Preparing for Our Return to Canada

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

The above photo was taken on our return flight from Calgary, Alberta in April as we turn on to the final approach for Mexico City International Airport. Flying over the city is as amazing as being in it. The city seems to stretch into the horizon with endless houses and streets running in every direction. The green space seen at the wingtip is Chapultepec Park. At the leading edge of the wing is the castle of the Emperor Maxmilian and road stretching above is Reforma Avenue, the main road in downtown Mexico City. At the trailing edge of the wing is the National Anthropology Museum, a must see if ever visiting this great city. One may wonder why we were in an aircraft coming back from Calgary in April. We paid our Canadian taxes and visited a church in southern Alberta.
In February of 2004 Ingrid and I received a clear and compelling call to plant churches in one of the largest cities in the world. Our intention was to identify potential Mexican church leadership and invest in them from our training, knowledge and experience. When training was complete, we would send them out to minister and plant churches among their own people through home based cell churches. Our goal was that most Mexicans involved in these new church plants would never know there was a Canadian missionary ever involved in their church. We wanted it to be a Mexican ministry, through and through. Though this was the intent, numerous obstacles were before us that did not afford us such opportunities. Instead of using our spiritual gifts in this area, we were consigned to leading tours for visiting mission teams and participating in teaching English as a second language. Though these are admirable, enjoyable and good ministries much needed to grow the kingdom, they have not been our calling.
As a result of these issues and our desire to serve God through the use of our gifts, we allowed our names to stand as pastor of a church in Alberta, Canada. This past week we accepted the call to be Senior Pastor of Temple Baptist in Medicine Hat. The exact time of which we begin our ministry is unknown as we are still conferring with the church regarding a possible start date in August or the beginning of September. We are going to miss our friends that we have made here and this amazing city. When so many are fearful of the violence and influenza here, we continue to be enamored with Mexico City. To leave here will be painful yet we are looking forward to what God has in store for us at a church that shows great promise and has a desire to move forward in being a strong witness of God’s grace in their community. Mexico City will always have a profound part of our hearts and we will always be sensitive to the ministry needs of this city and the Latin people. We thank God for what He has done in our lives in our time here and trust that we will be fruitful in our next ministry.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank all of you that have supported us these last four years in giving through prayer and through your financial support. Thank you also for those who were concerned and prayed for our safety during this time of escaladed violence in Mexico and the recent outbreak of influenza. We are still safe and healthy, looking forward to a new chapter in our lives.

Dios les bendiga (God bless you all),

Marcel and Ingrid Mitchell
Brittany, Petra, Emma, Kirklyn and Ahava