Tijuana - Step Up To Life/CFCI Trip Report

We arrived home Tuesday afternoon and are starting to get back to normal from this remarkable trip. We are convinced that the enemy is very threatened by "Step Up To Life" in Tijuana. We all came under attack in various and multiple ways before, during and following the trip... weather, scheduling, health and finances. For example every time the team was in ministry sessions Pastor Rodriguez wife, Rosa, was attacked with severe headaches.

There was heavy rain the night before the SUTL Training, which would be like an ice storm in Omaha. We scheduled it on an open day, and then three major pastor's events were scheduled on top of us... One was the government announcing on Wednesday a pastor's seminar for Saturday morning on how to bring donations across the border...

We had targeted this training for senior pastors to give them the Biblical basis for Conviction, Repentance and Lordship to help counteract all the easy believe-ism most had been taught over the years.

We were disappointed as only about a fourth of the key pastors could make it, but the Lord had a surprise for us. Unexpectedly about 50 college age city youth leaders showed up and we were amazed at how excitedly they devoured these deeper concepts. It seems the Lord wanted Pastor Murdoch to invest into the future generation of Tijuana leaders.

The team also had some wonderful ministry times to leaders and the slideshow below tells the story better than words. You can click on this link to our Picasa Web Album then click on any picture to enlarge or click on "Slideshow" for a full-screen slideshow. 

Thank you for your faithful prayers and partnership.

Blessings,
Dave, Sheryl, Steve, Mary, & Pastor Murdoch

Friday afternoon, Feb. 19th

Wow! Time to get caught up here with all of you. Pastor Murdoch arrived safely in San Diego Thursday afternoon, and is here in Tijuana with us now. Many of you know that his health was in quite a severe state Wednesday evening, but because of many, many prayers, he is running nearly full-speed ahead! Last evening, he was introduced to the infamous Tres Salsas taco stand, and from Dave's pics, it looks as though his response was favorable!

Our time here has been full, but well-paced. The spiritual resistance has been heavy, but we have a deep sense of God's presence. Thanks to those who prayed for our safety and protection over the past couple of days. We've had a couple of close calls with potentially serious traffic accidents, but PTL are still in one piece! God certainly must have angels traveling with us.

Wednesday afternoon, we had the privilege of praying with a lady pastor whose only son was shot and killed in a gang shooting just about a year ago. This was only one of many grief situations in her life that God was so incredibly touching for healing and freedom. It was a precious time, but a very intense ministry time.

Later that evening Steve spoke to a congregation who have just bought a new piece of property where they will be starting a building project soon. They have put up a "temporary" church building, so we were working with a very basic situation, complete with dirt floors. Following that service, we prayed with people for another two hours.

Yesterday morning, we had a couple of appointments to handle some rather "business" aspects of the visit down here. But then, Mary and I got to go shopping with Pastor Jesus' wife, Rosa! We had a great time, and found that Mexico has worse potholes than Omaha! Believe it, because we know it's true! We didn't actually spend much money, but we had a LOT of fun laughing together.

We've eaten so many tacos that we are just about ready for Chinese or Italian or just about anything else! Don't get me wrong....the tacos are great, but pizza is beginning to sound tempting! Oh, did I mention that the taco stands also make tacos out of tongue and brains and intestines! I do have my limits, though, so stopped at the tongue.....

Tomorrow, Pastor Murdoch will be sharing with some of the city pastors regarding the Scriptural foundations for Step Up To Life. He has been very well received thus far, and we're looking forward to another amazing time with these men. We'll probably have more to report on that tomorrow evening.

This morning Dave led an interactive city pastors workshop on ministry ethics and we spent much of the afternoon today at the orphanage, and learned that Pastor has a few tricks up his sleeve that were extremely entertaining for the children there. I think they found a new Grandpa.....and we got some adorable pictures.

That's about it for now. Please pray the forecasted rain stays away on Saturday, rain over ½ inch almost shuts this city down… like an ice storm in Omaha. Keep praying, as we keep working here, and we'll look forward to debriefing with you all when we get home.
Blessings,
Dave & Sheryl, Steve & Mary, Pastor Murdoch

Upate From Tijuana

TIJUANA – Wednesday, Feb. 17th :


Here we are once again in the beautiful city of Tijuana, Mexico! Beautiful, you ask? Yes, beautiful through the lens of God’s destiny for this city. As I stood in the 7th floor window of the hotel early this morning watching the sunrise, I looked out over the city towards the mountains in the distance. A light fog hung over the city – or was it the air pollution? I could see thousands of homes, literally one on top of the other, and was reminded once again of the hundreds of thousands here who do not live in the peace of the Savior, not knowing of His love for them.

