Report of Family Missions Team

The team left for Mazatlan yesterday morning were they'll spend a couple of days before flying back to Virginia. It was an amazing time. Different because we've never hosted a family team before and it was very encouraging to see everyone ministering; the adults to the adults, youth to youth, and children to children. There was an interesting dynamic with adults who were focused on ministering in other ways besides construction. The children and youth did the dramas and puppets, they did the VBS with the help of a couple adults, and the adults ministered with a Marriage Conference the day before they left. What a time! On top of that, Francesc Castillo from Spain came with his son. Francesc "Paco" is an incredible guitar player and gave a concert after the marriage conference. He also was able to spend about an hour with a few people who are working on their voice skills. He had some great input and the youth are putting it into practice. I will miss Paco. He is a very delightful person to be around. He doesn't have any prejudices, he's very encouraging, and has a warm refleccion of Christ in his life. Thanks Paco!


Paco and I


Rebecka with some youth from the team that she didn't want to see leave.

Enouraging Email

When we were in Arizona working on the truck. We received an encouraging email from Dave Elias, the Missions Director in Cofradia. The problem with the truck was with the rear axle. The email stated:

We are praying for your “rear end!”

What an encouragment!!!! :) Have a great day everyone and laugh a little.

Merry Christmas

It's been a busy past couple of days. We have a team of Families here for Christmas from Virginia. It has been nice to have them here. They are some real quality people, wonderful examples for the community, and an inspiration to all of our staff. Along with them is a father and son from Spain. He is a very talented classical guitarist and singer and is a lot of fun to be with. This morning I had him over for coffee to sit and chat a while, very interesting man. He was led to the Lord by one of team members from Virginia 30 years ago. This is the first time they've met up again in over 20 years. What a story.


Paco getting ready for the outreach in Mojocuautla.

The team has had a couple of outreaches; one in Arrayanes and another in the Inidan village of Mojocuautla. This afternoon I will be interpreting for a Family Life Marriage conference and in the eveing Paco (the Spaniard) will give a concert. The team takes off tomorrow to go to Mazatlan for a couple of days before flying out.

We had a short time as a famliy together yesterday afternoon opening presents. Gena's family is here and it's a joy to have them as well.


Rebecka loved opening presents!


Merry Christmas Everyone!

Exciting Times for Seahawk fans

Ever since I was a little kid I've always wanted to see the Seahawks do good. I spent most of the afternoon on the internet following their game against the Colts today. It was great to see them win the game in spite of the fact that the Colts were missing three starters and their head coach wasn't able to be there. Anyway, they're 13-2 and I don't think they've been there before. I guess this means home-field advantage (and it will be an advantage) througout the play-offs. It will be exciting to see how they do.

They've finished!

The youth that started the discipleship course last January finished everything last night. Five of them made it through, plus Gena and I. It was a lot of fun and I'm impressed with how they kept going through the difficult times. Some of them got discouraged, but they kept on going and I'm really proud of them!

Their next step is to continue practicing what they've learned. Soon our Missionary and Pastoral staff will have a meeting with them, informing them of the different ministries there are and how they can fit in. Then, after praying about it, they will choose what area of ministry they want to work in (ie. children, youth, worship, etc.). I'm excited to see how it will turn out. They will also choose a mentor who will help them in their walk with God, counselling, advising, and encouraging them in what they're doing. It should be a lot of fun!


Julio, Esteban, Gena, Goyo, Ruben, Mili, Sandra

A GREAT BUNCH OF YOUNG PEOPLE!

Saturday's Youth Event

This was the biggest youth event we've had so far. We invited a church from Sinaloa to bring their youth. They showed up late Friday night in two small minivans after a 5 hour drive. There were 22 youth, 4 adults, and 4 children...IN TWO SMALL MINIVANS!

Saturday morning we started with games between 6 teams. This was the first time our youth were "leaders" of a team and they really enjoyed it. Each team played three different games against the other five teams; that's 15 games a piece! It took just under two hours and after they were done our youth invited the youth from Sinaloa into their homes to eat lunch. It was a great time of fun fellowship.

