Pastors' Perspectives 14-07

Here are a couple of quick updates from the Pastors as they give thanks for all of you who pray and support them.

On behalf of them, Thank you!

PASTOR GREGORIO HERNANDEZ, Lead Pastor

Hello. I want to express my gratitude for all that has taken place here in the Cofradía ministry. I’m especially grateful for the huge blessing of finally having a Bible school extension campus available at such a low cost, but more importantly I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn so much about the history of the Christian church. That particular course has required us to investigate more deeply the Church’s roots, which has been a challenge for us all because we see how much we need to grow as students in so many areas, especially in reading, research, and grammar. So, it has not only been a study of Church history or of the Bible but rather something more profound, and the more we learn the more we surely deepen our Christian roots.

We have talked about discipling new believers.  There are some new believers participating in this opportunity of the Bible school and it has come at just the right time for them to deepen their spiritual growth and strengthen their faith.  This is in line with our desire to make Disciples of Christ as we continue to extend the Kingdom of God through the students as they are studying.  Later, when they are finished with the courses, we are sure by faith that they will continue on in the Great Commission of making Disciples of Christ.

As a whole, we see what the Church in general is continually growing through the provided resources. It is the Church that is benefitted by the establishment of this extension campus and by our being encouraged to grow.

On another note, I also want to briefly mention the Elder's Retreat that took place recently. It was called “Foundation for Elders.” We are confident that it was edifying and challenging for all, and it leaves us more aware of the responsibility we have for the health of the church with the goal of being part of its growth.

Thank you to all of you for your dedication to taking time to pray and for the resources you invest in this ministry. May God prosper you all with great spiritual blessings!

Forever grateful,

Pastor Gregorio Hernández Galván, wife Maty Espinoza González, and sons

DONATE TO PASTOR GREGORIO HERE

PASTOR HORACIO GARZON

Brothers, it is my pleasure once again to write you this letter to greet you and to wish you wellbeing.

We are well, thanks be to God.

Permit me to let you know that in the last few months—I believe since April to the present—we have been involved in a training program that for me has been a motivation to deal with myself in several areas, such as organizing my time, writing more frequently, researching, and even needing to learn to use a computer. This training comes to us online on Tuesdays at 5:00 pm and lasts three to four hours for two classes.

I believe I am enjoying it and at the same time learning new understanding I did not have before about the Christian Church and its history. But more importantly for me, this has been a great help in being able to share the Word of God with new believers in the mountains—with the Cora—where we are visiting once a week. We are also gathering there once a month to work on construction of a meeting space for our visits.

Brothers, I rejoice greatly in the name of the Lord for what He is doing in my life. I love you all and thank you for helping me to grow more and more in the Lord.

Gracias!!!

DONATE TO PASTOR HORACIO HERE

Meeting Palapa in Mojocuautla

Mojocuautla is one of the Cora Indian villages that our ministry visits each Thursday to share God's love with the people and encourage them to seek Him.  This year, we built a meeting palapa for the community to use with the help of His Place Church from Washington.

Cirilo (local), Pastor Horacio, Gustavo

Each week a team from Centro Cristiano Cofradia goes up into the hills and visits people in their homes.  Once a month, they all meet together in this palapa to sing, listen to the Word of God, and hear testimonies of His love.  The locals are wanting to put a cyclone fence around it because when it rains, it turns into a messy donkey stable.  Pastor Horacio has been involved in reaching out and ministering to this village for many years.  He has been working with one of the locals (pictured above) encouraging him to take steps forward in Spiritual Leadership for the town.

Thank you for your continued prayers for this ministry and the people of Mojocuautla.

Give to the ministry here
Give to Pastor Horacio here

Blessings to all!!

YWAM Mazatlan Team in Cofradia

We had the privilege of hosting the YWAM Mazatlan "Fuego De Verano" (Summer Fire) Team last week.  They were an answer to prayer and an inspiration for many people here.

