Praise God!!

On Saturday we had our 3rd of four Breakfast Club invitation events. Once again we went not knowing what to expect but people were already waiting when we arrived...and they kept coming. This is the street outside the church member's home where we held the event. It was obvious that something exciting was going on and people were stopping to have a look.
We got to serving breakfast which went very smoothly. Hot dogs with tomatoes and chillies (of course!). Soon it looked like we were going to run out of food but it seems like everyone got what they needed without us having to run and make sandwiches!
By the time we started to sing we had 100 kids and about 40 mums (Miguel and Zoel had to go back to the church to get seats for the adults!)
The prepared games are great for crowds but it was quite a challenge with such a large group in a relatively restricted space. Thankfully no cars went past (perhaps they saw us and thought better of trying to get past!). How exciting. It was a real buzz!

We had prepared bags of sweets which we counted to make sure we had enough but we were short about 20 bags so some of the ladies flew down to the sweet shop and another set of bags were made up! Normally we ask the kids to line up before we give out sweets - that didn't happen!
Tabitha had a blast (can you see her in the crowd?) and ate probably as many lollies in one morning as she has eaten in her life to date!
It was smiles all around in the hose afterwards for the team who worked so hard and had a great time. This is just some of them enjoying a breakfast of scrambled eggs and cactus with tortillas and chillies! How exciting not only to have large numbers of kids but also a great team of excited and dedicated workers.

Please pray the the excitement keeps growing and that in 2 weeks we will have a great turnout of kids and leaders. We are already preparing for the big start. A large banner will be made this week to hang outside the church.

As a team we prayed before we left the church and we were remembering that we were part of a much larger team which includes all of you who are making this possible through your donations and your prayers.
Next week we are preparing food for even more kids. It is the last invitation event in another area close to the church. Miguel invited the people yesterday to join us for that event too. Who knows how many we will have but our faith is growing!

2nd MEFI meeting on Interpersonal Relationships

This was held on Friday morning in the Drop-In Centre. Tabitha and I went along. We were hoping that Tabitha would sleep through the meeting so we took along her travel cot. No chance! Where there are people around Tabitha does not like to sleep. She played quite happily with her toys and sucked away on a chili lolly (why does she like those?!) and afterwards had a 3 hour sleep!

It was another great meeting and good to have all the MEFI workers together again. Keep praying for unity of purpose and vision. There is excitement in the team as we begin to work closer together again.

This week there is a team from Ardmore Oklahoma working on the re-modelling of the Drop-In Centre. Fidel, Alex and Paty will probably all be around and we are excited to see the difference the team will make in one short week. Hopefully we'll be able to post the results next week.

Special service for street kids

The past 2 Friday nights Alex and Paty have held a service specifically for street kids. Alex and Paty live in a two room flat (kitchen and another room with a curtain partition to serve as a bedroom/living room). Their flat forms part of a bigger house which is divided off for different families in their family circle. There is a large 'patio' and they had received permission to hold the service there the first week but at the last minute Alex's Dad changed his mind so they all squeezed into the little flat.

Last Friday they had the second service and Beto had offered his place. Next Friday it will be in the home of another ex-street kid.

The reason for the service is that there are so many kids needing discipleship that it is becoming an 'around the clock' job, especially for Alex and Paty who have the kids living all around them. The hope is that by meeting them all together the kids will be encouraged spiritually and it will cut down some of the one-to-one discipleship.

We will continue to meet up with those kids who need one-to-one attention. Paty and I are hoping to start a bible study specifically for the girls very soon (possibly this Friday morning).

How exciting to see kids coming off the streets and hungry for the Word. Change starts in the heart and works its way out to the external things!

Home on disused railway line

Last week we asked for prayer for Zoel and his family. Yesterday Zoel showed me these photos of the people he is visiting on the railway lines. I took a digital photo of his photos so they are not great quality. This is one of the homes he visits....and here is one of the families receiving knitted chickens with creme eggs inside which the 'Washbasin' team brought over. It is so wonderful to be able to give things that teams bring over to people like Zoel to help him in his ministry. Thank you to those of you who make this possible.

Victor and Julia

Sadly the update isn't so good for this couple. Once again they have returned to the streets. Of course we will continue to reach out to them with open arms. We have no idea what the attraction to the streets is. In some way we understand in theory (institutionalisation, addiction, friendship etc.)...but really - it seems such an undesirable way to live!

