GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

A little bummed I won't be able to watch the game. We have a church service tomorrow evening. Hopefully I'll catch the tail end of the game on the internet. It would be so fun to join in on all the excitement. Anyway, hope they do well.

Half Day Of Prayer Agenda

Here's the agenda, I hope the format doesn't confuse you.


Half Day of Prayer




9am Meeting together for general information.
· The Agenda
· Jot down on a notepad the promises of God for you that you find during this time.

9:10 Individual Meditation:
1. Waiting on the Lord (Read: Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 27:14; Psalm 62:5)
a. To feel His presence (Read Psalm 139 [Think about His presence with each verse])
b. For your cleansing
i. Read Psalm 139:23, 24 and ask God to examine your heart just as these verses suggest. Examining our own heart can bring us to undue imaginations, unhealthy introspection, or anything else the enemy would like to put in front of us. But, when the Holy Spirit does the examining, he shows us what we need to confess and have cleansed.
ii. Read Psalm 51 and 32 (prayers and confessions of King David).
iii. *VERY IMPORTANT: If you find that you’ve sinned against one of your brothers in Christ, write it down so that you will not forget to reconcile the situation. If you do not, it will prevent you from having a clear mind the rest of the day. Do not continue until you decide when you will meet with that person.
c. For praise and adoration to God
i. Psalm 103, 111, and 145
ii. Revelations 4 and 5
iii. Sing songs of praise and adoration
iv. Spontaneously express your gratitude to God.

**If you have a concern or an important decision to make, now is the time to ask for that—before praying for others.

2. Praying for Others.
a. For specific things.
i. Friends
ii. Family
iii. Missionaries
iv. Pastors
v. Neighbors
vi. Fellow Christians
vii. Government Leaders
b. Use the Apostle Paul’s prayer
i. Philippians 1
ii. Colossians 1
iii. Ephesians 1 and 3
c. Ask for others what you would ask for yourself. Pray for them as if you were in their shoes.
3. Pray for yourself At this time, your attitude should be, “Lord, what is your opinion on how I live?”
a. Meditate on Psalm 119:18
b. Review all the scriptures you have learned applying them to your life.
c. Read a whole book of the Bible, applying it to your life.
d. Pray 1 Chronicles 4:10
e. Think about your activities. Do they glorify God? Do you take God with you wherever you go?
f. Jot down what God thinks of your activities.

*Write a summary of what God has taught you this day.

12:30 Return with the group for a time of sharing and have lunch.

Blogger Problems

For some reason I'm able to post right now. It's not letting me send any more pictures, so I'll send more later of our Half Day of Prayer.

Half Day of Prayer

This morning we took some youth who are attending one of the discipleship classes on a Half Day of Prayer retreat. It was a very nice time to get away and spend some time with God. The youth enjoyed it as well. Some said they really enjoyed being in the presence of God, others mentioned they realized they needed to forgive those that hurt them, and others noted that we need to be unified and love one another. That was pretty weird, because as I was praying for the group, my prayer was that the group would be unified and that we would learn to love one another just as Christ desires for us. Another young man who was not part of the discipleship class wanted to come along to pray also. He was a member of the last class that did this, I had no problems allowing him to participate in something I think we all can benefit from. I was encouraged when he mentioned what impacted him the most during that time was in Isaiah 40:31 where it says we will be given new strength when we wait on the Lord. That, too, was something that impacted me during this time. So many times I get weary or tired, sometimes I even get frustrated to the point of wishing I didn’t have to work with a bunch of rebellious teenagers (that may seem harsh, but it’s true). I realized that even though I read my Bible and pray regularly, I need to spend some genuine “away” time with God. I need to rest in Him, wait on Him, and trust in Him. He is the holder of my hope. In no one else will I find peace.

I really enjoyed this time. I will post a guide we used for you to use yourself. Try it. Get away from the business of life and spend some time with God. That is what HE desires.

The group: Chupa, Pedro, Fursio, Ana, Esteban, Gena.

Ana Yadira

Pedro

Coffee Addiction

Pastor Marc from my home church in Poulsbo sends out an encouraging word each week in an email called "Just-a-Byte." I really enjoy it, it helps me to stay connected to home and know what's going on. Ocasionally, he'll put some jokes in, brain teasers, or some interesting thoughts within the content. This week he sent this...

You know you’re addicted to coffee if:
o You have to watch videos in fast-forward.
o You chew on other people’s fingernails.
o You can type sixty words per minute with your feet.
o You can jump-start your car without cables.
o You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it’s not plugged in.

Coffee, that sounds good!

Worship Leaders

Please remember to pray for Chupa and Mili as they will be leading worship this Sunday. I will be sitting down to observe to see how I can help them. This is a big step for them, pray for confidence and passion to Worship God.

New Ministry Location For Alternative Missions

Click here to check out a new location that Alternative Missions will be ministering. Be sure to check out the photo album of some great pics.

