Dear brethren in Christ Jesus, I greet you with great respect and love in our Lord, asking Him on your behalf, as you must live the joy and complete life our Lord offered us. We are so happy in the ministry for our Lord as we have experience the hunger for God's Word, no matter where we go. Our joy increases when we see the great harvest.
Sofía
Maricela Pérez Reyna, due to her terrible diabetes, started looking for
a solution to her terminal disease. She started herself in spiritism,
and Satanism, and went to worship Death, mixing all this with the
doctrine from the Jehovah Witnesses and Adventists. Her marriage
got worse and worse. Her husband turned more aggressive and
sarcastic. He insulted her more and told her he wished she was
dead. She attended a funeral of a relative of one of our students,
Patricia Rosas. Patricia had left one of our brochures on the
table. Sofia was bored and she took this brochure and read it. She
learned why in this home there was no sorrow for the lost of a dear one.
The people were singing and praising the Lord, no matter this terrible
lost. Sofía decided to inquire more about this life style, and
decided to turn her life to Jesus Christ. She started feeling
better. She went to have a check up, and she found out she has no
diabetes any longer. Her husband was a drug dealer and kidnapper,
and decided to treat her better. He, after seeing the changes in
his wife, decided to come to Christ also. Now, he takes her
flowers, treats her as she deserves, and lives the Christian life.
He bought her new clothes, and they have just come back from a real
honey moon. We rejoice to see changed lives through the Blood of
the Lamb. He is the only one who heals lives. I am so grateful to
the Lord for our contribution to His work. This changed couple is
impacting the lives of its neighbors.
One of the Mexican cities with a higher level of idolatry is Zacatecas.
Each night there is a celebration of a so called "saint."
The "saint" is taken to the streets and people sing and pray
to it. Music bands and firecrackers go with the procession.
Lighted candles and burning of incense goes with it as well. On
the windows of most
homes, you can find stickers reading, "We are Catholics, and we do
not accept any other religious group." Nevertheless, on July,
and after an Evangelistic Campaign, the first Christian Church was
established in Ciudad Guadalupe, Zacatecas. Please pray a lot for
Azadiel Santillán and his wife, Guadalupe, who are in charge of this
new planted church.
In
Mexico, being a Catholic means to worship Virgen of Guadalupe, and these
people are in the Church to worship God instead. We had 27 new baptisms
in July. All are young new born faithful to the Lord. Their
first commitment is to read their Bibles, evangelize, and show a
Christian Life. Five of these new born come from the Farming
University known as Chapingo. They are eager to show their
Christian Testimony to their fellow students, and relatives. Abelino
García Pérez wrote, "I was sentenced to 42 years in jail in the
Islas Marías, State of Nayarit. I was sad when I was sentenced
due to drug dealing and murdering. I had never received any
instruction on how to respect people and their lives. I remember
attending the Catholic Church up to when I was ten years old. I
was confirmed and celebrated my First Communion. I knew what to do
in worship, but no one taught me to respect others. I remember
very little about my father. He was an alcoholic, never gave mom
any money, and he never showed us love. Then, I had a stepfather,
but he acted
the same as dad did. He was worse as he treated mom and I bad and
had a bad language. I left home and started living my own life. I
ended up in jail many times, but I was released as my misbehavior had
been minor. However, this time, things are different. I
think that I will never be put free again. One day, I was walking
inside the jail, and went to the library. I was pushed by an
unknown force to a stand with magazines, and I took one called "Teleguia."
My eye caught a writing that read, "God loves you, and if you want
to know more about it, go to page 42." That number ringed in
my mind as that was the number of years of my sentence. When I got
to that page, I read "CHRIST THE INCOMPARABLE". This writing
gave me hope. I felt the need to read more and learn more about
Jesus Christ. Please do not delay in sending me your Bible
lessons."
Drug dealing and delinquency is reaching new heights at the Border line in between the US and Mexico. The Lord took us to open a new office in Nuevo Laredo, State of Tamaulipas. So, we have a greater need for more printing of our lessons. We need to print the series of our 8 basic Bible lessons. The need is $20,000.00. We need your fervent prayers. The door is open, but we need to have the lessons available. With all of my heart, I ask you to pray for us at least three minutes a day. I am thankful for your great support in this ministry for our Lord.
