Dear Friends,

The funeral on Saturday for Susie Frerichs Hernandez in Frijolillo, San Luis Potosi, was beautiful and the the church was overflowing with people who knew and loved her. Many of the children she discipled were present, with tears of sadness, saying goodbye. One young pastor, Ricardo, in whom Susie and Abraham have invested much time and teaching, delivered the sermon in Nahuatl honoring Susie and encouraging the Church to begin the path that God has set before us all – to continue the work started through Susie and follow God’s lead for the future.

Abraham’s sister, Amalia, led the women in singing some of Susie’s favorite hymns in Nahuatl. During the time for testimonies, we were able to share with everyone that so many of you have written to send your condolences and love. We let them know that many congregations in the United States were praying for Abraham and for them all and giving thanks for Susie’s life.

Please join with us in continuing to walk together with our brothers and sisters in the Huastecas. The Antioch Partners, who sent Susie and continues sending Abraham and the McReynolds, are considering a memorial scholarship fund in Susie’s memory. We can keep you posted on that as well as other activities and plans we make with Abraham and leaders in the Huastecas. Pray for tentative plans that are evolving to send instructors to teach at the Bible Institute that was under Susie’s directorship and for carrying out an AMO training that Susie was planning with some of the presbytery’s mission churches located in Veracruz state.

Susie strived for excellence and grace in all she did. Her focus on discipling children, parents, and leaders to equip them to live out their faith in every area of life and to pass that faith on to the next generations continues to enrich lives and give glory to God.

Your continued prayers for Abraham and family bring comfort and strength from the Lord. As a reminder, a memorial service for Susie is planned at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Kearney, Nebraska, July 12th, at 2 p.m.

Below, are various photos of Susie with the people, and in the place, God called her to. Many of these photos are courtesy of our friend Jerry Cass.

In Christ Jesus,

Chris and Francelia McReynolds

Abraham and Susie on their wedding day in 2011 with Juvenal and Landy Ortiz

Abraham and Susie tending their bees

Attending burial

Funeral service at La Santisima Trinidad Presybterian Church in Frijolillo

View from cemetery

Amalia and women singing hymns

Dears Friends,

We ask for your prayers for God’s work of transformation in Chiapas, Mexico. Pray specifically for protection, wisdom, and discernment for the AMO training team in the neighboring state of Tabasco who have begun serving in Chiapas through their visits. The team walked through the door God opened to them by way of a “misionera” working in Chiapas who was trained by them last January.

After her training in Tabasco, the misionera returned to the indigenous community where she serves and met with a local pastor and a few of the church leaders to tell them of her experience. They became very interested. Even with the church’s limited funding and knowing how reluctant the members are to anything outside their routine, the leaders ventured an invitation to the team in Tabasco for two days of conferences around the biblical principles taught in AMO.

In order to build relationships and show testimony of the impact God’s Word has had on their own families, the team responded by taking their families with them on the long arduous drive to visit the congregation. The pastor interpreted for the group from Spanish into the local language. They taught about God’s vision for life and education and about the great potential and calling the congregation has for discipling their children and the community for Jesus Christ.

The congregation was deeply impacted. God’s Word evoked tears and expressions of gratitude and praise to the Lord and thanks and encouragement to the team. Completely unsolicited, the congregation gifted each of the three families represented with one thousand pesos to help cover their travel expenses. The significance of this three thousand peso gift should not be overlooked. It represents profound gratitude, hope, and determination to continue receiving the team for future visits to learn more and to be equipped for transforming their future for Christ.

Again, please, pray for wisdom for the team, provisions needed to continue the work, and for sensitivity to the special circumstances they face in Chiapas.

NEW PROGRAMS – In February, Francelia visited programs in Tabasco and assisted Esther Suarez as she trained leaders in Xalapa, Veracruz. Please, pray for church leaders in Xalapa and Orizaba, Veracruz, who have recently begun AMO Programs for children.  Pray for God’s blessing on the training now in progress in Comalcalco, Tabasco, and for those scheduled this summer in Merida, Oaxaca, and Nacajuca. Pray these result in strong leadership and consistent, stable, programs for children.

NEW INITIATIVES – Join us as we pray for God’s direction for new initiatives using AMO Program in the United States and for raising up the necessary leadership.

Zurisadai with her students at church in Veracruz. Zuri is also a public school teacher and has implemented AMO Literature component with permission from her school’s director.

ONLINE TRAINING – We ask your prayers for the nine-month online course by Chrysalis International starting March 20th. This course will prepare forty-six individuals from various Latin American countries (including 14 of our AMO Teachers in Mexico) to become AMO Trainers with skills to equip families and leaders for discipling their nation for Jesus Christ. Pray for Dr. Elizabeth Youmans and others who will be teaching, including Francelia and Cristina Inchaustegui.

