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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We look forward to sharing more news as it becomes available about what we are finding and discerning in EFM’s Luke 10 Initiative.

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Ten exploration teams made trips to ten different destinations and peoples between April 2022 and March 2023. These trips were the first round of exploration in discerning potential new fields for EFM to launch as part of EFM’s Five-Year Goal. It was determined that eight of those destinations require a second trip for further, deeper, exploration. Further exploration will help EFM to begin making decisions about where to make commitments in November 2023 to send North American households to launch new fields. See more information aquí.

The following is a report written by trip leader Maria Giron.

The members of this team were: Maria and Edwin Giron (EFM), Marco Martinez, (EFC-MAYM), Erik Nilsen (FSW), Ernesto Ramirez (Superintendent of Mexico YM-Central), Elizabeth Ramirez (Director of Mexico Friends Theology Institute), Pedro and Sandra Moscosa (Future Church Planters- Mexico YM Central), Wilmer Vicen (Coahuila Friends YM-North), and Tyson Contreras (Coahuila Friends YM-North).

In the State of Jalisco, we traveled to Ameca, Mixtla, Cocula, the little town of La Estanzuela, and San Martin de Hidalgo. In the state of Nayarit, we traveled to Tepic, Compostela, Zitacua- a Huichole Town, and San Blas.

In each city or town, it was very evident how God led us to very kind people willing to talk with us and tell us about the needs of the families in that place. On this trip, we noticed more open-heartedness in people to listen to the scriptures, in some cases, as if people were hungry to know more about God through the Bible; as if they were realizing that religion is no longer enough for them.

We had at least four cases in which, while the team was together having a devotional or simply praying in the middle of the town’s plaza, somebody heard us and approached asking for prayers for healing. Sometimes we thought that they were street vendors asking for money or selling objects, but we were wrong, it was as if it were God sending us evidence of the need that exists in the people of those territories.

In a town where we were invited to visit a small group of women who met frequently to study the Bible, after having a time of worship together, we saw how God opened the doors of their homes and many of those women invited us to enter their homes to pray for their sick ones but also they each shared their stories with us, in which we noticed that in each family there was a tragic story that has left marks of pain and suffering in their hearts. God made us raise our eyes to see many people without a shepherd and hopeless. God raised our eyes to see how the fields in those places are ready for the harvest.

One afternoon we arrived at a town called Zitakua in the state of Jalisco where a large community of Huichol people live. We walked a bit through the streets until we reached a multipurpose court, and our attention was drawn to see many young people gathered there to play or see others play volleyball. We stood there and some of our team started chatting with some of the kids who were watching the game, to our surprise a young man asked for a bible because he had never read one. Soon one of our team ran to our car and brought several Bibles to give away. Other young people, seeing that Bibles were being given away, also approached, and that’s when two of our young future missionaries began to read Biblical passages and presented the good news of the Gospel to those young men. That was a divine and Kairos moment for those young men and without a doubt with great effect for eternity.

• Pray with great intention so that God raises up brave people who are willing to say “Here I am Lord, send me now.”
• Pray for the searching, the recruiting, and the sending of those who are ready.
• Pray for the city of Cocula. It is a potential place to start a new church in the state of Jalisco since it is a growing city, with enough resources and it is a central city from where many surrounding towns are supplied, and perhaps many towns where ministries could be developed.
• Pray for Zitakua- The Huichole’s Town. We detected a feeling of welcome in this place, especially among the young generation. In the youth, we could perceive a curiosity in them to learn about Jesus through reading the Bible.
• Pray for Mexico Yearly Meeting as they work with and take the next steps for those wanting to plant churches in Jalisco.

We look forward to sharing more news as it becomes available about what we are finding and discerning in EFM’s Luke 10 Initiative.

