Posts on The Brechtels

Calvary Oaxaca is 5!

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 02:20:53 +0000

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We have had an exciting couple of months here in Oaxaca. In January we had a team of amazing women come from Calvary Rosarito. We had a two night women’s conference that was a huge blessing for all who came. It was so fun to spend time with our friends, old and new, from Rosarito. For those of you that don’t know, we spent a year at the church planting course in Rosarito.

December 2023 Oaxaca

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 20:52:57 +0000

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Hello from Oaxaca! It’s been a long time since our last update so we’ll just fill you in on what’s been going on the past couple of months. Things are going really well down here and we love serving the Lord here in Oaxaca.

A few months ago, Jon was invited to share at a church in the mountains, about 3 hours away from Oaxaca City. Since then, we have taken a team to do a VBS for the kids, and now some of the men from our church rotate going on Sundays, including Jon. They leave after church and make the drive up, spend time with some of the church body over a meal, teach a church service, and make the 3 hour drive back home. It’s a long day for them but they all really seem to enjoy it and have the desire to pour into the people there. This church is different than Calvary Chapel but now they have men teaching them verse by verse with sound doctrine.

July 2022

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 23:19:57 +0000

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Hey all! Here’s our update for July, but really a quick look at the past few months. I have added some photos of some of the things we’ve been up to since our last update.

Lots of things have been going on. Calvary Oaxaca turned 3 at the beginning of the year. We had a great time celebrating at a local park/lake. It has been such blessing to see the people who attend the church grow in their walks with the Lord. We’ve had some of the same people since the very beginning of the church, and lots of new people too. They all have hearts to serve Jesus and have come alongside of us in amazing ways.

January 2022

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 23:26:03 +0000

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Happy New Year to you all! It’s been another crazy season for us as we continue to serve the Lord down here in Oaxaca, Mexico. We have had teams since the last update and much more.

In September we had a team from Calvary Red Rock in Las Vegas come down. This was the second team with this awesome church and they blessed our church and family so much. We did a two night men’s conference, did a fitness event called the Fit2Serve Roadshow, had a fun event for the youth group, and so much more. (If you have Facebook and don’t follow us personally or our church page, you should! Calvary Chapel Oaxaca is the church page and we keep things posted on social media).

August 2021

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 17:49:04 +0000

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Hey there! We’ve had a whirlwind couple of months here in Oaxaca, and a visit to California and Rosarito.

In June, we celebrated Father’s Day with the church. The kids sang for the dads and we had fun fellowship and games for the dads after the service. We also had Pastor Juan Carlos and Dr. Miles from Calvary Rosarito come down and put on a 2 night evangelism conference. It was such a blessing to the people who came, and a blessing to us personally to have them come and fellowship with us.

June 2021

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 02:32:15 +0000

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Hey everyone! Lots has been happening here in Oaxaca, so here’s a little update. Ministry has really started to pick up and the church has been growing in so many ways. We have some new families who have started to attend and who are already such a blessing to the church family. And the Navigators classes have continued to be a blessing to many, and seeing the spiritual growth has been amazing.

Calvary Oaxaca Turns 2!

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 17:12:09 +0000

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Hi all! Well, a lot has happened in the last couple of months. We went to the states for some time with family and friends. Jon flew back before the boys and I, and while he was getting back into the routine of ministry he ended up getting covid. He actually started feeling sick the day before we flew back so when he picked us up from the airport, he made sure we didn’t touch him and he immediately quarantined away from us. Praise the Lord he got a very mild case and his symptoms were very light. And the boys and I never got it. I took a blood test to see if I had it or had ever had it and it came back negative. And another praise from that is that our great friend, James, had come back with Jon and they built a room in the church that will eventually be for the younger children. James was also exposed to covid and he didn’t get it!!!

December 2020

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 23:54:05 +0000

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Hi all! I’m hoping to get this update sent out today, so it’s going to be a quick one.

We’ve had a lot going on down here in Oaxaca! Ministry seems to be in full-swing, for the most part. We are using precautions but it’s so nice to feel like things really are moving forward.

This month, I (Allison) had the honor of hosting an event for the ladies for Christmas. We had a blast playing some fun games, I shared a little bible study/devotion, we had lots of fellowship, and yummy coffee and cakes. It was our 2nd annual women’s Christmas event, which really reminds us that we are so close to completing two full years as a church family.

November 2020

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 02:58:24 +0000

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Can you believe we’re already in November of this crazy year? It’s been the longest/shortest year ever. Ministry is really picking up here in Oaxaca, along with the “normal” day to day life. Every week seems a little more like life before the pandemic.

Right after our last update, we celebrated Mexican Independence Day with some of our church family and friends. It was SO nice to take a drive up to the mountains, to a small Christian-run camp, and have some fun and fellowship. We hiked, did a little mini zip line, played basketball, ate, and just had a much needed day of rest and time together. It had been 6 months since we had a day like that with the church body.

