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.