¡Bienvenidos! (Welcome!)
Calvary Chapel Sacramento has been partnering with works of Capilla Calvario in Sonora, Mexico, since 1987. Sonora is one of the northern most states of Mexico, with a population of about 2,500,000. Almost half of the population is centered around Hermosillo, the capital. The work is spread out throughout ejidos (villages), poblados (rural towns) and la ciudad (the City, Hermosillo). Sonora is a very traditional state, and family and cultural ties are strong. Still, the Lord has faithfully moved throughout that time to reveal his grace and salvation to many. Below is a list of ministries and churches we are involved with.
Miguel Aleman (Pueblo Doce)
Calvary Sacramento’s partnership began in a small farming community called Miguel Aleman in 1987, when Rafael and Marielena Esparza and their three children moved here from Guadalajara. Because of opposition to the gospel, they were forced to work in area ejidos, which actually proved to be a blessing, as many surrounding towns were reached for Christ as well. The Esparzas recently celebrated 20 years of ministry in Miguel Aleman, which has grown to a population of about 50,000. The majority of their congregants are farm workers and laborers. Miguel Aleman also has the largest population of Triqui Indians outside of Oaxaca (their home state) and Baja California Sur (where they serve as farm workers).
Prayer points:
- Pray for the strength of the church
- Pray for this poblado, which has been overwhelmed with family violence and teen pregnancy.
Hermosillo
Centro Cristiano Amor Fraternal began in 2006 under the leadership of Pastor Jose Machado. He and his wife Adriana began a small home study that has grown into a thriving young church.
Pastor Jose was moved by the Calvary Chapel Distinctives and Calvary Chapel’s emphasis on the Word of God, and began sensing the Lord calling him to plant a new Calvary Chapel fellowship called Amor Fraternal (brotherly love) in 2005. The Lord gave him Ephesians 4:11 as an anchor verse for this new work:
“It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teacher, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
To learn more about the church Amor Fraternal, visit their Facebook Page.
- Pray for the strength of the church and maturity among members.
- Pray that the church would reflect the name, Amor Fraternal (brotherly love), well!
Jeff, Lilia and Gabriel Roenspie
Since leaving the Philippines in 2003, the Roenspies felt led back to Mexico, where both Jeff and Lilia had served before they married. Currently Jeff assists in teaching and preaching at Amor Fraternal, oversees pastoral teaching clinics, and offers support to the coastal church pastors with resources and events. Lilia oversees Sunday School, teaches an evangelistic English as a Second Language Course, and faithfully ministers to her husband and son Gabriel. They are also involved in an outreach to a local homeless shelter and oversee the adolescents group at Amor Fraternal.
- Please pray for the Roenspie family, that their love for one another would reflect Jesus’ love!
- Pray for their provision and protection.
Escuela de Ministerio Calvario
In September, 2010, the Roenspies took the initial steps in launching a school of ministry, Escuela de Ministerio Calvario. Because Jeff has served for 5 years at the Bible College in the Philippines, he was anxious to see this same resource become a reality for the churches in Sonora. The school has begun slowly, with an emphasis on Inductive study of the Word and service. In 2011, they hope to expand their class offerings and number of students. By the fall of 2011, the goal is to officially change the name to Insitute Biblico Capilla Calvario, Hermosillo, the official satellite campus of the Calvary’s Bible College in Ensenada.
- Please pray for the resources, facilities, teachers and students hungry for the Word of God!
Plan de Ayala
Plan de Ayala is an ejido, a rural community that has seen rapid growth, as many of the surrounding communities saw their water supplies disappear or because they didn’t have school facilities for children. In 2009, Enrique Garcia was named as pastor of the work here (at right is a photo of his ordination service!). He and his wife Leticia have lived in this area since childhood. Enrique continues to focus on putting down a strong foundation of teaching through the Word and seeing the church restored after years of lacking permanent leadership.
- Pray that the church would maintain a strong foundation of Jesus Christ and the Word.
Bahia Kino
Robert Valencia and his wife Brenda have overseen the work of Capilla Calvario Bahia de Kino since 2000. Since then, the tremendous growth in this small fishing and vacation town has given them opportunities to share the love of Christ with many. Currently they are seeing tremendous fruit among the youth and children in their community, which, in turn, has touched the lives of many families. The Valencias recently built a small hardware store next to their home (inauguration photo, left) to be run by their daughter Glenda. This helps provide for their family while they serve in the ministry.
- Pray for the young leadership would grow up and be trained in this church.
Further Areas of Prayer for Mission Mexico
Pray… Sonora is traditionally and culturally Catholic, but genuine faith is limited. Recent statistics show about 5-8% of the State is affiliated with an evangelical faith. Pray for openness to the Gospel. Beyond that, Sonora is a very traditional state, and family often becomes an obstacle for people making an independent step toward hearing the gospel or attending church.
Pray… for the strength of the existing churches. Winds of doctrines and little reliance on the Word have led to a number of large churches in Sonora to embrace questionable teachings. Often it’s hard for people to distinguish the truth. That is one reason the Roenspies feel so strongly about the need for a Bible Institute—to train and equip leaders who will be able to “rightly divide the Word of Truth.”
Pray for the launching of an institute as well as wisdom among area pastors in contending for the faith and rightly representing the truth of the Gospel. This will require solid discipleship within the churches, as believers take responsibility to exercise their gifts and use the Word in their daily lives. One danger is to see the pastor as the one who teaches and leads, rather than as a co-laborer in the faith.
Pray… for the maturity of the churches. At a recent Mexico Calvary Pastor’s Conference, the challenge was presented to begin sending out and beginning new missions from the Mexican church. Pray that the church will take this vital next step in their growth. Many have been involved in outreaches and sending out workers. Pray this would continue.
Pray… for Pastors, Leaders, and Missionaries. Ask the Lord to give them a fresh sense of their calling and renewed strength to serve Him!
Areas Of Need
You can support these vital works through your offerings. Any gifts for the churches in Mexico can include the check notation Mission Mexico. Donations for specific missionaries should include their name in the check notation field.
Operation Christmas Child
Over the past 5 years, Calvary Chapel Sacramento has directed shoe boxes for the children of the ejido churches of Sonora. This project is announced in late fall and the boxes are collected with enough time to allow delivery to Sonora. The boxes are a huge blessing to the children in these coastal areas and to many who live in the squatters areas of the cities
Basic Resources
Basic necessities like school supplies (in August) and warm winter blankets (in November-Jan) are quite expensive here, and most families lack the resources to purchase them. August is traditionally a month of little work, as the harvest are all finished. Check with the missions fellowship mid-summer to determine if a school supply drive or blanket drive is being organized. A list of needed supplies will be provided
Pastoral Resources
There is always a need for pastoral resources, as many of the pastors have limited income and access to commentaries and other resources. In addition, many of the pastors desire to attend the annual pastors conference in Mexico, but lack the funding to do so. Check with the missions coordinator on what resources are needed or how to sponsor a pastor for the annual Mexico Pastors Conference attendance.
Short-Term Missions Teams
Consider giving the gift of your time and gifts by being part of a short-term mission! We regularly provide ministry opportunities in children’s ministry, work projects, evangelism, and teaching. Serving with a short-term team is a great way to understand the work of missions and reach across cultural barriers with the good news.
Join us!
If you are interested in being part of a short-term team to encourage missionaries the local church, contact the Missions Coordinator of Calvary Sacramento, Lou Correia, or Jeff Roenspie at pastorjeff@calvarysac.org.
