The following is a letter we received on January 24, 2021, with an update on Brad’s health situation.
Dear Central Family,
It’s been an unexpected journey – this season of dealing with cancer – Brad’s pancreatic cancer. We can get ourselves comfortable in thinking we know what the future holds, when in reality here on earth, we truly don’t know what any of us has before us.
However, this we do know.
We are so grateful that God loves us so greatly he put in place a plan for redemption for our greatest need of being sinners and consequently unable to have relationship with Him. We are so grateful for the gift of His Son. We are so grateful for Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s will for him, in his offering himself as a sacrifice for our sin, offering us that redemption. We are so grateful that God sent the comforter to dwell within us, upon our obedience to him. We are so grateful that he never leaves nor forsakes us in our times of difficulty.
And also at this time, we are so grateful for your continued prayers, cards of encouragement, gift cards, and phone calls as we meet this challenge for Brad’s health.
A bit of an update on Brad’s situation. Brad’s cancer upon diagnosis was Stage 1A. It was suggested he would have surgery to remove the tumor found. However, he was found not eligible for the surgery to remove the tumor found in the bile duct area because of the tumor being too close to arteries. Instead he has been involved in a four cycle plan of chemotherapy. He just this past week took his second treatment. He has some rough days in the days following chemotherapy, but feels fortunate to be able to manage those things so far. It is the doctors’ hope that the tumor will be reduced enough to follow up with surgery upon his completion of these four rounds of chemo. They will do a CAT scan at that time to determine if he is a candidate for the surgery. If not, he will be scheduled for four more rounds.
Efforts are being made to bring someone in to oversee Rio Bravo Christian Ministries in Mexico. More details will be shared when we have that information available Please continue to pray for the families that minister there: Antonio Preciado and family, Gerardo Romero and family and David Gonzalez and family.
Thank you.
Because of Christ, Brad and Linda Berg
Rio Bravo Christian Ministries exists for the purpose of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ along the north border of Mexico in the state of Coahuila.
In the year 2000, after several years of working with Mario Calderon of MBC Ministries both as short-term and full-time workers, Brad and Linda Berg began ministering in Mexico as Rio Bravo Christian Ministries.
The focus of this work has been: new church planting, evangelist financial support, training and teaching others, assisting other churches along the border with their teaching or building needs, providing disbursements of food, clothing and teaching resources as needed among the local churches and offering an opportunity for short-term mission service.
Two churches were planted and as of July of 2015, both are functioning independent of Rio Bravo Christian Ministries, as was the goal many years ago.
See their Facebook page for more information.