Tepic, Mexico

NEWSLETTER OF ETERNAL LIFE MISSION TEPIC

A.D. DECEMBER 2022 fb.com/Vida.Eterna.Tepic update
Two Open-heart Surgeries in a Week
...You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears;
I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. (Ps. 116:8-9)

I am thankful to report that the Lord has brought us through some

photos
Photo Gallery

difficult days lately. As you may have heard, one of our members,
Itzel, found out that she had a slow-growing tumour in her chest,
right between her heart and her spine. Itzel is a dear member of our
church (41 years old) and is married to Omar Sr, and is the mother
of Omar Jr (married to Conce), Luis, and Michel. This was not easy
news for her or for the church. We had a time of prayer as a church
on the Sunday before the surgery…. many earnest prayers for her!
Celebrating the Surgeries
Because of the difficult tumour location, she was referred to
Guadalajara for surgery. Often-times the big question in Mexico is
who will operate, as because of corruption a good number of
doctors are not qualified for their work. Thankfully, the Lord
provided a wonderful doctor for her, one of the best. The doctor
warned her in advance that there was a good possibility that he
wouldn’t be able to do anything. But praise God, the tumour was
self-contained and he could get it all out. He believes it is non- Pre-Teens Christmas Dinner
cancerous. (We are still waiting on the biopsy result.)

And there were more reasons for thanks. The father of Maura, the
wife of deacon Jaime, had open-heart surgery several days before in
the same hospital, and received a room just two doors from Itzel.
That surgery also went well. Thus the two families could encourage
and support each other. (Some of us are in the picture in the side-
bar.) Itzel was sent home the same week, and just three weeks later
could come to the ladies’ Christmas dinner. You can see her in the
picture at the top, in the middle in the black sweater. So many
reasons to give the Lord glory and praise and thanks!
Fighting Stinging Caterpillar
Plagues with a Vacuum
This past year we’ve been seeking to grow as much as we can in
fellowship with three other Reformed / Presbyterian churches in the
area. With the Reformed Church in Puerto Vallarta, we organized a
Psalm 119:9-11
joint youth camp in April and a retreat in May. We’ve also been
inviting two other churches in Tepic to our young people’s events. In
How can a young man
November, the Presbyterian church in Tepic hosted our annual Sola keep his way pure?
Scriptura conference. Now, none of us are very big churches. And By guarding it according
yet it is a great blessing to grow in fellowship together, to sense that
to your word.
we are part of a broader covenant community. Nowhere near a
classis certainly, but we are not alone. We trust and pray that the With my whole heart I
Lord will use this in His time to grow fellowship, relationships,
marriages, and yes, families founded upon the Lord and His Word! seek you; let me not
We could sorely use some encouragement in that regard, as a number wander from your
of our young people’s are now no longer walking with the Lord. commandments!
Please pray for them, for steadiness and commitment to the Lord, and
for godly spouses.

Please join us in prayer for the following:

Building Drive Complete!
 Give thanks to the Lord for answered prayers,
for health and strength, and for the blessing of As you may remember, we have been looking to
the family in the Lord that He provides us. It is buy a plot of land and to build on it. We have
wonderful to see the congregation growing in enough saved up locally for a new building. We
care and love for each other. They have had asked you for support for the land purchase.
become very dear to us over the past 10 years. Thanks to your generosity, I am glad to say that
we have now raised enough money for the
 For wisdom for our church leaders in caring for purchase of the land. Thank-you so much, and
the congregation in some difficult situations. may the Lord bless you! We hope to begin the
purchase of the land very soon now.
 Give thanks for bi-monthly pulpit exchanges
with Pastor Hugo (a new Reformed church in
Tepic), and less frequently (distance) with
Pastor Zack Anderson in Puerto Vallarta. That
might sound like a small thing to you, but it is
a huge help for a busy missionary pastor. The
congregations love it too!

 For the Lord to raise up faithful and committed

workers for the harvest from our church and
elsewhere. The harvest is plentiful, but the
labourers are few.

Thank-you for your prayers and support,

Pastor Matt & Anne-Marie Van Dyken

If you would like to support the work, please contact:

deacons@hopereformedchurch.ca Or give via e-transfer:
elmgiving@hopereformedchurch.ca For a mailed tax Our Current Church Building
receipt, include your mailing address in e-transfer info box. (the white building with two black doors)