Weekly report

Tomorrow we hope to take Oscar for his first medical visit since we got back home. He hasn't been weighed in quite a few weeks so we are interested to see how the reflux is affecting him. We would appreciate prayer for his health as we try to consider the best options to bring it under control. He has good days and bad days. We have tried introducing some formula, a specialised feeding bottle, some baby rice, infant Gaviscon... Apart from his reflux he continues to be the perfect baby! We are also hoping to continue his vaccinations at home though he is due to get a rotavirus shot which isn't on the schedule here. We will keep you posted as to how things develop.

The Mex-i-Kids club at La loma was very much on our minds this week as they finished off yesterday. They will be taking a break until the VBS in the summer.

We will be making some phonecalls this week to find out what has going and will let you know next week.

We also finally got a prayer letter together. I can't believe how time has flown and how long it has been since the last one went out. Those who read the blog regularly will understand the challenge of trying to squeeze 3 or 4 months worth of information onto 2 sides of A4! We so appreciate all who support us in various ways. It's such an encouragement as we go around on deputation to meet those of you are are checking in to the blog on a regular basis.

It was such a joy to be able to finally visit the charity shop in Coleraine this week. What an amazing effort from those who donate merchandise to those who man the shop and get it set up. There is no way that we can express our gratitude and the difference it is making and will continue to make in the lives of so many in Mexico City. It's such an encouragement also to know that we are part of a team working together.

Documentation

Thanks to those who were praying for our paperwork. Our renewed visas came through before we left Mexico and we got all of Oscar's paperwork. Andrew went to pick up his British passport and birth certificate and there had been a problem with the form for the latter. He had to go back the Tuesday before we left to get the birth certificate. He was horrified to find that they had printed the wrong name on the form but thankfully he had been registered correctly so the misprint was easily corrected. Thanks again for your prayers.

Deputation Schedule

I thought you might like to see our schedule to date. We might not be in your church but perhaps we are in one close by. So check it out and hopefully we will see you soon.

Where we've already been
OMS prayer groups in Newtownards and Bangor
Coleraine Independent Methodist Church
Ballycraigy Congregational Church

May
Wed 14th Larne Mission Hall
Fri 16th OMS Prayer Group Larne
Sun 18th am Muckamore Presbyterian
Sun 18th pm Hazelbank Presbyterian, Coleraine
Wed 21st West Kirk Presbyterian
Sun 25th am Armagh Baptist
Sun 25th pm Moneymore Congregational Church
Wed 28th Ballymena Independent Methodist Church

June
Sun 1st (all day) Portrush Presbyterian
Fri 13th Carrubbers Christian Centre (Edinburgh)
Wed 18th Gardenstown Church of Scotland
Sun 22nd am Bethesda, Fraserburgh
Sun 22nd pm Macduff Church of Scotland
Sun 29th am Liberton Northfield Church of Scotland

July
Sun 6th (all day) Londonderry Baptist Church
Sun 20th am Dunluce Presbyterian Church
Wed 23rd Donaghy Congregational Church

Back Home!

We finally made it. Lots of saying goodbye, cleaning, tidying, packing etc. but we finally left home at 6am on Thursday morning. We arrived at the airport to find that our seats had been given to someone else. We had to wait for the next flight which meant that our stop over in Newark was a stressful rush. We made it to the gate as the flight was boarding. Frequently throughout the journey we commented that people must be praying for us. Tabitha was amazing. She played happily and kept her good spirits throughout the 24 hour day. We were worried about whether she would sleep through the night flight but she managed a good 4 - 5 hours. She's still recovering and getting used to the time difference but is loving all the attention and getting to boss everyone around. It's lovely to see her so happy.

Having mum travel with us was just inexpressibly wonderful. She was able to keep Oscar content which allowed us to focus on Tabitha. The disposable bibs she brought were a Godsend for our pukey little boy! He too did well though he was tired too and has slept lots since getting here.
It was so strange for us getting home this time. Last time we were away we had 2 visits home for family weddings so this has been the longest time we have been away. the first thing we noticed was the lovely fresh air and then how beautifully green everything is. We are just coming out of the long dry season in Mexico City so the air is polluted and everything is brown.

