Expanding Horizons - December 2015 Newsletter

God has been moving and doing so much through/in me these past two months, and He's opened doors to some amazing things this month!! Check this out to see one of those amazing opportunities that God has given me:

Bringing Hope to the Hopeless - November 2015 Newsletter

This month's newsletter really pulls on my heart strings. Make sure to check it out and share it with someone! Also, don't forget that Christmas is only a month away, and I'm still looking for more donators to make this Chrismas a special one for so many kids!!! If you can donate, please don't be shy and donate right on the side of my blog's homepage, or send me a message if you're not sure how!! Any help is more than perfect. I'm also currently looking for monthly supporters. If you are interested in doing so, feel free to do so on my blog's homepage, or send me a message for any questions you might have. May God bless you over-abundantly!!

Two Months Til Christmas - October 2015 Newsletter

Newsletter time!! Like the letter says, if you can donate a Christmas gift this year, whether it be an actual item or money to buy the gift, PLEASE let me know!! God did a HUGE miracle supplying all of the gifts that the kids had asked for, and I know that He can do it again. Again, thanks to all who helped make last year's Christmas such a special one for many of these kids. They were really so thankful and appreciative for everything you guys did for them. Help make this year another special Christmas for these kids who truly deserve it.

Change That Sticks (Sept. 2015 Newsletter)

Newsletter time!! PLEASE let me know if there is something specific that you would like to know about so that I can put that in my next newsletter. I seriously feel like I write the same thing every time.

A Royal Priesthood - August 2015 Newsletter

Right on time!! Check out what happened this month in the newsletter below!! ALSO, I'm starting to get Christmas gifts together for the kids, so if you're interested in helping out, let me know!! That info is also below in the newsletter. PLEASE don't be shy. If you want to help, you can!! I'll be sure to answer any questions you might have.

Adolescentes Unidos 2015 - July 2015 Newsletter

Self-explanatory!! Check it out!!

God-Given Talent - June 2015 Newsletter

Sorry about the tardiness. It took a little long to get some of the photos. PLEASE check out http://www.gofundme.com/qwhqh98 and donate to camp. It's only two weeks away, and we're still WAY behind on our goal. Every penny counts!! If we reach the financial goal in a week, I'm going to be shaving my head!! Who doesn't want to see that? AND, if we reach our goal, regardless how many days before we reach it, I'll be eating three mini habanero peppers and recording it for your viewing pleasure. Well, without further-a-do, here's the newsletter for June!!

Love Without Words - May 2015 Newsletter

The newsletter for May is here!! Like it says twice below and once highlighted, we're still looking for funds for this year's Teens United, the summer camp we do for the middle school and high school students. The cost for one person to go is $50, and we're planing on 40-50 teens and adult staff going. If you can sponsor one of these, please do so at gofund.me/qwhqh98.

April 2015 Newsletter - The More The Merrier

I'm on time!! What a miracle!! Check out the newsletter for April!! Also, please check out the GoFundMe link that talks about Teens United 2015, the teen summer camp for this year: http://www.gofundme.com/qwhqh98. Please share this around so that we can reach our financial goal to make this amazing camp happen!!

March 2015 Newsletter - Teens United 2015

As always, forgive me on the tardiness. March flew by for me. Please let me know below your thoughts on the newsletter. As I mentioned in the last one, I want to be sure that this is something interesting and worth reading for you all, so please don't hesitate to let me know!!

February 2015 Newsletter: Never Too Young

Like I mentioned in the last post, I didn't have access to the correct equipment to make last month's newsletter. Now that I'm back in Mexico, I got to work, and I now present you all with the February 2015 newsletter:

PLEASE (notice the caps) give me feedback about my newsletters. I do this for all of you, and I want them to be interesting for you guys and have information that you'll want to read/see. So, again, PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE let me know what you guys think, positive or negative. I always 1000000% appreciate feedback.

Loving the Unlovable

So, after attempting to find what I needed, I really don't have the correct program to make my newsletter for February. I'm currently in Tennessee visiting my dad, which was all kind of last minute. Once I get back to Mexico, I will be sure to make a newsletter for the month of February. So, here's a blog update for the time being:

Back in November, I had the amazing opportunity to translate for Compassionate Touch International, as they were in Tijuana doing missions for the week. One of those days, we went to the Tecate garbage dump, where people live and work. A lot of these people are living there due to drugs, which they receive inside the dump. They don't really leave the dump because they are stuck in the cycle of getting money, spending it on drugs, needing money, working in the dump, over and over and over again. They usually begin to not care about their former lives, which usually grows to the point of not caring at all, putting their families to the side or even doing away with them all together. To them, drugs are all that matter, more than living in a nice place, having a career, and even more than their own kids.

