Capilla Calvario/Calvary Chapel Vizcaino

Greetings from Rosarito, Mexico. In January I was able to take a very special missions trip South in Mexico that I wanted to tell you about in this update. Over the past few years, a California Pastor friend of mine named Bill Walden has invited me to travel with him to a small central Baja town called Vizcaino to teach at a Pastor’s Conference that he hosts each year.

Vizcaino, Central Baja Mexico

This year for the first time I was able to go on this mission’s trip and it was a life impacting experience for me. Our destination, the small town of Vizcaino is located half way down the Baja Peninsula,  a twelve hour drive through a rugged yet beautiful desert.

Sunset in the desert at Vizcaino

About 8 years ago, my friend’s church planted an outreach ministry there and they have been hosting a Non Denominational Pastor’s Conference every year since.

The 2012 Vizcaino Pastors and Leaders conference

Since this is the only Pastors conference for hundreds of miles, each January over eighty local pastors and their wives travel from their small villages to Vizcaino. The free 3-day conference provides them with a retreat like atmosphere which includes delicious meals, free hotel lodging, and excellent teaching and worship.

Teaching through Nehemiah at the conference

At this year’s conference the theme was “BUILDING UP” as we taught verse by verse through the wall-building book of Nehemiah. In these Bible studies, these ministry leaders were reminded that God wants to BUILD UP their families, their churches, and their cities.  Four gifted California based Senior Pastor’s and I were privileged to share the teaching duties.

Leading worship together with my friend Bill Walden

I was also able to help out with the worship, and this was a special blessing for me because I was able to play guitar side by side with one of my childhood idols. Pastor Bill Walden (the leader of the conference) was also the original lead singer of my favorite Christian band of all time, Undercover. As teenagers, my friends and I used to travel all over Southern California to watch Undercover play live. What a blessing it was that nearly 30 years later, here I was with my friend and fellow Pastor South of the Border worshipping our Lord together in Spanish.

Local pastor Fernando at the conference

I quickly realized that this conference was a great blessing to the Pastors and wives that attended. As I got to sit down and hear their stories, I was amazed at the hardships and difficulties that they had overcome. I want to share one of their amazing stories with you.

I met Fernando over lunch on the second day of the conference. As I asked him about his church, he told me a tale full of faith, struggle, and ultimately victory. Fernando had grown up and lived in a small town that had no Christian church, and as far as he knew, no Christians in it. At the age of 50, God saved Fernando, grabbed his heart, and told him to quit his job and plant the first Christian church in his city.

Pastor's Sam Scotti, Fernando and Miguelito

Fernando started witnessing door to door to his neighbors, and eventually got a small group of believers that were gathering together in his home. When they finally scraped up enough money to purchase a small piece of land to eventually build a church on, the very first visitor greeted Fernando with a death threat. This man told Fernando that if he tried to build a Christian church in this city, this man would personally kill him.

A death threat did not stop Fernando, and brick by loving brick, a small church was eventually built. Today, Fernando Pastor’s that growing church while living on the church property in a small trailer with his wife. To this day, Fernando’s church is the only Christian church in his city that is now only 97 percent non Christian. (Down from the 100 percent from Fernando’s youth!)

Every Pastor had an amazing testimony

When I talked with Fernando, I saw his face light up with gratitude as he shared his personal stories of God’s faithfulness. Fernando believes that God has great plans not only for his church, but for his city too!  Each day of the conference I heard amazing stories about how God has honored steps of faith, blessed churches, and helped these Pastors overcome trials and persecution each step of the way!

Being Prayed for by the local pastors

At the end of the conference, the local pastors ask us to come up front where they prayed for us and asked God to pour out His blessings on our families and ministries. As I stood there being prayed over, I realized that I had received much more from these local Pastors than I had given to them. I had received their love, their life lessons, and their friendship. On this trip I was also given renewed vision of the need for called and equipped workers to go out into the harvest fields of Southern Mexico to preach the Gospel and plant churches.  It is my prayer that God will use our church to send out laborers into that harvest.

Praying for Vizcaino

Finally, I want to thank you once again for your love, prayers, and financial support. God is using us to partner together in order to accomplish His purposes here on the mission field of Mexico. We love you!

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray for the Pastor’s that came to the Vizcaino Pastor’s conference, that they would be strengthened and encouraged in their ministries.
2. Pray that God would raise up and send out families from our ministry to plant churches in the unreached parts of Mexico.
3. Pray that God would provide financially for our family and church in these difficult financial times.

Vincent Family Christmas Card

Our church finished up the year by having some amazing Christmas concerts and community outreach events that I wanted to tell you about.  This year both our youth and adult Christmas choirs were fantastic. The two choirs combined with several talented soloists to present a musical program that while focused on the New Born King Jesus, was also stuffed full of fun!

CCR Christmas Choir

The choirs packed out their two showings at our church, but it was a special blessing to have the choirs travel out to our  recent East Tijuana church plant at Capilla Calvario Vista del Valle to present their program and bless that church with a special Christmas dinner.

