An Arrow Directed

Newsletter March/April 2008

This year 2008 started out with a clear direction in the sector of ministry that we are covering in our State of Nayarit. David and Elizabeth have been traveling extensively while teaching in Mexico and the U.S.. They are teaching in areas of leadership training and financial integrity. They are also giving classes in both Bible schools, here in Tepic and in San Pedro Coahuila.

On the local front the secondary school and the churches continue to move forward. Every day we are seeing more the need of good Christian education in our public school system. The churches after going through a pruning this past year, are now going forward in spiritual and numerical growth.

The beginning of February we opened a new semester in the Rios de Agua Viva Bible School. In the past we have had mainly youth who have studied but the semester our medium age is 48 years old. They are people that have decided to leave all to follow the ministry that God has given them.

One can not move on forward without encountering opposition. The 15th of March three enemy attacks came at the same time. While David and Elizabeth were away their house was broken into and over $5,000 of merchandise was stolen. Half an hour after Philip and Lucy arrived home from the police station to register the theft, brother Chuy Sanchez passed away. He was a village pastor who had lived on the grounds for the last 12 years. His life changing experience
of salvation when he was converted was an example for all of us. That same night Pastor Chuy’s grandson, who was living on the property with his parents, ran away, not knowing
that his grandfather had died and has not been seen since.

The funeral service for pastor Chuy was held at 10 Am on the Monday morning. One hour previously, 96 young people boarded a bus to go to our Youth Camp. We were expecting only 50 to 70 youth because of the recent pruning that we had been through. What a fantastic camp we had! One young lady who arrive at camp very downhearted was given a spirit of joy and for hours she rolled on the ground laughing in a Holy Spirit drunken stupor. Another young lady who was at camp for her first time, in her reserved manner said: ‘Can’t we stay her for a month”.

We have many plans and goals as this year continues on. We want to take our youth activity “El Punto’ national. We also want to take some youth on a Missions trip to Asia, to an area where Mexican people are accepted to minister. As our short term and long term goals flow together we are sure of the direction in which the Lord has directed us and as an arrow we want to fly true to the mark.

In this Spring season we pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry. We covet your prayers and your faithful offerings as we continue moving forward.


Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman

MARCH/ APRIL 2008
Seedtime & Harvest Ministries
8635 Callaghan Rd, San Antonio TX 78230 or
APDO 351, 63000 Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
e-mail: philip@s-h-ministries.org or d_e_tolman @s-h-ministries.org
Volume 1, Issue 1

A Time To Go Forward

January/February 2008 Newsletter

As we look over the past year, we see months of preparation for a gigantic harvest. 2007 was full of special activities such as Bible school classes, camp meetings, evangelistic campaigns, 5 outdoor Christian concerts with the last two having over 5,000 people in attendance. There was also the daily work of teaching, preaching, visitation, school classes, plus ministry and a busy home life. Vehicles must be kept running, buildings maintained, help given to people going though unbelievable hardships, as well as all of the unexpected events that occur. David and Elizabeth were also able to teach in the country of Chile for almost three weeks in conferences and churches.

As we start this New Year we prayerfully consider the events that will bring increase to the churches here in Mexico. The everyday work must continue. We must minister to the people’s needs and inner healing is a reality to be addressed.

As for our teaching ministry in Nayarit, Mexico, the Xecora Christian Secondary School is moving forward with a new principal that took over the office in October. Rios de Agua Viva Bible School is beginning a series of new courses from February 4 – May 15, both in ministry and music.

We wish to extend the very successful outreach, El Punto, to new cities with its youth oriented activities in 2008. There are already open doors.

Holy Week, before Easter, we will continue our annual and exceptional wilderness youth camp. The youth return each year challenged and spiritually aflame. The following week will be the annual children’s camp, held on the Xecora school grounds.

In answer to requests, we plan to have a regional Ladies’ Conference later in the year. There are also three churches now working completely on their own but look to us for spiritual guidance and counsel. We shall continue working on the growth of the local church with strong Biblical doctrinal foundations. This will include infusing them with a heart for missions, giving and moving beyond their present attitudes and local outreach

As we start this New Year with new goals we also continue to pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry. We covet your prayers and your faithful offerings.

