Desert Streams Ministries

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Hello, friends, family and supporters.

Wow! Summer has gone by so fast. We sure hope you have enjoyed it… trips to parks, family outings, picnics, enjoying the nice weather, ice cream 🍦. We had a good summer and enjoyed some time off from our “regular” work for a couple of weeks this summer.

Trip to Michigan

We spent about two weeks in Michigan at the end of June and beginning of July. It was wonderful to be able to get away and see our family, spend some time together and simply “relax”. We were also able to visit Fellowship Church in Grandville and meet several of the people who have been faithful supporters of our ministry throughout the years.

Our time in Michigan was pretty much planned before leaving Mexico, so we didn’t really have much down time, but we enjoyed spending some time in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and also a few days in Indiana. On the 4th of July, we saw the parade and the fireworks in Grandville. It was the first time our daughter, Anna, had ever been to a 4th of July celebration. We also ate hamburgers together that day. Our son, David Jeremiah, was able to join us for the long 4th of July weekend, so that made it special, too.

We also enjoyed getting together with aunts, uncles and cousins for a family gathering. It was so neat to reconnect with some of them after so many years of being away. Anna met cousins she didn’t even know existed, and now communicates with some of them on social media.

Online Bible School

Our final exams actually took place while we were in Michigan, so we had to keep up with our students and course facilitators while there. Most of the 150+ students who were enrolled were able to successfully complete their courses.

After returning to Mexico at the beginning of July, we had a few weeks to work on other projects before opening up the course registration for our fall semester, which began on August 21.

Right now we have over 160 students enrolled who are taking Bible classes online with us. We are currently teaching courses on Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Systematic Theology, The Life of Christ and The Acts of the Apostles. We plan to soon offer several other courses, as well. So far we have been adding one new course per semester, with the goal of forming a complete online Bible School program.

You may be wondering who are students are and where they live and work. We have students from many areas, although presently most live in Mexico. We have a few students in the U.S., and have had others from Argentina. Many of them are lead pastors in some of the main cities of Mexico, others are assistant pastors, elders, worship leaders, Children’s Church and Sunday School leaders/teachers, and some others are young people who want to grow in their walk with the Lord and knowledge of God’s Word. Some live in the larger cities and towns, while others are from small villages far from the main cities. They are from all age groups and walks of life, from young junior high and high school students all the way up to retired adults 65+ years of age. Some are educated and hold a Master’s Degree, while others are older adults with little formal education. But the common thread that unites them all is their interest in studying God’s Word and principles for daily life, and their calling to serve the Lord.

Our prayer is that these courses will teach many thousands of believers who will then go forth with the Great Commission, making disciples, strengthening the believers, and raising up churches.

Local Church Ministry

Over the summer we have also constantly been active preaching, teaching, discipling, counseling, leading worship and sowing into the lives of others in the context of personal ministry and the local church. Our Wednesday night discipleship meetings are going very well and growing. Our Sunday worship services are very much alive with an expectancy for God, and our worship team is hungering for more of God’s life and presence among us. We recognize our need to be a people who long for God’s Word, His presence and His anointing. We long to be a church of personal meaningful relationships, both on a horizontal and a vertical level.

Sara is now working closer with the children’s ministry and we’re believing for new fruit there. Anna continues to minister to the adolescent girls each week and has become an excellent teacher of God’s Word.

God has opened the doors to have weekly meetings at a rehabilitation center for alcoholics. One of our leaders, Carlos, who many years ago was in one of these centers, has become the main leader of this group, sent by our church. They have services every Monday from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. freely preaching the Gospel. Many of these men and women are learning about Christ and His power to set them free from addiction. This ministry has also become a great opportunity for several of the men and women in our church to make a difference, sharing the gospel there and providing the spiritual and emotional support needed to help these alcoholics win the battle over addiction.

Our greatest need at the moment is to build a strong leadership team in our church. We understand that we can’t do everything, and the we need the help, support and strength that a team brings. Please pray for us and the church in this area. We are praying for leaders with a united heart, mind and soul, a leadership team that will take our church to the next level.

Our Family

It has been a very interesting last couple of years in terms of family life. David and Daniel moved out in the spring of 2017 to attend college in the United States. During their summers, they have to stay in the U.S. to work for their tuition costs, so we have mostly seen them only during Christmas break.

