Thank you so much for your prayers and constant support. I pray this new year finds you and your family looking for the will of God in your own lives.
Well, last time I wrote, I was in El Paso, TX in December, helping translate for Edwin & Anita. Since then, Edwin had finished his 12 days of therapy with the chiropractor, and we went back to Chihuahua. He had recovered quite well, but he wasn’t a 100% better. After making it back to Chihuahua, he continued heading to physical therapy to continue to strengthen the back muscles. But after Christmas, he sneezed, and he was back in bed with a ton of pain. So after much prayer, he did decide to have a back surgery, which happened a few days after Christmas. Since then, he is still going to therapy every day plus water therapy.
Please be praying for him. This school year has been so rough, because as director, he was only able to teach about 6 weeks of classes, and the rest of the time he has been in bed. He feels like he is useless during this time of healing. Please be praying for his healing and for strength for his family.
It has been a very good test for us as a team. We’ve all had to work hard and in different ways to help Edwin get to therapy. I’ve helped drive him and Anita the 40 minutes to therapy numerous times, and other staff members too. We’ve also had to team together to get the kids to and from school each day. It’s been a very good test for us to work together as a team, and help each other out.
Plus I’ve also been helping out the Grangers, my other co-workers, since the middle of December. In December, Mexico got a new presi.dent, and one of his first actions as presi.dent was to change the immigration and visa process. The Grangers turned in their paperwork for their visas right after Thanksgiving and they have to wait two more weeks (almost 3 whole months) for the visas! We used to be able to get the visas in about 3 weeks! Because their car papers expired in December, since then they had to leave their two vehicles in El Paso until they could get their visas. Therefore I have been working with them in coordinating rides to the city and letting them borrow my car to take the kids to school and pick up them up each day, plus for meetings, church, ministry, etc.
Oh. And the water pump plus a valve in the engine on my car went out on the Grangers as they drove it into town three weeks ago. :S And I will start my visa process, and probably sell my car in the states in March. Then try to figure out the options of buying a Mexican car down here, and the whole registration process, etc.
The good news is that the Grangers got their visas last week, and this wek they were able to bring in their van, so that will help a lot. And my car has been fixed and now I’m free to travel back and forth to the city!
Some days it just seems to be one thing after another, right? And I know I’m not the only one. Plus, then there are days when Satan is a punk. And he knows how to discourage us almost constantly. For example, since I came back from Christmas break, I honestly had not been 100% excited to be back. I was in a hard core funk. I just had no desire to do anything. And I have no idea why. It’s not that I wanted to leave Mexico, or that I wanted to move back to the states. But I was having serious doubts about almost everything. All these new visa rules, issues that constantly come up with the students, not knowing what God has for my future (tribe or the Ranch), just a lot of things were stressing me out. I just had like 5 weeks of constant discouragement.
Plus, before I even crossed back into Mexico in January, I got an email from a place where I used to work, asking me to come back and help them out. It’s a really good job, and it has awesome benefits, and there would be a secure outcome. It’s the kind of job that parents dream for their kids to have. And I had to turn it down.
But it’s not what God has for me. He has me serving here in Mexico, amidst the difficulties, and trials, and issues. And I have been daily relying on Him, and His strength to keep me going. Things are going better now here for me. I’m staying encouraged, and looking forward to what God has for me here in the Ranch, and the rest of the year.
This is our group of young adults, jr. highers, and high schoolers. This is a picture we took after one of our studies. I taught for three weeks on our Identity in Christ. And for the group it was eye opening and freeing. Now they do not feel the pressure to “perform” but instead they can rest in their acceptance because of what Christ has done for them! Such a good reminder for us all.
This is a photo with (L-R): Ana’s mom, Ana, Kari, Anita, and myself. We attended the Quincenera for Ana’s niece. Remember the family that I keep having y’all pray for, it’s them. We enjoyed the night together! Her niece’s color for the party was purple, that’s why we are all in purple! 🙂
Something awesome happened at Christmas time. My parents blessed our family with a three week trip to Germany! What! Our family hasn’t had a vacation in 15 years or so. And as a part of my dad’s retirement this month he wants to take us on a trip. We, which includes my parents, my grandma, her sister (my great aunt), my sister, brother and sister-in-law, and me, will be heading to Germany & France to visit family and see some sights. As a family we have always wanted to do something like this, but we never thought it would be possible. Germany is the birthplace of my grandma and her sister, and my father was born in France. This trip happens at an awesome time for me, because we will be having spring break during my trip. 🙂
Praises ::
– A nice Christmas with my family & friends in Oregon
– God’s grace that’s new every day
– the awesome team that I am a part of in the Ranch
– three amazing years in Mexico
– wonderful Mexican friends & families that have adopted meRequests ::
– for the work here this semester at the Ranch
– for the plans I have to go to Oregon for a 3-4 month furlough
– God’s leading & provision to go to a tribe – there might be some news next month or in April
– for the new visa process and buying a Mexican vehicle – I’ll need some hard core wisdom
– for selling my car in El Paso in April – that things can go smoothly
If you are interested in seeing some of the things God’s been doing in Mexico please check out the following link: Mexico News
Check out the stories about the Guarijio and my friend Katie! It’s pretty cool to see what is happening among tribal people in Mexico.I’m hoping that within the next two months I’ll have an update on moving to a tribe. It’s looking like I might be heading to work with the Mixteco people in Baja, but keep praying, because it’s not final yet! And I’m really wanting to follow God’s timing.
Also, I’m working on planning for a 3-4 month furlough this summer (mid-June-mid-September)! I’m excited to be able to head towards Oregon for a few months to visit my three supporting churches, lots of friends, and enjoying summer activities with my family! 🙂
