Desert Streams Ministries

Note: This update is available as a PDF download with more pictures here.

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

Love and greetings from warm, sunny Mexico. We pray all is well with you and your family.

I recently heard the following phrase, and it really made me think:

“It is your direction, not your intentions, which will lead you to your destination.”

Andy Stanley

Hopefully, we all have good intentions. But we must realize that the direction we are heading is what really leads us to our destination. For example, let’s suppose that you are intending to go to the beach. However, you make a wrong turn and end up going in the opposite direction. Even though you may have the intention of getting to the beach, if you don’t turn around and start heading in the right direction, you are never going to get there!

So it is in life. Many people have great intentions: intentions to follow the Lord, love their families, read their Bible, pray, grow in their walk with God. Others just have the intentions of being good people. However, if they never take the necessary actions and small steps in the right direction, their good intentions will never materialize.

James says it this way: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).

We need faith, but we also need to put action and direction into our faith.

One of our tasks as missionaries, pastors, and Bible teachers is to help people unite their intentions with their direction – unite their faith with their actions – to reach the goals the Lord has for them.

The Advanced School of Ministry

During the third week of January, we celebrated the 34th seminar of the Advanced School of Ministry in Cuernavaca, with around 800 pastors and leaders attending. We had a good-sized group there in the auditorium as well as another group of people online.

What a blessing it was for us to see so many pastors from many parts of Mexico, many of whom we have gotten to know through the years. We have ministered in some of their churches and have become good friends with others.

The seminar, called “Fathers of Generations”, was based on God’s promise to Abraham and applied to the pastors and leaders of local churches. We have been called to minister to our generation, but also to become spiritual fathers and mothers to the next generation of leaders.

Our team and guest speakers taught and ministered on subjects such as generational vision, church growth, spiritual orphans, generational leadership, the pastor and his family, and spiritual fathers/mothers.

We had a great seminar, and I know that many of those who attended returned to their local churches and communities blessed, equipped, and encouraged to continue their local ministries.

Online Bible School

On February 14, we began the spring semester in our Online Bible School. This is the second-largest group ever, with over 170 students participating. Many of them are continuing their studies; some are new, and others are working toward completing the Advanced School of Ministry degree program.

We are currently offering a total of 11 different courses simultaneously. Our course facilitators are busy grading assignments, answering students’ questions, and helping them progress through the courses.

We are offering a new course, Family Matters (by Bill Scheidler), with Stacey Brown as the teacher. Stacey is doing an incredible job in her video presentations, bringing the classes to life with many creative illustrations. She is recording at the same time we are presenting the material, so our team is working hard to have the presentations, assignments, and videos ready each week before the material is to be released to students. We have two full groups taking this particular course the current semester, and it will be offered again probably yearly.

Anna and Sara are both working with our online team once again. Anna has two full groups – the students of New Testament Survey and a second group of 22 students of the degree program working on the assignments from this past seminar. Sara has a large group studying The Life of Christ.

Local Church

Desert Streams Church in Tulancingo is doing well and advancing the Kingdom of God. We continue to meet under the tent in our church’s garden property. The Spirit of God is moving, restoring and saving people. We have had several testimonies of people who have been healed from cancer – with medical evidence to prove it. These testimonies may not necessarily be considered “miraculous” by everyone, but through prayer and medical treatment, they are now cancer-free! We give credit and glory to God for what He has done in their lives. Also, this past Sunday, six or seven people gave their lives to Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God is advancing. Lives and families are being restored and changed by the power of the Gospel.

I have been teaching on Jesus in Genesis over the past couple of months. The series is designed to highlight how we can find illustrations, types, and shadows of the redemptive work of Christ throughout the Old Testament, especially in the book of Genesis. It is amazing how many stories and events perfectly foreshadow the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross.

Anna and Sara have been participating on Sundays, but also in our other church events. Anna is our youth leader and is doing a great job. Sara has been working with the women of the church, doing monthly meetings the first Friday of each month. It is such a blessing to work together as a family in ministry. It is also a privilege to have a team that helps us in ministry each week.