CCR Childrens Ministry with "Pastorela" members

Our churches children’s ministry hosted a community outreach called a pastorela.  (A Mexican nativity drama and musical) The drama featured The Shepherds, Wise men, Mary, Joseph, and of course the baby Jesus, but I must say that the little singing sheep made up of our 3 and 4 year olds stole the show and the people’s hearts!

This year God opened up the door for us to use the city theater located in the middle of town for this community outreach event. At the conclusion of the musical, several visitors professed faith in Jesus Christ for the very first time. The children in attendance were especially blessed as we ended the evening with a giant Christmas toy giveaway.

Sarah and Grace in Julian

On the family side of things, we were blessed with the opportunity to zip away for a one night mini vacation in the mountains east of San Diego. We spent an evening in the mountain town of Julian and enjoyed an afternoon playing and sledding in the snow. Our family returned home refreshed and renewed after spending time enjoying the beauty of God’s Creation.

Daniel playing in the snow!

As the New Year has rushed upon us, it is an opportunity for us to experience new beginnings. I love the words of our Risen Savior Jesus found in Revelation 21:5,  Behold,  I make all things NEW! And that is a reminder that our God is the God of New beginnings and opportunities. And it is our prayer that God blesses you with some new beginnings and opportunities as you begin this New Year.

Happy New Year!

Here in our ministry, we will be starting up two new ministries beginning in the New Year. I am going to be focusing on church planting training and counseling training, and I wanted to take a moment to tell you about my two new ministries.

After hosting a Biblical Counseling Conference with the Institute of Biblical Counseling and Discipleship (IBCD) in December, I realized the need for our church staff to do a better job of Biblically counseling the people in our congregation.

Our friends at IBCD hosted our Mexico Biblical Counseling Conference!

Since Sarah and I completed a Biblical counseling training course last summer, we are excited to be starting up a weekly Biblical training course open to those men and women in our congregation that desire to be trained up and equipped to be Biblical Counselors. We have a goal of opening up a full time Biblical Counseling Center on our church campus next summer around the time that we host our next Biblical Counseling Conference.

Some of the men that will be in my Church Planting Training Class

I am also excited to begin leading five men from our congregation through a weekly Church planting training manual written by a good friend of mine, Pastor Bruce Zackary of Nexus Calvary Chapel. All five of these men have expressed the desire to be trained up and eventually sent out from our church as church planters. Please keep these two new training ministries in your prayers.

We love you

This year we are more excited than ever at the great work that our God and Savior Jesus is doing through the ministry here. But we also want to thank you. It is because of your faithful love, prayers, and financial support that we are able to labor in the mission’s work that God has called us to. We love you!

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray that God will bless our new Biblical Counseling training that Sarah and I will be hosting in our home.
2. Pray that God would lead and direct Mike as he trains and teaches five future church planters.
3. Pray that God would provide financially for our family and church in these difficult financial times.

The Vincent Family

Our top 11 memories of 2011

Grace, Sarah, and Daniel in costume at Fox Studios!

#11- Our family approached our 10^th year of serving Jesus in Mexico!

CCR Easter Service held outside in our church parking lot!

#10- Our church hosted Mexico’s first Biblical Counseling Conference!

#9- Daniel won the CITY Cup with his Soccer team!

Daniel and his championship team celebrating with their trophy!

#8- Sarah finished leading a year long ladies Bible study-“Walking in Victory”!

#7- Grace joined up with a local gymnastics club!

Sending out a church planting family to Irapuato Guanuato!

#6- Our church sent out two new church planting families!

Witnessing the annual whale Migration near La Paz Mexico!

#5- Our family witnessed the whale migration in La Paz Mexico!

A summer baptism in the beautiful Pacific Ocean!

#4- Our church baptized over 100 new believers!

#3- Daniel, Grace, and Sarah “starred”as extras in the upcoming feature film “”Little Boy!

Grace, Sarah, and Daniel filming the movie at Fox Studios Baja!

#2-Sarah and I celebrated our fourteenth wedding anniversary by traveling alone to a conference!

14 years of marriage, praying for many more!

#1- We saw our Lord Jesus once again faithfully provide for and bless our family!

The Vincent Family "official" Christmas photo 2011!

We also want to thank you for your love and prayers! We are honored and blessed to have you as our partners and co-laborers in the ministry.

Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad!

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

The Bible teaches us about the responsibilities of church leaders. And in 2 Timothy 2:2 the Apostle Paul instructs the young Pastor Timothy: And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

The CCR staff out for a working lunch!

Over the years we have realized that one of our families main callings as ministry leaders is to raise up and equip faithful people for the ministry. After 9 years of doing ministry here in Mexico, our weekly staff meetings now include 6 pastors, and 10 other full time staffers. God has been using these faithful servants at the church in marvelous ways.

Of special importance over the years has been our church’s live-in internship program. Started five years ago, this two year ministry internship program now includes up to 6 ministry minded single young men at any one time.

CCR Intern's, Class of 2011

Each one of our interns lives on site at the church, and as a group their work responsibilities including being in charge of the maintenance and the security of the church.  Our interns also take Bible college courses at our on-site Bible institute and receive hands on training in all areas of church ministry.

