We hope that you had a blessed Christmas season. During this time of year we are reminded of just how blessed we are.

In early December we enjoyed a short retreat with other missionaries in northern Mexico. It was a great time of fellowship and relaxation.

On a more somber note, we said goodbye to our supervisors and fellow missionaries. Alan and Donna moved to a new location in Mexico to continue their mobilization ministry. They made an impact for eternity here in our city. We already miss them!

We are now attending Iglesia Bautista de Las Lomas. This is a growing body of believers with a love for the Lord. In our remaining time here, we plan to assist them in outreach to local neighborhoods.

Last night, we hosted fourteen young Mexicans for a holiday celebration. We enjoyed taco salad (gringo style) and a Chinese gift exchange. Don’t ask me to explain it. Suffice to say, it was fun event with great folks.

Since our last report Howie enjoyed the hospitality of Hospital San Jose. It seems that he had a particularly tough case of pneumonia. After being on IV antibiotics for six days, he was released to come home and continue his recovery. We are pleased to report that he is improving and regaining his strength.

Please visit our Mexicans Praying for Mexicans Facebook page. This is an effort to connect people in Mexico with Mexicans living in the United States. In addition, we hope to enlist American churches in a concerted prayer effort. Please visit and join others at this link: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Praying-for-Mexicans-Reaching

Mexicans/237620802967359

Pictures of some of the events described about may be viewed here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157628621057391/detail/

(Click on each picture to enlarge and/or enter your comments)

We remain grateful for all of you who pray for us. A vibrant prayer ministry is vital to what we do here.

Please pray:

For our mentoring relationship with two new Christians.

For young Mexican college students and professionals as they witness to their peers.

For Alan and Donna as they begin ministry in a new city.

For continued recovery and strength for Howie.

Summer has arrived in Hermosillo with a vengeance!! The temperature has topped 100 degrees every day since June 1^st. The highest temperature thus far this summer was 113 degrees on June 5^th! Needless to say, afternoon activities are limited during this time of year.

Despite the weather conditions, we have managed to stay busy with ministry. The highlight of the past weeks was a neighborhood Bible story activity managed completely by our college students. These young men and women planned, organized and executed the entire evening’s activities. It was a blessing to see them sing, share the gospel, as well as prepare and serve refreshments.

Nearly forty children and eight mothers participated in the activities. Fifteen students served in various roles during the evening. This was the realization of a goal for the students to evangelize their fellow Mexican citizens. We strongly feel that our investment in the lives of the students will pay dividends in the future as they graduate and move to various locations in Mexico and other countries.

One of the local churches is offering English as a Second Language (ESL} one night a week. We, along with our supervisors, Alan and Donna have been teaching four levels of English. Learning English is the goal of many young people and adults in Mexico. This is proving to be a great means of for the church to gain visibility in the community.

In May, we visited an albergue adjacent to the Sonora Children’s Hospital. We wrote about it briefly in our last month’s report. In case you missed that newsletter, an albergue is a place for the families of people who are hospitalized to stay if they are from out of town. Many people who come here cannot afford to stay in a hotel. Many times they sleep on the streets.

The albergue is not associated with any religious group and exists solely on contributions. For ten pesos (about 85 cents) a day, people have a place to sleep, bathe and eat. We have been able to pray with some of the people who stay there and see that in a time of crisis that their hearts are open to hearing about the power of God and His plan for salvation. Breakfast and lunch and sometimes dinner are provided by volunteers, but some nights there is nothing. We are praying to see how our students can help in this ministry.

Our ESL Bible studies are ending for the summer. We will resume when schools starts in mid August. During the last few months we have been blessed by having over thirty five students in our home. These times have afforded us the opportunity to know the students on a personal level. In addition, several unsaved students have attended and heard the gospel.

This month, please pray for:

o A continuing vision of what our college students can be through Christ.

o An openness to the gospel in Colonia Los Angeles.

o Our local churches to have a vision of how to reach their neighborhoods for Christ.

o Creating an effective student and/or church ministry at the albergue.

o Wisdom in planning activities for the upcoming school year.

Your encouragement and prayers are vital to what we can accomplish through Him. Thank you for your support!

Click on the following text to view pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157627059320812/detail/

(Once the photos appear on your screen, you can double click on the individual photos for a larger view. There is also a comments box for your use.)

Blessings,

Howie & Bev Rhoden

Dear family and friends -

Highlighted by a missions team visit from our home church, Lenexa Baptist, since our last update we have been quite busy. During the past month we were blessed to have a refreshing time with fellow missionaries in northern Mexico during a brief retreat. In addition, we continue to minister with the local college students and our church.