Family

It was great having David, Daniel with Elisa, and Anna (of course!) here this past Christmas. Now we still see David, Daniel, and Elisa quite often, but on FaceTime instead of in person. We miss them, but they are all doing well.

We are especially thankful that Anna is here with us. After studying in BSSM the last couple of years, she is now working full time with me, in the online Bible School, the Advanced School of Ministry degree program, and our local church. She is also studying and practicing her fiction writing skills, as part of the Young Writer’s Workshop.

Thanks To Everyone!

We would like to express our most sincere thanks to all of you who pray for us, support us, send cards (thanks for those Christmas cards!), or simply know and care for us. May the Lord richly bless you!

With Love,

David, Sara, and Anna Lont

Note: You can download a printable PDF copy of this update here.

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

Hello, greetings from Tulancingo, Mexico. We would like to give you a brief update of our activities over the last couple of months.

Happy New Year!

Sara, Anna and I send our love and New Year’s blessings to each of you. We pray the Lord would prosper you abundantly as we begin 2024. May He bless and keep you, make His face shine upon you, and give you peace!

Advanced School of Ministry

These last couple of months have been our busy time with the Advanced School of Ministry, as we prepare for the big conference in Cuernavaca. I have been working on preparing the teaching manuals (a book of about 150 pages this year), advertising, and supervising the online registrations for the conference, as well as coordinating several other details. This year we will be having Dr. Lucas Leys with us. Lucas is a well-known Bible teacher and conference speaker. The entire Advanced School of Ministry leadership team will also be participating, giving conferences and workshops.

During the conference both Sara and I will be sharing workshop sessions. I will be teaching on “The Pastor and His Family”, and Sara will be teaching on “Spiritual Mothers”.

The conference is already less than two weeks away. We will be in Cuernavaca the week of January 22. Please pray for us!

Church Activities

We finished our church year on a high note at the beginning of December, with a special meeting and meal together on a Sunday morning. We had a wonderful turnout – so many people that we almost ran out of food! I gave a brief message from the Word, we sang worship songs and Christmas carols, and we also had games and piñatas.

In December, we also finished a series of meetings with some of our leaders and other who are in training. It was great to see the enthusiasm and joy some of them are experiencing as they begin to take on more responsibility.

During November and December, Anna also conducted a ministry training class, first with a group of young people from our youth ministry, and then with another group of adults. She did a wonder job!

Online Bible School

As most of you know, our online Bible School continues to move ahead strong. We had a total of about 125 students last semester who completed their courses. In December, we closed the semester with a meeting on Zoom in which John Brown shared with the group. Also, I had several of the students share how this past semester challenged them and helped them to grow. It was very impressive to hear how the Lord had used the classes and assignments to help them grow, and even to guide them in some decisions they had made.

We believe that the online Bible School is definitely one of the most important parts of our ministry at this time, together with our work in the local congregation. We are pressing ahead to make it grow and prosper, with the blessing of the Lord.

Our family

In December we took some time off to spend with our family. David Jeremiah arrived first, flying in from Houston on December 17. Daniel and Elisa arrived on Thursday of that same week. They all stayed with us for just over two weeks. What a blessing it was for us to have them for Christmas and New Years! Anna enjoyed spending time with her brothers and sister-in-law, and we felt very blessed as parents.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

We would like to thank you for praying for us and supporting our ministry. There is so much to do in the Kingdom of God, and we are trying our best to do the part we feel the Lord has called us to participate in. Every week we are touching literally hundreds – some in our local city, and many others throughout the nation and beyond. We thank you for being partners with us in our labor of love.

In Christ,

David and Sara Lont
with Anna

Note: A printable PDF version of this update is available here: november-2023.pdf

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

We are excited to share a little about what we have been doing, and also what God has been doing in the midst of us. As we continue on this faith journey, we are reminded of the words from Isaiah 6:8, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'”

It has been over 31 years since we first said, “Send me!”, and all these years have been filled with adventure, fruitful labor, and many lives who have been saved and impacted by the power of the Gospel.