In order to apply to our program, each one of these young men must have a desire to be trained up for full time Christian service, including church planting. Over the past five years, many of these interns have graduated and then quickly gotten married and moved on into different aspects of full time Christian ministry.

Miguel and Gaby's wedding day!

One of those recently graduated interns is my friend Miguel Ojeda and I would like to briefly share his story with you. Miguel visited our church for the first time as a non believer over three years ago. After receiving Jesus and then joining and graduating from our internship program, Miguel now works full time in our church office and he is recently married to a Godly young lady from our church named Gaby.

Miguel and Gaby on their church planting vision tour

Although Miguel spent over 10 years in the United States, he was born and spent his formative years in the Southern Mexico town of Zacatepec Morelos. This drug cartel infested city, is nearly unreached with the saving truth of the Gospel.

Miguel visited with his grandmother in Zacatepec Morelos for the first time in many years.

Recently, God has been stirring Miguel’s heart for the people of his hometown, and in October our church was able to send Miguel and Gaby down to Zacatepec to not only visit his mother and father and other family members, but to also go on a church planting vision tour. After his trip was completed, Miguel returned to Rosarito fired up about the possibilities of eventually moving south to Zacatepec to one day plant a church.

Please pray for our upcoming church planting training

This coming year, I am very excited to be personally discipling not only Miguel, but three or four of our other perspective church planters in the fellowship. We are going to be studying through a new church planting training manual written by my good friend, Pastor Bruce Zachary of Calvary Chapel Nexus in Camarillo California.

Please pray that God would bless and mature Miguel and our other church planting candidates. Pray that God would teach us and speak to us about His heart and desires to plant Bible teaching churches in order  to reach Mexico for Christ.

It is an honor to serve Jesus with these men

We are so excited at the great work that our God and Savior Jesus is doing through the ministry here, but we also want to thank you. It is because of your faithful love, prayers, and financial support over the years that we have been able to fulfill the mission’s work that God has called us to. We love you!

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray that God will bless Miguel and Gaby and our other church planting candidates as they pray about God’s perfect timing in their church planting future.
2. Pray that God would continue to bring us believers that have the call to be equipped, raised up, and sent out to reach the nations for Christ.
3. Pray that God would provide the financial needs of our family, and for the families in our church.

Grace, Sarah, and Daniel on the movie set

Greetings from Rosarito, Mexico. Our family completed a busy month and in this update we wanted to share with you some of our highlights.

On the church side of things, the ladies in Sarah weekly Bible study class called  “Caminemos en Victoria”(walking in victory) graduated! This two year Bible study program is designed to help ladies break out of the cycles of sins, defeat, and bad choices in their lives and walk in the spiritual victory that Jesus has for them.

Some of the precious ladies from the Caminemos en Victoria ladies study

At their graduation ceremony it was a joy to see over 20 of these precious ladies receive their diplomas. A number of these precious saints tearfully recounted the battles and struggles that they have faced and overcome over the past 2 years of the program. They also shared about the victories that God has been bringing into their lives as they have applied God’s timeless principals to their difficult lives.

Preaching at Calvary Chapel Rosarito

I was excited in September to begin a new 9 week Sunday series on marriage, family, and relationships at the church. Please join us in praying that God will use these teachings to heal and strengthen the many broken lives and hurting families in our church.

Sarah teaching a class at the Christian homeschool co-op

In the Vincent household, our family was excited to start up a brand new homeschooling year. With Daniel now in 4^th grade and Grace in 6^th grade, that means that Sarah and I have a whole new batch of academics that we need to brush up on in order to teach our children.

Grace with a couple of her missionary friends

Our children are also very excited about the change of venue for their bi-weekly homeschooling co-op. After hosting it at our church facility for the past two years, this year we have moved it over to a local  gymnastics studio. The director/owner/homeschooling dad that owns the studio (who is a retired Mexican Olympian) helps Sarah lead up a wonderful, educational, Christ centered, and FUN program. We are excited that once again a number of the families in our church are involved, including several local missionary families that call CCR home.

My Three "Movie Stars"

I am happy to announce that I know live with three movie stars! Our children received parts as extras in a brand new Feature film scheduled for release in 2012. The new film called “Little Boy” is directed by a famous Mexican director named Alejandro Monteverde.  (Alejandro is best known for directing the 2006 award winning family film, “Bella”, and best of all he is a Christian.)

Grace and Daniel on site at Fox Studios Baja

This film is being filmed at Fox Studios in Baja. (located in southern Rosarito, and the sights of filming for the past films “Master and Commander” and “Titanic”) And recently, a local casting director advertised in the local Rosarito news paper that they were looking for  “American Looking Extras”  to be in the film.

Daniel, Grace, and a few new friends, ready for filming

When Sarah took Grace and Daniel to the studio for the auditions, not only did both of our children get chosen as extras, but Sarah was also picked and she is going to appear in the film as well. You will be able to see the Vincent family “Starring” in the movie “Little Boy” as it is scheduled for world wide release in the summer of 2012.

I married a beautiful movie star!