We love Mexico of course but I think that arriving home and being spoiled by family has made us realise just how stressful life can be for us there. It's just wonderful to be surrounded by everything familiar - food, language, health system etc. and everything in close proximity. As well as reporting back on the work in Mexico we are looking forward to a bit of a rest over the next 3 months and to spending some good quality time together and with friends and family.

We will keep in touch with what's going on in the ministries in Mexico and keep you up to date. Please pray particularly for the breakfast club in La Loma as they reach the climax of their teaching on the gospel with only 2 more weeks left before they break up. We really want to see kids come to know Christ as a result.

We heard that just over 80 kids attended the special event at the breakfast club in Tultitlan and about the same number attended the club in Valle de Chalco. Praise God for new contacts and pray that some of these kids would continue to attend and find Christ along with their families in days to come.

The Ladies

Most Monday nights the missionary ladies get together for fellowship and bible study. It has been wonderful to go through a study together and spend time together. It may be some time before we're together as a group with different people leaving the field. That's one of the hard parts of missionary life - saying goodbye. We're so thankful for our missionary family who are so wonderfully supportive.
And yes, Oscar has been a part of our ladies' group since before he was born!

Acapulco

Thanks for your prayers. The trip to Acapulco went well. Andrew had a day delivering necessary equipment and talking to the pastors. It was a day to learn about the worries and the struggles of the churches which aren't in Mexico City and how to pray more for them. One continues to plant new house churches but it is very poor so resources are minimal, one has ideas and would like reach out more but finds few leaders coming up in the church and the last has no pastor, so one pastor is the principal helper there and others help when they can. How our hearts would love to help but we must do it by prayer. So what do we learn? Well, there are needs everywhere and we must do the best we can where He puts us and trust Him with the rest that we have no control over. Andrew left feeling that he had been an encouragement and with a new Mex-i-Kids in the planning of the Coloso church which is an extremely poor area of the city. Rent there is about £35 per month for a 3 bedroom apartment. Please pray for Pastor Mario of the Coloso church who is seeking God's vision and will for this club and how the church can reach out through it.

Acapulco

Andrew left late afternoon today for Acapulco. It's not a holiday, he comes back tomorrow night (D.V.)! His purpose is to encourage the pastors there and to deliver some necessary materials for their nurseries and children's ministries.

Please pray that he will be able to encourage their hearts and that he will return to the city safely.

A very special occasion

Today was Oscar's dedication. We had been hoping to have it while mum was here and with our Mexican friends who have been so excited with little Oscar's arrival. It really feels like they consider him to be one of their own. We weren't really sure if it would actually happen but we couldn't have been more touched by a service of appreciation for the sacrifice we have made to be here. Really, it was very humbling for us especially when we consider how richly blessed we are to be able to see God at work from such short proximity. It is our privilege to serve Him here and to be in partnership with you for the sake of the gospel.

The dedication itself was a different experience for us. Andrew was asked to pray and then the pastor Miguel prayed over Oscar. It was so informal compared to what we are used to at home but we felt very special and loved.

The children came up to watch the dedication too which was extra special for us.
This was our last Sunday Service in La Loma for 3 months. We were called into a room afterwards where the people who work with us in kids' ministries individually expressed their appreciation and best wishes. It really was such an encouragement as we are tired and ready for a break. Certainly at times it feels like we are 'sowing with tears'. Really we are indebted to these wonderful people for all they have taught us as we see god work in and through them.

