JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012 PRAYER LETTER                                              

“… [I]f your disciples are to become true spiritual leaders, rather than leaders in name only, they will need to learn how to serve and influence others for God.” (p.42, from Organic Disciplemaking: Mentoring Others into Spiritual Maturity and Leadership, by Dennis McCallum and Jessica Lowery.)

INSTITUTO PRACTICO EBENEZER

Postgraduate classes. The Lord answered your prayers in regards to our January postgraduate classes. We were able to have a class for the pastors as well as one for our female graduates (including other ladies who are involved in women’s ministries in their churches). Twenty-seven men attended the men’s class, and 26 ladies attended the ladies’ class. Dr. Will Senn taught the men on the pastor’s role in discipleship, and Mrs. Senn taught on the biblical role of the woman. This was the same week of registration for our undergraduate students, so the college was alive with activity and excitement about new opportunities to continue preparing for the Lord’s service.

Registration. Our students successfully registered. We welcomed two new students this semester, as well as two students who were not enrolled in the first semester but returned to continue their preparation. We still continue to have a high number of students enrolled in music classes, with approximately 75 people taking private lessons this semester.

Classes. This semester at the college, Opal will be giving private piano lessons to the student-teachers; Dan is teaching Methods of Bible Study II, Bible Panorama, Doctrinal Seminar (the doctrinal thesis class), and Life of Christ.

TRAINING FUTURE LEADERS—FORMER STUDENTS SERVING IN THE FIELD (number 22 in the series). Dante González Tapia graduated from Ebenezer Bible College in 2008. Among other ministry activities, he is currently assisting his pastor at his church in Texcoco, in the state of Mexico, and is leading the music, teaching at his church Bible institute, helping on the bus route, and teaching Sunday School. His plans are to go to Israel as a missionary. Dante commented that his preparation at Ebenezer Bible College provided him the necessary tools for him to develop a balanced ministry founded in the Scriptures. He also learned discipline necessary for a healthy Christian life. He also said that what were integral to his preparation for ministry were the academic atmosphere and the balance between ministerial theory and practice. He thanks God for the great privilege he was given to prepare himself for the ministry and for the testimony and teaching that has made a difference in his life and ministry. Some of his prayer requests are for guidance as he plans to go to Israel as a missionary, fruit in the ministry that he has to the Jews in Mexico City, and the salvation of his family.

IGLESIA BAUTISTA EBENEZER

The last day of the year 2011, spent at Ebenezer Baptist Church, was enjoyable as well as God-honoring. Five of the men in the church gave biblical challenges to the congregation: two of the men were Ebenezer Bible College graduates, one is a current Ebenezer Bible College student, one is a man who has been with the church from the beginning, and one is a young man who has been faithfully active in the church and was able to share his first challenge that evening. As the surrounding neighborhood was involved in shooting guns into the air at the strike of twelve, the church family made a circle around the inside of the auditorium to welcome the new year in prayer.

WEDDINGS

January celebrated two significant weddings in Hermosillo. On January 7, Benjamín Mendoza, a graduate of Ebenezer Bible College, married Liliana García. Liliana is not only a graduate of Ebenezer Bible College, but she was also the receptionist of the college for several years. She was also a very integral part of the ministry of Ebenezer Baptist Church. She had been involved in the church for a decade, faithfully working in various ministries of the church. Her responsibilities have been divided among many of the ladies in the church, but she will still be greatly missed by her church family. After their honeymoon, Benjamín and Lily took the January postgraduate classes at Ebenezer Bible College and then returned to Chiapas, where they will be working full-time in the church pastored by Benjamín’s dad.

The other wedding was on January 14. Noé Vazquez married Minerva García. Both are graduates of Ebenezer Bible College, and Minerva was the ladies’ dormitory supervisor for several years. Noé and Minerva’s plans are to minister in the mission work that Noé recently started in San Quintín in the Mexican state of Baja California Norte.

PRAYER REQUESTS

1. More full-time faculty and staff at Ebenezer Bible College

2. Health for our family. Recently, our family has dealt with different health issues (strep throat, sinusitis, and scarlet fever, among other things). Please pray that the Lord would give us the health needed to accomplish what He has called us to do.

3. Property for the college, to be able to expand the facilities.

WHAT’S NEW ON THE WEB. Pictures to visit:

http://photogallery.worthwhile.com/viewalbum.php?albumid=1052: Dr. Senn’s postgraduate class on discipleship.

http://photogallery.worthwhile.com/viewalbum.php?albumid=1053: Mrs. Allissa Senn’s postgraduate class on the biblical woman.

Note: If you are receiving our newsletters by “snail mail” and would prefer to receive them by email, please send us a quick note at dwokaty@mgmi.org to let us know.

Thanks for your prayers!

Dan, Opal, Anna, Abby, Daniel, and Damaris Wokaty

Missionaries in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

For a printable PDF version of this letter, please click here:  Ron and Jackie Cochran (Sept. 2011)

August-September, 2011

Dear Friends,

News from around the world has not been that good—floods, fires, earthquakes, violence, riots, revolutions, drug wars, and political corruption fill the headlines both locally and internationally.  Many have lost all their earthly possessions, and some have even lost their lives.  But Colossians 3:23-24 gives us good news about our real possessions:  “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”  We would like to share with you some of the news about your “Hermosillo inheritance”—the ministries and people you pray for here in Sonora.

Start of the new school year—August 22 marked the beginning of the school year for kindergarten through 12^th grade in our Christian schools.  Thank the Lord, He made it possible to start up the junior high this year.  Manuel (pastor of Living Hope Baptist Mission) and Lucy Acedo are heading up this ministry.  It has been quite a challenge with a student body comprised mainly of boys, many of whom have never been in a Christian school before, but God is giving grace and wisdom.  This year we have 51 in kindergarten and elementary school, 16 in junior high, and 17 in high school.  Please pray for each boy and girl, that God would do a great work in their lives.  Please pray also for the teachers, that Christ would shine forth from each life, and for the parents, that the Lord would give them wisdom to rear their children for His glory and that He would provide for each school bill.

