Ross Family March 2017 Prayer Requests

* Pray that there will be many opportunities for local pastors to build relationships and share the Gospel as a result of the dental team visit in January.

* Pray for safety in flying as Mike and his fellow pilot Amos deal with lots of wind in the mountain airstrips. Pray that their efforts to serve the Mixteco people of Amoltepec will result in lives being changed.

Ross Family February 2017 Update

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers, they truly make a difference.

For several years now we have requested prayer about access to a hangar here in Oaxaca for doing the maintenance on our airplanes. We recently had a very positive meeting that might open the door for getting permission to us the Mitla airstrip where we have a hangar. This door has been closed for many years now. Please continue to pray!

Ross Family February 2017 Prayer Requests

*Praise God for the Parkside Dental Team that served the people of Tierra Colorada in Amoltepec opening doors for the Gospel in a difficult place. Pray that there will be many opportunities to build relationships and share the Gospel as a result of their visit.

*Pray for safety in flying as Mike and his fellow pilot Amos deal with lots of wind in the mountain airstrips. Pray that their efforts to serve the Mixteco people of Amoltepec will result in lives being changed.

Ross Family January 2017 Prayer Letter

Download Mike & Joan Ross' January 2017 Prayer Letter with photo here.

Ross Family December 2016 News

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. They mean more to us than you know. As we have dealt with a very difficult family situation over the last several months we have experienced God’s grace in amazing ways as He has sustained us and given us the faith we need to keep walking with Him.

Ross Family January 2017 Prayer Requests

* Praise God for the first successful showing of the Jesus Film in the Mixteco dialect of Amoltepec.

* Pray for the Parkside Dental Team as they visit Mexico January 14-22 Pray for safety and health for the 8 members of the team as they serve the people of Amoltepec and show God’s love through their actions and care for the people. Pray that there will be many opportunities to build relationships and share the Gospel.

Ross Family December 2016 Prayer Requests

1. Praise God for the translation of the Jesus Film into the Mixteco dialect of Amoltepec. Please pray for the church leaders as they agree on how to use the film to share the Good News in their communities.

2. Also pray that this Christmas season will provide opportunities to share the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Ross Family November 2016 Prayer Requests

1. Praise God for the translation of the Jesus Film into the Mixteco dialect of Amoltepec. Pray for the church leaders as they agree on how to use the film to share the Good News in their communities.

2. Pray for safety in their flying as they transition from rainy season to dealing with lots of wind. Pray that their efforts to serve the Mixteco people of Amoltepec will result in open doors for the Gospel.

Ross Family October 2016 News

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Mexico. 

We are thankful that Mike was issued a Permanent Resident visa for Mexico last month. Joan was issued one last year so now we will not need to repeat the annual process of visa renewal. We are also grateful that Mike passed his annual Mexican flight physical so he will be able to continue flying.

Our team here has committed to helping eleven Pastors and Christian leaders from Amoltepec come out to Oaxaca from October 10-13. They will be participating in a workshop at our local church where they will learn to preach through a book of the Bible. Please pray that this will be an encouragement to each of them in their ministry in Amoltepec.

Several members from our team will be traveling to the city of Tapachula along the Guatemalan border to participate in a Pastor's Conference sponsored by Equipping Servants Internship from October 20-23. Pray that the conference will be a big encouragement to the 100 plus pastors expected to attend. Pray for safe travels. Many will be traveling more than 10 hours each way.

Amos and Mike continue to be the only pilots and mechanics. Pray for wisdom as they make decisions on which flights can be done safely and which flights need to be turned down.

Thanks again for your prayers,

Mike & Joan

Ross Family October 2016 Ministry Update

Dear Parkside Friends,

Thank you for partnering together in the Gospel with us in Oaxaca, Mexico. We count it a privilege to work alongside a great Mexican team serving some of the neediest people in Oaxaca. Our flying with Mission Aviation Fellowship opens doors for the Gospel in isolated indigenous communities and provides opportunities to encourage new believers who face open opposition to their faith.

As a team we do multiple flights on a daily basis. We collaborate with the Oaxacan government to move critically ill patients to the hospital in the City of Oaxaca. Our Chaplain, who is also a trained Social Worker, accompanies the patient in the ambulance from the airport to the hospital and advocates for the patient while praying with and witnessing to the family. We often receive invitations to visit the patients in their home back in their communities once they are released from the hospital.

One of the special opportunities we have is to work alongside indigenous pastors like Pedro, Galvino, Ciprio and Gaudencio. They are able to speak the heart language of the people and share the Gospel in culturally appropriate ways. Since ESI started in Mexico we have desired to find a way to use it to help these men. We have been meeting with these men on a regular basis using a modified ESI program to equip and encourage them in ministry.

Dental teams and Work teams from Parkside have been instrumental in helping these indigenous pastors make contacts in communities otherwise closed to the Gospel. The small town of Colonia de Jesus only had a handful of Christians. The community at large was opposed to them meeting together however they were open to having a Parkside Dental Team visit. After the team spent several days working and showing God’s love to the people the Christians were allowed to meet together and build a small church.

Eight years ago we were invited to help participate in a new church plant. We are thankful that evangelistic Bible studies have borne fruit and it continues to grow. We started out meeting in a back yard then moved to renting a party center on Sunday mornings and then moved into another facility which we can use throughout the week. Pray for opportunities to reach out to our neighborhood. We just recently started a new church plant. Pray that it would grow and flourish.

Pray for our aging parents who are at the point in their lives where they need assistance. We are so thankful for family who step up and help out in our absence. We are thankful for our boys (Steve, Ben and Aaron) and their families.

Love in Jesus Christ,

Mike & Joan