Like other teams, they did work projects in the morning and ministered in the afternoon.  Saturday, they spent some time with the youth at youth group and shared some testimonies, dramas, dances, and a Word.  At the end, many students came forward for prayer and it was evident that the Lord was touching their lives!  What a way to start the week!

Prayer with the Students

Their ministry continued into the Sunday Service as they shared more testimonies and a drama.  On Monday, they started a three-day Kid's Club (something we have been praying for a team to do for a few years now).  They were able to touch many of the children's lives as they played with them, shared with them, sang with them, and prayed with them.

Worship with the Church on Sunday

Ministering to the Children

Thursday and Friday afternoons were spent up in the Indigenous Communities of Mojocuautla and Agua Aceda where they ministered in an open air meeting for all ages.  Both afternoons closed with a time of prayer for those who came out.

Praying with the Indigenous

The work projects we had them involved in were finishing up the final pour of the Cofradia High School floor…

Working together to make cement

Pouring the floor

Cleaning the Church Property of Arrayanes in preparation for the upcoming event EL RETO that we have each year.  They did a lot of cutting brush with machetes, pruning and cutting trees, cleaning the soccer court, filling ditches, connecting water, cleaning the inside of the building, and more…

One of the jobs was to fix the roof of the Sunday School palapa

The final project was to have them redo one of the sidewalks at the base that a couple of old trees' roots ruined a while back…

Pouring a new sidewalk

In the end, we really had a great time with them and enjoyed the connection of relationships made.  What a blessing!

Rebecka's 6th Grade Graduation

Rebecka finished her Elementary School education this year and participated in a graduation ceremony for her and her classmates.  They always have the children from all grades do many different dances ranging in styles from modern pop to indigenous mexican culture.  Each graduating student has "god-parents" to accompany them as they receive their certificates.  After the ceremony it is tradition for the family to host a meal and invite the god-parents over.  We did it a little different since we had a couple of students to accompany.  It was a nice hot morning and a restful afternoon!

Here are the students we are god-parents to:

Steve and Geña with Dulce

Steve and Geña with Adolfo

Steve and Mily with Rebecka

JULY MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! We have been reminiscing of our trip last year up through California and moving north-east then west visiting friends and interesting locations and finally arriving at our last destination in Washington at my parents’ house on July 3.  It’s fun to go back and look at some of the pictures.  We will not be making any trips this summer, but look forward to the next opportunity the Lord gives us to visit friends and family.

Mt. Rushmore

Charles Ingall's homestead

We are finished with our home school classes for the year and the local school will be out in a couple of weeks.  Rebecka graduates from 6th grade at the local school and Emma will be moving into 3rd grade in September.  

Pastor Martin's drama group.

Some great things have happened this month as you will read below.  In addition to those things, we helped a local Pastor in an open-air evangelism outreach in a town called El Arrayan (not to be confused with “Los Arrayanes” near Cofradia).  We took some band members, the drama team, some intercessors, and Pastor Goyo preached.  It was a great time to meet the brothers in this town and give any encouragement we could.  They do not have a pastor nor a place to meet.  It was great to come together with another pastor and help him in his vision to reach this town.  Something we look forward to doing as a ministry for many years to come!

We are grateful for your partnering with us to invest in the Kingdom of God together as we Raise up Leaders in Rural Mexico!

Last month, we asked you to pray for…  

1. Continued healing for Mackenzie. She has improved quite a bit. Her face looks really good and shows no signs of a burn.  Her chest and stomach have some discoloration, but there are no scars!  Thank you so much for keeping Mackenzie in your prayers.  We are so grateful for the hundreds of people who have expressed their sympathy and let us know they are praying.  We have been blessed by all of you!