TOOLS FOR EXPANSION – Please, pray for the AMO website that is under construction. Once finished, this website will provide practical and important tools to a growing network of tens of thousands of parents, students, teachers, trainers, donors, administrators, and church leaders – all involved in transforming their nations through biblical Christian education and discipleship.

WORKING TOGETHER – Join us in praying for the Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA) Global Forum taking place this week in Panama. Our own Pastor Josias Luna of Oaxaca will share at the forum about how Mexico is being impacted by God’s Word through AMO Program. We use DNA materials to prepare communities for AMO and DNA’s co-founder, Darrow Miller, teaches part of the online course mentioned above. I know this is an over simplified inadequate description but, DNA helps a person think biblically in all areas of life and AMO helps the person (or child) have the skills to live-out that biblical thinking in all areas of life.

JOIN US – Finally, we invite you to be our Prayer-partner-for-a-Month by phone. This is a brief, weekly, visit with us by phone during the month of your choosing, when we can discuss and pray together. We have been very blessed by those who have already joined us. Contact Chris at cmcr12@gmail.com to sign up.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Chris and Francelia

AMO class in Tabasco and cover photo for the future AMO website.

The New Year has started off with a bang! We pray for and give thanks for your part in this growing community of AMO México and that you sense God’s leading in all you do this year. We ask your prayers for the following:

Thanks ~ For AMO Trainers of Tabasco (Marlene, Esther, Diana, Africa) who held a training at Sureste Presbyterian Seminary. Petitions ~ Please pray for Loyda, one of those who attended this training. Loyda is a missionary in one of the most troubled and impoverished areas in Chiapas. Her heart is now set on establishing AMO Programs there. Pray for our team as they walk with her. Also pray for Doris who also attended this training and is now feeling called to establish a Christian school using AMO as the core curriculum. Pray for collaboration among her and others who have the same calling.

Thanks ~ For the training which started in Oaxaca. This training will be carried out in five consecutive weekends by Betzabe, Pablo, and Elizabeth A. Petition ~ Pray for Betzabe and Pablo and for Elizabeth as she mentors them during these weeks.

Thanks ~ For the training which opened in Merida, Yucatan, today. Petition ~ Pray for the young trainers, Mildred and Ruby, as they train throughout this week, gaining more experience and confidence.

Children and their church inspiring their community to celebrate learning.

Thanks ~ For the upcoming training in Xalapa, Veracruz. Petition ~ Pray for God to break the grip of organized crime in this state (as well as the nation). Pray for Esther S. and Fidel as they lead the training and for us as we go to assist them and visit other churches and programs there and in Tabasco.

Thanks ~ For our time with other ministries, sharing information and making new friends, at First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio, TX. Petition ~ Pray for this church as they renew effort and focus on discipleship for reaching their city and world with the full Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their initiatives using AMO has been key in transforming communities in Dominican Republic and Mexico.

Thanks ~ For the wonderful festival celebrating learning and God’s vision for life by Principe de Paz Presbyterian Church of Comalcalco, Tabasco. Director and AMO Trainer Esther Velazquez and husband Samuel organized the event along with the pastor and leaders of the church. The celebration included good food, music, a play depicting the Heidi classic, which the children recently studied, and a parade through the city streets! Petition ~ Pray for God to use this celebration to impact the community with a Godly vision for life and learning.

Comalcalco church, Principe de Paz take to the streets to celebrate.

Principe de Paz Church production of the classic Heidi

On behalf of the growing family of AMO in Mexico, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! We pray for the blessings of joy and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, for each of you in 2019. Thank you for being a friend to this very important ministry. Please, receive these precious letters from the children in Nora Calcaneo’s neighborhood program of Villahermosa, Tabasco ~ Blessings to each of you, Chris and Francelia McReynolds

We have so much to give thanks for!

Our first-ever retreat for AMO Trainers of Mexico was a wonderful success and blessing of rest, encouragement and fellowship for us all. Fourteen of the sixteen trainers and their families gathered for three days this month in historic downtown Puebla, Puebla. Abimael and Rosy Borbolla, pastors at Nueva Vida Church, in Oaxaca, ministered to our group using Jose Gonzalez’ material “Transformado por el Pacto,” affirming commitment to covenant with God for strong marriages, healthy families, and a transformed nation.

Francelia and I are also thankful for the opportunity to accompany Cristina and Alfonso Inchaustegui to Bogotá, Colombia, for a continuing education training for AMO Trainers of Manantial Church. This church has thousands of AMO Programs and is impacting their nation as servants of Jesus Christ. We are thankful to Dr. Elizabeth Youmans, creator of AMO® Program, for inviting us to assist.

