September 2025

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A Very Special Service

(Written by: Pastor Ron Brink)

In many ways it was a normal church service. There was worship, prayer, a teaching, and a testimony, but this was no normal service. It was a very special service that we very rarely get the opportunity to have, and one that had a big celebration afterwards with incredible food and fellowship. What was so special about it? Read on…

Leo got drunk for the first time with his father when he was nine years old. At the age of 11, he was regularly using marijuana, and by the time he was 15, he was using crystal meth. When he was 11 years old, his family disintegrated and for a very brief time he lived with his grandparents after which, from age 11 until 17, he lived alone. Then in 2017, he met the girl he would marry two years later, Yareth, and her family. Yareth and her family, all believers, introduced him to a new way of living that he did not know existed and soon he received Jesus as his Lord and Savior, attending Calvary Chapel Del Prado with them. In the summer of 2020, both he and Yareth attended the church planting school at the Training Center in La Gloria. Subsequently, the pastor of Calvary Chapel Del Prado stepped down and, in 2023, Leo with Yareth at his side began leading the church. Since that time, God has blessed the ministry and today attendance at services are over the capacity of the building, full of people who have had their lives changed by the power of God and where they are being equipped to do the work of ministry. We are currently looking at how to enlarge the church building.

Which brings us to that very special service, the pastoral ordination service for Leo. Members from each of our partnering churches were present along with their pastors to participate. The pastors laid hands on Leo, praying that God would empower him by the working of the Holy Spirit to lead Jesus’ church in Via Del Prado. Please be praying for Pastor Leo and his wife, Yareth, as they begin their journey of faith with and in the Lord. <top>

Luis and Diego

(Written by: Staff)

Luis and Diego (pictured with Luis on the left, Diego on the right) were both in the Vencedores Youth Rehab Center together where they became friends, leaving the program at about the same time. Diego did very well after leaving Vencedores, continuing to grow in his relationship with the Lord, often traveling a couple hours each way just to go to worship services at Calvary Chapel Xochimilco. He also returned to school and did very well. It was not the same for Luis, who had made considerable changes in his life but continued to struggle. Unlike Diego, he had dropped out of elementary school and was too old to start again. He also quit going to church and lived in an area with a lot of violence and drug activity.

The Lord intervened, putting it on Diego’s heart to help his friend. Diego would communicate often with Luis by calling and texting, and he even started leaving his home for church earlier so that he could go to Luis’ house to pick him up so they could attend church together. When we started doing construction at the new Touch Baja facility, they would both work which gave them both some money to live on but, more importantly, provided an opportunity for continued discipleship. Diego poured his life into helping his friend, making a profound impact on his life and walk with the Lord. On the morning of April 8th, Luis sent a message to Pastor Ron asking if there was any work. Tragically, a couple of hours later a man and a woman walked up to him and shot him multiple times. Luis, only 16 years old, died before he arrived at the hospital. What we were told is that before he entered Vencedores his life had been threatened, for supposedly hitting a girl, and it is believed that his murder was the result of following through on that threat. Luis was the second son that his mother, Ana, has lost. Manuel, Anna’s other son she lost prior to Luis, went to the the store and never returned, becoming one of the 130,000 people since 2006 called “The Disappeared.” That number grows daily, most believed to have been murdered though their body has never been recovered, while the rest have been most likely forced to work for the cartel under threat of death.

We were all heart broken but we knew that it was really hard for Diego, and we were very concerned for him. There were a lot of tears and questions, and the funeral, which in Mexico usually lasts two days, was especially difficult. However, through it all, Diego stayed strong. Luis was struggling and fighting in and for his faith like all of us, to a lesser or greater degrees. He was in the “good fight” thanks to Vencedores introducing him to Jesus, and also through Diego encouraging him to stay strong and walk with Jesus.

This week Pastor Ron received a call from Ana, Luis’ mother. She had received several death threats through phone messages and also a personal visit to their home. They were given five days to vacate their home. We are not certain about the reason but believe one of Luis’ brothers was probably trying to find out who killed him and word got back of this, resulting in the threats. The family of six stayed at Vencedores’ facility for a few days then moved in with a family member, and are planning on attending church on Sunday and each week thereafter.

