It’s been quite a year… and quite a life, in looking back. It’s been over a year now since I lost my Vince to angiosarcoma cancer. During my leave of absence earlier this year, I have found myself processing the life we had together and seeking Father God’s direction for how to proceed in moving forward without Vince.
We were married and in ministry for 42 years. The first 10 years we were on staff of churches in
the states. In 1989 we were appointed as missionaries to the Philippines with CBFMS (now World
Venture) and spent a decade with that mission.
We joined Mexican Medical in 1999, where Vince served in the office for about a decade. In 2009-10, we moved to Tecate, Baja, Mexico, and spent 12 years living at the Seminario Teológico de Baja California, from where Vince taught classes, and worked with pastors, church leaders and students – not only in Tecate, but in various places all over Baja and mainland Mexico.
Heart Passions and Kingdom Purposes
Our passion and calling in ministry have always been to teach, train and mentor new believers and especially the younger generations who will become the spiritual leadership in the future. It has been a great joy for us to see some of the fruit from this work over the years. Recently I was reminded of the passage of scripture where Jesus, talking to the Father about His disciples, prayed:
Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are…that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves…that You should keep them from the evil one…and sanctify them by Your truth.
John 17:11-18
In moving forward, I am continuing with this calling and work for the Father’s Kingdom purposes, being a presence in the lives around me, encouraging them to BE ONE, BE JOYFUL, BE OVERCOMERS of evil and BE SET APART for Kingdom purposes.
Tecate English Fellowship
During this last decade in Tecate, we hosted an English-speaking Tecate fellowship, where most of those attending were English-speaking deportee families from the States who were transitioning into living in Mexico. We spent time in the Word and in prayer with them and thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to get acquainted with an interesting group of young families who had become believers and were seeking to follow God through all they had been through. I can see the fruit of their growth in the Lord, even in the time I have been away from them.
It is with this group of families that I am feeling drawn to continue as a presence in their lives. We met in September for the first time since Vince passed. We had a great time of eating carne asada tacos and fellowshipping. We have plans to stay connected and I will be spending extra time with the ladies of this group, both in Tecate and at my home in Mesa, Arizona.
Guest House for Missionaries and Other Leadership
For decades, Vince and I have shared a passion for providing care needed for leaders in missions or other kinds of ministry. I have felt drawn to buy a home in Arizona for several reasons, one of them being to have a place available for missionaries and leaders in ministry who need a place to stop over in their travels, or to just come away and rest from the stresses of leadership. Since April, I have hosted individuals or couples three separate times and have several “bookings” already set up for the next few months.
Moving Forward
I am so grateful to the Lord for the support network of family and friends that He has provided for me as I continue to walk through grieving and re-setting up my life. I will be serving out of two bases: a motorhome at the Seminario in Tecate and my home in Mesa, AZ. Much of what I do in relation to Tecate can be done through Zoom or Skype or in my home in Mesa. So, I will be dividing my living time between Tecate and Mesa.
I would ask continued prayer for:
- The families/couples of the Tecate Fellowship and others at the Seminario
- Personal strength and clarity in moving forward as I settle into a ministry role without Vince