However, Sara was able to take a trip in May to spend a few days with Daniel as soon as school was out for him. She sure did enjoy that trip! We also spent a few days with David while in Michigan in June. He showed us around the university campus, which is huge! It was the first time we had been to his school since he began college over two years ago.

Anna is now in 11th grade. She has been homeschooled since kindergarten and really enjoys her studies. She is an excellent writer, teacher, and speaker, with a true sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

We spend our mornings in the cabin here in the mountains. Anna works on her school, and Sara and I work on the online Bible School, communicating with students and preparing teaching materials for church. Sara has been a great help with the online Bible School, and she spends many hours reading homework assignments, grading the students’ work and writing to them. We spend many of our afternoons and evenings in church activities. Mornings are mostly quiet but busy, and several evenings each week we gather with different church groups.

Thanks Again!

We are so thankful for our friends and supporters who help us through prayer and financial support. Thanks so much for remembering us and praying for us. We also continually give thanks to God our Father for you, and pray that you may be filled with the knowledge of His saving grace.

Have a great week!

David and Sara Lont

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Dear Friends, Family and Supporters,

We hope you’ve been enjoying the spring, and summer is almost here. In our area, we’ve had one of the warmest and driest spring seasons in several years. The farmers who depend on the rains to grow their crops desperately need rain. Normally, by this time of the year you will start to see green fields with small corn plants beginning to grow. However, this year most of the fields in our area are empty, dry, brown and dusty. We have some flowers in pots outside the house, but to keep them healthy and well, I need to water them every couple of days.

The plight of the fields reminds me of the condition of so much of the population here in Mexico and the world. Dry hearts and lives without Christ will never produce good fruit. Man’s best attempts to reform society and change humanity are destined to fail without divine intervention. This world needs Jesus Christ, and part of our job is to take His streams of Living Water to these dry and weary lands.

Our Church Family

The church in Tulancingo is doing well. We have been making a few minor adjustments in terms of leadership in some areas, and I believe we will soon be seeing even more fruit. The worship team has been attracting more young people, and I believe this will have a positive influence on the entire congregation. Our children’s ministry is also in the process of adjustments and renovation, and our Wednesday evening services are now more focused on discipleship in small group settings, working in different tables within our auditorium. Several young people, including our daughter, Anna, are leading these groups. We are excited to see what God is doing in the church.

Online Bible School

Our Online Bible School continues to gain momentum. As I shared in our last update, we formed a new course on the Life of Christ with the help of Bible teacher Mark Simpson in February. In June Pastor Homero Ríos will be coming to help us record a course on the Acts of the Apostles, and Pastor Jonás Fernández is recording a course on the work of the Holy Spirit. We continue to advance toward our goal of creating a full curriculum Bible School program where students will be able to enroll full time or part time and word toward the goal of a Bachelor’s degree in Theology, in conjunction with the Advanced School of Ministry.

Marriage Ministry

We’ve also had the opportunity to minister in other churches, especially in the area of marriage ministry. Sara and I have enjoyed teaching at couple’s banquets in Mexico City and also in a small town called Zacaultipan. Next week Saturday we’ll be doing another one in Tlapanaloya, which is about an hour from here. Sara and I enjoy teaching Biblical concepts which can strengthen marriages. I believe that this is one of the areas in our society that needs to be “watered” by the Lord, as the entire concept of marriage is under attack here in Mexico. We desperately need to return to what the Bible says about the covenant of marriage. There are so many broken homes, broken families and broken lives. However, when a couple begins to practice Biblical principles, this brokenness can begin to mend.

Family Life

Our family is doing well. Our son David Jeremiah is working this summer as an assistant in the fluids lab with PhD students. He was very excited about this new summer job, as he can apply the concepts he’s been learning. Daniel has just finished his second year of Bible School at Portland Bible College and will be working throughout the summer there. Anna is almost finished with 10th grade and plans to work with me on our online Bible School during the summer, helping to create online reviews, tests and other course material. She will also start working on another book translation.

Sara just returned from a short trip to see Daniel and was able to spend several days with him last week. We also plan to see David and my dad and mom briefly this summer. Time goes by so quickly, and we want to take advantage of every opportunity. The work of the ministry is very important to us, but we also want to invest some time in our family, as this keeps our relationships strong.

Thanks!