In the afternoon, we all got together again at the church for a service along with many youth who weren't able to make it to the games in the morning. The service went great! The excitement and enthusiasm of the youth added to the extraordinary time of worship we had in God's presence. It was pretty powerful. A 16 year old young lady from Sinaloa preached about Joshua and being strong and couragous to take over the land (or town) that God has given the youth. Very good message! We ended with a time of worship and a challenge to allow God to have more of our life than we have already given him. Wish everyone could have been there!

Broom Hockey turned foot hockey. One of the brooms busted, so they used their feet to kick a football into the opponent's goal. The referee would call out a number and if it was yours, you needed to run out, touch the edge of the goal and go kicking. It was a riot because as you know, a football doesn't roll straight.

Random Volleyball was another game they played. The referee would take a piece of paper with a number on it out of a bag and whatever number that was, that's how many times you had to hit the ball before passing it over the net. This was pretty interesting and got everyone involved.

Kleenex Race was probably the funniest and funnest. Each team formed a line and they had to pass the Kleenex in the air without using their hands from one side of the room to the next. Lots of laughs.

Not a good quality picture, but a good picture of what worship was like in the afternoon. Just about everyone was really into blessing God. It was very encouraging to see some youth who haven't expressed themselves in worship in a while do so that afternoon. What a wonderful time and what a blessing!

Just before the Sinaloa team was to leave, many gathered together for a group picture. This will be one of the most memorable evenings for everyone for a long time.

Last Thursday Night

Last Thursday night we finished one of our discipleship classes. The students did really well and are excited about continuing. This class used the first book of the Navigator's 2:7 series and learned the importance of reading the bible, prayer, fellowship, and testifying.

Ana Yadira, Jose Luis, Esteban, Pedro

Our Trip to the Border

Every six months we need to go to the border to renew car permits and visas. Usually, it is a one week trip, this time it lasted three weeks.

Waiting...


On our way to Arizona, we had been on the road for about an hour and got stuck in a line of traffic waiting for a tow-truck to clear a big tractor trailer off the road that had tipped over. Just ahead is a very dangerous curve that wraps around the hill you see. The wait was only just over a half-an-hour, but this is a common occurance in Mexico. Tractor trailers are always going off the road...as you can see there is no shoulder :)

Right away when we arrived in Arizona I made an appointment for the truck to have it's routine oil change and have them check a leaking differential. You pretty much know the story if you've been able to read some of our past blogs. We needed a different differential and had to wait for it to arrive, an open space at the mechanic's to get it fixed, and Thanksgiving. That was in a way kinda nice because we ended up renting a car and going to Gena's sister's house near L.A.


Rental car--2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. It got 35 miles per gallon! Very economical and it was fun to drive.


Julia, Jessica, Katherine, Rebecka, and Jeanette.

Rebecka had so much fun playing with her cousins! She didn't want to leave.

After we got back to Tucson and returned the rental car, we waited for the truck to get finished. Bob and Dorothy have a playground in their back yard from having babysat for over 25 years as a profession. Rebecka had a lot of fun back their playing.

We are back in Cofradia now and very busy. We have a youth event coming up this weekend, Gena's mom and niece arrived on Monday, and we have a team showing up next week for Christmas.

Getting Ready for Christmas

We put up the tree Tuesday evening (Gena's birthday) and Rebecka was sooo excited! After we got the tree prepared to put decorations on it, we asked her if she would like to decorate it. With her eyes bigger than her head (slight exageration) and excitement beeming from her face, she said, "Let's go find it!" (referring to the decorations). I took her out to the bodega and got the box we had the decorations in and she ran out to tell Gena, "Mommy, mommy, I found it!" She was so excited. We then proceeded to take out decorations, put the lights on, the bulbs and she opened one of her gifts from Dorothy Micher (our host when we go to Tucson, AZ) and was thrilled to see that it was a Hallmark barbie ornament. She proudly put it on the tree and shows everyone who comes over. It was a great night. We put all the presents my parents sent to us under the tree and now Rebecka is anciously awaiting Christmas to be able to open them.

Working

Jose Angel "Chupa" is one of our youth. He didn't have school this morning so he came by to help us do some things. We are tearing down the temporary carport we used for the trailer and will be using some of the scraps for other things. Chupa right as I write is sanding down some boards we used on the old carport so I can secure Rebecka's bed with some railings so she doesn't fall out.