A Testimony of Faith

Last month, I had the privilege of interviewing Alexis and Mariana, a young couple who first attended our church last year. They expressed their desire for me to officiate their wedding ceremony, which ultimately led them to join our congregation. Normally, I decline to officiate weddings for couples not affiliated with any church. However, after speaking with the couple, I came to realize that this particular situation was unique. I sensed a genuine sincerity in them despite their absence from church, and I saw in them a true hunger for God and His teachings.

It’s been over a year since their wedding, and they both serve the Lord Jesus with truly dedicated hearts. During our podcast interview, they shared their personal journeys to a transformational faith in Jesus Christ. It was wonderful to hear Alexis share his journey of getting to know Jesus through our online Bible School course on the life of Christ, and his involvement in our church. During the course, he decided to be baptized just like Jesus.

Mariana was baptized a several years ago, but had stopped going to church while studying for her university degree. Both of them are now faithful servants of the Lord. They frequently arrive an hour before church to help with the setup for the service. They’re expanding their faith and comprehension of God’s teachings, enrolling in courses, and flourishing as a couple, learning to build their house on the rock.

Leadership Training

Over the last year, we have been meeting about once a month with a group of young people who we believe have the potential to become leaders in our church. We recently started weekly sessions with them to study the Bible’s teachings on church growth. We’re using a book called “Building Churches That Last” by Dick Iverson, which emphasizes the Biblical principles that give churches strength and impact in their communities.

As we begin a new season with our church, I have been impressed to seek the Lord to strengthen our spiritual foundation and leadership team. Reflecting on our church’s founding twenty years ago, we did something similar where we welcomed groups of people into our home for ministry and leadership training. It’s enjoyable to recall those experiences, but we’re now in a different season. We were once among the younger members and leaders in our church. Now, we are part of the older and, hopefully, more experienced generation.

It is thrilling to witness young leaders emerging and assuming their roles in the Body of Christ. We have faith that a new generation of young, talented leaders will emerge and bring significant advancement to the Kingdom of God.

Sara and Women’s Ministry

Sara has worked hard to organize a series of monthly women’s meetings. She has developed an excellent team of women who meet and plan the gatherings. She has also found some good Bible teachers who often share their Bible-based messages as a team in a conversational style. These meetings are very attractive to many women who enjoy fellowship, decorating, engaging with the Word of God, and receiving ministry. Having Sara as a remarkable partner in both ministry and life is truly a blessing.

Bible School and Advanced School of Ministry

Our online Bible School is thriving, with our courses constantly expanding. Anna is currently translating a new course on family relationships, which we plan to have Stacey Brown record. It will be offered to our students next February. Sara and Anna are both part of our team of nine course facilitators, who communicate almost daily with our students. Additionally, we have a graphics design team that collaborates on creating visually engaging presentations for each course.

We’ve made significant progress toward our goal of the online degree program, but we require additional funding and effort to complete it. With the Lord’s grace, I’m confident we’ll achieve our objective.

I am currently working on several projects for the Advanced School of Ministry. These include developing a new website, overseeing public relations operations, and managing online registration for our upcoming conference scheduled for January.

We are truly blessed to be involved in impacting not only the people in our local area, but also many others who receive Bible training through these ministries.

Our Family

We are thrilled that David, Daniel, and Elisa will be spending Christmas with us in Mexico. David is pursuing his doctorate at Texas A&M, while Daniel and his wife, Elisa, reside in Washington state and minister at a local church and Bible school. Anna, who completed two years of practical ministry training at BSSM, continues to live at home with us and remains a valuable asset to our ministry here in Mexico. We are blessed to have a family that both loves and serves the Lord!

Thanks!

We are grateful to all of you who enable our work to thrive. By means of your prayers and offerings, we cooperate to spread the message of God’s Kingdom to Tulancingo and throughout Mexico. Your loving labor is greatly appreciated!