An added benefit of being in this film is that Sarah has been able to openly share her faith in the waiting rooms over the long waits between filming. Over the past two Sundays, Sarah was able to bring two brand new families to visit our church for the first time.

Daniel is part of a gang of bullies in the movie

We are so excited at the great work that our God and Savior Jesus is doing through the ministry here. But we also want to thank you. It is because of your faithful love, prayers, and financial support over the years that we have been able to fulfill the mission’s work that God has called us to. We love you!

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray that God will bless our new church planting family (Isabel and Jose Luis Rangle) as they are getting established in their new city of Irapuato.
2. Pray that God would bless Sarah, Grace, and Daniel in their filming, and open up doors to witness.
3. Pray that God would strengthen and transform the 81 students we have enrolled in our Bible College for this new semester.

Sending out the Rangel family as missionaries and church planters!

In August we sent out our long time family friends, Jose Luis and Isabel Rangel, along with their boys Luis and Elias to plant a new church in their hometown of Irapuato. (A city located in the Southern Mexican state of Guanajuato.) In this update, I would like to share this families amazing testimony with you.

Irapuato is located in the state of Guanuato Mexico

The first time that our family met Isabel and her then 5 year old son Luis was six years ago at our church. Isabel had traveled north to Rosarito from her home in Irapuato to visit a friend. At this time, Isabel was not a Christian and she was feeling down and depressed about her life. Isabel’s friend brought her to our church, where she heard the Gospel, was born again and then baptized.

Grace and Daniel with their "brother" Luis playing with their pets in our backyard!!

It was at that time that Isabel decided to stay and live in Rosarito so she could attend our church. And for the next four years, this single mother and her son lived in a trailer at our house and became part of our family. Our children grew up playing every day with Luis, and see his as their brother.

After a year has passed, Luis’ father, (Jose Luis) came up from Irapuato to visit his son. While Jose Luis was here, he also visited our church, heard the Gospel and he too became a Christian and was baptized.

Jose Luis preaching at CCR on a Sunday!

Jose Luis moved back home to Irapuato but his new faith began to flounder as he did not know any Christians there, and there weren’t any churches in his hometown. Eventually we called Jose Luis and we invited him to move up to Rosarito where he would become our churches first intern, live in a trailer located on the church property, and attend our newly opened Bible College.

The Rangel family!

Over the past five years, we have witnessed amazing growth and maturity in Jose Luis and Isabel. They have both graduated from our church’s Bible College, served faithfully at our church, and they even fell in love. It was a privilege for me to officiate their amazing wedding ceremony three years ago.

Since getting married, Jose Luis has continued to work full time at our church while Isabel has remained busy as a stay at home mom while homeschooling Luis and raising their 1 year old son Elias. Also during that time, God began to place on their heart a desire to return to their hometown of Irapuato to share the Gospel with their family and friends and plant a much needed Christian church there.

The Rangel family prayer card!

This past month of August our church was honored to commission and send out this wonderful family to Irapuato to plant a new church. I want to ask you to please pray for the Rangel family.  The city that they are moving too (Irapuato) is very hard spiritually and the people are closed to the Gospel. In order to help you to remember to pray for them, there is a photo of the prayer card above. (Feel free to print this prayer card and place it in your house as a reminder to pray for this family and their church plant.)

Sending Out the Rangel family on our "Sending Sunday" at CCR!

The Rangel family is the third missionary family that our church has sent out during the past two years. Please pray for us that God would continue to allow us to fulfill the vision that He has given us and our ministry. To raise up, train, and send out missionaries and church planters to reach Mexico and the world.

When we were sent out from Yorba Linda as a young missionary family back in 2002, we could have never imagined that God would give us the privilege of sending out our own missionaries one day, yet that is exactly what God is doing.

The future "Calvary Chapel Irapuato"

We give our great God praise and glory for all of this work that is being done, but we also want to thank you. It is because of your faithful love, prayers, and financial support over the years that we have been able to fulfill the mission’s work that God has called us to. We love you!

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray that God would bless and provide for our new church planting family, Jose Luis and Isabel Rangel.
2. Pray that God would bring us new missionaries and church planters that we could raise up, equip, and then send out.
3. Pray that God would strengthen the 56 new believers that we were privileged to baptize over the summer months

Irapuato Guanuato, a strategic area for Mexico and the Gospel!

Rosarito is hot in the Summer!

On our side of the border, Rosarito has been warm and pleasant and our church celebrated in July by having our 2^nd beach baptism of the summer.

A few of our 18 baptism candidates in July!

We were pleasantly surprised when 18 new believers decided to make their professions of faith public by being baptized in the beautiful waters of the Pacific Ocean.  In this update I would like to share a couple of their amazing stories with you.

Angeles praying before being baptized!

It was nearly a year ago when Angeles began visiting our church for the first time. This divorced grandmother had had her children too young and that was just the beginning of a difficult life full of sin and hardship. But in her difficulties, Angeles found comfort and counsel with a Christian friend of hers named Martha. Martha loved Angeles unconditionally, and eventually got her to come and visit our church.

Pastor Jesus and I baptizing Angeles!

