The Christmas Story-Dec 2010

“Don’t be afraid. I am here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everyone, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master.” Luke 2: 10, 11 (The Message)

The Christmas story of the birth of Jesus never ceases to amaze me. Mary, a young woman of good reputation finds herself with child. Joseph, engaged to Mary finds out his wife to be, is expecting. I wonder what others must have thought. To be sure, there would be many that did not understand that Mary, a virgin, had been chosen by God himself to carry His one and only Son Jesus Christ into the world. A world of darkness and brokenness that would take for granted the greatest gift ever given.

God must have searched high and low for these two, as He entrusted them to care for his beloved Son. God does not look only on the outward appearance, He sees deep within the hearts and souls of men and knows the true character of each individual. He knew the depths of character that would be needed in the lives of Joseph and Mary to withstand the pain that would follow after rearing and caring for the Son of God. You see, many have rejected and still do reject Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift sent to us in love.

As we enter into the Christmas season, a season filled with sharing gifts with loved ones, let us remember the greatest gift of all. When Jesus was born, he brought with him the gift of eternal life, a gift for each and every one of us!

We have so much to be thankful for as we enter into this Christmas season. It has been a wonderful year with great opportunities to share the love of Jesus with others. Recently Rod went to San Felipe and Mexicali with the Calvary Chapel Bible College on a mission trip. He shared with me pictures of the youth that accepted the greatest gift given to all man kind. This Christmas will be different than all others for these youth that have found Jesus and eternal life.

Mid December we will have a grand fiesta (big party) in the Ensenada Prison for the women. All the groups that reach out to the women of the prison will join together to serve a turkey dinner followed by drama, music, gifts and a speaker that will share about the greatest gift of all. Please pray for the women and men in the prisons as this is the hardest time of the year for them as they are separated from their families and loved ones.

We are saddened that we will not be able to be with our families in Canada this Christmas season. However, there are changes on the horizon that bring us great joy! Just recently our daughter Jessica announced that grandbaby #4 is on the way. Congrats Jessica and Ryan! Rebekah also has good news! Rebekah has gone from a friendship into a dating relationship with Eric and has received our blessings. She will be joining us in Mexico for a couple weeks during Christmas break. It will be awesome to have Rebekah home for Christmas!


Rebekah and Eric. "Awe, she is all grown up!"

Rod is out of bible school mid December until next fall. It has been a time of great effort on his part in buckling down and learning. It will be great to have him back at home just in time to prepare to celebrate Christmas.


Rod and the rest of the Calvary Chapel Bible College students

We have already begun planning our trip back to Canada in January to take part in mission fests in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Edmonton. We look forward to spending time with some of you. See you soon!

May the blessings and joy of this Christmas season be with you throughout the coming year.

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

Free At Last-Oct 2010

“I was without clothes and you gave me something to wear. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me.” Matthew 25:26

Um, just relaxing, sipping on a cup of Chai tea while snuggled under a blanket (no central heating), nursing a cold and listening to the pitter patter of the rain. The heavy rain fall is a sign of an early wet winter. It is a great day to be inside writing this letter as I take time to reflect and remember the events of this past month.

Sunday October 3 Silvia (Prison Ministry team member) and I waited patiently outside the prison gates for SJ (a name we will call her as she desires to remain anonymous) to walk through the doors of the Ensenada Prison. You see, SJ had spent 10 years confined behind prison bars. This particular day we were with her to celebrate her first day of freedom after serving her time in the prison.


There she is! From far away we could see the smile on SJ’s face as she saw us waiting for her. As she walked our direction it was plain to see that mixed emotions grasped her as she began to weep. OK, to be honest with you, all of us had tears running down our faces. Tears of joy!

As we drove away from Ensenada along the coastal highway, SJ reminded me of a small child seeing things for the first time in many years. She joyfully pointed out the beauty of the ocean, the palm trees, the boats… Wish you could have been there to see her eating her fist meal outside the prison in a local restaurant. She had not tasted Coke in ten years and thought the food was out of this world!


