November 8, 2013

Greetings in the name of the Jesus!

 

I apologize for how long it has been since I have written you.  Jesus has been moving!  He continues to open doors for us all over the world.  Here is a look at what’s been happening.

 

MAY

I got engaged!  On May 18, 2013, I asked my best friend and love of my life, Cassie Anguiano to marry me.  We are so excited about our life serving Jesus together! 

 

JUNE-AUGUST

I continued my training in Mobile, AL that will better equip me to train missionaries. 

 

SEPTEMBER

I had the opportunity to go to Kenya, Africa, with my dad and two other missionaries to preach the Gospel to the Luhya tribe.  That was an amazing trip.  We saw 184 people give their lives to the Lord, with about 30 of them being Muslims. We saw Jesus heal multiple people of Malaria within a few days. One lady got healed of Typhoid fever.  And the main pastor that we worked with in Kenya was healed of a motorcycle injury to his leg. 

 

OCTOBER

I worked on the Mountain Gateway property remodeling, and clearing the land of brush.

 

I went to the wedding of some of our missionaries, Alex and Brittney Rossie. 

 

 

 

When I went to Kenya, I had fears that I wouldn’t know what to say or what to do, that when I would witness to people about Jesus, they wouldn’t get saved. I didn’t have confidence in what Jesus has been building in me my whole life, or that the Holy Spirit would move through me like I longed He would.

 

My whole life I saw how the Holy Spirit move through my dad when he would minister to people, and I would often think, “What would I do if I were in this situation? How would I know what to say?” Much of my life, I found myself locked in a battle of expectations that I had on myself, and expectations that I felt everyone around me had. 

 

I would ask, “Why haven’t you seen more miracles? Why haven’t you gotten more people saved? Why don’t you see more dreams and visions?” I felt so inadequate in so many ways. The things that I wanted most seemed just out of reach… 

 

But, I learned in Kenya, and during my time in Mobile, AL, that when you trust in Jesus, when you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and quit trying to produce a result through your own efforts, Jesus WILL move. 

 

When I sat in a mud hut in Kenya, with a people not my own, who spoke a language that was foreign to me, with the only way to communicate through a translator, I stopped asking, “What would dad do?”  and I started asking, “What would you do, Jesus?”

 

When I would ask Jesus what He wanted me to do and say, He always helped me. There was not one time that I went out to minister that I didn’t feel the Holy Spirit leading me. I was so thankful to Jesus! I trusted in Jesus, and not in my own ability. I surrendered my heart, mind, and spirit to Him. There is nothing Jesus cannot do with a surrendered heart.

 

Press into Jesus. Seek after Him with everything that you are. Jesus will move if you let Him. Surrender everything to Him.

 

Be blessed and encouraged in Jesus,

 

Jacob Hancock

 

April 22, 2013

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

I hope you are doing well.  Here is a quick run down on what has been happening in the last few months:

JANUARY

The Mountain Gateway team went to Dearborn, Michigan, for a week of training on how to minister to Muslims.  Four Muslims got saved while they were there!  Thank you, Jesus!

Five of our missionaries headed to Antigua, Guatemala, to learn Spanish at the Christian Spanish Academy.

I headed to Montgomery, Alabama, to do 3 months of specific training under my uncle in further preparation for the future.  We are super excited as God moves us into expanding our ministry into a missions training sending agency.

Mountain Gateway acquired 10 acres of land in Dripping Springs, Texas, to be used as a U.S. headquarters.  Jesus also provided for us to purchase and place a modular house on this property.  Thank you, Jesus!  There is now a place for training, for our missionaries to park their vehicles and store their belongings while they are out of the country, and for administrative requirements, etc.  This land is a great blessing.

We sent three of our new missionaries to our work in Mexico for 6 weeks to preach the Gospel.  They did a great job.  The pastors are encouraged.  These indigenous pastors continue to have church services and lead people to the Lord whether we are there or not.  That’s exciting.  That’s what we have been working toward all of these years. While they were there, several people got saved and the Brothers were greatly encouraged! Thank you, Jesus!

FEBRUARY

• Our missionaries continued to be in Mexico.
• Getting the Mountain Gateway land ready for use.

MARCH

My dad and three Mountain Gateway missionaries took a scouting trip to Nicaragua to see if it is a country where Jesus wants us to work in addition to Mexico.  The doors that Jesus opened were truly amazing!  The people were astonished at the fact that Americans would eat their food, and sleep in their house.  And there was a miracle while they were there.

