by Chris Doyle/IMB MEXICO (IMB) — In one small Mexican village, life comes with a hard, practical rhythm. Children finish eighth grade and are quickly pulled into the fields or the factories that pay just enough for a family’s basic needs. Most men walk a mile or more just to catch the only truck that will ferry them to work. This is the village where Pedro lives. By the time he was 10, his bones began to break without warning. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with a brittle bone … [Read more...]

Like many missionary kids, Lauren Hou didn’t initially feel comfortable in the U.S. after she first arrived to attend university. Many of her formative years were spent overseas, and it felt like home. At first, she wanted to move back overseas as soon as possible, but by the end of her freshman year at California Baptist University, after she plugged into campus ministry and attended a women’s retreat, God challenged and convicted her. “I felt convicted to give all my plans to … [Read more...]

MEXICO (IMB) – A locally renowned musician found himself sitting in the one-room jail cell of the local police station. In addition to an illustrious career as a pianist in a band, he was his community’s cantor. Unflustered at his current situation, Thiago patiently waited, praying and contentedly waiting for the Lord’s will to be done. Let’s back up a little bit. Call to worship Communities, especially in rural areas in Mexico, elect a member of the community, a cantor, to be a … [Read more...]

by Chris Doyle/IMB The African nation of Guinea, formally known as the Republic of Guinea, is a country of roughly 14 million people, yet it has only nine Baptist churches nationwide. Ninety percent of the population is Muslim, and less than one percent identifies as evangelical Christian. The Baptist movement is barely three decades old, and most of its leaders grew up in Muslim families, never having seen a thriving local church structure. In this environment, finding, training … [Read more...]