Lucy and Joel

Here Lucy and Joel sing a song that explains, "I will not be a hypocrite!"

Farewell Robin and Bebe

Robin and Bebe Dugdale left for England today. They have been here for 20 months working mainly in the office, sorting our finances. We helped to organise a farewell do for them. There was a meal and afterwards Joel and Lucy presented some songs. Both were successful professional musicians before they were converted. Joel is the ECC director here in Mexico (the church planting arm of OMS).

Robin and Bebe invited some of the people they have had vital connections with during their time here. It was incredible to see how deeply they impacted the lives of so many even though they speak very little Spanish. Two people trusted Christ after the event.

Robin explains why he came to Mexico and what means the most to him.

Tabitha enjoys the food

Inside the ark

Here is a little clip of part of the show. Inside the ark the animals are getting desperate. The slow old turtle has decided that he's had enough and the other animals are trying to get him going again.

Day of the Child - La Loma

All is calm inside the ark - the Washbasin team drew out the animals and the La Loma team painted them. Notice the red light which gave the 'stage' an great ambiance.Some more of the painting. It is actually painted on the back part of the car-park underneath the main sanctuary.

The cast get ready for the performanceNoah and the animals are ready for the show. What a lot of work they put in. There's no doubt there is lots of talent, energy and enthusiasm in the team.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the ladies (and Richie) are preparing food for the kids.
And the kids arrived. About 60 - 70 of them. There was singing, the show and then...
...the Agnew Theatre company was accompanied by Gary for a presentation of the requirements for salvation. Mr Proud here finds that it isn't found in achievements......Mr Happy becomes Mr Embarrassed as he finds it is not found through good works...
...and after several other characters find it is not found in religion or riches Mr Humble finds the key is in recognising what Christ did on the cross in taking the punishment for his sin and asks forgiveness so that he doesn't have to suffer the punishment himself. In so doing his broken heart is healed.
At the end of the program the kids are treated to a meal of chips (fries) and battered sausages (corn dogs) - a universal favourite with kids it would seem.
After the games the kids answer questions for prizes
But no-one went away empty handed. Notice the chicks and creme eggs. The chicks were knitted by ladies in N. Ireland. Again donated by the washbasin team!
How do you eat yours? As fast as I can and wishing I could have a truck-load more!
The event seemed to go well. The energy and enthusiasm is clear among the team. We look forward to getting alongside some of these amazing people (some of whom are still just teenagers) when the breakfast club starts. There are so many kids in the La Loma area along with their families to be reached.

More counselling

Once again this week I met up with Sandra and Paty. Alex and Andrew also met up with Beto. I felt I had a really good meeting. Thank you for your prayers - I really feel their power when I am chatting. I usually listen and wonder how I am going to respond and then as if from nowhere the whole situation seems to open up.

Like this week Sandra was talking once again about how she had told Beto she would leave him and he told her to go ahead, it didn't matter to him. We were able to establish that she still loves him and is in no way going to leave him soon (and she was able to realise that for herself). So then we told her she had two choices - leave him or stay with him. She knows the consequences of both choices and while we assured her of our love and support and our desire to see both her and Beto removed from these problems and giving and receiving love. We also reminded her there was a long way to go and a difficult road ahead.

Feeling that she will stay with Beto we told her that she must not continue to exasperate him by talking about separation. We are concentrating then on how she can love and support Beto and her kids and on her own spiritual growth.

Andrew and Alex also had a good meeting with Beto. There is no doubt that he has difficulties but he has a hunger for the Word of God. He was underlining passages and drinking everything in like a sponge. He was visibly calmed on hearing and studying the scriptures. The guys are focusing on Beto's spiritual relationship and how Beto can love and cherish Sandra.

Thanks again for your prayers for this situation.

Another Tea

Wednesday was Robin MacKinnon's birthday (standing behind me!) and gave us missionary ladies another great excuse to get together. It was also sad to consider that it would be the last time we would be together as ladies with Bebe (to Robin's right). She is on her way back to England today. It was all a big surprise for Robin and we even had a babysitter lined up at our house. The present theme was 'What every mother of 4 should have' as Robin and Christian expect their 4th child in July.