David & Elizabeth Tolman

Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman

El Punto

November/December 2007 Newsletter

The Point: This was the focus of the evangelistic activity, to reach the youth in the city of Tepic. The point was that Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings. Aside from letting people know this we also wanted to attack the enemy on his ground and defeat him here in our State once and for all.

The Purpose: Preach the gospel to over 5,000 youth in their territory using their activities and using the world’s money to do the job. At the same time we wanted to impact the city with a Christian activity that would be remembered.

The Promises we were given:

- This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

- Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations….

- That now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places

- And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us …

The point was made, the purpose accomplished and a new way of doing things was established. On the 28th and 29th of September we had 14 hours of motorcycles, acrobatic bikes, skateboards, graffiti, fashion show and more. It was all done in a Christian atmosphere with a Christian musical and two concerts at the end of each day. The effort made by the organizing churches was incredible, the prayers of the saints innumerable and the preparations unbelievable. The promises were fulfilled.

Our work has just begun as we start to reap the results of the Word that has been sown. Also we are planning to reach out to other areas and States with this activity so the impact that our city received can be made available in other cities and States as well.

At this Thanksgiving and Christmas season we pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry. We covet your prayers and your faithful offerings.

Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman

The Battle Ground

September/October 2007 Newsletter

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force, Matthew 11:12

In the Americas the concept of war, or going to battle, is foreign to most of us. Soldiers have gone to war in far away places and everyone has his own personal opinion on the value of these wars. When the Bible talks about us being at war, it is hard for us to grasp the reality of what war really is. Spiritual warfare is not just saying a few prayers and hoping that things will work out. It is about life and death. The Christians with the greatest risk, are those on the front lines of the battlefield.

This year in Nayarit we declared war on the principalities and powers that have ruled over our land for hundreds of years. We must not only win the battle, but we must destroy the kings of the enemy forces. King Ahab didn’t kill the king of Syria when he had the chance and it cost him his life (1 Kings 22:30-37). Gideon didn’t finish his battle with the Midianites until he had destroyed their four kings. In January of this year the Lord gave us a plan, not only to evangelize the city of Tepic and the surrounding area, but to saturate them with the presence of God. The work started immediately with the planning, the legal permits and the contacts we needed to arrange. The end of May we had a free breakfast for the pastors in the area to inform them of the project. Between the 9th of June and the end of July we presented 3 Christian open-air concerts.

Vanessa on Dad's motorbike at an activity

Did we get a reaction! The traditional church officials successfully cancelled our permit for the second concert 24 hours before the event. Unable to use the baseball stadium we had rented we closed off the main street outside the stadium, with police permission, and set up our 40’ platform on the street. We had a concert. The rains came and tried to wash us out but in war you don’t give an inch. Our causality rate has been high. In our main church we have seen our membership dwindle from over 100 members to fewer than 60 in 4 months. Economically we have felt the strain as we are $6,000 dollars short of our budget.

The biggest and final battle is yet to come. We have permits to hold a social benefit activity in the park in front of the State Government buildings on the 28^th and 29^th of September. This social event ends at 8 PM and at that time we have two Christian concerts and a musical depicting the salvation message. With over $20,000 in rented sound equipment, lights, fireworks and closed-circuit T.V. we will be heard everywhere. We are financing the activity through sponsors from large businesses in our city. We are going to let the world finance the preaching of the gospel. We are going to take the enemy’s money and use it in God’s kingdom. This is the promise that Jesus has given us.

Simri and Damara with music group

It has not been easy, but then, war is never easy. Casualties will be replaced by victors, sinners converted into saints. The kingdom of Satan will be destroyed in our State and replaced by the Kingdom of God. The battlefield, where there is no comfort or rest, is not a pleasant place. Our rest is in the knowledge that we shall be victors for we have been promised the land.

Please keep us in your prayers as we fight in the thick of the fray.

Philip, Lucy, Simri and Vanessa Tolman

Motorcycle Club Outreach

Motorcycles are part of our life as my son Simri and myself travel over 150 miles a week on them between us. Even though we are not part of any motorcycle group or club we have been working on getting an inroad with them to be able to reach them for Christ where they are.

In our planning for a massive outdoor crusade in September for over 5,000 people, we invited the different motorcycle clubs in the city to participate.

