Greetings! Our family was hit was sickness during January and February. It has taken us a while to recover and we still don’t feel 100%. I feel like I blinked and lost a month!

I want to share with you what Wes wrote to our financial supporters in our year-end newsletter:

This is an exciting year for us as 2019 marks 20 years in ministry. Over those years we’ve lived and worked in Mexico, Baton Rouge, Thailand, and Dallas. Our first calling to serve was in Mexico. I was head of vehicle operations with a missions organization but even then the calling to disciple was well rooted in my heart. The Holy Spirit sent our way a couple of troubled youth. The mission wanted to send them home, so Christy and I moved them into our place instead. We never had any problems out of them. It’s amazing what an impact you can have on people when you just pull them into a fellowship of unconditional love and acceptance.

The church at large speaks of discipleship often but rarely do I hear a Biblical picture. Most have substituted the relational walk of the gospel for books, short-watered down programs, and evangelistic outreach. The gospel is all about a personal relationship with Christ and the Saints. I often hear the words of Jesus when I think of discipleship, John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” According to Christ, love for the saints is the calling of the church. After the gospels we don’t hear the apostles proclaiming the great commission to the church. Instead we hear them establishing love in the churches as they often called the saints to lay aside discord, walk together in unity, and to seek the interest of their brother in Christ above their own. 

Jesus demonstrated this in His life as well. He spent the majority of His ministry pouring into the 12 disciples that they might learn to exchange depending upon the flesh for life in the Spirit. What great love He displayed in doing so. The 12 disciples did not understand the life that He offered to them until they received the Holy Spirit after His death and resurrection. At which point those who were His inner personal friends became just like Him. They became empowered by the Holy Spirit who reminded them of all that Jesus said. Mass producing Himself was all part of His master plan. 

So what should our role be today? We’ve made loads of new converts in the church but very few mature disciples. This is nothing new as the Apostles dealt with this in the books of Galatians, Hebrews, James, and Corinthians. 

Coming alongside believers who have fleshly mindsets, strongholds, or those who are just ready to become mature believers in Christ is most certainly our calling. We have seen many people transformed. We are immensely blessed to see immature believers turn from drugs, legalism, moralism, and many other desires of the flesh into mature believers of faith in Christ.  We are so grateful for you and your continued support. Your support allows us to serve the body in an area that is overlooked and neglected in much of the church today. 

You are greatly appreciated!