The school year began at the Institute on August 25 with a banquet on Thursday and the opening service on Friday.   The Lord sent 22 new students to train for His work, and our current enrollment of full-time students is now 77.  How we covet your prayers for these young people, that God would cause them to grow in grace and knowledge of Him, would use them greatly in the Sonoran churches and missions where they serve during the school year, would build diligence, perseverance, and godly character in their lives, and would raise up many more mighty servants for His harvest!

Mission churches—As in every ministry, there are many challenges and needs.  The mission in Molino de Camoú is in need of a couple to head up that ministry, as Roel García is now at Ebenezer Baptist as “pastor-in-training” under the leadership of co-worker Dan Wokaty.  Please pray with us for just the right couple to head up the ministry in Molino and for wisdom and grace for Roel and Dan as they lead Ebenezer forward.  The mission in Mazatán continues growing, with a solid group of teenagers attending faithfully.  The adults that have been saved there have come sporadically or have dropped off; there is great pressure in the towns to remain Catholic, and unfortunately “lo que dirán” (what people will say) keeps many away from the services.  We are trusting the Lord that this faithful group of teenagers will form the core group of the church in the years to come.  Esperanza Viva (Living Hope) continues to grow, and a big request for this mission is that the Lord would provide property on which to construct a permanent building adequate to hold them. They are currently renting a house and have classes and services both inside and outside under a tarp.  The mission church, La Fe (Faith), is also in need of a permanent location.  Bro. Isaac Luna, the pastor, not only continues planting missions on the outskirts of Hermosillo but is also planning to take a group to Ghana, Africa, during this Christmas break for a missions trip.  Please pray for provision, protection, and for God to wonderfully bless and use each member of the team.

Upcoming events—September will be full of activities, as we celebrate Mexican Independence Day on September 16, and the following weekend I make a trip to Monterrey to hold a family conference in the church of one of our graduates, Tony Moreno.  A week later we are looking forward to a visit from our second son, Jon, and his wife Becca.  Please pray for safety and for fruitful times of ministry.  October is missions month at Emanuel, and our church calendar will be full of activities; the 6^th-8^th another church in town, Betania, will be holding a youth conference at our church; the following weekend is our missions conference; and the weekend after that one of our mission churches, La Fe, will have their missions conference at our church.  The last weekend of the month we head to Mexico City for a family conference.  Please pray for God’s blessing on each of these activities and that God’s name would be honored and glorified each time God’s people meet together.

Thank you so much for your part in praying and giving so that God’s work might go forward—a work not affected by wind, rain, tremors, or mobs.  May God bless you as you participate in His eternal inheritance.

In Christ in Mexico,

Ron and Jackie Cochran

Here is the entire MGM International team that assembled for training and fellowship in February 2012.

Our annual staff conference was recently held in Phoenix, giving opportunities for spiritual renewal and challenge to our entire team. Our invited speakers were Jeff and Anna Musgrave, whose evangelism ministry, The Exchange, seeks to inspire, encourage, and train both pastors and lay people in practical evangelism and discipleship skills. You might think that missionaries don’t need a presentation like this, but it is easy even for missionaries to get busy in the daily responsibilities and lose focus on the need for individual soul winning and discipleship as well.

Part of the training was theological, and we learned a gospel presentation method that is structured around teaching that God is holy, just, loving, and gracious. The training was also inspirational, and renewed our zeal to see every person as a soul that needs a gospel witness. Jeff emphasized the point that genuine interest and compelling conversation are often the keys that open doors for a further witness.

We all came away from the week grateful for the fellowship with the team and determined to turn each conversation, if possible, to a word of witness for the King.

For more pictures of the conference, please click here: http://photogallery.worthwhile.com/viewalbum.php?albumid=1054.

Tap Hornor sent us these pictures of the concrete trucks and pumper pouring what will be the floor of the new apartment. Lord willing this will prove to be a crucial base for the development of the church-planting effort in the state of Sinaloa.

Read more about the project in the Hornors’ recent prayer letter.

The Census Bureau reports that the number of Hispanics
in the United States has reached 50 million.

More than half of the growth in the total U.S. population between 2000 and 2010 was because of the increase in the Hispanic population. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population grew by 43 percent, rising from 35.3 million in 2000 to 50.5 million in 2010. The rise in the Hispanic population accounted for more than half of the 27.3 million increase in the total U.S. population. By 2010, Hispanics comprised 16 percent of the total U.S. population of 308.7 million.

Read the entire Census Bureau report.

One of the greatest privileges we have at MGMI is equipping proven leaders. Paul instructed Timothy to commit the truth Paul had taught him to “faithful men” who would be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2). The  post-graduate program of the Ebenezer Bible College seeks to do just that by providing week-long modular courses twice a year to men serving in the ministry as well as to staff members of Ebenezer. This January we offered two courses to approximately twenty five students. The first course, taught by Dr. Dan Olinger of the Bob Jones University Bible faculty, covered the Biblical teaching on the Holy Spirit and angels. During the second week the Lord granted me the privilege of teaching the foundational doctrine for the rest of our theology, Bibliology. Dr. Olinger has taught for us before, and is greatly appreciated for his heart, knowledge, and effectiveness as a teacher. Below are some photos of this January’s classes.

Dr. Olinger and the Pneumantology class

Searching the Scriptures

Working on a group project

Teaching what the Bible says about itself

A gift from the class of some (very) hot salsa