Eating insects is not a new thing in Mexico. And not for us either. Ten years ago today we were at a restaurant called “La Gruta” in Teotihuacán. I wouldn’t actually recommend the restaurant, but they did make good grasshopper gorditas.
So here’s our cousin Teresa just about to chow down…
And just in case you don’t believe it, here’s a close-up of the food.
This month the Path of Life Bible Church Las Palmas made another move, to a place with a little more space.
The new place is a party hall called “Centennial Hall”, not far from where we were meeting before. Some of you may remember that we’ve met in party halls and gardens before, and the decorations that happen to be up always make things interesting!
Things are going pretty well there, although we’re still working out some kinks. The sound was a lot better this past Sunday, as we made a few adjustments. We do have to get used to having more limited time again, as we’re only renting the building for certain hours.
We’ve been enjoying some interesting times of teaching already. Oscar and I have been doing a series on false Christian sects. One of our goals is to be able to better share the gospel with the people we meet, in this part of the world with so much confusion regarding religion.
Ezequiel has been doing some teaching on how to live as a Christian in our modern world. And we’re also continuing in 1 Corinthians, which has been a major challenge because it’s most definitely touching many of us exactly where we are, talking about things that people are actively dealing with. Specifically, we’re about to dive deep into questions of marriage and singleness.
We’re thankful that we have the Word of God to guide us!
We appreciate your continued prayers as we look for a permanent place to meet! Also, please pray as we do deal with many issues individually and as a church. We’re thankful that these things drive us to depend on the Lord.
Ten years ago today – painting class with Jessica, at the Community Centre in Jesús María!
Ok, here’s the real picture! Click for a larger version.
We’ve been learning a lot, as a church, about what a church actually is. And it’s a big topic! But one thing we know is – it’s important to meet together.
After our service yesterday, Ezequiel and Oscar and I went to check out a nearby hall that we might be able to use, temporarily, to meet. After some cold Sundays, meeting inside is attractive! Of course, cold season will be over soon, but then comes rainy season with its own problems.
This place has its pros and cons. One issue is that there are no doors on the bathrooms – hopefully something than can be fixed!
There is a good amount of space for the main service. There is a small little room that might work for the children’s Sunday school – certainly not ideal, it’s like meeting in a storage closet (and no door there either!).
But – hopefully it will be temporary!
For the last two Sundays we’ve been giving people opportunities to be more involved. Partly in the Sunday service and all that entails. But a big job will be raising funds for a permanent place for the church to meet. We’ve met in three main places so far, and we’d like to be a little less nomadic!
So the congregation is coming up with ideas to raise funds. The church has already saved up quite a bit. And you can be involved too – just go here, click on the country you would donate through, and scroll down to the bottom of the page to read about the Path of Life Project.
We also talked about prayer on Sunday – another important responsibility that we have as believers!
Here’s one part of the study – what we learned about our strategic position in personal prayer. Pray with us for this special need of a place to meet!
Moving is always an adventure, and this move has been no exception! As is often the case, there has been so much going on, and I have so much to talk about, that I have no time to do it!
Moving in Mexico has some added challenges that you may or may not experience in the country where you live. When you move into a house, it may be pretty stripped down (the owners of the previous house were very thankful that we had left a few lightbulbs!), and not always exactly ready to live in.
I’ve explained to some people that the previous house would have cost us a lot more in the long run, but this one is costing more in the short term. So we’ve been working on things like:
… and that’s just a start. But we’re making progress! And the house itself is in much better condition than the one we left.
Thank you so much to those who helped with the cost of some of these things through your special gifts for our move.
We were so thankful to have the generous help from friends in our church with cleaning and moving. We got the majority of the furniture and appliances moved in one day at the end of November, and then spent a good part of December moving the rest and cleaning the old house.
But on top of all the moving challenges, we had other adventures. For example,
But amid all these things, we have been able to reflect on God’s provision, the kindness of friends, and, in this season, the joy of the coming of the Messiah!
Outside of our dining room window is a tree that hummingbirds and sparrows just love. They are a constant reminder to us of Jesus’ words:
Are not five sparrows sold for two assaria? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7
There’s still a lot to do as we unpack and continue to install what needs to be installed or repaired. But we’re so thankful for how God has provided over the past few weeks!
Thanks for joining me for this look at Who is He in Yonder Stall?. Here is the full list of posts, and then I’ll share a few other resources:
