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Cornerstone Communications
Mexico
August 30, 2006

Dear Friends & Family,

Greetings from Mexico City, Mexico! As hard as this might sound to all in very hot climates right now, I'm actually a bit chilly here! Mexico City has glorious weather, and since they're 8,000 feet above sea level, there is a lot of rain and greenery. I have to wear a jacket almost every night!

Production Update

We have already had auditions, and are in the middle of learning and staging the production. We have already learned all of Act I, and beginning tonight, we begin learning Act II of "El Refugio Secreto". Pastor Sergio Alanis' church, Mundo de Fe features a lot of talented artists.

Mundo de Fe is a large church here in Mexico City. We have a blessed opportunity to reach thousands. Here, I am encouraging the church to reach everyone they know and invite them.

The Lord has blessed us with three outstanding actors, all in the leading roles, and are amazing me with their talent. The rest of the cast is made up of fine actors. We are beginning set building, and I have my wonderful friends and talented costumers, Marjorie Bell and Amy Harriss joining forces to make the costumes authentic and exceptional. They arrive next week to begin work here.

Advertising and promotions begin this week. Please pray that all will go well, and that many will come to see the production, which will give them an opportunity to accept Christ. We have a great opportunity to impact Mexico with this wonderful story of forgiveness and salvation. Best of all, we're planning on inviting many Jews to watch this production. I'm so excited to see all that the Lord is going to do here in Mexico City!

The famous monument called "Angel de la Independencia", which was built over the burial place of Padre Hidalgo, famous hero who led Mexico to independance from Spain.

A Study on Psalm 91

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge And my fortress, my God in Him will I trust."

Having a close relationship to the Lord, in the last few months, I have seen the blessing of having a "Refuge" to run to in times of trouble. Like all of us, I've faced some serious situations that sometimes I just didn't have the answer to. Where do I go in those times of trouble?

I have found that when I stay faithful to the things of God and trust His Word, He helps me through my problems. He leads us out of trouble and into victory every time. John 16:33 says, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." It doesn't mean we're not going to experience troubles, but it does mean that He will help us to overcome them!

Teaching the actors their staging, we have finished Act I of "El Refugio Secreto". We're anticipating large audiences for this evangelical production.

It's easy, however, to let spiritual truths escape us. We might've been "on fire" for many years for God, but then that stopped a priority in your life, and rather we have let the cares of this world take over our focus and attention. If we just get up each morning, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch television, then go to bed, and give not one minute to God, we miss out on the Lord's blessings.

When we are born-again, we are saved not just from sin (Romans 5:9) , but also from a life of bondage to sin, and from the effects of a sinful world. We can be "more than conquerors". Psalm 91 is God's promise to watch over us and protect us in times of trouble." How can we enjoy the conditions of Psalm 91?

1. Stay consistently close to Him. You can't enjoy His promises if you don't know what they are. You can't know what they are if you don't read His Word. Read your Bible.
2. Put God first in your life. Each morning, give Him first priority by spending a few minutes with Him. He's so happy to spend time with you, and you'll see that your day goes better, too.
3. Work on your relationship. Just like any good marriage, it takes work. You can't just assume that because you prayed or went to church in 1998 that you're now close to "the man upstairs" (as someone recently said to me as I witnessed to them!) . (The very term shows me how distant they really are…) Find out what blesses Him, and go after those things. Turn off the TV, and tune in to God instead. Not just when it's convenient, but consistently.

Psalm 91 also says "I will say of the Lord…". Are you speaking God's Word, or just speaking about problems? The enemy also knows that speaking God's Word overcomes him. Revelations 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony". He tries to deceive you by getting you to speak words about your problems, thus magnifying them, keeping you focuses on them, and not focusing on or magnifying God nor His Word.

Typical to many Mexican restuarants are a colorful and festive atmosphere, complete with Mariachi's and musicians.

You may be thinking, "It's too late for me. I've got so many problems, it's impossible to get me out of them." My friend, take heart. I've seen people trust God when there was NO other way, and certainly no other solution. Amazingly, God turned everything around in their lives, as only He can! He can make a way for you where there is no way! That doesn't mean that your problems will instantly disappear. By trusting God, you'll have joy and peace in your heart when things in your life seem challenging. Dwell in His presence, and you'll find a refuge and fortress in times of trouble… in Jesus.

Dios Te Bendiga!

That's Spanish for "God bless you!" I'm so excited for all that the Lord is doing here in Mexico City. I wish that you could all come here and see for yourselves! I pray that you'll keep on praying for us. Your prayers are definitely being heard, and being answered on our behalf. We're believing to impact Mexico in a powerful way. God bless you!

For the Kingdom,
Richard Montez