It's Christmas...nearly

We're almost there and we have no doubt that you are too busy to be reading lengthy blog posts so we'll be really brief.

What a joy this week to get together with all the missionaries, church planters, pastors and their families. Andrew and I led the carol singing and games and we had a blast. There is a great spirit of unity and we are trusting God for great things as new house churches open all over the place and these workers tirelessly work to see His kingdom extended here in Mexico.
Spot the confident missionary kids! Tabitha and Ethan MacKinnon were happy to enjoy the view from the platform in front of everyone. It won't be long before they are looking for the mics!
The MOPS girls all have a list of things that need to be done in each area before we have our next meeting in January. There has been a lot of planning and we need to see some fruit as we move towards the start date. We won't start until we are ready so please pray that the girls will find time and energy to get to work.

There has been a little set-back at the drop-in centre. We found out today that one of the pipes in the boys bathroom is too high and will need to be re-positioned. It's not a major job but every day is precious as we keep moving into the next phase. Alex and Paty's sister-in-law passed away this week (Alex's brother's wife) leaving her husband (who is blind) and two teenage kids. We're sure they would appreciate prayer as they grieve with their family.

Praise God with us for a new 'family' member. A man responded to the gospel message at the special event down in Chalco tonight. We're also praising God for the 50 people who attended. Thanks as always for your prayers!

Well, if you have kids around you no doubt this is a very exciting and busy time. We certainly have a very excited little girl! We hope to spend Christmas morning opening presents and joining with our families (in N. Ireland, England and Canada) through Skype. In the afternoon we will get together with our missionary family for food and fun D.V. Not only is there Christmas Day to look forward to but we are also hoping to get out of the city for a few days break. Everything goes quiet here over Christmas time unlike at home. We're so grateful for the chance for a rest, some sun (sorry if it's freezing where you are!) and time to be together. We want to wish you a wonderful holiday and times of happy memories. Let us leave you with this amazing video as a reminder of what it's all about.


Moppets

We think that prayer might have been answered. We have been needing someone to take the responsibility of the kids while the MOPS meetings are in progress but no one seemed to be obvious for the task. I didn't want someone who wasn't called and dedicated to the task to take it on. I also really wanted someone young who could come to the house for further planning as it is a big responsibility.

There is a girl who seems to be available and keen to help. She is a great girl but she is also very busy. Please continue to pray that God will make it clear to her if this is something He wants her to do. I will need to speak with her soon to get a final answer and if she says yes then we will get to work on planning and will hopefully be on target to start in the New Year as planned.

This is God's ministry and we are excited to move forward in His time and with the people He has called to the job.

Family

Here they are looking like they are up to something... and that's probably not wrong! We are so blessed to have such great kids. They certainly keep us on our toes. Tabitha loves to chat with us about anything really. She certainly feels very grown up and frequently struggles when what she wants to do is not what mummy and daddy want her to do. She could probably watch TV all day if we let her but she also loves to be kept busy, loves reading and singing.

On Wednesday this week she seemed off form. A high temperature gave some explanation. The temperature finally came down yesterday when we were at the point of phoning the doctor. We're not sure what caused it but apart from getting tired more easily and being a little grumpy at times she seemed fine and wanted to be flying around as usual. At the moment she is trying to decide if she wants to go and see Santa at a nearby mall. She swithers between wanting to see him and being too scared. Whatever happens she'll be hoping that he makes it down our chimney in a couple of week time!

Oscar is an explorer. There can't be many nooks that he hasn't investigated. And wherever he finds something small enough it goes into his mouth for further exploration! He seems to have lost some of his drive to get walking now that he can speed about on his knees. He loves his big sister to bits but doesn't always get a warm reception to his attempts at affection. When he does get a positive response he makes the most of it! Like his big sister at this stage he will go to anyone. He is learning the meaning of the word 'no' but at the moment he seems to like to push the boundaries and usually gives his biggest, cutest smile when he is being told not to do something. He loves books, the remote control, leads and the telephone and music always gets his attention and has him rocking back and forward or bouncing up and down. We're thankful that he has enjoyed good health this winter.

Thank you for your prayers and interest in our little family. We so appreciate you standing with us and realise that without you it would not be possible for us to be here serving as we do. We especially appreciate your prayers as we seek to guide our kids in a God honouring way and we desperately want them to make their own decisions to love and follow Him early in their lives.

Marriage counselling

Thank you for your prayers for the couple we mentioned recently. We had a good time together. It was very introductory and really trying to figure out where the two individuals were with regard to the marriage. We agreed to meet weekly for as long as was necessary.

This couple really need our prayers. We phoned on Wednesday night and he told us they weren't coming as she has had enough of the marriage. Please pray for her and ask God to give her the strength to fight. Pray that this marriage will be saved and for their two children who must be aware that something is going on.

Christmas presents

We were asked if we could help to give Christmas presents to the kids who attend the church down in Chalco. This is an incredibly poor area where the kids will receive very little this year. It is such a joy to be able to help. It is an extra special joy to be able to use gifts that have been brought out by teams or sent to us. Perhaps you may see something that you donated...
Here are the gifts ready to go. Please pray that the kids will get some enjoyment out of these presents. Pray that above all they will know they are loved by the church team and by God as well and that they will grow in their love of Him. We probably won't be able to get a photo of the kids receiving their gifts as we won't be at the service and no one there has a camera.
Last week it was a joy to go down to the mother church of the Chalco congregation and to help with music there. In some ways it reminded us of home with the warmth of the people and the tone of the service. It is a long way to get to the church (and Margaret once again looked after the kids to allow us both to go) but it is always an enjoyable experience when we get there.

Andrew hopes to go back to Chalco next Sunday evening to help with a special evangelistic service in connection with Mex-i-Kids. He will do a mime and teach some new songs. Please pray that new people will have the courage and openness to attend and that God will speak through all that is said and done.

Marriage counselling

We were approached after church this Sunday by a couple who are in need of help. They feel that their marriage is in a very bad place and want us to come alongside them. Please pray for us. We will be wanting to meet up regularly with them over the next while starting this Wednesday. At this point we would ask that you pray for this young couple with two small kids who work very long hours. They are Christians and need to see their situation through God's eyes of course. Pray for wisdom for us too that we will be true to God's Word and that He might use us to restore and heal.

MEFI team meetings

Andrew has had a fantastic time of meetings with the MEFI team. There has been some restructuring of the church teams and so every team in a church that is involved in church planting has a supervising pastor and each team member is responsible to the pastor now rather than a director or team leader. The implications of this on the MEFI team is that Andrew is no longer the director, but the one who gives in the reports to the supervising pastor on behalf of the team. This means that Fidel, Alex, Juanita and Paty are more involved in leading the ministry.
The team has had to redo the ministry plan for the year and they handed it into the supervising pastor in their meeting on Friday and he was really pleased. Praise the Lord for the unity of purpose and vision that the team has. They will be discussing the time frame of the years goals and defining roles this week for the team. Then going to the streets with a questionnaire to get a good idea of what has been happening and trying to get a better idea of who and how many to invite at one time to the 'Drop in Centre' which they now call 'UNIFAM La Raza'.
We'll get a fresh view of the building for you for next week.

