LABIM

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali

www.labim.net

Preparing Christian Leaders for the Hispanic Community

Providing a comprehensive outreach to the Hispanic community on the West coast

Training those who know the culture and speak the language To adequately handle the truth To expand the kingdom of God within the growing Hispanic community To address the needs of our changing world with the gospel of Jesus Christ To renovate declining congregations due to population shift By providing Residential fulltime training in Mexicali (current capacity for 20 people) Live broadcast training through internet to any location

The Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali (LABIM) provides students with indepth Bible knowledge and training in two years instead of four. The graduates will receive a Bachelors degree in Bible Studies from Sunset International Bible Institute, ready to preach the gospel.

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

Vision: The church 50 years from now

Every community deservers to have a congregation of the Lords church, whether in Mxico, Central America, or the United States. Thats the goal for the Latin American Bible Institute. The United States has a national education system that says it will leave no child behind. As the Lords church, can we leave any state, town, or neighborhood behind? We dont have enough qualified Hispanic preachers to fill or establish churches all across the country. This is not acceptable we must train new preachers to send them into the whole world to preach the whole gospel. Many of our congregations have declined and some have faded away in the last 50 years, but we can reverse that trend by making it our priority to place Hispanic preachers in churches before the door is closed and the building is sold or lost. The Hispanics not only need to hear the good news, but they are generally eager to hear.

From Qualified Preachers

To Establishing Churches

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

Outreach
U.S. Hispanic population will triple by 2050! The U.S. total population will soar to 438 million. Almost 50% of California and the southwestern U.S. are Latino, Hispanic, Chicano many whom speak Spanish.

California at a Glance1
Hispanic Population 13,435,000 Hispanics as Percent of State Population 37% Median Age of Hispanics 27 Hispanics as Percent of All K-12 Students 48%

LABIM

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali

http://pewhispanic.org/states/?stateid=CA

In the map above, you are looking at the providence of God in action! Ten years ago the possibility of having a network of Hispanic interactive videoconference schools on the entire American continent was just a dream. Thanks to the creator of all things, today we stand on the verge of fulfilling the dream. The black arrows indicate video conference schools that have been established and are receiving and/or transmitting ministry training classes in the Spanish language. The white arrows indicate the schools that are now possible as a result of the establishment of the third Hispanic ministry training institute located in Mexicali, Mxico. The other two existing schools and their respective interactive video classrooms are: Miami, Florida with connections to Maracay, Maracaibo and Valencia, Venezuela, Quito, Ecuador, Lima, Peru, Santiago, Chile, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. Houston, Texas, with connections to Toluca, Mexico, Guatemala, C.A. San Salvador and La Palma, El Salvador, C.A., and Managua, Nicaragua, C.A.

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

With the addition of this school in Mexicali, we now have the opportunity to reach out to the west coast from southern Mexico to Canada. Contact has been made and potential exists to open up interactive video classrooms from Mexicali, Mexico with connections to: Ensenada, Chihuahua, and San Quintin, Mexico, San Diego, Los Angeles and Hughson, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Portland, OR and Victoria, Canada. As it can be easily seen from the map above, with the establishment of this Hispanic Ministry Training institute in Mexicali, we will have the potential of providing training anywhere on the American continent, from Canada to the tip of South America as well as providing a classroom in your area via a local Hispanic or your local church building.

History
In 1975, what was then called the Palm Ave Church of Christ in Fresno, CA sent and supported Esteban & Maria Lopez to Mexicali, Mexico. In very difficult times, they started a church. For over the years the congregation has worked diligently to spread the Gospel in Mexicali. With a population of near a million people, after much praying, the idea for a school at their facilities came up so the Gospel could be preached both locally and worldwide.

[Esteban and Maria Lopez]

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

January 24th, 2008

A partnership agreement between Sunset International Bible Institute, Mexicali Church of Christ and Woodward Park Church of Christ was signed in Lubbock, Texas.