Love Waits Update

Youth from La Carpa church in Guadalajara came on Saturday to give a very good presentation of "Love Waits." It's an explaination of the consequences of sex before marriage. There were dramas, statistics, activities, and they closed with small groups in the end to debrief and get to know our youth a little better. I've had a chance to talk with just a few youth so far and they all enjoyed the conference. One young man said he thought it was interesting to know that Sexually Transmitted Diseases spread so quickly and to a variety of different people.

Thank you for your prayers for that evening. Keep them in your prayers when the Lord puts them on your heart to stay pure and keep themselves for their future spouse.

Great stuff!

"Love Waits" Purity Conference

Saturday night we have a guest youth group coming from Guadalajara to share with our youth group about some pretty important realities in life. Please be praying for our youth to be receptive and that they would comprehend why it is good to wait for the person God has for them.

Mazatlan With Friends

We had a WONDERFUL time with our friends, Roger and Hazel Reeh from Washington for a few days this week in Mazatlan. I met Hazel on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic in 2000 with some doctors. They are a very neat couple and great company. We had a great time with them talking about the Bible, life, and ministry. We had a chance to walk the beach and also sit at the pool. Rebecka played in it for a while and was so excited! She got up the next morning and the first thing she said was "let's go swimming!" Thank you Roger and Hazel for a great couple of relaxing, enjoyable days. You guys are great friends!

The Weather

The weather has been getting warmer lately. It's January 27 and summer is just around the corner :) . Last night's low was 61 degrees, just last week we had a low of 41! Yesterday it was 90 in the shade and 106 in the sun! I don't think it will snow here this year.

Worship Leaders Update

Thank you for your prayers this week. Chupa and Mili did excellent! I'm so proud of the both of them!

Chupa did a great job this morning in Cofradia, calling the congregation together to begin worship, leading in the songs, praying between a couple songs, and having the people be seated when finished. Great Job!! He's been battling a cold himself, so I was extra proud of him for sticking in out. If he looses his shyness, he could be one of the strongest leaders of the church. He's a very likable person, EVERY team that comes here falls in love with this guy. Please pray that the Lord would give him a boldness and that his leadership skills would develop even further.




Mili did a wonderful job this afternoon in Arrayanes. Very much the same as far as inviting the congregation to worship, praying, singing, and closing. She has a beautiful voice and has a lot of potential to leave me without a job! She's doing great leading the group, and also is teaching the children's sunday school. Please pray that she will be able to keep her focus on giving God the glory and continue to seek His desires for her life.

Sickness

I've been feeling pretty miserable the past few days. I could hardly do anything on Friday. The Short-Term Mission team that was here from Colorado went up to Agua Aceda. I was really looking forward to going with them. For my first three years here in Cofradia, I ministered there and saw a lot of neat things happen and made lots of friends. We only go every now-and-then so I don't get a chance to see them very often. I'm feeling a bit better this evening. I had some Advil that helped my headache. Keep praying for all of our health. Thanks.

Cold Weather

I couldn't believe the thermometer this morning when it read that last night's low was 41 degrees. It was a cold one. We had orientation for the team that arrived and stayed at the church until 10pm. It was freezing! This morning was cold as well, 45 degrees at 7am when we went to breakfast. I don't think I've experienced cold weather like this here before.

Worshp Leaders

Please pray for our two Worship Leaders in training. This Sunday they will lead worship themselves. We are providing them with opportunities to grow and take ownership. Mili, the Worship Leader in Arrayanes, has experience already. However, she will still be nervous. Chupa, the Worship Leader in Cofradia has yet to lead a service. Please pray that he will have the courage to follow through. Being shy is something that dominates people here and impedes them from growing in the Lord and in their ministry. Thank you for taking time this week to pray for them.

Sunday Speaker

It was a blessing to have my friend Hector here this weekend. He preached in Cofradia and in Arrayanes. It was a great message, encouraging us to continue to seek God and not be “comfortable” where we’re at. This is my heart for the youth here because many of them are doing so well with their instruments that they have become bored with them, wanting to learn a different one. I can only teach what I don’t know to a certain point, this was a great message for them to put more effort into being creative and learning new things with the instruments they play. Hector mentioned that sometimes there are things that hold us back for stretching ourselves for something bigger. It can be different for different individuals; for some it may be fear of the unknown, for others it may be unbelief, for others it may be the love of money, and for others it may be something else. Whatever it is, we will not grow until that “something” is given over to God.

The Front Porch

We have finally finished! What there is left to do now is some landscaping in front. It's becoming to feel more and more like home. We're focusing on some details inside and outside until we have enough money to continue with the back fence (wall), then a carport floor. We would also like to get some bedrooms upstairs someday. It all depends on money. Thank you for having helped us get this far!

January Newsletter

Our Latest newsletter has been posted online. You can read by clicking here. If you do not receive our newsletter and would like to, let us know here.