September 2020 Update

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 01:11:04 +0000

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Hello all! Here’s a quick update about what’s been going these past few months.

It’s been a strange time for all of us with COVID-19 and pressing on in ministry, usually through social media and online. Jon has done such a great job of doing all of our services online, he’s become quite the pro! We’ve had an amazing team helping him each week.

In June and July we started doing food bags for the church body and some of their family and friends. Such a blessing to have people step in and help even with all of the fear that has come with the pandemic. This was really encouraging for me (Allison) because being an extrovert, not seeing people was really discouraging. So to be able to see some familiar faces, under masks, was a huge blessing.

Calvary Oaxaca Turns One, Coronavirus Quarantine

Wed, 06 May 2020 03:26:37 +0000

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Hey all! Hope you all are doing well despite the pandemic going on in the world. Isn’t this a crazy, strange time? We’re doing well down here in Oaxaca. Praise the Lord, the total cases and death counts haven’t reached the numbers that other places have reached.

Quick update on what’s been going on over the last few months. We had an amazing team from Calvary Chapel Rosarito come down before the COVID-19 stuff hit. What a blessing it was to have all of them here. They did construction in the church, adding new lighting, electrical, walls, building a sound booth and welcome center booth. We also had two holistic medicine outreaches, which were a huge blessing to all who came and got checked by Dr. Miles. We also did a mini VBS for the kiddos, and had a married couples dinner. All who came to these events were so blessed, along with us.

November 2019 Update

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 06:12:20 +0000

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I can’t believe our last update was so long ago. Many things have happened in this time, including the blessing of having many teams and visitors over the summer. It was so amazing for us to see all of the gifts and talents that each team and individual has been given from the Lord. It’s so true that we are all parts of the body of Christ and that we all bring different things to the table to serve Him. Things that I have absolutely no talent in, someone else thrives in that area, and vice versa. Thank you to all of the people who came and served at Calvary Oaxaca this year, and those of you who were lifting up each team in prayer as they were here. We were so blown away by every part of these past few months.

May 2019 Update

Thu, 30 May 2019 01:12:43 +0000

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Hi friends! It’s been a little too long since our last email update and we apologize for that. We have been really busy but that’s no excuse for not keeping you all up to date!

Since our last update we have had two small teams come down to plan for their future trips down to do ministry in Oaxaca. We had Gregg and Vickie Seymour from Calvary Red Rock who will be bringing a team down in a couple of months. (Thank you guys for blessing us with a few things from the states!!!) Then we had Pastor Terry, Pastor Daniel, and Dana from Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara, who will be bringing a team down in October. Both visits were filled with times of prayer and fellowship, along with scouting out lodging, sightseeing, and eating options/prices for the teams. If you’ve ever been a missionary, you know what a blessing it is to have visitors!

Calvary Oaxaca Las Flores

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 22:52:40 +0000

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Hi everyone! Just wanted to share with you all everything that’s been going on down here in Oaxaca. We had our first church service at the end of February. It has been such a blessing to see the Lord’s hand on this church plant over the last month. We are so excited to be getting to know the people who are attending services each week. And there have been kiddos coming, so Allison has been able to start a small little study and play time with them while their parents study the Word.

Another Move, A New Home in Oaxaca City

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 21:48:28 +0000

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The last few months have been crazy and we are excited to say that we are here in Oaxaca City getting settled in our new home!!!

A lot has happened since our last update. Our house was broken into in December. Unfortunately Jon’s Mexican residency visa was in the wallet, along with his driver’s license. His license has been replaced but he’s still in the process of replacing his visa. More on that in a minute…

Vision Trip to Oaxaca City

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 03:28:02 +0000

Last month we took our vision trip to Oaxaca City! We had a team of 12 people on the trip, and it was such a huge blessing. We spent time each morning in the Word and sharing what the Lord had been showing each of us. It was an honor to have Pastor Mike and Mario from CC Rosarito, Tim and Nikki from SGWM, Armando, and a team from CC Santa Barbara there to share in this time together. We are so blessed to have made new, lifelong friendships with the CCSB team, and grow closer to everyone.

August/September Update

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 05:25:33 +0000

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I can’t believe it’s almost fall. Our time in Rosarito is really starting to fly by, and before we know it we’ll be planting a church in Oaxaca!

Jon completed his first quarter of teaching at the Bible College at CC Rosarito. It was a great experience for him as he studied and prepared to teach each week in the book of Daniel. He has 2 weeks off and will begin teaching a new class after the break. He’s also teaching the New Believers class on Wednesday nights. It’s neat to know that he’s teaching a class that meant so much to him when he first got saved. I love how the Lord brings things full-circle like that. He also teaches the 11 and 12 year old class on Saturday nights.

An Amazing, Blessed July

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 03:23:58 +0000

Hi everyone! We’ve had a VERY eventful month of July, with many blessings.