Your fellow servant in Jesus Christ, Alfredo José Aparicio Director
María Cruz Barrón López is a lady from San Francisco del Rincón, State of Guanajuato. She has been a dedicated and responsible Bible Student. She requested our visit, as she had some things she wanted to discuss in person with us. She became a Christian, in baptism, and dedicated her life to witness for the Lord in her own community. She was the only believer in Christ there. She went ahead and visited the 2,460 families in her hometown. No one listened to her, but she did not give up. The only person willing to listen to her was the town drunkard, who spent his life in the cantina and on the streets. His name is Fabián Martínez. So, three weeks ago, I visited her town, but to my surprise Mary Cruz is no longer living in such town. She had gone to the US looking for work. All the people said good things about her and her precious Christian testimony. I was told there is a Christian Church in that town now, and the minister is Fabián Martínez. It is true, brother Fabián is a committed man to God’s Word. His new life in Christ has impacted the whole town, and all the people who knew him very well. His family and other families meet regularly to hear God’s Word being preached by him. All the glory and honor is to God, and the entire acknowledgement is to Him!
I am so happy to announce that we now have a new branch office in the City of Monterrey, State of Nuevo León, Mexico. This is indeed a very strategic place, as this city is the center for the North part of Mexico and it communicates well with the center of Mexico as well. Our Regional Director there is the dynamic evangelist Andrés Vásquez. Now, we have a great support working together with our regional offices. The other ones are located in Guadalajara (State of Jalisco), Ciudad Madero (State of Tamaulipas), and Toluca (State of México).
Let me share with you that we had 37 baptisms in June. These people decided to change their life style to honor Jesus Christ. Most of them joined a local congregation, but 11 of them need of your prayers, as their families are non-believers in Christ, and they live in areas without a Christian Church. However, these newborn Christians are getting a spiritual growth letter from us every week. Besides, we are sending them our advances courses of the Bible. We are sharing with them of their new responsibilities as Christians. They are now Children of God, but they have not only right, but obligations as well. We are their spiritual father, and as such, we must see to their spiritual nurture. They are Christian infants surrounded by wolves, snakes, hyenas, and roaring lions. Our ultimate goal is that they become Christian leaders, productive parents, seeking to mature in Christ.
During June, we visited eight jails to encourage our Bible students. No matter the strong corruption, drugs dealing, immorality polluting these places, our students remain faithful to God’s Word. They continue studying God’s Word. The averages of students we have in each jail are groups of 93 inmates. God’s World is the only things that keeps their faith alive, and gives them hope, especially those who have sentences for over ten years. The ones with a Bible share it with those who do not have one.
Also, I visited five groups of Anonymous Alcoholics and three from the Anonymous Neurotic. For most of these people, it is great news to hear that God loves them, or that He can and wants to change them. Most of these people have shared with me that they have gained security and self-esteem, together with a better emotional life, but they do not have any assurance of eternal life, or a transformed life that endures forever. They all asked me to come back and share more with them about God’s Word. Also, they all decided to start studying our Bible Correspondence Lessons. They wish to get visits on a weekly basis now, to share God’s Word with them.
Miguel Estévez Saborit from Camagüey, Cuba, after our Bible Study entitled "The Great Commission", started evangelizing his family, friends, neighbors, and people he encountered and met. The Political Police in Cuba detained him and put him in jail as he is preaching God’s Word, but he lacks the proper permits to do so. He is not recognized as a Religious Leader to do this. The same thing happened to Elizabet Serrano at Santa Clara, Cuba. Please help us pray for them. No matter what, they continue preaching inside the jail to the inmates there. But, they have been told to stop, or they will be put in a zone without communication with inmates, and their sentence could be longer.
Please pray for the Youth Congress to be held next month in Sierra Maestra (Cuba). The Cuban Association of Marxist-Leninist Youth gave word to be present to hear only. The theme will be "How does the Christian lives and behaves." The speakers are Christian College Students, who have been Christians for a year only. By the way, let me tell you that our Cuban Bible Students start sharing God’s Word even before they get baptized. Three months after they become Christians, they make their personal commitment to minister for the Lord. They have requested me time after time to come visit them and have seminars with them on Christian Leadership.