A man had a motorcycle wreck and he couldn’t walk for 2 months.  He could barely talk, only at times, and incoherently.  When Dad walked into the house to pray for him he was laying on the floor, banging his head on the concrete.  As soon as Dad laid hands on him he began to writhe across the floor like a snake.  He moved across the floor under the bed and into the corner.  He started yelling, “God hates me!  I am mad at God for leaving me like this.”  They shared the Love of God with him as they prayed.  The man stared straight at Dad and yelled at him to leave.  He left with the man still mad and silent under the bed. The next day Jesus healed him completely!  He can walk and ride his motorcycle, and he repented for his anger at God.  He told his neighbor, “When that American laid hands on me it felt like a molten hot rod of steel got shoved through my head and down into my spine. The next day I was healed!  Please apologize to him for my harsh words.”  He had an encounter with the King of Kings!  Jesus is alive!

The door is wide open for us to expand into Nicaragua!  Please pray for us as we seek God about this opportunity.  We are excited about the possibilities of working in Nicaragua, and what Jesus may have for us there.

APRIL

All of Mountain Gateway (except for the missionaries in language school) are in a time of dedicated prayer and fasting for 30 days.  We are dedicating this time to drawing closer to Jesus and to seek guidance and direction for our lives and about the next steps that Jesus has for us as a ministry.

This life on earth is pointless if we do not know Jesus in an intimate and personal way.  Jesus is calling each of us to draw closer to Him.  I strive every day to do just that, and I encourage you to do the same.  He is knocking on the door of your heart, wanting to fellowship with you.  Open the door to Him.  He is worth pursuing.

“Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20

PRAYER NEEDS

• Souls, healing, and deliverance for the people that we are trying to reach.

• That I would get to know Jesus in a deeper way, and that He would give me words to speak when I am talking with people about Him.

• That Jesus would give us direction for the work in Mexico and Nicaragua.

All for the Glory of Jesus,

Jacob Hancock

P.S. Please note that there is an ADDRESS CHANGE.

Our new mailing address is:

956 Hart Lane

Dripping Springs, TX 78620

January 2, 2012

Hey y’all!

Whew!  It’s been a busy time!  Here is a quick run down on what I’ve been doing the past few months.

September:

I took a scouting trip to Nicaragua with my family to pray about establishing a work there, in addition to our work in Mexico.  Our vision is to have works in every country of the world, and we are excited about this process of expansion!

October:

We completed a month of prayer and Bible training with Pastor Pat Schatzline.  While we were there, Jesus spoke many things to my heart, and I learned so much more about the Bible.

We also had the opportunity to preach on Wednesday nights in the main service, as well as in the youth service.  It was such a blessing to have the opportunity to pour into people’s lives.  Jesus moved in a mighty way in the lives of the people we were ministering to, and in the lives of our team.

November:

We completed Bootcamp for Ministry which is a six week course where we learned about auto mechanics, construction, masonry, welding, electricity, plumbing, and a ton of other things such as learning how to drive a tractor.

We not only learned many skills, but we also learned how to work better together as a team.

We also had some sessions with Pastor Rusty Nelson of The Rock Family Church where he talked with us about life following Jesus, and he also answered questions that we had concerning how to communicate, and create relationships with pastors. It’s so important for missionaries to have a positive relationship with pastors here in the U.S, and our time with Pastor Rusty really helped with that.

December:

• We finished up Bootcamp for Ministry.
• I got my Permanent Residency for Mexico renewed.
• I spent some time in Colorado going to my sister’s wedding, visiting friends, and meeting with pastors.

Jesus has been doing many things in my life these past few months. I appreciate your support and prayers!

Prayer Needs:

• Souls, healing, and deliverance for the people that we are trying to reach.

• That I would get to know Jesus in a deeper way, and that He would give me words to speak when I am talking with people about Him.

• That our team would grow even closer together during these next couple of months.

Jesus Bless you!

Jacob Hancock

September 24, 2012

Hello friends and family!

I just wanted to update y’all on what I’ve been up to the last couple of months.

What I’ve done:

In early July our team received Wilderness First Responder training in Boulder, CO.  This gives us the skills needed to respond to medical emergencies in remote areas where medical facilities are not available.  It is a great thing to know since we will often be in remote areas where anything can happen.

In late July and August we went to the mountains of southern Colorado for 45 days of wilderness training.  The wilderness is a great environment to help build character, leadership, tolerance for adversity and uncertainty, communication with team members, and conflict resolution — skills that are essential to working on the mission field.

I grew a lot during our time in the wilderness.  Jesus helped me realize things about myself, and helped me grow in many areas.  Jesus is molding me into the man that He wants me to be.  I’m excited about the path that Jesus wants me to follow.

