Peter is telling us that in light of all that we are as God’s children and all that entails, we are to live in a certain way. Our behavior on earth should match our divinely provided benefits. We live out our faith before a watching world. We have no idea how many non-Christians are watching us this very day, determining the truth of the message of Christianity strictly on the basis of how we live, how we work, how we respond to life’s tests, or how we conduct ourselves with our families. Our lives are being watched and it’s up to us to make every effort to live as Christ would have us live. I don’t know about you, but that thought sobers me because my behavior is not always excellent. Praise God for his grace!

In January we attended our third Calvary Chapel Missions Conference and Calvary Bible Church of Bakersfield’s Mission Conference. It never ceases to amaze me how God meets us and speaks to our hearts through the conferences. We were loved and encouraged by our brothers and sisters in Christ at both conferences, but in particular, Calvary Bible Church of Bakersfield. Those people in Bakersfield are in love with God and on fire for reaching the lost!

In February, Steve’s teacher, friend, and brother in Christ graduated to heaven. Octavio is pictured above left with his wife Lupita, and daughters Carolina and Christina. His graduation was sudden and unexpected and leaves a huge void in our hearts and lives. We pray for his wife and daughters as they continue to grapple with their loss.

For Spring break we were able to visit our daughter Nicole and son in law Joel in Arizona. Nicole gave birth to our first granddaughter Emily Grace McCoy on March 11th (pictured above right). She is absolutely beautiful! We treasured every moment spent holding her, watching and marveling over God’s creation. What a special blessing to be grandparents.

In our last newsletter I mentioned our neighbor who recently received her salvation. Her name is Lourdes. She asked if our team at Rancho Casitas would be willing to teach her and her family the Bible. Today, April 5th, was to be our first study together but she was hospitalized over the weekend. We only know that she was recently diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. We pray for her healing and look forward to the time we can be together studying God’s word.

We continue to be amazed at what God does with a simple love gift such as a loft house. He’s changing hearts and lives not just here in the Baja area but in the States as well. We can tell just by watching. Thank you for your investment in partnering with us through your prayers and giving. We are blessed by you.

Ever grateful to be in His Hands of Mercy,

Steve, Sara, Micah, and Josiah