Please keep praying.

Sandra and Beto

I (Carol) haven't met up with Sandra for the last couple of weeks but we will hopefully get together again this week.

Andrew met with Beto again this week and brought back a great report. Beto is loving his current job and seems determined to keep at it. He is also managing to keep his anger under much better control. Andrew was very encouraged.

Thanks so much for your prayers. It does not mean that this family is out of the woods - it means that God is answering your prayers and that they continue to need prayer.

Overwhelming

Last Monday we went to the house of a lovely couple who hve supported the work with street kids for many years. They had been storing some camp materials and we went to pick them up. We were invited to eat (in typical Mexican fashion) but we had arrived totally unprepared and Tabitha was tired but with no travel cot she just wouldn't go to sleep. We had to leave but we arranged to return today (Sunday) for something to eat.

The family speak good English so we invited Gary (who is here for a year) along. What a meal was prepared. This family is SO hospitable! About 10 other people were invited from their church and there was a waiter to help serve us a fantastic meal. These were all lovely people who were interested to hear about Proyecto MEFI.

Most were also musical and we had a sing-song and they prayed with us before we left. It was far more than we ever expected but just another example of how loving and kind and friendly so many of the Mexicans are.

Thank you

This week we were writing letters to thank those of you who have been supporting us financially. How we wish we could sit down and write a personal thank you to everyone who is supporting us. We know that you are involved in our work in so many ways. Your prayers mean so much to us as do your letters and emails. Sadly time permits us from being able to write personally and tell you that.

While writing the letters I was reminded of just how special we were made to feel as we visited so many different churches on deputation. As Katherine and Caroline have been here it has been such an encouragement to us to fellowship with friends from home. This week as I have driven around I have felt 'at home' here in Mexico and know that this is where we are supposed to be for now but it would be lovely just to skip home, enjoy the pampering and the fellowship and be reminded of just what a team effort this is.

We feel privileged and honoured to be on this team. Thank you so much for your support. We trust you feel blessed and encouraged as you see and hear what God is doing here.

Pray for Zoel and his family

This is Zoel. He goes to the La Loma church, is studying at the seminary and works with ECC (Every Community for Christ) evangelising and planting churches in the area. It is always an inspiration to talk with him. He has such a heart for evangelism. His desire for the breakfast club is to see parents come along and find Christ too.

Recently he has started to visit people nearby who live in disused railway carriages on disused railway lines. He says that the poverty there is horrendous. we are now entering the rainy season here and as the rain poured out of the heavens he explained that this is a particularly hard time of year for them. The plastic sheeting which forms the roofs of their 'houses' doesn't hold the water out. He also said that just like the street kids these people are drugging up as he talks with them.

We gave him the last of the creme egg chicks which the Washbasin team had left behind so that Zoel could give them to the kids there. He also took down clothes and said that the people were delighted and so grateful. By showing them love in a practical way the door is opened for Zoel to share Christ and His amazing love with these needy people. We really hope that we will be able to accompany Zoel some time as he goes to the railway tracks. We're also hoping that he will be able to bring some of them to the breakfast club when it starts in the church.

Zoel also told me about one of the church houses that is being established in the area. It takes place in the home of an elderly couple who are 91 years old. This dear old couple are very poor and still have to work to make ends meet. They tie up cardboard and sell it very inexpensively. The man has been ill recently and so hasn't been able to work. I expressed my horror that folks of 91 should still have to work and asked about their kids. He said that their kids have disowned them. We're not sure whether that is because of their decision to follow Christ or not. How sad, and yet, this wonderful couple have a reward waiting for them in heaven as they do what they can to see their neighbourhood won for Christ.

There is so much need here. We could spend millions of pounds and of course, our heart is heavy for each work that we hear of. Please keep praying for wisdom to know when to act and how.

The rest of Saturday and into Sunday

After the breakfast club we went back to the church for the ladies meeting and also to help with the cleaning. It was our first full Saturday in the church. We finished off in the music rehearsal and got home by 7.15pm. Another long day.

This morning we helped with the music. I played the keyboard and Andrew sang. I learned another great lesson. As I was playing I couldn't hear a thing. There were no foldback speakers. I knew that I was pressing the notes and that out in the congregation they would be hearing me perfectly well...and I knew that people were really worshiping God from the expressions on their faces and the volume of the singing...but I had no idea what I was playing. In front of me I just had the words of the songs with the chords. Some of the songs we had rehearsed, others we hadn't and some I didn't know. Those of you who are musical will be thinking, "What a nightmare!"