MOPS meeting 2...

Neither the MOPS nor the Mex-i-Kids meetings took place this week. The MOPS meeting was re-scheduled for this Thursday during our normal meeting time. A couple of the girls from Campanario will give some specific guidance on the different areas. A few of the Mex-i-Kids leaders weren’t able to make it on Saturday so I will be communicating with each leader individually so we can make some progress there.

The Chalco team are planning a break over Christmas. They will have a special family service next Sunday in the mother church and are keen to have us go to help with music. Hopefully we will be able to. Then there is a Christmas service in Chalco on 21st December. Andrew is doing a sketch with the masks.

Mex-i-Kids and MOPS

It is looking like we will have a leadership meeting this Saturday. We will be talking through the draft manual material that has been written so far among other things. Please pray for unity of vision and direction and that God will be glorified as changes and additions are made.

On Thursday we hope to have a meeting of the leadership teams from MOPS in Campanario and La Loma. The La Loma ladies will observe a typical planning meeting as the Campanario girls run through their usual format. Then the ladies will get together with their counterpart leader on the other team to talk through ideas, methods, successes and failures etc. As I look at the calendar it seems that there isn't too much time until we will be in full swing with the ministry. Please pray that we will be fully prepared and especially that at La Loma we will find someone capable to lead the kids work as the ministry to the mums is in progress.

A flying visit

It was incredible this weekend to have my sister come to visit. It was just a couple of days as she had been in America for a work conference and took the opportunity to fly down but it was refreshing and fun for us to have her here. The kids loved playing with Aunty Emma and checking her out! Being an anthropologist and only having time for one visit we decided on the pyramids just outside the city. We have heard that these pyramids are the largest stepped pyramids in the world. You can read more information here.


It is so incredibly special to have family come to visit. Being so far from friends and family at home is by far the biggest sacrifice of missionary life as far as we are concerned. Watching Tabitha interact with Emma was amazing - it's like she knows that is a special relationship. Tomorrow will be a rest and recovery day for the kids and a 'normal' sleep routine!

Did we get it finished?

Well a lot of work went on at the drop-in centre this week. The stuff on the floor of the main open space was cleared away and painting was finished. There are a few little details that still need attended to but for the most part the building is ready!

This week the team have Monday and Tuesday off and the rest of the week will be spent finishing the bits and pieces of work and the planning for the next stage of the ministry. Please pray that the team will return to work refreshed and energised and that God will be glorified through the plans made.

Mex-i-Kids Tultitlan

We don't often mention the breakfast club at Tultitlan. They have a very capable team there and therefore we have less input into what goes on. Yesterday though, Andrew was able to go up and visit. Monday is a holiday here so numbers were down as families the the opportunity to go away. It was good to see the program there and to encourage the team.

Work on the Mex-i-Kids manual continues and we will hopefully be able to have a leadership meeting very soon.

Drop In Centre Update

Thanks for your prayers. Work progressed this week. We had hoped to be finished for Tuesday but it's going to take a few more days. We thought we'd remind you of how the centre started with a couple of photos we took the first time we stepped inside the building in April 2005. This has been an incredibly long journey and so I guess a couple of extra days to get all the work finished are not that significant! This is a view towards the front door.
A typical view of inside. Lots of grease and rubbish!
We will be preparing a video of the change process. So many amazing people have been involved sacrificing holidays, finances, energy, comfort etc. to get us this far. It's amazing to see photos and remind ourselves of all the people who have physically been involved. We have met some amazing people. And of course there are so many who haven't been able to come yet but have supported the work from home. This is most certainly not the Agnew's achievement but rather God is glorified through the worship of a great huge team... and you are a part of it!

Here is the current view towards the back of the building. You are looking at the open space which will also serve as the sanctuary for church services.
This is the view towards the front of the building. There is still quite a bit of equipment on the floor but that will go this week. The window to the left looks into the room where clothes, toiletries, towels etc. are stored. To the right in the background is the workshop.
There are some finer details. These flowers (which will be painted) were put together piece by piece by the ironmonger who had to make some of the pieces to complete this beautiful touch to the window looking into the storage cupboard.
Another caring touch is the brickwork around a couple of the windows. This is the medical consulting room. You may just see a metal fish on the door.
And this is one of the most important rooms. One of two counselling rooms.
The main work to be done this week is the installation of sinks and toilets in the boys bathroom. The team have a big meeting on Tuesday with missionaries, pastors and church planting workers. Apart from that it will be a huge push to get the work finished and perhaps even have some time to finish planning for the next stage which seems close enough to be touchable. Praise God for what is past and please continue to pray for the team as the next stage of street visitation and putting the centre to use commences.

Close of classes

These are some of the kids who could now perhaps talk with you in English for about 30 seconds! Really, it's not important how much English they learned but that they are excited about the church.

The team were really encouraged by the service. About 30 of the kids attended and about 5 extra parents. Pastor Cesar gave an excellent sermon on the importance of leading your kids to Christ from Matthew 19:13-15.

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray that suspicion of the church will be taken away and that families will find living hope in the message of the gospel. Pray that these enthusiastic kids will be influential in winning their friends and neighbours for Christ and that the parents will be open to follow up and continued attendance at the little church.

MOPS

We had another good planning meeting this week. We talked about potential session topics mainly. I am surprised at how deep the ladies want to go so quickly. It seems that the needs of the ladies in the area will be deep. Pray for wisdom to know what subjects to cover, what speakers to invite and for capable people who will be able to follow up the ladies who attend.

We still need a person to take on the responsibility of the kids' work and would appreciate your continued prayers for that.

Drop-In Centre

Hopefully next week we will have some video or photos of the drop-in centre. It seems so close to completion. There is a little painting to be done, some installation of bathroom and kitchen fittings and a lot of cleaning. Please pray for the team this week. It could be so easy to get discouraged so close to the end but we need one big push to get the job almost, if not altogether completed. Andrew has been spending most of his time with the team recently encouraging them and working alongside to see the project completed.

We were devastated this week to have to let Hector (his web name) go. We have been supporting him with rent, some seminary training, helped to pay his wage and a very small salary as he has worked in the drop-in centre. He has made some bad choices over too long a period of time and together the team decided that the best thing for him would be to find his feet by himself while all the time continuing to offer love and emotional support. It's often hard to know what the best choice is for these kids but we would appreciate your prayers for Hector. Pray that God will touch his heart and show him the benefit of walking His way. Pray that over these next 4 months he will really learn to value the love and support of the MEFI team so that when we talk again with him his attitude will be different and he will have a determination to do the right thing.

A brand new friend!

We were so delighted this week to hear of the safe arrival of Benjamin Pollock. Jonny and Julie are currently at home in N. Ireland but hope to return to Mexico early in 2009. Little Ben was born in the same hospital as Tabitha (possibly the same room!). When she saw his picture on the computer she stroked his little face!

We're looking forward to cuddling your gorgeous little boy Jonny and Julie!

