Funeral Service to brother Richard Dean Crouthers 

Our prayer are with sister Lourdes

Some of the ladies present to celebrate our brother Dean

Gracie as well as a couple of the brothers were an encouragement 

May God bless His Word to all who heard

Happy Birthdays in la Anza

Yesterday we celebrated three birthdays together for those who have their birthdays in November.

Alma made the cake, some beans and a delicious salad for all to enjoy

Brother Francisco is a big help with the preaching and music with guitar for the meetings in la Anza. 

Jesus, Laura and their sweet granddaughter are the newest family to receive the Gospel and join the church in la Anza. 

Back and Busy

It feels good to be back, and busy bringing the Gospel to lost souls in and around Nogales

Those won and gathering in our little apartment in La Anza are continuing to grow, even to the point of needing more room. We are working with them to open their homes, and seek other homes to use to hold meetings as well. But on Sundays when we hold services to celebrate our Lord, and for the Sunday school for the children there just isn't enough room. Pray with us as we seek a larger place to meet.

It is exiting that the weakest and newest believers are the most active at sharing what they learn and inviting others. These new believers, Juana and Luz here showing off their new glasses we got from some friends in the Pacific Northwest have both been sharing their new faith with others. Luz has brought a neighbor named Jesus. This young man will be leading our Discovery Bible Study this coming Wednesday. 

First visits in the pacific northwest

Only weeks after heart bypass pastor Gunderson is heading to Spencer Creek Lutheran church to do a wedding! We spent an evening with them before heading up to Washington.

Our first couple week or so was spent in the parking lot of Atonement Free Lutheran church in Arlington. It was like being in a beautiful park. We are now (8/9/19) in a local RV park so that we can have running water etc. 

Last Sunday, the 8th, we shared and preached at my home church Elim Free Lutheran. It was great getting to know our new pastor Luke Emerson too. 

2019 Training Trip

After the annual conference of the Mexican Lutheran Apostolic Alliance (AALM), Alma and I spent a couple of weeks with each of our pastors and congregations in the Mexican states of Puebla and Sinaloa from February through May. Here are a few of the highlights.

While in the northern mountains of Puebla, we stayed with our dear brother pastor Floriberto and his family in Huahuaxtla.

Alma had a chance to learn the fine art of cooking Poblana style.

I was able to learn the fine art of fixing a wheelbarrow... with a big rock!

At the same time, we spent time with them teaching how to lead small groups to lead people to faith, make disciples, and start new churches. 

It was a lot of fun being able to teach a little more guitar to pastor Floriberto's daughter Andrea who I taught guitar to when she was just a little girl, now she has her own daughter. (I taught her with the little guitar Alma has)

Part of our practice time with the pastors was going out sharing the Gospel and then setting them up to continue discipling them afterward. This is a little village with no church at all called Chalahuico. 

                                                                                                                   

Pastor Flori and his wife Concita continue discipling Jose and Lupe, the first believers in Chalahuico

We also helped the congregation in Zacapoaxtla to begin new groups in homes as well. 

The Lord blessed us with a little 125 motorcycle to use while we were in the mountains so that we could get around a little easier. 

To be continued...

Conference Pictures Zacapoaxtla Puebla 2019

Link to Latest Prayer Letter January February 2019

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xoXkK_o0oyU2hA1j11YG6srNRB-BySc3X9O9CNUUAqs/edit?usp=sharing

Shooting in Nogales

See Breitbart News Article on Nogales shooting at the border.

Journey Missions at Triumph Lutheran Nogales

We had a great group of believers from St John Evangelical Lutheran Congregation at Schwer in Milford Illinois. Jon Nelson, the director of Journey missions worked to organize the project to replace to old roof with a metal roof. They enjoyed our warm weather of around freezing at night to the 70's in the daytime (note the T-shirts :-). God is good! 

Thank You Jon, Hiedi, Jeramiah, Quentin, Matthew, Ken, Robert, Austin, Andrew, Paul and Ruth. God bless you and reward you for your giving, serving hearts.  

There shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

"There shall be showers of blessing". Ezekiel 34:26

We had a wonderful time in Masiaca Sonora Mexico celebrating Jesus coming, and seeking Him as we welcomed the New Year. The church in Masiaca invited me to preach at the service that began at 9:00 pm and went until after midnight.

Our prayer is that the church be revived and grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that the many unbelieving and uncommitted that were present would be convicted and come to the love of God that Jesus brought to us on that first Christmas. 

The trip back up to the border was exceptionally easy. I thing we were ahead of the rush because we came back on the first. Most of the tolls were closed, I think we only had to pay once (about $9), which was a blessing in itself. 

When we got home we noticed dust and dirt all over Alma's desk chair. Upon further investigation we noticed a hole in the ceiling and a hole in one of her notebooks. It was reminiscent of last year finding a bullet hole in the roof of our camper and a 45 slug on the floor. This time it was a 308 round! 

And that wasn't all, we had two more rounds through our roof. One through the front porch, the other into the kitchen. After patching the holes to keep water from pouring in, I went to the police station to report it. They said I was the tenth person to come in to file a report. One person had a round go through there car window. But no injuries. They said they even had a round go through their roof, all of which come from Mexico, just the hazards of living on the border.   