We thank you for your prayers and financial support to help make all this happen. We wish each of you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

2018 Retreat for AMO Trainers, Puebla, Mexico

We give thanks to God for all the AMO® Programs in México and beyond. We thank you for your support.

These children’s programs require a lot of commitment and preparation by parents, pastors and teachers but, it is worth it. The Gospel in this world depends on such dedication. If the children are the future of the Church and society, it makes sense to invest our best.

The Heidi classic portrayed by Elizabeth Tello’s students in Tabasco, Mexico.

We ask for you to pray with us for the following:

• God’s healing for Esther Suarez, AMO Trainer in Oaxaca, who is losing vision in her left eye. Esther has consulted one specialist and is now seeking a second opinion.
• Wherever you are, please, plan to pray with us this Monday morning, October 8th, for God’s ongoing transformation of Mexico and the Americas. If you are in the area, we invite you to join us at a special prayer service at FPC San Antonio, TX, at 10:00 a.m.
• Pray for God’s blessing on our first-ever retreat for AMO Trainers in Mexico! Pray also for Pastor Abimael and Rosy Borbolla, of Oaxaca, who will be ministering to this group. Almost all 16 trainers and their families will gather, November 1-3 in Puebla, Mexico. Pray for our safety as we all travel from various parts of the country.
• Pray for the development and funding of Chrysalis International’s online system. We are on the verge of deciding on a developer. The purpose of the AMO platform is to provide additional assistance to teachers, trainers, churches, and parents in their task to raise up the next generation firmly grounded in God’s truth, beauty and moral goodness.
• Finally, lift up your prayers for all the AMO Programs in Mexico and other nations. The leaders of these programs regularly face battles in their communities against fatalism, lack of vision, and all kinds of attacks from the enemy.

Thank you, for your prayers! Contact us (Chris and Francelia) at (830) 719-5812 for any questions you might have.

Theatre in the park by children in AMO of Tabasco, Mexico.

Many believe the AMO® Program has an important role to play in God’s command to disciple Mexico, as well as other nations. In order for that to happen, additional leaders must always be growing and branching out to help more and more families. That’s what we see happening in the state of Tabasco, Mexico.

Three of our new AMO Trainers there organized and carried out their first training together, last week, at Seminario Teológico Presbiteriano del Sureste (STPS), of Nacajuca. AMO Trainers, Marlene, Africa, and Fidel, are turning out to be a great team and they are doing wonderfully, reports Francelia, who was there to provide mentorship.

Those who received the training represented various churches and denominations from the area. What they learned from God’s Word promises to transform lives. We now pray for them, and continue to walk with them, as they apply what they learned.

The AMO Program is proving to be an important tool for local congregations in helping their families. STPS awards credits to those completing the five-day training. Specific biblical principles and methods learned are helping parents and leaders give critical guidance, vision, and education to children and teenagers.

We ask you, please, to pray:

• For the families of Mexico.
• Pray for the Church and her leaders and the AMO ministry.
• Also, pray for our ongoing efforts in developing, and financing, an online system that will provide valuable tools to parents, teachers, and trainers in their important work of discipling the nation.

New leaders at work in Tabasco.

 Very often, God makes big things come from small things. Think of the giant Redwood that comes from a tiny seed.

AMO® Trainers, Esther Suarez and Judith Diaz presented God’s very big vision for life to a small group of professionals in Xalapa, Veracruz, México, this week. This beautiful state, like many others, suffers terribly from organized crime and the corruption that enables it.

But going even deeper to the source of those problems, we find a lack of God’s vision for life that is replicating itself and destroying generations of families and societies. And the preparation needed to live into God’s vision or plan – biblical Christian discipleship – is routinely overlooked. But God provides the seeds for restoration and a growing number of leaders are carrying those seeds from town to town.

This was Judith’s first training since she was certified by Chrysalis International back in April. The message and methods these new leaders teach are straight from the Bible – nothing new – but extremely inspiring and transformational. The focus is personal transformation in Christ, which models transformation for generations to come. It’s powerful because God made it that way. Again, think of the seed – small, tangible, visible, yet amazing and not entirely explainable.

We ask for your prayers for their continued work. Please, pray also for the leaders of next week’s five-day AMO training in Oaxaca. Newly certified trainers, Betzabé Borbolla, Susie Frerichs Hernandez, and Pablo Borbolla will be delivering the seeds there. Esther will be there, also, to help and supervise.

Pray for God’s vision and ways of living healthy in Jesus Christ to spread across our nations. As Christ’s followers we know better than to depend on human solutions to problems that can only be solved God’s way. Thanks for your prayers!