Our Story: One Church, Two Languages

In October 2007, Iglesia Bíblica de Hoquiam was planted by Nathan and Julissa Cedarland and Carl and Consuelo Sorenson (Julissa’s parents). Julissa’s younger sisters, Mariela and Rosalia, though still in their teens, were also a part of the core team from the beginning. Nathan and Julissa had recently returned from church planting work in Mexico and sensed a clear call to plant themselves in Grays Harbor and to begin preaching the gospel to the Hispanic community living in the area. Their goal was to see a local Spanish-speaking church established, and as a clear sign of God’s provision, a parsonage and church building in Hoquiam were donated (months before they arrived to live there). Numerous families and individuals from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala began to attend the Sunday gatherings, and soon many new believers were baptized. Apart from the Cedarlands and Sorensons, everyone in the church was a first-generation believer in those early years. While the Spanish-speaking congregation never grew beyond 80 people, the gospel was preached to 1000’s of Hispanic immigrants in Grays Harbor and to over 100,000 online from 2007 to the present (2020). Many seeds have been planted, and we trust God with the outcome.

After functioning exclusively as a Spanish-speaking church for six years, the leadership began to see a need for starting an English-speaking branch as well. This need was committed to prayer and in the Spring of 2013 a small group of English-speakers began meeting weekly. This group, which included Carlos and Jamie Gonzalez, Brian and Karyn Mirante, Ben and Hannah Strong, and Mattaniah and Ericka Corban, became the core team for the planting of Kaleo Grays Harbor. The first English Sunday gathering was held in September 2013. From that time to the present, Kaleo has existed as a bilingual church family. Currently, Iglesia Kaleo meets on Sunday evenings following the English gathering.

Early in 2014, Jordan and Amy Hamblen began attending Kaleo and quickly became core members of our team. Jordan was appointed as an elder in 2016. After years of praying for another bi-lingual leadership couple, God sent Ben and Elena Jiménez to join our church family in July 2015. Ben now serves as an elder and preaching pastor to both the English and Spanish congregations.

Church Planting:

In 2018, Kaleo helped fund the planting of a gospel-centered church in Saltillo, Mexico under the leadership of Pablo Sánchez, and we continue to support this work to the present time.

In June 2020, Nathan Cedarland was sent out to lead a church planting work in southern Mexico. Kaleo continues to support the Cedarland family as missionaries in that region. You can read more about their work on our church planting page.