Me with Compassionate Touch International

 We decided to change spots from in the village outside the dump to actually inside the dump after giving food out and talking with the people there for a bit. As we were getting ready to head inside, José and Ulises showed up. They are two little boys who live in the dump. I'm pretty sure José is six or seven, and Ulises is six. The clothes they had on were pretty dirty, and they were definitely in need of a good bath. I had been praying on the way to the dump that I would be able to help some kids there, and my prayer had been answered. José had asked me, "Could we have some food?" Of course, I told him yes and began to do whatever I could to get some food for these kids. After getting them some posole, I had began talking with them. After learning their names and seeing who could jump on one foot the longest, the group was telling me that it was time to head on in the dump. As I got in the van, I looked out and told José and Ulises, "I'm coming back. Don't ever forget about God, ok?"

That night, we had a group meeting, and, just like in every meeting, we shared our testimonies from the day. It was my turn, and I shared this experience with the group. I also told them of a "vision" I had a long while back:

I was out in a field, running with two kids. One was a girl, about seven to nine years old, and the other was a boy, about two to four years old, which I was carrying in my arms. We seemed to have been running from something. We would occasionally look back, then keep running. It seemed as if I was helping them escape or rescuing them.

I had told the group about how I thought that these kids might be those kids that I would be rescuing. I told the group that I had told José and Ulises that I would be back. Then I cried for a long time. The only thing that I had on my mind in that moment was how I didn't want them living the life that they were living anymore. I could possibly help them have that stable life that they needed. I wanted to get them out of there. After that night, I felt it so heavy on my heart to help those kids. I prayed, "God, please get me back there. I have to help them."

Playing some Jesus music!

Fast forward to last January. I went with some people and a few kids from the church who wanted to help back to the dump. I had been praying for God to give me the opportunity to go back and to be able to see José and Ulises. Sure enough, after being there a few minutes, I see José with a few kids coming over to where we are. I walk over to him, point at him, and say, "I know you! José, right?" He nods, then says, "He knows me!"  I hung out with him, Ulises, and all of the kids that live there and got to know them so much better. After that day, God placed it on my heart to not only just go every once in a while, but to go weekly to help the kids. Hooking up with La Roca, the ministry who is starting a church there, I've been going every Thursday that I can to help the kids study, play some music, build their trust, and really just help out in whatever way possible. I'm also trying my best to get to know the situations of the kids, as well, which aren't very pretty:

• José lives with his grandma, which is Ulises's mom. José's dad is in jail, to which he has no idea why, and his mom lives in a tent on the other side of the dump, who José doesn't see much. José has a thirteen year-old brother, Hector, who is always running around doing whatever and, for some reason, does not live with him. Ulises has three other younger sisters who never seem to be clean. His mom/José's grandma never seems to be around watching them. Ulises's dad apparently lives in another house there, but I don't think Ulises is really too sure.
• Esteban and Gabriel, two other brothers that live there. are eight and seven(?) respectively. Their mom gave them up completely to their grandparents due to drugs. I have no idea if there is a father present. Looking on the situation, I don't believe so.
• Sebastian, another boy, is eight I believe. I don't know with whom he lives with.
• Angel, another boy, is around six or seven, and I also do not know with whom he lives with.
• Naun, another 13 year old boy, is always running around with José's older brother, Hector. I also am unsure where he resides.

All of these kids go to school now, thanks to La Roca for taking them there. Well, all except for Esteban, Hector, and Naun. Esteban said he's going to go soon, but Hector and Naun want nothing to do with school. I'm praying that they will change their minds. José is currently struggling a lot in school, due to not ever going to school and not really having a well-structured life. He has a really hard time staying focused. Someone has to be there with him, telling him constantly to pay attention and to do his work. If not, he gets distracted and doesn't do his work. Profesor Nacho, one of the staff from La Roca, has been helping them study, but he tends to get really impatient with the kids and yells at them, which I feel is affecting their drive to learn. The kids really are smart, but they just don't know how to use their intelligence for important things, like math and reading. I'm praying that God will continue to use me to help these kids learn and also be able to show them God's true love in the best ways possible. I'm also praying that God will show them their true worth and value in Him, whether it be through me or one of the staff at La Roca, and that they are truly loved and have a place in this world, no matter what they are going through.


