About Paul & Ruth:

What a privilege it has been to be a part of Rancho Maranatha, Alamos, in Sonora, Mexico, these past several winters! We are so excited to see the ministry expanding as the Lord brings conviction through the teaching of the Word as Daniel Jones and others expound upon it. Truly there is revival going on in Mexico in all the areas we have visited. Fields are white unto harvest! "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few," as Matthew 9:37 says.

To introduce ourselves, we are Paul and Ruth Wallestad, married 40 years, have three grown children, and they have blessed us with eight wonderful grandchildren ranging in age from 8 to 16. We are both born and raised in the far north in Minnesota, and our official address is still Roseau, Minnesota. Paul has a background in construction work, having owned his own construction company for several years. He was forced into an early retirement nearly 20 years ago because of chronic back problems. Ruth was employed as Postmaster for more than 20 years, and was able to retire the one and only time early retirements were offered by the USPS on October 1, 1992. We sold our home, moved into our motor home and took to the open road, traveling to see the USA and many places in Canada. At the time, we really had no desire to go into Mexico, but God changed our focus.

After a couple years, we started praying for the Lord's leading in some ministry we could be involved with. Because of Paul's disability, we had to think this through and really hear from the Lord concerning what He would have us do. The summer of 1996 we saw an advertisement that Winter in Mexico caravans was looking for Missionary Helpers in Mexico, and we signed on to be a part of that caravan, leaving in January of 1997. It took only one trip to realize God's call upon our lives to be a part of missions in Mexico. We were hooked! We and the groups we have been part of these past six winters, have helped to build five different churches, two homes in Jusibampo, a Sunday School building in another ejido, painting and repair work at a church, a home, and at the Salvation Army orphanage in Mazatlan. But, it all started with the three bedroom addition that was built onto Dan Jones' home that first winter. That family has become very special to us, and it is so exciting to see how the Lord has used them in leading so many to himself!

The Jones' and those of us who have been working with them have been praying about other ministries that could be outreaches from the ranch, and in January 2000 the Lord impressed on our hearts the beginnings of what is now a Children's Home at Rancho Maranatha. As of February 2002, there are 20 children on the ranch.  All the kids come from abused or abandoned situations and come to us through the DIF, which is the social Services of Mexico.  It is both a blessing and a challenge to be grandparents of so many children for the six months we are in Mexico each winter. God is blessing in so many ways in providing personnel and finances as the needs arise!

 We are blessed to be under the umbrella of Go! Ministries now and consider this to be an answer to prayer, making it easier for donors to get a tax deduction for their gifts, and making them good stewards of their finances.

During the summers when we are in the states, we spend time with our children and grandchildren in southern California, Minnesota, and the UP of Michigan. While we are in Minnesota we share about the projects and needs in Mexico with the church families and our relatives, and the Lord has used that to bring in funds to accomplish the tasks at hand. People are also very generous in giving items of clothing for those less fortunate, and we also take cases of Spanish Bibles, testaments, tracts, donated bicycles and many other items that are so much appreciated south of the border. God has also opened different ministries through an RV club we belong to. There is a Christian fellowship group within the organization and we've been able to share at the rallies, and that has brought in funds for Mexico also.  Some years we have been able to have a Christian Literature Booth in the Market area of the rally, where we gave away literature and Gideon Testaments, since Paul maintains his Gideon membership at a camp back in Minnesota. This has always been a very rewarding time, and we are thankful for every opportunity God allows us to minister in this way.

Another ministry God has given us is to encourage Pastors and Christians in the everyday Christian walk, and we always carry a supply of tracts and testaments to hand out and place in strategic places. Our prayer is that each word and piece of literature will be a seed and that God will use it for His glory in leading individuals to Himself!

A Bible verse that we hold very dear is I Corinthians 15:58. "Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain!" We are thankful that we can be used of the Lord even in these retirement years!