Pastor Javier and his Messianic Jewish Community Congregation had become dear friends of ours in the early stages of the Carlos Annacondia Crusade, through divine appointment. Pastor Javier had been involved on a committee during another Carlos Annacondia Crusade and was excited that such a man of God was coming to Los Cabos. Pastor Javier had also witnessed the transformational move of God in Almolonga, Guatemala years before, including having been a personal witness of the gigantic vegetables that came forth as the atmosphere of Heaven touched the earth in that move of God. We never had to talk him into believing what God intends to do in Los Cabos!

When we called to see if Daniel could preach on Saturday, June 18, at the 7:00 p.m. Messianic Shabbat, Pastor Javier immediately said, ‘yes.’ We were also treated to being a part of our first bar mitzvah that evening.  The event was held for a precious young man named Carlos. Daniel didn’t start preaching until around 9:00 p.m., but he gave it all he had. The congregation listened intently as he preached on the Kingdom of God being within us.

The congregation was so thankful he came. We also loved being with this likeminded, precious pastor and his congregation. It was a night to remember!

Daniel and Lizy Valles with Avanza sin Tranza arrived from Ciudad Juarez, via Mexico City, after a delayed flight, at 2:00 a.m. on June 16. Pastor Carlos Maciel requested the guests speak at his church, Cristo es el Camino, the evening they flew in. The little church in the barrios of Cabo San Lucas was full of our precious friends and Daniel is a seasoned, captivating orator. He gave a transformational message of affecting the world around you with the Christ within you. There were many touched with the message. As he walked through the aisles and rows, praying for the people, hearts were deeply touched and impartations received.

A meeting was scheduled for the next day with the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Los Cabos, who presides over Cabo San Lucas, along with the heads of his departments, including the Chief of Police. We were very excited about this opportunity, but the meeting was cancelled due to a meeting with Mayor Arturo de la Rosa in San Jose del Cabo. Another opportunity didn’t present itself in the time Daniel was with us, but we continue to pray for another opportunity at a future visit. The chance to personally share the Avanza sin Tranza program with Mayor Arturo also did not materialize as we had expected. We had already given introductory packets to both officials and are praying they will see the value and need for the initiative in their municipalities.

Daniel and Lizy are a joy to work with and we look forward to future visits with them as they travel to Los Cabos for the training and organization of the Avanza sin Tranza initiative!

From the beginning of our assignment from the Lord—to gather the churches and pastors of Los Cabos together—we have had a deep burden for brothers and sisters in the Catholic churches in Mexico. Part of the original declaration the Lord gave us to speak over Los Cabos was, “He has heard the cry of His people and He is sending His Holy Spirit to Los Cabos for a special visitation.” Certainly the born again brothers and sisters in the Catholic churches of Los Cabos are longing for this visitation!

When we first moved to Los Cabos, we lived in the Pueblo of Playita, which is next to San Jose del Cabo. Playita has its own Catholic mission and we were blessed, several years ago, to have attended one of their Saturday evening masses with our former landlords, Gary and Alecia Hartman. The priest sang choruses as he strummed his guitar and during his teaching, he clearly presented an invitation to invite Jesus into our lives. That same mission had also displayed a vinyl banner from a former event.  The banner had a picture of Jesus, along with words encouraging the reader to a relationship with Him.

One Tuesday morning, while out walking, we were drawn to the Mission by what sounded like passionate Spanish prayer. Sure enough, that local mission had a prayer group that met on Tuesday mornings.  With hands raised high, they prayed over the children, youth and other needs of the pueblo.

Within the last two years, we were in the Burger King in San Jose and a group of ladies were there with printed t-shirts proclaiming, “Charismatic Catholic…”As we talked with them, they told us they were part of a Charismatic Catholic Church in the San Jose area, but we had no idea where.

For those of you who might not know, one of our ministries for Cabo English Church is greeting at the front door. A few months ago, Richard was talking to Ron Welsh, a brother from the Great Lakes area. Ron just happened to mention that he and his wife were friends with a charismatic Catholic priest and that this brother was going to be in Cabo in June to spend some vacation time with them. Richard shared that we had met a powerful charismatic Catholic priest at two different Transform our World Conferences and were intending, at the right time, to invite him to minister in Cabo. The two men then realized they were talking about the same brother, Father Dimitri Sala, and that he was going to be in Los Cabos June 13-15 at the Welsh’s Cabo home. (http://www.stainedglasscurtain.com/about-fr-dimitri-sala.html)

After corresponding with Father Dimitri and Ron Welsh, Father Dimitri asked Ron if he would have us connect him with the local Charismatic Church we knew. The rest of the story is that we had no idea where the Charismatic Catholics worshiped, let alone if there was a church. The following morning, during my devotions, I asked the Lord where to find the Charismatic Catholics (I was challenged by one of my devotionals a few months earlier to get in the habit of asking the Lord questions and expecting Him to answer); and that morning He did answer and gave me directions. His directions sent me to the little mission in Playita (which is now around forty minutes away), which rarely has anyone at it. That morning there was a brother who was there working on their new building expansion. When I asked about the Charismatic Catholics, his eyes immediately lit up and he told me they would be meeting that night at 7:00 p.m. and which mission they would be at. He then called a “Padre” and told him someone was trying to find them.

