Author Archives: admin
September / October 2014
Dear Friends in Christ,
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 us and the work in Mexico.
God continues to bless us in remarkable ways. Our two youngest grandchildren are doing very well after their first two months of life. In the next two months two of our sons (Jeremy and Justin) are moving to Corpus Christi, TX where another son Matthew already lives. WOW! We will soon have three of our four sons living in Southeast Texas. Seven of our eleven grandchildren will be just a few hours away from Monterrey PTL! He sure is good to us.
The Lord is blessing the churches, too. They are growing, winning souls, baptizing, and discipling new believers. More than 25 souls have trusted Christ, and nine have been baptized. The newest work, the Noriega Mission is doing well, and we hope to have a national pastor in January. Please remember Susie’s Christmas Kids Offering for this year. These offerings help buy candy and toys for Christmas for hundreds of poor Mexican children in our churches.
We had a wonderful convocation to kick off the new school year at the Ambassador
Baptist Bible College with yours truly preaching to over 150 present. Several former students and other pastors and missionaries were present as well. We have 8 new students this year to add to the student body. PTL! New student enrollment had been down due to violence in our area. This is a sign of parents having more confidence to send their young people to us. May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
July / August 2014
Dear Friends in Christ, July / August 2014
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.
Remember our prayer request for our son Jeremy and Maria and their baby due in July? The baby is James Alexander and had been diagnosed with spina bifida. He was born in Washington D.C. on July 14th and weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. He has had two operations during his first month of life – the first one to close up the small area of spina bifida not enclosed on his lower back and the second one to insert a brain shunt to relieve fluid and pressure build up. He also has a catheter to help him completely empty his bladder. Please pray that these will be temporary. He is doing remarkably well and is at home now. He can move all his fingers and toes, arms and legs. PTL!
We also have a new grandson born to our son Justin and Amber in Marion, IN. He is Samuel Wayne born on July 24th and weighed 9 lbs. 4 oz. He had a mild case of jaundice but is at home and doing 
very well. Samuel is our 11th grandchild. These two fellows are cousins but could easily pass for brothers!
The new work in Mier Noriega is doing well and may have a young couple taking it over this Fall – graduates from our Bible College. We are gearing up for the new school year and the college’s convocation in September.
Also, several decisions were made during youth camp! PTL!
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
May / June 2014
Dear Friends in Christ, May / June 2014
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.
Remember our prayer request for our son Jeremy and Maria and their baby due in July? The baby is a boy (James Alexander) and had been diagnosed with spineabiphida. His spine had developed on the outside of his body, and the brain stem was not connected properly. He had water on the brain, clubbed feet, and was going to be totally paralyzed and totally dependent on his parents if he even survives the birth. The doctors suggested an abortion because of the severity of the deformities, but Jeremy and Maria rejected that and decided to accept the conditions of the baby as God decides.
We have wonderful news! The doctors are amazed that the baby no longer has water on the brain; his brain stem is intact; he no longer has clubbed feet; and his spine is almost totally enclosed within his body. God has been so wonderful to answer your prayers for this young couple. Thank you all so much!
We have had over 25 souls saved and 14 baptized since our last update. Mother’s Day was celebrated in several of the churches which saw many adult visitors. There were other professions of faith in Christ as well!
The new mission in Mier y Noriega is doing well as we are now meeting in a member’s home near the center of town. There are some wonderful possibilities for this work in a town with no evangelical church of any kind.
We had a wonderful Bible College graduation with 300 present and six graduating!
We have the summer challenges before us as we try to make some improvements to the dormitories and keep the grounds in good shape with the old mowers. Please remember to pray for this need to buy new mowers. God bless.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie
March / April 2014
Dear Friends in Christ, March/April 2014
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.
Please pray for our son Jeremy and Maria’s baby due in July. The baby is a boy and has been diagnosed with spineabiphida. His spine has developed on the outside of his body, and the brain stem may not be connected properly. He has water on the brain, will be totally paralyzed, and totally dependent on his parents if he even survives the birth. The doctor suggested an abortion because of the severity of the deformities, but they have rejected that option. They cannot operate now to relocate the spine inside the body because of the proximity of the placenta to the cervix. They will try to operate after the delivery if the baby survives.
We have had over 18 souls saved and 11 baptized these two months. Childrens’ Day in April was celebrated in several of the churches which saw many adult visitors and children. There were other professions of faith in Christ as well!
BIG THANKS to Trinity B.C. in Abilene, TX for their offering to help us with the staff house roofs. We are able to re-plaster and paint the ceilings from the water and humidity damage from the leaking roofs.
The Bible Institute is doing well. The students’ evangelistic efforts saw 32 souls saved! The spring rains have caused the grass and weeds to grow very fast making it extremely difficult to keep everything mowed. We had to hire a rancher with his tractor and mower deck to cut the back 8 acres and some of the other acreage. With the grass, the ceiling repairs in both houses, and trying to get ready for graduation week April 27-May 2, we have a lot to do, but we are making progress, PTL!
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie
January / February 2014
Dear Friends in Christ, January/February 2014
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 and praise the Lord for His blessings and protection. Susie has a lump on her left shoulder near her collar bone that is caused by rheumatoid arthritis and not cancer we were relieved to know. I had a good annual checkup and sonogram with the cardiologist and everything is fine.
The Lord blessed these past two months in the churches with over 49 souls saved and 8 baptized! Friend Day in February was a big day for several of the churches who saw many children and several parents trust Jesus for salvation. There are several Kids Clubs going on in church members’ homes meeting on Saturdays to try and reach other families with the Gospel.
Thank you to several of our churches for the Christmas love offerings and cards. We appreciate it very much. We also enjoy the birthday and anniversary cards as well as others that are for no special day but just to let us know that you are praying for us and that we are in your thoughts. God bless you for your time and efforts.
The Ambassador Baptist Bible College is doing well. We have a dedicated group of young people that are a blessing to teach and help prepare for future ministry opportunities. The Lord blessed their evangelistic efforts with 36 souls saved! PTL! They have been working hard trying to keep all the grass cut at the camp and college campus with just one small riding mower and two push mowers that we are constantly repairing. We need a big mower to cut the front 4 acres and a medium size tractor and pull behind mower deck to do the rough back 8 acres. Please pray with us about the $10,000 needed for this equipment.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie
November / December 2013
Dear Friends in Christ, November/December 2013
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Some of you knew about the passing of my step-dad in October. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for us and our family. Please continue to pray for my mom (87) who is doing well but continues to have deep sorrow during those tender moments especially through the holidays. Dad was saved (mom too), and he is in heaven with the Lord now.
The Lord blessed these past two months with over 93 souls saved and 21 baptized in the churches. As Mexico was celebrating Virgin of Guadalupe Day (Virgin Mary) on December 12th, many of our folks were out soul winning and turning others to faith in Christ!
BIG THANKS to several churches for Susie’s Christmas Kids’ Project: Serenity B.C. West Chester, OH; Plantation B.C. Plantation, FL; Suburban B.C. Moore, OK; Bible B.C. Chickasha, OK; First B.C. Milford, DE; and additional help toward damage to the Bible Institute education building roof by Trinity B.C. Denver City, TX.
We had a great time celebrating Christmas with the College students and staff before the Christmas break with Susie’s turkey dinner and gifts for all!
Susie’s Christmas Kids’ Project was a great blessing for over 300 children! She was able to buy candy and small gifts for at least 10 of the churches!
2013 saw 712 souls saved through our ministry. Thank you all for helping to make that possible! PTL!!! Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. God bless.
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie
September / October 2013
Dear Friends in Christ, September/October 2013
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 have had over 18 souls saved and 11 baptized these two months. NOCHE MEXICANA, a special celebration in the churches for Mexican Independence Day on September 16, saw several visitors and other professions of faith in Christ as well!
BIG THANKS to several churches: Heatherridge B.C. of Tulsa, OK who is taking care of the project for Iglesia Bautista Faro (Beacon B.C.) who is rebuilding their roof damaged from a September hurricane; roof damage to both houses, our home and another staff house is being taken care of by Bible B.C. of Chickasha, OK, and damage to the Bible Institute education building is partially covered by First B. C. of Daleville, IN.