I've realized now that the "vision" I had wasn't talking about physically rescuing kids, but emotionally and spiritually helping them escape from the troubles and temptations of this life and bringing them to the only true safe-haven, which is only found in Jesus Christ.

(Left to right) Me with Gabriel, Jesusa (who doesn't live there),
Ulises, Sebastian, Esteban, and José.
Brayan, who is kneeling in front, and the other adults and kids
there came with me to help out.

Please pray for all the kids, the people from La Roca who help these kids, and myself, as I begin this new, amazing chapter of my life reaching out to those that other people would just normally pass by.

An Important Anouncement

A couple people have suggested to me that I put up something about my finances. I was told, "If you don't let people know that you need funds, how will they know?" Below, I have specified how much I need, what I need it for, and what I currently have. If you have a question, feel free to ask by sending an email to daniel.ratz92@gmail.com.

Preferred Monthly Budget for 2015

• Food - $100
• Kids’ Program (food, material) - $200
• Communication - $50
• Transportation - $150
• Teen Life Group (food, camp, material) - $250
• Garbage Dump Ministry (food, material) - $150
• Misc. (soccer team, flight, toiletries, etc.) - $100

Total - $1,000 monthly

Current amount - $480 monthly


As you can see, I'm just a little less than half-way to what I need to do what I do effectively as possible. I get by, but to have the amount above would really enable me to fulfill to its entirety what God has planned for me to do and truly would bless these kids beyond measure. If you feel led to give monthly, you can do so on the right side of this blog. Just fill in the boxes under Recurring Donations and click on donate. Whether it be $200, $100, $50, or even $10 monthly, any amount is 100% appreciated. Thank you so much for your consideration, and know that your donation will go to great use, like helping José and Ulises, two amazing kids from the garbage dump.


"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" - Matthew 25:37-40

January 2015 Newsletter

Like I promised, I'm going to start making newsletters again about all that I do here and not just Facebook updates. So, here's the newsletter for January 2015!!

What A Crazy Year

To start off, please forgive me, everyone, for not doing my monthly newsletters to keep everyone informed. I got so busy these past few months, but that doesn't give me an excuse not not find the time to do it. I do post things on Facebook, but it's nice to have the info presented in a more professional format.

So many things have happened this year, good and bad. It's been another faith-coaster that has had way too many ups and downs. I thank God that He truly helped me finish though and finish strong, blessing me beyond measure. Every area of my life has been stretched (once again), and I truly thank God for doing so. Every day that passes, I learn more about letting go and letting God. It's something I feel that everyone struggles with, but I've come to realize that it's something that I, as a missionary, need to do. I can't try to ever put this into my own hands. It's way too big of a job for me to do alone. I wouldn't even be doing this if it wasn't for God pulling me away from film school to get my eyes off of myself. Everything that I do is to bring glory and honor to Him, not to me. I need to let all of these people know that God is the one doing all of this:

• If it wasn't for Him, summer camp wouldn't have happened this year, and those 14 teens wouldn't have had that super-natural experience like they did.
• If it wasn't for Him, the 26 kids on the soccer team wouldn't have learned overall respect for others, responsibility, and teamwork, which they use on and off the field.
• If it wasn't for Him, 13 of those kids wouldn't come to the church regularly and also wouldn't be involved, like on the praise team or assistant team for the kids's program, 
• If it wasn't for Him, 8 kids wouldn't have realized their true musical gifts that God has given them, and 1 of them wouldn't be starting to practice for the worship team at church.
• If it wasn't for Him, 2 kids wouldn't have had the opportunity to have one-on-one reading classes, and 1 of them wouldn't have finished the class!!
• If it wasn't for Him, there wouldn't have been 12 to 14 teens coming to the house for life group every Thursday during the summer, nor would we have have had the 5 to 9 who come now.
• If it wasn't for Him, so many kids wouldn't have seen His true love in many ways, one of those ways being through a small Christmas gift (45 in all!! Pictures to come)

God has moved so much this past year, not just in my life, but in the kids' and families' lives, as well. Through all of the hardship, every single moment was worth it, and God is preparing me to do it all again and more this upcoming year!! Please continue to pray for me, as I do it all again, plus with the two new areas that God has placed on my heart: more orphanage ministry and helping the kids that live in the garbage dump. Thank you all so much for your support, whether it had been through donations or prayers. It was all more than appreciated. I'll be sure to post more frequently, whether it be through something like this, a video on YouTube or my Facebook, or my newsletters as before.

May God continue to bless you all ever so abundantly this next year in all that you do,

Daniel Ratz