So what's the lesson? I thought about how easy it is to give out in ministry. We work so hard, we press the notes and people out there are hearing and responding to what we do but sometimes we don't get the input ie. we aren't listening to God's direction in our lives. I felt restricted in my playing. I didn't want to play wrong notes. Had I been hearing from the foldback speaker I would have known how I sounded, I would have heard my mistakes and have been able to correct them. Knowing that I would hear that would have given me much more freedom to play and to potentially lead the congregation even closer to God in their worship of Him. I need to hear from God daily so that I know my failings and mistakes and with God's help see them forgiven and so that I might be more effective in my service.

This morning in our Sunday School Class we were talking with the kids about perseverance. We talked about finishing life well and about the steps we need to take today to ensure that we do. It was a challenge to our own hearts to be daily abiding in Christ and fulfilling God's purpose for every day. This week I was encouraged and challenged as I thought about Jesus when He said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work". It seems simple, yet at times in reality it isn't so. May we always be concerned just to do His will and to accomplish the plan He has for our lives.

Here are some of the kids in our Sunday School Class in competition with others learning perseverance and struggling with desperation as they try to build spaghetti and marshmallow towers (recognise this exercise any of you who have done OMS cross training?)

Breakfast Club No. 2

We were excited and encouraged after the club last week. This week we were a little more apprehensive. The club took place outside the home of one of the ladies from the church (Paty). It was an experiment and the first time we have done something like that. We will have the club in four different areas around the church and each time we are inviting them to come to the main event which will start in the church in 3 weeks time. The main purpose of the first four week sis just to get alongside the kids and give them such a memorable time that they will be excited and eager to come to the church.

Last week Paty was so excited that we were going to have the club at her house. We made all the flyers and she got to work handing them out and inviting people to come. When we arrived at her house there were a few people waiting at the top of her streets with their kids. There weren't many. There were however 4 adults that she had invited to come. They were people from a local charity who wanted to meet us and see what we were doing. I (Carol) had a chance to talk with them (Andrew was leaving Katherine and Caroline to the airport) and they offered to help us in any way they could. I was amazed to find out that there are almost as many people in the area we are working as there are inhabitants of Northern Ireland! I explained who we are, what we were doing, what our objective is and a little about MEFI as well. Later when the people were introduced to those who had come to the club it was interesting to hear the guy in charge give his support to what we are doing and though he isn't a Christian he stated his belief that if more people in the area would worship God there would be less problems.

Anyway, it wasn't long before Paty's Patio :) started to fill up. By the end we had 45 kids and about 20 mums. When we announced the last game some of the kids groaned. When we asked who would be coming to the church there was a loud cheer. The mums seemed keen too. Pray that this enthusiasm will last. Praise God for Paty, a woman dedicated to seeing her neighbours won for Christ. I congratulated her afterwards, saying that the turnout was testimony to her example in the neighbourhood and hoping that it would open up further opportunities for her to share the gospel. She responded that it already had! 45 kids is far more than I ever expected. In 2 weeks we have met 105 kids. This morning in church Miguel shared that the vision is the have the club in the main church area and have 300 kids attending. The congregation responded with a cheer and a round of applause. What an encouragement to have the whole church behind us. Another great couple came and offered to get involved afterwards.

Another encouragement is that after the club one of the mums came up to a ladies meeting in the church. She came back to the service this morning and was still there chatting to one of the ladies by the time we were leaving! Pray, pray, pray for this work. It is so exciting and is so full of potential. Who knows how we will be able to fund it but as the saying goes God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.

Drop-In centre update

A team is coming next weekend to begin the rest of the remodelling work. We still don't have the plans passed by the government department. Andrew and Fidel were waiting for the Engineer to go to the Drop-In Centre on Thursday night so that he could tell them what could be done without permissions. He didn't turn up! So the MEFI team went around the Centre and made a list of all the things that the team could do. There is a long list which should hopefully keep them going. Pray though that we will be able to get a hold of the Engineer.

Andrew also phoned a lawyer that OMS uses this week to get some paperwork sorted out. It's always good to establish contact with folk like that!