You can check him out here.

Mex-i-Kids

The English course in Chalco finished yesterday and the special service has been scheduled for next Sunday. Pray that many kids will return with their parents. Andrew has decided to go to Chalco twice a month on Saturdays to support the small team there. He will hopefully be able to visit La Loma and Tultitlan once a month.

We haven't heard how the special event went at La Loma. Keep praying that the Holy Spirit will speak through the gospel that was presented and we'll let you know next week.

More than the number of seats

You know that church is about more than the number of seats and the bricks and mortar. Some sofas were gifted to the drop-in centre and a guy called Jesus (hey-soose) came to re-cover them. Praise God he came to know Christ. May many more come to know him on the seats that he has covered too! Pray for this new baby Christian as he begins this new and exciting journey.

Late for church!

Halloween may not be your favourite time of the year. Here in Mexico the holiday is extended by the Day of the Dead celebrations. Today (Sunday) is Day of the Dead. We visited some neighbours this week and they had a table set up downstairs with sugar skulls, candles, flowers and various foods and drinks that their dead relatives enjoyed while they were still alive. Dead family members are invited back to enjoy their 'offering'.

There are loads of graveyards right by our church which we didn't even think about before we left this morning. We ran into stationary traffic when we were still quite a bit away from the church. Thankfully we were able to turn around and take an alternative route so we weren't too late. As the graveyards were filling with people we were in church being reminded of Christ who defeated death through his own death and resurrection giving us a reason to live with hope and expectation.

So as the trick or treaters come to our gate in droves we are giving out little tracts with a simple gospel message. Please pray that they will be read and will have an impact for God's glory.

MOPS in progress

After a 90 minute round trip I arrived with the girls from the La Loma MOPS team in time for their first exposure to a MOPS meeting in progress. We were minus one lady who had a cold and another whose son had been out of action for 2 weeks with a cold as well. It was a special event with a team from Indiana being there and one of the members of the team giving the talk. It was such a great time and I think the girls were really excited to see MOPS for themselves. Afterwards there was lots of chat about ideas they had and experiences they have lived and are living through. One of the girls has two little boys. Her husband has been working in the USA for a year now. She is hoping he will return before Christmas. Can you even imagine living like that? Yet that is the experience of many here. One lady told me recently, "I am one of the lucky ones, my husband came back!" I am amazed at how the girl on our team has grown spiritually during the course of this year. She is dressed in pink on the left of the picture below.
These are the girls who were able to be at the meeting. The Campanario team were wonderfully supportive wanting the team presented, praying for us and having a lovely little gift for each of us.

Please continue to pray for someone to lead the kids' program. The girl I had in mind has said no so we are still looking for someone. Please pray that the person God has in mind for this role will be made evident. We meet again this week Thursday for planning.

Cold brings colds

This week it seemed to get cold all of a sudden. Now you'll probably laugh when I say that means it's getting down to about 15 degrees centigrade during the day and about 4 at night. For us though it means getting out the woolly sweaters and cuddling around the super ser at night.

Oscar kindly shared his cold with the rest of us so we've been fighting coughs and sniffles all week. Almost everyone we talk to is afflicted with the same. It means that attendances are down all round. Thankfully though it seems like the Agnews are through the worst of it. We're all stocked up with multivitamins and the kids have some new warm clothes to get us through the rest of the winter!

Mex-i-Kids La Loma

You may have been wondering how the breakfast club at La Loma has been going now that we aren't so heavily involved each week.

Well, it seems that there are now about 35 regular attenders. That is fantastic because before the attendance was quite erratic. It's a great base upon which they can grow. We asked what it was that was causing the attendance to be more regular and from the answers it was obvious that the leaders are asking questions to engage more with the kids. One of the leaders said that she asked one little boy what his favourite part of the club was. His answer was typical - the games. What is not so typical though was what followed. He went on to tell her that he loves the games because no one plays with him at home! Sometimes there is a lot more to doing a particular activity than we think. Let us encourage you to keep going. Sometimes the things we do that might not seem overtly 'spiritual' have a huge impact that will stay with the people we are ministering to and may even attract them to Christ.

This week of course is Halloween week. Here in Mexico the Halloween holiday is followed by the 'Day of the Dead' holiday. A special event has been planned at La Loma including a simple evangelistic drama. Pray that in this dark time here kids and their families will be released from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

For several nights we will have many visitors at our door. Trick or treaters come in bus loads. Last year we had up to about 100 at a time, parents and children. This year we are prepared with tracts and sweets (candies). Pray that the tracts will be read and will be used to open people's hearts to the gospel.

Postponed

The last English class and special service at Chalco have been postponed until this weekend (D.V.). The same prayer requests from last week apply.

MOPS

Thanks once again for your prayers for MOPS. We were two ladies down at the meeting this week. I'm not sure what that means but would appreciate your prayers for them, that they will step up to the plate and grow through being involved in this ministry.

I'm so thankful that the ladies who were ther have accepted the responsibilities they have been given with pleasure. I asked one of the ladies to do something she hadn't volunteered for and even she was happy (after a little explanation).

Now begins the job of planning out each area and focusing on the ministry starting in the New Year. Please continue to pray for each of the girls as they focus on their area and see how God would lead them to plan it out.

On the mend

Well I think I can safely say the Agnew men are on the road to recovery. Thank you again for your prayers. Andrew is eating again and has been resting so that he is fully recovered when he gets back into the work.

Oscar still has a chesty cough so he's taking things a little easier too but he's his usual peaceful self and cruising around the furniture already!

Our team

Last Monday our team took some time out together. It's always great to be together. We are a small team at the moment but some are due to come back from HMA (deputation) and others are funding to come out. We are blessed to have such great people around us. Together we are involved in church planting, seminary teaching and directing, hospitality for visitors, social ministry, mentoring, English teaching, keeping finances under control etc. etc. This group of people is incredibly busy. Pray that God would be glorified through our continued unity and our labour for Him.

Sickness update

Thanks for your prayers. A little over £15 later the doctor has been at the house (how we appreciate the NHS!). Thankfully we have a couple of the medicines from previous bouts of sickness so there are just a couple more to get. Thanks to the amazing Margaret who is one of the most giving people I know and is going to pick them up for us (so Oscar can sleep on!).

So the update is that it was probably something Andrew ate. He has low blood pressure as a result and some infection but with the medicine he should hopefully be feeling a lot better soon. Chalco has been cancelled for tomorrow and most probably Sunday as well. We'll keep you posted as to what will happen there. Oh, the doctor doesn't think that Andrew will infect the rest of us so that's a positive :-)

We interrupt this week..

Last weekend we asked for prayer for the final English class and special closing service at Chalco. Today Andrew came home early from work and is not well - stomach pains, vomiting, chills... We are potentially going to have to postpone or cancel both events.

Could you please pray that in all of this God's will would be done and His name would be glorified. Is it selfish to ask that you pray for healing and God's protection over the rest of us? Oscar has a horrible cold at the moment as well so the men are definitely under par.

Thank you for your prayerful support. We wouldn't be here without it!