During the Lenexa Baptist visit, a team of eight people led by Missions Pastor Larry White, a significant spiritual and material impact was made here in Hermosillo. The team worked diligently to remodel the kitchen, make curtains, install lights, and paint the exterior of the Iglesia Bautista de Las Lomas (Baptist Church of Las Lomas). On Sunday, the team joined pastor Gerardo and the congregation in worship. In addition to the physical work, the team conducted four evangelistic events in support of the Los Lomas church and two others in the city. These events are held outdoors in the evenings because of the daytime heat - we had temperatures of 102 degrees on two days during the visit!!

In addition, on two occasions, the team made sandwiches and handed them out at local hospitals. In Hermosillo, this is a much needed ministry since people from all over the state of Sonora come here for medical care. In many cases they have little or no money to buy food. Some of them sleep outside near the hospitals because they cannot afford to pay for a place to sleep. This service also provided opportunities for evangelism and prayer with families of hospitalized people.

During our outreach we happened upon an “alberge” (temporary residence for families of hospitalized children). People who need a place to stay pay ten pesos per day (about 85 cents) to have a place to sleep and a couple of meals a day. There are three dorm-like rooms with twenty beds each: one room for women, one room for men, and one room for women who are expecting babies. The beds are small, hard and close together but they are safe and off the streets. We are praying to see what God would have us do for this facility in the future. They are not associated with a religious group and depend solely on donations for food and clothing.

We were very pleased to see how God used eleven local college students from our Bible study in assisting the team. The students, translated, witnessed, served food, and cleaned up after the events. It was truly an answer to prayer to see students mobilized in support of an outreach to Mexicans. Upon graduation from college, these students will move to positions of responsibility in various parts of Mexico. Our prayer and heart’s desire is to see them impact their country for Christ.

Please pray for:

· A God-given mobilization vision for the believers on local college campuses

· A willingness on the part of local church members to reach out to their communities

· Wisdom to discern the motives of those who seek assistance from us

· Wisdom to know how God would have us help the alberge and at the same time have an opportunity to witness

Click on the following text to view pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157626700985082/detail/

(Once the photos appear on your screen, you can double click on the individual photos for a larger view. There is also a comments box for your use.)

Blessings.

Howie & Bev Rhoden

Hello once again from Hermosillo!  We are pleased to report that God continues to bless His people here. Another busy month has passed.

On February 5, twenty-six women gathered for a teacher’s worship presented by Linda Hollander. The event was well received and the participants left the meeting with many new ideas for presenting the gospel. Linda is from our home church, Lenexa Baptist in Lenexa, Kansas. She gave of her time and money to travel here and share her ideas and experience. Thank you, Linda!

Our church continues to minister in Colonia Los Angeles. Every other Saturday, we teach mothers and children about the gospel using various means. The mother’s group continues to grow.  This month we made molded chocolate suckers for Valentine’s Day and candies for children’s parties.  At each meeting we share prayer requests and pray.  We take advantage of every opportunity to share a testimony of our relationship with God.  In March we will be making salvation bracelets.  Please pray that as we share the plan of salvation with this craft that women will see their need for the Savior.

It has been a great month for student Bible studies. We have had a total of twenty students attending at least one study. There were eleven students at our largest session. The students are a delight to be around. During the month, they threw a surprise “thank you” party for us. It was indeed a surprise. We are grateful to be around such wonderful young people.

Click on the following text for photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157626029823181/detail/

(Once the photos appear on your screen, you can double click on the individual photos for a larger view. There is also a comments box for your use.)

We are very happy to report that our son-in-law, Terrance, returned safely from his military deployment to Afghanistan. Mandy and Lucas are pleased to have husband and daddy home!  Our youngest grandson, Sammy, is doing well and will soon be three months old.  We are blessed!

Please remember the following requests –

(1)  Pray for open hearts during the salvation bracelet presentation in two weeks.

(2)  Pray that students will invite non Christian friends to the Bible studies.

(3)  Pray for planning of the Lenexa Baptist Church mission trip in late April.

(4)  Pray for discernment as we disciple a young couple

(5)  Pray that the construction approval paperwork for our church, Casa de Dios, will move smoothly through the government bureaucracy.

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement.

Greetings from Hermosillo, Mexico! We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas season. We were blessed to travel to the states to see our children and grandchildren. It was a wonderful time as we spent Christmas with Mandy, Lucas, Ben, Amber and Sammy. The only person missing was our son-in-law, Terrance, who is serving with the Army in Afghanistan.