   

   Class-time

2. Cofradia Bible School Students The students finished their final exams for the Spring Quarter.  It was a big challenge for all of them to write reports on the computer.  Most of them have never done that before and I was so proud of everyone for sticking to it and allowing themselves to grow.  They all did a great job!  They will be starting the Summer Quarter classes on July 1st as they finish up the final Bible Survey class and study Biblical Counseling.
3. Religious Association.  We had an excellent meeting with the Pastor who was so graciously willing to orientate us on a process that he finished a few years ago.  It turns out that it seems to be easier, less expensive, and quicker than I had been told and thought.  We are excited about continuing to move forward with this as the Pastor has given us contact information of a believer in Mexico City who works in this area and is willing to help us.  
4. Elder’s Retreat. We had a great time!  A highly needed retreat for us all as Pastor Goyo cemented a strong foundation in the team.  Read here for details and see pictures. 
5. Help.  We were encouraged by many of you who showed your support for our situation.  Thank you for your continued prayers for wisdom and provision.
6. Local School.  I do not regret “venting” with you last month as this is an area in this town (and many small towns like it) that needs help.  Whether or not I can do something about it, I don’t know.  But, I will continue to pray for the young lives who grow up here so they can receive a good education.  

Here are some links to more:

• Last month’s update. 
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more about what our mission is about.

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Cofradia Bible School Students for continued growth in their lives as they begin the 8-week Summer Quarter on July 1.
2. Religious Association.  Continued wisdom and understanding as we fill out paperwork and make decisions on placing people in certain “positions”.  
3. Help.  Thank you for your continued prayers for wisdom and provision.
4. Local School.  School gets out the second week of July.  Rebecka will be graduating on July 15 from 6th grade and Emma will be moving into 3rd grade next September.
5. Kids’ Club with a YWAM team from Mazatlan (July 20-27).  We’ll also be ministering in the close-by Indigenous Communities.

Thank you so much for joining us in prayer!

Blessings,












Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions Cofradia
Area Director
Cell: 011-52-1-323-116-0565
Facebook
FaceTime
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

Thank you very much for partnering with us through your prayers and financial support. 
Click here to donate to our personal support.

MAILING ADDRESS FOR SUPPORT. Another way to donate is by sending a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

Church Elder's Retreat

Tino, Abraham, Pastor Goyo, Pastor Martin, Poncho, Hugo, Pastor Luis

Centro Cristiano Cofradia had it's first Elder's Retreat just recently.  Not all were able to attend, but those who did were blessed and refreshed as it was something new for most.  Pastor Goyo's desire was to give a concrete foundation for the men to work on and talk about some things he expects of them.  He broke his teachings down into three different sections:  1) Our relationship with God, 2) Understanding and Embracing the Church's vision, and 3) Being Faithful.  There were other aspects to the retreat that helped solidify the foundation such as interpersonal relationship activities and expressing needs they see and how they can do things better.  The retreat was concluded with a meal and free time at the beach!

First meeting at the ruins of an 18th Century church.

Amidst the ruins of an old 18th century church on a high hill overlooking San Blas, Nayarit, was the setting for Pastor Goyo's first teaching.  As the surroundings gave a fitting atmosphere, he talked about when Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and found the walls of the city in ruins and applied it to the lives of the Elders as a way to examine themselves and have opportunity for repentance if there were any issues that needed to be dealt with before moving on with the retreat.  He also made mention that a purpose as an Elder is to make sure that not only one's life is not it ruins, but the church as well.

After eating lunch in a downtown restaurant, everyone returned to the hotel.  Pastor Goyo continued with the next couple of teachings inside our room/apartment that was conditioned for such a purpose with a living room, dining room, a kitchenette, and AC!  His focus was for the Elders to understand the purpose for the church, where it's going, and making that specific vision their very own.  Being Faithful is also a vital character as an Elder as he needs to be faithful to God, his wife, family, and dependable to the Pastor and church.

Pastor Goyo did an excellent job of communicating these three essential points.  The activities helped strengthen individual relationships as well as being a team.

Here are a few photos of the retreat…

Pastor Luis made dinner that evening and breakfast the next morning!

Team building game.

Relaxing in the water.

