Reflecting on a Year of Love: Our 2025-2026 Annual Report
Review | Looking Ahead | Financials
Reflecting on a Year of Meaningful Impact
August 2025 — August 2026 Annual Report
Left: Story shared with permission: This young woman is a high school student who attended one of our events. She told me that her favorite book is the Bible and that she was almost finished reading it from cover to cover. She even brought her Bible with her to the event. It was encouraging to see her excitement about God’s Word and her desire to learn more.
More Than School Supplies: The Heart Behind RDA
If someone asked you, “What does Reflejo de Amor (RDA) do?” many people might answer, “They give out school supplies and Christmas gifts to children in need in the community.”
And while that answer is certainly true, RDA is about so much more than school supplies and gifts.
At the heart of everything RDA does is one primary goal: to share the love of Jesus Christ with children, their families, and the entire community.
We do this by building community, creating friendships, and developing genuine relationships with the people we serve. And what better way to bring people together than by meeting some of their most basic needs—providing food, school supplies, gifts, and opportunities for families to gather and enjoy time together?
We hope that when people come to an RDA event, they leave with more than a full stomach, a backpack full of supplies, or a Christmas gift. We hope they leave knowing that someone cares about them and, most importantly, that they have encountered the love of Jesus.
We want to plant seeds wherever we can. Sometimes we may not know when or how those seeds will grow, but we trust God to do the work.
A Small Gift With a Big Impact
One of the challenges RDA has faced at times is having the resources to provide Bibles at our events. While sharing the Gospel is always a central part of what we do, we haven't always been able to send a Bible home with everyone who hears the message.
That changed at one of our recent events.
This year, we were blessed with 50 Bibles, and all 50 were given out at a single event. What happened next was incredibly encouraging. We had the opportunity to watch people respond to the Gospel, begin reading their new Bibles, and take an interest in learning more about God's Word.
Those Bibles were more than books being handed out. They were an opportunity for people to continue exploring their relationship with Jesus long after the event was over.
And that is exactly why RDA exists.
We know God is working in this community. We may not always get to see the full impact of every seed that is planted, but moments like this remind us that God is at work and that even something as simple as giving someone a Bible can have an eternal impact.
So, the next time someone asks, “What does RDA do?”, we hope the answer goes beyond “They give out school supplies and Christmas gifts.”
We hope you’ll say:
“RDA shares the love of God with people in the community by building friendships and relationships, meeting practical needs, and creating opportunities for people to hear about and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.”
The school supplies and gifts are important. The food is important. The events are important.
But the relationships and the opportunity to point people to Jesus are what it's all about.
We can't wait to see what God continues to do through RDA and the community of Ensenada.
A year in review
New Adventures with Friends—Old and New
A lot has happened this year! I feel like we say that every year, but God is good and continues to bless RDA with new opportunities to serve, build relationships, and share His love with the community.
After wrapping up our 2025 school supply events in September, October brought something new for RDA: our very first RDA-led house build!
In previous years, RDA has partnered with Walk the Talk Missions and YWAM to help build homes for families in the community. This year, we were excited to host our own build.
Walk the Talk Missions came to Ensenada with a team and stayed for a week at the Agape Ministry Center. It was our first time hosting a team at Agape, and what a blessing it was! The center provided a wonderful place to stay, serve, worship, and connect with the community.
And they certainly made the most of their week! Along with RDA, the team built a home for a family, hosted games and Bible lessons at a local orphanage, participated in a prayer walk, distributed despensas (food packages), served lunch at the feeding program, installed a new cross at Pastora Tere's church, worshiped with the congregation, and provided haircuts and classes at the Reise Grams Memorial Classroom.
It was a busy week, but more importantly, it was a beautiful picture of ministry in action.
Another First: A New Team, New Friends & New Memories
Another exciting first was welcoming 20 people from Living Faith Church in Minnesota to Ensenada. While RDA is blessed to partner with many teams who come to support their own ministry projects, this was the first team to come specifically to support RDA and our ministry. It was special to have a group come to serve alongside us and help accomplish what God has called RDA to do.
