Family Update for June

Celebrating Six Years
At the end of May, we celebrated our sixth year anniversary here in Guadalajara. It has been a wild and crazy ride to say the least. We are so thankful to God for all that he’s provided along the way. We’ve been blessed to be a part of a large simple-church network in Guadalajara, while focusing the majority of our attention on a the house church in a neighborhood that is marked by violence and addictions. We want to say thank you for all of your care, support and prayers. Especially in the scarier moments, we’ve been reminded that you are with us on our journey, lifting us up. Thank you so very much.

Jocotan
Each time we gather with our brothers in Jocotan, we prepare ourselves for a whole new adventure. One couple continues to face very difficult struggles. They are at odds with one another constantly. The one good thing about their struggle is that they don’t try to fake anything. They are real and honest so problems are dealt with as a community. We do not know if they will choose to be faithful to God or to each other. This makes are hearts very heavy. The other couple seems to be maturing more and more. They’ve also encountered a lot of stress. After time of fear and uncertainty, they’ve continued moving forward with Jesus. They are ministering to friends and have family members coming closer to God along with them. Please pray for all of us to place our hope and trust in God. There has been so much godly transformation and so much attacking from Satan.

Math Class in Jocotan
My Math class in Jocotan is coming to a close. It has been a learning experience on many levels. (I want to track down my high school math teacher and apologize for any and all distractions I caused in class.) Kim joined me this last week for a school party. We were touched to see all tha t the school is offering to this neighborhood and were encouraged to be a part of such a ministry in the name of Jesus. We don’t know what the harvest will hold, but seeds have been planted. Please pray for Sadai and Lupita, my most faithful students. Their lives are in such chaos that it often leaves me speechless. (Lupita’s dream is to be a drug runner and her dad is the manager of a famous strip club in Guadalajara.) Only Jesus can change their life’s course.

All-Church Farewell
On the last Sunday in May, all of the churches gathered together to say goodbye to us and the Pruett family. The Pruetts were a part of the original mission team that arrived in Guadalajara in 1998. When we arrived in Guadalajara in 2003, the Pruetts opened their home to us for our first month. They have been a great encouragement to us and to the churches in Guadalajara. They will be returning to the states (San Antonio) in July.

Sunday was very good. It was wonderful to be with the Christians from all over the city, gathered together as one family. We pray that our guys from Jocotan will stay connected to the body and continue to grow in their relationships with other Christians. We also lift the other groups up to God and pray that He be a powerful force that unites them together and fills them with His character and Spirit. We pray for our co-workers who will remain here to be surrounded by God’s presence, protection and blessings.

Crafts in the Park
Our good friend Adriana has begun a ministry in the park in her neighborhood. Each Saturday night she gathers the kids together for a Bible story and a craft. We love that God placed the needs of the kids on her heart and she obeyed His call. She is an answer to your prayers to the Lord of the Harvest. She’s been cautious to stay on the good side of the parents. This last week she asked Kim to join=2 0her to make cards with the kids. She was excited and surprised when a dad approached her afterwards to thank her for what she’s doing. He said he is afraid to let his girl play in the park by herself. But he is grateful that Adriana is making the park a place that his daughter can learn about the Bible.

Car Trouble and Headaches Galore
This last month has been horrible on our vehicles. The Taurus, which is the newer car with fewer miles is also our least reliable. This worries us all the more since it is the Expedition that was just released from the shop after a 40 day stay. During that span, the Taurus has been in and out of the shop due to a problem the mechanics were unable to diagnose. We’re hoping that if it breaks down on us, it will do it here and not while driving across Mexico later this month. Hopefully the Expedition is ready to make the trek north as well. Please pray for our safe travel and peace of mind.

What’s The Plan?
Our plan is to leave Guadalajara on the 25th of June for a year furlough, or for what some call “home assignment”. We will drive to Tulsa so that we can leave a load of our stuff, as well as the Taurus, before heading on to California for the month of July to be with Kim’s family. We will return to Tulsa at the beginning of August in time to get set up before the kids start school. Tim will also begin taking masters courses in communications at the University of Oklahoma. To do this, he’ll spend two weekends a month in Lawton as the courses are designed to be weekend intensive. Our plan is to return to Guadalajara in June of 2010.