Pastor Jesús M. is a high integrity, high impact leader serving in marginalized areas on the edges of Mexico City. Like most pastors in his area, Jesús is tri-vocational. For more than 20 years he has been shepherding one of the largest churches in his area. However, as is common for many churches in Mexico, he does not receive a fixed salary and often covers church expenses out of his own pocket. Jesús also leads a Christian non-profit with 60 staff, impacting 10,000 people a year through holistic ministry. On top of the typical challenges of leading a team AND a non-profit, Jesus’s father was recently diagnosed with a serious form of cancer (cancer of the blood), and the financial burden of his dad’s treatment falls on Jesús.

These are the types of challenges that often force leaders out of ministry. We are rallying together to come alongside Jesús as he faces a particularly challenging time: leading a church and a non-profit of 60 while caring for his dad as he fights cancer. There are a lot of unexpected expenses right now, and these situations often force leaders to leave behind their ministry in order to alleviate financial burdens.

Money comes and goes, but integrity, history, and trust can not be replaced so easily. The economic burden Jesús is facing could be devastating, and this is our chance to keep one of the most resilient, high integrity leaders we know in the ministry long term! We believe in Jesús and want to see him make it through this rocky season without having to leave behind his ministry and the relational / spiritual investment of the last 20 years. Will you help us support Jesús in this mission?

UPDATE:
Thanks to everyone who has supported Jesus and his family!

I chatted with Jesús last week and he informed me that his dad, Julio, seems to be stabilizing. The cancer is still there but the treatment seems to be working, little by little. Perhaps just as important is Julio’s emotional state-he was able to start walking again (after being too weak to walk for many months) and that has really lifted his spirits. Last weekend, Jesus was able to walk 30 minutes with his dad, a miracle given how little Julio could walk or move in December.

Please continue to pray for provision for Jesus and his family. While the “campaign goal” here is almost reached, any further support is most welcome as this is an ongoing need and the total amount needed for ALL medical expenses is closer to 10-15k (we are collecting funds through several channels to meet this goal, but still have a long way to go).

In SHALOM, -Mary