Jon was ordained by Pastor Mike Vincent and the pastors of Calvary Chapel Rosarito. He is now serving as an assistant pastor, alongside some amazing men. We are so blessed by this! On the same night that Jon became PBJ, aka Pastor Big Jon, he also taught on Prayer and Devotions in the main sanctuary as a part of the Pillars Series at CCR. He did a great job, and had Armando translating for him.

May Update

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 02:14:10 +0000

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Hola! We have had a full May and beginning of June. In May we finished our first semester of the Church Planting Course at CC Rosarito, along with the finish of this session of guitar class for Allison. It has been such a blessing to be a part of this course, and have the opportunity to serve here at Calvary Chapel Rosarito. Jon has been teaching in a rotation in the Pillars Class on Sunday mornings, and he will be teaching in the sanctuary on a Wednesday night at the end of June. We will also be teaching with a translator in children’s ministry, each of us in a different class/age group. This will be a new thing for Allison because she’s never taught with a translator. Oh, and Allison is now a greeter…does that shock anyone? Her dreams have come true…seriously!

Blessed Time of Growth

Fri, 11 May 2018 21:19:30 +0000

BENDICIONES DE ROSARITO!!!April was a month filled with really exciting things for us down here in Rosarito. I’ll try to keep it short and sweet but some of you know that’s hard for me to do sometimes, especially when I’m super excited. :)

We were given the opportunity to share our church planting update on a Wednesday night after service and were so blessed to have people stay and hear all that the Lord is doing and how they can be praying for us as we prepare to go further south of the border. This was the first time Jon and Armando teamed up as speaker and translator. I was so blessed to sit and listen to them flow so naturally as a team. #teamoaxaca Jon shared our hearts for the people of Oaxaca and how the Lord has really buried this love in such a way that we can’t deny this is where He’s calling us to go.

Exciting News!!!

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 03:16:11 +0000

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We have some exciting things going on that we’d like to share with you. Just a little background to catch everyone up on what we’re doing in Rosarito. We are serving as missionary staff at Calvary Chapel Rosarito. We are also in the church planting program and things are going really well. We came here to not only learn, but more importantly to build a team to go to Oaxaca with us in late December.

Getting Settled

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 01:19:20 +0000

Hi from Mexico!!! We found a house to rent (that’s FURNISHED!) and are getting settled in down here. The neighborhood is really nice and seems super safe. It’s even guarded at the gate by actual police officers. The boys have made two new friends in the neighborhood, and they’re over right now playing video games and laser tag. We are getting into a good routine with homeschooling and normal bedtimes. Haha!

Heading Back to Mexico!

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 18:50:51 +0000

Proverbs 16:9…A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Over the last few weeks, more and more people we know have quoted this verse for things going on in their lives. Maybe we’ve heard this verse often but didn’t really pay attention like we have recently. That’s because the Lord was preparing us for HIS steps.

As it turns out, the road to Oaxaca is not a straight road for us. At the end of January we took a vision trip with SGWM to Capilla Calvario Rosarito. We met with Pastor Mike Vincent and the more time we spent with him, it became more evident that God’s hand was in this meeting. We weren’t prepared for that. Haha! CCRosarito has planted 19 churches in Mexico already and they have invited us to spend a short season with them to help us raise up a team for our church plant in Oaxaca. Raising a team is going to be a vital part of planting a church so that it won’t be just us, alone. While we are raising up a team, they have invited us to be missionary staff, where we will serve in various ministries. Some of the ministries are the dump ministry and helping at orphanages. We will also be attending their church planting class that is once a week.

Terminamos La Escuela de Español!!! We finished!

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 23:34:13 +0000

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Hi family and friends! We did it!!! We graduated from Roca Blanca Spanish School on October 20. What a crazy ride that was…filled with ups and downs, good and bad, trials and triumphs. But what an experience for us to learn to lean more on the Lord through all of those times. Even more so, what a PRIVILEGE to be called by the Lord to serve Him. Machaela finished strong in Level 1, and Jon and I really got into a great routine as we finished Level 4.

Level 4, Here We Come!!

Mon, 04 Sep 2017 21:54:46 +0000

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We have now been living in Cacalote, Oaxaca, Mexico for just over 6 months. Today (September 4), Jon and I began LEVEL 4 of Spanish School. This will be our final level of school and we will be finishing October 20! Wow, time has flown by!!!

It’s been a while since our last update and we are really sorry about not being better about it. Our week-long trip to California in June was a huge blessing. We got to see our beautiful niece marry her amazing husband, and spend time with family and friends. Jonny and Noah came back to Mexico with renewed spirits after going through some trials down here. Praise the Lord for that! Since our return from California, Jonny and Noah finished 4th grade, and Jon and I finished Level 3.

Welcome to our new blog!!!

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 01:15:24 +0000

Hey everyone! It’s been a long time since we last sent out an update. Many things have been going on but I’m going to keep this first post super short, so expect a long one next time. ;)

We will be visiting California June 15-23, so we’re hoping we can see some of you while we’re there, even though it’s a short trip. We will be going to our niece’s wedding on the 17th and we’re super excited to spend that time with our family.