Casa de Esperanza
A Koenes Ministries Outreach
Mission Statement
Through short term missions teams, servant leaders will have a hands on experience to ministry. They will witness missionaries in action and will work along side them in the ministry. The discipleship model is to share the Biblical principles while they are being carried out.
Casa de Esperanza had it's beginnings many years ago as Brenda began leading missions teams down to Mexico. She would come down several days before the team arrived and arrange all of the work projects and ministry opportunities for the soon arriving teams. Feeling the pressure of arranging everything on such short notice basis and also immensely enjoying the experience of leading missions teams here in Mexico, the idea came of one day doing this full-time, perhaps in retirement.
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History
However, it seemed that God had a different timetable in mind and she found herself serving full time at the Baptist mission center in San Carlos, hosting short terms missions teams. Several years later, Brenda moved out on her own, renting a house and hosting the teams there.
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In 2004, God provided funds to purchase land and begin construction of the mission center now known as Casa de Esperanza. Through the help of many volunteers, teams, and financial support, this mission facility became a reality.
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Casa de Esperanza has become a year round facility with two very different "seasons". In the winter season more than a dozen groups from Canada and the U.S. will come through taking part in a variety of missions experiences from work projects to street ministry, all in partnership with the local Mexican churches. In the summer, while some Canadian and American groups do brave the heat, Casa de Esperanza becomes a retreat center for the local Mexican churches.
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The future? It is always exciting to think of what God has in store. As He continues His work through us in Mexico, he continues to expand Casa de Esperanza. In 2016 we expanded our dorms to house 56 mission team members, and a bodega for supplies. We are currently working on creating space and opportunities for pastors to find retreat and rejuvination.
Meet the Staff
Art & Brenda Koenes
Art and Brenda oversee the ministry, and have been with Casa de Esperanza right from the beginning. Brenda has been working in Mexico for over ten years, hosting short term mission teams in San Carlos, Mexico. Art walked onto the scene as the walls of the mission center were going up as a member of one of the missions teams only to find that he would be returning to stay a short time later!
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Brenda was raised in Estevan, SK and entered full time ministry upon graduation from Millar College of the Bible beginning in her home church. She served with Youth for Christ for nine years followed by four years as a dean at Peace River Bible Institute where she began to lead missions teams to Mexico. This opened the door for the hosting teams full time in San Carlos, Mexico, which she has now done for the past sixteen years.
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Art was raised in Grand Rapids, MI and later moved to Montana where he began grain farming. His call to full time came unexpected as he was part of a short term missions trip to Casa de Esperanza in the winter of 2005 and met his future wife, Brenda. Not long after that Art found himself serving full-time alongside Brenda. His life experiences has led him to lead and oversee the building projects, and he now finds himself spiritually leading the team and sharing his wisdom with everyone he encounters.
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Art and Brenda continue to spend their summers farming outside of Bozeman, MT and spend their winters serving in Mexico. Together they have created a strong foundation for leadership and mentoring in their team.
Juan Carlos and Maribel Olivera
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Juan Carlos has been working with Casa de Esperanza since 2009. Having grown up far from God, in a lifestyle of drugs, Juan Carlos was first drawn to a local church in Guaymas as he witnessed a team from Casa de Esperanza constructing a pastoral house for this church. Drawn to this church body and the example shown by the mission team, he soon came to know the Lord. With a firm grasp of English and a passion to serve the Lord wholeheartedly he came to join the ministry. With a passionate enthusiasm, Juan Carlos is the upfront evangelist and translator. He has a passion to share the Lord with those he encounters and is a valuable part of the team.
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Maribel joined the ministry in 2014 and graduated with a bachelors in psychology. She looks forward to combining her knowledge and her passion to speak life into the lives of women and children. Along with this, she helps both in the kitchen and with the administrative office to guarantee our ministry runs smoothly.
Daniel & Rebeca Baldwin
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Both Daniel and Rebeca Baldwin joined our team in 2015. Daniel grew up in Bozeman, Montana and participated in various short term mission trips that took him down to Mexico on several occasions. He loved combining his gift in problem-solving with his love for helping people and serving others. He has since learned that he had a passion for engaging other young people on how they can use their unique gifts to be more involved both in their communities as well as abroad on short term missions.
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Having served her whole life in missions with her family, Rebeca was looking for a place to call her home in ministry. She first committed to 3 weeks to helping us translate for an incoming team and God knew she was exactly what we needed in our ministry. We have enjoyed her passions for bringing both the staff and teams into deeper relationship with God.
Chuyita Patiño
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Chuyita originally came to work in the kitchen as our cook in the summer months in 2015. We quickly saw a woman with a heart for ministry who empowers people to work as a team and not give up on themselves so quickly.
Chuyita has brought a greatly diverse background and understanding to the people she comes into contact with. We asked her to join the team full time in the 2016. She has blossomed since joining and has found her love for fellowship with those she comes into contact with every day in the kitchen.
Peter & Liberty Klassen
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Peter joined our team as an intern in 2019 and Liberty joined our team in 2021. Their passion for God and serving others in a life of faithfulness impacts everyone they come in contact with.
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Peter was raised in Bolivia, which has made him adaptive to new cultures, experiences, and people. In 2012 his family relocated to Crystal City, Manitoba. He came down for some short term missions trips and ended up deciding to come down for a full season. His first language is low German and Spanish, with English being his third language, which has been an asset to our team.
When Libewith our team as she showed her dedication to serving the Lord and demonstrated her love for playing with kids. Although Liberty does not speak Spanish there seem to be no language barriers holding her back as she loves the kids that are on and off base.
Ramon Cuata
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Ramon joined our team in 2022 with plans to serve at the base for a little while and possibly going back to school. When the doors for going back to school did not open Ramon made the decision to stay at the base and continue to serve. Ramons vibrant personality helps him to connect with kids and youth. Ramon is very gifted and mature and loves sharing the word of God with adults that he encounters.
Ramon has invested a lot of time to a local mens rehab center where he encourages people that struggle with addictions to get clean but above all to give up those addictions to the Lord. Ramon's powerful testimony has touched many lives at the center.
Omar Murrieta
Omar has been a part of our team for a number of years. He has been serving at Casa de Esperanza year round and diligently helps out with any type of ministry opportunity that arises. Omar is quite and drawn back but this does not hold him back from evangelizing, Omar loves to talk personally one on one and discuss faith and the Bible and really connect with the people that he interacts.
Gregory Leystra
Greg has been part of our team as an intern since Feb 2023. Greg having grown up in a house where ministry was done often, got involved in children's ministry from a young age. Greg came down on countless Missions trips alongside his parents as they came down with their church from Chicago.
In 2023 Greg came down on one of his mission trips with Village Church and it was on this trip where God touched Gregs heart and drew him to serve here at Casa de Esperanza. Greg witnessed how God was working through the staff here at the base and how God was working in the lives of the people they ministered too. Greg decided to come back after his missions trip and intern for the rest of the season, as he spent time serving God kept molding his heart and Greg went all in. Greg now helps out with everything from doing house chores helping with kids programs or working on work projects.
Susanna Klassen
Susana joined our team as an intern in November of 2023. She has a deep passion for ministry and found her spot to serve as she joined the team.
Being raised ini Bolivia and Canada helped Susana relate with the different cultures she serves in while doing ministry. Wether it is the kids on the base or kids out in different villages Susana is able to connect with them and create a warm and welcoming environment for the kids.
Interested in interning with us?