Dear Pastors, Friends and Family,

April 1, 2024 (Feb. – Mar. ‘24)

Greetings in Jesus’ Name from Mexico City!   It’s been another great two months here on the mission field.  We have seen folks saved regularly and baptized.  We continue to have new first-time visitors almost every week.  We had 10 first-timers one Sunday a month ago.   Our Bible Institute is going well as are the ministries with the drug & alcohol rehab. centers, the girl orphans, etc.  We’ve had several opportunities to talk to Jews recently.  Thanks for your prayers & support that make it all possible.  We hope to get into a boys’ orphanage soon.  Our active volcano, Popocatépetl, has been overly & aggressively active the last couple months covering some of the city with ash.  It’s made the pollution much worse, causing us and others to get sinus & respiratory infections.  They have even temporarily shut down the main international airport a few times and have added additional restrictions to the already restricted driving, limiting even more so the ability to drive here.  The dryness here has caused lots of wildfires and the shortage of water allows the fires to burn uncontrolled, adding to the pollution.   We’ve had a few strong earthquakes in the last two months.  But through all the challenges, God proves Himself faithful as we reach the lost.

Fernando was one of the first-time visitors we had several weeks ago at church.  I preached the gospel and Fernando trusted Christ as Savior.  Afterwards, I gave him a Bible.  After church that Sunday, we went out as a church to preach & witness in the open-air markets.  Fernando was so excited and decided to help us as he said Jesus had just helped him so much.  “Get them saved, then get them serving” would be a good motto.  Apart from the Mexicans who get saved here, we invited a Cuban family to church recently, and they came.  One of them, Rosali, got saved.  We see Venezuelans visit regularly.  A few weeks ago, we had a family of five Venezuelans visit. One of them, a lady named Olga, got saved.  She then invited Naomi who trusted Christ as Savior after I preached the gospel.  Paula was also saved recently and invited her husband, Jonatan, who came and trusted Christ as Savior. As usual, I gave them all a Bible.  Mary tried to witness to a lady a couple weeks ago who was a Jehovah’s Witness.  She wasn’t interested but told Mary she could talk to her daughter, Marilou, who was sitting, selling used things on the sidewalk.  As Mary witnessed to Marilou, after hearing the gospel, she trusted Christ as her Savior.  Mary intentionally spoke loudly when witnessing to Marilou so that her mother could also hear.  Maybe Marilou’s testimony in the future, along with what she overheard Mary say, might help her mom get saved.  Temperatures this time of year here are around the mid-80s, and though not really hot, the sun is very strong.  Mary & I wear hats & sunscreen but have to occasionally go to the dermatologist to get spots checked.  The last couple weeks in a row, as Mary was witnessing, two different people on two different occasions indicated they were very interested in hearing more but couldn’t stand the sun.  They both asked Mary to step into the shade and continue sharing with them.  They both received Christ as Savior after hearing the gospel.  One was named Norma and the lady the following week was named Teresa.  Yes, the sun is hot here, but Hell is much hotter.  Praise the Lord for salvation.  Often when a lady gets saved here, they will give Mary a big hug and say thanks.  Such was the case with Norma and Teresa.  Mary was witnessing to a man our age named Victor a few weeks ago.  He was sitting inside a store front business.  After hearing the gospel, with tears in his eyes there in public, he trusted Christ as Savior.  Yes, there is power in the gospel.

I asked prayer a couple months ago about a building for our existing church, Hope Baptist Church.  The owner of the kindergarten that we used to rent years ago asked Mary & I if we would be interested in buying the building.  We told them yes, but then they said they decided that they just want to rent it instead.  I am praying that if it is God’s will, that no one will express interest in renting it and that they offer it again to us to buy.  Please pray about this for us, as well as continuing to pray for a church building to rent in the new area where we want to plant a new church.  There are not a lot of vacant properties here as the area grows so fast and such buildings are sold (or rented) by word of mouth even before listed.  It has been a long and hard time searching for church buildings, but I know God’s timing is perfect.  We had good services yesterday for Resurrection Day!  Today, April 1st, we are taking our teens to a three-day teen conference a couple hours away.  In closing, please know we are praying for you all, too. Thanks for everything.  We are “…your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

Mike and Mary Wallace