Just had to show ya…

Took a pic of the “welcome back” poster that Kiana made for Keila when she came back from Africa.  I just had to show you how great it looks.  “Bienvenida” is welcome and “Te Extrañamos” is we missed you. Great job, Kiana!

Who would have thought?

That’s what Tracey said when we saw who brought the 4 new youth to youth group.  Mari didn’t “seem” to fit in and had a hard time with last Saturday’s study.  But apparently she liked it so much that she convinced others on her street to come.   

 

And Sunday night?  Well, she showed up for the first time along with her new friend.  Tracey also met her mom when she picked them up, and several ladies on the street wanted to get to know Tracey – they seem to be Christians who have stopped going to church.

Kicked Out!

On Saturday, we got news from the owner that our meeting place was being rented for a party on Sunday afternoon.  Less than 24 hours, and we had to think of another place to meet and let the congregation know as well as the students of music and English.  What did we do? 

Yep, you got it; we moved all of our furniture out of our house and brought the church in.  It was a fun and inspiring service.  And we had some new guests that came to join us.  Pray that God provides us with permanent housing.

And God gave the increase…

We’ve been enjoying working with the youth group as a family.  This week, our group really grew when one of the girls invited her friends and more.  From our regular group of 8 we jumped to 12.  It was great to see some boys come too.  We’re studying Luke and making it as interesting as possible.  OK, so we studied Jesus’ birth – a bit out of season, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

Back to school?

In order to prepare for university level work, Keila is taking classes in the south of the city, a two hour commute by metro (subway).  This last Friday I took her in order to see what the trip would be like and to find out where it was located.  Despite some pushing and shoving on the metro, which carries 8 million daily, we managed to arrive in one piece and a bit late.  

No head shot here, just a foot in the door.
Please pray for her safe travels into the city each week.

Just when things seem to slow down…

We got pictures from the La Presa church’s continued construction work.  As some might know, the Canadian team raised the funds for the materials and the local church is donating the manpower as time affords.  This week the local team finished tying together the metal structures that will support the roof.  We hope that very soon we’ll have pictures to show of the new roof in the Bread of Life church.

More to say on that…

On Sunday, Keila shared more on her trip to Malawi at 1More4Christ along with a video she put together.  She shared about her work there as well as fielded many interesting questions.  The questions seemed to never end and before we knew it, we were late for our English classes.  It was good to see how comfortable she was presenting about all that she had done this summer in Africa.

Coming home to Malawi

On Saturday, we had a youth meeting where Keila got to share about her time in Malawi.  Tracey gave some basic background about the country and the people and Keila brought it to life with her personal experiences.  The group ended the talk by coloring the flag of Malawi.  After that they ran an obstacle course out side of our home reminiscent of the one Keila’s team put together in Malawi for those interested in following Christ.  There were lots of laughs as neighbors looked on. The girls were wearing a “chitenje” (wrap around skirt) and carrying water on their heads.

Going the Extra Mile…

Oh, did we mention that this summer we also offered health care?  We had some time after our VBS to teach both parents and kids about proper dental hygiene.  We offered free blood pressure tests and glucose tests for moms.  And we were able to give out vitamins for each family.  Thanks again, Byron United for the wonderful gifts. 

Clearing the Net

Kiana’s been going to volleyball practice.  As the youngest player she progressed well and the team has come to enjoy her company.  That's her serving.  As the summer ends, we’ll see if she has time to continue to play.  Good job, Kiana!

3 in 1 (+1)

One of the highlights of our Vacation Bible School in Los Heroes was seeing members of three congregations and one from Canada enjoying a time of fellowship and food in one small place.  Believers from each congregation now personally have friends in other churches.  On October 20, 2013 the mother church will celebrate over 20 years of service in their community and has invited us all to join in the festivities.  We wish our Canadian friends could join us too.

What a View!

I just saw some of Keila’s photos of her trip to Africa and they were amazing.  She said that she got up every morning at around 4:30 to spend time with a small group praying and singing.  With sights like these, I’d be inspired too.

Look Who’s Back!

 Yep, we picked up Keila at the airport Saturday afternoon.  She’s been gone from home for almost 2 months.  She began to share about her Malawi adventure.  Needless to say, she’s even more convinced of her vocational pursuit after serving the summer in Africa.

Looking for Someone

Our youth group went on an outing on Friday to a local mall to look for items that answer the question, “Who Am I?”  It was exciting to watch the newly forming group of adolescents fan out and take the place by storm.  We saw their determination and their boldness as Tracey and I hung around to oversee the activity.

Sea of Red

We’ve made our first round of visits to all of the families and kids that came to our VBS program.  We’ve had some wonderful surprises in the parents who have decided to study the Bible.  Soon we’ll have these kids back as part of our congregation along with their parents.

Working Apart Together

We’ve been cultivating different ones in our congregation to take on tasks in their area of excitement.  While Carmen enjoys taking time Tuesday afternoons to accompany Maria on visits, Kiana sees potential recruiting people for the worship team.  

Feeling the pressure…

I’ve been unable to catch up on the administrative aspect of the new congregation.  We spend most of our days visiting families.  So what’s the next step?  How do we bring balance to our work?

What’s cooking?

The youth were at our home on Friday for a meal and a study.  They learned to make “Taco Bell” style tacos and some muffins.  Kiana later mentioned, “I thought we were just having a good time.  I didn’t think about starting a youth group.”

Crossbeams

While visiting the Bread of Life church in La Presa on Sunday, we couldn’t help but notice that the frames were up for the crossbeams.  Pastor Ignacio said that the work crew would be in this week to finish the metal braces and pour the cement.  The crew’s goal is to finish the roof by the end of the month as promised to the Canadian team that donated to finish this addition to the building.

A Day of Rest: God wants to fellowship with us

On Sunday, Jasmin shared her first inspirational message with the congregation about setting time aside for God.  She seemed confident, natural and not nervous.  We trust that this is just the beginning of motivating the church by faithfully teaching His word.

“Just Wait 15 Days…”

On Friday, I went to turn in the last documents for our visa.  It’s been over 4 months since we first began this process.  While the trip was uneventful and it will require yet another visit in about a month’s time, it was a long day.  Thanks for your prayers all along the way.

“Hello!”

Two of our youngest students learning to play guitar and learning to speak English wanted to send these pictures to their new friends and brothers in Canada.

Chipping Away at the Same Old Block

Here we go again to Toluca to turn in documents that the government never told us we had to submit.  It’s been a frustrating, but God’s been faithful to keep us safe and help us learn more about the culture through these incomprehensible situations.  Thanks again for your prayers this Friday as we await our visas.

An Answer to Prayer

We’ve been praying for a new place to have our prayer meetings, a place closer to the people living near our rented facility.  God answered on Tuesday with Gerardo and Julieta opening their home on Thursdays for prayer.  Thanks, Lord, for their willingness to serve.

 When we visited them, they were fixing up their place with the intention to serve the Lord with their home.

Our Wednesday prayer meetings will continue to meet
to serve those living in Cedros, and adjacent neighborhood.