May Newsletter

Baja Compassion Doings

Church for the Deaf

Mexican sign language (LSM) is different than American sign language (ASL) - you knew that right? Pastor Carlos has finished teaching Galatians and is starting in Jonah.  He purchased DVD with Jonah in LSM to pass out to his congregation.  When you consider that many have difficulty reading (Spanish is their second language, after all) if they know how to read at all - you can see what a blessing this is!

Carlos with Presidential Candidate 

Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us to 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

    for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly;

    defend the rights of the poor and needy.” 

Pastor Carlos has been following this command for many years now, taking an active interest in rights for the deaf.  Recently he was able to stand up with the Mexican presidential candidate, Kiko Vega, for the deaf community!

Lonnie in Mexico and Honduras

We recently were blessed with a productive trip from a trip to Tijuana, Mexico where we built a staircase and furthered the construction on the Disciples House at Paul Alvarado’s (with Spectrum MInistries) residence. Currently we are planning a trip to Santa Barbara, Honduras in June/July of this year.  Our plan is to help teach the older Orphans construction skills while leading  the visiting work group with their projects.  Please help us pray for the funding for this trip.

Baja Compassion Families

Pastor Carlos’s family ask for prayer about moving from their current home to something smaller, and if it is God’s will that He provide the finances for it.

Gaby has taken on the children’s ministry at the partnering hearing church - a huge responsibility. Nevertheless she continues to be a key interpreter and interprets for worship. services. 

 Also she asks for prayer for her next planned  mission trip to Cuba (January). She needs to raise $1500 dollars..  And she is trusting God to do so.

We, Pfingstons continue our behind the scenes work supporting Pastor Carlos - being facilitators to their service. while watching ways to minister at any opportunity.

Sunday service for the deaf Sep 26th

I'm starting to use some TECHNOLOGY! . . .

it's my first time taking my laptop and recording Pastor Carlos - it's all in Mexican Sign Language.  But I hope to be able to record and upload a higher quality video.

The deaf church has really been growing.  They have moved from the little room they gathered in to the larger double sized room.

Also - Praise the Lord - Deaf Ministries Worldwide gifted Pastor Carlos with a new laptop and projector!  That is what he is using in this teaching - it's WONDERFUL!

And if you do watch this video - I hope you see what we've been seeing - Pastor Carlos more at ease preaching.  It's been a long road here - where before he seemed to not have his footing, now you see a confidant and sure pastor!  It's wonderful to see.

I know it's because of the prayer support he receives -

Carlos Suarez trip to Ciudad Juarez

If you'd like to see more pictures from Pastor Carlos's trip to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico for the pastor conference and to follow Pastor Carlos on Facebook Click Here

Ciudad Juarez and the Deaf

The town was Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico and it just happens to be among the worst affected parts of Mexico’s drug-related violence. 

It also happens to be a place where the Deaf Pastor and Leaders Conference was being held.

After His wife passed away, leaving him with his two small children, Pastor Carlos seemed to be just keeping his head above water.  But in this last year we are seeing him really get his footing.  He is finding a maturity as a Pastor that is encouraging to see.

This conference was the first of it’s kind that he was able to attend in his history of being a Pastor.

You know how many other deaf pastors showed up? 

None.  Zip. Zero.

Just Pastor Carlos and the hosting Deaf Pastor and his church.  Be it for fear or for distance - because really - how many deaf Pastors are there in all of Mexico? NOT ENOUGH!   

But this translated into an intense meeting between God and Carlos, for a time of refreshment and edification

PRAISE GOD!  He needed it!

And he has returned. Safe and sound, and recharged.  It was a blessing! 

And THANK YOU to all those that helped him afford the opportunity! 

From the Pastor

CC Horizonte deaf ministry. The deaf congregation continues to grow with a faithful attendance of about 25 people, and that has been the amazing hand of God! Also, God is working in the hearts of the hearing congregation of CC Horizonte and they to are starting to join with us! I truly believe that God has used Virginia’s passing to capture the attention of our deaf. Before they believed that they had plenty of time, and now we see a change in their attitude, aware now that their life is a gift and they may be called to account for it at any time.

The deaf are learning so much, yet we come into the same difficulty that they get caught up in the difficulty they have to read and understand the bible. My heart really wants to make a Mexican Sign Language (LSM) bible on video. It’s very needed because the deaf culture doesn’t just pick up and use books like the hearing culture does. To pick up and read a bible to study it is a foreign idea. They are much more visual and pictures and videos are an easy means of obtaining information. But I find myself so overwhelmed and my energies spent. Plus, there are some signs in LSM I don’t know, so I don’t feel my vocabulary is up to par. I really need your prayers in this area.

Likewise, the deaf being so visually tuned, I have a great need for a laptop with a portable projector so that I can make my studies on the computer and then project them onto a screen, and make the lessons more accessible and comprehensible to the deaf.

Nevertheless it’s exciting; right now 4 hearing people from the church are learning about deaf culture, learning sign language and little by little are getting involved, hopeful to help with interpretation in the future! These 4 have been faithful to Tuesday night sign class which I teach. I teach this class at no cost, no profit to myself, it is a ministry for such a time as this.

I have a praise God for our group of about 40 people, both hearing and deaf, that went to Rancho Sordo Mudo two weeks ago. 40! That was an awesome show of support and it was a very pleasant time enjoyed by all. We hope that it touched them and inspired them with the need to GO! Praise God.