We also have Gena's brother, Hugo, here today working on one section of the front porch floor. Maybe I'll send a picture later??

It's Cold

Woke up this morning and needed a sweater! It seems like everyone is battling colds and trying to keep healthy. However, the cool air is a nice change for here.

We're getting back into normal life; disciplship classes, worship practices, visiting people, etc. It's been nice to have had a rest, and it's nice to be back.

I was talking to one of the youth last night who plays drums for us. He has been kind of stand-offish which is not like him at all. I was concerned that I had offended him or he had done something wrong and expected me to confront him about somthing. After talking last night, come to find out that he is going through what most teenage Christians go through at one point or another. He mentioned that right before we came back, his friends from school were making fun of him and telling him that he shouldn't be hanging out with the Christians..."you cannot go anywhere in life as a Christian," they told him. That hurt his feelings and so he shyed away for a little bit. After our talk last night he was encouraged. The truth is, you can't have life without being a Christian. Please pray for Jose Luis.

Back in Cofradia

We arrived in Cofradia Saturday evening. The trip went well, and the truck runs great! Sunday service was really good. Pastor Goyo is doing so well with his preaching. The Holy Spirit is speaking through him very passionatly...it's a lot of fun. We've been working on getting back into the swing of things these past couple of days. Lots of stuff to do. This is all for now. We are all doing well.

Off To Cofradia!

They finished the truck late afternoon and we're ready to go. We'll be heading out early to cross the border and drive as far as we can arriving in Cofradia sometime on Saturday. Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. Thank you so much for your prayers.

The Differential...$1,162; Other parts and Labor...$689; New Tires...$106; Tie-Rod...$41; Total costs...$1,998; Great customer service from the mechanics and salesmen...priceless!

A special thanks to Mike and Pat at Alignment, Brake and Suspension and Don at Aviation Auto for making this a lot easier than it would have been. They are some of the greatest guys in the business!!!

More Truck stuff

I called the mechanic this morning because I didn't hear anything yesterday after we talked on the phone. He said they got another axle for the truck and all they have to do now is align everything. It should be done this afternoon.

Truck Update

Just got off the phone with the mechanic. The replacement differential has a bent axle. The salesperson who sold me the differential is not in until the afternoon. There is a warranty, but we need an axle or a different differential. I don't know what's going to happen, but labor costs will be much higher than anticipated. I'll know more this afternoon. It looks like the earliest we could be out of here is tomorrow afternoon now. We are soooo anxious to get back to Cofradia. We're just trying to take advantage of much needed rest time. God is in control and He knows the reasons for all of this. May He be glorified!

The Truck

I called the mechanic today to see how everything was going. He said it was going. They won't be finished until tomorrow at the earliest. They finished the differential today, however, the drive shaft is damaged as well. He said they were trying to fix it so I would have to order another one. Fun. This may end up being a little more than the 1500 dollars we planned on. Oh well, God is faithful.

Los Angeles

We rented an economy vehicle, 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, and went to Perris (east of LA), CA to visit Gena's sister Julia for thanksgiving. It was a great time. Rebecka was soooo excited to be with her cousins and Gena and Julia had a good visit. I preached at Julia's church on Friday night about John 15...being connected to Christ. We came back to Tucson on Saturday, went to Bob and Dorothy's church on Sunday and watched the Seahawks accidently win against the Giants. Today is monday and the truck is getting worked on finally and should be done sometime tomorrow, given that nothing else needs to be ordered for it. We finished our errands today and we'll have time to rest and wait until the truck is done now. Thank you for your prayers.

Arryanes Church Robbed

We just received word that last Thursday, one of our churches was robbed. They broke in through bending the security bars and opening the door from the inside. They took a brand new bass guitar (which belongs to one of the youth), the bass amp, a cassette player, the transformer for our piano and oddly enough, the clock. A police report has been made up, however there has been no action taken. This is the same church that was set on fire a few weeks ago. Please pray for the church body to not let this become something that will discourage them in their faith or point fingers. We know that the enemy likes to stir up dissention.