Once again we’d like to thank you for your love, prayers, and constant support. It is a huge blessing for us to count on you to love us, pray for us, and support us. Remember, every seed we sow into the Kingdom of Heaven will reap eternal rewards!

Have a blessed month of June!

In His Love,

David and Sara Lont

You can download a PDF version of this update here.

Dear friends, family and supporters,

What a great year we have had so far! It has been an incredibly busy but rewarding couple of months, both with our family and ministry. The purposes of God’s Kingdom have been advancing and we are believing God for even more in the months to come.

Advanced School of Ministry Seminar

The month of January of each year is the time in which we do the Advanced School of Ministry seminar in Cuernavaca. As I am writing this, I realized that we have been involved in this conference for about 25 years, first, helping out by interpreting some of the conferences, and later on with a leadership role. I now take on much of the responsibility of making many things happen on the practical side, so that everything flows smoothly. Among other things, I take care of preparing the student and master notebooks, the visual projections, most of the advertising for the event, get the attendees registered, and together with our team, help make the decisions regarding the future of this ministry.

This year marked a new milestone for us with the conference, as we moved it to a new location with much better and larger facilities. The newer Centro Cristiano auditorium is located just outside the city of Cuernavaca and has a much larger seating capacity and space for parking, restrooms, eating areas, etc. It was much more comfortable for everyone, as we all fit into the auditorium with much room to spare.

Around 1500 people showed up for the meetings, most of which are either pastors, leaders or somehow involved in ministry in local churches across the nation of Mexico. The attendance has grown over the years, as has the impact of these seminars. Each registered pastor/leader receives a book full of strong biblical and practical teaching materials he/she can use within the context of the local church.

Our guest speaker was Jonathan Wilkins, who did an outstanding job teaching many of the practical aspects of leading a church. All of us who are part of the team had our own sessions, and I interpreted for Pastor Jonathan. Our theme was called “Unshakeable”, and we all spoke about the different aspects of God’s word and character which are unmovable and unshakable.

Online Bible School Recordings

Soon after the conference, we were privileged to receive missionary Mark Simpson, who came to record classes for the online Bible School. We had a very busy week with him, as he did 24 classes on the life of Christ (in our little video recording studio), ministered to married couples, leadership, and our local church here in Tulancingo.

The recordings went great. God recently provided us with the funds for a better computer, software and lighting equipment. It is such a blessing that we now have much better equipment to do the recordings, and it made it so much faster and easier to edit and prepare the videos/audios for the Internet. Mark did an incredible job tirelessly teaching session after session on the Life of Christ. By the time the week was over, I had already finished editing all the hours of video and everything was ready online.

Our local church also received so much from Mark’s time of ministry here. He is a gifted teacher with many years of ministry experience in countries all around the world. He ministered very well to our married couples, leaders, volunteers, and the entire church. Thank you, brother Mark!

New Semester of Online Bible School Courses

As soon as we finished with the recordings, we started classes again with our online students. We currently have around 165 students participating in six courses, including “The Life of Christ” which we just recorded. The students are being attended by nine course facilitators, who correct homework, provide insight when students have questions, and are there to encourage their students. We have plans to record at least two or three more courses this year.

Other areas of ministry

Our local church (now called “Desert Streams Christian Church”) is doing well and growing in many aspects. After sending out the church plant to the community of Jaltepec a year and a half ago, we experienced a time of adjustment, but things are picking up again, and we believe the Holy Spirit is moving in new ways within the congregation.

During these last couple of months, we’ve also had the opportunity to speak at two events for married couples and also minister at a church out in the mountains here in the state of Hidalgo. Sara and I have enjoyed these times away from our “normal” activities in our church.

A couple of weeks ago, we flew to McAllen, Texas for our annual Advanced School of Ministry planning time. We enjoyed spending a few days with the team, and especially being with Bill Brown.

Thank you!

We thank each one of you for your participation and support in all we do. Thanks for your prayers, thoughts, notes of encouragement and financial gifts. We really appreciate all you do!

Note: You can download a PDF version of this update here:

Hello, friends and supporters. Here’s our latest update!

We hope you have had a great Christmas season and are getting off to a great start now that it’s 2019. We had a good time this December with our family. Both of our boys were able to come for a couple of weeks to spend Christmas with us. We very much enjoyed being able to see them, since it had been one year since we had been with them. We see each other almost weekly on FaceTime, so we’ve had constant communication, but it’s just not quite the same as being all together in person. We often joke about seeing each other either in 2D (on the flat screen), or 3D (in person). It sure was great to see David and Daniel in 3D after a year of seeing them in only 2D!