JUNE MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom (payment) for many.”(NIV)  Though we cannot be “Saviors” for people, we can direct them to Him.  This verse has been echoing in my mind lately as the weather here is an uncomfortable humid heat, as we miss being with family members and friends in the states, and as we also sometimes miss the comfortable lifestyle the states have to offer.  In the light of this “suffering”, we are reminded that Jesus came “not to be served, but to serve.”

In the past month, the Men’s group finished their Group Study of the book, Wisdom for Fathers.  During the last meeting, they went to Puerta Colorada (a nearby town) for evangelism in the plaza.  They continue to meet for prayer in the mornings at 5am and in the evenings at 6pm M-Sa.  The Women have started to meet for prayer as well at 9am M-F.  The Bible School students are finishing up their final exams of the Spring Quarter and we also began to move forward in making plans for a Religious Association in Mexico.

We are grateful for your partnering with us to invest in the Kingdom of God together as we Raise up Leaders in Rural Mexico!

Last month, we asked you to pray for...  

1. Continued healing for Mackenzie. She is continuing to do well with minimal markings on her chest and stomach.
2. Cofradia Bible School Students As I just mentioned, the students are finishing up the Spring Quarter and I’ll be working on grading final exams pretty soon!

Here are some links to more:

• Last month’s update 
• Pastors’ Perspective:  Read letters from our Cofradia Pastors.
• Recommended Book:  Father, Son, and the Other One by Jeff Kennedy talks about how today’s church tends to forget that the Holy Spirit is active and working in our lives.  Click here to read a little more about this inspiring book.
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more about what our mission is about.  Click on this link to check it out.
• Cofradia High School Construction Update see the progress and latest details here.

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Continued healing for Mackenzie. We are still praying for no scars.
2. Cofradia Bible School Students for encouragement as they take on tasks they aren’t used to (writing reports, using a computer, etc.).  We will be starting the Summer Quarter on July 1.  Many of them have been a little overwhelmed with their workloads, but it’s great to see so many talk about the important things they’re learning from the Bible and from Church History.
3. Religious Association.  Pastor Goyo and I will be meeting with another Pastor this week for guidance on this issue.  This is an expensive, yet high priority need for our ministry here in order to protect our pastors and the properties.  Our goal is to be a legally registered Mexican ministry.  Please pray for guidance and that the paperwork will be done quickly and correctly.  
4. Elder’s Retreat. Pastor Goyo and I have been planning an overnight retreat for the Elders of the church for the purpose of knitting the team together and helping everyone to better understand the church’s vision and their responsibilities as Elders.  This is part of what we do as we “Raise Up Leaders in Rural Mexico.” It is looking to be an excellent time!  Many of the men have not participated in a retreat like this which is very similar to the Leadership Retreats we did with our Student Ministry a few years ago (here's a link to one of them).
5. Help.  I have been overwhelmed with things to do and this is the “down” season in this ministry.  Neither Geña and I nor the Ministry Base has the finances to hire people to help with certain projects.  We have been depending on volunteers, yet they also need to put food on the table and we don’t want to overload the few that are willing to help.  Please pray that the Lord would guide us to make wise decisions with these “back stage” issues whether it’s added missionary staff, selling vehicles/properties, hiring workers in faith, or..?  There are so many things to do here as we continue to raise up leaders.  Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”  We are asking the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers.  Before we know it, Christ will come back to take us home.  Maybe in our lifetime, maybe not.  But if it is, there’s still a lot of work to be done in little time!
6. Local School.  It has been bothering me a lot lately that we send our children to a school that has teachers that do the very minimum (less than required).  Lately, there’s been movies and playtime during class in both Rebecka and Emma’s classes.  We’re proud of Rebecka for walking out of class when the teacher put a horror movie on and left the students alone so he could go and...??  I’ve talked with the Director about the lack of interest I see in the teachers, especially in teaching math, but it feels like I have no voice.  Please pray as the President of Mexico is attempting an “Education Reformation” that the interest in the need to educate children will finally leak down to the apparent “insignificant” villages of Mexico.

