State of our Finances

Dear friends, family, and faithful supporters of our ministry…:

As we had promised in our last letter, we wanted to be in contact with you about what is going on in terms of the state of our finances here in Mexico.

Probably the very first thing we should say is that we are so thankful to those of you who have faithfully supported our ministry over the years, both in prayer and giving…  You have made possible a ministry that, in its own small way, has impacted the lives of countless numbers — even thousands — of people. And of course it is only appropriate to say that we have been so honored (and had so many cool adventures(!)) on the journey…

We should also tell you that, as we mentioned to you in our last newsletter, we will be losing one of our bigger contributors (at $500 a month) in July of this year, and we are in the process of looking for six new families who are open to donating 80 dollars a month in order to help to replace that support.

If you have any questions about our finances, we want to be totally transparent about our budget with you…:  In a nutshell, we currently receive about $3100 a month in regular income, of which we have been contributing approximately $1300 directly to ministry purposes (gas and maintenance for the van, groceries for needy families, children’s feeding programs, funds for emergency medical situations, and other special needs). This has left us with about $1800 a month to live on (which may seem like a lot :), unless you consider the fact that the cost of living in Mexico is actually comparable to that of the U.S. in many ways.)

Anyway, in light of the loss of our current contributor, we’ve analyzed our budget, and after re-allocating some of our spending, we have found that we are able to get by on less, though the new budget causes us to have to cut painful corners in ministry and leaves little or no room for us to save money for the future.

To be sure, we should explain that the issue of savings is a consideration for us, since we haven’t had a lot of “saving savvy” until now, but do feel that at this point in our lives it is appropriate to at least put something away. (To be honest we have been fighting for some time to save small amounts, but it is always a challenge…  With so many needs around us, we have actually wound up giving a lot of our money to ministry instead of saving it! ;))

Anyway, though, after evaluating the state of our finances we have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for us to continue serving on the field long-term if we do not replace at least part of the support that we will be losing this summer.  Certainly, it would not make much sense for us to stay here if we were unable to minister tangibly to the needs of others around us.   And we cannot deny the fact that with the economic downturns Mexico has suffered, we are being faced with increasing needs for help on the part of many families.

… But even with all that said, we honestly still have to confess that we really do want to stay here in the Laguna — and to continue ministering to people in their practical needs… Even as we tell them of their need for Jesus.

So again, we are looking for at least six new families to support us at $80 a month.  If you are not currently supporting us or want to increase your support and feel lead to give in this way, we would like to ask you to please consider the possibility of doing so.

If the Lord is moving on your heart, please contact us as soon as possible so we can begin to make plans.

 

Thank you so much,

 

Larry, Kim, and Karina

 

Notes:

• As missionaries through the Vineyard Church, we are not currently contributing to or eligible for  Social Security, pensions, or any other government retirement program.
• Mercy Pantry/Fund:  If you, your church, or your Sunday school class is interested specifically in funding groceries and medicine for needy families, please let us know.
• Ministry Vehicles: Many thanks to those of you who helped contribute to our “Vehicle” situation, for a sum total of $1500. We wanted to let you know that in light of our current loss of funding we are considering consolidating the funds to buy one good, gas-efficient vehicle which will serve for both ministry and personal transportation for us, eliminating the need to fund maintenance and gasoline for both a church and a personal vehicle.
• Children’s feeding program:  One of the most painful corners that we will have to cut if we do not raise more support as of the summer is the funding of a Children’s Feeding Program in one of the neighborhoods where we are seeking to do outreach. We have deliberately chosen to cut the program in a neighborhood where the children will not apparently be in danger of going hungry, although they will lose a particularly healthy meal once a week, and potentially some of the gospel-based teaching that they receive.
• Used clothes:  Right now we have three little girls in our church (including Karina…) who could benefit from used clothes in good condition. (Many thanks to all those of you who have made sure that Karina is always the best-dressed baby in town… (!))  All used clothes for boys and girls (and their parents!  ) are welcome.
• Paypal: If it’s convenient, you can send donations by Paypal to donations@lagunaonfire.org. Paypal offers the option of paying from your bank account or from a debit or credit card. Through Paypal we also offer the option of setting up automatic monthly donations, so let us know if you’re interested.
• Donations: Please make out donations to “Laguna On Fire Ministries” and send it to Laguna On Fire Ministries, 3101 Harmony Ln, Mission, TX 78574.
• All donations are tax-deductible. Laguna On Fire Ministries is a DBA for Project Friendship, a Texas non-profit corporation, registered as a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization with the IRS.

 

If you have any questions at all about our finances, please feel free to contact us at our USA phone number, (832) 548-4949.

 

Again, thank you.