About us - Let me begin by introducing you to our family. Jim (that's me) is tall, dark, and handsome. Well, two out of three isn't too bad- I'll let you guess which two! I was born in Indiana and graduated from Tennessee Temple University in 1982. My wife Debbie is a Georgia peach. We met at Temple and got married in 1979. We have two sons, Jonathan and Joshua. Jonathan is married to Michelle and they currently reside in Tennessee while on deputation as missionaries to Mexico. They are also parents of our first grandchild- Jaiden Paul, with another one on the way in January of 2009. Joshua is still living at home with us. He is not a freshman at the University of Texas Pan-American in McAllen, Texas. About our ministry - After working with the deaf (starting deaf ministries in churches) in Florida for 15 years, in November of 1997 the Lord saw fit to call us to work with the deaf in Mexico. In November of 1999 we moved to Tampico and began the ministry of Iglesia Bautista 'El Faro' para sordos (Lighthouse Baptist Church for the deaf). In December of 2007, we completed our ministry in Tampico and turned the work there over to a national pastor. Now we are working in the Rio Grande Valley establishing deaf churches in both Texas and Mexico.
About our people - There are anywhere between 6-7 million deaf in Mexico. The majority of them have very little education, and thus very little hope for decent employment. Many live with family and are completely dependent upon others for their subsistence. But that is not their biggest problem. Their biggest problem is the lack of knowledge of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. In all of Mexico there are very few Gospel preaching churches with an outreach to the deaf, only about 7 Baptist churches for the deaf. Truly this is a field 'white unto the harvest.'
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
- Romans 10:14,15