The year is off to a fast start. In our continuing focus on student ministry, Beverly had a group of young women from the University of Sonora (UNISON) over for an afternoon of fellowship and jewelry making.

Click on the following text to see pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157625941994358/detail/

We spent a Saturday morning in Colonia Los Angeles working with mothers and children. In addition, we are offering two Bible studies in English each week. It’s great to be able to report that we had six students at both sessions this week! This is a substantial increase over last year.

This coming week our good friend Linda Hollander will be coming down to Hermosillo.  She will be teaching a seminar to ladies from several churches in the area.  She will give them many ideas for how to share Bible lessons and inspire them to become teachers of excellence.

Many asked us about the security situation in Mexico. Hermosillo has been spared most of the violence that permeates the border area and other locations in Mexico. The greatest risk here seems to be driving!

Traffic is heavy and stop signs and traffic lights are sometimes considered to be advisory in nature! Having said that, driving here is less of a challenge than it was in Costa Rica.

Please pray for the following:

·   Continued spiritual growth for the UNISON students with whom we minister

·   That student leaders will have a vision to reach other students for Christ

·   That we can establish evangelical student groups on other campuses

·   For the plans to start construction on a new building for Casa de Dios

·   Spiritual growth for new Christian Jake and salvation for girlfriend Carmen

·   Wisdom and discernment as we invest our time in people

·    For a successful Sunday School teacher workshop on February5^th

·   Safe travel for Linda as she comes to Hermosillo

Howie & Bev

Another busy month has passed here in Mexico. In November we attended a retreat for the student ministry at the University of Sonora (UNISON). Approximately thirty students spent the weekend at rural location near our home. Two college students committed their lives to Christ during the weekend. It was also great time of fellowship and Bible study.

In addition, we were blessed to be able to attend a missionary retreat during the first week of December. Colleagues from northern Mexico met for a time of Bible study, renewal and fellowship.

On alternate Saturdays, we continue to minister in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hermosillo. Our church owns property there and plans to construct a building there next year.

On December 6, we were blessed with the arrival of our second grandson, Samuel Ellis Rhoden. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces and is 18 ¾ inches long. We are grateful for another healthily family member!

The proud parents, Ben and Amber live in Kansas. We are excited that we will be able to see them as well as our daughter, Mandy and other grandson, Lucas, during the holiday season.

We also completed a session of Spanish language training at UNISON. Our goal is to not only improve our Spanish ability, but to connect with students from all over the world who study here. Pictured with us in the Spanish class photo are students from the Netherlands, China and Russia along with our professor from Mexico.

Click on the following text to view pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157625453862677/detail/

Please pray for:

-    Our mentoring relationship with a new Christian, Jake.

      -       Our ability to develop relationships with unsaved students at UNISON.

      -       The local Mexican pastors, Gerardo, Manuel, and Miguel as they lead           their churches.

-    The safety of our son-in-law, Terrance, who is serving in Afghanistan, our daughter, Mandy and our grandson Lucas who live in Tennessee.

-       Stateside churches to consider sending ministry teams to Mexico.

Thanks for your prayers and words of support!

September has been a busy, but wonderful month in Hermosillo. As we have settled into our new home, there have been opportunities to get to know our neighbors as well as people from our church.

The highlight has been the opportunity to work with the student ministry at the University of Sonora. On a Friday night we hosted over seventy-five students from universities in the states of Sonora and Baja California at our home. What an evening! We worshipped, ate and fellowshipped until one o’clock in the morning. We are grateful for very tolerant neighbors who did not complain at all. (see pictures)

On Tuesday afternoons, the University of Sonora student group meets outside the library for worship. Since it is a public university, such meetings are permitted. However, the group cannot use the buildings for worship purposes. We are blessed with strong and visionary student leadership.

Our local church is Casa de Dios (House of God). It is a relatively new church plant that meets in a rented facility for worship and Sunday School on Sunday mornings.

On Sunday nights we meet in the homes of church members. During the week there is also a home-based prayer meeting. Our pastor, Miguel, is a bi-vocational minister.

Every other Saturday our church has a children’s ministry outreach on the property where the church building will eventually stand. Bev has become the “Cookie Lady” for the group – a task that she really does enjoy! (see pictures)

Please click on the following text to see pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157625078653622/detail/

We are in Mexico!  Arriving on Monday, August 16^th, we plunged into the heat of the Sonoran Desert summer. The temperature reaches above one hundred degrees each afternoon. Since we are in the rainy season, it is not uncommon to get thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening.