[Partnership agreement signing at Lubbock, Texas, clockwise Terry Hinton, Joe Boe, Truitt Adair, Rudy Wray, and John Ed Clark]

[The Mexicali churchs facilities]

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

March 21st, 2009

A dedication celebration with representatives from Woodward Park Church of Christ, Sunset International Bible Institute, and brothers from the church in Mexicali met together to celebrate the dedication of the new preacher training institute being established in Mexicali. Funding for building the institutes facilities started with the Woodward Park church of Christ giving by the membership with donations of over $100,000 USD. The complex has a two story dormitory, two classrooms and offices for the instructors.

[Brothers Marcos Miranda and Terry Hinton present recognition and dedication plaques during the dedication celebration]

[On the back: two-story dormitory. The classrooms are towards the back of the churchs building (seen on the right) and above the kitchen]

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

[Classrooms and office entrance are seen on the right; Dormitorys second floor is on the background]

August 24th, 2009

School begins with 5 students to train them to spread the Gospel into Spanish speaking communities. The first class started at 7 a.m. as they begin their 2 years studies.

[First generation of students, from left to right: Raul Sanchez, Oscar Hernando, Melinda & Daniel Martinez, and Oscar Paco]

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

May 29th, 2010

The institute ends its first year of training and all students successfully complete one year of intensive studies worth a full-time two years training. A celebration for such accomplishment is done with visits from brothers from Fresno, CA, Ensenada, San Luis, Yuma, AZ, and Mexicali.

[Students and faculty, from left to right: Esteban Lopez (instructor and preacher of the Mexicali church), Raul Sanchez, Oscar Hernandez, Paola Salazar, Melinda & Daniel Martinez, Oscar Paco (students), and Liberato Ovalle (instructor and the institutes dean)]

August, 2010
First generation of students start their final year. 5+ candidates to study must wait until the current students graduate. Due to a lack of funds, they second group of students will start their training till August 2011.

June, 2011
The first generation of the Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali graduates. Daniel Martinez, Oscar Paco, and Oscar Hernandez received a certificate equivalent to a Bachelors degree (see below, from left to right). Melinda Jara (Martinez), Raul Sanchez, and David Sarabia received a certificate of achievement for completing part of most of the courses. David Sarabia will return to complete the program.

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

Parents, relatives, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ from Mexico and the United States crowded the church building in the Mexicali to give thanks to God for such accomplishments. This couldnt have happened without the power of God working through many. To Him be the glory.

[Top row from left to right: Liberato Ovalle (instructor and the institutes dean), Raul Sanchez, Rudy Wray (faculty, from Portland, OR), Daniel Martinez, Oscar Paco, Oscar Hernandez, Arthur Puente (faculty, Lubbock, TX), Esteban Lopez (faculty, and preacher of the Mexicali church); Sitting: Melinda Jara & Amylkar Martinez, David Sarabia]

Daniel and Melinda Martinez had been called to become interns in a church in Ensenada, Baja California. Oscar Paco and Oscar Hernandez will return to their home congregation in Mexico City to support their local preacher. Raul Sanchez will continue his evangelistic efforts around the community in Mexicali. David Sarabia will continue as the local preacher in a church outside Mexicali.

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

A special recognition was given to the youngest of the students since he was born in 2009. Amylkar, just a year a half old qualified for a Certificate of Commendation for been an inspiration to his parents as they pursued their training in ministry.

August, 2011
The second generation, class 2013, begins their studies at the Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali.

[From left to right: Erasmo and Maria Luisa Rodriguez from Vicente Guerrero, Baja California, Salvador Molina from Cuautla, Morelos, Betsabe Santiago from Mexicali, David Sarabia from Cd. Morelos, Baja California]

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

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October, 2011
Daniel Rodriguez, a US citizen with Hispanic roots decides to begin training for ministry at the school in Mexicali. He speaks good Spanish, yet this is the first time he will go to school in a language other than English. He has answered to Gods calling, who will go? with here I am, send me. No doubt there are many challenges lying ahead, but this is the kind of people willing to be trained when the opportunity is presented to them.

Latin American Bible Institute of Mexicali - 2011

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