Matt Macy

Director of Mobilization

The post Report from the Second Luke 10 Exploration Trip to Mexico first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

The second part of the trip was visiting several towns in the state of Jalisco, in which we also took time to get closer to the local people to pray for them and learn about their needs. There are so many needs, but the main one is the absence of Jesus in their lives. What stands out was the visit to a small town called La Estanzuela in the Municipality of Cocula, Jalisco where we were invited to visit a group of people that meet regularly to learn about the Bible. They have been evangelized by a person who has been a member of the Friends Church in Las Vegas that has traveled there every year for several years, sowing the seed of the word of God and who follows up through Zoom meetings. Currently, the group that meets is only women, thirsty for the word of God. Our team had the opportunity to be with this group of women and worship together. It was a very special and blessed time. After our worship gathering, God opened doors for us to visit individual families in their homes, giving us the opportunity to present the gospel to several men as well. What was planned to be a one-day visit turned into two days where God showed us that this land is ready for harvest and workers are urgently needed. It should be noted that in this town there is no evangelical church yet. During our stay, God revealed himself to women, men, and children in special ways to such a degree that we were able to present Jesus Christ and we saw several of them receive him in their hearts as their only personal Savior and our hearts were very touched. We can tell you many stories of encounters with people whose lives were undoubtedly changed just by laying our hands on them in demonstration of God’s love and praying for them.

In the end, we can say that this trip had several divine purposes that have effects in eternity. Not only exploring, but it was also a time of opportunity for the kingdom of God to come into the lives of many people. To God be all the honor and glory!

Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to pray and read our updates. Thank you for the support and confidence you give us to carry out these important trips for the development of EFM’s vision of sending more missionaries to new fields!

Please join us now in supporting our next trip that Edwin and I will be leading. The second Luke 10 Exploration trip to Ecuador (from June 5 -15) to continue seeking discernment from God to work among the native Shuar ethnic group. There is still an opportunity for you to help us go with your financial support and your prayers. God bless you even more!

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 NIV

In Obedience to Him,
Maria Giron
EFM Mission Mobilizer for Hispanic Friends

The post An Update from the Second Luke 10 Exploration Trip to Mexico first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Members of our team have felt impulses from the Spirit of God to come closer to talk and pray for people, adults, and children. Opportunities to minister to individuals have already been presented to us, such as the case of a lady, named Carolina, who was attending a small evangelical group to study the Bible, but sadly stopped attending because her husband prevented her. She asked us to pray for her marriage since her husband has a difficult temperament. These three days have been exciting days of seeing God’s presence before our team and having experiences that let us see that we are passing through very key places. Our team is also blessed by experiencing the beautiful Mexican culture and delicious food.

• Please continue to pray for the next few days, the next places we will visit, and for the people we will have the opportunity to get closer to share God’s love.
• Please pray that wherever our feet walk, our presence announces that the kingdom of God is manifesting.

Enjoy these photos from the trip!

The post Luke 10 Exploration Trip to Mexico: Trip 2 Stories first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Team Leader Maria Giron provides these insights into this trip to Mexico. In the first exploration trip, the team visited three States of Mexico: Jalisco, Nayarit, and Colima and explored 16 cities. On this second trip, we will return to just a few of those towns, in Jalisco and Nayarit only, that were selected for their potential to be places where new fields could be initiated. We are planning to visit Tesistan, Ameca, Mixtlan, Mascota, and Cocula in Jalisco and Compostela, Zitacua, and San Blas in Nayarit. There is a little town in Jalisco (Estanzuelas) where we are invited to carry out an evangelistic event and the group is very excited about this opportunity.

The main intention of this second trip Luke 10 trip is to continue seeking confirmation from God to know where to send the new planters of new churches from the two Yearly Meetings in Mexico and future EFM missionaries. Also, by taking new church planters and Future Missionaries as part of our team, we hope and pray that this trip is an opportunity so they would sense confirmation and peace in their hearts about their calling.

The members of this team are: Maria and Edwin Giron (EFM), Marco Martinez, (EFC-MAYM), Erik Nilsen (FSW), Ernesto Ramirez (Superintendent of Mexico YM-Central), Elizabeth Ramirez (Director of Mexico Friends Theology Institute), Pedro and Sandra Moscosa (Future Church Planters- Mexico YM Central), Wilmer Vicen (Coahuila Friends YM-North), and Tyson Contreras (Coahuila Friends YM-North).

