Kevin and Shirley Haworth

About Us › Our Family › Locate a Worker

Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

Dear Friends May 2009

What a great thrill it was to baptize 5 new Christians recently and hear their testimonies of how God rescued them from alcoholism, prostitution, moral failure, divorce, and hear in so many words their deep gratitude to our Lord for turning their lives upside down with a new purpose for living and a new purpose to give their lives for. What a thrill it's been to be a part of our Savior's plan to reach these dear ones, and through their lives, reach into untold numbers of homes in Mexico with Good News.

For the Haworth family, our new church launch has been one great blessing after another, as we've seen our Savior rescue life after life, family after family. And there’s so much more to come here. Strong Tower church has such a sweet spirit of love and gratitude, we're so sad to be leaving it now, but grateful for you, our friends and faithful supporters who have backed us through so much since we first stepped off the plane in Guadalajara in 1996. Our children have grown up here and really don't know any other home.

We do pray that our Alliance family will faithfully support their Alliance missionaries still on the front lines, so that no more position cuts will be necessary. As we prepare to arrive back in Wisconsin this July unemployed, we look forward to whatever opportunities present themselves to share what our Lord has been doing in Mexico these last four years of our lives, and we are truly grateful that you've been such a big part of what HE has done with another church planted here. We really were a team. Thank you!! .

We also ask you to pray for our Lord's protection of our church family and the Haworth children during this epidemic of swine flu. Today we were informed that all children in Guadalajara will be out of classes until May 6 for health security as we are to keep away from public gatherings. We also believe that our children, especially Ethan and Charissa had swine flu symptoms last week, but seem to be in good health at this moment. But do pray for Charissa especially with her immune deficiency, as last week she had bouts of dizziness and confusion.

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our transcontinental move in July with furniture, books, clothes, toys and chihuahuas. Some of you we hope to see at council in Louisville next month as well. Also we’ll mention, if anyone is interested in helping out with our move back to the U.S. in July, please look over our support options below. And please see a recent family photo in the attachment above.

Qué Dios les bendiga,

Kevin, Shirley and family

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Support for the Haworths for their move can be made out to: “The Superior Alliance Church” Ear-marked “For Kevin and Shirley Haworth” and sent to: The Superior Alliance Church, 2014 North 57th St., Superior, WI 54880. Phone: 715-392-3942

Gifts for the “Guadalajara Church Plant No. 3” can be given by writing: The Christian & Missionary Alliance P.O. Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935. (Please ear-mark this gift for: “Guadalajara Torre Fuerte”, Approved Special # 1-47200-44-15-01027)

Gifts to the Great Commission Fund can be given at any Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, or sent to the C&MA office by writing to: P.O. Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935. (Please indicate that it is for the “Support of Kevin and Shirley Haworth”).

............................................................................
THE HAWORTH FAMILY MINISTERING AMONG THE UNREACHED MIDDLE and UPPER CLASS OF GUADALAJARA, MEXICO

Kevin, Shirley, and their four children are from the Western Great Lakes District of Wisconsin.

We are in the second year of a new church plant here in Guadalajara. In Guadalajara less than 3 out of every 100 people profess to be Christians. Yet, the evangelical church has doubled over the last decade. What an exciting place to be working in. About half of Guadalajara's 5.6 million residents are from the middle and upper classes. Yet that is where the fewest churches exist.

Please pray for the many opportunitys that God gives us to blossom into friendships and into opportunities to share our best friend---- Jesus.

Also pray for our children as they battle health problems in this smog-filled city. Also pray for their safety, as Mexico has the highest kidnapping rate in Latin America.

Pray for the development of lay-leaders and pastors, so that when we go on home assignment, the work will continue on. Pray also for new missionary workers to come and reap the harvest with us. Truly the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few!

We thank you for our prayers and your support to the Great Commission Fund. Support can be given in the following ways:

1. Gifts to the Great Commission Fund can be given at any C&MA Church and will help some 655 C&MA Missionaries working in 54 countries. Please give at your local C&MA Church or send your contribution to the C&MA office by writing:
P.O. Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935.

If you would like us to know of your contribution toward the worldwide work of the C&MA, please earmark your gift for the “Support of Kevin and Shirley Haworth”.

2. Personal Gifts for the Haworths can be made out to the: “Superior Alliance Church”, earmarked:
“For Kevin and Shirley Haworth” and Sent to: Superior Alliance Church, 2014 North 57th St., Superior, WI 54880. Phone: 715-392-3942

3. Gifts for Kevin & Shirley’s “Work Special”, which helps them purchase what they need for their ministry in Guadalajara, can be sent to:
The Christian & Missionary Alliance
P.O. Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
(Please indicate that it is for the “Work Special of Kevin and Shirley Haworth”

4. Gifts for the “Guadalajara Church Plant No. 3” can be given by writing: The Christian & Missionary Alliance, P.O. Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935. (Please ear-mark this gift for: “Guadalajara Church Plant #3”,
Approved Special # 1-47200-44-15-01027)

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

Mailing Address: Kevin Haworth, Apartado 51-186, C.P. 45070, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico * klhaworth@hotmail.com or shirleyhaworth@hotmail.com / Also check out our district website at www.wglcma.org (clik on the district missionaries page)
..........................................................................
Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust in Him and He will help you." Psalm 37: 5

THANK YOU so much to all who pray on our behalf. We have seen some exciting break-throughs recently as we commit ourselves and our plans to the Lord! He is on the move!!!