Leaving Costa Rica was a bittersweet experience. We will miss our Tico family as well as our church friends. During the last week there, we experienced tears as well as joy as we said goodbye and graduated from language school. Our church sent us on our way by calling us forward to lay hands on us and pray for God’s blessing in Mexico.

Our supervisor, Alan Brown, and his wife Donna have really made us feel welcome in Hermosillo. Their assistance in getting situated is invaluable. We have once again been reminded of the axiom “living takes longer overseas” as we work through the multitude of items necessary to set up housekeeping.

One of our first tasks is to prepare for the visit of a mission team from our home church, Lenexa Baptist. We are excited about what God will do through them. It will also be wonderful to see friends from Kansas!

A highlight of our first days here was a meeting with University of Sonora students. Eight young men and women met with us to discuss their plans for the fall semester. To say the least, we were delighted when they told us that our arrival here was an answer to prayer. This group will be fasting and praying over this weekend. They have a vision to share the gospel with the thousands of students at the campus.

Click the following text for picture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/4932003183/

Today we leave for a church retreat on the Gulf of California coast. Several churches in the city are partnering to make event possible.

Please pray:

-       That we will adapt quickly to a new culture and be effective witnesses for the Father

-       For the Lenexa Baptist team’s preparation for their visit in late October

-       For the University of Sonora student group to grow and be bold in their witness

-       For Alan & Donna Brown as they lead the IMB team here

-       For the three local pastors of the church plants in Hermosillo – Miguel, Manuel, Gerardo

Thank you for your continuing prayers and support.

Serving Him –

Howie & Bev

It’s hard to believe that another month has passed. We have only six weeks left in Costa Rica!

We have once again been very busy with language learning. The more we learn, the more we realize that there is so much more to learn!

Beverly was able to spend an afternoon at an impoverished area of San Jose, called La Carpio.  The poorest of the poor live there and there is very little hope of getting out.  The ministry Cristo por la Cuidad (Christ for the City) works with children and teenagers to help them with their schooling.  Elementary school is obligatory and free so all the children complete the sixth grade.  Very few go beyond 6^th grade. 

The workers in Cristo por la Cuidad help those over 6^th grade study and prepare for exams that are similar to our GED.  They share the gospel as they help with school work and give the kids a safe place to play. 

Beverly was privileged to spend a Saturday afternoon painting fingernails, applying makeup and helping make princess crowns with about thirty girls between ages nine and twelve.  They felt pampered and loved and then they heard a message of how they were created in the image of a loving God who cares about every detail of their lives.  It was such a blessing to see the joy on their faces as they heard about their heavenly Father. 

Click the following text for pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157624403150186/detail/

One event reminded us how God continues to care for us. One afternoon as Howie was walking home from class, a severe thunderstorm approached our apartment. Just as he was unlocking the metal gate to enter the yard, a bolt of lightning struck the gate! He was slammed onto his back by the force of the strike. Fortunately, his backpack cushioned the fall.

The guard at the apartment complex across the street witnessed the entire event. He was amazed that Howie was able to get up and walk away without a scratch! Subsequently, we learned that quite a few people are injured or die each year in Costa Rica from lightning strikes. We are grateful that God chose to preserve Howie’s life.

As our time in Costa Rica draws to a close, we are working on getting our visas for Mexico. This has proved to be a time-consuming and somewhat frustrating process. We think that there must be a spiritual lesson in this! We finally got an appointment at the Mexican consulate to start the next round of paperwork. Provided all goes as planned, we should havethe visas in hand shortly.

Thank you for your prayers and support

Howie and Bev

Hello, friends –

We recognize that we are late in updating you this month. Much has happened that caused us great challenges. Truly, it has been one of the more difficult times that we have faced since leaving the states.

On May 4^th, we received word that Howie’s father had died. Since he had suffered with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s for almost eight years, his passing was not unexpected. On the same day, our daughter Mandy’s husband deployed to Afghanistan – earlier than expected.

We traveled to the states for Dad’s funeral and to have some time with Howie’s Mom.  We were able to spend a few days with Mandy and our grandson,

Lucas. Our son, Ben, and his wife Amber were able to join us for two days. We returned to our home in Costa Rica on May 15^th.

As a result of our travels, we missed the first eight days of the new Spanish language trimester. We have lots of work ahead of us in order to catch up!

Many have shared encouraging words with us during this period of difficulties. Thank you, as well, for your prayers on our behalf. We are grateful for faithful family and friends that continue to lift us up to the Father.

Please remember these specific prayer requests:

• For Howie’s Mom as she adjusts to the loss of her husband of sixty-two years.
• For our daughter Mandy as she deals with her husband Terrance’s deployment.           
• For the people of Hermosillo, Mexico – our ultimate destination.                  
• For us as we try to catch up on missed classes.

