Introduction

I was doing some research on immigration and came across a discontinued periodical called "Borderlines." I thought it was a catchy title and so I called our new blog Borderlines. But if you are interested in immigration and immigration reform there is a lot out there to digest.

Check out Mission to North America's Hispanic church planting resource page. It has some great tips for reaching out to your Hispanic neighbors.

A New Beginning

We are excited to announce that will be serving with Mission to the World (MTW) on the US/Mexico border. This ministry capitalizes on our gifts in mercy and evangelism and our passion to see Christ glorified through the planting of local churches. It also dovetails with our vision for identifying and equipping leaders to start churches and reach out to the poor.

The border is a strategic place for ministry. Millions of Mexicans are drawn to the border looking for a better way of life. For many, moving to the border is like a young adult heading off to college. Many immigrants fall into vice because they are not bound by traditional social constraints. But this spiritual and social vacuum is an incredible opportunity. Many are open to seeing things in a new light and hungry for community. This provides a window of opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and connect them into a community of believers.

Ministry on the border has a huge impact in the United States. No wall will stem the tide of immigrants, but we are putting up a wall of churches along the border to reach these immigrants for Jesus Christ. As churches on the border grow, we would like to send bilingual church planters to immigrants throughout the United States. Our country has focused on the 12 million illegal immigrants of today, but what are we going to do with their 24 million children tomorrow.

Not only does the border ministry have the potential of training leaders for Hispanic churches in the US, but it is also strategic for bringing the Gospel back into Mexico. For several years, I have been teaching English as a Second Language to Hispanics in Wichita. Many of these immigrants are from states with only 1-2% Protestant believers. I encouraged two young believers from our ESL to return home and provide spiritual leadership for their families. As immigrants respond to the Gospel, they can carry the Gospel back to these less-reached parts of Mexico.

The story of Miguel Gonzales demonstrates the power of the Gospel to transform someone moving to the border for economic prosperity into a missionary. Miguel moved from Durango, Mexico to the border in 1988. He met his wife Myrna in a factory where they both worked. In 1995, both came to Christ through the testimony of Josué and Martha Mayo who were just beginning the Vida Nueva Church. Miguel attended the San Pablo Seminary, and then served as the pastor of Vida Nueva. Now Miguel and his family are bringing the Gospel to a remote village in Mexico.

God has called Heather and me to facilitate church planting movements in strategic border cities through evangelism, theological education, and community development. We desire to see a movement of God’s Spirit along the border that will spread throughout Mexico and the United States and bring revival to all of North America.


Our team is located in three regions along the border. Following language school, we will spend two years in the central region. We will be part of a team of both Americans and Mexicans who work on either side of the border in El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. I will apprentice under Manuel Padilla, a church planter in East El Paso—a community that is 90% Hispanic. Manuel had 15 years experience church planting in Spain before relocating to the border, and he will be a great mentor. I will also have the opportunity to teach at the San Pablo seminary in Juarez. Heather has a heart for the poor and for broken families. The border is teaming with opportunity in both these areas.

We thank you for your partnership with us in our plans to go to the Philippines and invite you to join us in this new endeavor. There are many ways for you to get involved. We need your continued prayer and financial support, and we would love for you to come and join us for a short term mission trip. There are opportunities to build buildings, lead vacation Bible schools, and teach English camps. But we also need people to train Sunday school teachers, worship leaders, lay counselors, and elders and deacons. Sports ministry is another exciting opportunity to get the whole family involved.














Please visit http://www.beamm.org/ for more details on our vision and work.