Please pray with me for,
Serving the Lord Jesus Christ, and your fellow servant, Alfredo José Aparicio, Director
January 2005
Dear brethren,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I greet you, wishing this New Year brings you, your family great blessings. This report is for 2004. It tells of our outstanding results due to the many activities we were involved in during such year. 2004 was the year in which we had more baptisms than in other years, 720 in total.
At the present time, we do have 26,118 Bible Correspondence Students. During the last two months, we have maintained 2,610 students a month, who have been enrolled. In order to send our mail, we spend $3,600.00 dollars a month in stamps only. Besides, people come to our office to pick up and deliver our lessons. We do have Bible Students in all of the Countries with Spanish Speakers, but we also have students in other Countries such as Brazil, Sweden, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and other.
During 2004 we planted seven churches and visited 18 new mission fields.
We are taking our Bible Correspondence Lessons to 415 Alcoholic Anonymous groups, 22 neurotic anonymous groups, and 41 jails. It is through the Word of God that 3,000 inmates are rehabilitating and 72 were put free, and with the desire to live the Christian Life.
Also, we are reaching 9 hospitals with God’s Word. Three of them are psychiatric hospitals. We are sharing the Word in six high schools and eight universities as well.
We passed out 46,000 Christian booklets on the main streets and avenues in Mexico City. Also, we did this in schools, cemeteries, bus terminals, hospitals, markets, and neighborhoods, especially where we found alcoholics, drug addicts, and so on.
We showed Christian films in evangelism campaigns, both in rural and urban areas. The movies were “Jesus”, “Almost Incredible”, “Cry for Freedom”, “New Clothes for Felipe”, “Who is Jesus?”, The Miracles Performer”, and “The Passion of Christ”. We traveled over 6,000 miles. At times we rode the bus and trucks to reach the far away and difficult access parts of Mexico. We took tapes in the peoples mother tongues, as they did not speak or understood Spanish. Some of these languages are Mazateco, Mixe, Chinanteco, Tlapaneco, Mixteco, Otomí, Náhuatl, and Zapoteco.
We broadcasted 288 hours of Bible Messages. Due to this activity, we received an average of 127 phone calls a day requesting our lessons and asking for counseling. As our phone is not enough for so many calls, we asked the help of some Christian families to help us receive these calls in their homes, and take the messages.
Besides our Bible Correspondence Lessons, we sent different Christian materials and literature to our students and Christians all over the World. We send Christian books, magazines, tapes, and other. Our dear sister Liza Renz does the printing of a very good magazine we also send our brethren; its title is El Discípulo Cristiano (The Christian Disciple).
Counseling is a big part of my ministry, which I did not point out when I talked about me and my family. I am the Director of the ministry. I do a lot of counseling, as I am a psychologist. My manual is the Bible. People come to me for advice and counseling from all over Mexico. I hardly have time to write down my work and the ministry’s reports. As I write right now, I am receiving phone calls, interrupting me with this report. I do counsel complete families at times. I give advice to groups of brethren who are facing difficulties and problems. Many, living in other Countries, call me and I give them advice and counseling through the phone. Many seek spiritual help and wish that we may go to their homes, even abroad. We are burden with many issues. Our ministry, the church, our families, all needs proper care indeed! The tasks are demanding!
We are so thankful for your great support during 2004. The results are only possible due to the love you all show us. The Lord of the Harvest will continue blessing you indeed. Besides, your reward is already waiting for you in Heaven! I am convinced that we need to labor harder during this year as events are showing us the Lord is at the Door and His coming is very near. All the happenings are not merely happening for nothing. The world is indeed shaking now! All is crying out loud, “The Lord is Coming!”
