15 Years in the Endenada Prison-April 2024

Greetings from Mexico Family & Friends,

Easter is just around the corner! I loved Easter as a child and love it even more today. Easter is a time to gather with family and friends to celebrate Jesus defeating death and offering us eternal life with Him. We have much to celebrate as we enter into this Easter season.

Ana, Karla & Francisco preparing tortas (subs buns) for the prison event

2024 marks 15 years bringing Celebrate Recovery into the Ensenada Prison. Many of “Our Girls” on the inside of the Ensenada Prison come from broken, rebellious backgrounds. They wanted to be free to live as they pleased and had to hit rock bottom, and be cast into prison before coming to their senses. It has taken great sorrow and tragedy to cause them to look to the only One who can help them.

God’s love is patient and welcoming. He searched for each one of “Our Girls” giving them opportunities to respond to His love. We have the beautiful opportunity to lead the lost to Jesus and introduce them to His healing power through the Christ centered 12 steps and 8 principles of Celebrate Recovery.

In January the director of the Ensenada Prison allotted us 30 female inmates to relaunch Celebrate Recovery Inside. It was very exciting! Most of the participants were first timers to the program. You could feel the excitement as our Prison Ministry team members shared their testimonies of how Celebrate Recovery helped change their lives. “Our Girls” shared their gratitude and excitement at having this opportunity to walk on the Road to Recovery. Some shared they had been waiting for years to join us in the Celebrate Recovery program. We look forward to seeing how God will transform their lives.

In February we celebrated Valentines Day with “Our Girls” on the inside of the Ensenada Prison. As most of the inmates were new to the program, they thoroughly enjoyed the event as we worshipped together, heard an encouraging message and testimony, fellowshipped while making a Valentine’s Day card, ate a filling lunch (complete with delicious cupcakes), and ended the event handing out toiletry and candy bags as “Our Girls” returned to their cells. We all went our separate directions filled with joy and fond memories.

Francisco and I agree our greatest joy is having the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus’ love and healing power with others in the Ensenada Prison and in our local church. Thank you for partnering with us in ministry.

Blessings, Cheryl & Francisco

NOTE: The Ensenada Prison are asking for help to build a small commercial kitchen for the female inmates. Having a kitchen would allow the women inmates the opportunity to learn culinary skills so they could use them to support themselves and their families when they are released from prison. We have workers to do the work, and now we just need the funding. If this project is something you would be interested in donating to, please send funds through Commission To Every Nation (Prison Ministry Commercial Kitchen) for a taxable receipt: https://www.iatspayments.com/saaura/PA4E35632C7C25A8A4

Celebrating 10 years-February 2024

Greetings from Mexico Family & Friends,

2023 was a wonderful year of ministry! December brought with it many opportunities to celebrate the birth of Jesus. After 15 years serving in the Ensenada Prison, Christmas events in the prison are still one of my favorites. My prison ministry team arrived with toiletry gift bags, candy bags, a tasty meal and games which brought lots of laughter and joy to “Our Girls” on the inside. We ended our event with hugs and goodbyes, jumped into our trusty 25-year-old ministry vehicle to head back to Rosarito. To our dismay, our ministry vehicle failed us.

A guards that gave our team grief week after week came to our rescue and patched our vehicle just long enough to get us back on the road. We had imagined having to hire a tow truck to haul us back to Rosarito (1 1/2 hours away). God had another plan. He used this opportunity to bring out the side of this prison guard we had never seen before. He was helpful, kind, concerned and had mechanical skills! It was a beautiful gift to end a wonderful day!

Our Celebrate Recovery Christmas event in Calvary Rosarito was remarkable. We served a traditional Mexican meal, heard powerful testimonies, handed out door prizes and enjoyed each other’s company. This made for a memorable night! It was touching to see 21 participants step forward to receive certificates for having completed their first set of Celebrate Recovery 12 steps.

In January we celebrated our 10th year anniversary of having Celebrate Recovery in Calvary Rosarito. We heard some great testimonies, enjoyed the delicious desserts, caught up where we left off with friends and stepped into 2024 knowing it is going to be a great year as we walk the Road to Recovery together.

The greatest gift in Celebrate Recovery is seeing non-believers respond to the Gospel. Francisco ends each teaching with an opportunity for participants to make a decision to commit their lives to Christ. Paola had been attending Celebrate Recovery Large group meetings for quite some time. At the end of the teaching, Paula put up her hand and invited Jesus into her life.

Francisco had the privilege of baptizing Paola. Being baptized was Paola’s outward sign to the congregation that she had decided to follow Jesus. With this commitment came a heart to serve. Paula has joined our servant leader team by serving at The Landing (our Celebrate Recovery program designed for youth) and helping with the media.

We are so grateful for our Celebrate Recovery servant leaders and their willingness to be used by God in all areas of ministry. As they share acts of kindness, God’s love and hope pour out of them. Francisco and I stand in awe as we see the fruits of their labor. It’s a blessing to serve alongside this amazing team of men and women.

Francisco and I are thankful for each of you! Not everyone is called to the mission field. Each of you, who work for Christ at home are vital to ministry for those, like ourselves who have been called to go. It is through your prayers and financial gifts that we became partners in spreading the Gospel message and bringing healing to the broken.

Blessings,

Cheryl & Francisco