Raymer Update - November 2007

November 2007

Dear Praying Friends,

“Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

In September we finished converting the fourth level of our video courses from video to DVD! As many of you know we have been working on this for many years, and the Lord has given us the strength to finish this project. God has used these courses around the world for over twenty years to train men and women for His service. We continue to send out around 2,000 discs each year to each of the Spanish-speaking countries around the globe. Please pray for the continued growth of this important training tool for churches and Bible institutes in the Spanish-speaking world.

October was an exciting month for us. A number of years ago pastors began to ask Russell about advanced training materials geared towards pastors as our video courses are geared to lay workers at a Bible institute level. God began to give Russell a strong burden to offer continued training primarily for pastors. As we sought God’s direction about offering something advanced, we decided to change our conference ministry direction. We praise the Lord that over the years many churches have begun to host general pastors’ conferences throughout Mexico and the Spanish-speaking world, but there is very little in-depth training for pastors. With this in mind, on October 4^th-6^th, 2007, we held our first intensive course for pastors. The course was held in Saltillo, COAH, Mexico. We had hoped to have between 15 and 25 pastors in attendance at this 3 day course, and we were pleasantly surprised with 15 on the first day, and the 2^nd and 3^rd day we had 23 in attendance! This course consisted of 16 hours of classroom style teaching for the pastors. Matt Bixby and AJ Gibson, teachers at the Christian University of the Americas in Monterrey, Mexico, taught 8 hours each on Homiletics and Pastoral Theology respectfully. The pastors left the course excited and encouraged. We already have two more of this particular course scheduled for the Monterrey and Tampico, Mexico areas in 2008. Our goal is to offer this course for two years in different areas of Mexico and Lord willing in other parts of the Spanish-speaking world. Russell is coordinating all these courses and preparing all necessary materials.

The last two weeks of October took us to Monterrey, where Russell recorded a block course being taught four hours each evening by missionary to Venezuela, Gary Queen. Bro. Queen taught a course entitled, “The Administration of the Local Church.” This was a necessary and informative course, as Bro. Queen filled the course with personal experience from his many years serving in Peru and Venezuela. We were excited that two of the pastors who had attended the intensive course in Saltillo attended this course also. There were several other pastors who expressed interest in attending, but with the short notice were not able to attend. This course was the third block course that we have recorded. We are thrilled that we were able to announce to the pastors in Saltillo a new program that Matt, AJ and Russell have been working on to offer even more continuing education classes for pastors. The University in Monterrey is opening a new division under its Theology department which is called Institute of Christian Ministry. This institute will have several different programs and one will be a way for pastors to take courses that we are recording at the school to receive credit towards a diploma. The intensive courses are part of this program also. The pastor will take 7 courses on DVD, take quizzes and tests online and then take the intensive course live to be eligible to receive the diploma. Please pray for this new area of ministry. Our goal is to begin offering the courses on DVD in January. Russell is currently editing the first of these courses and preparing the online testing modules.

It is hard to believe that on the 28^th of this month Carena will turn three. We praise the Lord for her growth. She is such a joy to us. She continues to amaze us with her vocabulary and her understanding of both English and Spanish. She loves to sing, put on puppet shows, read, color and play with her dolls. Debbie has her hands very full keeping up with Carena each day, but she is doing a wonderful job teaching her.

Russell has reapplied for his Mexican FM3 visa. Please pray for a smooth process. Also, please pray for a personal request for Debbie’s family.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We thank the Lord for the your faithfulness that allows us to serve here in Mexico.

In His service,

Russell, Debbie & Carena Raymer

Raymer Update - September 2007

Raymer September 2007 Prayer Letter

September 2007

Dear Praying Friends,

Our theme for the past few months has been “God’s Plan and Timing is ALWAYS Best.” This summer has been full of many activities which have kept us busy and trusting in God.

The end of May brought the 2^nd Annual Pastor’s Conference at the Christian University of the Americas in Monterrey, Mexico. Russell was asked to teach a workshop on Church Finances. The reception to this workshop was very exciting as pastors are seeing the importance of making sure that God’s finances in the local church are handled properly. Russell also was responsible for the technical aspects of sound and recording at the conference. The conference was a great time of fellowship and learning for many pastors from around Mexico.

After the conference in Monterrey, we made a quick trip to Kansas City where we were able to attend the high school graduation of one of Russell’s nieces. It was nice to see family and friends as many had not seen Carena for some time.

Our June was a very unique one for us, as we were not scheduled to take any groups into Mexico during the month. This allowed us to help organize and run the Vacation Bible School at our church in Mission, TX. About six months ago we began attending and serving at the Iglesia Bautista del Valle in Mission, TX. The church wanted to have a VBS but had not had one before. This church has recently changed from a mission of a local English speaking church to its own church. We saw God bring nearly 50 children in for the Bible schools. This was very exciting since the church only runs about 15 children on Sundays. We saw many children come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ during the week. Debbie taught the older children, while Russell coordinated all the activities and events surrounding the classes. It has been fulfilling to see the excitement that the adults in the church have had to continue ministering to those children. This month we plan on expanding our AWANA program to reach out to the community children.

