Though we can hardly believe it, the time has come to hit the road again! It seems we just returned to Spokane to begin the second half of our home assignment in Washington… yet May and June have given way to July, and we once again load the truck with all our belongings – preparing to log some serious mileage!
Since our last update, we were privileged to speak in five church services and have two open houses – in addition to simply enjoying time spent in fellowship at partner churches! We spent time catching up with family and old friends, and making several new friends (sometimes in the most unexpected places!). Hard work has moved a lot of our projects forward, and God provided a lot of help in particular through our friends Brian Krebs and Don Chubb – the former outfitting our truck for mountain use, and the latter taking over the planning and oversight of our house construction project! All of this help has made a huge difference in getting stuff done, and eased a lot of the load on our family.
we often were able to enjoy during these past few months!
That said, this has still been a challenging season of life. Though we regularly planned time for rest, the sheer amount of tasks needing done has been stressful. Both Amy and I have battled with insomnia, and while God continues teaching us more about trusting in Him (a lesson for all phases of life!), we know we have further to grow. Your prayer for us in this area is greatly appreciated! We know that this too is part of God preparing us to serve Him among the Nahuatl people, and that He is glorified in displaying His sufficiency from within our circumstances.
As we leave Washington in the rear-view mirror, our next stop is a rest-filled week with family on the Oregon Coast – one in which we will be able to almost completely disconnect, and simply relax. After that we’ll spend a week making our way (somewhat quickly!) to El Paso, then return to Chihuahua to start visa renewal paperwork. That done, we’ll pause in El Paso for a bit – taking a critical opportunity before moving forward to wrap up as much as possible from our backlog of projects. Finally, our travels will resume… and we can’t wait to see everyone during our time in the Midwest (planning stops in IA, IL, OK, MI, MO, TN, & WI)!
in-country with family, like the indispensable hot-dog roast!
One of the most frequent questions we have heard while traveling is, “What needs do you have as you prepare to return to Mexico?” Many thought of the financial challenges they knew were coming for us, and – as we promised whenever hearing that question – we will now expand on those in this space. Furthermore, there are opportunities to help out in other ways, and we will also share those with you at this time.
- Finances: As we return to Mexico, our monthly support is 13.5% short of our Ethnos360 recommended budget. Our house-building fund is at $25K out of a projected $50K need – a number we will refine and update after the construction plan is done. As well, we have a number of other specific expenses: final truck outfitting and repairs, furnishing our house when ready, and renting a place (and vehicle?) for Amy and the kids while house construction is ongoing – around six months.
- House-Building Teams: As we are not builders, our family is depending on others’ help to build our house in Las Moras. A team of Nahuatl will raise adobe walls, and a pair of church teams have committed to come in December to start the following stages of construction (framing, roofing, flooring, and so forth)! We think that another pair of week-long week teams between February and May 2019 – along with individuals coming to help in specific areas (electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, etc) – would push this project across the finish line.
- Homeschool Teachers: During our first years among the Nahuatl people, we need as many hours as possible to study language and culture! One of the most significant ways to buy more time would be having a homeschool teacher – someone living with our team in Las Moras, who could oversee the day-to-day of our kids’ studies. Whether for a semester, a whole year, or multiple years – that would help maximize our ability to get critical foundational parts of language as solidly as possible.
Amy and I are so grateful for God’s provision of such amazing partners, who know there are challenges ahead and specifically ask us to make these needs known. We do so in full confidence that God provides all His ministries require, and trust that no one feels pressure to participate as we share. We ask that you join us in bringing these things to Him in prayer, watching for His provision – and should you feel led to help in any of these areas, we look forward to hearing from you! Financial gifts can be arranged through the Give link at the top of this post, and our Contact page is a great place to start if you’re interested in the house-building or homeschool opportunities.
Please note: gifts intended for the construction or outfitting of our house should be designated ‘Mex FF for Husband House Proj’ for tax purposes. Thank you!
Praise God with us!
- For the ways He permits us to serve Him and share His heart for the unreached, though we are so unable on our own.
- For the joy of long-awaited time with close friends and family here in the United States – more of which is yet to come!
- For his faithful kindness to sustain, grow, and teach us through the difficult challenges in this phase of life.
Ways you can pray:
- That we see God’s provision and sufficiency ever more clearly as we walk with Him in faith through life’s stressful seasons.
- That we keep trusting God as we begin many new, ‘unknown’ things – all known to Him! – in this next phase of ministry.
- That He continue providing what is needed at each step of the journey – whether that be sleep, funding, wisdom, helpers, or any other thing!
Thank you so much, Ron – we are greatly appreciative of the prayer you offer on our behalf. God is so kind and faithful to work through the intercession of His people!
We too are grateful for the fellowship we share in this wonderful, mysteriously and wonderfully made Body of Christ! It’s a privilege to call you ‘brother.’
My dear friends.
It has been sometime ago now that I initially received your email directing me to your updates. Thank you for that. Please know that you are being prayed for daily by many people, and some of them are here at Sylvan Way in Bremerton.
I continued to be blessed with the notion that so many people in my/our lives, apart from Christ, we would not have reason to connect. What a great God we serve.
I will continue to pray that God will meet your needs in His timing, for your blessing, and for His glory.
Bless you and your family for what you do in furthering His kingdom.
Blessings,
Ron Schwab