La Loma responsibilities

On Tuesday evening Miguel and Guille (the pastor of Unifam La Loma and his wife) came over for dinner. We had a great evening. The team from the Washbasin had left materials behind and as we talked through the arrangements for the 'Day of the Child' activities for Sunday we were just thrilled to be able to provide them with specific things that they needed (thank you team!)

We also got to talking about how we could help now that Andrew has finished language school. We will be at the church on Saturdays. We have been asked to co-ordinate the re-start of the breakfast club and help with the music group.

We have been busy planning for the breakfast club and this Saturday we will have a meeting with everyone in the church who is interested in helping. There seems to be a lot of interest. Please pray for wisdom as we plan. One of the main issues is where to hold the event. In the past the team carried stuff down to a nearby shanty town. We want to continue to meet a need there and more importantly to see children and families reached for Christ. There is also a lot of need around the church and we want to reach those kids too. One thought is to start the club in the shanty town and then after we have gained trust and favour, bring it up to the church. Another though is just to start it in the church.

The Club is planned to start on the 12th May (less than 2 weeks!). There is a lot to be done!

Praise God for such a wonderful relationship we have with Miguel and Guille in such a short time. They are so interested in the work of Proyecto MEFI and the street kids. Miguel has a powerful testimony of how God saved him from a life of alcoholism and various associated activities. We are honoured and privileged to be able to work with him.

Our Sunday School Class

Each Sunday morning we take a Sunday School class for kids aged 12-15. Last week we had about 10 there. We were studying Genesis 3 and looking at temptation. The kids made a large list of temptations they face and then we asked them to write one on a piece of paper that was a particularly strong temptation for them. It wasn't going to be discussed or shown to anyone.

After the class Guille, the pastor's wife, came in and told us that one of the girls in our class had been arriving home drunk from time to time and it is breaking her parent's hearts. The same girl had offered 'going to parties and drinking' when we were compiling the class list.

We just hope that God began to work on her heart. She has a lot of head knowledge. We pray that in her heart she will become more like Jesus.

Day of the Child

This is a big celebration here in Mexico and it is this weekend. There are special events planned in the La Loma church. Each family was asked to donate £2.50 ($5) and a bag of sweets (candies). We are expecting about 80-100 kids. Besides the kids who normally come and those they invite, there will be invitations going out to kids in the area. The Sunday School teachers have prepared a play, there will be food, prizes, sweets, special songs...and Andrew and I have been asked to do a mime with masks! We still have no idea what we will be doing so pray that God will give us a plan! We hope to see kids come to Christ with their families and for new people to come to the church.

Top of the Class!

Andrew's Spanish course finished on Friday with a written and an oral exam. He came out top of the class with 98%! This is a real encouragement for him.

Now he can fully focus on meeting with the MEFI team and various other people. Today he met a couple of Baptist missionaries who are going to give 3 mornings to the MEFI team to talk about team building. We would appreciate your prayer for this short course. We would like to see the Mexican team work really well alongside one another. At the moment they work apart. There have been difference in the past but praise God there seems to be an openness to see that change.

Thanks for your prayers.

This week Andrew will also meet with an engineer and we move foward with plans for the complete remodeling of the Social Ministry Centre.

Cars...

We finally got a little family car - praise God. We got a refund from the garage who tried to give us a car that we hadn't bought that was in worse condition and got a Clio at a different garage.

Unfortunately it was overheating so we took it to a trusted garage who listed all the things that needed fixing. We took it back to the agency who took a couple of days to fix the overheating problem (and hopefully the others too). Andrew's still a little concerned that the car runs a little too hot so tomorrow it goes back to the garage to check that the work really was done effectively!

At the moment we have a MEFI car in the garage because it has a whole pile of things wrong with it. The van also needs a check over and the last 2 cars have tax bills to pay.