In Christ Jesus,

David, Sara and Anna Lont

Note: A printable PDF version of this update is available here: september-2023.pdf

Hello, Friends, Family, and Supporters.

Summer is almost over, and autumn is coming! This summer has been a good time for us as a family. We’ve made progress with our church, our Bible School, podcasts, and the Advanced School of Ministry.

Youth Ministry

Anna, who is in charge of our youth group, took a group of our young people to a youth conference in Puebla in July. Although we had done several camps and other events with the young people, this is the first youth conference they have attended since the pandemic. Although it was a challenge for her to organize this outing, it was good for our kids.

Our group has also had many other great meetings over the last several months. The event of the biggest impact has been our camp (which we did in May), and so many of the kids have been blessed by it.

Podcasts

We have continued to produce podcasts on an almost weekly basis. Anna and I have been doing these together most of the time, with Sara participating from time to time. We have also had several guests, including some of the young people of our church, other pastors, and our special guest Bill Brown. It was a delight to have him share about some of his many life experiences and testimonies of God’s provision and care on his many missionary journeys.

Most recently, Sara and I shared together on a couple of episodes where we talk about training up our children. We called it “Keepers of the Inheritance, Parents of Influence.” There are so many young families who desire to see their children grow up with the influence of Godly parents, but with all the social pressures from governments and public education, some of them just don’t know what to do with their kids. Now that our own children are all adults, we can see the many things we did right, and also a few that we did wrong. As we teach Biblical parenting principles, we draw from the Word of God and illustrate the concepts from our own experiences. Our hope and prayer are that these moms and dads will follow Biblical principles for educating and disciplining their children to follow the Lord and His righteous ways.

Women’s Meetings

Our monthly women’s meetings are going very well. Sara has done an excellent job creating a team of women to plan and execute some of the best women’s meetings I have ever seen. The decorations and details they have invested in for their meetings have been incredible! The worship and ministry times have been very good, definitely not boring. Titled “Conversations”, Sara and her group of ladies have been focusing on Biblical teaching for women in a conversational style, often with two, three, or more women sharing together about the theme. They have also done crafts and always have something delicious to eat after the meetings. These meetings have been very attractive to guests who may hear about Jesus for the first time.

Our Sunday Church Meetings

I know that I’ve been focusing on many of our church activities in this newsletter, but we’re excited about what God is doing in the midst of us. The pandemic hit most churches very hard, dispersing people, causing a change in priorities and Sunday morning habits, and causing people to reevaluate their faith and Christian practice. Economically, we needed to make a move during the pandemic, since we were paying thousands of dollars in rent to be in the center of our city and could no longer afford that. During 2021-2022, we began work on a piece of land we already owned to make it into a garden and a meeting place for our church. We’ve been meeting there weekly since December 2022, and little by little, God has prospered His people.

We have seen some good fruit over the last several months, including over a dozen baptisms, young people giving their lives to Jesus, great teaching and intimate worship times, as well as more and more people becoming more constant in attending Sunday meetings. The Spirit of God is in our midst. We are “Desert Streams Church” of Tulancingo, and we have the mission to take streams of living water to our city, to manifest the Kingdom of God in every aspect of society, and to produce disciples of Jesus Christ.

We are innovating a bit in terms of how our services are done. We are outside, under a tent, without a platform. Our worship team leads from the center of the tent, with the people gathered around on all four sides, and I usually preach from the center as well. The words for the songs are not projected on a screen but rather sent to each person’s cell phone, so they can see them if needed. Once each month we have a meal together after the service “potluck” style. The children often take a soccer ball to church so they can play there in our garden after the service. Our focus is on worship, the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, personal ministry, and fellowship. God is blessing us.

Bible School

While Sara and Anna were at the youth conference in Puebla at the end of July, I was able to get an entire course ready for production online. Called “Discover Your Destiny”, this course is especially helpful for young people who are looking to fulfill the purpose God has for their lives. I had Anna teach it, and we were able to complete the recording of the 12 sessions in three days. Anna is such an incredible teacher! She connects so well with the students, both in person and online.

