This particular church is in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. No it is not in
Colorado. It is in Mexico about 30 miles south of Yuma, Arizona.

This is the congregation where Job Jimenez was serving as Lay-pastor
until he went to the Seminary in Argentina this last March.  It is being
served by Saul Silva who happens to be a brother-in-law of Job Jimenez.  
Saul lives and works in San Luis, Arizona but is now also serving San
Mateo. He is kind of like a worker-priest.

My wife, Marty, and my sister Lois, and I were there in January. It is
exciting to us to see what has been happening there.

Click here for the report (pdf) that Saul sent me today.

Blessings,
Rev. Norman Finke

Click here for the latest newsletter (pdf) from Job Jimenez

Pastor Norman Finke

I pray that all is going well with you and your ministries. I just wanted to drop you a quick note. Pastor Isaac Garcia, President of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico has sent me a request for prayers.

He says that the students at Concordia Seminary in Argentina are finishing up their first semester of classes and of course we all know that means final exams. He asks for our prayers for Job Jimenez, Neftali Garcia, Guillermo Leyva, and Samuel Perez Herrera that they would do well on their final exams.

Pastor Isaac Garcia also asked if we would pray for his health. He has many commitments coming up but is presently suffering from a severe infection. He has been to the doctor and is on medication and is supposed to rest.

May God continue to bless you, your families, and your ministry,
Rev. Norman Finke

Malachi 3:10-12 (ESV)
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer[a] for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

It is getting into the summer months and many of us are beginning to think vacation!  I know my wife and I are taking off tomorrow to go up to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas for a week of getting away, seeing the sites, playing a little golf, visiting with family, and renewing old acquaintances in the Village.

As we began preparing for this little vacation, I once again realized that it is not really just talking off and forgetting about everything. We all have heard people say it’s God first, then spouse, family, ministry, etc. All too often those priorities get mixed up. If God is really first then He is going along with you and will be active in all you do and probably giving you opportunities to reach out to others with His love.

So, I am going on vacation but I am going to worship with my fellow believers at Faith Lutheran Church this Sunday in Hot Springs Village. I am going to keep all those I pray for that are in ministry in Mexico in my daily or nightly prayers. As the Lord taps me on the shoulder I might even be remembering you by name also.

Point is: God isn’t finished with you until He taps you on the shoulder and says “Well done, my faithful servant.” Until then we frolic along together enjoying each other and the opportunities He sets before us... AND…let’s not forget that, this vacation time is also a gift granted us from our loving, caring, determined God.

You can be a big help to this Ministry by simply reading this Newsletter, praying about the things mentioned in it, and then sharing it with others, making copies, posting it etc.

Click here for the June KIMA Newsletter (pdf)

May God continue to bless you, your family, and your ministries!

Rev. Norman Finke

Executive Director of KIMA

Pastor Isaac Garcia, president of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico asked that you continue to pray for them and their ministry in Mexico.

•  Pray for the four students at the Seminary in Argentina: Samuel Perez Herrera, his wife Mayra, and two sons, Samuel & Paul; Neftali Garcia Guevara; Job Jimenez; and Guillermo Leyva; their parents, brothers & sisters, and their home churches.
•  Pray for San Juan Lutheran Church in Mexicali that the Lord would provide them with a leader and that they get excited and work together with the Lutheran Synod of Mexico.
•  Pray for wisdom, faith, and action as to what to do about buying a piece of land in Las Moras, Sinaloa, Mexico, (served by Lay-pastor Jóse Reyes) and raising the $2,000 necessary so that the people and especially the children of that community can be better served.
•  Pray for continued blessings on the mission in Rio Rico, assistance with the problem of the roof, and the needed church furnishings.
•  Pray for funding for Betania’s mission trip to Veracruz.($600).
  

The full update is in this pdf.

Rev. Norman Finke

Hello my dear friends in Christ,
He Is Risen Indeed!