Update

A lot has happened this week. Our stay in Arizona has been extended due to some problems with our truck...some $1500 problems :). Last Friday I was at the point of wondering what we were going to do and how we were going to take care of this bill. Also, the part was very hard to find because the vehicle is a 2005. Now I know why we got such a great deal on it :). God is faithful, in the midst of not knowing what was going to happen, some friends of ours through casual talk, said they would help take care of it. Just about 100% of our bill has been paid for! This was so exciting and overwhelming! God is faithful!

The same day we had some more exciting news. A friend gave me a miter saw...the exact one that I had been looking at (more like dreaming about) in Sears. What a blessing! They also gave us some more essentials to be able to stay for another week.

We hope to be returning to Mexico next Tuesday. Because of the Thanksgiving holidays, the mechanic is not open. We are still waiting for the part (a whole differential) to come. It should be here within a couple of days.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!

ARIZONA

We made it to the border and in to Tucson. We had a good, safe trip and everything we great. We'll be running quite a few errands the next few days. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to rest a bit and relax.

We are staying with Bob and Dorothy Micher who are always very hospitable to us. A great place to relax and neat people to visit with.

Lots to do...

EL RETO FINAL (The Final Challenge)

The game ended today...

Cofradia... It ended very exciting and everyone got involved. We had three more students arrive that haven't been there for a while; it was great to have them there! It was a very good time of "teachable moments" that came up. One specifically was of someone cheating...what an opportunity to talk about how cheating does not help you in life--especially in your relationship with God. You cannot cheat your way to heaven, there is only ONE WAY--JESUS CHRIST! There were some other great moments and The Challenge turned out to be a great success of bringing back youth who haven't been involved for a while in Cofradia. The team that had a member cheat, lost.

Arrayanes... More teachable moments. Especially for one of the leaders who was struggling with her team's disunity and non-participation. Gena and I had a chance to talk with her before the church service about things that happen while we are in leadership. Sometimes it's very hard to be in leadership when most of your "team" is grumbling at you (sounds like a familiar Bible study--Moses??). The Challenge in Arrayanes did not have the excitment at the end like it did in Cofradia, but the team that was behind all evening was only behind a few points the whole time and they could never catch up. So, in spite of having a team that was, in general, non-participative, there was one member of that team who didn't want to lose and was faithful until the end and that team won.

November Newsletter

We finished our November newsletter today and if you have not received it yet, you will be receiving it shortly.

Prayer request update

Thank you for your prayers for Gena, her cold is pretty much gone. However, now she is battling a really soar toothe ache. Keep her in your prayers. We are off to Arizona tomorrow morning and pain is not a fun thing have while you're travelling.

Run to the Border

Monday we'll be leaving really early to go to Arizona to renew the car permit and personal visas. We should be there for a week. Keep us in your prayers for travel and health.

Church Truck Proposal

Here is a proposal we put together for a church truck for the Arrayanes Church. Can you help?





Arrayanes Church Vehicle Proposal

A need of a church with a mission.

Its Functions

1.) Outreach
Each Friday the church in Arrayanes makes a trip to the Indigenous village of Mojocuautla to do a Bible study. Mojocuautla lies about 7 miles into the mountains from Cofradía and is 100% Korah Indian. This ministry is realized by the Arrayanes Church Members and they are very excited about the opportunity to minister to these people.

2.) Short-Term Mission involvement
When short-term mission teams are here, the Arrayanes church has minimal involvement because of transportation issues. This vehicle would provide the opportunity for involvement in Short-term missions by the Arrayanes Church.

3.) Celebration services in Cofradía
We have a celebration service in Cofradía. Many times, we have to leave a town out because of the lack of transportation. This would provide an opportunity for the Arrayanes church to have dependable transportation to the Cofradía church.

4.) The Big Picture
Our plan in the future is to have a church service in Cofradía involving as many surrounding towns as possible. Arrayanes would be one of those towns and this would provide the opportunity to come and invite others.


An economic full size Chevy or Ford ½ ton pick-up 1995 or older





PO Box 5835 Goodyear, AZ 85338 1-800-507-4873

Worship Practice

Yesterday's worship practice went very well. I'm trying to get involved as much as possible the two that will be singing. I had them sing a verse here and there for practice and they did very well. There are still some rough edges which is challenging me because teaching voice lessons is not a huge strength of mine. They are doing great though. Please keep Chupa and Mili in your prayers as they grow in their giftings. Also, that they would know how to depend on God for their abilities. I'm really excited about this!!!

