The Turtle Won

We all like to win the fast race, the GRAND prize, the instant glory and the fame. In history we talk about Alexander the Great but few know that he achieved fame because of a doting father that laid the ground work. Solomon built the temple in seven years only because David, his father, had worked toward that goal for over thirty years.
Seedtime and Harvest Ministries is now in its 31st year here in Mexico as we continue to build on the foundation built by David and Elizabeth Tolman. The work has grown, the vision has expanded, the churches are more established and the bases have been laid. What goes forward from here has a strong doctrinal, spiritual and Biblical foundation.
What is happening in Tepic? August has seen us once again in classes at the schools. Both schools have a lower enrollment than we would have desired but we are praying that students will continue to register. The Secondary School that started classes on the 21st of August has been holding its own financially for the last 4 years but this year we saw the need to increase the salaries that we pay our teachers as this ministry also has to cover their living expenses. I know that the Lord will supply what we are lacking.The Bible School has five fulltime students for our three month semester that started the end of August, four of them from another state. One of our primary goals continues to be training leadership to attend a growing church body. The Bible School is one of our tools to accomplish this goal and in the last nineteen years we have seen many students pass through our doors and go forth to minister.
Evangelism is another of our primary goals. Over 90 % of our church members have been spiritually born again under our ministry. As Paul wrote, we don’t want to build on what others have planted but we want to have the privilege of bringing new people into the Kingdom. In our Xalisco church we have set up six different outreach groups that have the goal of reaching thirty new converts before the end of the year. In the other six churches and centers we are also reaching out in each one as we feel directed by the Lord. We have been blessed this last month to be able to buy a secondhand (new for us) Toyota van. Our Dodge van, that eight and a half year ago the Senger family so graciously helped us to purchase, now has traveled over 185,000 miles and is basically worn out. It has been a great blessing and has taken us a lot of places. We have to pay a difference of $18,000 US and we know that with the help of God’s people we shall be able to make these payments.
We are not only engaged in the current activities but we also have in the coming weeks various special activities such as a reunion of all of our churches in September, a Men’s Conference in October that we shall be attending, a Women’s Conference in November that we will be hosting and a Christian concert that is still in the planning stages.
On December 23rd we have the first wedding in the family as Damara and Agustin will be getting married. Agustin is a graduate of our Bible School and we have known him for years. For the time being Damara will be continuing to work with us teaching in the schools and in the area of music, praise and worship in the churches. We thank each one of you that stand with us by means of your monthly support and prayers. We are your hands extended to reach the people of the State of Nayarit, Mexico for Jesus Christ.

Philip, Lucy, Damara, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
Seedtime & Harvest Ministries
8635 Callaghan Rd, San Antonio TX 78230 or
APDO 351, 63000 Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
E-mail: philip@s-h-ministries.org
Volume 1, Issue 1