SJ had become one of our prize students with the Celebrate Recovery program within the Ensenada Prison. She allowed herself to be transformed and set free from the hurts, habits and hang ups that kept her in bondage. By surrendering her life to Jesus and applying the biblical concepts of the CR program in her life SJ found the healing which in turn brought the serenity and peace she had longed for.

The Prison Ministry has become so much more than just preparing for the weekly CR program. As we have learned to love and interact with the female inmates many more needs have surfaced. Most of the women do not have family living near by to help so prison officials have asked for our help in meeting some of the needs such as purchasing medications, tennis shoes, and the list goes on and on.

Recently 40 couples were married within the prison and we had the honor of baking the cakes for the large wedding fiesta! One of the women went to the hospital and we were asked to purchase the medications she needed. Another woman has a thyroid problem and we regularly pay for lab fees and medications for her.

Many thanks, to each of you, our partners in ministry for your generosity and prayers. It is an honor to go into the prison on your behalf and reach out to the women. Please pray more funds will come in for Prison Ministry so we can continue to help meet some the needs within the prison.

Recently I found out around 30 of the 1,800 men in the Ensenada Prison do not have shoes so they remain confined to their cells bare footed. If you would like top help with Prison Ministry projects please feel free to contact us.

Too Many Donations-Sept 2010

“We are not saying that we can do this work ourselves. It is God who makes us able to do all that we do.” II Corinthians 3:5

Nagging thoughts, sprinkled with prayers raced through my mind as we inched our way to the front of the Otay border crossing into Mexico. “Would we be able to bring the trailer full of Prison Ministry donations across the Mexican border?” The US border guards had pretty well patted us on the backs and saluted us for bringing the donations in the trailer to Mexico. “Too many items.” Was the report we got from the Mexican border guards as we turned the van and trailer around and headed back into the US. You know what that means? God blessed us abundantly, so much so, that it was too much to bring across in one trip. How awesome for the women of the Ensenada Prison.

Rod just barely got a chance to embrace the idea of being home when he had to repack and head to Ensenada for his second semester of biblical studies. He was not able to attend last fall due to having heart surgery. This year he is excited to be back in school and is working hard on earning his Certificate of Theology!! He spends the weekdays in Ensenada trying to keep up with those that are a few years younger than him (OK maybe more than just a few) and heads back to be with me in Rosarito on the weekends.

Rod was on his way out the door the same time Joyce and Jenti Friesen came to visit. They came with a bundle of energy, rolled up their sleeves and got to work sorting out donations. They also put together personal gift bags for the women enrolled in the Celebrate Recovery program in the Ensenada Prison for an upcoming event. Joyce and Jenti, thank you for all your help and for your willing hearts.


Jenti and Joyce working on seperating donations


Silvia & Elvia bagging donated sweat suits for the prison

The personal gifts bags were presented to the women in the prison on September 20 as we celebrated the hard work of the women who attend the C R program week after week. We had intended to have a grand fiesta celebrating Mexico Independence Day, but all such activities were banned as a form of discipline due to prisoners rioting in some of the prisons. We thank God we were able to worship, serve the women and guards a delicious meal followed by laughter and fun while playing our own form of bible trivia. Each gratefully received a gift bag filled with personal items. It was a fantastic, fun filled day!!

This has truly been a month of many blessings, fun and fellowship. One of Grace Children’s Home (YUGO’s orphanage) interns from a few years back fell madly in love with one of our Mexican national workers. It was fun to host a wedding shower for Jenny at El Faro before her and Heriberto were married September 11. Congratulations Jenny and Heriberto!