I have had a concern for a while now. It concerns how we feel about being in ministry. If you ever had a chance to meet, personally, these men and women that we are helping in their ministries down in Mexico, you would find some people who you would love and certainly admire. All the help that we give is to aid them in their ministry of bringing God's plan of salvation to the people of their communities. We have seen success in much of what they are doing but that doesn't take away their hurts, frustrations, needs, or desires, efforts to fulfill what God is asking all of us to do. To put it simply, their needs don't go away simply because we lose interest or get distracted or decide that God isn't blessing us enough to help others.

I have to thank the Lord for His faithfulness in making sure that somehow or another we are able to keep going and help "hold up the prophets hands." For some of you who may think that I don't know what I'm talking about, (and maybe I don't), by prophet I mean anyone who has been called by the LORD to speak His Word.

I guess the thing that makes it difficult for us is when someone or some group has been faithfully supporting these people in doing the Lord's bidding suddenly, or at least it seems that way to us who don't know what is happening, stop giving anything to help. People, God isn't done yet!

Click here for the April Newsletter (pdf).

Please, include this ministry in your daily prayers. If you can't give or increase your gift, help find some other people to get involved. Post this Newsletter in such a way that people can actually see and read it or post some of the items in your Newsletters or bulletins. Maybe you could even post some of it on your Facebook page or whatever is the in thing these days. God calls us to action not to sit on the bench!

Maybe I need to eat a Snickers candy bar.

Rev. Norman Finke

Have you ever had something on your mind and just felt you needed to share it with someone else? I have. I didn't know who to share it with so I am just going to share it with everybody and maybe the right person of people will receive it and feel like they have been "tagged" and then will find someone else to get involved.

Click here for the March KIMA newsletter (pdf).

In addition, click here for a letter from Rev. Samuel Perez Herrera, (pdf) one of the students who went to Buenos Aires. He is with his wife and two sons.

I pray that you are having a blessed week.

God has given us all talents, abilities, aptitudes that we can use as we “Join Jesus on His Mission.” KIMA is but one of the many agencies or ministries that God has raised up to help carry out His redemptive mission. 

I believe that KIMA has been touched by God and in turn it reaches out to touch our brothers and sisters in Christ, who happen to live in Mexico, as they reach out to touch others with the love of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. God uses the power of the Holy Spirit working through His Word, the Sacraments, and through each of you as you pray for and contribute financially to this ministry and the work being done by our brothers & sisters in Christ along our southern border and into Mexico as they reach out in love to those who do not yet know of God’s plan. 

I pray that each of you will consider getting involved with Jesus by actively participating in one or more of His ministries. 

Please, click here and then share this newsletter (pdf) with others who might be interested in ministry.

May God bless each of you, your families, and your ministries.

Rev. Norman Finke
Executive Director of Koinoneo Independent Mission Agency

Blessings and a happy New Year!

We are off to an exciting year! We hope and pray that the Lord would move each of you to get involved in this exciting ministry. Being a Christ follower, a believer, a Christian, isn't about just warming the bench on Sunday mornings. It's about getting off that bench and into the the game, joining Jesus on His mission, experiencing the excitement as we see His love working in the lives of others. 

1 Timothy 2:1-7 The Message (MSG) -- Simple Faith and Plain Truth

2 1-3 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

4-7 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

Please, read these two pdfs and share with others!

1) Job's decision (pdf)
2) January Newsletter (pdf)

Blessings on you, your family, and on His ministries that are part of your lives, 

Rev. Norman R. Finke
Executive Director of Koinoneo Independent Mission Agency (KIMA

‘Twas the week before Christmas, when all thro’ the house
Many a creature was stirring, even me and my spouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
and we are off to Houston to be with our loved ones there.
 
I pray that each and every one of you gets a chance to be with your loved ones as we celebrate the One Who loved us enough that He sent His Son, tiny, itty-biddy Jesus, to be born in a lowly manger, grow into manhood doing the things you and I couldn't do, and then died on a cross on a hill far away. And wonder of all wonders, He arose so that He could spend an eternity loving on you.
 
That’s the reason for the season. Celebrate it!

Click here for the December Newletter (pdf)

Click here for Support Argentina Students (pdf)

Rev. Norman R. Finke
Executive Director of KIMA