We started our fall semester on August 16. We have around 130 students, several of whom are from our own local church. However, most of the students are pastors and leaders from churches across Mexico. Many of them are working toward their bachelor’s degree in theology. This semester, we are offering nine different courses, including Old and New Testament studies, Victorious Christianity, The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit, The Acts of the Apostles, and Social Roles and Relationships.

I am also currently working on transforming the Advanced School of Ministry’s degree program so that it will be available totally online in conjunction with the Bible School program.

Our Family

One exciting piece of news (at least for us) is that our entire family is planning on being together for Christmas this year. David has plans to come here from Texas A&M, where he is doing his doctorate degree, and Daniel and Elisa have tickets to come from Washington. So for the first time since Daniel and Elisa are married, we’ll have all of the family together!

Thanks

Sara and I would like to express our most sincere thanks to each of you who pray for us, write to us, and support us economically. We really appreciate your help. We definitely couldn’t do what we do without your help! It is such a blessing to be able to count on each of you. Thank you so very much. May the Lord bless you abundantly!

With love,

David and Sara Lont with Anna

Note: This update is available as a printable PDF here.

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

We pray that you have been having a great summer. Ours has been going well, including hosting a youth camp, building some kitchen cabinets, conducting women’s meetings, finishing our spring Bible school semester, and hosting our Advanced School of Ministry team meeting. Let’s talk about it!

Youth Camp

In the month of May, we hosted a youth camp here on our property. You may know that Anna is serving as our youth leader, and she helped to organize this camp. We had a group of young people here for two nights and three days. The boys stayed in tents, while the girls slept upstairs in the loft of our lodge.

Besides all the fun activities and campfires that are typical at camps, we also had some wonderful ministry and worship times. Titled “The Awakening,” we explored themes such as identity, emotional health, living your dream, the gender crisis, and more. Our group of kids had a great time, and many were impressed by how they experienced God’s movement in their lives during our time together.

We pray that “The Awakening” will continue to have an impact on every aspect of these young people’s lives.

Women’s meetings

In June, Sara began a series of meetings for the women of our church and community called “Conversations.” Instead of just preaching to them, the idea has been to present themes as a panel of four people and simply have a conversation around the topic. On June 3, we hosted a ladies’ breakfast with catering service. With the theme “Abiding in Christ,” Sara, Anna, Adriana, and Zabdi discussed different aspects of how to remain connected to the Lord throughout our day and week.

At the end of the meeting, Anna and some of the other young girls ministered to the women individually in prayer. It was amazing to see how the Lord touched several of them, bringing them into a new place of relationship and freedom.

Bible School

Our spring semester concluded on June 19, with a special meeting in which Bill Brown ministered the Word to our students. We had about 120 students successfully complete their courses as many of them work toward a bachelor’s degree in theology.

Also, in May, we completed the recording of the second part of our Genesis course with Enrique Borja, our Bible teacher from Puebla. We recorded 24 classes in two days. That was an incredible marathon! After recording, I began developing the quizzes, exams, and forum discussions for the course. We’ll be offering the course in our fall semester, which will begin in August.

Advanced School of Ministry

We were privileged to host the Advanced School of Ministry team meeting here at our house. We had the entire team stay with us for three days of meetings and strategic planning.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this letter, Sara thought it would be best to have the kitchen in our lodge in order before the meeting, so I spent a couple of weeks in June building and installing the cabinets.

Most of our leadership group arrived on Wednesday morning and stayed through Friday evening. We hosted some of the team members, while others stayed in our neighbors’ cabins. We did the meetings and meals in our lodge, which was the perfect type of room for a planning meeting. A couple from our church did all the cooking and catering. What delicious and beautifully decorated plates of food they served!

We spent our time casting vision for the future of this ministry, working on team-building activities, and planning for the upcoming conferences. We had a good meeting!

Thanks for your support!

While there is much more to share, these are the highlights of the last couple of months. We really appreciate your prayers and financial support. You are our partners in ministry, and we’re thankful for you!

With love,

David and Sara Lont
with Anna