Even though our time together was only 4 short days, we had an incredible time meeting new friends, serving together, and building relationships. Living Faith helped host two community events, serving children and families, sharing the Gospel, distributing school supplies, and creating a fun environment for everyone who attended.
One of the best parts was seeing how easily everyone connected. We didn't speak the same language, weren't all the same age, or come from the same background—but that didn't stop us from laughing, serving, and becoming friends.
It was a wonderful reminder that you don't have to speak the same language, be the same age, or come from the same place to build community. And most importantly, you don't have to have everything in common to share the love of God.
Living Faith also blessed RDA with new tables, chairs, tents, and a speaker for our events. This generous gift will make future events easier to prepare for and allow us to spend less time finding and renting equipment and more time focusing on the families we serve. We are so thankful for the Living Faith team and look forward to growing this new friendship and welcoming them back next year!
Looking back at these experiences, we are reminded that ministry isn't always about the biggest project or largest event. Sometimes it's about a school supply bag, a meal, a haircut, a Bible lesson, a prayer, or simply sitting down and getting to know someone.
Every interaction is an opportunity to build a relationship and reflect God's love—and we are grateful for every opportunity God gives RDA to do just that.
More highlights from this year
October 2025: Egla helped coordinate a special quinceañera for a young girl with support from local businesses and community members.
November–December 2025: Hosted 9 Christmas outreach events, serving 450 children.
January 2026: Egla partnered with Walk the Talk Missions and YWAM on another house build and helped establish a food pantry at Pastora Tere's church.
February 2026: RDA installed shelves and stocked the new food pantry with donated food.
March 2026: RDA installed a concrete drainage system around a home to help prevent flooding, with materials provided by Walk the Talk Missions.
April–July 2026: Fundraised and prepared for school supply events while continuing to support local schools, the Utah team, and hair classes at the Reise Grams Memorial Classroom.
August 2026: Hosted 9 events for 450+ kids. We added a new RDA board member; Isabel has been serving with us for many years. Her company donates all the buns and desserts for our events.
What Our Future Holds
Looking Ahead: 2026–2027
The 2026–2027 year is already shaping up to be another busy and exciting year for RDA! As we look ahead, we are excited about the opportunities God is already placing in front of us—and, as always, we are looking forward to seeing what He has in store that we don't know about yet!
In October, January, and April, we will once again partner with Walk the Talk Missions to support their missions and help build homes for families in the community.
We will also continue two of RDA's biggest annual outreach programs: our school supply events and Christmas events. We hope to welcome the Living Faith Church team back to Ensenada to help with some of our school supply events.
Egla will continue helping with the hair classes at the Reise Grams Memorial Classroom and hopes to continue working with the team from Utah if they can return to Ensenada this year.
Growing RDA for the Future
While we are excited about the ministry opportunities ahead, Egla and Carlos are also working hard to build a stronger and more sustainable foundation for RDA.
One long-term goal is obtaining official Mexican charitable organization status, which requires RDA to demonstrate at least $1,000 in monthly income or find a non-profit sponsor in the U.S. We are incredibly grateful for our current monthly supporters, and we will continue working toward this goal.
We are also pursuing U.S. visas for the entire family. Due to changes in visa requirements, the family must now apply together at a cost of approximately $550 per person.
These goals would help RDA grow and become more sustainable. U.S. visas would allow Egla and Carlos to open a U.S. bank account and P.O. box, making it easier for people in the United States to support RDA. They would also allow the family to visit Minnesota, connect with ministry partners, and share RDA's story with more people.
These are big goals, but we serve a big God. He has provided for RDA again and again, and we trust Him to continue providing what is needed, when it is needed.
Prayer Requests
As we look toward the coming year, we would love for you to join us in prayer.
Pray for the health and safety of the RDA team. Please pray for God's protection over Egla, Carlos, their family, RDA volunteers, and everyone who partners with the ministry.
Pray for the people we meet. Every RDA event is an opportunity to share the Gospel. Pray that each conversation, meal, gift, and event plants a seed and draws people closer to God.