Family: with Virginia gone I’ve been grappling with the question “Now what.” Where we live the house is too big for me. Yet I don’t want to leave Ensenada, move to another place, no, instead me and my family will continue to live here. Because the deaf are here, and the ministry goes on. So please be praying for us, that God leads us to another house that we can afford and the right size. Meanwhile I am learning how to be a single parent, and what they say is true, it is not easy! With my attentions going towards the children and trying to continue with the ministry here, I’m finding I need to relearn my balance . . . like learning to walk again.

Leilani and Jerimias? Leilani continues at school, and now Jerimias has joined her. I have explained to both of them that their mother has gone to heaven. Still, they both will come to me to ask question about their mother. Leilani understand her mom is in heaven, although she misses her greatly. And she will go through highs and lows. But Jerimias will come to me again and again asking where mom is. So again and again I explain that she went to heaven, and then he comes back with the question “mom went to heaven” . . . ah yes, he is 3 and will be 4 in August, so the understanding will come, it’s just taking some time.

I can not thank you enough for the generous support you have shown towards me and my family. It has been a struggle and your generous giving has been lifesaving. Please continue to pray for this support to continue, I am tempted to get a job, but I just don’t know how I would be able to fit it in. I would appreciate, if you feel that God is sharing something with you to share with me, please feel free to tell me. And again thank you all, and do not stop praying now! We have only just begun.

From the Pastor

Dear Friends,

First and foremost I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the great support in both monetary form and in the much desired prayer! And also the support via the kind words, your comfort, your shows of your care for me, this ministry and my family . . .

The time from when my beloved Virginia got sick until her death was a mere 56 days.

On December 14 she went to bed with a very bad head ache. At about 8:30 the next morning, December 15th, after a restless night where the head ache did not go away, she was making her way to the bathroom and fell unconscious.

My family, my friends, my church and several different groups help me to pay for the medical cost and other expenses. Virginia’s mother came to stay by Virginia’s side and help care for her.

During this time there was a man who came by selling tamales. He is a regular to our door, coming every Saturday, and a Christian too. We’d communicate by writing our messages back and forth – but he had an interest in learning sign, so Virginia and I would teach him some sign language whenever he came by.

He was able to share with Virginia’s mother about Jesus. Since she does not know sign, our attempts had fallen . . . well - on deaf ears, or more accurately, a deaf heart. It had been a long time prayer of Virginia’s for her salvation, and this man was able to lead her to Christ! When I told Virginia about this, at that time Virginia was able to sign with one hand, and she said “No, you lie!” When I assured her I was not, Virginia was so happy!

Then my daughter had her 6th birthday January 15th, and we carried the cake into the room where Virginia was and showed her the cake, and blew it out with our little family crowded around Virginia’s bed.

Also my wife had her birthday on the 31st of January. It was amazing to see how many friends came, both hearing and deaf! Our home was PACKED with well wishers! Unfortunately, she was in a great deal of pain. 4 days later she spiked a high fever and was vomiting. It was now the 4th of February and we took her to the general hospital.

Oh! so many things went wrong at this point . . . and as she worsened we had her moved, with Rancho Sordo Mudo’s director Luke Everett’s help, to a private hospital where she would get better care. That was Thursday afternoon. On Saturday the 9th of February she died.

We would have celebrated 9 years of marriage on the 20th of February.

From the Pastor

Our deaf congregation continues studying in the four gospels. I do believe that the deaf are starting to really understand.

And Praise God we had a deaf man, Manuel, come to accept Jesus as his savior, where previously he had been with the Jehovah Witnesses. A true victory in Jesus to be sure! He understands the Good News and is beginning to really grow spiritually, although still a ‘baby’ in Christ.

I mentioned to our hearing congregation pastor of Calvary Chapel of Ensenada, Juan Domingo, about the two who were recently saved (including Antonia from the deaf woman’s retreat). And we spoke of their desire to be baptized. I asked if Juan would be willing to baptize them and he thought I should do it!

It would be an honor.

Our deaf congregation is motivated; they pay rapt attention and are asking questions . . . but once they leave the church and go home it is so hard for them to study the bible on their own. The words are big and difficult; the semantics of grammar are sometimes incomprehensible. A few have an easy version of the bible that they are able to understand, but most do not. It is a different culture they are trying to figure out and it is a challenge.

One woman whose soul is hungry for Jesus asked my wife if she could borrow her bible devotions that were done in ASL. But there is nothing for those that only know Mexican Sign Language. Now this woman knows a bit of ASL, but even then she doesn’t understand ‘full’ ASL and so the bible devotional helped, but was still difficult to follow.

It is on my heart, my hope and prayer to make some bible devotions in Mexican Sign Language. It is a request that I’ve set before the Lord and a much needed thing.

To make this happen I would need a video recorder, someone who is skilled at doing these types of things and, personally, to study more Mexican Sign Language so that I am careful not to make any mistakes in ‘translation’. I know it is possible with the help of the Holy Spirit and on him I will depend.

I could do this on my own (with God’s help), but if I could get the assistance of someone better skilled at video recordings, then I know it would be quicker and faster that we could make and spread this resource. Please continue praying for this video ministry that God has put on my heart.