Thank you so much for joining us in prayer!

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman

Missionaries to Mexico

Alternative Missions Cofradia

Area Director

Facebook

FaceTime

SKYPE: “srsilberman”

Thank you very much for partnering with us through your prayers and financial support.  

Click here to donate to our personal support.

MAILING ADDRESS FOR SUPPORT. Another way to donate is by sending a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

MAY MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! We’re still pretty busy, but it’s an exciting busy.  Mackenzie is doing much better and we thank you so much for your prayers.  Literally hundreds of people have been praying.  We also finished the final paperwork on our van that many of you helped us purchase, whether it was through prayers or support.  And, I finally got the cell-phone I requested earlier to work here in Mexico.  Cofradia doesn’t have the best coverage, but it is definitely a blessing to have when we’re on the road!

We are grateful for your partnering with us to invest in the Kingdom of God together as we Raise up Leaders in Rural Mexico!

Last month, we asked you to pray for...  

1. Continued healing for Mackenzie.  After being badly burned by boiling broth, Mackenzie has recovered very well.  Her face looks really good with only a little bit of pink on her cheek.  However, the rest of the burned area has still not completely healed.  Thank you for your continued prayers for a complete healing and no scars.  Read about what happened here.
2. The TenBrink Family made it to Washington after a safe journey.   
3. Emma’s Birthday She was really excited about her birthday as we celebrated with a popular “mini-RETO” game with a number of her friends.  Click here to see pictures. 
4. Summit Bible College Nayarit Extension or “Cofradia Bible School” is half-way through it’s second term as they study Bible Survey II and History of the Church II.  It’s been an exciting time with great discussions! Please continue to pray that the Lord provides for the students in order to pay for their tuition.  Here’s a photo of the latest class. 
5. Us as we continue to catch up on things that need to be taken care of.  We look forward to the next couple of months that do not have too many activities so we can focus on getting caught up.

Here are some links to more:

• Last month’s update
• Pastors’ Perspective:  Read letters from our Cofradia Pastors.
• Recommended Book:  Father, Son, and the Other One by Jeff Kennedy talks about how today’s church tends to forget that the Holy Spirit is active and working in our lives.  Click here to read a little more about this inspiring book.
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more about what our mission is about.  Click on this link to check it out.
• Cofradia High School Construction Update see the progress and latest details here.

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Continued healing for Mackenzie.
2. Cofradia Bible School Students to continue to learn and apply.  They will be finishing up the second term by the end of the month.  We’re excited about what God is doing through this ministry and look forward to continued spiritual strength through the classes.  Be part of helping one of these students extend God’s Kingdom here.

Thank you very much for partnering with us through your prayers and financial support.
Click here to donate to our personal support.

MAILING ADDRESS FOR SUPPORT. Another way to donate is by sending a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

Blessings,


Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions Cofradia
Area Director
Facebook
FaceTime
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

Cofradia Bible School

The students are half-way through the second term as they are studying Bible Survey II and History of the Church II.  Really cool things are happening and some great discussion times!

Click here to see more and how you can get involved.

Emma's 8th Birthday

Emma turned 8 years old on April 10.  We celebrated as she invited her friends to a mini-RETO birthday party; just like we've done with Rebecka.  Needless to say, it has become a very popular activity for birthdays at our house!  Here are some pics…

Getting ready to start the mini-RETO.  Soon they will choose a name for their team.

Team "Los Guerreros" (Warriors) 

Team "Enterprise"

8 points for Emma's team to start with…:)

Emma and her school-friend, Chelsi Samantha.

Getting ready for the piñata.

"Queremos pastel!" 