After hearing the Gospel presented at one of our services, Angeles (a lifelong nominal Catholic) placed her faith in Jesus Christ and was born again. The transformation in her life was immediate and undeniable, and a powerful witness to her unbelieving friends and family.

At our July Baptism, it was a privilege for me to baptize Angeles. She also invited her non Christian children and grandchildren to the baptism, many of whom came and witnessed firsthand this amazing day.

A Family being baptized together!

Juan and Maria came to the church last year with their home life in shambles. They had never been legally married, and many years of trying to live life together far away from the loving and wise hands of Jesus had taken it’s toll.

Although Juan and Maria had never visited a Christian church, in desperation they accepted an invitation by some Christian friends of theirs and began attending our church.

It was not long before both of them along with some of their older children made first time professions of faith in Jesus. As they heard the word of God taught verse by verse at the church, God began to convict them of their sinful home life and they decided after many years to get legally married.

At our recent baptism I was privileged to baptize not only Juan and Maria but their teenage son Andre as well. Their restored home and family is an amazing testimony of the power of the Gospel and our Lord Jesus Christ to transform lives and heal families.

Praying for those that were baptized!

These are just two of the 18 amazing and miraculous stories of the new believers that were baptized from our church in July.

Our upcoming church plant!

We are also proud to announce that we will be sending out our next church planting family next month in August. Our long time friends, Jose Luis and Isabel Rangel are going to be moving to the Southern Mexico city of Irapuato (in the state of Guanuato) to plant a new church.

We will be featuring this church plant in our next newsletter, but we wanted to ask you to please be praying for this family as they prepare to take this giant leap of faith.

The Rangel family, church planters to Irapuato, Guanuato

We would also like to ask you to prayerfully consider supporting the Rangel family by giving them a onetime financial gift. These funds will be used to help provide for their families move and subsequent relocation to this mostly unreached city located over 1000 miles away from Rosarito.  If you would like to give a tax deductable financial gift to support this family, please contact me or the mission’s office at Saving Grace World Missions.

Celebrating what Jesus has done!

Finally, I want to thank you once again for partnering with our family and ministry here in Mexico.  Through your prayers we receive God’s guidance and protection. Through your financial support, we receive God’s provision.

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray that God would strengthen the 18 new believers that were baptized in July.
2. Please pray that God would bless and provide for our new church planting family, Jose Luis and Isabel Rangel.
3. Please pray that God would provide for our family in these difficult economic times as our financial support has been dropping recently.

Grace and Daniel's Homsechool Graduation Ceremony

We began this busy month with a homeschooling graduation ceremony that we held at our church with several other local homeschooling families. We were very proud as our daughter Grace graduated from the 5^th grade.

Grace singing with her friends at the homeschool graduation

Grace also was a featured soloist in the graduation band, and has recently made a transition at church to sitting in the sanctuary with mom to listen to her daddy’s sermons.

Daniel the dancer

Our son Daniel graduated from the 3^rd grade and he continues to enjoys PE and Bible as his favorite school subjects. Daniel also recently discovered a new love as he joined his best friend Luis in a local children’s hip hop class. In June, the boys “starred” as star fish in a community production of a dance based upon the story, “The Rainbow Fish”

Daniel and Luis with their dance team

As we watched Daniel carve up the stage with his dance moves, it was quickly obvious that he did not inherit his dad’s (lack of) dance skills! (lucky guy) This particular class was special for Daniel as Luis is planning on moving permanently in August with his family to Southern Mexico to plant a new church. As we watched the two of them practicing their dance moves together in the back yard, it is a memory that we will cherish forever.

At the Biblical counseling training with a Chinese friend that serves in the underground Chinese house church!

On the parenthood side of things, Sarah and I were blessed to take a week long course on Christian Counseling put on by the Institute of Biblical Counseling and Discipleship! In this powerful conference we were challenged to become better counselors and instructed on how to use the Bible affectively to help our congregants. Please pray that God would use the principals that we learned in this course to better minister to our growing congregation.

Impact Missions Conference!

The theme of this conference was “Impacting Rosarito, Mexico, and the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!”

Pastor Trent Douglass teaching at CCRosarito

And those in attendance were challenged as we heard powerful missions minded messages from Pastor Trent Douglass of Calvary Chapel Saving Grace, Pastor Mike Thiemann, director of Saving Grace World Missions, and our churches very own Pastor Miguelito! (Big Mike)

Comida Gratis! (Free food) An essential part of our Missions Conference!

Also at the conference there was plenty of Comida Gratis (free food) to keep everyone’s tummies as full as their souls. We would like to give a special thank you to Calvary Chapel Saving Grace and Calvary Chapel Montebello for their help in putting on a wonderful event. We also would like to ask you to pray for the 45 people that came forward and committed their lives to be open to serve Jesus full time in the mission field if He leads them in that direction.

Pastor Mike Thiemann of SGWM presenting God's call for missions

To top the month off, we had our first beach baptism of the summer where 25 new believers from our church were publically baptized in the beautiful Pacific Ocean. June was a very busy month, but once again our Lord Jesus was faithful to bless us and use us and the ministry here for His glory.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support

Finally, I want to thank you once again for partnering with our family and ministry here in Mexico.  Through your prayers we receive God’s guidance and protection. Through your financial support, we receive God’s provision.

