Update from the Mendoza family in Alamos, Sonora

This has been the work of the Lord 
and it is marvelous in our eyes, 
this is the day that the Lord has made, 
let us rejoice and be glad in it. 
Psalm 118:23-24

A letter from Fabian and Sarah:
[Para leerla en español, haz clik aquí.]

We give all honor and glory to the only One worthy, to our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who never loses his Crown for there is none to contend against Him. We are thankful for the days we have been given so full of blessings. We are also thankful to our brothers and sisters in Christ, both in Mexico (particularly the church Roca Eterna in Obregon, Sonora), as well as from various States in the USA and New Hope Church in Roseburg for your many letters, cards and gifts before, during and after our wedding. We appreciate every one and were blessed as much by the beautiful cards as by the monitary gifts and the kitchen utensils that have been so useful in my beautiful wife’s kitchen. 

Sarah and I ask your forgiveness for not yet having written in response to your many kind wishes. We don't have internet in the house yet, so communication is limited. We are, however, working on responding to each note and card we have received!

We were immensely blessed by all those who were able to attend our wedding this past February 28th. It will be difficult to ever forget that bus full of family and good friends that arrived from Obregon, or the many others who invested so much time and effort to be there with us. Thank you, everyone!

After the wedding, we spent 15 days traveling up the Baja Peninsula before arriving at our new home in Alamos, Sonora. We traveled by ferry, bus, hitchhiking and had the opportunity to tag along with a friend to an aquarium to spend time with the dolphins! 

Moving to Alamos was a new adventure for both of us, but as we sought the Lord in prayer before our marriage, we felt peace that the Lord was guiding us in that direction. Since 2009, Alamos has been the starting point from which I have set out on my yearly trip into the mountains to deliver Bibles and preach the gospel to all who will listen. 

 
The brothers here in Alamos have welcomed us with open arms as a family in Christ. We were invited by the church to participate with the worship team as well as in the outreach events over the past months. 

The first month of our stay here, we lived in a small apartment attached to the church. By May, we had moved over to the parsonage, located directly below the lookout point on the outskirts of the town. The house was originally bought by the first missionary, Pancho Robles, who planted the Calvary Chapel church we are attending. While still living at the church, Sarah started noticing that something was different and one day announced to me, “HONEY, I THINK THAT I’M PREGNANT.” I said, “Are you sure? I’m gonna buy a test!” Sure enough, she was right. Now we are expecting a beautiful baby girl (still looking for the right name). The Lord has indeed given us many gifts, not to mention His daily provision for our needs. 

The house we are presently living in is made of adobe (“adobe” is a style of construction commonly used in this region. It consists of blocks of mud mixed with straw or cow manure and then plastered and painted. The walls are thick and keep the house cool in the heat). The roof is supported mostly by wooden beams. Since the house was left uninhabited for some time and without much maintenance, much of the wood has rotted and the roof leaks in some places. Praise God, we are moving forward little by little in the repairs.

The photo above pictures Fabian installing our new front gate! 

In June we were able to form part of the seven-member mission team from Las Glorias, Sinaloa. Along with our parents, Doug and Rebecca, and the rest of the team, we travelled down to Puebla, MX, teaching the Pathways course as well as giving parenting classes and children's classes in several churches. Pathways is a workshop designed to train leaders to study and teach the Bible accurately.

 This is one of the classes we presented to the children while their parents were attending the parenting classes. 

Upon returning to Alamos, a group of men from the church took a couple of cars up to visit Guajaray, a small community of the Guajario tribe in the mountains above Alamos. The plan had been to make it to Aquinabo, a village four hours walking from Guajaray, but it was impossible due to the swollen river. Just over halfway to Guajaray, the pastor’s truck broke down, leaving half of the group stranded. Fortunately, I was able to identify the problem and after getting a ride to a nearby hill to find cell service, they we able to get someone to bring the replacement part. The solution was almost 5 hours in coming and during the hottest part of the day. When the water had run out, some of the guys walked over to a nearby ranch to ask for more. As it would happen, the owners of the house turned out to be relatives a good friend of mine! We were able to share Christ with them before we returned to the rest of the group. 

In Guajaray we met Manuel and Rodolfo, brothers who are heading up the small church “Oasis of Grace”. There we were able to bring all the brothers together for a church service and then project a movie for the kids. I also ran into some friends from my highschool days, guys who I had preached Christ to during my time at the boarding school. Their names are Leonel and Saul. Please, brothers, I ask that you would pray for them. Leonel is attending the church from time to time; Saul is not.

Sarah and I had also been praying for a means of transportation so as to be able to visit the communities in the mountains and begin studying the Bible with them. The Lord has provided for a motorcycle! It still needs new tires, but once we are able to get those, it will be much faster than walking. We are joyful and thankful to the Lord and our desire in writing this is to glorify Him and that you might be blessed in reading it and might join us in prayer. Thank you!

Join us in praying for: 

• Sarah and the baby, she’s already in her fourth month, along with all the symptoms that implies, as well as for me that I might know how to best help her. 
• For the trip that we want to make to Baboyagui, a village in the mountains, to begin teaching the oral Bible to the people. 
• VBS planned for the end of this month in Santa Matilde. We have been put at the head of the planning. 
• The youth event this weekend in Tecate, Baja California. We have been invited to play music and share with the kids. We will be leaving Friday, July 17, with Brother Abel Cebreros. 
• Leonel and Saul – friends from Guajaray. Pray that they would seek to know God. 

En Cristo permanecemos
Fabian & Sarah Mendoza
Tel.: 011 52 1 644 166 6807
E-mail: mendozacoult@gmail.com