The first day of July took us with our first group of the summer to Guadalupe, Mexico where we ministered at the Christian University of the Americas. Our trip began on a different note. On Sunday morning as we were obtaining our permissions to enter Mexico, Russell received an urgent phone call that the youth pastor’s father had just had a massive heart attack. We quickly made arrangements for him to cross back over the border to return home to his family. We didn’t know why we had been delayed at immigration until receiving that call – God’s timing is always best. With the group’s other sponsors we continued to Monterrey where we worked on a variety of projects at the university. We worked on painting a guest house that would house a new teacher and his family for the upcoming year. We also helped the Christian day school associated with the University on a project of getting ready to put a roof on a new building for their kindergarten. On late Thursday morning a load of over a thousand clay blocks for the roof arrived. The contractor was very upset because he had told the company to deliver them on Friday morning. They had to be unloaded and stacked on the roof. Once again we saw the hand of God in this because with our many hands available this was able to be done quickly and efficiently – what the contractor didn’t realize was that our group was leaving Friday morning, so God had them delivered early.

Our next trip took us back to the city of Guadalupe to work with a different church. This week we were working at two different Vacation Bible Schools each day. In the mornings we worked at the main church and in the evenings we were at a mission church about 30 minutes away. It was exciting to see the children arrive and arrive. We ran nearly 200 children in the morning VBS. We helped organize the young people to help out in the different classes and prepare the craft project each day. Russell ran the puppet stage and with the help of his puppets asked the children lots of questions. Now imagine a room 10’x12’ and imagine 100 children crowded into that space. That was our evening VBS. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of children that the Lord allowed us to work with at the mission. The Lord blessed and the two churches who traveled with us brought a lot of prizes and crafts that were a great blessing to the churches.

The end of July found us traveling back to the other edge of the city of Guadalupe to work with a church for the first time. In 1993, Russell’s first year here in Mexico, we had visited this church when it was a mission. It was new and renting a small house. Now the Lord has blessed and the mission is now a church with its own building, and it rents a house down the road for additional Sunday school space! The plan for this week was different than normal. During the morning and early afternoon we worked on painting the outside of the auditorium and worked on some remodeling inside for a new office. Then in the early evening we had a special youth outreach. We went to a park about a half block from the church and held a soccer tournament on two days. We then had a challenge from God’s Word and saw many young people make a decision for Christ.

Our final trip of the summer was to Tampico. The plan for this week was to hold a special children’s camp program for 3 days. Russell and the pastor of the church have desired to do this program for a couple of years. A few days before the trip was to depart for Mexico, we received a call that the group we had scheduled to travel with us would not be able to come. Russell called and talked to the pastor in Mexico and they both felt that God was leading to go ahead with the planned children’s program. We went ahead as a family and traveled down to Tampico for the activity. Russell organized the entire program and ran the opening, games and closing, while Debbie taught the 11-14 year old class. We saw God work in mighty ways and saw 89 children the first day, 95 the second and 96 on the final day! This was more children than the church had ever had for a children’s class! Debbie had the privilege of leading three boys to the Lord out of her class, and there were several other children saved in other classes.

On our way home from Tampico we stopped by Monterrey so that Russell could meet with Matt Bixby and AJ Gibson from the Christian university. Russell, Matt and AJ are working on a new program of continued education training for pastors. We are excited about how God is working and opening doors for this new part of our ministry. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue finalizing the plans for this program.

Carena continues to grow and expand her world. She loves to sing and talk. She made friends with all those who traveled with us, and usually learned the names of all the girls in our van long before mommy and daddy did. She does not like to see anyone leave. She has a hard time saying good-bye. She enjoyed teaching the girls songs in Spanish, while they taught her new songs in English each week. Carena enjoyed being in the children’s classes this summer and learned many new Bible verses. Very soon she will be able to be another translator on the trips as she is picking up both languages very quickly and knows the difference between the two.

We would appreciate your prayers as Russell continues to finish the conversion of the videos to DVDs. The project has taken much more time than we had originally anticipated, but the end is in sight as the fourth year of the videos is nearing completion. Lord willing, this month this step will be completed. Also, October 4-6 Russell will be organizing an Intensive Bible Course in Saltillo, Mexico. This is a new program that we are working on. Please pray for Matt Bixby and AJ Gibson as they teach at this course.

We have had several different churches in Mexico ask us to help them find some toys for their toddler nurseries. We would appreciate your prayers for this that God will provide. If anyone would have some toddler toys in good condition that they would consider donating to these churches, we would appreciate it. They can be sent to us at OREMUNDO.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. We praise the Lord that over the past year several of our churches have increased our support level. Please pray for us as we will be traveling in Mexico most of the month of October.

Thank you,

Russell, Debbie and Carena Raymer

Carena loves to give puppet shows!

This week we are taking a couple of days to visit San Antonio, Texas. A couple of our dear friends Rene, Tina, Lukas & Mikah Saldaña were going to be in San Antonio for a convention where Rene is promoting his new book (see his blog).
Both families arrived on Tuesday Afternoon to San Antonio (us from McAllen & the Saldaña's from Lubbock). We enjoyed a nice dinner together on the River Walk that evening.
Wednesday the ladies enjoyed shopping at the outlet malls. Then some more friends from McAllen Albert & Patricia Ramos and their girls arrived in time for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. Below you will find some photos of our evening.

Tina & Micah Saldaña
Carena, Cassie, Lukas, Mikah (with Tina)
Albert & Patricia Ramos
Russell, Debbie & Carena
Ramos'
Lukas Saldaña & Carena (Daddy isn't so sure about this ;) )
Rene Saldaña and Mikah
Carena sharing "I Love Yous"
Lukas
CarenaMikah