Summer is Coming!

Back in February, we mentioned a series of seven upcoming CLA evaluations: check-in milestones for newer missionaries studying Mexican culture and Spanish. One family’s medical situation delayed their evals (everyone is okay!), so only the first five were completed on that schedule. I ended up reviewing those eval recordings for four hours on the road one day, as our family left town to see my visiting parents. We got the other two evals done a couple of weeks later, and – as part of the consultant training process – I even got to conduct one personally. This group of learners progressed well, and our consultant team hopes this experience both encouraged them and provided helpful counsel for their next season of study. Meanwhile, we are already preparing for the next group of seven evaluations at the end of April.

Preparations are also going well for the arrival of the short term missions team from Peaceful Valley Church. Flights have been booked, 15 passenger vans located, and planning is well underway for their arrival in May. Plenty of work remains ahead, but things are coming together one step at a time. Personally, this blesses us greatly: friends both old and new are coming to visit, along with Amy’s brother Josh and three of the Van Wormers we have missed since they left the field! But as we look at the impact this team’s presence will have on our field missions conference this year, we are deeply grateful for this opportunity to serve these brothers and sisters as they in term come to serve our coworkers here in Mexico. We look forward to sharing how the conference goes in our next update!

Our family’s health challenges have intensified over the last couple of months, and we continue asking for prayer – particularly for our sons. Joel has experienced near-continual stomach pain since December, often going to school regardless but sporadically missing several class days. He has worked very hard to stay caught up (often taking math class at home with Binimea teacher Dad even on sick days!), and has been a real trooper. Meanwhile, Titus’ long-established pattern suddenly changed for the worse. Instead of every so often missing three to four school days due to gut pain and nausea, he was unable to attend classes for five straight weeks. Since he was often in too much pain to do make-up work, he now needs to finish the school year at home over the summer.

Both boys have seen several doctors, who have looked at their symptoms from many different angles. A lot has been ruled out, but we still hope for more clarity on the root causes of their discomfort… and a way to help them get back to pain-free life. Amy and I are grateful for all of you who join us in praying for them, and ask that you continue doing so as we search for ways to help our boys. Ultimately, we rest in God’s faithfulness to work all things, yes, even this! for their good and ours.

Taking these things into consideration, our family will delay hoped-for travel through the Midwest this summer – instead penciling visits to Missouri, Wisconsin, and the like in for the summer of 2025. Our primary focus this summer will be the boys’ health and Titus’ homeschool, with the goal of resolving those things before the ’24-’25 school year begins. Lord willing, this will not only take care of Titus and Joel’s needs, but also leave our family better equipped for the ministries God has given us here.

At this point, we do not know whether we will travel to Washington or remain in Chihuahua this summer. There are pros and cons on both sides, so Amy and I will also take that to the Lord in prayer over the next several weeks. God kindly grew our support by 10% last summer, so while we do look for His provision of the remaining 18% needed, we know we can focus on the scholastic and medical priorities previously mentioned. Rather than scheduling meetings and open houses, we will mostly look for everyone on Sunday mornings if we do travel Stateside again this year. Our next update will come after the field mission conference, so – Lord willing – we will let you know how those summer plans come out some time in early June!

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Praising God!

• For encouragement in our various ministry roles, from IT to managing the field’s administrative offices… and in so doing, the chance to see His hand at work in many diverse places. Furthermore, we are encouraged by the ways we see Him at work in each of us individually, drawing us to Him and making us more Christlike.
• For the upcoming time with the Peaceful Valley team, and the ways that Mexico’s biannual conferences always bless our field. God’s provision of both the conference planners and childcare team is so kind!
• For the privilege of serving the Lord in a context very foreign to the one in which we grew up… where we get to serve as part of His great purpose in proclaiming salvation through Jesus to whole people groups who have never before known Him.

Ways to Pray:

• For the Nahuatl church, missionary team, and the whole Las Moras community. Local unrest has led to our field leadership and security teams asking the church planters to leave home for a time – as many of their neighbors have also done. Pray for a calming resolution to those situations, and for the Lord to uphold the believers while clearly demonstrating His faithfulness and love among them.
• For long-term relief from pain for Titus and Joel. Pray as well for our family to remain at rest in the Lord as we walk through these circumstances with Him and each other.
• For wisdom and discernment in each of our ministries over these next few weeks, and as we consider options for this summer. All He brings before us is His, not ours – and we trust His leading as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.