A team from Wesley College, Mississippi

We are blessed on the field to have anther team here this week. On Friday Andrew led them on a 'Street Day' with a difference. It took the form of a prayer walk. En route they visited various significant sites. Here the group are praying in an area that we used to visit every Saturday. So many kids from this group have died in the last couple of years (through suicide or drug use etc.) that those remaining joined forces with a nearby group. The area they live in is a notoriously dangerous one. This area is no longer home to street kids yet a couple of years ago there were about 30. This is group where Ricardo lived (who we talked about on deputation and in one of our prayer letters) and from where some of the kids came to church with us.
They also visited another site where the number of kids is greatly reduced. The reason is that Alex and Paty consistently visited the kids there 3 times a week in the year we were on deputation and many of the kids have left the streets to return home or rent their own accommodation. One of the ex-street kids from this group was on the tour with the team and he gave them his testimony.

The team were also able to visit the Drop-In Centre (Social Ministry Centre) and had the opportunity to buy some pictures that the kids had made. They finished the day eating tacos with us. It was Katherine and Caroline's last night as well so they got to finish off their trip eating another typical Mexican dish.

Music

On Thursday I (Carol) met up with a lady here who co-ordinates the music for the kids' program in the Santa Monica church. How wonderful it is to be able to share resources. She was able to give me lots of discs that they use with the kids. I am hoping to be able to learn some of the songs so that we can use them in La Loma in the Breakfast Club, the Sunday School and the Holiday Bible Club (VBS).

Hepzibah gets discs in English and Spanish. The English is translated into Spanish and she fits the words to the music. If anyone knows how we can get a hold of good soundtracks for English praise and worship music then please let us know. We sing along karaoke style.

This week we will meet again to share further ideas. Andrew and I were involved in kids' work for a few years before coming to Mexico and have lots of ideas and resources (in English) which Hepizibah wants to tap into. It's so great that we can help each other and together we will see the work advance in both churches. The kids group in Santa Monica is growing week by week which is so exciting.

A long day

On Monday morning our alarm clock went off at 3.45am. Andrew took a fellow missionary out to the airport. We worked all day and got to bed at 11pm. There are days that are long. Pray for our stamina and for ability to rest in the time we do have off. We took Wednesday as our day off this week. With work mounting up it is hard to resist getting things done and just to rest. We had to spend Wednesday evening doing a little work but it was nice to have the day together. Our usual day off is Tuesday.

Tabitha

Just before we left for church on Sunday it was obvious from the aroma in the atmosphere that Tabitha needed a bum change (why does she always do that when we're in a rush to get out the door?). Handily enough the hospital need a poo sample within 1 hour of delivery and the hospital was en route to the church. So we filled the flask (and had to change all of Tabitha's clothes) and set off to the hospital.

On Wednesday we discovered that Tabitha has E. coli. We took the results from the hospital to the doctor and he kindly saw us there and then and prescribed the necessary medication. Things are slowly returning to normal. Last Saturday she decided that it was finally time to walk. She took her first steps weeks ago but wasn't interested in making walking a habit. We're so thankful she's turned the corner. Probably the reason she got E. coli is because she picked it up on her hands while crawling and then put her fingers in her mouth.

We are amazed by the little words she is using. She says lots of things in English very clearly but she also says things in Spanish and uses hand signals to indicate that she knows what she is saying. When we hear a new word we have to try and figure out if it is English or Spanish. On Tuesday night a Mexican pastor and friend was over and as we conversed Tabitha was desperately trying to get his attention (it doesn't do for her not to be at the centre of it all!). She started to use very strange sounds that we have only ever heard her use when we are speaking Spanish. They didn't make sense to us (or the Mexican) but they got her the attention and I guess she knew what she was trying to say! Her blond hair and blue eyes continue to ensure that she gets lots of attention and admiring comments wherever we go. People always want to lift her and our little Miss Independent is just not up for that at all!

Tabitha with her medication and some of the milks we tried while attempting to get to the root of her problem

Has it been a full week?

I can't believe it has been so long since we posted. This has been a long and busy week. We're tired but God is so good. There is loads happening. I'll try and give you the highlights.

Encouragement and...

Victor and Julia are now out of rehab. Julia needs lots of prayer. She keeps talking about going back to the streets. These are not empty threats - the battle is still raging for her.