Mex-i-Kids logo

While living in Edinburgh we were incredibly blessed by our friendship with Heather. God has truely gifted Heather in many ways. A while back we asked her to draw us up a logo and it is just perfect for the work of Mex-i-Kids. We also have a new logo for MEFI which is just being finalised.

Here are some of the thoughts behind the Mex-i-Kids logo from Heather...

I was going to have 2 large people (ie missionaries) on the outside with a small person (child) in the middle. Then thought a bit ... height shouldn't exclude help! So put them all similar in height. The other reason for not making a tiny person in the middle is that in value, all are equal before God - just that those on the outside have the means to help ...
That's were the hand holding came in ... support and love shown to each other. I really liked the way the 2 hearts developed between the 3 little people. Side by side offering genuine care and heart/emotional support to each other.
They're paper cut-out people ... pretty flimsy and fragile. Just thinking about the children you are working with ... that's what we are when it comes down to it. Pretty fragile people needing God's strength and support to become whole.
The colours - the Mexican flag ... but wanted the white in the middle anyway ... to signify innocence - now I know we're not innocent, but when you consider the wrecked lives of little children ... one of the biggest tragedies is the loss of innocence and the enforced 'maturity'. I guess this coupled with the prayer, "restore to us the years that the locust has eaten" ... and the Biblical themes that God comes to cleanse, clean, purify and make innocent/without blame before Him in love ... all of this made me want white in the middle. It's perfect that that tied in with the flag's colours.
It's a simple, clean, child-friendly logo. It is Mexican :o) There is immediate ownership of it - not some import of goodness from afar, but a mission entirely focussed on Mexican children.
So that's a little background! It speaks of togetherness, kindness, forgiveness, help and journeying together with a focus on Christ's love, kindness, forgiveness, help etc through the cross.

So there it is. We hope you like it!

I love my job!

This is a special picture! Firstly because of it's situation. The tree in the background may seem pretty normal but I think it's the first autumnal looking tree I've seen here in Mexico. I love autumn colours and while in Scotland we would usually try and take a yearly trip up to the highlands to soak it all in. So this was a special sight!

The foreground though is much more special! Robin and I are in the unique position on being missionary mums to young kids here in Mexico. We have great support from our small team but there is no doubt that it is of great mutual encouragement to have each other. Tabitha lives for the times when she gets to play with her friends... and Robin is as much one of those friends as her kids are!

There is so much to learn in this job. Sometimes it seems difficult and thankless but there are too many moments that touch my heart to want it any other way. Yesterday I was preparing a bottle for Oscar when Tabitha called in to the kitchen from her position on the couch, "Mummy, I want a hug!" I guess at all periods of our lives there are urgent things that call for our attention but there are jewels in every day that I want to stop and admire. Check out our family blog for some of those special times.

Please pray for Robin and I as we seek to follow God's leading in our lives for this stage. Pray that our love for God would deepen and grow and that the actions that result from that would deeply bless the people we minister to inside and outside the home. Pray for the strength to be obedient to all the things God is teaching us at the moment about our privilege and responsibility.

There are other mums preparing to come here to Mexico and we are excited about that. Our prayer is that we will be able in some way to support these new mums (some with younger kids than ours!) as they come.

Along the mothering theme I would appreciate your prayers as the MOPS team meet this Thursday. We will be assigning responsibilities for the year. I feel happy about the way things are working out. I have approached a different girl about running the kids' program. Pray for her as she prays about her decision and pray that God's choice of person will take on each role.

Clausura

Next Saturday is the last of four English classes that Andrew is giving down in Chalco. That means that next Sunday we will both be travelling down for the clausura (or closing). This is a special event where the kids will be congratulated on completing the course and presented with certificates. It is a big push to get them to come with their parents on Sunday. Please pray that many will come along and that this little church will be encouraged. Pray that many will be touched by and respond to the gospel. Please also continue to pray for the little team down there as they passionately reach out to the kids despite being small in number. Pray for more to be added to the team so that they can effectively reach many more with the gospel.

We are also hoping to have our second meeting with the Mex-i-Kids coordinators next Saturday evening. Please pray that this would work out. I have managed to find a little time to get working on the manual and we will be looking over what has been done to make sure that everyone is in agreement. Pray for unity and vision.

A new way of posting

Gabcast! The Agnews in Mexico #1

Escuadron and Chalco

We were blessed to worship in a different church this morning. We went to Escuadron, the mother church of the one in Valle de Chalco where the Mexi-Kids program is held. It wasn't a free visit as Andrew was invited to preach and sing. The traffic was kind to us as were Tabitha and Oscar who slept most of the way. There were maybe 40-50 people in attendance. There is a similar sized congregation on Thursday evenings but made up of completely different people who have to work on Sunday and can't make it to church then. The band members go to the Thursday service so today it was acapella! We were made to feel incredibly welcome and we were so touched as we drove home past thousands of houses in very poor situations. The pastor and his wife are very keen to start a Mexi-Kids group in this church as well. There is no doubt that there is infinite potential in the area and many precious souls could be reached. It seems that everywhere we go we are surrounded by need and it is so hard to have to make decisions based on finances. For now we have to hold off on Escuadron as we help to set up and fund the new Mexi-Kids in Acapulco. We will be going to some of the longer established clubs to see if we can reduce the financial support that we are giving and will be asking if the churches can take some of the expense. In the midst of all this need it is always good to remember that God's work done in God's way will never lack His supply!

Please continue to pray for Andrew as he runs the 4 week English course at the Mexi-Kids in Chalco. He is now 1/2 way through with 2 classes down. In particular we would love you to start praying for the special service held on the Sunday after the last class. There will be a presentation of certificates etc. but the main purpose is to invite the kids with their parents to a Sunday service. Both Andrew and I hope to be there and we ask you to pray that parents will come, that good contacts will be made and that people will find Christ and be added to the church.

Drop-In Centre

It is so hard to show what is going on at the Drop-In Centre through a few photos so Andrew took a video on Friday to give you an idea. He starts at the front door and walks towards the back before swing around towards the front again. It looks very messy but hopefully we are within a couple of weeks of the finish line... and then the real work can re-commence.

Please continue to pray for Fidel as he takes some well-earned time off this week. Pray that the workers will not be held back as they work. We are so grateful to yet another team (4 people this time) who will be finishing off the electricity work.

MOPS meeting 2

We had our 2nd MOPS meeting on Thursday. The different roles were presented and each lady wrote 2 areas in which they would like to be involved and one area where they would not like to be involved. There are 5 areas of responsibility.

We have a great bunch of ladies and it is exciting to think about how God will use this ministry. I would appreciate your prayers for wisdom though. The ladies were unanimous in their desire not to be responsible for the children's program. So now I am deciding what to do... Do I force a lady into that role against her wishes? Do I find out why this is so undesireable and see if the reason is resolveable? Do I ask two ladies to share the responsibility? Do I call in someone else who is in a different season of life and wouldn't necessarily benefit from the MOPS program?