Prayer

Please keep Gena in your prayers. She has had a bad cold for the past 5 days.

The Carport

We finally finished the carport. I had a little help from Pastor Gollo and Doug and we were able to finish it Saturday afternoon. What a learning experience! We still haven't finished our front porch yet, we need to poor the cement slabs and put the roof on as well. More stuff to learn:).

EL RETO (The Challenge)

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a game we're playing in Sunday School called, El Reto. It's been a lot of fun, the youth are having a good time and some that don't come anymore, have come back. Each week they have a bible study and then we do games. Yesterday we did a bunch of food contests to see who could eat something they don't like the fastest.
We had...the worms: overcooked, sticky spaghetti covered with Olive Oil and ground Flaxeed (many people here do not even like spaghetti cooked the normal way).

We had...bread covered in mystery cream: This was just a piece of wheat bread with TONS of peanut butter (they don't like peanut butter here).

We had...a mystery beverage: Ice cold, throat-burning, Dr. Pepper (everyone says it tastes like medicine).

The final challenge was to determine which team would have to clean up the mess. Each team was given a whole watermelon and they had to bust it open with their hands and eat the whole thing. The first team to eat it, won. The loosing team had to clean up the mess. They enjoyed themsleves.

Youth Worship Leaders!

The Youth have been growing leeps and bounds! I'm pretty excited about what the future is bringing. Gena and I will be going to Washington in February to have the baby. Meanwhile, there will not be a worship leader here in Cofradia nor in Arrayanes for the Sunday Services. When I let the youth know that, one of the girls said she would give it a try (something I have been hoping and praying for). Last Sunday, we were singing a worship song and I stopped and told her to continue...she did great! I was actually really surprised. So, we'll be working with her to develop some more skills and she'll be leading worship in Arrayanes church while we're gone. That left only Cofradia without a worship leader, I asked one of the youth if he would be interested in singing...at first he said no, but I mentioned that Mili (the girl in Arrayanes) will be doing it there and that encouraged him...he wants to do it now (something I had been hoping and praying for). He is definately the leader of the band when I'm not around. Yesterday during music practice, I had him lead the band in one of the songs...he did a great job! He still has some skills to perfect as well, but the main ingredient is there for both of them...the heart!


Liliana Emilia "Mili"

Jose Angel "Chupa"

Please pray for these two individuals as they grow in the giftings.

Catching Up

We're still here! I've been a little busy with lots of things going on (a normal thing). Last week Pastor Goyo and I semi-finished there bathroom (the sink connection is left) and tomorrow I hope to get the roof on our carport...something that has been waiting for a while. We also got a piece on our truck fixed that stahled us in some errands last week. Fun stuff!

On Monday we went to Tepic to get a few things done in town. I had a Dr. Appointment for my ear with a specialist. Great doctor and I was very pleased with how he treated me and the advice he gave me. As he was looking in my ear, there was a camera attatched to the tool he was looking through, so I was able to watch everything he did! It was really cool! He showed me what the problem was (fungus) and he cleaned it up and gave me some instructions for the next SIX months. I was very pleased.

Gena also went to the Dr. for the new baby. Everything is going well.

Ministry Opportunities

Alternative Missions is growing. That means our ministry here in Cofradia will be growing as well. Has God called you to the mission field and are you looking for a place to minister? Please pray about these opportunities here in Cofradia:

Administrative Assistant
http://www.alternativemissions.com/Staff/Staff%20Opportunities.ashx?p=72&195_job=15,
Construction/Maintenance Director
http://www.alternativemissions.com/Staff/Staff%20Opportunities.ashx?p=72&195_job=16,
Coordinator of Hostess Services
http://www.alternativemissions.com/Staff/Staff%20Opportunities.ashx?p=72&195_job=14,
Short-Term Missions Coordinator
http://www.alternativemissions.com/Staff/Staff%20Opportunities.ashx?p=72&195_job=13,

There are more opportunities at the Alternative Missions website under Staff Opportunities in other locations as well.