Victor on the other hand is doing really well. He asked to borrow 100 pesos last week (about £5 or $10US). We decided to give him the chance as it wasn't too much to ask. He spent the money on sweets (candies) and sold them on buses. The great thing about buses here is that they stop where people need to get on and off and sellers can jump on and off quickly for free.

Victor made 300 pesos. He kept 100, gave 100 to Alex to set aside for his rent and gave back the original 100 that he had borrowed! Please continue to pray for his continued integration and for Alex and Paty as they disciple him. He is living with 2 of the other guys who recently left the streets and close to Alex and Paty's house.

A trip to the hospital

Yesterday I (Carol) took Esther Lawson to the hospital. Last week she had her gall bladder removed and yesterday was her follow up check. We left at 11am and didn't get back until 4.30pm - we got lost on the way home! It's rather typical here that things outside of the home can take a lot longer than you expect. Still it gave us time to chat and we saw lots of new parts of Mexico City. Thankfully Tabitha behaved like an angel though I was a little concerned by her bowel movements! She's had diarrhoea on and off for a few weeks and we've tried various things at the doctor's recommendation. This time he advised that we go down to a nearby hospital to have some tests done.

So we got back in the car and were off to the hospital again. We should find out the results of the tests within the next week. It will be good to know what is causing the problem though through it all Tabitha has continued to be her usual happy self. We have been amazed to listen to her language developing. She is not only starting to use English words, she has been using some Spanish ones too and appropriately. It won't be long before she's teaching us and telling us that's she's embarrassed to hear how bad our grammar is!

At work

Here are Caroline and Katherine at work on the streets. Now that we've exhausted them they're going to take a few days off for a proper holiday in Acapulco. They leave early tomorrow morning on a 5 hour bus ride!

MEFI workers meeting

This week the MEFI team got together in the drop-in centre. Alex, Paty, Fidel, Juana and Andrew were all there (I was at my final dentist appointment - of 7!). The subject was 'Interpersonal Relationships' and it was really positive.

There hasn't been as much working together as we had hoped for over the last year and some differences in opinion had arisen. After the meeting there were lots of positive interactions taking place and we are confident that God is hearing and answering prayers for team unity. The most important thing is that there is a real desire to work together and we are encouraged. We have a fantastic team who are obviously called to and gifted for this work. Please continue to pray against enemy attack on this work at a foundational stage.

We have been doing a lot of planning and talking and we believe good foundations are being laid. Things seem to be moving ahead nicely at the moment. Please continue to pray for wisdom in all our decisions and for God to be honoured and glorified through everything that is being done.

Prayer Meeting

The MEFI prayer meeting last week took the form of a testimony time. A few of the kids who have recently left the streets are attending now. It was an emotional event as kids expressed their heartfelt gratitude to God and also the Alex and Paty for the changes they are seeing in their lives. What an encouragement to the team and a reminder of the work God is doing here through them.

Just got back!

If you read the last post in time then thanks for your prayers. We had a great time. About 12 people from the church came to help and seemed to have a great time. Some arrived at the church at 8.30am to prepare food. We walked down the steep hills and kids came down one by one until we had about 55 kids. We carried down plastic chairs, juice, food (hot dogs), games equipment, music and amplification equipment etc.

The only thing that didn't go as planned is that the speaker overheated in the sun and stopped working! The kids had a great time. The games were fun, the singing brought smiles to their faces and we did plenty of reminding them about the event in 4 weeks in the church and that we would be back before it with flyers. It will be interesting to see how many come from there in 4 weeks. Pray that the good fun they had today will remain with them and that they will be excited to hear from us again.

If you happen to read this...

Today is Saturday (currently 7.45am our time). If you happen to read this post today then please pray for the re-start of the breakfast club. We leave in just under an hour. The first four weeks will be relationship building and invitation events in for different locations around the church. Then we will do a flyer drop in each of those areas before starting the main event in the church which is where the breakfast clubs will be held. If we don't have 60 or more kids at the church on the first week we will go around the four areas again to invite again.

Pray for all involved. Pray for energy and enthusiasm in the team. Please pray that kids and their parents would be attracted to Christ and motivated to come to the club through what is said and done today.

This morning we start in San Miguel - the shanty town where the breakfast club was originally held. The advantage of going to other places is that we can reach more kids around the area and by going to their area they will feel it is as much 'theirs' as it is for anyone else. It is also good to have it in the church as that will hopefully encourage families to come on Sundays as well.

