^{Spanish Missions Bulletin}

Rev. Joel Silos, Director
P.O. Box 40398
San Antonio, TX  78229-1398
(210) 615-1945

Dear friends in Christ,

I greet you in the name of Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Redeemer.  Karen and I are grateful for the kind remembrances on the anniversary of our son Stevie's death on February 15, 2000.  It is encouraging to know many pray for us.  

David is still having ear infections and may be losing some of his hearing.  Please pray for him as another tube is possibly needed in his right ear because the first one fell out.  David's favorite toys now are planes and helicopters.

Along with being home-schooled, Mary Elizabeth is studying violin, flute, and piano.  Oh yes, this is the fifth year she raises chickens, which become pets which we are not allowed to eat.  We enjoy the fresh eggs, though!

Vehicle Problems

Since the end of last year, our vehicles have broken down.  The mobile home we as a family use to travel to visit churches and to present the ministry of the missionaries is still in Tyler, Texas 400 miles away.  I go to work on it as often as possible and, at the same time, visit churches and supporters.  The van suitable for travel in Mexico has also needed fixing.  Pray for God to give me wisdom as I repair the vehicles.

Do to the problems, we were not able to have the conference in the Yucatan Peninsula in January.  Neither have we been able to travel on deputation.  Nevertheless, since our last Newsletter, the following has been accomplished:

December 20:  Picked up another load of food and shoes in Jamestown, Tennessee.

December 26:  Delivered the food and shoes to Missionary Alfonso Calderon for the Bible Institute students.

January 26:  After working on the RV in Tyler, I picked up two motorcycles donated by a friend in Allen, Texas.

February 12:  Delivered the motorcycles to Brother Alfonso and also took hundreds of thousands of tracts, dozens of videos on the "Life of Christ", and hundreds of cassettes with preaching and hymns in Spanish.

Since last summer Bro. Frank Woodford of Panama City, Florida, has supplied about 945,000 tracts, videos and cassettes.  Close to 99 percent of the materials have been delivered, some being stockpiled at Bro. Alfonso's church to be taken to the missionaries in the interior of Mexico.

Missionary Reports for the Year 2000 

The following was compiled from the written reports sent month by month during the year:

7,606 Professions of Faith

1,556 Baptisms

4,107 Services

1,618 Bible classes

41,578 Tracts Distributed

Answered Prayer

The goal of $3,000 needed for a vehicle for Bro. Rodolfo Pacheco has been reached!  $3,140 dollars have been received and wired to him.  Any other offerings will be sent for the upkeep of the vehicle.  Bro. Pacheco ministers in two different towns and is mentor to other missionaries in the area.  Thank you for sharing!!

Website

Our newest Board Member, Ben Copeland of Marietta, Georgia, is in the process of publishing a website for us.  It will be a place where you can receive up-to-date news and see actual pictures of the different missionaries, their families, and their work.  May God amply recompense Brother Copeland for his kindness and for his efforts to the furtherance of the gospel.

E-Mail

Please send us your e-mail address so that in the near future we can send you the Newsletter via this venue.  This will mean a saving on postage. 

Mexico Trip

Our next trip into Mexico is planned for this month.  Our purpose is fourfold: 

(1)  Deliver tracts, videos, and cassettes

(2)  Make the necessary preparations for the conference in April in Leon, Guanajuato

(3)  Take pictures of the men, their families, and their meeting places

(4)  Be an encouragement as much as possible.  Please uphold us in prayer as the Lord allows us to go.

An heir of God through Christ,

Joel Silos, D.D.

From the Missionaries' Letters:

Urgent Prayer Request

Brother Sergio Navarro, Coxcatlan, 

Missionary Letters: (translated)

From: Alfonso Calderon, Director, Matamorpos, Tamaulipas

Dear Brethren of Spanish Baptist Missions, 

It is a joy to write this letter of appreciation.  We rejoice in the Lord for your support of our Bible Institute.  We have learned to live in want or in abundance, with hunger or with necessities as, again, with abundance.

The students send their deepest gratitude for the trailers full of food and new shoes.  If you had seen how the graduates reacted as children to have food and new shoes - specially for their graduation, your eyes would have become moist with joy.

We assure you that with the help of our marvelous God we will not defraud you, but that we will try to do our best.  Now, my beloved Mexico and all the Hispanic world will have the possibility of having servants of the Lord preaching the always-effective evangelism of salvation.

On December 15, 2000 eight servants of the Lord will graduate.  We will have a thanksgiving service, especially since these graduates constitute the sixth graduating class.

A thousand thanks!  God will bless you even more than He has blessed you.

Pastor Alfonso Calderon, director, Matamoros, Tamaulipas

From: Francisco Pat Coba, Telchaquillo, Yucatan

February 1, 2001

Dear Brethren of  Spanish Baptist Missions,

Once again, I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The church and I are sad, yet at the same time rejoicing, over Brother Eliodoro who is now in heaven.  He lost the battle against cancer, but is now truly victorious.

Please pray for two of our church members who are in dire circumstances.  Sister Hermelinda has cancer and has been in the hospital two weeks.  Brother Natividad is losing his memory.  The doctors say he has fluid in his brain.  

In spite of difficulties, we have an immense desire to glorify and praise God's name for he is worthy.  We give Him not only our praise, but our lives - totally.

Francisco Pat Coba, Telchaquillo, Yucatan

From:  Rodolfo Pacheco  Puerto Progreso, Yucatan

Dear Brethren of Spanish Baptist Missions,

Greetings in the precious name of our Saviour!  May you be enjoying God's blessings when you receive this letter.

We are well and continue in the work.  Day by day we see such great necessities: families disintegrating due to infidelity and vices; young people in drug addiction; and abandoned children begging on the streets.  The light of the gospel needs to shine into their lives, that they may be set free from the power of darkness and experience the sweet peace God has promised to those who love Him.  That is the reason we press onward asking God for strength and that He use us day by day.

On our church anniversary in January 2001, the building was completely filled - standing room only.  New people are visiting our services, and the members are motivated to spread the gospel.

My family and I are very grateful for the money given towards the vehicle we need.  We greatly appreciate the sacrifice and are praying that God will richly bless each person who has helped.

In Christ's love,

"Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account."  Philippians 4:17