Journals
Posted on August 1, 2025 COBAMI Leadership Retreat
Author Image Luis and Sarah Matos
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We have been in Oaxaca, Mexico for six months! Can you believe it?
We want to take you back to a weekend we had that was very meaningful for us as a family as we began ministry here. We were invited to attend a retreat for Mexican missionaries and church leaders of both COBAMI as well as another church that serves in the Mixteca region of the State.
We were blessed by our time spent together and our opportunity to be introduced as International Ministries Global Servants working alongside COBAMI.

 

We made our first trek over the mountains with Pastor Jaime (Director of COBAMI) and his wife Noemi (coordinator of Talita Cumi). Sarah drove the first part of the trip. It was an adventure and a new driving experience as passing on the two lane highway requires people who are going slower to drive on the shoulder! There was time that we were stopped in traffic on the highway in the middle of the mountains. We got out of our car to stretch our legs (and so did others with Spanish music blasting) as we were there for a couple hours. Mountain bikers rode past us coming from the area of the accident to let us know that a semi had flipped over. We were thankful for road snacks, water, and a calm toddler. Once we were able to start driving again we had to off road it a bit to pass the tipped semi once they opened space for small cars to pass through. It was quite the experience to say the least!
We arrived safely to the church that hosted the retreat. We engaged in deep conversation around growing in faith as a follower of Christ. We rediscovered what the Bible says about rest to prevent burnout in ministry and care for ourselves emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
One of the main Biblical texts of the weekend was Psalm 86. We delved deep into David’s prayer and how many times he wrote the word mercy. Reflections we heard are translated as followed:
“God will never forget us.”

“God loves us because God is a merciful God”

“No one can rob us from the joy, love, and mercy of God”

“No one can separate us from the love of God.”

“God’s mercy is incomparable.”
We hope these Biblical truths encourage you today. They encourage us as we adapt to the Mexican culture and build trusting relationships. We are thankful for all of you who pray for us daily. We thank God for his mercies that are new each morning!
Sharing our meals together was a highlight of the weekend because it allowed us to get to know each other. Another highlight as parents was seeing how well Nora did with all the kids at the retreat. It didn’t take long until she was holding hands with another little girl running around the church despite the language barrier.
On the drive home we stretched our legs by walking around the Santo Domingo temple of Yanhuitán. This temple took centuries to build! Can you imagine building something that you might not see it to completion? We believe this is what it’s like to follow Christ and to serve as Global Servants. What we start, or rather join in on, we pray that others will come after to continue in God’s mission. This is why it is so important to accompany, train, and empower those who are called to ministry. As we walked around the temple we talked about the incredible history of many hands laboring together, as it took around 500 years to build. As Global Servants with International Ministries we respond to the invitation from God and our national partners to go and labor together. Your hands are also in this labor with us as you give of your prayers and your finances.
Please join us in prayer for the upcoming COBAMI leader retreat for the pastors and missionaries in September. We pray that more pastors and COBAMI missionaries will be able to attend to rest and recharge after a busy summer of ministry.
Yays and Prayers

Yays: Sarah officially submitted her final project early July and has officially completed her Master of Divinity at Palmer Theological Seminary. Luis is understanding more Spanish and is able to practice what he’s learning everyday. Praise God for a weekend spent getting to know our ministry partners. We finally got our license plates with the help of our ministry partners!

Prayer requests: Six months on the field is a normal time for us to really feel the culture shock and cultural stress. We appreciate your prayers because many days they are truly what carries us. Pray for us to build good friendships; for our safety and health.
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