We came up with a few names for the club but the ones that the Mexican's chose is 'Mex-i-Kids' Club. There is something cool about using English in the title of a club here which is interesting!

Obviously there has been more that has happened in the week. When I get the chance I'll fill in the details. Praise God, He is alive and working here through your partnership with us. God bless you today and give you a wonderful weekend.

A meeting

Katherine and Caroline have been going through our Child Protection Policy and Andrew decided to phone the government department (DIF) that works with Street Kids. He found a very warm reception and will have a meeting with the lady who is in charge of all that the government do with Street Kids in the city. He will take Fidel to that meeting and they will be able to find out what the current guidelines are, what services are available, protocols we should follow etc.

Please pray that this meeting will be profitable and that a good relationship will be established. the DIF do some great work with the kids and we will be able to learn some valuable lessons.

Training

Yesterday we spent the day in training for the Holiday Bible Club (VBS) in the summer. It was good to support the team and to see how many people will be involved in such clubs over the summer. There was no lack of enthusiasm and ideas. Most of the UNIFAM churches had representatives and then each church will hold it's own training events.

The Club in La Loma will be in August and we will be helped by a team from Portadown (N. Ireland). This year the team are hoping for about 200 kids. There were about 100 last year but this year there are more church members and the breakfast clubs will be well underway by then. How exciting!

Testimony

My name is Hector (not his real name). I am 21 years old and I want to tell you my story.

After one year of treatment in an institution which didn't help me, I arrived back on the streets. I intended to do drugs because since I was very little I have suffered the scorn of society because they saw me stretching out my hand or asking for a taco to eat from a local food stand. This made me think and I felt like my life was worth nothing.

I found myself in a terrible state and although I was aware of how I was nothing interested me. Often I thought about suicide and never to wake up again.

I wanted to find help in other groups but what I found was more evil. I tried rehab centres but they didn't help me either nor changed me. That's why I returned to the streets again. One day one of my fellow street kids invited me to go to the drop-in centre where I met Alex and Paty and where they offered me the opportunity to help and to hear about God.

After a short time my friend and I decided on a change of life and we talked with Alex and Paty to see if they could help us. Now we rent a room, we continue attending the church each Sunday. In spite of all the obstacles we continue to lift ourselves up with God's help and now I am so grateful to Him because He took me out of a big dark hole.

He reached out His hand to me and for that I give him thanks for rescuing me from where I found myself trapped.

Social Ministry Centre

Yesterday we all went down to the Drop-in Centre. Here are Alex and Paty. We had a good chance to chat with them. Please pray for this couple. There is no doubt that God has called them to this work and gifted them for it. The kids they are working with just love them and they are seeing permanent fruit for their labour. There are times when the work is tough and thankless. Paty shared yesterday through her tears that last year (when we were on deputation) was really hard though she recognises that God has really taught her so much. There are about 12 kids who are living close to their home and stop in whenever they like. This is tiring but they find it hard to say no, especially when these kids depend on their friendship and support. Last night after we had our meetings with Beto and Sandra they took us up to the places where the kids are renting. How amazing to see these kids doing what kids do - laughing, joking around etc. and the respect they have for Alex and Paty. They were so proud of their little homes. At one stop the boys were all playing on the concrete football pitch in the dark right in front of their little flat (2 rooms). The beds were just blankets on the concrete floor and as the game finished they all came in, splashing water over their heads from the barrel of water outside their door. On the wall were proudly hanging the bags they had made with the Washbasin team. It's not much but they feel like kings and queens and the happiness is obvious to all.

Below is one of the kids working in the drop-in centre making pictures to sell. This will help him with rent payments and gives him self esteem. I will translate his testimony in a new post later tonight.
This is a work bench again where kids have been able to find a way to keep themselves off the streets.
This is the side of the Drop-in Centre that will hopefully be remodelled in the near future. Please continue to pray as the plans proceed.

Work in progress

Katherine and Caroline have now seen the street work and the drop-in centre and here they are helping to work on our child protection policy. It's not all holiday!

Small world

In this small neighbourhood of ours....

...the kitchen table is surrounded by fellow country-men from N. Ireland!

Sandra and Beto update

On Tuesday evening Sandra returned to Beto with her children. We met separately with both of them last night. The situation is calm at the moment and there is a desire for a fresh start.

