Coult Update -- February 2013

Hello friends, family and supporters!

We wanted to let you all know that tomorrow we are starting the third module of MBS pastoral training here in Las Glorias, Sinaloa, Mexico. Once again, God has provided for travel for the teachers, purchase of the course books, housing and food for the ten day conference. Our wonderful provider never ceases to amaze and surprise us! The provision did not come from where we expected it, but it came at just the right time and we are grateful.

This is the fruit stand where we purchase fruits and veggies every week -- including this week, when we purchased produce for Master's Bible School.  The majority of Don Trino's produce is grown only a few meters up the road, just behind his fields of roses.

 

Thank you to those of you who have been praying for us, and also thank you to those of you whose hearts God has touched to support this ministry.

Please continue to pray for the following:

• Strength for the staff (teachers and kitchen crew)
• Pray that we will move at His pace and not our own.
• Spiritual and physical health for all
• For everyone to learn as much as we can in these ten days
• Pray against the enemy and his schemes
• We still have a few pastors that want to be at the study but aren’t able to because of either travel costs are lack of funds to leave their families for the 10 days or both. Ask God that He would do a miracle and allow these men to attend. Pray about helping them to be here.
• Pray for everyone who is striving to graduate from the school! 

In His Strength,
Doug and Rebecca

“I would most gladly spend and be spent for your souls”
                                                                         -- The Apostle Paul, II Corinthians 12:15

Update from the Coult Family -- Happy New Year!

O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things!!! -- Psalm 98:1

Monday night, shortly before midnight, a motorcycle roared into our driveway.  It was our friend, Alfredo, who had come to borrow our pick-up truck.  His wife was in labor and he needed to get her to the hospital right away.  Tuesday morning we got a call from Alfredo's mom.  "It's a boy!" He was born at 12:30 a.m.  We praise God that we were able to help Alfredo and his family!  Thank you, again, to those of you who participated in the purchase of our little Chevy pick-up.  It's most definitely being used in the ministry here!!!

Life is busy as usual, but we wanted to take a moment to wish you a happy new year and tell you that we are praying for you;  We are asking God to fulfill His will in your life in a greater way this year.

2012 was a year full of blessings for us here in Mexico.  We have had the privilege of seeing God change lives through His word, His spirit and His provision.  We have experienced a few changes this year as well.  Our two oldest, Sarah and Caleb, are stepping out in God's calling on their lives.  Sarah spent the latter part of 2012 at Tres Cruces Master's Bible School in Ensenada as she continued her pursuit of teaching/ministering in God's kingdom.  As our ministry is expanding, we are praying towards her coming back to work with us in Sinaloa for a season.  Caleb has also been pursuing a certification at Master's Bible School which he will be receiving in February.  His plan is to travel to the States in March where he will begin the application process into a welding school in Butte County, California.  

This year, we have taken on some new responsibilities with the Vida Nueva Church.  Doug is now managing the mission facilities in Las Glorias and is heading up some new construction projects for the Vida Nueva Church in Alamito.  Our friends and co-workers, the Petit family, have moved stateside for a season to raise funds for the churches and lead mission teams down to Mexico.  Pray for them as they adjust to these changes in their lives as well.

One of our main projects in 2012 was hosting Master's Bible School.  This school consists of three ten-day modules, of which we have completed two.  God has been so faithful in providing for every need of the first two modules and in February, Lord willing, we will host the third.  We are so grateful for the pastors and leaders who have received this training!  We are praying that 30 will graduate from the school and receive their certification in February. 

We continue to host weekly youth meetings and monthly youth events here at the "Aposento Alto" (Spanish for "Upper Room").  In December, nearly 100 youth attended our end-of-the-year youth outreach/pizza party.  Continue to pray for these young people and for our family as we reach out to share Jesus' love with them!

Prayers and Praises:

• Pray for our children as they seek God's direction in their lives.  Specifically pray for Sarah and Caleb as they begin to step out in faith on their own.
• Pray for God's provision in Module 3 of Master's Bible School.  The cost of this module will be about $1300.
• Pray that all of the pastors and leaders will be able to return to finish the Bible school in February.  
• Praise God for the new addition to our home fellowship -- Alfredo and Heidi's new baby!  
• Praise God for the youth who are attending our weekly youth meetings, the men attending the weekly Bible study and baseball outreach, the women attending the weekly Bible study, and all of the families who are now attending our weekly fellowship time.  God is growing His Church!