Andi (sister of the bride) Jenny & Heriberto

In a recent prayer letter we made mention of our newest missionaries Ron & Kristy Struska. They have been hard at work building houses for those in great need. What a blessing that some of the 100+ gallons of paint we brought from Canada have already been put to good use. If you do (or do not) have building skills and would like to come build a house for a family in great need. Feel free to check out the Tijuana Construction Ministry - YUGO
web site. The needs are great and the workers few!

Donations from Canada-Aug 2010

“May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long and high, and how deep His love really is.” Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)

Just a couple more hours to go! At the end of three heavy days of driving from Mexico to Canada we had an opportunity to spend a few days with Rebekah before she had to head back to Three Hills to prepare for another year of studying to be an LPN. It is always a blessing to hear her stories of living, working and going to school in Three Hills. We spent the first part of our trip enjoying a bit of time with family and friends before diving into some serious ministry time.

Our trips to Canada are always filled with great adventures. Our prayers were answered as our itinerary filled with opportunities to meet with many, sharing enthusiastically about YUGO Ministries. We gathered together over delicious meals reconnecting with old friends and embracing new friendships. Each stop was filled with sweet fellowship as we joined together in filling the trailer with Prison Ministry Wish List supplies.

Here are just a few pictures of our adventures while in Canada. Meet our partners in ministry. Some give, some pray while others encourage us in the work we have been called to take part in while serving in Mexico.


This group of women hand made 20 quilts for the Prison Ministry.


Pat (friend of 30+ years) Ron and Ratula gave donations.


These are a few of our prayer partners. There is hardly a time that we gather that we do not pray together.


108 cans of paint donated to the construction ministry

As our Prison Ministry team enters the prison week after week, we can see we are making a difference as we reach out to the women. You too are a part of our team as you stand behind us in prayer, gathering donations, giving generously or by coming and joining us in ministry. There are many ways to be involved in missions!

NOTE: We run a guest house for YUGO Ministries. You may want an opportunity for a get away and enjoy some warm Mexico sunshine while taking part in a “Vacation with a Purpose”! Feel free to contact us to receive more information. Hope we will see you soon.

Many Days of Celebrations!-July 2010

“If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” II Timothy 2:21 (NLT)

July 5- Peering around the corner of the dirt floored courtyard, smiling faces were awaiting our arrival. “What you do today will affect generations to come” was the message delivered by Silvia Campillo (Prison Ministry team member) to 20 women that completed the Celebrate Recovery (CR) 12 step program. It was evident that each woman treasured the memory of being commended for their part in making positive changes within their lives as they received their diplomas for completing the 12 steps of the CR program. The celebration ended with a hotdogs and gifts (personal items).

July 12- Today 15 women were baptized in the beautiful chapel of the Ensenada Prison. Six of the women were from our CR group. Tears of joy ran down the faces of many of the women as they passed through the waters of baptism. By being baptized, each woman made a public declaration that they would no longer follow their old destructive ways and habits and openly displayed they were followers of Jesus Christ. I wish we could have taken pictures so you too could have seen the joy on their faces. It was a day to rejoice and celebrate!

July 19- Today 18 new women signed up to take the CR program in the prison as we offered it for the second time. What a beautiful site to see new faces desiring to be set free from their hurts, habits and hang ups. We are thankful for the 2 new leaders joining us in ministry from within the prison!!!! Both have completed their 12 steps and are ready to serve. But that’s not all! Today two of the women prisoners that came to join the new groups gave their hearts to Jesus. What an amazing way to kick off the new groups!

Rod and I were invited to the wedding of Heidi (intern from YUGO) & Justino in Sacramento. It was a beautiful wedding! We took advantage of the time to stop along the way and meet up with others that had served with YUGO Ministries in days gone by. Our time together was filled with great fellowship, fine food and reminiscing about old times. Thanks to the Ferguson’s and Pepito’s for opening their homes for us. We felt warmly welcomed!