Honduran migrant says that beans and tortillas are food for pigs

This video has become in-famous in Mexico because as everyone knows, in Mexico we love refried beans. Even in many parts of Mexico they are considered a luxury that cannot always be afforded.

Alma and I visited with Raul, a 27 year old man sitting on a sofa outside his apartment in la Anza. After a few questions, he shared that he expected he would get into heaven because, well, he hadn't done anything exceptionally bad. So, after looking at a few of the Ten Commandments, he changed his story, confessing his guilt and inability to enter heaven. So, after presenting the love of God sending Jesus to the cross to pay the penalty for his sins, we asked if he was ready to repent and trust Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He then brought up this story of the Honduran and the beans. We can be so ungrateful sometimes, like the Honduran and the beans. I don't want to be like that, and so we prayed together. Pray for Raul and his wife Itza, and the people of the migrant caravan.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus    November 2018

First of all we apologize for not communicating before hand.

After three months in Minneapolis at the WMPL mission home we had a very special time as part of our home assignment, we lived, learned, prayed, shared, ate, met new brothers and reconnected with very dear friends after a long time.

We thank God for this opportunity, and all his blessings and watchful care over us as we traveled there and back and many days on the road. Thank God for each one of you; Your friendship, prayers and for being partners with us in the proclamation of the Gospel in Mexico.

We returned renewed, with a new vision and desire to go out to work in the vineyard of the Lord, but with the same message ... CRISTO! Although the two of us arrived sick, we thank God that we are getting better.

We have no words to thank the churches and their pastors for their invitations, letting us share and for joining as partners in prayer. It was a great honor and pleasure to be with you. Thank you for your offerings and time, may God bless your congregations and reward your work.

On the other hand, the Nogales border is quiet up to now, only more heavily reinforced entrances with razor wire and making them higher and there is a good group of military and Border Patrol agents at the main entrance, but we had no problem crossing, with the exception of a more detailed inspection. The largest number of people in the caravans have taken the route through Tijuana BC on the border with San Diego, CA, where there has been some violence between the Mexicans and the people who are trying to enter the United States, mostly Hondurans, because they are ungrateful and disrespectful even though Mexico has given them a lot of help.

The churches in Nogales gave us a warm welcome and those in the interior of Mexico as well. We hope that we can go to each of them for a time next year, God willing, we will also find them encouraged to learn and make changes, to God be the glory!

We wish you all a happy thanksgiving, blessed Christmas and the peace of Jesus.

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Your fellow workers, Alma and Darwin Jackson

   World Mission Prayer League 232 Clifton Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403 USA +1.612.871.6843 wmpl@wmpl.org wmpl.org

Please pray for us!

As we came back from Minnesota with renewed vision and desire to serve the Lord, we are facing a lot of attacks against our bodies as Darwin has had fever, body aches, lack of energy, not being able to eat well and I have a crocked back and pain that doesn't let me move, walk or stand straight for days. We just want to ask you to join us in prayer, for the glory of God and the extension of His Kingdom.

Sow your seed in the morning,
and at the evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.   Eccl. 11:6

We just want to be able to do that.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Back in Nogales again!

It feels good to be back in Nogales again after three months in Minneapolis. What a wonderful time with had! We are so thankful to everyone for hosting us, sharing with us, feeding us, and allowing us to share with you.

It was good to see everyone at la Anza on Sunday. We're thankful for this faithful group of believers. Now we are going to begin to show them a way that we can multiply ourselves to reach more for the kingdom of God. 

Living Word Free Lutheran Church

This week we spoke at Living Word Free Lutheran Church.

Jan Tolefson, who served Mexico for more than thirty years, attends and serves here as secretary and plays the piano and organ.

Our Visit to Christ the King Free Lutheran Church Pipestone Mn.

This was how we arrived at Pipestone Minnesota on October 14th at 8:05 am. We couldn't believe it when we woke up and looked out our Motel window to see it snowing, but God is good! and we arrived on time before anyone else at Christ the King Free Lutheran church.

It was such a blessing to spend some time with our friends Pastor Tim and Cindy Johnson who were interning at my home congregation Elim Free Lutheran church back in the mid 90's and are now pastor's here. We thank them and all our new friends at Christ the King in Pipestone Mn for allowing us to share our vision for multiplying generations of trainers in Mexico.  

Fertile Lutheran Church

This weekend Alma and I will be serving at Fertile Lutheran Church in IA. We have had a long standing relationship with this congregation so we are really looking foreword to spending some time together again.

Hosanna Free Lutheran Church

This Sunday we will be sharing our work and preaching God's Word at Hosanna Free Lutheran Church in St. James, Mn. Pray that God would be honored and that more would be recruited to pray and workers sent out into the harvest (Luke 10:2)

Thank you Hosanna Free Lutheran Church for hosting us for the day! And for the really good food and fellowship afterwords :-) May God fulfill your desires to take the Gospel to the Hispanic population the He has brought to you.  http://hosannafreelutheran.com/home

AFLC Pastor's Retreat

We had a wonderful couple of days at the AFLC Pastor's retreat at what they call the ARC. Out of everyone we were able to visit we were so happy to see the Gunderson's, Pastor Rick Long, Tim Johnson, Jim Johnson and Pastor Craig Johnson just to name a few. Thank you Lord Jesus!