Winter 2010

The LABIM

A Ransack for the Good?!?

Liberato and Eloida Ovalle (right) have been ac-tively involved in the work of the Lord in Mexicali. Liberato is the Dean of the school and an Elder of the church. Eloida is teaching women’s classes. Both have been a great blessing for the work of the Lord in Mexicali. But the devil doesn’t stand still to the progress of the Gospel.

Just this past November, 18, Liberato’s son-in-law passed away. Then, while they were out of town because of the funeral, their home in Mexicali was ransacked and they lost many of their personal belongings; appliances, electronics, a computer, and even money. In response, those who were told about such tragedy, looked for ways to dem-onstrate the love of God to Liberato and Eloida. Not everybody could help directly to restore this lost, but certainly many prayed to God over this.

Journal

Oscar Alonso is part of our body of stu-dents that is on tar-get to graduate in May of 2011. He is originally from Mex-ico City.

Although only 18 years old, and suf-fering from epi-sodes of epilepsy, he has made the com-mitment to serve the Lord and pre-pare intensively to preach the Gospel to the lost souls of Mexico.

Drop him a note of encouragement at his email: oscar27.pumas@hotmail.com

English or Spanish, don’t worry, he will appreciate it the same!

(Continues on page 4)

We want to express our thanks to Ken Moshier from Woodward Park Church of Christ (Fresno, CA) who do-nated 6 sets of “all-inclusive bedrooms” for our dormito-ries. The set includes a bed, a study desk and cabinets.

He himself made them! His wife and Terry and Carol Hinton helped him to de-liver and install the sets.

November

2010: Just days before

thanksgiving, a group

of men and women

from Woodward Park

Church of Christ, came

down from Fresno (CA) to visit the church in Mexicali and to offer their time in service for the advancement

of the Gospel in that city. Although this trip seems short, a round-trip of only 4 days, every participant is

touched in a unique way when taking the humble place of a servant to do small but important “good works,”

yet “cent by cent” they are “storing up for themselves the treasures of a good foundation for the future.”

(Clockwise from L to R) Matt doing wall repair; Fellowship meal; Good paint job by Ronald; Edwin detailing walls thoroughly.

Mexicali

Mexicali is the capital of the state of

Baja California with a population near

to 1 million people. Although a border

city, the violence and crime character-

ized by other border cities hasn’t

spread to this buzzing industrial city.

Mexicali is strategically located to only

8 hrs from Fresno, 10 hrs from San

Francisco, and 4 hrs from Los Angeles.

This points to an open door for the

Gospel into the Hispanic community in

the West coast.

The next mission trip is planned for

the spring break in 2011. Would you

like to join us, please contact us (see

page on the back.)

(Clockwise from L to R) Randy working carpentry; Matt and Daniel (LABIM student) dur-ing combined worship ser-vices; Loren finishing new gate to provide a safer place for the church’s children .

Please forward all your inquiries and donations to:

7886 N. Millbrook Avenue

Fresno, California 93720

(559) 446-2550

Attn: LABIM

Visit us at:

www.labim.net

The Call

LABIM

The best thing we can do is to let God work out His will in all circumstances and echo the words of Paul, noth-ing “will be able to separate us from the love of God.” No tribulation is bigger than the power of God working through the faithful hands and feet of His servants.

God answered the pleas for help to Liberato and Eloida. Various churches and individuals had made special con-tributions that will allow them to restore everything they lost. We praise God for every blessing He has poured out to the Ovalle family and pray that through their ministry, not only material possessions can be re-store, but also many souls are restored to Him and, why not, perhaps the very souls of those who brought about this “ransack for the good.”

A Ransack for the Good?!?

(From page 1)

In partnership with:

www.sibi.cc

Part of the missions

ministry for the

preaching of the

Gospel to the

Hispanic

communities:

www.wpcoc.com

Jesus saw Simon and his brother, Andrew, casting a net in the sea,

for they were fishers. It was a casting net — one that could be

thrown in different directions in order to enclose the fish. Moses and

David were called from keeping sheep; Gideon from threshing

wheat; Elisha from the plow. God has honored humble, yet honest

labor, from the beginning. “Jesus said unto them, come ye after me,

and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Mark, he records the

call of these two brothers. They are now to be fishers of men; win-

ners of souls to Christ. They were to catch men in the gospel net and

lead them into the kingdom of God. Note that Jesus did not at this

time call them to be fishers of men, but promised to train them to be

such on their becoming his followers. He said, “I will make you to

become fishers of men,” then they left their nets, not only for the

present but forever, as their permanent employment and their

means of their subsistence. As Jesus goes further, he calls James, the

son of Zebedee, and John, who also follow Jesus. They left behind

their father and the hired servants in the boat. Doubtless Zebedee

was just as able to continue his business as when his sons were with

him.

At the school in Mexi-

cali, young men who

are going there have

also dedicated their

lives to be gospel

preachers, to become

Christ’s followers, to be

fishers of men, winners

of souls to Christ. Most

of them are young,

middle-aged men for

the burdens, the trials,

and hazards of the

future waiting ahead

of them. Pray for these

dedicated men who

are deeply involved in studying God’s word. There is also a need for

prayers for the men who are waiting for their financial means to

begin the process of becoming gospel preachers.