November, 2004
Dear brethren in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, I greet you with great joy and gratitude in my heart. I am so thankful to you and to the Lord because of His wonderful Field and work in Mexico. May He give you joy, peace, and harmony in all the areas of your lives. Thanks to the Bibles -- “Libre entre Rejas” -- the work inside jails has been much more successful. More prisoners are now studying the Bible. For example, from a prisoner at the jail in the North part of Mexico City, I quote the following:
“My dearest brother Alfredo and staff at Centro de Comunicaciones Culturales, I was one of those negative persons when someone was talking of the Gospel that I rejected them right away. However, I got a Bible handed to me by Francisco and Marlene Padilla, who are people that work with you and whom you gave the Bible to bring it to me. It was, indeed, a very special gift you sent me. Its language and testimonies talk about people such as the ones I am around, and I am one of them. We are despised by society. We are 9,000 inmates in this prison where I am. Most of us will be here at least ten years. We have been convicted for various causes. Due to your Bible lessons and the Bible you gave me, I understand that I have hope. We can change and be different. Our bad behavior has a solution if we submit to our Lord and Savior. We can become new beings and we can be useful again, because of Jesus Christ. We can gain a good reputation again, and we can help our families. God can use us indeed! Your lessons are so good and they are giving us a good orientation. We do understand that God has mercy on us. We are starting to come out of the mud! We are sharing your teachings with our relatives when they come to visit us. The most important part is that we wish to be free from sin. We want to free ourselves from the chains we had, even when we were free in this world. We are around 100 inmates who are studying your lessons together. We thank you because of your great help!” Miguel Romero García (Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City).
We are now reaching 40 jails through our ministry. We have even reached the jail in Moclova, Coahuila, which is the best soil for our ministry. In the jail in Monclova, we have 6 different groups, with a total of 100 men studying the Bible and our lessons. Each of the groups meet to study at different times. The jail authorities are happy to see how our lessons have helped their inmates behave better and really trying to change and be better. God’s Word is indeed a double-edged sword. Alfredo José Aparicio, Director
November, 2004
May the glorious manifestation of God’s Love and Mercy be with you on a daily basis, to continue giving them to many living in need of such love and mercy. I wish to share with you the marvelous blessings our Lord has poured on the ministry, my family, and myself. I had surgery on my tumor, on my right side chest. The results from analyzing it further showed it is not cancer. I had this surgery over a month ago, but it is still bothering me, as the wound is not completely healed. But, I am working normally. At times, I work very long hours, as there is much that needs to be done. I get exhausted at times. I do not understand why I get exhausted if the tumor did not have much relation to the rest of my body.
We have harvested many souls in the ministry. Many are being baptized. Mexico is experiencing much sin, but we do rejoice, as most souls being saved are people between 13 and 24 years of age. We had 93 baptisms during September and October. Some of the young people who decided to follow Jesus used to be rebels against their parents, without goals in life, or people involved in sexual perversity. However, they have accepted the Lord Jesus in their lives.
We praise the Lord for our ministry in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Sixto Bampaiz, who was our first Bible Correspondence Student there, got all of his fellow Bible students together as started meeting regularly. He has 60 people meeting now, on the high part of his little house. Most people remain standing most of the time, usually for two and a half hours. However, time flies when they are so eager to worship and learn the Word of God. They do pray a lot also. The local authorities have threatened them if they keep meeting, but they are not afraid to show their Christianity in the open. They will not give up their belief in Jesus Christ.
We did have the time to visit jails in the State of Oaxaca. The inmates are so crowded. A jail with capacity for 1,200 inmates has 3,000. Most of the inmates have lice and other bugs. Besides, there are lots of people infected with VIH virus inside this prison. I was able to deliver them groceries packages since they suffer from a high malnutrition problem, and we taught the Word of God there also.
I am so thankful for the Spanish Large Print Bibles from LBW, Inc. -- 33 boxes of Bibles! These Bibles were written for disabled people. We are talking of people with problems to see or read. We are now distributing these Bibles to our students in 28 Countries. These Bibles are a great help indeed!
September, 2004
Thirty-two of our Bible Students were baptized during May and June. They all are committed to reading the whole Bible before this year ends. Besides, they will read the New Testament twice and the Gospel of Mark three times. Also, they get one of our lessons on Spiritual Growth every week. Furthermore, they continue studying our Bible Correspondence Lessons. They are indeed devoted to their spiritual growth on a constant basis.
Recently I visited the jail located in Apizaco, State of Tlaxcala. Juan Cuamatzi had been inviting me to visit such jail for six months. He has a Bible study group inside this jail, and he wanted me to visit them. They have our lessons and one Bible for the whole group. After a hectic labor day inside this prison, they meet to study our lessons and read the only Bible they have. When relatives visit them, they share how their lives are changing thanks to our lessons and God’s Word. Similar examples we have from many other places. We rejoice to see our work, the Lord’s work, bear fruit! Some groups that study our lessons live in remote places.