So the saga continues. We have 3 cars in our care all in need of fixing!

Rain!

It's a little early for the rainy season but the weather has been weird lately. Tonight we had a huge thunder and lightening storm and we decided to collect some of the water coming off our roof for watering the garden later. As you can see there was rather a lot of it. The first bucket filled in about 30mins! Thankfully we're not depending on it for drinking water though!

Supplies

Very kindly the Washbasin team left us lots of supplies for Proyecto MEFI and various churches. I spent an afternoon with Tabitha sorting things out. She was particularly interested in the Haribo sweets and this suitcase...
What a blessing it is to the various ministries to be given supplies like this. There were lots of craft materials, games etc. including stuff that looks like it was donated from companies. Thanks guys - God bless you!

Music

Some of you may know that Andrew and I love music. Back in Britain we would enjoy sitting down together and while I played, Andrew sang. We miss that here.

Yesterday in La Loma we had a little treat. The music team had found backing tracks to all the songs we sang. The music was great. We're not expecting it every week, and it is nice to see the music team involve people from the congregation but we enjoyed it yesterday.

Eye problems

Both Fidel and Alex have problems with their eyes. Alex got some medication today but if it doesn't work he will need to be operated on. We're not sure of the details but please continue to pray for the health of the team.

Beto and Sandra

Last Wednesday evening Gary came over to babysit and we went over to see Alex and Paty (who were still on holiday but back in the city). Ultimately we were headed for Sandra and Beto's house. These two have so many problems. Both were in but while we were there a heated discussion started resulting in Beto's departure.

We continued chatting to Sandra and then Alex and Andrew went out to find Beto.

The guys came back in and we had a good chat and a pray. Paty and I will have our usual meeting with Sandra on Wednesday and in the evening Alex and Andrew will meet with Beto.

There is a long way to go. We would appreciate your continued prayers for wisdom and for a miracle in this little family.

Update on Julia

Thanks to those of you who are praying for Julia. We heard last week that she has kids with a guy called Victor (not his real name) who is also in rehab (and has been for a few months). It seems they are ready to leave. Please continue to pray as we wait for exactly the right time. Pray that we will find them a place to rent. They will initially work in the Social Ministry Centre making pictures and we'll see where they go from there.

Previous to entering rehab Victor had been taking drugs for 7 years and they have taken their toll. The doctors have told him that he could go blind at any point and have also told him that in 3 years he will will have no control over his movement or eyesight and his brain will be so damaged that he will need constant care and attention (i.e. a vegetative state) even if he doesn't take more drugs. Such is the damage that the drugs have done. Of course, God can intervene! Please keep praying.

Extra Responsibilities

On Tuesday night the team came round to our house for dinner. Most of the missionaries are away on a retreat with the church leaders and their families so we invited Robin Efing and the MacKinnons over too as they are the only other missionaries in the City. It was fun and Tabitha once again demonstrated inside the circle that (without training!) she knows exactly how to be the centre of attention!The team left on Wednesday evening. Well all but Gary, who is here for one year to work in Church Planting and MEFI. All of a sudden he is on his own so we had him over for something to eat last night. Pray for him as he studies Spanish and looks for somewhere to live and finds his way here in Mexico. He will spend 85% of his time studying Spanish in the first 6 months and then will spend the next 6 months working closely with Andrew. We figure the investment in language is more than worth the effort and will result in a more satisfying and effective time overall for Gary.

A lesson

Yesterday Paty and I had our weekly meeting with Sandra. We expected to greet an upbeat girl as Paty had visited the night before and everything seemed to be going well. That was not the case. Sandra arrived with swollen eyes from much crying and told us of yet another problem in her relationship with Beto. As in our meeting the previous week we were left without words for a bit. But thanks so much for your prayers. I have no doubt that God is helping me (and Paty) to know what to say in these situations and I know that that is a result of your prayers.

We listened and counselled and then I had brought some home-made banana bread (Tabitha had a funny tummy and hadn't been eating as many bananas as normal (but she's back on form now)) and some coffee which we enjoyed.