 

MBS Module 2: Completed!

 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."  Galatians 6:9

Twenty-three students complete Module 2 of Master's Bible School last week.  We were encouraged, blessed, excited, challenged and exhausted by the end of the week.  What an amazing time!  Module 3 is already in the planning stages and the dates have been set for February 7 through 15, 2013.  That's right around the corner!  Let us know if you would like to get involved in this life-changing event!

This is a pretty common sight in our area.  What is it?  It's a propane gas tank strapped onto the back of a motorbike.  Almost every stove is fueled by propane here.  Tanks are filled at the Gaspasa station, but the one closest to us is in Tamazula, nearly 10 miles away.  Many people will simply trade an empty tank in for a full one, but that requires taking the tank to an exchange point.  In either case, one must transport this tank of flammable gas on the open highway...one way or another.

Prayers and Praises:

• Praise God for His amazing provision during Module 2 of MBS.  
• Praise God for all the students who were able to attend -- some only because God worked a miracle in their lives to provide for their families during their time here.
• Continue to pray for the persecuted Church in Southern Mexico, in Africa and around the world.  It's easy to forget about those who are suffering for their faith when we don't see the persecution first-hand.
• Pray for us as we prepare for Module 3 -- for the students who will attend, for the teachers arriving from various places, for God's provision for the pastors and their families as well as for the school itself.
• Pray for our kids: Sarah at Rancho Tres Cruces where she is studying, Caleb as he prepares to launch out in February, the rest as they continue to study at home and seek direction for their futures.
• Praise God for the provision of a small pick-up!  YAY!!!  We're hoping that using the smaller vehicle will save gas and also save wear and tear on the van.   

A Hammock in the Shade

Module 2 of Master's Bible School is nearly finished. Only three days remain, and I must say that I have mixed emotions. On one hand, the past week has been very full, very busy and maybe a little stressful. But on the other hand, the blessings have been tremendous!!! We've watched God provide in miraculous ways for several brothers who didn't think they'd be able to attend and those who are attending are reaping great rewards.  We've seen physical healing and all of us have been learning new things every day.  The students say that the classes are tough, but very useful and applicable to their lives as pastors and leaders. They are excited to be able to return to their congregations and begin to apply the lessons they are learning at the school.

Pastor Misael takes a moment to rest in our hammock while reading his homework. Pastor Rosario, standing, enjoys the shade and the quiet. Rosario was sick with a flu for a couple of days, but didn't want to go home. He stayed in bed drinking tea and working on homework assignments so that he wouldn't fall behind the class. As a group, we've been battling colds, stomach issues, fevers, dizzy spells and lung problems for the past week...and the mosquitoes have been absolutely insane. Most of these ailments have, after a time of prayer, simply disappeared. Some continue to be problematic. Pray for Pastor Felipe, for example, who is battling asthma and a bronchial infection.  Also pray that the mosquitoes would all die very soon.

Don Ramon has brought his cows back to Las Glorias for the winter. It's good to have him here again.  We've been concerned about his health recently, and we know that his whole family is adjusting to the passing of Doña Librada, Ramon's wife, last summer. Pray that God would continue to reveal Himself to this man and his family. Ramon came over yesterday to help Jessee with a dislocated toe. Ouch. We paid him with a loaf of fresh bread.

Prayers and Praises:

• Pray that God would continue to use Master's Bible School to equip and encourage the body of Christ here in Mexico and around the world.
• Pray against health issues and spiritual attacks in the lives of the students and their families.
• Pray for the persecuted church in Southern Mexico and around the world.  We received word yesterday of some brothers who have been imprisoned for teaching the Bible in another country.  Brother Toño, who is here attending MBS, shared with us that they endure harassment and persecution from mafia in their village in South Mexico.  
• Pray for the youth in Boca del Rio and Las Glorias.  We'll be having another "Movie Night" this Friday and are praying for a good turn-out.  
• Praise God for His provision for Module 2 of MBS!
• Praise God for His protection of our children (even when they are doing rather silly things).
• Praise God for the men and women who have been faithfully attending our weekly Bible studies.

