Timothy & Stephanie Woodford and Family

Greetings from Hermosillo, "City of the sun". For 15 years this has been our base of operations, and the only home our children have known. Our oldest daughter is now living and studying in Canada, and we have two more who are very quickly nearing this stage. Almost all of our children have professed salvation, but not all. We would value your prayers not only for the genuine salvation of each one, but that the focus of their lives would be out of consecration to Christ.

The assembly here has seen its ups and its downs, but God has been faithful. We have been saddened by the casualty rate, especially among our young people over the years. The temptations and distractions they face are as strong as they ever have been, and the enemy is relentless. However, the sovereign Lord has not left us on our own, and He surely has yet to write the last chapter for each of our lives, by His patient grace. There are other saints who have demonstrated God's faithfulness and preservation, and whose lives of growth and dependence on Him give us reason to fall on our knees and thank God that what He has done, no one else could have. We are grateful to the Lord to see more overseers being raised up with a humble attitude of service and heartfelt care for the flock. We pray they will be preserved and strengthened by the Lord for this weighty task.

I stay active in writing a monthly article for Mensajero Mexicano, a digital magazine for Mexican and other Spanish-speaking believers around the world, in addition to occasional gospel tracts for Publicaciones Pescadores, a publishing ministry supplying gospel and Christian teaching literature at very accessible prices.

For a number of years, our colleague, Eleonor Mosquera, has held an outdoor children's class on Saturday mornings, involving younger sisters who assist in the various needs of holding such an outreach. Stephanie and our older daughters are helping in this effort, in a desperately needy area of the city. Some of the believers are now taking turns on Sundays, in order to pick them up and bring them to our regular Sunday school. Several brothers here are involved in preaching the gospel in drug rehab centers, where there is much need, and an open ear. We are praying the seed sown will result in eternal blessing for many.

In many ways, we live in a very "Evangelical" environment here. Unfortunately, it is largely characterized by an emphasis on "another gospel", as Paul calls such perversion of truth. There is much emphasis on tithing, church attendance, and "persevering", in order to be right, and stay right, with God. The constant threat of losing one's salvation is often enough to give so-called pastors the necessary clout to keep members attending, giving, and fearing. There is very little systematic teaching of the Scriptures in their context, and more time spent on emotionalism and entertainment. We are encouraged by a few who are attending our meetings currently, who have gotten turned off by a sensationalized gospel, and are hungry for the truth.

We are getting ready for a teaching weekend on finances in the life of the believer. Philip Moore, who works in this sector, has agreed to come and give Biblical teaching on this important topic. So many here live in bondage to high interest loans and crippling debt, and relevant teaching from the Scriptures has the power to instruct and preserve believers from falling into this trap.

We are most grateful for the prayerful interest of the Lord's people in the spread of the gospel around the globe, and trust you will be encouraged to shine brightly in the sphere in which He has placed you, for His glory. "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, "Yet a little while, and the coming One will come and will not delay", Hebrews 10:36-37.