Heidi & Justino


Stacy, Julie, Cheryl & Jenni-What a beautiful time we had reconnecting


Rod & Darin at the BBQ

God has been very faithful in sending us more women to join in the Prison Ministry. Each completed their leadership training and recently joined us leading the CR program in the Ensenada Prison. We are in awe as we watch this ministry blossom. Some of the men that have gone through CR training are now teaching in two different rehab centers. We are not sure where God is taking this. As Rick Warren says, “Start with a small group of people and watch it grow by word of mouth. You won’t be able to keep it a secret for long.” Rod and I had not planned to keep CR a secret, but never imagined it would grow as quickly as it has.

Elvia, Cheryl T, Pati, Lupita, Silvia, Cheryl H, Seve

Each of you holds a very important place within our hearts. Thank you to those that pray for us (your prayers are making a difference for eternity), those that encourage us and those that give sacrificially. Your partnering with us enables us to continue doing the work we have been called to do here in Mexico.

Prison Ministry Wish List

Prison Ministry Wish List

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring Good News to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.” Isaiah 61:1 (NAS)

Thank you to the many that have joined us in ministry through prayer for those that are incarcerated. Your prayers for the women within the prison and our Prison Ministry team are very important to us. It has been an honor to take part in this ministry and watch the women change before our very eyes as we enter into the prison and share the materials from the Celebrate Recovery Program instructing the inmates how to find freedom from their addictions and compulsive behaviors.

One woman that never ceases to amaze us is Belen. When she entered the prison, she was hard. She did not participate when others were sharing. Her hurt from her past and the consequences of her sins could be seen on her face and in her body movements. Each week as we continued to share the materials and pray we could see how God is changing Belen. Within a few short weeks Belen began to participate in the dialogue between the women and ourselves. After a couple months Belen shared with us that her mother (out side the prison) had also become a Christian. The Lord works in mysterious ways. I am sure that Belen was greatly encouraged to hear how God was not only working in her life but in the life of her family. She will need much prayer as she grows in her walk with Christ as her personal Savior.

The women are growing spiritually and finding freedom. They are always filled with joy, hugs and a kiss on the cheek (Mexican tradition) when we enter or leave the prison. I always walk out of the prison knowing I have had the privilege of sharing the love of Our Father with someone in great need. What an honor to have been chosen to minister to these women.

We are allowed to enter into the prison to encourage the women and meet their spiritual needs weekly. On occasion we are allowed to meet their physical needs also by supplying some of their basic needs. The prison in Mexico is NOT like the prisons in Canada or the US. The basic needs of the prisoners are not met. The simple things we take for granted such as soap to wash our bodies, toothpaste to brush our teeth, toilet paper or sanitary supplies are not supplied by the prison. This is where you come in. In the past we have brought many donated clothing articles and school supplies to Mexico when we drove to and from. This year we would like to focus on the needs of the prisoners. The needs around us are oftentimes overwhelming. Each missionary is called meet the needs of the people in different areas. This need is very real for us as we enter the prison week after week. If you are interested in taking part in the Prison Ministry please begin to start collecting these articles:

-toothpaste
-toothbrushes
-deodorant (no roll on or spray)
-hand soap (no body wash)
-rolls of toilet paper
-shampoo (NO conditioner as it is not considered a basic need)
-sanitary napkins (not tampons)
-white socks
-heavy gray sweatpants (no other colors are allowed)
-heavy gray sweatshirts
-white tee shirts (no color whatsoever on them
-blankets

As you can see the codes are very strict within the prison. It would be a tremendous blessing to have you join us in this ministry.

Possibly you do not feel led to start collecting items and you would prefer to just send a financial donation towards the prison ministry for events, medical needs, or gas and tolls to get to or from the prison, please contact the YUGO Canada office at 780-461-0891 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              780-461-0891      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or send your donation to YUGO Ministries Canada, Box 231, St. Albert, AB, T8N 1N3 to receive your charitable receipt. Be sure to mark your donation PRISON MINISTRY.