Thanks once again for your prayers for wisdom in this situation. It was once again obvious - though we had chatted a little about the line we would take it was interesting when we came together afterwards and found that God had guided us to say similar things that we hadn't discussed.

One was to begin to help them see themselves as God sees them. I was touched as I asked Sandra to tell us something that she likes about her character. She couldn't think of anything so I asked her what reason she would give if someone asked her why she should be their friend. She listed a couple of things and then after talking about the things she liked about her physical appearance Paty and I told her things that we loved and appreciated about her. Her head dropped and as we continued she started to cry. I asked her why she was crying and she said that no-one had ever told her those things before. Having suffered abandonment and abuse since she was 2 years old we can't even imagine the hurt and low self-esteem she is carrying. Both Andrew and I encouraged Sandra and Beto to think about how God sees them and we have been and will continue to back this up with scripture.

Beto is aware that his physical abuse of the family is not acceptable or excusable. His deep desire is to see that aspect of his character changed. Pray that he will rely fully on God to see change effected in his life. He is back at work. Pray that he will stick with this job and provide for his family. Sandra has been working on getting her papers in order so that she can also get a better job.

Pray for their little 3 year old girl in all of this. There is no doubt that she is affected but we encouraged both parents to break the cycle and give these dear little children the loving family that they never had.

There is still a long hard road ahead for this family but they are aware of our love and support (with a touch of firmness) and faith that God can work these things together for good and that He can help them through the necessary process of change.

We are also thankful that Katherine and Caroline are here and have been able to listen and give their input as well.

Help has arrived

On Thursday evening we went with Tabitha to the airport to pick up two friends from our church in Edinburgh - Carrubbers Christian Centre. Katherine and Caroline are both Social Workers with families. They worked with us in our outreach to kids in the church and are now part of the leadership committee for that work.

We are blessed to have them here staying with us for a couple of weeks. Their visit has been labelled as a 'Social Ministry Consultation Visit' They will be seeing what we do, meeting some of the kids and helping us with child protection issues and guidelines etc.

Here they are enjoying some of our favourite Mexican food - Tacos al Pastor with Agua de Jamaica (a juice made with leaves of a flower which is very tasty)

Social Ministry Centre

Fidel and Andrew met a couple of weeks ago with an engineer and an architect at the drop-in centre. They have gone away with ideas and rough plans that the MEFI team had drawn up. They will take measurements and hopefully get back as soon as possible with plans which the team will check over.

Then we need to get government approval. So we really needs your prayers. Things can move slowly here and we have teams lined up to come from the US and help with the constructions. Such teams are a huge blessing. The reduce costs considerably and are also great fun to work with and can work alongside the street kids.

Please pray that everything would be in place before the teams come. We need things to move quickly - with the planners and the people who need to pass the plans at this stage. We are getting very excited as we take more steps to seeing this building completed and ready to be put to full use.

Urgent Prayer

Sandra really needs your prayers. On Wednesday she came in typically tense and agitated and left a lot happier and relaxed. Beto had left work again and there were several other little things he was doing that caused us to worry (not in the wrong sense - God is in control!). She did interestingly ask what would happen to her if she left him - would she have to go to a street home? We told her she didn't need to worry but didn't offer anything tangible.

Yesterday Andrew had a meeting at Santa Monica with Alex and Paty. Sandra showed up and burst into floods of tears. We can't detail everything that happened but suffice to say that she has no option - she has to run from Beto. He has been hurting and humiliating her physically and emotionally. Yes, the bible studies would calm him down and Sandra admitted that but the next day he was awful to her.

Alex and Paty took her to a place to hide with her children (ages 3 amd 3 months) yesterday and we will be looking for accomodation for her on Monday. Please pray for all Sandra's needs - spiritual, physical and emotional at the moment. Pray that we will be able to find her a house and all of the friendship and support that she needs (outside of the Lord). Pray for her safety and of the kids. Pray that having taken this step she will now be able to move ahead in building up her own self esteem (which is very low) and learning to accept and forgive herself and others who hurt her in the past.

It's impossible not to love Sandra. She is such a caring person and loves to laugh. Sadly we've had to work a lot lately to see her laugh and on Wednesday her little 3 ear old girl was very sensitive and easily reduced to tears. We're ready to see this beautiful girl laugh freely and move into all the potential that God has placed into her life. Thank you for praying with us.

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.