December Prayer Letter

Our family has spent the last six weeks traveling from Mexico to Wisconsin and back. We spent time in five states, visiting and speaking at churches, sharing what God has been doing in Mexico, and getting to see some family & friends as well. It was fun, as well as encouraging, to be able to meet with people that we haven't seen in years. We were blessed by many, but one of the things that blew us away was the completely packed trailer we brought back home with us, full of donations for ministry. Primarily, these donations came from our sending church, Faith Community in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin - although many came in through visiting family and friends along the way as well.

God did amazing things through a challenge/update Ron gave to our church family at Faith. This challenge was born out of the song “With Everything” by Hillsong and was something that we all need to hear. Many hearts were touched, and in numerous different ways. Some were moved to think about whether or not they are honoring God with everything ñ their possessions, their time, etc. Some were encouraged and affirmed by God about something they have already stepped out in faith to do. Others were challenged to come or invite their whole families to come and serve in Mexico. There are so many awesome opportunities out there. For some, it may be serving in Mexico, Ecuador, or Africa. For others it means financially supporting those who are called to go into full-time missions. Are we holding tightly onto our money, our job, our stuff - or do we hold them with an open hand and ask God to do with them as He wills. Do we ignore that desire or prompting to go on a short-term mission trip because we are concerned about our finances or our safety?

Something else that “blessed our socks off” (to quote a fellow missionary) was talking to a couple who are close friends of ours and are considering full-time missions. They are completely open to what God may have in store and are considering serving next summer in Mexico. Are they calculating every penny they will need, worrying about not having a job to come home to, or wondering if they are not up for the challenge? No. They have sensed a call by God to serve in a capacity that they wouldn't have even imagined a few years ago. And they have made a choice to move forward until or unless God closes a door. That is a possibility, but either way we are encouraged by their faith and have been reminded of an invaluable lesson.

A huge thank you to everyone that we have met with on this trip and to each of you who've donated in some way to the ministry in Mexico. You are an encouragement to us beyond what you know.

Feliz Navidad/Merry Christmas!

October Prayer Letter

Greetings from Mexico!

 

We have had an amazing summer and start to the fall season. Three homes were built for families in need in 2011, as well as a number of construction projects. A few of them included improvements and repairs on a church, replacing a floor in a pastor’s home and putting up a fence for a local family. Our prayer is that God will continue to send teams willing to be used by God to share the Gospel and the love of Christ through this ministry. Many of you have partnered with us in this ministry through your prayers, and we ask you to continue to do so.

Our Summer

 
One of the highlights from our summer was having two students from our sending church intern at the ranch. We have known Nate & Laura for a long time. They were both in the college class we co-taught before coming to Mexico, and Kristy was also their youth leader through high school. Both of them worked hard this summer and we are very proud of their accomplishments & dedication. Our other amazing interns this summer (from the U.S.) were Brianna & our good friend, Jessica. For the very first time at Rancho YUGO, we had two Mexican interns for the entire summer. We are praying about Kristy’s involvement in this program for next summer as we look at improving the internship program here by making it completely bilingual.

Another highlight from this summer was observing the way our children continue to jump into ministry with both feet. Whether they’re helping to build a home, lead songs or games for children’s ministry or work in the camp kitchen – they not only work without complaining (most of the time), they often volunteer to help without being asked. We are thankful for the servants’ hearts the Lord has given them. Will is 9 years old now and sometimes feels as though he cannot contribute as much as his big sister (who is now 13). We helped him to understand that a big part of his job is to build relationships with the Mexican children. Whether we are doing construction, children’s or sports ministries, there’s almost always children his age hanging around. Last summer Brittany had the opportunity to share the Gospel to children using  the Evangi-cube. This summer we were very proud of her when she, on multiple occasions, had the same opportunity, but did so entirely in Spanish.

We're Coming to Visit!!

We’ll be heading to Kansas for the wedding of one of Ron’s brothers on October 22^nd. After that we’re off to Wisconsin and Illinois to spend time visiting family, friends and churches. We’ll be staying through November, however our main focus will be to raise the rest of our financial support. In order to continue ministering in Mexico full-time, we must raise 100% of our support needed. We look forward to seeing many of you soon!

With Hearts for Mexico,
The Struska Family

Ron, Kristy, Brittany & Will

Catchin' Up

Wow, it's already October! Here are a couple of updates to get you caught up on what's been happening here in Mexico:

AUGUST - WEEK II

This was our last official week of outreach for the summer. There were two teams scheduled to come to the ranch this week, but God had other plans. After both teams cancelled, new plans fell into place. Ron and I had the opportunity to work with the interns for the week, as the Intern Coordinators had other obligations to fill during that time. Monday and Tuesday we painted buildings at a local school.

Wednesday through Friday we did children's ministry at a new church plant in East Tijuana. This was very special for us, as the church we ministered to was Calvary Chapel Vista del Valle, which was started in January 2011 by fellow YUGO missionaries Jose Luis and Cindy Pesina. Brittany shared the plan of salvation using the Evangi-cube and William did a great job getting to know the children and keeping them involved in games and craft time. Both of them helped wherever needed, including helping to lead songs and taking part in the dramas that illustrated the days' Bible lessons.