Master's Bible School: Act 2

Master's Bible School, Module 2 started today! Praise God for all of the pastors and leaders who have arrived to study with us for the next 10 days!

We have two teachers this time. Luis Cervantes, who is the main teacher at Rancho Tres Cruces, has returned to teach an Old Testament survey and a class on apologetics. Kevin Matthews, from Roseburg, Oregon, arrived last week and is teaching discipleship.

It has been a struggle for many of these national students to arrive at the school this session. As is the case all over the world, the economy is very difficult. We've seen God work some miracles these past weeks though, and are excited to have all the students here. Praise God for providing all that was necessary for this module! It looks like we might even have a little extra to put toward Module 3 in February! Wow!!!

A special, "THANK YOU!!!" to everyone who has given toward and prayed for this project. It is really a huge undertaking, but we have a huge God who does huge things!

 Keep praying for these students...

• that they would be able to grasp the concepts and information being taught
• that everyone would stay healthy during the school
• that God would continue to meet all their needs and the needs of their families at home
• that the teachers would have wisdom and be listening to God as they share with the students

 

October 2012 Update

Psalm 9: 1-2 “I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”

We have much to be thankful for! Our time in the States during August and September was absolutely wonderful. A special thank you to the congregations in Arizona, California and Oregon which we were able to visit! Your hospitality was incredible, and we were (and continue to be) so blessed! Now that we’re back home, we’ve unpacked, done laundry, cleaned the house and are jumping back into life and ministry in Sinaloa.

Andrew and Evie step in to help with the children’s class at the church in Alamito. After being gone for over a month, they said it felt really good to be back to teaching the little kids…in Spanish. It was also wonderful to see some new faces in the kids’ class. Graciano and Diane, who moved to Tijuana a few years ago, have recently moved back to Alamito and several other children from the village have begun attending regularly, too.

 
Evie and Kelly, a missionary from Arizona who is staying with us, show our friends’ daughters the joys of finger painting. Simply living with and reaching out to the families around us is a big part of our work here. We pray that we are an encouragement to the families around us and try to be lights in our village. For the next few months, we have the pleasure of hosting a young missionary from Arizona. Kelly is getting a first-hand look at missionary life and has discovered that very little Spanish is needed to effectively finger paint with little kids!

Saying goodbye to Sarah at Rancho Tres Cruces outside of Ensenada, Mexico. What are they doing with their hands? Well, “tres cruces” means “three crosses”. Sarah is settling in at the ranch in San Antonio de Las Minas. Bible classes will be beginning soon and she’s very much looking forward to digging into the Word with the other students.

Friday night youth group in the Aposento Alto (the Upper Room). Friday nights are generally youth-led. Last week, Kelly shared a challenging message on being real and taking our faith seriously.  The youth take turns teaching and leading worship.  It's great to see God raising up young leaders!  Pray that each one of them would be standing firm in their faith.

A special gift from a church in California enabled us to purchase chairs for the conference center. We were so excited to be able to bring 56 chairs home with us from Los Mochis last weekend. Now we will have seating for everyone attending our weekly Bible studies as well as all the pastors and leaders who will be attending the Bible school at the end of this month. In the past we have needed to rent chairs and tables. Praise God for His provision!!!

Master’s Bible School will begin in two weeks. We are very excited, but also feeling the time crunch and the need to finish several projects before classes start. The teachers’ airplane and bus fares are taken care of, and the course materials are ready to be sent to the printer. We have both tables and chairs – and didn’t have to rent them!  We've talked with most of the students who attended Module 1 and most have confirmed their attendance for Module 2.  Pray for these pastors and leaders.  They see the value of solid Biblical teaching, and are willing to make sacrifices to attend the school.  The cost for the 10-day course is 150 pesos (a little over $10) which is equal to a day's wage here.  Most of the students will be taking time off work to attend and a couple have even stated that they plan to quit their jobs.  One pastor shared that his boss wasn't willing to give him time off last winter to attend Module 1, so he quit the job.  A week after the school, his boss called him back to work.