Discipleship Class Quote

On Tuesday nights, level 2 of our discipleship program meets at our house. There are three students who are studying “Growing Strong in the Family of God.” It’s the Navigator’s 2:7 Course, book one. We studied last night about how Christ needs to be in the center of our life and that there are obstacles that don’t allow us to do so. For me when I was in Jr. High and early High School, it was to be accepted by my peers. When I decided to serve Christ 100%, that’s what I had to let go. Here’s a quote that makes a lot of sense that comes out of this study:

“Christ is present in all Christians;
Christ is prominent in some Christians;
But in only a few Christians is Christ preeminent.”

Pastor Goyo's House

We’re bringing Pastor Goyo’s house to a close. We’ve been working on his bathroom when we get chances. Tomorrow we should be done putting in the toilet, sink, and other fixtures. He’s going to grout the shower today. It’s looking pretty nice. I’ll have pictures when everything is done.

EL RETO (The Challenge)

"Las Ballenas" (The Whales). Taken from the story of Jonah and the whale. They lost the first Reto Final in Cofradia.

"Los Desobedientes" (The Disobedient Ones). Taken from the story of Jonah and the whale. They lost the first Reto Final in Arrayanes.

We started a game last week with the youth Sunday School. We're calling it El Reto (The Challenge). There are two teams in each town (Cofradia and Arrayanes). The towns do not compete against each other so there will be two winning teams. They had to name their team after a Bible Story. Interestingly enough, the two teams that lost the Final Challenge on Sunday had chosen the same Bible Story. They are having a lot of fun. It will last five weeks and this Sunday will be week #2. One of the purposes is to bring a bit of change to the normal time of just bible study and bring back some youth who are no longer involved. They are getting points for a number of different things such as attendance, bringing Bibles, bringing friends, and there is a fundraiser involved (penny wars). We also have a devotional and a quiz the next week, a main game, and at the end of the class there is El Reto Final. They cannot win points in this, but the losing team has to do some kind of work on the church property. This past week, one team had to wash one of the ministry vehicles, the team in Arrayanes had to clean a piece of the yard with machetes. They lose points for not coming. They really enjoyed themselves last weekend and are looking forward to this Sunday. I am looking forward to it as well.

Busy

It's been a very busy week. I'm still not finished with Pastor Gollo's tile and it looks like I won't get a chance to get to it again until Friday and Saturday. I had a great meeting this morning with my mentor, Doug, who is helping me to figure out a way to work out my schedule better. I have sensed I need to change the way I'm doing things a little for the past couple of weeks, and he basically has confirmed it by giving me new ideas, and some I've been already thinking about. He is a huge blessing to have here. I'm continuing to learn how to be an effective leader.

I'm looking into going to Tepic to have a specialist look at my ear. Every year around this time, I get infections, it plugs up, I can't hear, etc. So, instead of taking the advice of a student doctor here in town (every one we've had has given me different ways to take care of it), I think I need to see someone who actually has been in practice for a while and really knows what they're talking about. Keep this in prayer.

Children's Classroom in Arrayanes

Monday morning we learned that after service on Sunday evening, someone set fire to our Children’s classroom at the church in Arrayanes. Pastor Gollo and I went to see the damage, the church members were quick to put it out, but we lost about a quarter of the roof (made of palm branch). Pray for Pastor Horacio, he took it very hard. We already know that this town doesn’t like the Christians. He has had to deal with many things like cleaning up after humans using the back porch for a bathroom, the goats come in and use the children’s classroom as a home and leave their stuff while their at it. Donkeys, cows, pigs, etc. roam the area. We have a fence, but people go in and don’t shut the gate, thus making it easy for the animals to come in. Pray for peace and a calm spirit for the pastor.

Pastor Goyo's House

The past few days I've been keeping busy with the normal schedule of things and working on Pastor Goyo's bathroom tile. It's starting to look nice, I'm getting a little warn out though, I've been spending just about every spare minute I have out there. More news later.

Vacas (bahkahs)

This was the view outside my office about 10 minutes ago. It's actually quite normal around here, this street is a popular cattle driving path.

Carport

Monday afternoon Jay came over to help us with our carport. We have all of the steel up and welded. It's ready to paint and then we'll have the roofing sheets put up. It will be nice to have shade in the mornings, a better place for the car, and no rain coming in the windows.