The Bible Institute convocation went well with about 250 present for the activities and welcoming the students’ return to classes as well as the 10 new students for this year.
Continue to pray for Mexico and the drug war problems. Our neighbor and a brother of a close friend were kidnapped recently, and a couple of car jackings have taken place near our youth camp and school campus. God bless you all. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Yours in Christ,
Rick and Susie
JULY / AUGUST 2013
Dear Friends in Christ, July / August 2013
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.
The churches are doing well and are seeing souls saved every week. Two churches combined for a week long missions trip to the west coast state of Nayarit to help establish two other missions through the church we have there. There were 92 adults and 197 children saved in those areas through these efforts! PTL! Several other churches have done summer evangelistic campaigns as well and saw souls saved! The Garcia Church reported 15 adults and 42 children saved!
Susie has a special request for her Christmas Project for the children. She is asking the churches (or S. S. classes) to help with an offering of $10-$100 in order to purchase candy and small gifts for 200-300 “Christmas Kids”. With an offering she can buy the gifts so they will be similar for all the kids. She would like the funds by the end of October if possible in order to take advantage of discounted Halloween candies. God bless.
Yours in Christ, Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Rick and Susie
SEPTEMBER 2013
SEPTEMBER 22, 2013
Mexico: Criminal – Ten people were shot dead by a group of gunmen in Loma Blanca, a town situated roughly 30km east of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico’s Chihuahua state, on 22 September. Reports indicate that the victims were part of a baseball team that had gathered after a game, when gunmen entered the private venue and opened fire. Although unconfirmed, it is believed that the perpetrators belonged to a criminal group linked to drug cartel activity. Although further details of the case have yet to be revealed, it is more than likely that this marked the latest significant incident of drug cartel-related violence in Mexico.
Ciudad Juarez and neighboring towns have been some of the areas worst affected by this violence since former president, Felipe Calderon, launched a large-scale anti-narcotics security strategy in an effort to combat organized crime in 2006. Although levels of violence in the Ciudad Juarez area have decreased since their height in 2011, this area of Chihuahua state still exhibits high rates of conflict between rival cartels, and between cartels and security forces.
It should be noted that incidents of this nature are not limited to Chihuahua and take place on a regular basis throughout the country. Such violence is, for the most part, confined to those connected in some way to the narcotics trade; these include members of drug cartels themselves, police officers, criminal justice officials or journalists. Foreign nationals are not generally targeted or directly affected by the violence; however, the possibility of inadvertently being caught in the crossfire remains a concern.
Prepared by: jet
Source: Red24
JUNE 2013
Mexicans turn to social media to report on drug war
AFP
Mexico City, June 26, 2013
They tweet and blog about street gunfights and murders in Mexican regions plagued by the drug war, keeping people informed about gangland crimes which local newspapers are too afraid to report on. With traditional media often intimidated by drug cartels, social media has given Mexicans a
way to stay appraised about the dangers lurking in their towns and cities.
“They are killing like crazy! There’s a shootout in the Lazaro Cardenas neighborhood. Steer clear of that area,” read a warning tweeted by a writer in the northern city of Monterrey, the country’s industrial heart now beset by drug violence.
Monterrey, which has found itself caught in the crossfire in a turf war between the Zetas and the Gulf cartel, is just one city where reporting on drug crime is moving to social media.
Mexican police shows to the press drug and weapons seized presented to the press in Mexico City.
Analysts from Microsoft.com, led by Mexican researcher Andres Monroy Hernandez, followed for 16 months the Twitter activity of people in Monterrey, Reynosa, Saltillo and Veracruz – all cities heavily affected by drug cartels.
Their report, “The New War Correspondents: The rise of civic media curation in urban warfare,” noted a prevalence of words like “bomb blasts,” “gunshots” and “gunmen” on the microblogging site between August 2010 and November 2011.
Just one-third of Mexicans have access to the Internet, and only 20% of them write daily on Twitter.