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray that God would strengthen the 25 new believers that were baptized in June.
2. Please pray that God would bless our churches summer community evangelistic outreaches.
3. Please pray that God would provide for our family in these difficult economic times as our financial support has been very low recently.

Greetings from Zacatecas Mexico!

Mike in Zacetecas on a church planting trip!

I am writing this ministry update from the Central Mexican state of Zacatecas where I am finishing up a missions trip in this historic yet mostly unreached state. In this update, I would like to share with you our adventures on this vision tour and the calling that God has given us to minister and plant a church in this vital region of Mexico.

The state of Zacatecas, Central Mexico

Three years ago I met a wonderful new family at our church. Although Jason and Rebeccah Villalobos and their three children live and work in the United States, they have a family home here in Rosarito that they visit often. So over the past three years, I have been able to grow close to this special family.

Jason and Rebeccah Villalobos, future Church planters to Zacatecas Mexico

Two years ago, I was able to sit down over lunch with the Villalobos family and they shared with me the Mexican heritage that both of their families share. (Both Jason and Rebeccah have family from Zacatecas Mexico and the surrounding areas.) They also shared with me the burden and calling they had began to feel for Zacatecas over the many family visits that they had made there. Eventually, the family realized that God was calling them to become full time missionaries and church planters in the Capital city of  Zacatecas. (Zacatecas City)

Jason worshipping Jesus in Zacatecas

Jason and Rebeccah quickly found out that there is nothing that get’s me more excited than talking about church planting in Mexico. And I was quick to share with them my personal passion and calling which is to raise up and send out church planters. Since that meeting, our Pastoral staff and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to pour into and train this family about missions and church planting. Over that same time period the Villalobos family has been accepted as Saving Grace World Missions missionaries.

The four of us on our vision tour in front of the 500 year old irrigation system for the city

All of that brings us up to the present day in May of 2011.  Jason and Rebeccah, myself, and a Pastor friend of ours (Michael McDonald) flew down to Zacatecas for a vision tour to pray and seek God’s heart for this upcoming church plant in the city center.

During our short time in Zacatecas, we have seen God open doors and set up many divine appointments. One of those took place as we traveled to the top of the highest mountain in Zacatecas to a place called “La Bufa”.  While there, an older tour guide named Raul approached us out of the blue and offered to give us a tour of that historical site.

A vital part of any vision tour, testing the local cuisine (COMIDA GRATIS!!!)

A half an hour into the tour we shared about Jesus with this tour guide, and to our surprise he told us that he was a Christian. It is important to understand that running into a Christian in Zacatecas is a very rare occurrence.

Map of Mexico's Circle of Silence including the state of Zacatecas!

The state of Zacatecas is less than 2 percent Christian, and it lies in the center of a godless and dangerous six state region that has been dubbed the “Circle of Silence” because it consists of the most unreached areas in of all of Mexico. This divine appointment with Raul led into a wonderful conversation about Jesus and the need for a healthy Christian church plant located in the city center.

Jason and Rebeccah with Rene, the non Christian but open manager of the hotel

Later on in the week, Jason saw one of the hotel managers (Rene) reading a Gospel of John that he had left in the hotel. Jason lovingly yet boldly approached this man in much the same way that Jesus’ disciple Philip approached the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts Chapter 8. Jason asked this man “Do you understand what you are reading?” That question turned into an hour long discussion about the Gospel and the Bible with this unbelieving but searching young man and a few of his friends who also joined in.

Jason praying over the city!

Jason and Rebeccah are excited to move their family to Zacatecas as soon as the Lord opens up that final door and provides the funding needed for them to move and live in Zacatecas.  At this point they are still in the fundraising process and are searching for monthly supporters that are willing to partner with them in this much needed work.

Please pray for Jason, Rebeccah, and their three children!

Please keep this upcoming church plant in your prayers and if you would like to partner with the Villalobos family in this mission, you can find their support information located on their missions page on the Saving Grave World Missions website.

I fell in love with the city of Zacatecas!

Finally, I want to thank you once again for partnering with our family and ministry here in Mexico.  We could not do anything here without the help of our Lord Jesus and you our precious co-laborers.

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Lord Jesus, help us raise up and send out more church planters!

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray that God would provide monthly supporters for the Villalobos family so they can move to Zacatecas and begin their church plant.
2. Please pray that God would provide a safe house for their family and a storefront for the church.
3. Please pray that God would be preparing the hearts of those that live in Zacatecas to hear and respond to the message of the Gospel.

Calvary Chapel Rosarito Easter Service 2011!

We hope that everyone had a wonderful month of April as we celebrated the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! I know that for our family in Mexico we enjoyed a wonderful month that began with our “little” girl Grace celebrating a birthday and turning 11 years old. (Only two more years until she becomes a teenager, yikes!)

Grace's Birthday Party! Feliz Cumpleanos!