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to cast out more workers into his fields.

To learn more about how you can join these trips or if you are interested in exploring missionary service, visit aquí.

The post Pray for the Second Luke 10 Exploration Trip to Mexico first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Did you know that every single donation and prayer makes a difference for our missionaries and those they are helping? Our goal is to ignite hope one relationship at a time.

The following story is shared by our Friends in Mexico and shows how a life was  impacted by your support! If you would like to help make a difference in the lives of people like A*, here’s how:

A* was part of the Sinaloa drug cartel who was suffering from kidney failure due to diabetes. When two local leaders met him, he was very ill y laying on a bed almost dead and almost blind. The leaders evangelized to him and his wife y they both accepted Jesus.  He and his wife were discipled. God worked a miracle in A*’s life y after much prayer, he started to feel better and recovered his vision. One day A* received the news that the hospital had a kidney for him, y he had a transplant done. The recovery process was not always easy, at first, his body started rejecting the new organ. However, now A* is recovered and he and his wife are strong leaders in the church and are even feeling a strong call to become pastors someday.

The post A Story of Transformation from Mexico first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

EFM’s new BAM team was launched out of a Small Business Development training that took place in Ohio in 2021. EFM has a connection with Global Disciples through a Friends Missions leader and champion, Eric Fleck, from Wabash Friends Church in Indiana Yearly Meeting, who works for Global Disciples.

This report on BAM for church planting in Mexico was written by team member Jeff Davis, from Birch Street Friends Church in Friends Southwest.

“…we can move into a community and start a business, and by offering something that people want, build relationships, living out our witness for the Gospel of Christ. This seems more natural than trying to get strangers to come hear me preach.” “Wow!,” I thought, “the lightbulb just went on in Aguascalientes.” In four intensive days of training, 25 pastors made a paradigm shift in their thinking about church-planting.

I’ve just returned from a week in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where a joint delegation of trainers from Evangelical Friends Mission and Global Disciples conducted training on how to start a business as a platform on which to plant a new church. The trainees were Evangelical Friends pastors from all over Mexico. Their commitment and engagement in these sessions was inspiring. I came away, once again, with the impression that when we join God in his work, he does more than what we ask for or imagine (Eph. 3:20). It all felt so empowering, and it was exciting.

The Mexican pastors are lovely people. I was caught up in their genuineness, hospitality, and their love for each other. Many have long time relationships, and their fellowship is contagious. I already mentioned their commitment and willingness to study hard and stay engaged in the material for long hours each day. Their dedication was inspiring, and it was rewarding to celebrate the outcomes and learning that took place with them. Lots of good ideas and creativity, coupled with proven business concepts and techniques in the curriculum, yielded some promising business plans they intend to employ in their home mission fields.

A crucial aspect of any mission venture is prayer and support from our church body. It’s how God works in and through us. Pray – Give – Go is the model we employ to accomplish the mission wherever God calls us. I’m grateful for the way that Friends from churches and families committed to pray and give financial support to enable this project to go forward. Both Trent Jacks, from Haviland Friends Church in Kansas, and I, could feel the prayers of God’s people lifting us up to accomplish our mission. The “GO” part amounted to 95% of the pastors from Mexico Yearly Meeting (the network of Evangelical Friends churches in Mexico) traveling to Aguascalientes to participate in the training. Facilitating the project were Edwin and Maria Giron, formerly missionaries in Mexico, with Maria currently serving EFM as Missions Mobilizer for Hispanic Friends. Maria and Edwin are truly leaders who lead and equip other leaders for greater effectiveness. They did a tremendous job organizing, resourcing, and facilitating, which is right in the sweet spot for their gifts and skills. They also made it fun, and everyone had a great time together.