If you know of a church body that would like to partake in this collection, please contact us at hoopleshideaway@gmail.com so we can get back to you and talk about the details and plan dates for a pickup date. NOTE: Every box must be itemized before placing in the trailer. With this system we will hopefully not have problems when we get to the US boarder.

Men in Training-Jun 2010

“Remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering as if you were suffering with them” Hebrews 13:3

Tears gathered in the brim of Luisa’s eyes as she shared with me that when she prayed she felt Jesus only saw her as being bad and needing a good whopping. I had just shared (through a translator) with the women in the prison the importance of step 11 in the Celebrate Recovery Program.

Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will; for us and the power to carry that out.

Others have a choice to read God’s word, Luisa does not! Luisa, like many here in Mexico, has never learned to read or write. Her warped view of Jesus comes from religious traditions that bring guilt and condemnation from not knowing the true character of God. We tried to bring Talking Bibles into the prison for Luisa and others that can not read or write so they too can hear for themselves about this amazing God that loves us. Due to strict regulations, the Talking Bibles did not pass inspection. Please join us in prayer that we will be able to find another way to bring God’s word to those in need of hearing about this loving God we serve within the prison walls.

This has been a month with incredible blessings. For quite some time we have had men approach us about wanting to get involved with Prison Ministry. We started the men’s side of Prison/Rehab Ministry with a kick off dinner. Five men attended eagerly wanting to know more about the Celebrate Recovery Program. Within weeks other women expressed their desire to be taught the program so they too could teach it to others. Rod is presently training up six men and six women with the Celebrate Recovery materials, preparing them for leadership. It is a beautiful to see how others have caught the vision to partake in the ministry.


Rod, Luis, Nate, Ivan, Juan, Sergio

The summer Evangelistic Outreaches have begun! Our new interns have arrived and have been trained up for summer service. Staff members, new and old are in place and the first group arrived this past Sunday. YUGO is very excited to have their newest set of staff members joining in on the Evangelistic Outreaches and heading up the Construction Ministry in the Rosarito/Tijuana area. We welcome Ron & Kristy Struska and their children Will & Brittany with open arms. God is answering prayer and sending missionaries.


YUGO's Newest Missionaries Ron & Kristy

While Rod was busy with preparing for the summer outreaches I took a quick trip to Canada. It was good to spend time with my brother Jack and other family members. My daughter Jessica joined me for a couple weeks camping out at my parents. Spending two glories weeks with my grandchildren Maddy and Aly captured my heart and left lasting memories. I was even able to see Rebekah for a few days during the visit.

Rod and I will return to Canada in August for three weeks as Rod will need to see a heart specialist after his heart surgery last fall. We are praising God that Rod was able to find an older cargo trailer at a steal of a deal. We will drive to Canada with the cargo trailer in hopes of filling it to the brim with needs for the prison ministry. If you are interested in taking part in this collection, please check out the Prison Ministry Wish List if you would like to be involved.

PRAISE: -For being able to spend quality time with family. -For the amazing staff that have come forth for the outreaches. -For a dear friend that has taken over the sending out our snail mail prayers letters. Thank you Donna!
PRAYER: -For my brother Jack as he has continues to lose weight. -For more groups to join YUGO in ministry. -For strength and stamina for the summer staff.

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Donations for those in need-May 2010

“Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.” II Chronicles 20:9a

We barely pulled into the Ensenada Prison parking lot when a female guard approached us. She beamed as she gave each of us a big hug, a peck on the cheek (Mexican tradition) and a friendly greeting. This was a beautiful start of an amazing day as our Prison Ministry team and other ministry teams joined together preparing a Mothers Day event for the female prisoners. I can not begin to tell you how reaching out to the women with the love of Christ has been a blessing to each one of us. There was a lot of chatter and excitement amongst us as we returned to our homes, knowing that the dramas, food and personal items given out brought much joy to each woman.