Several things have happened here since we last wrote to you. First of all, we took a brief trip to Canada for Gerda Brown’s memorial service which was held the last Thursday in November. Gerda had been a spiritual mother to us for the last 25 years, and it was our desire to honor her and support Bill during this difficult time. I was blessed to play the piano in the memorial service in Edmonton, and we also enjoyed spending several days with Bill.

December was filled with activities. Both Anna and I were working hard on finishing the material for the Advanced School of Ministry conference. I was finishing the conference notebook, and Anna was working on translating the last chapter of Dr. Frank Damazio’s book called “Seven Declarations For An Unshakable Life”. She finished just before Christmas, and I continued to edit the material and get it ready for printing. While our son David was here, he designed the covers for both of these books. Sara worked hard as my proofreader.

Also in December, we finished our semester of online Bible School classes. A total of just under 150 students successfully finished their semester of courses. The end of the semester is always a busy time, as I supervise the work of all the facilitators who check final exams and assign the final grades for the courses.

We will be starting our next semester in March, since during February we will be preparing a new course and recording it with missionary Mark Simpson. Mark will be with us for a “marathon” recording session in our little studio, teaching 24 lessons in three or four days, and also ministering to our church on the weekend.

Our Advanced School of Ministry conference, which attracts around 1,000 pastors and leaders, is coming up in a couple of weeks, so we are now working on the last details, registering participants, etc. Please pray with us for a great conference, and also that the current gasoline crisis that several states in Mexico are experiencing will be resolved before the conference so everyone will be able to have fuel for transportation to get there and back.

Thanks for your love, prayers and support. We appreciate you!

In Christ,

David and Sara, and Anna Lont

You may view a printable PDF version here.

Dear friends, supporters, and family,

Happy Thanksgiving! There are so many things to be thankful for. It’s good for us to remember our many blessings, and I believe we must start with the most import of all – Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! We give thanks because we are children of the Most High and can rejoice in our eternal inheritance. 

We are also very thankful for you! Each of our supporters, friends and family are very important to us. We want you to know that we thank God for you; for your love and communication with us; for your prayers on our behalf; for your support of our work and ministry. Thank you so much! We thank you for believing in us and in what we do.

I also must say that we are thankful for the local church we pastor here in Tulancingo, for the great pastors and leaders we regularly minister with, for the team of the Advanced School of Ministry, and for our group of course facilitators and other workers who dedicate time each week to our online Bible School. 

We are thankful for the fellowship we can have with great men and women of God who have been an inspiration for our lives. We are thankful for people like Bill and Gerda Brown, who have been such and encouragement to us, as well as many great leaders and teachers who have inspired us. We are thankful for the times we’ve had together with the people of our local church, at times, having a meal together, working, praying, practicing, or simply talking with each other.

We are thankful for our family, for our three children, and for the ways in which God is leading each one of the them to fulfill their God-given destiny. We’re thankful for their home school – Lighthouse Christian Academy, and the wonderful positive and Godly influence the curriculum and staff have had on their lives, as they have grown up. What a blessing it has been to give our children a Christian education, even within our own home. We’re grateful that David and Daniel, who are now on their own, studying in the U.S., continue to serve and honor the Lord, as they prepare for their future. We’re thankful for Anna, who remains at home in high school, and is very active in ministry. We’re excited about their future, for what God has in store for them! 

We also give thanks for our extended family. I’m thankful for my parents, who gave me solid, biblical values, and set me off in the right direction as I grew up. I’m grateful for my brother and sister (who I don’t get to see very often), and for Sara’s family, for the nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Finally, I wish to express how thankful I am for my wife, Sara. She is such a blessing to me, and such an asset in ministry. I am thankful for these past twenty-six and a half years of marriage, for the patience she’s shown toward me, for believing in and supporting our ministry projects, for her relentless love and dedication to the Lord and to her family. The Bible says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD”  (Proverbs 18:22). I am thankful for Sara; she is such a wonderful wife and a fantastic mother. 

How about you? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving Day?

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalms 69:30

Have a blessed day! We appreciate your love, prayers and support.

In His love,

David and Sara Lont
and Family