Grace celebrated her birthday with a party with her friends at church. Grace also took a couple of her closest friends to the local jewelry making store where they made some beautiful jewelry. Later on in the month, the young lady that helps Grace at the store professed faith at the end of the month at our church’s Easter outreach service. (More on that later!)

CCR Good Friday Service!

On the church side of things, we kicked off our Easter weekend with a special Good Friday service. The program for this service to remember the death of Jesus was provided by our children’s and youth ministry.

Grace singing a solo at church

We had our children’s worship band lead the church in worship, our youth put on a powerful drama depicting the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, and our children’s choir completed the service with a rousing sing along that included an amazing solo by our Birthday girl Grace.

Rosarito Sunrise Service

On Easter Sunday our church was blessed to participate in the very first Interdenominational Easter Sunrise service for our city. Many of us rose up early to witness the sunrise and remember that our Savior Jesus rose 2000 years ago early on that very first Easter Sunday morning. I was blessed to be able to assist in the worship service, and share a short message along with the other participating pastors.

CCR Easter Service

Later on that Sunday, our church combined our normal three Sunday services into one giant outdoor Easter Outreach service. We shut down the street in front of the church, rented an extra 600 chairs. We encouraged our congregation to bring an unsaved friend to church with them.

Mike Preaching on Easter Sunday!

The service itself was amazing. We had plenty of special music and I preached a sermon out of John Chapter 20 that I titled “Jesus is Alive” It was an encouraging morning as we reflected on the truth that we love and serve and follow a risen and living Savior Jesus. I love the words that Jesus shares with the church taken from Revelation 1:18  “I am the living one, I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever!”

We ended the service with a short children’s drama that included a giant piñata of the tomb of Jesus! The interesting aspect of this Easter piñata is that it was empty! This was a reminder to our children that the tomb of Jesus was empty because Jesus has risen and Jesus is alive.

Jesus is Alive!

Since we didn’t want any of our children to leave church disappointed, we did have a giant Resurrection Easter Egg hunt, where all of the children received plenty of candy to celebrate our risen Savior. And since we didn’t want the adults to feel left out, we also had a giant COMIDA GRATIS (Free food) BBQ as well.

Over 1000 in attendance at CCR's Easter Sunday Service!

At the end of the day our church hosted over 1000 people for our Easter Service. That set a new Sunday attendance record for our church. We were also blessed to have many first time visitors, and many of them made first time professions of faith to the Gospel message that was presented. (Including the teenage girl that helps Grace make her jewelry and works at the jewelry store)

Finally, I want to thank you once again for partnering with our family and ministry here in Mexico.  Through your prayers we receive God’s guidance and protection. Through your financial support, we receive God’s provision. We could not do anything here without the help of our Lord Jesus and you our precious co-laborers.

My 2 Beautiful Easter Ladies

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray that God will continue to bless our many upcoming summer community outreaches that we are planning.  Pray that many would come to faith in Jesus.
2. Please pray for me as I take a vision tour in May to the Mexican state of Zacatecas with our future missionaries/church planters Jason and Rebekkah Villalabos.
3. Please pray that God would continue to provide support for our family, the church, and the families in the church during these difficult economic times.

Jesus said Go into all the world and preach the Gospel!

Sarah has stayed very busy as a wife and homeschooling mom. And in the eyes of her husband, she is the absolute best wife and mother that any family could ask for.

Sarah teaching a homeschool class

On the church side of things, Sarah continues to help lead our Ladies Spanish “Caminemos en Victoria” (Walking in victory) Bible Study.   This weekly Bible study is designed especially to help ladies overcome issues and break chains in their lives.

Sarah was also recently certified to teach fitness classes by the Baja California Aerobics and Fitness Association. She is now instructing exercise classes for women at a local dance studio. Several of the ladies from our church attend her classes. She and the kids are also involved in the local swim program where they take lessons with another homeschool family from the church. Grace would love for you to know that she can beat her mom in any style of swimming when racing.

Grace and her Jewelry!

In addition to swimming, Grace loves to play tennis. She is taking tennis classes with a local tennis club. Grace has also taken up jewelry design.  A women from the fellowship opened up a craft store and taught Grace how to make earrings, bracelets, necklaces all of silver and crystals. She then sells her jewelry to her friends and to their mothers at church. At her homeschool class day she teaches one of the classes to the other girls on how to make their own jewelry, while Sarah teaches a bible study with the girls on virtue.

Grace on our whale watching field trip!

In her spare time Grace loves reading American Girl books and biographies. She recently completed reading a biography of Emilia Earhart (a distant relative of ours on my mom’s side) and she is now reading the biography of Mother Teresa. She asked her mom to please buy her a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Benjamin Franklin next (how to make a homeschool mommy happy!).

Daniel working out at homeschool day!

Our boy Daniel is growing like a weed, and continues to stay active and loves all sports. Daniel’s favorite sport to play is basketball and is a big LA Laker fan, just like his dad. With his lighting quick memory, Daniel can also name all of the players in the NBA (National Basketball League) and can recite their stats from memory as well.  In his spare time, Daniel can often be found in the backyard playing 1 on 1 basketball games beating his dad!