Christmas Tree Party

I got our camera back. So, here's some photos of our Christmas party. It was quick.

stuff

Saturday I spent the morning working on putting a roof on our front porch with the help of one of the men in the church. I'm so glad to have that done. Hugo (Gena's brother) is working on the steps today. I haven't taken any pictures yet, maybe when the steps are done. In the afternoon I was able to use the new miter saw a friend gave me while in Arizona. I put up the trip for the doors in our's and Rebecka's bedrooms. That evening we had a less than 5 minute Christmas burning party (the three of us) of which I took pictures, but on Sunday I forgot our camera in Arrayanes. Today I'll be going there, I hope it's still around.

I had the camera in Arrayanes to take a picture of the youth as we had a special recogniction with certificates for those who finished the Discipleship course. When I get back from Arrayanes, I'll have to post the pics.

We have a staff meeting in 1/2 hour. That's all for now.

Recent Memories of Rebecka

We've been looking back and printing some old photos...finally. Here's a few of them.

"I know I have a hole in my mouth for this thing somewhere!"

"Who said you could take my picture!?"

"That's funny, this doesn't feel or look like my normal bottle."

"How do I look?"

"Just the perfect fit!" (this is a toy swimming pool)

"Comments" Section

If you wish to leave a comment, please do so. Using the title "anonymous" is just fine, just add your name in the comment itself. That way it will be easier for us to identify who is leaving a comment. Thank you.

Normal Life

Today was a pretty normal day, sitting at the computer trying to get my overdue tasks done. I finally got the newsletter done I wanted to finish last week, there's only one thing I'm waiting on and then it will be sent out by email and postage mail. If you do not receive our newsletter and wish to, please click here to let me know and I will get one to you.

This afternoon we had worship practice for the group in Arrayanes. Mili is coming down with a cold and kind of had an "off" day today. We still all had a lot of fun practicing and even goofing off...can you do that at worship practice? We do:).

Rebecka is at a birthday party right now. Luis, her 2 year old cousin, came walking up to the house all ready to go with his gift in hand and escorted Rebecka to the party. Actually, he took her to his house where his mom took them from there. It was pretty cute though.

I'm still battling a cough and stuff, Gena still has a slight sore throat, and Rebecka's cough isn't getting better either. She had a loooong nap this afternoon which she needed quite a bit.

Anyway, this is a normal day.

"Graduation" Party

Last night, the five youth who finished all four levels of the dicipleship program came over to our house for a get-together to talk about what's ahead for them. In truth, they have accomplished something that is very hard to do especially coming from their background. The first level is pretty easy, talking about the basics of what the Bible actually says on things like Baptism, Prayer, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, etc. Very good course that was passed on to us by Pastor Rafael Gradilla in Bellevue, WA who does this course for his congregation quite often. Thank you Pastor Rafael.

The next three levels are from the Navigator's 2:7 series. There are three books; the first helps us to grow in our personal relationship with God. The next one brings it to another level, challenging us to put together our personal testimony and share it with the church. The final book teaches us how to bear fruit in the Family of God. We have a challenge that we added of having them help out in one of the Sunday services, teaching a Sunday School class, helping out with communion, or welcoming the congregation, etc. There are lots of options for them, each one has done a great job!

Now, the next step is to choose a Mentor in their life. Last night we gave them options to choose who they feel most comfortable with amongst our missionary and pastoral staff. By Sunday, they will all have chosen someone. We will help them out a little so there will be a good match. They all seem real excited about it. Out of that relationship, with the help of the Mentor, they will be guided to work as an aprentice in a certain area of the church. I may be making it sound complicated, but I believe that this is something that we can be real effective in on training up leaders and disciples for Christ.

I shared a devotional that would pertain to their postion on persevering and keeping their eyes on Christ. As we wrapped up the devotional time, we talked about the mentorship, and then got ready for Hot Dogs.

While we were waiting for the food to be cooked...

Sandra, Mili, and Ruben hung out at the kitchen counter,


Julio was trying out the hot dogs to make sure they were done,


and Goyito played with Rebecka in the wheel chair.

After dinner, we played a challenging and competative game of Pictionary.

Back on the Blog

We've been pretty busy (as usual) with meetings, a lot of catching up, and a list of to do's that are overdue...still working on those. I've been battling a cold for a couple of weeks, Rebecka has a cough, and Gena mentioned her throat was a little sore this morning. We're ok though. Sometimes I get so busy that blogging has to take a seat on the back burner (ouch!) for a while. Yesterday Dave Elias' parents arrived here in Cofradia, Jack and Marianne Elias. They are such a joy to be around. Jack mentioned that he checks out our blog quite a bit and noticed we hadn't written in a while (a week). It was encouraging to know that there are people who are keeping up with us through the blog. Thank you to all of you who take the time to read about what we're up to. The main purpose for this is to help you pray for us and keep you updated on our lives and ministry. Thank you for your prayers!

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.