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.

Growth and Plans in the Deaf Church

Michelle Bonsell and her husband

We have plans for a deaf women’s retreat to happen in February.  But we don’t have much set yet.  We’ve invited a friend and former Rancho Sordo Mudo co-worker, Michelle Bonsell, to come and speak.  A request from the deaf ladies themselves.  She was dorm mother to several of the young ladies and is now working at another school for deaf in Los Mochis, Mexico with her husband and family. 

We have yet to book the place, or fund it, but with faith, we make our plans.  So we could use prayer, God’s anointing on the plans.  That God provides for this and that the women come, be ministered to, leave blessed and ready to bless others. 

  

Ensenada deaf congregation

at church

Carlos continues to teach with God given authority, and the congregation continues to grow.  We’ve had to move from the small meeting room to a much larger one in order to fit everyone.  And that is a good thing. Nevertheless, satan fights the growth, and people are people whether hearing or deaf.


So we have interpersonal problems/situation just like any other church that is made up of  people.  With that in mind please pray for a situation that involves hurt, feelings of betrayal, blame, and accusations. Pray that justice and healing happen among our community.

Pastor Carlos sharing his testimony with the hearing congregation

Latest news!

Let me open my heart with you for a moment.

Just a short time ago we seemed to be walking though the valley of the shadow of death.  Pastor Carlos and his two young children recovering from his wife's’ death and Lonnie recovering from a kidney transplant and accompanying physical disabilities.  Not to mention the tremendous emotional repercussions for all involved.

At times it was so hard for everyone in Baja Compassion to continue the work that had to be done, we were not even able to write.  A good friend pointed out how absolutely essential  it was to let you - the people who love and care about us - know how desperately we needed prayer.  We did.  Plus - we KNOW there are those who never STOPED praying and supporting us - even through our silence.  

We write today to tell you GOD HEARD, HE ANSWERED and HE IS GOOD! 

And we are IMMEASURABLY GRATEFUL!

With Virginia’s death (Pastor Carlos’s wife) we lost a huge pillar in the deaf women’s ministry.  Now we have started up a deaf women’s bible study that meets every Tuesday afternoon in a small cafe in Ensenada.  For several months it was just me and Rita, a lady that I would like to see rise up to take a leadership role among the deaf women.  And we continued in faith - and now we have two more that regularly attend.  

Antonia - a deaf lady that never had any scholastic training, does not read or write, and came to know Christ through our first deaf women’s retreat we had  in 2007.  Margarita is in her 50’s and she too has had no prior schooling and - in fact - is still grasping the hang of communication in sign language with a limited but growing vocabulary.  It makes the teaching of this bible study a slow but - oh so - blessed time!

And we do not shy away from the deep truths. :-)

One more HUGE answer to prayer has been Gaby Suarez, with her precious 3mo old little girl, joining us at Baja Compassion!  She is wonderfully qualified to help us in the office and in the ministry.  She knows both Spanish and English, has 3 deaf siblings (Pastor Carlos being one of them!)  so she signs very naturally both ASL and Mexican sign language and knows her way around a computer.  SO PLEASED are we to have her here for the summer.   

At the moment Gaby is seeking supporters for ministry here.  If you feel lead to support Gaby at Baja Compassion Ministries just make a note of it somewhere with the gift, and we’ll make sure that it gets to her.  The same goes for Pastor Carlos.

Ever Thankful for YOU!

OH! I almost forgot - Lonnie is doing SO much better - we are more than overjoyed!  Keep praying for him!

December's newsletter

Moving forward

I’m taking our worn down mini –van down the dirt and rock road, on my way home from interpreting at a bible school for our deaf Pastor Carlos. I bottom out a few times, but it goes with the territory and my mind wanders to the bumpy road it’s been since our last letter to you in May. *whew*

Like the road, it’s been rough. It’s the first anniversary of when Carlos lost his wife-my best friend- and he was left with his two young children and a small but growing deaf congregation—Many people ask how he is doing. He is moving forward and keeping so busy that he is perpetually exhausted.
Then, during our summer trip, Lonnie got so bad, he was continuing to lose weight and had no strength or energy—It got real scary, and he was hospitalized a couple of times -so we had to look at some serious questions about whether or not we could move forward too.

Before

Out of necessity, the deaf ministry was scaled down during this time so we could focus on family,-but the ministry continues. When we are not at doctor appointments we’ve been busy with interpretations, Sunday worship, continuing to meet with Pastor Carlos on a weekly basis and being a help to him as much as possible, and we’ve set a tentative date for our next deaf women’s retreat for April.

After

The good news is God answers prayers and on January 9th Lonnie is scheduled to receive a kidney from his brother Kerry from Missouri. We anticipate at least three months of recovery—but after that everyone expects a full recovery and Lonnie will go back to being “normal” again—at least as normal as Lonnie ever was. ;-)

Lonnie’s brother is sacrificing more than his kidney. So Lonnie and I are raising funds to cover some of his lost wages—if you’d like to help- please make a check out to Baja Compassion with a note or memo indicating that it is for Kerry.

We ask that you cover Lonnie and the family- extended and otherwise -in prayer during this time!

Thanks all!

Our May newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,

A new face was in church last Sunday. A young man maybe about 13, tall, skinny, curly black hair. He was with his dad, who seemed to know a few signs. This young deaf youth seems to know less. You could tell he was a bit shy about being with us.

I wonder if this is the same young man that was mentioned to me by another mother from my daughter’s school. I gave my sign language book away to be given to this youth and his family. They didn’t want to send him to the residential deaf school near by, and instead, tried to mainstream him without the help of an interpreter—only now they are hitting a wall, because he seems to be getting nowhere. Praise God he’s here now!

It’s a “Praise God” post folks!

The deaf congregation is growing every week! And the interest that the hearing congregation is starting to grow. A couple is studious in learning sign, and wanting to take a part in the deaf congregation a little bit, more and more, and there are others . .

The deaf women's retreat was such a blessing to all! Yamile Grey from Washington state was our guest speaker full of God’s Spirit and a heart, which she left here when she went back. We were 11 in all. And thanks to Grace of Seal Beach we were able to treat these ladies to a special treat out at a fancy restaurant to tie into our theme of “Come, Dine with Me.” (thank you!) We were able to minister to new Christians in the faith, and minister to some old hurts—God’s grace was abundant!

Plus we have started our deaf women’s bible study that meets in our home, sometimes Yamile leads the study via web cam! Yamile signs so fast that her hands are often a blur! So full of God’s passion! What a blessing!

And suddenly it is summer. In June we are busy making preparations with a visiting church group. Among other things, we are planning a barbeque outreach to reach more deaf in the area. Then we are planning our trip up North to visit friends, family and churches. Sharing what God is doing here and catching up with everyone . . . We are so excited! If you are interested in us sharing with your church, let us know!

Carlos and his family are doing well. His little 6 year old girl has had the hardest time with the loss of her mother, but she lead her class in a signed song for a public performance last Sunday. When I spoke to her teacher afterwards, her teacher said that she really started to come back to life as she was able to teach those around her sign. So please keep them in prayer.