To open the doors not only to their participation but also to their friendship we decided to invite one of the clubs to our ranch for dinner on a Saturday. Over 20 of them show up for the event.

After a good barbeque we did a drive through town and took a picturesque drive down the highway for an hour or so. We had a great relaxing afternoon as well as opening the door to new acquaintances and future Christian brothers.

Special Concert

On the 9th of June we were able to carry out the first of several outdoor activities for this year. In the fair grounds of the city of Tepic we set up an outdoor stage with sound and lights for a first class outdoor concert with local Christian groups.

The first group that played was Red Sky, directed by Simri Tolman. They did an excellent job. The next group was Paco and Levi’s Band from the town of Compostela. Once again their performance was first class. The two and a half hour concert was closed out by Milo Jr. and his group ‘Rocka Solida’ (Solid Rock). With over 350 people that assisted and the rain that waited to fall until after the concert had ended, the whole activity was above all that we expected.


The whole activity would have stopped there except for a 7 year old girl that attended the concert. As the concert was in progress this child leaned over and asked her Mom how is was that some men were hanging above the stage. The mother answered that they weren’t hanging, only standing on the stage. The girl insisted that these men were dressed in white and once again the mother insisted that there was no one dressed in white. The young girl stood silent a while with her mouth open and then answered her mother: “What about the whirl wind?”
It was then that the mother understood that her daughter was seeing more than the concert, she was seeing angels of God flying around the stage. As the mother continued to investigate
she became sure that it wasn’t just her daughter's imagination but a real manifestation of the Lord. The whole time of the concert these angels were present, manifesting themselves only to this little girl but the presence of God accompanying them was felt by all.

It's a Thing of the Heart

May/June 2007 Newsletter

The Lord offers us a choice of life and good or death and evil. Conscientiously we choose the good but our actions do not always suit our choice. The Word is in our mouth and in our heart but if we try to decide with our mind we have problems. The Holy Spirit works through our heart but never though our mind. As we are learning to practice this principle, the Lord has opened new doors to share the good news with the youth in our State.

Even though the daily work in the church is necessary to bring stability to the members, our calling is also to reach the lost with the gospel. This is not done in the church but on the street. It can be done one on one or in larger groups. At this time we are working on various activities of mass evangelism in our area.

On June 9, we are presenting an open air concert that equals the best the world can give in the technical area, but our advantage is the help of the Holy Spirit. On June 29 and July 20, we will be directing another 2 concerts together with other ministries that are working in Mexico to reach students. Our goal is to have over 2,000 non-Christian youth in this last concert. Please pray with us for this undertaking so that we can reach the goal that He has put before us.

Philip teaching at a Conference

At the end of September we will be having a 4th activity, a mega presentation, to reach thousands of youth in the downtown area of Tepic. We are thankful to have all of our family participating in all these activities.

Aside from our special activities, most of the local churches are experimenting a time of growth. The youth are still burning with the fire of the Holy Spirit they received at Youth Camp and are letting it extend through the churches. Our goal is still to lead people to a heart experience in Jesus. We are reaching out to attain one of the goals that the Lord has placed in our heart, to place a Christian church in each of the 20 townships in our State. We are only lacking 2 townships, Ahuacatlan and the Yesca. Please pray for us as we reach out into these areas. Both of these townships have their own special challenges.

Pastors’ breakfast and meeting

In Ahuacatlan we have had missionaries living there for the last 6 years and there is still no church. The Yesca, high in the Sierra Madres, is a 10 hour drive from Tepic. The town still doesn’t have electricity which makes life very primitive and difficult.

Last weekend in the town of Compostela, we had a gathering of some of our churches. It was a time of fellowship, sharing and ministry. Every three months we try and have this type of meeting so that the smaller village churches can participate with a worship team and feel the emotion of being among a large group of people worshiping the Lord. Many of these small works don’t have musicians or people that can lead in singing. We were also able to host a breakfast for local pastors and leaders to invite them to participate in the different outreaches we have planned. More than 65 leaders attended.

With all these activities on this summer we will not be able to itinerate and visit your church to raise the extra finances needed to live here on the mission field. Please plan special prayer and offerings to help us as partners in these efforts. You can designate your offering for our personal support or to cover the extra expenses that will strain our budget. At the same time we also want to thank each one of you that stand with us with your prayers and faithful monthly support.

Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman