send it in October. God bless.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie
APRIL / MAY 2016
Dear Friends in Christ, April / May 2016
Susie and I are doing well and in good health. Things were really busy these two months with Children’s Day celebrations in the churches and with all the preparations for the Bible College graduation. The churches have seen over 45 souls saved and more than 14 baptized!
The students of the Ambassador Baptist Bible College and Seminary saw 53 saved during their soul winning efforts! They worked hard helping us to get everything ready for the main event on May 6th.
We had a great graduation with 11 graduating of which eight were in the BA program through LBU. Graduation Day started with the three institute graduates preaching during the morning session and doing a wonderful job, then having lunch and recessing until 5:00 pm.
That evening we returned to the campus with in attendance and more than 20 churches represented.
Our keynote speaker was Pastor Horacio Quiñones from Zacatecas who preached a tremendous challenge to our grads and the congregation. Special music included an orchestra from one of the area churches, a Rondalla group from another church, and our own school choir.
Susie prepared the main course for the post-graduation dinner which consisted of 150 lbs. of brisket and 75 lbs. of cole slaw. We had a wonderful time of fellowship, and we praise the Lord for His wonderful blessings and for your prayers and support to help make it all possible. God bless you all.
Yours in Christ, Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Rick and Susie
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016
Dear Friends in Christ, January/February 2016
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank the Lord for you and deeply appreciate your faithful prayers and financial support for the work in Mexico.
Susie and I are doing well, our annual physicals were good, and there are no problems with my annual checkup with the cardiologist. Other than the arthritis that flares up, we feel great. Susie’s Christmas Kids Offering allowed over 500 kids to receive bags of candy and gifts for Christmas in 8 of the churches and the Bible Institute!
We praise the Lord for the many blessings in the churches these two months. The churches have seen more than 27 souls saved! Several have presented themselves for baptism, and many have begun personal discipleship. Others have enrolled in evangelism classes and some in leadership training as well.
The students of the Ambassador Baptist Bible College and Seminary (Instituto Bautista Bíblico Embajadores y Seminario) returned from
their mission trip in Fresnillo, Zacatecas. They presented a drama and the choir sang before a group of 64 pastors plus church members at a regional fellowship meeting. Their soul winning efforts these two months saw 53 people turn to Christ!
God bless you all.
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015
Dear Friends in Christ, November/December 2015
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank the Lord for you and deeply appreciate your faithful prayers and financial support for the work in Mexico.
We praise the Lord for the many blessings in the churches these two months as they shared the Gospel of Christ with a population steeped in religious tradition and false doctrine. The Catholic Church celebrates the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12th.
There are many pilgrimages and traditional celebrations honoring and worshipping Mary as the “Mother of God”. To them she is deity and co-redeemer with Jesus Christ.
But praise God, the churches have seen more than 35 souls saved during this time! And Susie’s Christmas Kids Offering allowed over 500 kids to receive bags of candy and gifts for Christmas in 8 of the churches and the Bible Institute! Several parents were saved through this special effort. Thank you all so much for the offerings given to make that possible.
The students of the Ambassador Baptist Bible College and Seminary (Instituto Ba
utista Bíblico Embajadores y Seminario) has been working hard with their studies, raising funds for their mission trip in February, and sharing the Gospel with others. They have won 42 people to Christ in their evangelistic efforts.
We also thank the Lord for the offerings coming in to help our students on their mission trip for February. God bless you all.
Yours in Christ, Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Rick and Susie
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015
Dear Friends in Christ, September/October 2015
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank the Lord for you and deeply appreciate your faithful prayers and financial support for the work in Mexico.
We praise the Lord for the many blessings in the churches these two months. The Trinity B.C. (Iglesia Bautista Trinidad) celebrated “Noche Mexicana” which is in remembrance of Mexico’s independence. There were festive decorations outside, several food and drink stands, clowns and blowups for the kids.
Later the preaching of God’s Word resulted in more than 10 people being saved and 200 in attendance. The Garcia B.C. had similar services along with Beacon B.C. and several other churches with more than 30 saved and 7 baptized.
The Ambassador Baptist Bible College and Seminary (Instituto Bautista Bíblico Embajadores y Seminario) is doing well with a great group of young people. They have won 35 people to Christ in their evangelistic efforts. They also are making pies to sell in order to raise funds for their mission trip in February to Fresnillo, Zacatecas.
We thank the Lord for the churches that helped with the re-roofing of the educational building at the Bible Institute. It was a tremendous blessing to get the new metal roof on and stop all of the leaking. There is no more “bed wetting” in the dorms or wet desks in the classrooms, or soggy beans in the kitchen. PTL!
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.