In the next few days I will prayerfully come to a decision hopefully. Personally I am excited about the kids program. I love the thought of kids dragging their mums to MOPS because they themselves want to be there. I am excited about the possibility of reaching these tiny kids with the gospel right at the outset of their lives.

From now on we will be meeting every 2 weeks for planning. It gives us about 6 planning sessions before we start and as I started to map out those meetings I realised that there is a lot to cover in that time. Please continue to pray for the leadership team and also for the preparation of the hearts of ladies who will attend.

For you women!

I was so blessed this weekend to be able to listen in to a couple of sessions of a very special women's conference through a live video feed. It was called the True Woman '08 conference and was organised in conjunction with the daily radio broadcast that I try and listen to regularly. I think it is probably easy anywhere to drift away from God's highest calling for our lives as women. Sometimes we zone out and dry up a little, perhaps we let issues of this current culture to mold our thinking more than His word or don't prioritise wisely etc.

Through listening into the radio show which you can access here (go to the podcast section to figure out how to get the broadcasts daily) I am continually challenged and inspired in my daily walk. Listen in to some of the sessions by going here. This web page also has lots of resources to help us if we are serious about being who Christ wants us to be. We need to be shining brightly. We constantly hear that these are dark times and they are but lets not let the darkness overcome us, rather lets be encouraged that in the darkness we will shine more brightly.

For those who are interested to go a lot deeper into this subject and ask themselves some penetrating questions here is a list that we were sent from headquarters. Only launch into this when you are ready and open to be challenged...

Will My Spiritual Wardrobe Include Robes of Righteousness This Year?

Because we still live in a sinful world, and make choices to walk in the flesh instead of in the spirit, we get dirty and need to clean up. (Notice how well the Lord does laundry in Zechariah 3:3-5 and what kind of detergent He uses in Malachi 3:2). Prayerfully consider the following questions before the Lord, to very “yes” answer, ask the Lord to wash you clean. Keep this in your Bible and periodically and often survey yourself to check your robes.

Priorities (Mt. 6:33, 10:37-39)
➢ Is there anything in which I have failed to put God first?
➢ Am I pursuing my own desires or the will of God?
➢ Is there anything hindering me in my surrender or service to God: procrastination, ambition, pride, pleasures, loved ones, money, desire for recognition?
➢ Is there anything I am not willing to sacrifice to see God move in my life:
time, convenience, comfort, reputation?

Purity of Heart (Mt. 6:1, 23:28; I Sam. 16:7; Ps. 51:16 ff)
➢ Am I the same person at home as I am away from home? Do I try to impress people by being something I am not? Am I hypocritical?
➢ Do I deny the reality of or justify my sin?
➢ Do I practice empty or insecure worship?
➢ Am I more concerned about what others think about my life than about what God thinks?
➢ Would I pray, read my Bible, give, and/or serve as much if God was the only one who noticed?
➢ Am I complacent in my attitude toward God?

Pride (Phil. 2:3-8; Prov. 28:13)
➢ Am I full of self (self-motivated, self-absorbed, self-centered, self-sufficient, self-indulgent, self-satisfied, self-protective)?
➢ Do I talk about what I have done rather than what Christ has done?
➢ Do I fail to admit to others when I am wrong, repent, and ask forgiveness?

Obedience
➢ Have I ignored something I know God wants me to do? (John 14:23)
➢ Do I allow doubts or feelings of inferiority to keep me from serving the Lord? (Eph. 3:20)
➢ Do I willingly tithe to His work? (2 Cor. 9:7)
➢ Have I failed to be submissive to those in authority over me in my family, government, work place, or church? (Heb. 13:17)


➢ Am I guilty of not caring for my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit by overindulging or practicing unhealthy habits? (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

God’s Word (Ps. 119:97: 140)
➢ Are my personal devotions inconsistent or meaningless?
➢ Do I think about other things while God’s Word is taught?
➢ Do I fail to apply God’s Word to my life?

Spirit Control (Gal. 5:22-23; Jam. 4:7; 2 Tim 1:7)
➢ Is there any area of my life of which I have not allowed Jesus to be Lord?
➢ Do I minister in the power of the flesh rather than the power of the Spirit?
➢ Am I filled with doubt, worry, or fear?
➢ Do I have angry thoughts toward myself, other, or God?
➢ Have I complained against God or been dissatisfied with His provision for me?

Moral Purity (Eph. 5:3-4; Phil. 4:8)
➢ Do I ever allow my mind to dwell on unholy things or my eyes to view entertainment that does not glorify the Lord?
➢ Is my conversation unprofitable or empty? Do I lie or exaggerate?
➢ Is the way I dress pleasing to the Lord?

Relationships (Col. 3:12-15; Eph. 4:31-32; 1 Cor. 13:4-8)
➢ Is there anyone against whom I am holding a grudge?
➢ Is there any root of bitterness, resentment, envy or jealousy in my heart?
➢ Do I use my words to tear down others, gossip, or criticize?
➢ Am I judgmental in my attitude toward my family, the government, or my church?
➢ Do I complain, find fault, or argue?
➢ Am I rigid, demanding, or a perfectionist?
➢ Do I care more about my needs than the needs of other?


*Taken from “For Such a Time as This,” a Bible study by Jill Rhodes (pages 41-43)

Mex-i-Kids Chalco

Yesterday Andrew started a 4 week English course down in Chalco. It's a long way away and sometimes can take 3 hours to get home because of the traffic. The purpose of the course is to generate interest for the club and to encourage kids back who may have drifted off a little.

He will also be an encouragement to the pastor and his wife who run this ministry with very little help in terms of personnel. There were about 50 kids there. This ministry is what is keeping the little church in Chalco open. There are only about 20 adults who attend under the plastic covering in this very poor area. Please continue to pray that kids and their families will be reached through the breakfast club and for more helpers. There is great potential in this area for hundreds of kids to be attending but the club can't be advertised while there is only a handful of adults to run it.

I would also appreciate your prayers as I start to tackle the huge job of putting together a manual for Mex-i-Kids. We will have another meeting of leaders in a few weeks where I would like to get feedback from them on the tasks they went away with and also on the manual that I will be writing.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We are in this ministry together and we appreciate the huge part you are playing.

MOPS

We have our follow-up meeting this Thursday. It seems that everyone who was at the last meeting is keen to be involved in this ministry which is encouraging. This time we will be assigning responsibilities for the year. Please pray that the right people will be put into the various positions as we move into a period of planning.

I was approached several times by girls wanting to know if they could invite young mums to the meeting on Thursday and had to explain several times that this is a leadership meeting. It is encouraging however to know that there is interest out there for the ministry!

MEFI

Well, the team are on holiday (vacation). Please pray that they will have a restful week. Fidel, Alex and Paty work so incredibly hard often at great personal sacrifice. It is obvious that they see this ministry as more than a job, they work hard because they love the Lord and the kids they work with.

The building work will continue this week. Andrew will open and close the centre for the workers each day and will use the time to further plan and pray over the future. We really hope to have pictures of the completed work very soon. The finish of this phase of the work is within reach.

As Andrew was working on something out front at the centre this week he had an excellent conversation with a guy who was passing by. There is a possibility that this guy will return with his wife for more bible teaching. It's a challenge to us to use every contact to be spreading the good news that there is hope for this life and beyond. We don't follow empty religion, we have a living relationship with the Creator of the universe who has the best plan for our lives, desires that we enjoy Him for all of eternity and has made the way blatantly obvious in His word, the bible. Believe that he took the punishment for your sin on the cross, plead His forgiveness and live to follow His plan as laid out in the bible. There is no more fulfilling way to live life! Our continued prayer is that God will mightily use the Drop-In Centre to bring many street kids to this realisation.

Acapulco

Thanks for your prayers. We had a lovely time in Acapulco and both journeys went incredibly well. The kids didn't sleep that well while we were away but they did ok and are now settling back into their normal routine again.
Acapulco is divided by a mountain range. On one side is the beach front that the tourists see but behind the mountain the scenery is different. We were excited to be able to attend one of the 3 churches in Acapulco on Sunday morning. Here are a couple of shots from along the way.
Chicken for lunch anyone? This is a common site in the City as well, we've just never taken a picture.
One of the churches sits in a huge housing estate. There must be thousands of people right on the doorstep of the church. This is the view from in front of the church.
This is the church...and inside too. It was another new experience for us. First of all it was incredibly hot so we sat as close as we could to a fan! The pastor is quite a character. He plays the keyboard and his young son plays the drums. It was a fairly lively service and we enjoyed the message. People were incredibly friendly. This is the church where the next Mex-i-Kids breakfast club will start and we had a meeting with the pastor and his wife to hand over resources and chat a little about that.
One thing that struck me was how basic the church is. The pastor's desk is at the front of the sanctuary to the left of the lectern where he preaches from. His 'pulpit' (the front of the church) is also his study. But what hit me the hardest was the nursery. I guess as a mother of kids whom the nursery serves this hits home a little harder but I took a picture to show that it's not just emotion. Apart from what you see in the picture there were a couple of cupboards and a table. Our hearts are burdened for the ministries in Acapulco. This church is working hard just to meet financial needs. They make food to sell each Thursday and have various fundraising events planned. The pastor is looking for a part time job to allow him to better support his family and as well as pastoring this church he is overseeing another that is without a pastor until the new year. He is also a husband and a father of 2 boys.
Please pray for the work in Acapulco. Pray for a pastor for the vacant church. Pray for Mario who pastors the church we visited. Pray that the church will have a significant impact in that huge area. Pray for the Mex-i-Kids starting. When we asked how we could help the pastor asked us to pray. So we pass that request on to you as well. He also mentioned the need for training of the kids workers. We're trying to figure out if and how we can help with that. We saw first hand the need for that ourselves.

Acapulco is a huge city with huge needs. I don't feel it is co-incidence that we met a couple in the hotel who pastor a church in Mexico City. They were in Acapulco visiting relatives who have contacts with some street kids in Acapulco and want to formalise a work with them. They say there are many street kids there with little being done among them. The couple we met live quite close to the Drop-In Centre and hope to visit at some point soon.

So we had a break but we were also fired up to pray and do what we can to help our sister churches so far away. We'll keep you posted.

Quick update

We're just finalising the packing for a few days break. A couple of close friends are here visiting with us for a couple of weeks so it's a great excuse to get out of the city for a few days. We will be driving to Acapulco (about 4 hours without stops) and will have the opportunity to visit some folks down there too. We hope to encourage one of the pastors with training materials etc. for the church which will soon be starting the newest Mexi-Kids. We will also be able to attend his church on Sunday morning. Apart from that we are excited to be able to take some time out as a family and with our friends. Please pray for good rest, physically and spiritually. Those of you with kids will appreciate our request for prayer that the kids will sleep well in their travel beds and in a different environment. Kids not sleeping well makes for grumpy kids which makes things a lot more difficult for us all! Please pray too that they will travel well. It's a long journey for them.

Last week's MOPS meeting was really encouraging. The girls seems excited about the new ministry. In the next couple of weeks I will be talking to each of them to find out if this is a ministry that God is placing on their hearts. Then in a couple of weeks we will get together again for our first official planning meeting. Please remember the girls as they make this decision and that each one that God is calling will respond and fit into the job He has for them.

The MEFI planning meeting also went really well. Thank you for you prayers once again. Although there are still finer details to work through the changes have been well received as a whole. Praise God for team unity and pray that God will continue to lead this ministry forward in His own perfect way. As for the building. We are soooo close and yet so far. There is a lot of iron work to do, some final plastering and painting. Please pray for the workers who say that they will turn up but never do. We need to finish this building. In fact, please make this a priority for prayer for us.

On Sunday evening and Monday all day we had our annual field planning meetings. It was great to have Mark and Sarah to look after the kids so we could both be there without distraction (in the best possible sense!). What a dynamic time we had of fun and planning together. Lots of new ideas were generated and perhaps what was most exciting was the way we all worked together inputing into each others lives and ministries. We have such a great team here. We really have worked hard on team building and it shows! The kids had a great time too. I think Tabitha will be looking for a space in Mark and Sarah's luggage when they have to say goodbye.

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. Isn't it wonderful to see God answering them so clearly? Only He can take the credit and receive glory for what is happening here.

Apology

Sorry once again for being late to update the blog. We're had a couple of days in meetings so the regular updating slot came and went. I really will try and get a proper update in the next few days.

Planning

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Prov 16:3

This week the Proyecto MEFI team will be in planning for the year ahead. Please pray that their plans will be guided by God and that unity will continue to grow in the team. The planning will focus specifically this week on the new way to use the drop in centre with a potential of reaching more and more kids through the kids themselves.

I was reminded this week of a verse in Mark 9. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. I was instantly reminded once again of how grateful we are for each supporter who not only quite literally puts food on our table but also provides 'a cup of water' to so many here in Mexico. This is a promise for you - you will certainly be rewarded.

MOPS

O Thursday morning this week we have our first meeting. I'm a little tentative as to how it is going to turn out. Please pray for Robin and Erika as they present the ministry and for the La Loma girls who attend. Pray that God will touch hearts for the ministry and that He will go before planning the way and opening up more doors for evangelism.

Rehab

This week Andrew went with one of the UNIFAM pastors to a very interesting rehab centre run by a member of his church. It mainly focuses on alcoholics and at the meeting he attended on Wednesday evening the pastor gave a gospel message with great liberty and all prayed to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour. There were about 70 people there including family members who were free to air their feelings to the people seeking rehab. Those feelings ranged from, "Please do this, your family needs you" to utter anger and verbal abuse!

The program is an AA program and seems to be successful but Andrew hopes to be able to meet up with the guy who runs it to discuss an UNIFAM rehab centre. There is a real need for a rehab centre not just for street kids but for the whole of the UNIFAM churches and one that is firmly based on the Word of God. The one that we visited is not. Please pray for wisdom as we continue to investigate this together with the pastors.

Independence Day

This is a special time of year in Mexico. We are celebrating Mexican Independence. The parties happen on the 15th night (tomorrow) and everyone is off work on Tuesday. Tomorrow afternoon at La Loma we have a prayer meeting for the nation followed by a party. It will be nice to have a couple of easier days. Of course in all the churches we are being reminded of the liberty we have as children of God. Tomorrow is a celebration not just of the liberty of the country but also of our spiritual liberty. Watch out for photos next week.

There's something missing!

A few weeks ago I mentioned a chat I had had with a guy called Guillermo (ghee-yer-mo) at the Mexi-Kids party and asked for prayer for him. You can read the post again here.

Today was his first day at a Sunday service and so we were excited. Afterwards he came over to say that he is searching. He wants to change and though he has a lot of things including a wife, 3 kids and a car he is still missing something.

Please continue to pray for Guillermo and his family. His wife really wants them to attend church regularly and he says they are going to be coming along. He hasn't made a commitment yet so continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will open his eyes to the truth. His brother and family go to the church and other family members were there today as well.

Mobile Clinic

We haven't mentioned it for a while but things are slowly moving forward with the mobile clinic. This week we had a dentist who is very enthusiastic about the project over. We now have a list of materials needed for that area. Soon we will get a list needed for the medical side.

There is still a long way to go but the potential for this ministry is huge and we want to be more than sure that it is incredibly well planned. We appreciate your continued prayer for the project and for Mexicans who will be able to help with the planning.

Routine and food

Some of you who know me will be aware of how organised I like to be. So I was delighted this week to finally get a schedule on paper. Now I know what I have time for and can focus my energies in the right direction. There is comfort for me in knowing that there is a time for everything and that I don't need to be doing everything at the last moment or after a period of neglect. It is also good to be purposeful in planning activities for the week.

One thing I like to do daily is listen to a Christian radio broadcast for women. When both kids are in bed I get to tidying the kitchen (how can it get so messy in one morning?!) and what can be a tedious task has become a real growth time for me as I feed on God's word. How grateful we are for technology! If you're interested you can have a listen by clicking here.

I thought some may be interested to see the label on some frozen chicken I bought this week. Not only does it state the sell by date and the date it was packaged but it also lets me know when the poor little chickens were sacrificed. We appreciate your sacrifice little chickens.

Drop-In Centre

Here's a photo taken from the back of the drop-in centre where the roof was knocked in to create a little patio area.

The inside still looks a bit messy but the team have been working hard on little details this week. One of the counselling rooms is finished (so the most important part of the work can be carried out!) and Andrew is keen to keep finishing areas off. All efforts are focused on getting this building finished at the moment.

The ongoing health story

This week we are feeling MUCH better. I really do think that we are through the worst of it all. It was on Thursday that I felt like I had turned the corner. Then I remembered that my mum had called me on Wednesday to get an update as the folks at home were concerned and praying for us. I have no doubt at all that God is hearing your prayers. This is an instance where the answers can be reported but please be encouraged as you pray that God is hearing and answering and that you are playing such a valuable part here. We are still being careful with what we eat and taking the medication prescribed.

Last week

Andrew was busy with the team most days last week. There were some very long days and a lot of driving in the heavy traffic. We will try and get some pictures this week of the Drop-In Centre. Tiling is well underway and some of the painting has been done too.

On the streets the Cosslett team encountered a fight in Niños Heroes. Andrew feels that since we have been concentrating so much in the last year on the drop-in-centre there is much prayer needed before we hit the streets again soon. Please pray with us for the groups that we work with. Pray that even now the Holy Spirit will be moving ahead of us, for softening of hearts and for a warm reception from groups.

Many this week were glad to see Fidel again, especially the group in Baranca del Muerto who listened very well indeed. From this group one was going on a trek across the city to find his girlfriend and child. It sounds as though he is ready for a change and even to leave the streets for good. Another guy who used to hang out with the group there but has come off the streets wanted to meet us too and is interested in staying in touch. He may be a very good person to get to know more about since he was obviously a guy whom most had a lot of respect for.

As the rainy season continues we woke up one morning to find our laden lime tree all toppled over after a pretty wild storm. We're not sure what happened but it's back up now and continues to provide us and lots of friends with hundreds of limes.

I had a meeting to begin to think about MOPS. Please pray as Guille and I consider who to invite onto the leadership team. The actual meetings won't begin until into the new year but the leadership team will meet fairly frequently quite soon.

I also had our first meeting of the Mex-i-Kids leadership on Saturday. The meeting lasted for three hours! It was really good for the ladies to share how their clubs run, share ideas, encourage one another and look ahead together.

Please pray for Irma in Chalco (down south). We were all touched as she told us about their club. The church in Chalco has about 25-30 members. It was about to be closed but then Irma and her husband Cesar met Andrew and with the help of Social Ministries funding Mex-i-Kids was started. Between 40 and 80 kids attend on Saturday mornings. None of the church members can help on Saturday mornings as they have to work in the market. That means that they have helpers from the parent church (Cesar pastors both). It is a 90min journey each way on public transport. There are just 6 helpers, three of whom are Irma, her husband and her daughter. Irma prepares all the food on Friday night. She didn't know how to cook before starting Mex-i-Kids so she learned what she needed to know and prayed hard every week that no-one would get sick! In the past Irma found herself running a club for 100 kids all by herself. Seeing the potential of kids ministry she sought training. She is an incredibly humble and capable lady. With such a small team of workers they can't advertise. Irma explained that once they ran a special event for kids. They put out publicity and prepared for 200 kids. 450 kids arrived! The potential there is huge. Please pray for labourers for the harvest.

Tultitlan is by far the most organised club. They have a director, a supervisor (who monitors quality) and a co-ordinator (who keeps the program moving). There are 21 helpers in total who meet together on Wednesdays and Fridays to pray and plan. Leadership training is also soon to commence. Please pray with them that they will reach their goal of 150 kids by December. Currently they are ministering to about 40-50 kids a week.

And you already know lots about La Loma. Please pray for Janette, the new leader, who is going through a particularly difficult time with respect to family and finances.

All clubs are seeing fruit for their labours. Kids are coming to know Christ and new families are attending the churches. In Chalco Irma is particularly encouraged by all the mums who are attending and hearing the gospel though the club.

This week the music teams from La Loma and Tultitlan will get together to co-ordinate songs and actions. Perhaps one day in the future we will have a united Mex-i-Kids service...or a camp... We all need to have the same actions for songs. Andrew will co-ordinate that meeting. I will be working on putting together a manual which the leadership team will edit and approve. The manual will provide all the necessary information for new groups wanting to start (as God provides the finances). The next leadership meeting will be in October.

Health

This week I was at the doctors. It seems my intestine is struggling (possibly due to the parasite but I didn't have any tests done to identify that I had it) and somehow that is connected to low blood pressure which has been giving me various symptoms. So Andrew and I are both on medication and watching what we eat so that our digestive systems have the best chance to recover but I think as each day goes by we are feeling better. Thanks for your continued prayer for us.

Mex-i-Kids

The continuation of last week's story is that we had a great meeting with the director of the breakfast club in Tultitlan. Being released from some of the responsibility at La Loma I will be able to dedicate some time to the unification of the 3 clubs currently in operation and together the leaders will be able to prepare a model for churches which want to start a club.

This weekend we have a meeting in our house with the club leaders and the following week we have a meeting with the song leaders to co-ordinate the songs used and their actions. These meetings will hopefully be a great forum for sharing ideas and resources and for encouraging the leaders in the work. Praise God once again for a role which I can fulfill around the schedule of our children.

Teamwork

'The Cosslett Team' arrived on Monday. Once again Proyecto MEFI is blessed to have 5 great people to help out and to see the ministry first hand. Steve Cosslett who is leading the team is married to Helen who first introduced us to Mexico and Fidel a long time ago. We are hoping that they will join us here in Mexico before too long with little Nisha.

Check out their website by clicking here.

As the person responsible for the team on the field Andrew has been busy driving them around, showing them the ministry and working alongside them. He did manage to get a little time off on Friday afternoon. We love having teams. They are a lot of fun and encouragement and such a blessing for us and the ministry but the work is intense. Please continue to pray for Andrew's stamina as he fits in his usual responsibilities around his time with the team. Praise God for the team and pray that He will speak to each member during their time here.

Gotcha!

So when the medicine didn't resolve the problem Andrew decided to have tests done to try and get to the root of it. Turns out that he had a nasty parasite called Giardia. Treatment was another 3 day course of medicine to get rid of the bug and other medication to rebuild his intestine. Reading the symptoms I figured I should take the medicine too (it could do no harm).

So we are thankfully feeling a lot better and will perhaps be staying away from salad for a while! Thanks for your prayers.

Sadly the MacKinnon kids developed nasty throat infections this week. Antibiotics seemed to resolve the situation but we are thankful that apart from runny noses our kids were good this week. We continue to appreciate your prayers for our health and for our safety as we are out and about.

We could need you...

The little charity shop (thrift store) in Coleraine (Northern Ireland) is always looking for volunteers. Through this amazing ministry support is raised for the work here. This team of people is one of our biggest encouragements. We often think of the team working there and feel like we are working together. The shop team open the door to things that would not otherwise be possible.

If you live nearby and have any free time then please consider being involved. There are loads of ways you could help e.g. lifting furniture, manning the shop on a rota, ironing clothes etc. etc. Please leave a comment or email us if you think you can help and we will put you in touch with the appropriate people.

Fiesta!

Yesterday we had a big event to re-launch Mex-i-Kids. We had a bouncy castle, trampoline, games with prizes, face painting etc. There were just under 100 kids and some parents. We had some great conversations. Pray particularly for a guy called Guillermo (William) who described himself as an atheist. He has seen a huge change in some neighbours who attend the church and have become Christians. We had a long chat. Pray that God will open his spiritual eyes to the truth of the gospel and to his need of Him.

This morning we had a planning meeting for the new term. The mood is excited and committed. Pray with us for great things this term!

Ministry Changes

Children's ministry has always been something that Andrew and I have loved. Since we have been together we have worked well as a team in that area. In all that goes on here it has been such a joy to set up Mex-i-Kids in La Loma and to then see it spread to other areas. Just this week we heard of another Mex-i-Kids that will probably be opening. It isn't even in an UNIFAM church and we have never been to it but the daughter and son-in-law of our pastor go there and they want to run the club as a follow-up to their own Holiday Bible Club (VBS).

As a missionary mum I am so blessed to have some support here. Fellow missionaries are happy to babysit and are more than capable. Tabitha and Oscar love their missionary Tios and Tias (aunts and uncles in Spanish). I'm also blessed to have Robin, mum of four, with an incredibly similar outlook on the area of ministry and family.

Recently I have felt a growing pressure in the area of my involvement in Mex-i-Kids particularly for the stress it is obviously putting Tabitha under. It all came to a head one morning just before we went home on HMA. Andrew was away so I went to Mex-i-Kids with mum (who was visiting) and the kids. As I talked to the kids and did my organisational duties I had Tabitha hanging off my leg (Mum was attending to Oscar). Eventually in a moment of utter frustration she stood in the middle of the room and let out a blood curdling scream. The room instantly went quiet and time stood still for a bit.

Apart from the frustration of always being petted and carried (mentioned last week) there is the problem of Tabitha's travel sickness (we give her medicine before going to La Loma). Also she just cannot sleep in the nursery there so she gets tired and very grumpy. Saturday and Sunday are two long days for both kids. The bottom line is that at this stage of our family life Mex-i-Kids is not the best ministry for us all to be involved in.

As I have been praying about this I felt burdened about a ministry that could work alongside family life. A couple of years ago Robin started a ministry in her church called MOPS (Mothers of pre-schoolers). I asked her what she thought about the possibility of stating a group in La Loma. What I am about to write is an incredible story of how God was at work way ahead of me planning the way and how He has confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that this is His will.

Robin excitedly told me that she had felt God burdening her to start MOPS in another church. Before I even went to her she had gone to the leadership group of the MOPS in her church and shared that burden. The girls are more than prepared to lead their MOPS forward and just this week voted in a new co-ordinator. They told Robin that they would gladly help to train a Mexican team in the new area.

We had a meeting this week with our pastor and his wife in our home. I discussed the problem of co-ordinating Mex-i-Kids and suggested MOPS. In fact both were excited as they have been talking about starting a MOPs group. Some ladies have even been approached. There is a huge need for MOPS in the church and even this morning as I looked around the congregation I saw many young mums. There are also several young mums who would be great on the leadership team.

There was just one more area to cover. Who could take over my role in Mex-i-Kids. Miguel and Guille suggested someone who might be interested though she is going through a difficult situation at the moment. We spoke to her yesterday and as I explained the situation and what we were asking her to do her response was amazing. "It's like God is telling you what to say," she said. "I have felt Him telling me to be more involved in ministry but I wasn't sure how or where." What a confirmation!

This morning in one of the bible readings at church a verse from Isaiah 25 jumped out. On this mountain (La Loma means the hill and it is probably more of a mountain!) the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples. I thought about the other group of people (young mums) that will be reached through this new ministry and through the food of His word.

So this week I have my first meeting with Guille and Janette. Guille will be the director of Mex-i-Kids and Janette will organise the events. We have asked for prayer for such a person and Janette is a great person. I will be training Janette as far as I can though she will probably have loads of great ideas and ways of working herself.

I also have a meeting with Robin and Guille to discuss MOPS. We will initially be looking for ladies to form a leadership team with us. After some time of planning and seeing the other group in action we will eventually begin our new group in La Loma. Our first meeting will probably not be before the New Year but there is a lot of work to be done before then.

Andrew will continue to go to Mex-i-Kids at La Loma twice a month. The other 2 weeks he will visit the other 2 Mex-i-Kids groups. We also hope to get more intentional about encouraging the other teams and drawing together leaders to share ideas and resources. This afternoon we have a meeting with the co-ordinator of the Tultitlan group (up north). We will be looking praticularly into training materials.