Please keep them in your prayers. <top>

End of One Era and Beginning of a New

(Written by: Pastor Ron Brink)

Pastor Ron and Donna started the Calvary Chapel Training Center in La Gloria almost 30 years age where they ministered for about 15 years until they founded Touch Baja. The training center produced an amazing amount of fruit during those years, not only impacting Mexico and the United States but many countries around the world. It was involved in countless ministries in Mexico from children’s orphanages to homes for the elderly, street witnessing, feeding programs, prison ministry, teaching English, working with youth and adult rehabs, and discipleship programs, and the list goes on and on. Thousands of individuals participated in short-term missions with many of them going on mission trips to other countries and some going out as long-term missionaries. It also hosted various Mexican groups for churches.

Sadly, at the end of December the training center hosted its last group and the facility was put up for sale. Awaken Las Vegas, the church that owned and operated the training center, having made the decision to relocate to Mexico City which would better facilitate their focus on Southern Mexico and South America. We pray they continue to reach the world through their ministry.

The loss of the training center left a hole for Touch Baja and our churches since we no longer had a place for the groups or the Mexican churches. But, when we purchased the facility in St. Fe, it had a buildings to house Calvary Chapel St. Fe church, its Sunday School, and the church school along with two very large buildings. In light of losing the use of the training center, we made the decision to use one of those large buildings to host groups and large church events. The building was just a shell and, with our first mission team just a few months away we were pressed for time to get ready for their arrival. The only way that could happen was if God gave us a lot of help, and of course He did! It was our biggest construction challenge in 30 years of ministry in Mexico but God opened the windows of heaven and sent individuals, churches, and finances to accomplish the work, allowing us to host our first group in May using the new building. While the building was a bit rustic, we accomplished the needed work for the building to be used, and we have slowly made improvements. There’s still some work to do but we trust in God’s timing it will get completed. Along with the building renovations, we were also able to build a soccer field that will be used for outreaches. The St. Fe facility, while close to the old training center in La Goria, is closer to the ocean giving it a more temperate climate and beautiful ocean views.

We look forward to all the ways the Lord will use this facility to glorify Himself and produce “fruit that remains.” We are excited and know that it will be used to make an impact for God’s kingdom in the U.S, Mexico, and to the ends of the earth. <top>

Praises

We temporarily stopped taking in boys at the Vencedores Youth Rehab Center due to the work on the building in St. Fe, but we now resumed taking in new boys. The city also brought water to the area where the building is located so we don’t have to pay to have it hauled in, saving us money.
Some time ago the truck that we use for the ministry was stolen. It was a huge loss. One of it’s benefits was that it is 4-wheel drive, especially since it is almost impossible to drive to the Vencedores Rehab building without 4-wheel drive when it rains and also for a couple of days thereafter. Donors generously donated the funds to buy a new truck. Eight months later, the police recovered our original truck so we now not only have the new truck but also our original truck which is better able to access the rehab during rainy times. We will be repositioning the new truck to the ranch in Tecate providing needed transportation there.
Pastor Jorge, who pastors the church in St. Fe, became extremely ill and was hospitalized, leading to him being diagnosised with diabetes. He was given medicine and left the hospital after a couple of days. Unfortunately, he had a severe reaction to one of the medications and had to go back in the hospital for four more days. It has been a while but he is doing much better, has lost weight, and his diabetes is now under control. <top>

Prayer Requests

The schools will be starting soon in the Xochimilco and St. Fe churches, with the ultimate purpose of discipling the students in their relationship with and service to Christ. Please join us in praying for the teachers and students as they begin the new year.
We have made a lot of progress but still have a lot of work to complete the construction at the new group facility. Please pray for workers and finances.
Calvary Chapel St. Fe will be hosting the GO Conference, with a focus of encouraging Mexican youth, ages 17 to 23, to be involved in missions. The conference will be hosted at the new group facility. Please pray that the Lord would use the conference to challenge and motivate the youth to get involved in the Great Commision.
Losing two children to violence is a horrible tragedy and, with the death threats, it is a very difficult time for Ana and her family (read the article “Luis and Diego” for the backstory on this). Please pray their safety and that they would find peace in the Lord.
Please pray for the Pueblos Magicos church. The pastor received death threats from the cartel and left town with his family. The church is doing well but needs a pastor. Please be praying for the pastor and his family, as well as for a new pastor to step into his role. <top>