The trip here yesterday was uneventful with one notable exception – the hydraulic fluid leak they found in the plane scheduled to take us from Phoenix to San Diego! The good news was that we weren’t in the air yet, and that they were able to swap out another plane for us instead of sending us on to San Diego on that one!

It has been wonderful to begin to reconnect with friends in the ministry here who are faithfully working to bring the Gospel to this city, and to care for the hearts of God’s people here. Because of your participation with us, we now have relationships with pastors and their families (as well as government leaders) that encourage, sustain, and support all of us in the Body of Christ. They welcome us with open arms, and are always eager to receive the Kingdom tools and resources that we bring. Fresh Start continues to be used in healing the hearts of the people, Step Up To Life is gradually taking root in their hearts, and PrayerWalking their areas of the city is something that the churches are really stretching into at the present time. Seeds that have been planted relationally for the past 10 years are beginning to grow and bear much Kingdom fruit here.

A couple of fun notes – we went from the airport down to Ocean Beach for a little while before crossing the border into Tijuana. For all you water sports people, the surf was rolling in and it was a good day to be out on the waves if you are into that stuff.

This afternoon we have lunch with Gerardo and get an initial update on Marked For Life. Later this evening, we will be at a local church where we’ve been other times; Steve will speak, followed by team ministry.

Tomorrow we visit and minister to the leaders at our two CFCI orphanages before heading up to San Diego to pick up Pastor Murdoch.

Based on spiritual attacks we’ve all encountered the last two weeks, we feel Satan is really threatened more than usual by this trip. Yesterday Pastor Murdoch was hit with two health issues.

Please pray for the Peace of God on the trip. We’re looking forward to amazing things with Pastor here teaching and spending some times with us. We look for God to also bring fruit from seeds being planted by SUTL this year…lasting fruit for the Kingdom.

Also pray that finances will continue to come in to CFCI for our part of this trip. As of today we have received just under a $1000.00 towards our $3200.00 trip budget.

Support info is on our blog http://gehrlsministry.blogspot.com

Please send any thoughts or “words” you have to dave@cfci.org

More tomorrow,
Blessings,
Dave, Sheryl, Steve & Mary

Tijuana Step Up To Life Pastors Training with Pastor Murdoch, Steve & Mary Rife

Last November, Pastor Lincoln Murdoch trained over 100 of Tijuana’s pastors and church leaders in SUTL. (See pictures and reports in this blogs back posts.

Many pastors in Tijuana are frustrated with the lack of lasting results in their ministry. During this trip, Pastor Murdoch will train senior pastors and trainers in the scriptural principles of SUTL, i.e., Conviction, Repentance, and Lordship.

The arrival of a point team to prepare for a good training event has proven to be crucial. God has given us great favor with Tijuana’s Christian leaders precisely because we visit the many small pastors groups...ministering personally to the leaders, building and maintaining relationships.
In November, Sheryl and I went a week ahead of Pastor Lincoln, and the Lord gave a wonderful response of over 100 participants. This time, Steve and Mary Rife will be joining us to meet with and minister to a growing list of leaders before Pastor Murdoch arrives Thursday night. On Friday, Pastor will join us in personal ministry to some key leaders and lead the SUTL Pastors’ seminar on Saturday.

Sunday, we will minister in separate churches before returning to San Diego late that afternoon. Pastor will fly home Monday morning, and the Rifes and Gehrls will celebrate Steve’s birthday a day early before flying home Tuesday morning.
Step Up To Life is covering Pastor Murdoch’s expenses; however, Rifes and Gehrls need to cover the rest. Would you consider partnering with us in this exciting opportunity to invest in the lives and hearts of the city leaders of Tijuana at this crucial time?
While we covet your prayers, our $3200.00 team budget for this trip (including airfare, lodging, and meals, etc. for the four of us) is part of the “reality.” The Gehrls and Rifes have committed to go, trusting the Lord to supply. Your participation would be a great blessing and answer to prayer.
Please begin now to pray for us as we go: for prepared hearts, for our safety and fruit of our investment into the hearts of Tijuana’s city leaders. Come along with us online and in prayer by subscribing to this blog. We will be posting daily updates from Tijuana.Thank-you for investing in our ministry,
Dave & Sheryl and Steve & Mary
Donations may be made online at http://www.cfci.org/  

or sent to:
CFCI, PO Box 390395, Omaha, NE 68139-0395
Earmark: “Gehrls - Tijuana”