Pray for continued financial support. God has always been faithful to provide what RDA needs, and we are incredibly thankful for everyone who gives, volunteers, and prays. Last year, several events had to be canceled due to limited funding. Please pray that RDA has the resources needed to pursue the opportunities God places before us and continue building a more sustainable foundation for the ministry.
Most of all, we trust God's timing and His plan. We may not always understand why a door opens or closes, but we know He is faithful. We are grateful for everyone who continues to stand with RDA and are excited to see what God has in store. We know He has big things planned, and we can't wait to see them unfold!
Financial Transparency
Financial Overview
RDA's outreach events are made possible through the generosity of donors, ministry partners, and volunteers. The fundraising goals below represent the estimated funding needed to fully support each outreach if RDA had to purchase all food, supplies, and other event items with cash. Actual cost reflects the cash spent by RDA and does not include the value of donated goods. Generous in-kind donations of school supplies, food, toys, and other items helped reduce the amount RDA needed to spend. Because the value of these donated items cannot always be tracked, it is not included in the totals below.
2025 School Supply Events
Events planned: 15
Events held: 14
Children served: 557 school-age children
Original goal: 600+ children
Fundraising goal: $10,000
Actual cash cost: $4,300
One event was canceled because we did not have enough funding or donated resources to cover the remaining need.
2025 Christmas Toy Events
Events planned: 10
Events held: 9
Children served: 450
Original goal: 500+ children (birth–16 years old)
Fundraising goal: $10,000
Actual cash cost: $3,500
One event was canceled because we did not have enough funding or donated resources to cover the remaining need.
2026 School Supply Events
Events planned: 11
Events held: 9
Children served: 456 school-age children
Original goal: 550+ school-age children
Fundraising goal: $10,000
Actual cash cost: $3,400
Two events were canceled because we did not have enough funding or donated resources to cover the remaining need.
2026 Christmas Toy Events — Upcoming
We are already planning our 2026 Christmas outreach!
Projected events: 10
Projected children served: 450 -500 children, ages birth–16
Overall fundraising goal: $10,000
Other Ministry Expenses
Not every ministry expense fits neatly into a school supply or Christmas event budget. RDA also has ongoing costs that allow us to serve the community and support visiting mission teams throughout the year.
These expenses may include:
Transportation and fuel: Gas for traveling to and from community events, ministry projects, schools, and other locations throughout the area
Food for ministry teams: Meals and refreshments provided for visiting mission teams while they are serving with RDA
Food for community members: Meals provided to families and community members during house builds, outreach events, and other ministry projects
House-building support: Materials, tools, transportation, and other supplies needed for construction projects when they are not covered by a partnering organization
Community outreach: Food, supplies, and other materials used for smaller outreach opportunities such as the Quinceañera throughout the year
General ministry needs: Printing, communication, event supplies, and other everyday expenses that help RDA operate and stay connected with the community
These expenses may not always be as visible as a school supply event or a Christmas giveaway, but they are an important part of keeping the ministry moving.
How You Can Help!
How You Can Help
PRAY! Prayer is one of the most important ways you can support RDA. Please pray for the funding we need, the health and safety of our team and volunteers, and for God to work through every event and ministry opportunity. Most importantly, pray for the children and families we serve—that the seeds planted through each event would grow and lead people into a relationship with Jesus.
DONATE! Every gift makes a difference! As we wrap up our school supply events, we are already turning our attention to fundraising for our Christmas outreach. Whether you can give $10, $50, or more, every donation helps provide food, gifts, and opportunities to share God's love with families in the community. Check out our website for more information on how to donate.
SHARE! Help us spread the word! Please share this newsletter and information about RDA with your friends, family, church, and anyone who might be interested in supporting the ministry. The more people who know about RDA, the more opportunities we have to build relationships and share God's love.
There is always room for another prayer, another supporter, and another person willing to help!
Reflejo De Amor 📞 +52 646-101-4242- Egla
📞 1-651-208-4171- Becky ✉️ reflejodeamor19@gmail.com 🌐 www.reflejodeamor.com
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