Personal Testimonies

Sandra

Mili

Sandra and Mili, two of the students in one of our classes, gave their personal tesimonies in church yesterday. This is one of the challenges in the class they are taking. They did a great job!

Peek-a-boo!

Rain

If you live in Washington, you know what it's been like here for the past couple of days...lots of rain! It rained off and on Thursday and Friday; then on Saturday and Sunday it was pretty much non-stop. The river is incredibly high, the main road into Cofradia was flooded, people had to go around (a detour of about 45 minutes to an hour). We didn't have to go anywhere yesterday (thank you, Jesus!), but we heard stories of people making the detour. We are all doing fine, the ground is saturated and it's time for coffee! I actually love this kind of weather, it's cool and relaxing. Last night the temperature dropped to 70 degrees, the high yesterday was 89. Not too bad, it's looking more and more like we're leaving the hot and muggy days behind...Praise God!!

Julio's class

Last night Julio started to teach his first class, "Vida Nueva." It's our level one of our discipleship program and all of his students were older youth than him. He did a great job, kept them in line (something I find hard to do), and kept the focus. It was a very quick meeting and they guys were paying attention. Julio is one of our students in final level of our discipleship class. He's been growing quite a bit lately (spiritually and physically). He's 14 years old and in 8th grade. He is growing into being a great leader!

Baptisms

A Youth: Mirna

The bridge, the congregation, and the river!

Cheche and Riky jumping off

Rebecka

A Youth: Julio


Eight people were baptized on Sunday at the river. We had a great time of fellowship, singing, baptizing, swimming, and jumping off of the bridge. Three of those who were baptized were students in our discipleship classes. It's great to see that people are making commitments to obey Christ. Baptism is a big thing here. It takes a while for some to make a desicion to do this because they see it as denying their culture and sometimes family. Keep praying for these people and that God would give them courage to continue on in their faith.

Youth Event

Worship service

Speed soccer

Ruben giving his testimony

Jose Alberto praying for the youth who came forward for prayer

Waterballoon volleyball

We had a great time last Saturday. We divided everyone up into four teams and every team played each other in Volleyball and Soccer. They had a lot of fun. We went inside to raffle away a bunch of prizes and then start our service. We worshipped, Ruben (one of our students in the discipleship class) gave his testimony, Jose Alberto gave the message and prayed for the youth at the end. Many of the youth were touched by the Lord during prayer time. It was great to see them seeking after God. They are learning more and more what it means to seek Him and give to Him themselves. It's exciting!

Jose Alberto, Bety, and Rebeca

Our visitors left yesterday morning to go back to Sinaloa. It was really nice to have them with us for a couple of days. Jose Alberto is a pastor in a small ranching community called Agua Pepe, just east of La Cruz de Elota, Sinaloa (where I lived for a while). His wife, Bety, is Hector Robles' sister. Hector is my friend who invited me to help him start a church in La Cruz a while back. We had a very relaxing time in town and at the beach on Monday. The tide was out so it was really fun. We tried to fly a kite that my dad bought me while we were in Washington a few months ago, but there wasn't enough consistant wind; it was fun anyway.

We Made It!!

It's finally October, the hot and muggy months of August and Septebmer are over. It is so strange how you can tell the difference in weather. About a week ago, its started getting a little cooler, yet during the day, it's obvious that the sun is a ball of fire! We've been pretty busy the past couple of days. We have some visitors from Sinaloa, Mexico who came to speak at our youth event on Saturday (pics and report later). Yesterday was a big day at the river baptizing 8 believers. Instead of having service, we all went straight to the river, worshipped and baptized. It was neat to see the majority of the church family at the river. We spent all morning there (pics and report later).

This morning we're off early for Tepic, then San Blas. We're taking our visitors on a hopefully relaxing day to town and the beach.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers; Gena's pregnancy, Rebecka's health, and I have an ear infection.

God bless!

Gotta Love 'em!!

Gena and Rebecka

More Prayer Day Pics

Sandra, Mili, Gollito, Ruben, Efigenia, Esteban, Riky, Julio

Mili

Efigenia

Ruben

Gollito

Here are some more pics. We had a great time!