APRIL MINISTRY UPDATE

Greetings from Cofradia, Mexico! What a month!  We have definitely experienced God’s hand move in our ministry as we were able to purchase a new van in order to return to Cofradia and especially in our own family as God brings healing to little Mackenzie after getting burned.  Psalm 107:1 has kept surfacing during our experiences...”Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever.”  And, yes, we do give thanks to the Lord because He IS good.  He knows why things happen and how to bring glory to Himself through each circumstance we go through.  We are not on this earth to gratify our own pleasures and desires and hope that everything goes “right” (or the way we think is right) in order to have a peaceful, no hassle life.  We can and do have peace in Christ through tough circumstances.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever!
We are grateful for your partnering with us to invest in the Kingdom of God together as we Raise up Leaders in Rural Mexico!
Last month, we asked you to pray for...  

1. Our Return to Mexico.  We had hoped to only be in California for about 10 days; it turned into a month!  During that time, we learned that we were unable to bring our personal vehicle back into Mexico until next September.  In the midst of not knowing what was next, we sent out an email for prayer and help with the purchase of a ministry van to bring to Mexico.  The Lord responded through many of you who prayed with us and gave donations.  One week later, we had a van!  One week after that, we were in Mexico!  You can read about why this all happened here and how the Lord provided here.
2. MINI-RETO We were hoping to be here, but it is a good thing to know when you have capable people to continue the work you started when you’re not around!  There were around 150 students who attended and participated in this one-day RETO similar to what we do in September with churches from all over.  The report I received was that the impact on the student’s lives was incredible, especially during the ministry time at the end!  Thank you for your prayers!
3. The TenBrink Family is planning to return to Washington for the rest of the year and will be handing over all of their responsibilities to the locals and myself.  Please continue to pray for a smooth transition and that my work-load does not increase too much.  Our desire is to continue to raise up leaders for this very purpose so that when one of us leaves, there are no holes to have to fill.

Here are some links to more:

• Passing the time in California--Rebecka’s first rock climbing adventure
• Last month’s update
• Pastors’ Perspective:  Read letters from our Cofradia Pastors
• Recommended Book:  Father, Son, and the Other One by Dr. Jeff Kennedy talks about how today’s church tends to forget that the Holy Spirit is active and working in our lives.  Click here to read a little more about this inspiring book.
• Cofradia’s Short-Term Missions Manual explains more about what our mission is about.  Click on this link to check it out.
• Cofradia High School Construction Update see the progress and latest details.

This month, will you please pray for...

1. Continued healing for Mackenzie.  In short, she was burned pretty bad after a bowl of boiling broth fell on her.  She is doing much better now and you can read about her and our story here.
2. The TenBrink Family continue to pray for a smooth transition here in Cofradia and that the Lord would give them safe travels and supply their needs in Washington.
3. Emma’s Birthday is April 10; she’ll be 8 years old and is really excited!
4. Summit Bible College Nayarit Extension will continue with it’s second term on Tuesday, April 8.  All of the 15 students have expressed how much it has helped them as they learn more about God’s Word in Bible Survey and the History of the Church.  Please continue to pray that the Lord provides for them in order to pay for their tuition.
5. Us as we try to get caught up from being gone so long and after Mackenzie’s accident.  I am extremely busy and it’s been really hard to get things done.  Pray that we will be able to have a good balance between “work” and spending time with the kids.

Thank you very much for partnering with us through your prayers and financial support.
Click here to donate to our personal support.

MAILING ADDRESS FOR SUPPORT. Another way to donate is by sending a check made out to Alternative Missions to Alternative Missions / PO Box 3107 / Ferndale, WA 98248.  On a separate note, indicate that it is for The Silbermans.

Blessings,

Steve, Geña, Rebecka, Emma, and Mackenzie Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions Cofradia
Area Director
Facebook
FaceTime: cafe0530@gmail.com
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

Cofradia High School Update

After two months of working on the high school, the foundation has been completed as well as the floor and walls of two classrooms.  There is a lot more to do in order for them to begin using the rooms: roof, windows, doors, electricity, and smooth wall (preferred) to just name the most important.  The funds that have come in have been depleted and the government is still not helping.  It would be great to be able to help the community and get the High School Students a building to meet in!  

