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.