According to the Mexican Census, 90% of the population do not have a Bible. This means that most of the Bibles found are located along the northern border with the USA. In the big cities of Mexico, including Mexico City, we are being outnumbered by New Age people. Witchcraft, pornography, and crime are doing a great job also. In all the newsstands, we can find The Manual On Witchcraft for only fifty cents. How to Guide your Life with the Zodiac is sold for eighty cents. The cheapest Bible, in cheap cover, is sold for five dollars. And this price is hard to find, since most Bibles are even more expensive. The cheapest Bible in Spanish is also a cheap quality printing. However, the books on witchcraft or books that teach on evil are printed in good quality and fancy covers. They are sold by well trained people on marketing and sales. Of course, evil goes hand in hand with drugs and powerful crime gangs. Evil seems to be overcoming! Two Sundays ago, we visited a new mission field in the State of Morelos. It was something wonderful and beautiful. We had seventy people crowded in a tiny room. They lack resources, but show a great faith for the Lord. Pray for them!
March,
2004
Dear
ones in Christ Jesus:
I am very joyful in the Lord because I see His powerful hand behind what we
are able to carry out.
This morning, March 1, I got up early because I was thirsty. I almost
fell down because there was a lot of water on the floor. It was running
out of the refrigerator. It has been fixed several times, but it breaks
down again. Anyway, it woke me up! I was going to take the 7 am
bus, but it was as if something told me not to do it. I obeyed and
decided to board the next bus. The bus that I would have taken was
robbed on the way to Mexico City. Thank God that he always takes
care of us!
Upon arriving at the office, I received a call asking that I please consult
with a person that had just been liberated from a kidnapping. Mara Yirla
Medrano Mesas was kidnapped near her workplace as she was going home on
February 5. What a terrible experience it is to live through a
kidnapping! Humiliations, mistreatment, and defenselessness!
Nevertheless, due to this bitter experience there is now an opening in her and
her family for the blessed Word of God. There is great disposition to
find refuge in God.
I returned to the office. I was called by the Military Medical
Specialist in Cancer, José Lozano. He was grateful and
congratulated us for having distributed pamphlets in the Military Hospital of
the City of Tlaxcala. He was very impressed that one little pamphlet
(The Most Beautiful Story) gives such a message of hope. He had never
before been interested in coming close to God, but this pamphlet encouraged
him to look into studying the Bible and made him so excited because his
patients also receive much consolation when they read the same pamphlet.
The pamphlet has been passed out to more than 500 people within the hospital.
Just today he is doing a brain transplant. He asked us to give them all
the pamphlets that we can because he wants to give them to all the patients
in the military hospital where he works, to the families of the infirm, and to
all the workers there.
For many years we have evangelized around the area where our office is but
without gaining much. The people who sell here on the sidewalk (tamales,
fruit, or shoeshine boys), the people who work in the Post Office, the bank
managers, the people who sell chickens and the restaurant workers not only
want correspondence courses, but also they want us to teach them. People
are sick of seeing how their political leaders are being revealed as ominous
and corrupt. Especially in the area of politics and government at all
levels there is being uncovered enormous corruption. Due to this, the
majority in Mexico are going through much deception and existential vacuum.
The Federal Prison of Perote, Veracruz, is soliciting Bibles and New
Testaments for the prisoners. The authorities of the prison have
observed that our students are giving signs of genuine change in their
conduct. There are no prison chaplains here, as in the United States.
One of our churches in Buenavista, Centro, Tabasco has just finished the
construction of their building where they have their celebrations. As a
result of this, they have two missions. Thirty miles away, in Cuauhtémoc
Centla is another of our churches. It is also growing marvelously.
At the end of this month they will have an evangelistic campaign. Some
who have been converted to the Lord through this ministry will go to help in
the preaching, teaching, and evangelism.
With much joy we see how the message of the Word of God penetrates the heart
of people. Our office is constantly in communication with too many
people who are looking for an orientation for their lives.
I pray that you keep helping us with your prayers. All the time we see
the overwhelming necessity of a larger place. If you know of someone who
can donate Bibles and New Testaments, we could even use used ones. I
have heard of churches that have Bible material stored. I think that you
could send us this type of material by 5th class mail, as material that is not
commercial. The central, southern, and southeastern portions of Mexico
have an enormous need for Bibles. We seek to bring the message of our
Lord to all these places.
Your Servant in Christ Jesus, Alfredo José Aparicio