Calvary Chapel Vista del Valle

Games



Snack

Leading Children to Christ

Puppet Show Reinforcing Bible Lesson

Craft Time

Drama

Bible Memorization

August - Week I

The first week of August was our largest week of the summer. We had teams here from California, New York, Massachussets and Alberta, Canada. Here is the highlight video from the week:

July - Week IV - "Mexicano a Mexicano" Week

This was our third year having a week designed for the Mexican youth to come and do ministry in the local churches. They came to do exactly what the American & Canadian teams do, only without interpreters. Multiple youth groups came together and formed five teams to minister to five different churches.

Inviting local children & youth to the church and to play soccer.

Children's Ministry: Which for this team
included leading this child to Christ on Day 5.

Sports Ministry

Women's Ministry

Our two Mexican interns, Claudia & Rossy, were given a lot of leadership responsibility with the children's ministry. They led the ministry training meetings each morning and were in charge of their team's children's ministry on the field. God is using them in tremendous ways this summer.

Claudia (2nd from the left) explaining this day's drama for Children's Ministry.

Rossy (middle), also explaining this day's Children's Ministry drama.

 Here is the highlight video from the week:

July - Week II - Home of Christ & Together Community Churches

We were so blessed by these two churches this week. It was great to renew friendships with Home of Christ Church. They are such a great team! It is a joy for the staff to be here and do everything we can to enable them to minister through the local Mexican church.

We also had the honor of hosting Together Community Church for the first time. What a priveledge it was to serve alongsiide them this week and build a home for a family in need.

This family of six had been living in one bedroom of a friend's home for about four years. They overstayed their welcome and needed a place to live. Just over a year ago, this woman's husband left to go find work and never returned. She has been working hard to put food on the table ever since. Praise God that they now have a home of their own and are not living on the street. We continue to pray for the salvation of this family and the seeds that were planted during this week.

Here is the highlight video from the week:

June - Week IV -- Hilmar Covenant Church & Individual's Week

This week was an amazing beginning to the summer ministry here in Mexico. Hilmar Covenant Church came and blessed a Mexican church and neighborhood in colonia Francisco Villa in Tijuana. They are always a great team to serve alongside and just fun to be around!

June IV was also our Individual's Week Home Build. Even though there were a couple of cancellations, it was amazing to see the group of people God put together for this build. We grouped this build with a project through another missionary from our church, Calvary Chapel Rosarito. He knew of a family in the church that was about to lose their home. There were so many ways God moved - from providing them with a piece of land donated by a non-believer, to temporary housing in a trailer, and then the many who donated the funds and materials to give this family of four a home. It was to be larger than the usual homes we build and include a bathroom and kitchen.

God used a missionary, his son, two people new to Tijuana interested in missions, the six YUGO interns, some staff, and a few individuals (along with our family). He also sent a group of people the Saturday before the build who helped frame the house. (Due to some other construction work, the house will be completed next week, so stay tuned for more photos.)

Here is the highlight video Kristy put together for the week.

Easter Sunday Celebration

For Easter Sunday at Calvary Chapel Rosarito, we had a combined outdoor service with over 1000 people in attendance. What an awesome way to celebration the resurrection of our Lord and Savior! Ron ran sound and Kristy sang with the worship team.

We also had some worship time with our church's mariachi band.

The sanctuary was packed with children for worship, a puppet show & more. After the service they also had a resurrection egg hunt with tons of candy for all the children.

It was an awesome day of fellowship and worshiping the Lord! Although there was comida gratis (free food) after the service, we went out for chicken with our friends Pam & Jess, so they could eat at their favorite place before returning home.

May Prayer Letter

Our family was incredibly blessed to help serve in Mexicali the third week of April with a team from Maryland. Some of our jobs during the week included sandwich crew (making picnic lunches for the teams) and grocery shopping. Brittany was on the KP team in the kitchen, Kristy shot photos, as well as made a highlight video for the week, and all of us are helped out on the home build Ron helped lead in a nearby community. The home was for a family of five, left homeless by last year’s earthquake. The house is 16x24, a little larger than we usually build in Rosarito. José, the person in charge of the construction ministry in Mexicali, will be finishing the house by painting the interior and stuccoing the exterior. (For more details and photos click here.)

We’d like to remind everyone about the Individual’s Week Home Build this June. The dates are June 26th – July 2nd and the cost is only $850 (including transportation to and from San Diego). There is still room for a few more people. Remember that this is a great way to participate in a mission trip this summer if you do not have a team of your own. This week is designed for individuals to come and join others from the U.S. and Canada to form a team together and bless a Mexican family in need. The week is open for you to bring your spouse, child(ren), friends, or just come on your own. Construction experience is not needed. If you can swing a hammer or use a paintbrush, there’s a spot for you! This week is perfect for anyone that is interested in learning more about this ministry or bringing a team to minister in Mexico. Please contact us today. We are asking for registration forms by May 15th to help with the planning and logistics of this week.