Read recent blogs about this here.

This is the progress...

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Mackenzie's Accident and Progress

VIEW LATEST UPDATES AT BOTTOM OF POST….

Last Thursday afternoon as we were getting ready to have lunch, we experienced one of the most difficult situations we've faced as parents.  A bowl of boiling broth fell on our 18 month old Mackenzie burning the right side of her body: face, ear, shoulder, chest, stomach, parts of her arm and leg.  It all happened so quickly and we were not prepared for something like this.

We live in an area that does not have a full-time Doctor.  The Doctors that come here are students working on their degree and have very little experience; they're here to get their experience.  The Doctor in Cofradia was not in town, so we drove to the town before Cofradia called, Las Pilas.  There, the student Doctor, who seemed more like a kid, bathed her with an IV solution to clean her and applied sulfadiazina cream to all the affected area and wrapped her in a non-stick material that actually did stick to her.  After injecting her with morphine, he sent us home and said she'd be fine and to have the Cofradia Doctor continue with the next three injections he prepared.

We returned to Cofradia with Mackenzie sleeping and Geña watching over her.  I went back to Tuxpan (a city ½ hour away) for the second time that day to get some medication the Las Pilas Dr. prescribed.  No one could read his writing and I couldn't remember the name of one of the items and no one had heard of the other item he prescribed.  As I went from one Pharmacy to the next, it seemed like I was at a road-block.  I stopped and prayed again, "Lord, lead me to do the right thing."  As soon as I finished that simple sentence I saw another Pharmacy and thought I should at least give it one more try.  As I showed the man behind the counter what I needed, he figured it out and said, "All I have is this big container."  It was perfect, exactly what I was looking for…sulfadiazina!

When I arrived back in Cofradia, the Doctor was walking by the Mission Base so I stopped her and told her what happened.  She was happy to help with the injections even though we were to wake her up at 2am, but would not be able to treat her until Monday.  It was a long night of tossing and turning, praying and continued watch over Mackenzie to help her when needed.  We did not have peace about waiting until Monday for her to be treated so we decided to take her to Tepic (the capital city of Nayarit; 1 ½ hours away).  My prayer all night was that the Lord would guide us to the right place (I had no idea if there were any burn experts in Tepic).

We found a Pediatric Doctor who immediately sent us to the hospital around the corner.  San Rafael is one of the best and most expensive Hospitals in Tepic with excellent Doctors.  When the Pediatric Surgeon arrived, he and the Anesthesiologist got right to work.  They gave her an anesthetic, cleaned her, and took off the material that was stuck to her as well as all the dead skin.  Geña and Mackenzie stayed the night in the Hospital so the Doctor could see her that evening, the next morning, and afternoon.

Since bringing Mackenzie home, we've followed the Doctor's instructions of bathing her, applying the iodine spray, giving her her medicine, and we'll continue with the sulfadiazina as the healing continues.

Yesterday, Tuesday, Mackenzie got her appetite back and began eating again.  Which means today she's had enough energy for all of us as she runs around the house, making messes, laughing, playing, singing, and dancing.  She's definitely back to her normal self and we are so thankful for the Lord's guidance as we really believe that He did guide us.

We are still praying for a quick and complete healing with no scars.  Part of the layer the iodine formed on her face has peeled off and left a new beautiful rosy red cheek.  She's doing very well now and we thank all of you for your support and prayers during this time.  It has been a definite roller-coaster ride of emotions.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever!

UPDATE 4/9/14
We went to the follow-up visit today with the doctor who treated Mackenzie at the Hospital.  He recommended some creams for her skin and took her off the Sulfadiazina.  He also said the damage will be minimal and she looks really good; we just need to try to keep her out of the sun until mid-May.  His diagnosis was a 2nd degree burn.

Thank you for your continued prayers for her recovery.