What’s coming:

We are heading to Alabama to do prayer and Bible training with Pastor Pat Schatzline for the month of October.  In November and part of December we will do Boot Camp for ministry where we will learn some construction, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, welding and off road driving skills with a great man who mentored my father as he grew up. All these skills are invaluable while on the mission field. I am excited about what we will learn while we are there!

Prayer Needs:

• Souls, healing, and deliverance for the people that we are trying to reach.

• That I would get to know Jesus in a deeper way, and that He would give me words to speak when I am talking with people about Him.

• That our team would get closer to Jesus during our Bible training, and that we would learn all the skills that we will be learning in the Boot Camp for Ministry training with proficiency.

• That our team would grow even closer together during these next couple of months.

I would encourage you to allow Jesus to mold and shape you into the man or woman that He wants you to be, and to follow HIS plan for your life.    It’ll be a ride like you’ve never been on before, but it is so worth it!  Seek Him with your whole heart and you will find him.

Jesus Bless you!

Jacob Hancock

July 17, 2012

Hello everyone!

In the beginning of June, I led a group of missionaries down to Mexico for two weeks.  It was a great opportunity for our two new missionaries to be in a foreign country, to interact with their new team members, and to go to a few villages.  The trip was also good for me as it helped me grow in confidence as a leader.  I also felt like our team grew closer together during those two weeks.

Once we got back from Mexico with our whole team, we have been getting ready for the Mountain Gateway Training Phase.  It has been quite a busy time as we have been making preparations, buying gear and food, sorting food, and training physically.  It has been an exciting process!

Here is what the training consists of:

Wilderness First Responder Course

Primitive Living Skills Phase

Backpacking Phase

Bible Training

Life and Hardship Skills Course

The purpose for the training is to prepare us for the unknowns of the mission field, for us to grow as a team, to learn how to communicate with our coworkers, to learn to resolve conflict, to learn how to receive feed back, and for us to grow as leaders and in character.

This is an exciting time!  I’m looking forward to growing as a person, and as a leader during this time.

Prayer Needs:

• Souls, healings, and deliverance for the people that we are trying to reach.

• That I would get to know Jesus in a deeper way, and that He would give me words to speak when I am talking with people about Him.

• For safety for our team while we are in the Wilderness training.

All for Jesus,

Jacob Hancock

Support Letter

 

April, 6 2012

Hi everybody!

First off I would like to thank all of you for walking with my family through so much.  We couldn’t do what we do without you.  So, Thank You! Y’all have been a true blessing to me.

I grew up on the mission field in the mountainous jungles of Mexico 14 out of my 18 years.  My life has been quite an adventure!  Even though I never got to play sports like a “normal” kid, I got to hike through the jungle to Indian huts to have church.  I’ve been able to see miracles as broken lives have been completely transformed.  I’ve had the privilege of seeing the Gospel played out just like the early church. I am extremely blessed and I wouldn’t trade my life, and its experiences, for anything.

In September 2010,  I was up on a mountain praying for clarity and direction in my life when Jesus spoke to me.  He told me that I was supposed to work with Mountain Gateway right after high school.

I had contemplated doing an internship with my home church while going to a community college, then after a year or two, going into ministry in Mexico working with my dad.  Jesus changed all that.

I have now finished high school, which leads me to write this letter.  I am so happy to be finished!  An ever changing schedule made getting school done a challenge.  Now I am beginning the next phase in my life:  full time ministry.

I will be working in Mexico doing pioneer church planting and helping my dad with missionary training.  Pioneer church planting is where we go to a village, raise up disciples, and establish a local pastor in that church.  Our goal is for the churches to be able to stand and grow on their own.  Our goal is making disciples, just like Jesus commanded us to.

I am embarking on a great journey, and I would like to ask you to pray and consider walking with me on this journey.  I need a prayer and monthly financial support base to do what Jesus has called me to do.  Please pray and consider supporting me monthly.  It would be a huge blessing.  If you would like to continue to receive updates from me, please email me your contact information at jacob.hancock@mountaingateway.org.

if you would like to support me, you can give by check or online.

Please send your checks to the following address, made out to Mountain Gateway and designated for Jacob Hancock.

 

Mountain Gateway

4301 West William Cannon Dr.

Suite B 150-300

Austin, TX 78749

To give online, click on www.onechapel.com/mountain-gateway. “click here to give” button.  Register a user account and chose “Jacob Hancock” from the drop down list.

I’m excited about this journey I am on.

Jesus bless you,

Jacob Hancock

jacob.hancock@mountaingateway.org