Greetings!
Our philosophy for seeking direction for this ministry has always been fairly simple - to pray and find out where God is working and to join Him. Looking back over the past 7+ years of ministry, God has done some amazing things through this ministry. One area specifically has been through our efforts in reaching the Tarahumara Indian children of Kilometer 33 through the Una Esperanza ministry center, just outside of Juarez, Mexico. God has done many amazing things with these kids over the years, and we've seen most of them come to Christ as a result.
Due to warring drug cartels and opportunist criminals, Juarez has become one of the most dangerous cities in the world over the past few years, and things only appear to be getting worse, not better. Almost one-third of the entire population has fled the city to escape the crime, and the U.S. State Department just re-issued the highest travel warning for Americans to avoid travel to Juarez. Una Esperanza is located on the outskirts of the city in a poverty-stricken area, and many of those who have fled the inner city seeking refuge have moved into the surrounding neighborhoods of Una Esperanza. When we were last there in December, we saw a huge increase in the number of children seeking refuge at Una Esperanza. We were presented with an opportunity to reach many of these children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but our efforts have been placed on hold, at least for now.
The current situation in Juarez has made it all but impossible for us to find anyone willing to accompany us on trips to Juarez out of safety concerns. We completely understand these concerns, and have often struggled with them ourselves, but we still strongly believe that these kids need Jesus now more than ever, and if we don't "Go", who will?
Involving others to participate in a missions trip has always been key in raising awareness and support for funding this outreach to the children of Una Esperanza. Without those willing to "Go", it becomes difficult for us to inspire others willing to invest financially into this outreach. Another key problem has been that we have been without a director for Una Esperanza for quite some time now, and we're continually praying for God to provide just the right person for this critical position. But as often the case with missions ministries, the number one obstacle for us right now is the lack of financial resources for us to keep the ministry center open. Una Esperanza has been closed since December simply because we haven't had the funds to support the center. Giving has been down about 70% over the past year, and this has greatly affected our ability to minister in general.
Despite the sad news about our current financial situation and Una Esperanza in general, God has been opening amazing doors of opportunity right here at home through our O.C. Kids ministry. We started this ministry some five years ago as an outreach to unchurched children in our local area. Each year this ministry has grown, and we currently have over 20 kids involved in the O.C. Kids ministry. Each week we take them to church and our home is often filled with these kids for days on end. We just finished a ten-day "Marathon of Ministry" with these kids during their Spring break. Our home was filled with many of these kids 24/7, and each day we were able to point them towards God's love for them in amazing ways. We're blessed to take part in God's plans for these kids and it is amazing to see many of them grow in their faith as a result!
We're committed to trusting God completely in all that we do, and in spite of some of the negative circumstances, we truly do find peace and joy in the midst of the storms, and we're confident that God has us right where He wants us! We remain convinced that God has called us to trust Him and Him alone for our provision, we believe that He will provide in His timing, and we stand by this commitment even during the tough times. We only ask that you pray that God would be glorified through our efforts, His will would be done, and that we would be faithful in all that we do!
In Him,
Brad & Lesli Bieganski
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how
can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can
they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach
unless they are sent?" Romans 10:14-15
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Una Esperanza remains closed due to the current situation.
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