Our favorite boy in all of Mexico!

Daniel is also on a boys soccer league. Every Saturday mommy and daddy can be found in the local dirt and rock filled field screaming “Vamos Daniel”, well, that is until he told us that we were embarrassing him- so now we clap and give him a thumbs up when he looks at us. Daniel also stays active by taking a children’s hip hop dance class at the dance studio that Sarah works at. (Thankfully he dances like his mom and not his dad). Him and his buddy Luis want to learn how to moonwalk like Michael Jackson they say.

We saw many Grey whales on our field trip!

This year Sarah has been using a wonderful science curriculum called Exploring Creation, an in- depth study on the ocean. Being that we live in Mexico, we planned a trip to see the grey whale migration and the baja California destination where they have their babies in a local lagoon. As we rode around in a little outboard boat, we were amazed to see 12 different sets of mother’s swimming with their newborn babies (calves) We were amazed that we were able to get within 18 inches of touching these 60 foot Grey whales. To witness these magnificent creatures in the beauty of God’s creation is a memory that we will never forget!

Finally, in the month of March I was blessed to be able to have a couple of special stateside speaking engagements where I got to share about God’s missionary heart for the world. I truly enjoyed to share at one of our supporting churches (Calvary Chapel Westgrove) about what God has done these past 9 years through our family and ministry.

We are honored to partner with you as missionaries!

I was also able to share at Saving Grace World Missions brand new one day “Impact Missions Conferences” that are designed to stir up local congregations for missions. That conference was such an amazing experience that we are planning to host one this summer at our church down in Mexico.

Finally, I want to thank you once again for partnering with our family and ministry here in Mexico.

We could not do anything here without the help of our Lord Jesus and you our precious co-laborers.

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray that God will continue to bless Grace and Daniel in their homeschooling and that God will give us wisdom to raise them in His ways.
2. Please pray that God will continue to use our church and ministry to raise up and send out missionaries and church planters.
3. Please pray that God would continue to provide support for our family, the church, and the families in the church during these difficult economic times.

Vincent Family- Mexico 2011

February was another big month for our ministry as we fulfilled a second long time dream of ours in 2011 and opened a fully accredited Bible College. And in this update, I want to let you know a little bit about our new Bible College and talk about how things have been going so far.

You might remember that four years ago our church started our own version of a mini Bible College. And over that time, we have seen nearly 100 students from our church graduate from that two year non accredited program.  But our previous Bible College was very basic and offered only one class per semester.

Calvary Chapel Bible College Rosarito. Classes now in session!

This new and improved version of our Bible College is an official Extension Campus of the full time Calvary Chapel Bible College campus located in Murrieta California. And we are proud to say that Calvary Chapel Bible College Rosarito (CCBCR) began with it’s first classes in January.

One of the main reasons that CCBCR got off the ground so successfully was that it is directed by our special friends Jeff and Bonnie Johnson, missionaries serving with us sent out from Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara.

Jeff and Bonnie Johnson- Missionaries and directors of CCBCR!

When the Johnson’s joined us two years ago, they brought with them loads of missions and Bible college experience having taught at Bible College campuses located across the globe in Uganda, Spain, Germany, and Mexico.

Over a year ago, Jeff (one of our Assistant Pastors) approached me and proposed that our church host its own Bible College campus.  After discussing this opportunity with our church elders and spending much time in prayer, our leadership team quickly realized that this was an open door that God was opening right before our eyes.

Studying at CCBC Rosarito!

Since our first class six weeks ago, we have seen that the first group of students to enroll at CCBCR reflect the same wonderful diversity that we have in our church family. The 75 students range in age from 15 to 74, and since each one of the 9 evening and Saturday classes that we offer are bilingual, we have a mix of both Mexican and American students.

We have 75 students enrolled in our 9 classes this semester!

And each one of these students are at different places in their spiritual development. Several of our students are preparing to go out and plant churches upon their graduation, while others simply want to grow in their Christian faith. We even have a couple of brand new believers that are enrolled in the Bible College.

The classes at CCBCR are all taught by local pastors and missionaries. This Semester I have been privileged to teach a class on the book of Ecclesiastes and I have 25 enthusiastic students in my class!

Assistant Pastor Jesus Ochoa teaching at the Bible College!

The three main goals of CCBCR are: #1- to know Jesus more intimately, #2-to know His Word more deeply, and #3- to be better equipped to serve Jesus!

Please join us in praying that God will use this Bible College to reach Mexico and the nations with the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Finally, I want to thank you once again for partnering with our family and ministry here in Mexico.

And please don’t forget that when God begins an amazing work like this Bible College, as co-laborers in the ministry all of us get to celebrate and rejoice together.

With much love from Mexico,

Mike, Sarah, Grace, and Daniel

The whole Vincent clan recently came together from the ends of the earth for the first time in 4 years!

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray that God will bless the new church plant at Capilla Calvario Vista del Valle.
2. Please pray that God will continue to bless our new Bible College, and raise up and send out some of these students to be future missionaries and church planters.
3. Please pray that God would continue to provide support for our family, the church, and the families in the church during these difficult economic times.