I want to share with you the immense joy we felt this week as we witnessed a milestone in the life of Luz, a woman we’ve been discipling along with Jesús and Sara over the past few months. This past Wednesday, Luz took an incredible step of faith by being baptized at the beach, under a sunset that seemed painted by the hand of God.

Since we began discipling Luz and her husband Jovany, we’ve seen a deep desire in them to learn the Word of God. Luz has shown a genuine curiosity, always asking questions about what she has believed all her life, or about what she sees others in the town believe. But what has been truly remarkable is her determination to discover the truth for herself, directly from the source: the Bible.

This process of discipleship has been as enriching for us as it has been for them. We’ve seen Luz grow in her faith, question and better understand the teachings of Jesus, and reach the point where she felt ready to publicly declare her faith through baptism. I cannot describe the emotion we felt as we watched Luz come out of the water, a new creation in Christ. The tears in many of our eyes reflected the joy that only God can give.

I ask that you continue to pray for Luz and Jovany as they continue their walk with Christ. May God continue to guide and strengthen them, and may their pursuit of the truth continue to inspire others in our community.

Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to press on, always remembering that God gives the fruit in His time, and that nothing we do for Him is in vain.

With much love and gratitude,

Efraín & Vicki

This week, we witnessed a very special moment in our children’s ministry, and I am eager to share it with you. Throughout the trimester, we’ve been working with the children on memorizing Bible verses and positively participating in the classes. To encourage them, we’ve been giving out “biblical bills” that they could accumulate and later exchange for gifts at our Bible store at the end of the trimester.

I don’t know if I’m the only one, but there were days when I wondered if the kids were really learning anything. However, this past Sunday, everything became clear. Seeing Daniel, an 11-year-old boy who lives with his uncles, transform his behavior, confidently recite the verses he had memorized, filled me with hope. Daniel has started arriving early every Sunday, attending the servants’ devotional, which is a significant step for him. Then there’s Margarita, another 11-year-old girl who attends church alone every Sunday. Her consistency and commitment, despite not having close family support, is a powerful testament to the work God is doing in her life.

This Sunday, we celebrated the end of the trimester with our Bible store. The kids were able to see the fruit of their efforts as they exchanged their bills for gifts, and I am convinced that this new period we’re beginning will be even more fruitful. God is working in their hearts, and although progress may seem small at times, they are steady steps in the right direction.

I ask that you pray for these children, that the gospel may take deep root in their hearts. Pray also for our children’s ministry, that we may reach more children and help them grow in their faith. Nothing we do is in vain when we do it for the Lord.

With much love and gratitude,

Efraín & Vicki

Recently, we gifted them a “Proclaimer,” a special device that plays the entire Bible in audio. They listen to it constantly, filling their days with the Word of God. Our meeting took place at their business by the river, with the soothing sound of the waves and the magnificent view of God’s creation around us.

During our time together, we studied a lesson from the book “The Jesus Style.” We reflected on how Jesus urged us to consider ourselves lesser than others—not to belittle ourselves, but to let go of our self-centeredness and embrace sacrificial service to our neighbors. It was a beautiful and blessed time of sharing opinions and anecdotes around this theme.

Sister Armida shared a touching story about how she helped a young man who was being chased and beaten. She fed him and gave him new clothes. Though the young man, who struggles with his mental health, did not stay with her, Armida and her husband Aristeo plan to find him again and at least help him cut his long hair.

While listening to Sister Armida talk about her intense desire to help those in need and seeing how Brother Florencio and his wife always open the doors of their business with such generosity, I felt many emotions. At first, I felt guilty for not doing more for the people around me, but that quickly turned into a sense of challenge, knowing that with God’s help, I can do more. Certainly, not all of us have the same calling, but I believe each of us has many ways we can sacrifice for others. Jesus set the example, and after Him, many of His disciples have shown us how to live this way. Perhaps someone sacrificed their time to counsel us, opened their home to us, or did something even more significant.

These days have been a time of reflection for me, a time to take steps towards serving this community with the gifts God has given me. I encourage you to do the same. Pray to God and ask yourself: Are you sacrificing yourself in service to others for God? Take heart, God does not ask you to do it alone. I encourage you to share how you are or will be serving so we can encourage each other.

We ended our meeting with joyful singing, led by Brother Florencio on the guitar, lifting our voices in praise to God. It was a time filled with the Holy Spirit, strengthening our bonds and renewing our commitment to serve one another in love.

With love and gratitude,

Efraín & Vicki

We walked together from our church to the river, where we witnessed the baptism of three new brothers and sisters in the faith: Paloma Castillo, María Castro and Isidro Quezada. Watching them dive into the water and emerge with new lives in Christ was simply thrilling. The baptisms were performed by Pastor Licho, Pastor Efrain and Toño Rivera, an alumnus and guest teacher of our School of Ministry.
After the baptisms, we gathered for a delicious lunch of fried fish, lovingly prepared with fresh fish from local fishermen. We enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship, laughter and prayer, we really felt God’s love in our midst!

We are so grateful to you, our family at Rancho Santa Margarita. Your prayers and financial support make it possible for us to have such a special time.

We ask that you continue to pray for us, for these new brothers in the faith, and for the salvation of our fishermen friends. Together, we are bringing the light of Christ to every corner of our community.
Thank you for being part of this beautiful work of God!

With much love and gratitude,

Efraín & Vicki