I would like to encourage you to continue in your faithfullness in praying, giving, sending, and going. Shirley, the children and I depend upon your prayers and financial support. Thank you for partnering with us. We, as well as all of your Alliance missionaries couldn't do the work without you. We depend on you.

Keep up the good work (Read I Corinthians 15.58)
........................................................................

Kevin and I would like to thank you all for being such prayer warriors on our behalf. We definately need your prayers and feel your prayers and take your prayers VERY seriously living in this sin-sick city!!

We are living in satan's territory here and sometimes the opression is so thick you could cut it with a knife. It is a heavy presence felt by all the missionaries, and is a constant battle to rise above and to not be overcome by depression.

Kidnappings and assaults happen daily, where petty crime was the norm before, violent crimes are escalating everywhere, over our Holidays grenades were thrown into the crowd while fireworks were going off (in a nearby state not ours). In a culture that already operates out of lack of trust and a basis of dishonesty, fear is starting to set in. Some think that Mexico is soon to be the next Columbia.

The Guadalajara city population is exploding in all directions making the small highways jammed and difficult to get through. It is hard to keep up with the fast pace and all the frantic changes that we face as the city grows. But God has us here for all these reasons (and more) and we are happy to be used by Him as He chooses. The more people there are around us, the more opportunities there are to offer hope to the hopeless! So keeping all these things in mind to set the stage as you pray, here are our most recent requests (and praises);

We are so thankful for our "new" facility that the Lord provided in Sept. and in the same month, our 2 year Anniversary since starting Strong Tower Church.

We are so thankful for the many ways that God is providing through His people, so generously, for the many needs that we have in this new building. 80 brand new chairs will be delivered this week to be able to seat more people, a stove and refrig. were donated as there is no kitchen yet, one man is donating the labor of the men working on his own house as they take time out from that, to finish up the downstairs bathrooms, one young man (23) gave a check for thousands of pesos to buy a sound system for the church, this week one seamstress is making tablecloths and matching curtains for the sanctuary, people weekly are bringing in odds and ends, like towels for the bathrooms, brooms, tables, cleaning supplies, etc.

Please pray, as these are the final weeks before our 4 year term ends here in Mexico, that God would calm the people's worries/hearts as they think about us leaving, and that each one would be available to God to fill in the gaps and pick up the slack, and also accept the other "new to them" missionaries as their leaders.

Please pray that God would bring us the lost ones who need His salvation and His hope!!

And please pray for us as we will be looking for new employment this summer, as we were part of the first round off layoffs with the C&MA this past March. Pray for God's clear leading as He begins writing this new chapter in our lives.

You all are a huge blessing! We appreciate and indeed count on your partnering with us!!

Thank you!!

Kevin, Shirley, Charissa, Hannah, Natalia and Ethan in Guadalajara, Mexico
.........................................................................

About our family

Kevin and Shirley (and all the children as well) have been deep into the thick of starting yet another church with all of the wonderful highs and the turbulent lows, all of the hard work, and the eternal rewards that this particular challenge brings. Our baby church’s name is Strong Tower, one of the many names of God, and it has been just that in the lives of many who have needed refuge and protection. Just recently we went on a hike with a family of 7 who (as of Sat.) 5 now have given their lives to the Lord one by one, with just 2 to go, we are very excited at what God is doing!!!

our kids...
they are all doing great, enjoying school, helping out w/ the churchplant and walking with the Lord, but more specifically;

Charissa (18) is applying to Colleges and needs prayer for sensitivity to God's voice, to know His will and humbleness to be obediant, and for where He wants her to prepare to be a missionary as her career.

Hannah (15) needs prayer for quickness of understanding and doing her studies, for ever-deepening christian friendships with the other mk girls and for standing up for what she believes in.

Natalia (11) needs prayer for her security and stability to come from Christ alone while she is experiencing lots of changes in her body and emotions.

Ethan (8) needs prayer for healing his broken heart after losing his puppy of 2 years, for learning to be a gentleman w/ self-control, while at the same time becoming a strong man physically but more importantly a strong man of God.
I pray that each of the children will make wise choices in their lives that would be God honoring in everything they do.

We want to remind you that, although we are far away, we carry you in our hearts and minds always and consider our relationship with you precious. We thank God for you and the blessing that knowing you brings to our lives. Please know you are sorely missed and greatly loved!!

“We know and rely on the love God has for us.”
1 John 4:16

Love the Haworths

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to get prayer updates, just drop us a line and we’ll be in personal contact with you!

Mexico

Approved Specials

If you wish to contribute to one of our specials (vehicle funds, building projects, etc.) you may select it from the Approved Specials List.

Share

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•