We began to look at the parable of the sower/seed. First we read the passage and then we looked at each example as we made this collage using grass seed, thorns from our raspberry bush and various bits and pieces from around the house (kids workers never throw anything away!). We asked Sandra where she was and she said she was the good soil because amidst all the problems she has not returned to the streets. Her interesting observation is that she feels she has passed through each stage and believes that to be true for many of the street kids.

There is no doubt that very slowly we are seeing changes in her life. There is a long way to go but yet again this precious, caring and tender girl has masses of potential to win other street kids for Christ. She left the meeting a lot more positive but sadly we hear the Beto and she had more problems last night. Of course, there are two sides to every story and Alex and Paty were going round to the house to check it out. We didn't hear how that went.

Please pray for all the seed planted in these kids lives. Pray that Sandra ill continue to grow and that above all things she will guard her heart and follow God's plan for her life. Continue to pray for our wisdom in how to deal with this difficult and delicate situation. We have no meeting planned this week but I will call a couple of times to check how things are going.

A long overdue break

There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that Alex and Paty are not only called to this work but that they are also incredibly gifted for it. There are kids attending the Santa Monica church and living in rooms close to their home for no other reason than that they love Alex and Paty. This amazing couple work so hard (far too hard!). They visit the streets, they work in the drop-in centre and they spend countless hours with the kids who are leaving the streets discipling and helping them practically and it is making a huge difference. We are seeing the start of what we believe are long term changes.

Of course they make mistakes along the way. This is completely new to them. But what no-one can dispute is the incredible love they have for the kids and nobody knows that better than the kids themselves.

They also have their own relationship and their 3 grown kids (2 have left home and have kids) to protect.

You can only imagine how tired they are after months of this work. Not only is it physically exhausting but it is also draining emotionally and spiritually. Today they have gone outside of the city to take a much needed week of holidays (vacation). Please pray that their time will be one of deep renewal and refreshing in every way. Pray too for the kids who depend so deeply on their physical and spiritual support in their absence. Pray that God will strengthen them this week and that they will begin to realise that His help is even more valuable than that of Alex and Paty's and that they will fly through the week. Pray against the enemy's attack on their lives with the people that are always there to help them through gone.

A precious life

This is the girl for whom we have been asking prayer. We'll call her Julia though that's not her real name (we want to protect her identity on the web). She is the girl who was in the rehab centre for 5 months and we have also mentioned her in our prayer letter (by her real name). She was doing extremely well and then she returned to the streets. She was so ashamed she wouldn't even return to the drop-in centre. Well eventually she came back a couple of times and on Tuesday a miracle happened.

Alex and Paty normally only go to the drop-in centre on Mondays, wednesdays and Fridays. Tuesday is their day off but this week the team from N. Ireland was scheduled to go to the streets for their second visit. Half the team went with Andrew, Alex and Paty and called first at the drop-in centre. Who arrived at the same time? Julia. She was ready to go to the rehab centre once more.

Why do we post this shocking photo? We certainly don't want to upset you but it's so hard for us to explain the reality of this ministry. We post it to plead for your prayers. This girl is precious. She has potential to be a huge help in the ministry, convincing others like her to leave the streets. She has fallen, yes, and she may fall a few more times but we need to persevere. She is in a fierce battle like any of these kids who leave the streets. This picture is the 'before' picture. Please pray for the 'after' picture. I can't describe the change that we will see in just a few weeks. God still moves stones! Praise Him for the timing on Tuesday that meant that Juia could be taken back to rehab. Pray for us as we try to find appropriate accomodation and work for her when she is ready to leave. One of the reasons she may have fallen is that she was in the rehab centre so long she got bored. We don't want that to happen again.

Thank you for your prayers. Each one of our kids is precious and we want to help them fight the battle and win!