The tuition money is used to defray some of the cost of the food.  As you might imagine, $10 doesn't really cover 10 days worth of meals, so the Vida Nueva churches have been doing fund raisers to help meet this need.  This morning I was discussing the amount of money still needed for meals (about $1,200) with other pastors’ wives. Their attitudes both humbled and encouraged me. Of course, we all agreed that God will provide according to our needs and that we shouldn’t worry. But they went on to say that they believed we should be spending more time in prayer and fasting, so I really shouldn’t worry too much about the food. It would be a good discipline for the students to fast a meal each day. Please pray that God would meet the needs of the students during Master’s Bible School, and also pray that each of us attending will be open to learn every lesson that He has for us during that time.

Prayers and Praises:

• Praise God for His provision during our time in the States and as we return home. We see His hand working in our lives daily! Pray that we would continue to trust Him every moment!!!
• Praise God for the young missionary, Kelly, who is staying with us. Pray that God would speak into her life in a mighty way while she is here with us and lead her where He wants her to go.
• Pray for Sarah at Rancho Tres Cruces. Pray for God’s continued guidance in her life and that she would be hearing His voice clearly.
• Pray for Caleb as he looks ahead to his first “solo venture”. Lord willing, he will be moving to California this spring. 
• Pray for the mission team from Washington which will be arriving next week.  Pray for God's provision and protection and that their time here would be impacting and life-changing for everyone involved! 
• Pray for God’s provision for the Master’s Bible School at the end of this month. Specifically pray for the $1200 needed for meals (or the grace needed to fast!). ;^)
• Praise God for the tables and chairs and all the other "details" He's been working out for Module 2 of Master's Bible School.
• Pray that any obstacles which might hinder students from attending the Bible school would be removed. 
• Pray for the youth in Las Glorias, Boca del Rio, La Pitayha and Alamito who are attending the weekly youth group meetings.
• Praise God for our home fellowship group in Las Glorias. Pray that the group would continue to grow both in number and in maturity.
  
  

Master's Bible School -- Module 2 is coming!

Ministry in Mexico during the past three months has been phenomenal. Over and again we’ve seen God’s mighty hand at work in the lives of the people around us, as well as in our own lives. Our home fellowship group continues to grow, small weekly Bible studies are meeting three days a week and we continue to support the Vida Nueva congregations with Bible teaching, children’s classes, and our family worship band on a weekly basis. We manage to stay pretty busy!

As well as our current commitments, we are also in the planning and preparation stages for our next large-scale event: Master’s Bible School – Module 2. Module 1, which was held in the New Hope Conference Center in Las Glorias in February of this year, was a huge success and (we’ve been told) a real blessing to all who attended.

Rancho Tres Cruces is a training center based in Ensenada, Mexico, whose passion and goal is to train teachers to go into the world and teach the gospel to pastors who otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive training – for either economic or logistic reasons. To this end, they have developed Master’s Bible School, a month-long course divided into three sections, or modules. Forty-five pastors attended Module 1 in February, and we are expecting most of these pastors to attend Module 2.

During the 10-day module, students live with us, taking meals together and sleeping in the missionary dormitories a block from our house. The ladies, and sometimes men too, rise early to make breakfast and stay up late cleaning up from supper – in addition to doing homework! It’s a grueling course, but absolutely full of blessings!

In addition to full-time work at the church, most pastors in our area also work at least part-time to provide for their families. Taking ten days off work is a real sacrifice to most. To make Master’s Bible School accessible to as many leaders as possible, the cost of the course is set at the amount of an average day’s wage, which is about $10 ($150 pesos). This cost includes room and meals for ten days, as well as the materials needed for the class. Obviously $10 doesn’t cover all the costs! To raise funds for Module 1, the Vida Nueva churches made and sold tamales, our kids made and sold bread, churches and families in the States got involved, and God multiplied the income so that every need was met! Please pray with us that God would continue to provide for this work of His.

Module 2 is scheduled for October 24 through November 2, 2012. Although it’s still a bit over four months away, we know it’s time to start planning and preparing. There is much to do in those four months! You can help us by praying for every aspect of this event: meals, lodging, transportation for the teachers coming to Las Glorias, printing the materials. Those pastors and leaders who also have full-time jobs will have to arrange days off, some will need to arrange for child care. We recognize that this school is a huge undertaking, but we believe that God is the one in charge of it and will work everything according to His plan. Pray with us during the next four months!

If you’re interested in getting involved in a more tangible way, or would like to find out more about Master’s Bible School or Rancho Tres Cruces, send us a note! FLOWinternational@fastmail.fm