The End of an Era

 
We have some pretty exciting news to share! As January gave way to February, it seemed clear I’d taken large strides since my previous language evaluation. Our consultants scheduled an assessment of my Spanish speaking abilities… and I passed! The same day I was evaluated, we learned I had graduated “with flying colors” from our national language program, releasing us to head toward ministry among the Nahuatl people.

We didn’t have much time to let this news sink in. Two days before my evaluation, we were invited to visit our teammates in Las Moras – the mountain village where they live, and are currently teaching the Gospel for the first time ever in the Nahuatl language! It proved necessary to make the trip immediately, so – with national language study behind us – we packed our bags and flew into the mountains the following Monday morning.

 
For three days, we enjoyed being together with our team. We basically had the meeting that never ended (except for coffee!), discussing everything from moving dates to local ministry plans and house-building. Planning and praying, we all enjoyed fellowship and gave thanks for this long-awaited shift in our family’s status. When our time together came to an end, we had a solid outline for how the next months of ministry would look.

While in the mountains, Amy and I were privileged to attend the Nahuatl language Bible teaching. What’s more, we were there for the first time Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary was presented in the Nahuatl language! This is something we could never have expected or planned, and is a memory we will treasure for eternity. We were encouraged to see an engaged, thoughtful group of attendees interact with our teammates – and look forward to seeing how God reveals the fruit from this day over the months and years to come.

 
Returning from the mountains to Chihuahua, we have finally gotten a chance to catch our breath, consider the new phase of ministry ahead of us… and wow, there is a lot going on! We are currently in the process of packing up our home, and preparing for home assignment in the United States. I am working on construction plans for a house in Las Moras, considering details like building teams, finances, and procuring materials. On top of these things, we are beginning to say goodbye to dear friends and family we’ve shared life with for over three years. In essence, we’ve exchanged one busy schedule for another!

Our plans for being in the United States are still fluid… yet the realities of house construction, ministry needs, and visa renewals set a firm end date to our time Stateside. We only have about six months available to us between mid-March and early October, and hope to visit many of you during that period (more on this soon, but earlier is better!). Here is a loose outline of our projected travels:

• Mid-March: drive from Mexico to Washington, with short-notice stops in California and Oregon
• Mid-March to mid-July: we will split this time between Western and Eastern Washington
• Late July: drive to Mexico with stops in Oregon and California; apply for permanent residency status in Mexico
• Early August to early October: travel through the Midwest, including Wisconsin, Michigan, and Missouri (among others!)
• October and on: back to Mexico, with house construction beginning in November!

Our family remains grateful for your partnership in prayer, encouragement, and financial support through these first years in Mexico. What a great testimony this time has been to God’s sufficiency and faithfulness, and we know this next phase will only add to the stories we can share of His greatness! For now, we look forward to seeing so many friends and family face-to-face again, and are thankful that time is finally upon us. Lord willing… we will see you soon!

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Praise God with us!

• For allowing us to witness the first teaching of the Crucifixion among the Nahuatl, and moreover that the time has finally come for that Good News to be heard in Las Moras!
• For bringing Jordan’s time of formal Spanish study to a close,
  helping him finish strongly, and granting us the freedom to take the next steps toward ministry in the mountains!
• For the blessing of great health for our family in such a busy time, particularly when many in the community around us are battling several nasty seasonal bugs.

Ways you can pray:

• For the response among the Nahuatl as teaching continues, for our coworkers as they faithfully continue in this work, and for growth in the infant Nahuatl church!
• For our family as we enter a very busy season of packing up a the house, leaving friends and family here, and wrapping up a long list of pre-travel to-dos!
• For wisdom as we work to balance the responsibilities ahead: from how to plan our travels in the United States, to preparing for house construction (work teams, dealing with costs, finishing house plans…)