Just to make it official – yes! We are in Mexico. 🙂
Thanks to all of you who were praying for our trip. Everything went very smoothly.
Now that we’re back, there’s a lot to get organized. Our first day home I was already getting our van verified so that we could drive it freely (for those who don’t know or don’t remember, vehicles in Mexico City need to be emissions tested. They’re then categorized with fewer or more restrictions, based on the age and condition of the vehicle.) There’s a lot to do to simply get life going again.
And thanks to those who were praying for my Mom, who finally got a place to move into. Even though it may still be temporary, it’s a lot nicer than waiting in a hospital!
Yes, Lord willing we will soon be back home in Mexico! We appreciate those who are praying.
Not long before our trip south was to begin, we all got sick, which certainly meant some unexpected changes to our last few days in Canada. We’re still not at 100%, so that makes it difficult to look forward to all this travel. So if you think of it, do pray that we will be all right on the trip. There’s also a lot that needs to be done right away as we settle back into life in Mexico, so pray that we would be able to get those things done and have some time to recuperate over the next few weeks.
We’re thankful that my Mom is also moving – a room became available which will likely be temporary, but it is a room, a nice room actually, and it’s not in the hospital, where she’s been waiting.
Lots happening all at once, as always! For us at the moment, it’s planes and taxis!
Travelling is good – a blessing – and also difficult.
We’ve been travelling for 5 months, which is a long time to live out of a suitcase, be out of your routine, be away from familiar surroundings. And if we’re here much longer, it will be a record time away from home.
But travelling has been a blessing as well. We’ve been able to spend time with family. We’ve been involved in ministry in many different churches. We’ve visited friends, and even made new friends.
We got together with some people at Avant who do so much for us (not pictured was Carolyn – we appreciate you too!):
One church even put together a pretty cool Mexican display for me to stand in front of (Prairie Tabernacle):
Shari shared at a women’s prayer meeting, and is preparing for another. And for those who have been asking, my Mom is doing a lot better! Here she is at the prayer meeting (front and centre)…
And of course there was another Where did the Bible Come from? seminar. Here’s a group pouring over “ancient” manuscripts of the fabled story of Javier the Louse…
Well, there has been so much happening that I won’t go into it all here. But it’s been fun!
But we’ve also been missing Mexico. In fact, we even missed a church anniversary service for the first time – although we were “there” in spirit, and we did record a video message for the service.
And so the time is coming to prepare for travel back to Mexico. We would appreciate your prayers for reasonable tickets, and that God would give wisdom as to timing! There’s a lot to do before we go, so I’d better get to it.
Our worship service on the 12th of February was kind of cool – because all three of us were involved! Yes, it happens sometimes.
Music practice, David leading
Shari was leading the kids’ teaching time, with a lesson about Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27:1-46; Romans 9:13). Nathanael grabbed his trusty ukulele and helped with the worship music. And I led the service.
We’re keeping busy, but there are a lot of other people working hard too! We’re still trying to get the “shade” just right, with some new mesh tarps. This Sunday will be attempt #3, but things are improving each week. It’s partly a matter of making things easier to set up, and partly a matter of covering what needs to be covered.
A Sunday morning in February 2023
Last Sunday we had another practical problem, however – we ran out of chairs. Two men rushed out to get some stools so that everyone could sit down under our nice shade.
So… I’ll be buying some more this week. However, finding a place to store them all is becoming a problem. Good problems, but problems.
As God continues to work in our local church, the world, the flesh and the devil attack. So we would appreciate your prayers for people in our church who are struggling with health issues, family problems, and bereavement. It’s a challenging time.
We’re also looking forward to starting up a couple of Bible studies – a general one starting this Friday, and in the near future a new study for the women. Please do pray that people will come and that God’s Word will be applied to their hearts.
When these were delivered, I thought – there must be some mistake. Then, I remembered…
Of course! The cocoons of the giant Mexican Tacomoth! No, just kidding.
You may know that, every Sunday, a faithful few get up early in the morning to put up a series of tarps and tents so we can have our weekly service. There are various tarps over the congregation, all tied up with ropes every Sunday. There’s a tent for all the instruments and the pulpit. And there’s a small tent in the back for the children’s Sunday school class.
After the service, all this needs to come down, be wrapped and tied and folded and put away. There are usually quite a few extra helpers after the service, as everything comes down together, chairs are put away, instruments are put away, and so on.
As thankful as we are for all the hard workers, we’re looking for ways to make things easier.
So, what have we there on the couch? Three new mesh tarps. The plan is to have something in place that not only looks nicer, but is a lot easier to put up and take down. They will let a little more sun through, but still provide shade. No, they will not protect from rain. However, here in Mexico City, that’s really only a problem maybe one or two Sundays a year, and we’ll still have options if we need to rush around at the last minute to provide shelter.
The other improvement we’re hoping for is a little more shaded space for children’s activities. It’s pretty chilly right now, but in a couple of weeks we’ll likely be entering into our hot season, and shade will be all the more important.
So here’s hoping we can be a little more efficient, while still providing space for our disciple-making. We’re also working on some electrical issues, plumbing issues, and some much-needed / urgent – sound system replacement and upgrades.
And if you’re wondering – what about a more permanent solution? Yes, we’re working on that as well! But I’ll keep you in suspense for a while longer as work goes on behind the scenes.
These have been difficult days for our church. Difficult days drive us to God’s throne in prayer.
An elderly lady recently passed away, after some very difficult final weeks. She didn’t attend our church, but has children and grandchildren and a great-grandchild who do, so her passing affected our church quite a bit.
If you get our email update, you may have been praying with us for our friend who suddenly collapsed two weeks ago, and has not regained consciousness. He is not only a good friend, but a man who has been a key servant to the church. We continue to pray earnestly for him and his family. [Edit: As I was posting this, our brother in Christ Edgar passed away.]
Last week his family and some of his wife’s family came to the service. His daughter and son volunteered to join the worship band, and they helped lead us in praise to God. It was a moving service, as we prayed together for this and many other needs in the congregation.
In the midst of all this, we’re preparing for the 6th anniversary of the church – this Sunday. We’ve simplified the celebration somewhat due to the circumstances, but we’re still looking forward to thanking God for His faithfulness over the past few years.
(The photo above is from the music time last week – Rod is leading, and you can see Nathanael on the ukulele to the right. The banner in behind is actually from last year’s anniversary service, with text from Exodus 6:7 – “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God”. We’re just finishing our study of Exodus now, seeing the fulfillment of this promise in the book, and the application for us.)
You may have also been praying for our fellow missionary Chalo, who was in the hospital. He’s doing much better, and we were able to visit him last week. He’s home and already working, although he probably should be resting some more! 🙂
In the mundane of our own lives, this has also been a strange time. Without going into details, we’ve had some doctor’s visits. And as I mentioned in the last podcast, we went on an overnight trip to get Nathanael’s visa, only to find that the person who needed to complete the process wasn’t at the office! So this past week we made the trek again, and this time – success! Thanks for your prayers.
So in the end, the last few weeks have included a lot of unusual travel and appointments. It makes it hard to keep up with regular work (including Nathanael’s school). On the bright side, we’ve enjoyed some good family time together in the midst of it all. The “unusualness” will probably continue for the next couple of weeks, as we have at least one more appointment, the anniversary service, a wedding, rather urgent van maintenance…
So we appreciate your prayers as we navigate these turbulent times; that we would have the strength to deal with the “mundane” and still to be a light and an encouragement to others. I guess that’s a good prayer request for us all, isn’t it?