As missionaries, our desire is to meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the Mexican people. Many thanks to my mom & dad (John and Gerry Szott) and the residents of the Lost Canadian RV park in Apache Junction, Arizona for partnering with us in ministry through gathering donated clothing. Rod and I made a quick visit to Arizona to pick up the donations before my parents returned to Canada. We took the clothing to Casa Caritas, a day care run by Laura Mc Grain (YUGO missionary) in small village in the Mexicali, Mexico.

Laura shared with Rod and I about the devastation left behind after the 7.2 earthquake that ravaged the small villages in the Mexicali Valley Easter Sunday. She shared that some people were living in tents or under tarps as their homes were destroyed. One woman who is a pastor of a church lost her church and her home. She is now living out in the yard with little to no protection from the weather. Our hearts were broken by the news. These people, who already have so little, now have less. YUGO Ministries and other ministries are inviting others to join them in reaching out to the people of Mexicali who have suffered greatly. The plan is to build or rebuild 100 homes in the area of Sonora, Nyarit, Cucapah, Durango, Indigena, and Puerta.


Family living under a tarp


Damaged roads after the earthquake

Please join us in prayer that many will feel led to come forth and help those in need. If you are interested of know someone who may be interested in “How to Get Involved” with this project or others, please contact us and we will help you in any way possible.

142 New Believers-Apr 2010

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Easter is always a great reminder that God loved us so much that He sent his Son, knowing He would die a brutal death on a cross so our sins could be forgiven, so we could live eternally with Him. Every year YUGO staff, Canadian and American groups travel to Mexicali, Mexico with a message of hope for those that have lost hope.

It was less than a week before the Easter/Spring Evangelistic Outreaches in Mexicali were to take place. Staff was NOT in place! The fear instilled in Canadians and Americans NOT to enter Mexico due to the violence, continues to crush the economy of Mexico (Mexico’s economy depends on tourism). Ministries are hurting as we depend on North Americans to walk along side our missionaries serving and sharing the simple message of God’s love and mercy with the Mexican people.

Our God is bigger than the hype portrayed in the news broadcasts. He brought us brave, God fearing individuals, obedient to his call. Six days before Rod was to leave to direct the outreaches in Mexicali, he got a phone call from Joyce Friesen asking if YUGO could use her help for a couple weeks. The very next day a second person, Joseph Fruin (son of missionary friends) asked Rod if he could use some help at the outreaches. Our God is an awesome God! He also sent Claudia as a volunteer and a youth group from Mexicali to help with set up and tear down. God was faithful to provide the help needed.



Joseph, Joyce and Claudia were a gift from God

The Easter Outreach (first week of outreaches) had just come to an end when Mexicali experienced a 7.2 earth quake. Our staff and volunteers were in the US shopping and had to make a quick exit from the store they were in due to the cans falling off the shelves. We are thankful everybody was fine and there were no damages to report.

Less than one week later the Spring Outreach (second week) came to an end. Life was good; 142 people had now invited Jesus into their hearts. What an incredible couple weeks of ministry. The staff were tired and heading home. Just ten miles from home Rod was in an accident that allowed him to experience the inside of a Mexican jail for a few hours. By 2:00 a.m. the insurance lawyer and the Mexican District Attorney came to a settlement and Rod was released. We are grateful no body was seriously hurt in either vehicle. Rod and I felt peace throughout the entire situation.

We can not begin to thank you enough for the prayers that go forth for us and those we serve with. Some of you are called to prayer and God answered your prayers. Here is a Face Book message we received from Elizabeth and Kyle after Rod was released from jail. “How are you guys doing? We've been praying for you -- God just kinda put you on our hearts the other day and I don't know why so I just started praying.” Wow, what an amazing God we serve! He knows our every need!

Opening Prison Doors-Mar 2010

“But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.” Galatians 3:22

Click-jingle-clang, click-jingle-clang… The doors creak open after keys rattle and the guards confirm our proof of admission as our prison ministry team goes through eight sets of locked doors manned by armed guards. This is a weekly ritual as we enter into the secured area where a group of incarcerated women we work with are housed in the Ensenada Prison. We are warmly welcomed each time we get to our destination and enter into the area where the women are allowed out of their cells.


This cell houses nine women in the Ensenada Prison

These women enter into the prison system carrying pain from tragedies that have brought them to this place of separation, loneliness and despair. Each of these women carries her own deeply buried memories that have built up barriers, iron doors within their hearts that need to be unlocked so they can be set free from the pain from their pasts. Some of their hearts are guarded, as guarded as each of the doors we have to pass through to bring them hope. The Celebrate Recovery program we offer them gives them an opportunity to express themselves and break through the obstacles that stop them from receiving God’s love and healing. We as a team are in agreement; even if they have committed the crime they deserve dignity to find the love of God and rehabilitation.

God reveals himself to us through his Word, the Bible which is His Love Letter to us. He daily changes us to be more like Him, filled with love for others when we take the time to read and reflect on what He is saying through the Bible which is alive and powerful to change our lives. Each woman prisoner is given the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ and secondly, encouraged to commit to reading and studying His Word which allows their hearts to be changed and transformed into His image.

Shortly after returning from Canada we continued missionary training. Our newest Canadian missionaries Jody and Angela came to Mexico with their youth from Immanuel CRC from Langley, B.C. one year ago. Both returned to Mexico July 2009 to join our staff in volunteering at Grace Children’s Home. Now they have committed to being short term missionaries. This year their youth group from their church body have returned to join us in ministry in Mexico and Jody and Angela are leading their team as YUGO missionaries. Good job ladies! The Immanuel CRC team served in Mexico in many areas of ministry, including presenting the love of Jesus through Drime (drama with music).


Rod, John, Gerry and Peggy waiting for fish tacos in Ensenada

My mom (Gerry), dad (John) and sister (Peggy) also came to visit us in El Faro. It was fun to have family on our turf doing the things we like to do best. We had a chance to do a fair amount of visiting and of course, shopping in the local markets in Rosarito and Ensenada. It was great to join up with the Langley group at a favorite taco stand after Rod led the group on an adventurous day experiencing the culture of Mexico.

Batten Down The Hatches-Feb 2010

“How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” Ps 133:1

Batten down the hatches! (Get ready!) Many of us have heard the term while others have experienced it first hand. Loree and her son Jaxon bunked in with us at El Faro while serving at Grace Children’s Home (YUGO’s Orphanage). The winds were howling and the heavy rain could be seen pelting against the window pains. We had just finished supper and were enjoying sharing each others company when the power went out. Doing dishes by candle light is just one of the many experiences that Loree and Jaxon will take back with them to Abbotsford, B.C. as they share with others their adventures while serving along side YUGO staff while in Mexico.

The heavy rains are always a great concern for us as we see our Mexican friends living in such great need. We always welcome plastics tarps, warm blankets and food donations during these desperate times of need. During the rain the schools close down as many walk to school. Feeding programs are placed on hold while the children remain hungry. Please keep our Mexican friends in your prayers.

January and February always brings exciting times. The days are filled with opportunities to represent YUGO ministries at mission’s conferences and attend YUGO’s annual retreat at our Ensenada Outreach Center. It was exciting to gather at the annual retreat with other missionaries, office staff and board members to hear what God is doing in and through each of us individually as we serve Him. It was like a big family reunion! Many thanks to our YUGO Canada board and office staff for joining us at the retreat and checking out the different ministries our missionaries are involved in.


Margaret, Lucia, Marylyn, Dwight & Ismeal - Some of YUGO Canada's board members and office staff that joined us in Ensenada for YUGO Ministrie's annual retreat

UNITY & RECONCILIATION!!! This same message was heard at our YUGO annual retreat and through out mission conferences across Canada. At Winnipeg Mission Fest Canadian missionaries John and Eloise Bergen shared with us how they became national news in 2007 after they were brutally attacked in Kenya. They shared how God called them into a place of forgiving their attackers. It is evident that God is calling his people to let go of past hurts so we can walk in unity and serve Him to the fullest of our capacity.

