By Fall 2023, 17 teams had been sent out to explore 11 different potential new mission fields since EFM’s Five-Year Goal launched in 2021. In November 2023, EFM made a commitment to launch 6 of the 9 fields that were still under exploration. Those six fields are now moving on to the pre-launch planning phases. See more information aquí.
A Luke 10 Pre-Launch Planning Trip occurs after EFM has made a decision of commitment to launching the mission field. EFM commissions Field Study Groups to complete a Pre-Launch Planning Report, which often requires further trips to obtain the details necessary for EFM to be able to deploy missionaries to a location to launch a new field.
In June 2024, the a pre-launch planning trip took place in Mexico. The following is a report written by team member, Maria Giron.
Who Was on this Trip & Where Did We Travel? |
This team included Ernesto Ramirez (Superintendent Mexico YM Central), Elizabeth Gomez (Director of ITA -Friends Theology Institute), Samuel and Cristina Vasquez (Superintendent of Mexico YM North), Sergio and Nancy Cardona (Pastors Friends Ciudad Juarez), Sergio Contreras (Future Missionary from Coahuila Friends Church), Ximena Maldonado (Future Missionary from Coahuila Friends Church), Angelica De La Cruz (Future Missionary from Coahuila Friends Church), Matt Macy (EFM Director of Mobilization), and Edwin and Maria Giron (EFM Missions Mobilizers).
We explored several towns in two states. In San Luis Potosi, we went to Mexquitic, Moctezuma, and Salinas de Hidalgo. In Durango, we went to Vicente Guerrero, Durango City, Guadalupe Victoria, and Juan Aldama. We also visited Omar and Aryadna Ramírez, church planters in Zacatecas to encourage them and learn how EFM could send additional new workers to help them.
A Trip Highlight |
Edwin and Maria Giron met a woman named Martina in Las Vegas who is originally from a town in Durango but has not been able to return to her place of birth, and she has not seen her family for more than 20 years. Martina, a few years ago, accepted Christ, and she is the only one in her entire family who knows about salvation and the Gospel. Maria, knowing her story, told Martina about the plans to explore Durango and Martina, eagerly and excited, asked us to go take the Good News to her family in a little town called Juan Aldama. When the team arrived in Martina’s town, we asked some women who were sitting in small chairs at the door of their house if they knew Martina’s family because we had come to visit them. The two women pointed us towards the house across the street and told us these words: Can’t you also come visit us? Very clearly, at that moment, we felt that it was a special invitation made by God and that he was opening the door since we had heard that the people in Durango are very distrustful and do not easily establish a conversation, much less invite you into their homes.
After visiting Martina’s family, where to the glory of God, a 20-year-old young woman declared her sin and accepted Christ into her heart, we then went to visit these two women sitting at their door, and as we began to tell them that we were a group of Evangelical Christians preaching the Word of God, they invited us into their house inside the living room, one of them saying: Please come in, we want to listen more carefully to what you have to say about God. Soon, they began to call other relatives and neighbors, and soon, the house was filled with more people asking for prayer and listening with hunger and attention to our pastors’ preaching. That moment was a Kairos moment where God poured out his spirit, and seven people accepted Christ into their hearts! It was an amazing experience in which we clearly knew that God was calling us there.
What Did We Discover on Our Trip? |
In both states, the harvest is plentiful and ready for harvest. God is opening doors of opportunity to launch new ministries to continue expanding his kingdom in these places where more than 90% of the people are bound by other religions and fear because of the problems of drug cartels, immorality, witchcraft, and many other of Satan’s lies that have them cut off and very far away from having a relationship with our Savior.
What Are the Needs? Who Should Go? |
The most compelling needs and skill sets needed in this country are church planting, personal evangelism, one-on-one discipleship-making, leadership making, marriage counseling, experience in psychology, addictions therapy/treatment, and kids ministry.
This team recommends the following types of people should answer the call to go to Mexico. People with the ability to establish conversations and relationships with new people. People with the ability to evangelize and disciple communities from scratch. People who are willing to live in very modest places or rustically in small towns. People who are willing to invest time and effort in local people. People with a focus and mentality of going to serve and present Christ to those who need a personal relationship with him. Preferably, people with influence in Spanish or a knowledge of the language or willing to immerse themselves in the culture and learn the language.
Are you Feeling Called to Join EFM?Are you interested in exploring missionary service? Do you know of anyone of any age who might be interested in exploring the idea of serving as a missionary overseas for two or more years?
EFM is currently looking to contact and connect with people about opportunities to explore serving as missionaries with the Friends Church! To learn more, visit aquí or fill out this interest form. |
We look forward to sharing more news as it becomes available about what we are finding and discerning in EFM’s Luke 10 Initiative.