Resurrection Sunday

Last Sunday in La Loma was really special. The church service started at 7am. There seemed to be as many people as usual. Most of the ladies were dressed in white and the church was decorated with white ribbons and at the front the words "Christ Lives, He has risen" were in gold letters on the wall. It already felt like a celebration of the amazing victory Christ won over death and then the music started. Usually we have about an hour of singing before the sermon. Sunday was no different and what a note of triumph there was in the songs and the response of the people.

Miguel preached on the Emmaus Road journey and most of the congregation responded to his appeal to serve God better in the year ahead. It was very emotional.
A baptism service followed and 8 people were baptised. The whole church gathered around the baptistry and again it was just a fantastic time.
Afterwards we went downstairs for tamales (cornmeal and chilli or chicken or something sweet all wrapped in a corn cob leaf) and atole (a very sweet kind of hot chocolate drink) and then we went home.
In the afternoon we went to the MacKinnons house and joined the rest of the missionaries and the team from N. Ireland for a special Easter dinner. The food was fantastic and we had a special Easter focus where we thought about the fact that God still moves stones. Each person took a piece of the stone and wrote on it something that had happened recently to demonstrate that fact i.e. a problem that had been solved, a prayer that had been answered or a way God had spoken personally. Bit by bit the stone was moved away from the front of the grave to reveal the empty tomb. He is not here, HE IS RISEN!
Of course, the kids had their easter egg hunt and then we all enjoyed a first time treat - Stephen (one of the team members and a chef) had mad us all a gorgeous pavlova (he even brought caster sugar from home to make it!).There was a special surprise for all the missionaries - a present each from the team. Unexpected gifts are just so exciting (guess my love language!). It certainly put a smile on all of our faces. You can just see Tabitha's 'Five little piggies' book towards the right hand side. It has certainly been much appreciated.
What a celebration. Isn't that how Easter should be? What a fantastic message - JESUS IS ALIVE!

Learning from the Team

Our first visit to Mexico was in July 2001. We came for a month and worked solely with Fidel and on the streets. For a year beforehand we were preparing and meeting weekly with our group which was composed of people who had a gift and a burden for underprivileged kids and were very involved in our local church. When we arrived in Mexico we were 'chomping at the bit'. We had been learning Spanish for months as part of the preparation and were eager to give it a go. We had no connection with OMS other than paying a visit to Jonathan and Lupita Morton in the La Loma church.

When we came back with OMS in 2004 we quickly realised that the job of the missionary is not to go onto the streets ourselves but to take and train Mexicans to do the work. They are the best people to do the job as they understand the language and the culture etc. and they're definitely long term! The high percentage of time we spent in church planting reflected that priority.

When teams come to Mexico our aim is to give them a good overall view of what goes on here. They may be focused on one particular area (depending on the needs when they arrive) but they will see all of the ministries. Preparation for coming therefore is very different than it was for our team in 2001.

Most teams get about one hour of orientation when they get here before going to the streets. We explain the history of the project, our story and a few rules to keep people safe and happy on the streets. No matter how much we say or how many pictures people see it is never enough to fully prepare people for their visit. It is not uncommon for people to burst into tears when they see how these kids live. We usually make sure to tell people that it's common and it's ok to cry.

The difference with this most recent team is that their first street visit coincided with the visit of a couple who are extremely gifted and have many years experience in counseling. When the team got back from the streets this couple were intrigued to hear their response. Having never been to the streets themselves they identified behaviour and conversation which indicated that this team was experiencing post trauma symptoms.

We have talked about this since and are realising that we need to have a good follow up session to help people process what they have seen. It's always good to bring teams to the streets just to keep what we are working with fresh in our minds but it's easy for us to get so caught up in the task that we don't even consider the symptoms of street life. We don't remember feeling traumatised when we first visited the streets and wonder if the intense and specific preparation has something to do with that.

Pray as we develop this follow up material and execute it. Pray that it will hit the mark and that as teams come to the streets the experience though difficut, will be positive and one that wil prompt an appropriate response e.g. more effective, specific prayer for the ministry and more active involvement in ministries at home.