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Mundo "J"
The first conference we actually organized

Highlights:

• He traveled on an all-night bus to get the conference and had to return the same evening to be back in Oaxaca at his church by 10 am the next morning, but he said the conference was worth the over 14 hours of travel time.
• A youth leader friend we're discipling, Veronica Dominguez, did a fantastic job with her first seminar ever. Her subject was "Youth Ministry in the Small Church," she was interesting, concise, and relevant. One person later wrote, "My favorite session was that of Veronica. I also work in a small church and it was very encouraging to hear how to work with youth in that situation"
  As a result of the conference, Nahum, a college student who helps us lead the "youth group", decided to make some significant changes in his life in order to be a better example for the younger kids.
• Comments from the conference evaluation: "I wish we could have this every six months."
• "Each one of the talks was very interesting to me and I would like it if you did these conferences more frequently since you have the wisdom and guidance of God in order to guide the youth and also have very interesting material. The youth really need something different, like what you offer us."
• "May God Bless You, Tim and 'team'."

Friend, supporter and ex-roommate, Curt Moore,
was in Mexico during the conference I can't get over how God answered our prayers, how He took our effort and multiplied it for His glory and the building up of His kingdom. And since we had asked you to pray for this conference about 4 months ago I mention these "highlights" not too impress you - okay, maybe just a bit - but so you can be happy along with us (note: don't go feeling guilty that you didn't pray, you did, you've just forgotten.)
Kent and Gulni Leander, friends and short-term
missionaries who dreamed up this conference
and did the lions share of the organization
(OOPS... I forgot, Andre, the little one) Although it might sound funny, I'm most glad that people showed up. We had NO idea how many people to expect... could have been 15 or 150. Annette and I were predicting attendance in the 20 to 30 range, so we were thrilled that day when eighty-five people registered paying 30 pesos ($3 dollars) for the conference, breakfast and lunch (try doing a conference on that budget.) And not only were the participants from a wide range of denominations, they were also from all over the central part of the country.
yep... that's Tim in front (and in a suit no less)
teaching during on of the workshops We were also pleased that all of the speakers showed up. OK, so this probably isn't a big worry of most people organizing conferences in the U.S., but it is here. The week before we were at a conference where one speaker showed up 2 hours after his talk was supposed to have started! We did have to sweat it out because one speaker arrived at exactly 4:01 for his 4 o'clock seminar and another arrived at 7:30 for his 7 o'clock talk. But, hey... what those speakers bring to the conference is so important that it's worth the knotted stomachs and profuse sweating while we wait for them. Plus it's a wonderful feeling to be a part of bringing together a great team. A team that is the result of relationships we've been forming over the last 31/2 years and which, through it's variety of personalities, talents and denominations, was really effective at reaching a wide variety of needs. (the photo is of our friend and colleague, Steve Young, teaching)

The more youth ministry training we do, the more we desire to be involved in it. Not because we feel we are essential to God's movement here in Mexico, but because we are amazed at how people eat up the little bit of "food" we bring them. Thanks for your part in all this!