At week’s end, following the completion of the training, the leaders of Mexico Yearly Meeting met with us and the trainers from Global Disciples (these guys, all pastors from various cities in Mexico, did an amazing job delivering the training sessions). During this time, we made plans for follow-up and implementation. There was a real sense of enthusiasm for what had been learned and the business/church planting plans that were developed. However, we realized that in order to successfully implement these plans, an intentional follow-up strategy must be put in place to empower pastors to execute on their ideas. Doing this will be the next phase of our business-as-mission project in Mexico. Please continue to pray for the Evangelical Friends Mission (EFM) BAM initiative as it contributes to the purpose and passion of EFM to fuel a worldwide movement of people who seek first the kingdom of God, planting churches that live and die to carry out the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment.

If you are interested in learning more about Business as Mission, please contact the EFM Office at efmspanish@friendsmission.com.

The post A Lightbulb Goes on with EFM’s BAM first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Trip Update #1

Jalisco Summary

The last 3 days have been filled with travel and exploration of new communities. While most communities are generally friendly some are far more receptive to the gospel than others.  It is evident that the Body of Christ is lifting this trip in prayer.  We have had smooth travel and the entire team has been united by the moving of the Holy Spirit in our prayer time and in our conversation with new people. Jalisco seemed to have strong possibilities. We are grateful that we already have stories to tell of encounters with local people who have opened about their lives, their town and their people. Now we spend a few days in Nayarit and then finish in Colima.

Thank you for your prayers.  God is moving here.

Maria Giron, Trent Jacks and the entire Luke 10 Mexico team

Trip Update #2 

We have explored several  communities  in the state of Nayarit. We have also visited  with the unreached Huicholes  people in their own community as well  as meeting with American  missionaries that minister as English teachers to these people. While we have been  well  received  by the different  groups, the needs and ministries would be much different. We are very encouraged by the reception we have been given.  We will  finish our process  of discernment in the state of Colima. We appreciate your  continued prayers.

Trip Update #3

Friends,

The team finished the last stage of the trip with a trek through the state of Colima.  One of the servers from the hotel restaurant in Villa De Alvarez recognized our group as Christians.  We welcomed her interruption and listened to her story. She was formerly active in a Christian church but has left the faith.  Seeing a group of Christians prompted conviction of the Spirit. She welcomed our prayers over her right on the spot and confided some of her struggles with Maria.   These kinds of conversations were somewhat common on our trip.

The group finished the trip with a time of reflection and debriefing in Guadalajara. In all we visited 16 communities, a Christian church, and pastors including a missionary couple to the Huichol people. While we have many stories and places to talk about, the team sensed a leading of the Holy Spirit in Tesistan, Jalisco as well as a few other places. Please pray for wisdom and clarity for Mexico City Yearly Meeting and EFM as we all continue this journey of spreading the good news and church planting in Mexico.

Maria Giron, Trent Jacks and the Luke 10 Mexico team.

The post Luke 10 Exploration Trip: Mexico Stories first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

The first of ten Luke 10 Exploration Trips in 2022 will be going out this week, from April 19-29, with a team of 15 to three states in Mexico! Thank you for praying for EFM’s Luke 10 Initiative as Evangelical Friends discern where to launch new mission fields as part of EFM’s five-year goal! See more information here.

Trent Jacks of EFC-MAYM and Edwin and Maria Giron (Maria is EFM’s Missions Mobilizer for Hispanic Friends), will be leading this trip to Mexico. Matt Macy, EFM Director of Mobilization, and future missionary Nathan Macy will also participate in this scouting trip.

EFM is partnering with Mexico Yearly Meeting (MYM) for this Luke 10 Initiative in Mexico. MYM’s Vision Mexico 32 (VM32) is to see Evangelical Friends Churches planted in all 32 states of Mexico by 2032. Ten members of this Luke 10 Exploration Trip are from three states in Mexico, which includes five national pastors/leaders and five young potential future missionaries from Friends Churches in Mexico.

We look forward to sharing more news about the other nine Luke 10 Exploration Trips as each prepare to embark on their discernment journeys!

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