Blessings.

Howie & Bev

Hello, Friends –

It’s the beginning of a new month already!  Our time here in Costa Rica is flying by – we passed the halfway mark a couple of weeks ago.

This past month has been intense. The grammar continues to get harder and it seems like the more we try to put in our heads, the more mixed up all the verb conjugations become.  We need more practice, not more knowledge!

Bev has been busy working with the new choir at our church in Paso Ancho. In addition, she made jewelry for a fundraiser to help pay for lunches that our church serves to neighborhood children.

Click following text for pictures. http://picasaweb.google.com/brrhoden/PasoAnchoBazar

We had an opportunity to visit Nicaragua this past week. It took twelve hours to get to the city of Granada – and five of those were spent waiting to cross the border.  We had to wait in a line that snaked around eight times in the extremely hot sun.  We thought we were almost to the passport office when we turned a corner and there was another line almost as long.  We really learned to appreciate shade and cold water. 

Granada is a lovely city with a real “old world” feel, but we were reminded that it is still in a third world country. (see photos) The water was shut off for extended periods on several days. There were many beggars, and vendors constantly asking us to buy cashews, pottery or pirated DVD’s.  They even came to the tables when we were eating.  We had children asking for the food from our plates as we ate.  One of them even sat down at our table and gladly ate our leftovers. 

This experience served as a stark reminder that not everyone is as blessed as we are. How can we live with ungrateful hearts when we have so much?  More than the physical hunger, there is a deep spiritual hunger that pervades this part of the world. Many are deceived to believe that participation in religious rituals makes them acceptable to God. Our heart’s desire is that the veil of deception that covers so many can be torn in two by the power of the Gospel.

Click following text for pictures. http://picasaweb.google.com/brrhoden/GranadaNicaragua

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement.

Howie & Bev

Please forgive us for the delay in updating our BLOG. Since starting formal language study on January 12^th, life has been a blur! Spanish is coming at us at a fast pace.

We are well into Costa Rican summer with hot days and warm nights. Yesterday (January 23^rd) we and our colleagues had a great day of relaxation at a beautiful park not far from here. It was a welcome change from our daily schedule. In the attached pictures you will see a lake with hundreds of “islands”.  As we watched the lake the islands seemed to move.  We discovered that the islands were made up of thousands of beautiful floating plants.  You will also see a close up of the plants. 

Click Following Text For Park Pictures  http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157623278149630/detail/

We experienced our first birthday party in Costa Rica.  Our Tico family have two grandchildren with the same birthday.  We enjoyed sharing this celebration with them.  Beverly was very pleased to be considered part of the family and to be allowed to help with the cooking and serving…..quite an honor!  It was also very flattering that the grandson wanted to serve a recipe that Beverly had made with the family earlier.  We made chimichangas covered in homemade chili.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the food.  Chimichangas are not usually made in Costa Rica.  The evening included a piñata, lots of cake and candy to go around.  It was a special time shared with extended family.  We are very thankful to have a wonderful Tico family and are thrilled to be considered part of the family. 

Click Following Text For Party Pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030821@N04/sets/72157623153587901/detail/

Thank you for your continued prayers for us!

We continue to learn more language and culture every day. During the last month we visited a family who cares for more than thirty orphans, worshipped with several Costa Rican congregations, were exposed to several cultural attractions and celebrated Thanksgiving with our IMB community. We long for the time when our language ability will permit us to effectively share the gospel in Spanish.

As you are certainly aware, these are difficult economic times. The downturn has directly affected IMB’s ability to send missionaries to tell the world about Him. We challenge each of you to pray that our hearts will become right before the Lord regarding reaching the lost of this world.

Very soon, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering time will be here. Please begin to pray, if you haven’t done so already about how you will participate with us in reaching a lost world for Christ. I’m sure that you have heard about the missionaries who have been deferred from going to the field and about tightening our belts and being better stewards of our limited resources. As Southern Baptist Missionaries on the field, we are already feeling the pinch.

We are extremely thankful for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program. Otherwise we would have to spend a lot of our time asking for money instead of talking with people about Jesus. I would also ask that you do more than just pray. Seek God’s direction on how to better support international missions through Lottie Moon and the Cooperative Program and then follow His leading.

We are extremely grateful to each one of you who continues to lift us up to the Father. Without your prayers, we would not be able to do what we do.

As we approach the Christmas season, we wish you and yours the best. ¡Puede Dios bendecirle y guardar!

Howie & Bev Rhoden