In March, Ron led a Canadian team in the building of a comedor (feeding kitchen) in East Tijuana. This comedor will be used for a breakfast feeding program for children in a very poor area of Tijuana.  Often times, children are sent home from school for their inability to focus and pay attention. These feeding programs give the children a much needed, healthy meal to help them get through their day. This feeding program is run out of a local church. The comedor was actually built as an addition onto the church, in order for it to be used for other church events when not in use for the feeding program.

We want to thank each and every one of you for your faithful support of our family. By supporting us through your prayers and finances, you are partners with us in this ministry. We truly value your partnership more than words can ever express. In our last prayer letter, we asked for prayer concerning our finances. Almost exactly one year ago, we took a leap of faith when we moved to Mexico with less than 50% of the financial support we needed. Due to the generosity and faithfulness of many, previous financial gifts had accrued in our account and we were able to supplement our income. These gifts were able to carry us through our first ten months on the field, but we have now had to make serious adjustments to our budget to only allow for the bare essentials. Our current incoming monthly support has also dropped 20% since we arrived in Mexico. In light of this, we would like to introduce a campaign to help continue this ministry God has begun and used to bless so many lives. This campaign is to find 40 families and individuals that are able to partner with us at $20/month for two years. We are asking all of you, our family, friends and co-workers in Christ, to prayerfully consider joining us in this ministry. Simply fill out the enclosed card and send it to the address above. There are many ways to give, including check, electronic funds transfer, or even online through PayPal. Thank you in advance for your support of this ministry. It is our prayer that God will bless this ministry, that Jesus will be revealed to those that do not know Him, and that all the glory will go to our Lord and Savior.

With Hearts for Mexico,
The Struska Family

Ron, Kristy, Brittany & Will

Goodbye Tom & Patti - You Will Be Missed!

Tom & Patti Coles have served in Mexico with YUGO for just a couple of months shy of ten years.  Tom, a former general contractor, has been serving in construction ministry.  He has worked on numerous buildings, including Grace Children's & Babies' Homes, El Faro, homes for Mexican families, as well as numerous buildings & projects at The Ranch, and so much more.  Patti has served as the Camp Cook, as well as Intern Coordinator, working in Women's Ministry, and countless other areas.  We pray that God will continue to use them in amazing ways as they begin new ministry and a new chapter of their lives.



A Little More Color at the ROC

Last year a team from New Life Community Chruch in Clovis, CA blessed the YUGO Ranch (ROC) with some much needed paint.  Our classroom and kitchen buildings were painted.  (They also have a team ministering at Grace Children's Home while they are here.)

This year we were blessed by them once again, and we are really starting to blend into the Mexican culture a little better with our bright colors! We no longer need to describe the location of our bathroom buildings, as they will clearly be called the red and blue bathrooms now.

Easter Outreach Highlight Video

Easter Outreach - Mexicali, Mexico

The team from Maryland came to Mexicali and blessed the socks off of the local people! The majority of the team ministered at a church in Quintana Roo. They had a great turn out of children, youth and women. They also held evening services and paid a visit to the construction site one day. Here are some photos from their ministry:

 Sports Ministry

Children's Ministry

Women's Ministry

The construction team built a home in La Puerta. This is the fourth home teams with YUGO have built in this area, as it was among the most heavily damaged areas by last year's earthquake. This home was built for a couple, Ignacio & Leticia, and their three children. The first photo is of the construction crew, Leticia (holding the cross), their oldest son, Nacho (Ignacio Jr.), and their pastor (far right).

Photo (of a photo) of their home after the earthquake.

 

Hannah Ford sharing with Ignacio & Leticia's two youngest children using the Evangecube.

The family cooked for us a few different days. This photo on the right shows

Ignacio (left) and his friend preparing a meal:

The team handed out salvation bracelets to everyone, including family, friends & neighbors. Here is Laura McGrain, YUGO Missionary, translating for our speaker for the week, Richard Sharp, as he explained the symbols on the bracelets.

Praying for the family receiving the home:

Left: Cross presented to the family; Right: Construction Ministry Coordinators, Ron (Rosarito) & Jose (Mexcali)

Jose will be in charge of finishing the home with stucco for the exterior and painting the interior.

There was also a Mexican team that did ministry in La Puerta, at a church only a few minutes from our building site. This first picture is of this church's building after the earthquake (taken last week). The pastor of the church would like to see more people in the area receive homes before rebuilding the church.



 

Will spent four days on the construction site working alongside Ron, and one day in Quintana Roo with the team doing sports ministry (while Kristy took photos). He was also "Encouragement Lad" for the week.  He got to help hand out encouragement cards during chapel.

Brittany helped in the kitchen most of the week. She helped every day with breakfast and all the other days, except for two, that she spent at the construction site. She also had the privilege of helping to lead worship with one of her favorite singers, Hannah Ford, by playing keyboard and singing.