Returning to Canada to represent YUGO Ministries always brings opportunities to see family and friends. I spent four glorious days with our daughter Jessica and family. Rebekah was able to skip a day of classes to join Rod and I for a five day stretch in Stony Plain. We were able to spend family day together followed by a few days representing YUGO at Global Connections at Prairie Bible Institute. We are always uncertain of when our next trip to Canada will be and appreciate squeezing in as much family time as possible.

Thank you to the many that continue to lift us in prayer. We are passionate about sharing with others what God is doing in Mexico through our YUGO missionaries.

40 Below Zero-Jan 2010

December 13, 5:00 am at 40 below zero Rod, Rebekah and I began our long trip from Canada back to Mexico. We arrived in Mexico and hit the ground running. Our first Prison Ministry event took place days after our arrival. Preparing jello, cake and ice cream for 300 was our Prison Ministry team’s part in preparing a Christmas fiesta, complete with a turkey dinner for the prisoners of the Ensenada Prison along side five other ministries. It was a joy to see the faces of the women prisoners as they took part in worship and singing Christmas carols. Some stood, tears steaming down their faces as they openly thanked us for bringing them much needed personal items through out the year. Thank you to the many that helped load up our van with donations before we left Canada. Each item is a blessing and the Mexican people are very thankful for what was given them.

Three days later we had a second event for the women that were in the Celebrate Recovery Program. While entering the first set of locked doors (one of many), one of the guards was quietly speaking to a couple of our Prison Ministry team members. She shared how she had miscarried and fell into a place of brokenness. She then shared how she gave her heart to Jesus on the very day of the first event. Did she hear the message that was shared openly about the love of Jesus at the fiesta? Did she hear that God sent Jesus to earth so that her sins could be forgiven? Not sure, either way, she found the greatest gift of all this Christmas, eternal life with Jesus.


The prisoners live with less than bare necessities. Your generous donations of personal items are blessing to all who recieved.

We continued on through the many locked gates accompanied by guards until we reached our Celebrate Recovery Group. They warmly welcomed us. I asked each woman to write a short paragraph of what the Celebrate Recovery Program meant to them. During our drive home tears steamed down our faces as we read. Let me share with you what the Celebrate Recovery Program has done in their lives of a couple of the women. (These testimonies have been translated into English by our daughter Rebekah)

Damarius wrote: I love the Celebrate Recovery Program because it has helped to change my life, not commit the same errors from my past and forgive those who have hurt me, as well as ask for their forgiveness.

Arlene wrote: I am thankful and blessed by God and YUGO Ministries because the Celebrate Recovery Program has helped me see how great God is. It does not matter the sins I have committed in the past, He has forgiven all my sins. He loves me and has opened my eyes to the changes needed in my life. I am happy because I have learned to control my life. Life is difficult, but I will continue to fight the enemy so God can reign in my life.
Christmas 2009 was a festive time spent with other missionaries. After feasting on traditional delicacies we took part in a white elephant gift exchange followed by games and lots of laughter. Mexican Christmas and New Years are always celebrated with lots of fireworks. The sky was alive with spectacular light shows and deafening booms.

The days flew by very quickly. Rebekah traveled with us to Mexico and we spent three weeks together while she was out of school. January 2 we took her to the airport to return to school in Three Hills, Canada. The empty nest syndrome hit hard. We are grateful to be Mission Mobilizers for YUGO Ministries. We will return to Canada for four days in January to represent YUGO in Vancouver and for three weeks in February to represent YUGO in Winnipeg and Edmonton. These trips give us opportunities to see family and friends as well as encourage others to get involved in the Great Commission.