The very Monday, before the Lord sent me to Playita, while in the San Jose square for “Mondays in the Marketplace,” both Richard and I were impressed with a need to go into the old San Jose Mission, in the center of town, to pray. As I was praying, the Lord impressed upon me to ask for a “Reformation of the Catholic Church.” This was just before our first visit to the Charismatic Catholic Church in San Jose.

Two days after our “prayer session” in the San Jose Mission, we went to the Charismatic Catholic Church service for the first time. They were exuberant in their worship, worshiped for almost two hours, and were passionate in their relationship with the Lord Jesus. People were prayed for, for healing and other needs, testimonies were given, and, at the end, others were encouraged to come to the altar to invite Jesus into their hearts. Father Ramon (the church padre) and the lay leaders of the church talked with us after the service and were very excited to have Father Dimitri for a service at their church or at the mission in San Jose Centro. They also wanted to know how we found their church and why we wanted to fellowship with them. When I told them, being that they believe in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, they didn’t think it strange, but rejoiced. They only had to check with area leaders and check out Father Dimitri’s credentials. We emailed the information the next day and while we were there this last Wednesday night, they announced the special service with Father Dimitri, on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m., Cabo time. They then asked their people to fast and pray on Tuesday for this very special service.

The amazing thing is, we weren’t ready financially to be able to bring Father Dimitri to the area, but the Lord initiated it all, from Ron Welsh telling Father Dimitri we knew of a Charismatic Catholic Church in the area, to Father Dimitri asking if he could speak with the Charismatic Catholics, to the Lord sending me to the right place at the exact right time to get the information!

Please be praying for this special service that God, Himself, orchestrated. Also, please don’t forget Daniel Valles with Avanza sin Tranza will arrive late on June 15, even as Father Dimitri leaves from this short, but significant trip!  Praise be to the God of transformation!

We know the Lord knows what He is doing. We often don’t know what He is up to, though, and must walk by faith. His ways are so much higher than ours that even when we finally get a glimpse of the “finished picture,” we are still absolutely amazed at how He brought it to pass. This is the case with what the Lord is just beginning to unfold on Monday mornings in the San Jose del Cabo town plaza.

Let me regress for a moment for a brief explanation of the Annacondia Crusade’s finances as the framework for this blog. The Lord clearly did not allow the crusade to be well funded in advance. One time, when I was discussing this issue with Him, He spoke to my heart, “I am withholding my provision for a reason.” This brought comfort for a season, but expenses still had to be paid, and we were past “the point of no return.”

This brings us to how the Lord provided the majority of what was needed for the crusade. Through a series of divinely-woven appointments, the new Mayor (Presidente) of the Municipality of Los Cabos (San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas combined) had promised Pastor Carlos Maciel (who had known him for over ten years) that he would provide the municipalities’ sound, light, and stage equipment for the crusade if he were elected−and he fulfilled his promise and more! However, the necessary, bureaucratic format for the requisition of the items, as well as scheduling the delivery to the crusade site−from several different departments of the municipality−required numerous visits by Pastor Carlos to the municipality offices in San Jose del Cabo. In fact, he just recently shared that during the two weeks leading up to the crusade, he was there every morning by 8:00 a.m.

The Lord was working for our good, according to His plan. If we had had the provision for the projected crusade budget in the bank, we would have thanked God for His provision and signed the contract for the goods. Instead, we, along with Pastor Carlos, had to continue going forward step-by-step, waiting on the Lord, and at the end we received great favor. Since Pastor Carlos had to go to so many departments, so many times in order to talk to so many heads of the different departments, the Lord was already building relationships with these government administrators.

This brings us to “Mondays in the Marketplace.” In Mexico, every government body, including schools, meet in their courtyards, recite their powerful pledge of allegiance (including God), sing their national anthem, and proudly raise their flag. This ceremony begins at approximately 8:00 a.m. every Monday morning in the government municipality courtyard in San Jose. The entire government staff is present and open to conversation. The mayor, himself, arrives for this event and is open to greeting people before the ceremony, as well as spending time with his constituents for a brief time afterwards, in order to hear appeals from the people he is there to serve.

Pastor Carlos, Isidoro (our friend and a long-time friend of Mayor Arturo), Richard, and I are hopping out of bed early every Monday morning for the drive to San Jose with the excitement of what the Lord is going to do that morning! Our small group is looking forward to continuing the relationships that Pastor Carlos has started. Our goal as marketplace ministers is also to serve, love on, and pray for people, whenever the opportunity arises, and we have already had significant opportunities.

We already have stories of Monday mornings that will have to be told another time, but we absolutely know that what the Lord is just beginning to do on Monday mornings is the result of His restraint on the funding for the crusade. We were feeling our discomfort, but He was looking at His big plan – our future!