Day of the child

The Day of the Child is on the 30th April here in Mexico. All over the place there are special events for children and families. In our church in La Loma we have had a particular involvement in childen's ministries (no surprise if you know us well!). The great majority of what I do is based in the home now for obvious reasons though most tasks need to have a flexible timescale. Some time ago I offered to put together a presentation of the different children's ministries and events in the church. It was finally ready this morning. Please pray that this exciting visual will attract more workers to the various ministries.
To celebrate Day of the Child the church had a special program for the kids. Andrew directed a play about creation. During the course of the drama the actors painted a creation mural on the wall. I think it's the fastest mural done to date! About 70 kids attended including some of the kids from the breakfast club. The dress rehearsal took place yesterday afternoon. The church planting team had arranged a special event in the community for kids. About 80 turned up with about 20 parents. The team hope to visit the families and will see if things open up to start a new house church. Please pray for them and for this exciting possibility.
Yesterday was our last day at the breakfast club before our trip home. Please, please pray for the club over the next 3 weeks. There is a good group of about 30 kids at the moment and they have 3 more chapters of the Lamb series to do. Pray in particular that as the message of the gospel reaches its climax the kids will be challenged, see their need and respond. We have trained the leaders in how to counsel a child for salvation and are really praying that some of them will have the opportunity to put their training into practice.

Second to that is the prayer for the organisation of the club. The only reason that is important is in order that the numbers might be maintained through kids having a great time. Yesterday we were glad we were there as a number of activities had to be arranged spontaneously (even though they had been assigned beforehand). Everything came together and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves but we would appreciate prayer that the people assigned to things would turn up and be well prepared.

Here Andrew steps in to do games...again!
A spontaneous sheep making craft.
The finished product. What's great about this picture is that the two little sisters in the middle (who are working street kids) are flanked by two little friends they invited. They were all back today for the Day of the Child celebrations.
After 3 weeks Mex-i-Kids will have a break until the Holiday Bible Club (VBS) in the summer. We are praying that this will be a refreshing time for our leaders who have been so enthusiastic and will cause them to come back excited and refreshed to a new term after the VBS.

The other 2 Mex-i-Kids groups in the city had special events for the Day of the Child yesterday. In Tultitlan they had inflatables etc., like a special party and in Valle de Chalco where we were last week they had special gifts for the children which Andrew and the pastor were able to pick up at incredibly low prices in a market down town. We're not sure how these special events went yet but we are praying that they will have helped to draw kids and their families in under the sound of the gospel and that through all of the clubs many will come to know Christ.

A new skill

It may seem like a weird post but I've wanted Juana to come and teach me this Mexican skill for ages. Really, they are experts in jelly here (yes jell-Y - I am British!). I always wondered how they could put flowers inside which were edible and now I know. Under Juana's expert instruction both mum and I had a great time learning the skill. Check out the results below!
What's great about this is that I really enjoyed it and Juana wants us to arrange more classes with her teacher when we get back. There are more flowers to learn and Juana said it would be a great excuse for us to get together more. That's something I will really look forward to.

Getting ready for home

A week from now we will be sitting (actually we should be sleeping) in NI (D.V.). This week has been tying up loose ends and beginning to think about what we need to pack.

Unfortunately Tabitha took sick on Tuesday morning and ran a high temperature for a couple of days. She seems to be much better now after a few good sleeps and fever reducing medicine. We're not sure what caused it. Perhaps the incredible heat that we are experiencing. We were so delighted to see some rain and thunderstorms which brought the temperature down. We're not sure how we are going to adjust to the cold at home though we are hearing that temperatures are rising (to what we hope will create a less traumatic change!).

We hope to leave our house at 6am on Thursday morning and should be home about 22-23 hours later. We would so appreciate your prayers for our health in the coming days and for a safe journey. Please pray too particularly for Tabitha. Pray that she will be able to sleep on the planes and would be able to cope with the long journey. We've been planning plenty of activities to keep her busy when she is awake but it will require plenty of prayer to get us through!

We now have Oscar's British passport so the only other thing we need is his British birth certificate. There was some problem with misunderstanding what Andrew had written on the application form which he didn't find out until he went to pick up the passport. Please pray that it will come in time before we leave. Another praise is that we got our renewed visas back last week which will make re-entry in Mexico much easier.

Hector and José

We mentioned these guys last week. They are the ex-street kids who had a fight in the Drop-In Centre a few weeks ago. On Monday the team met to decide what to do. Hector came back to the Drop-In Centre and was repentant. He had gone to José's house and they had eaten together. The team decided to invite him to continue working and now that he has been disciplined his siuation is as it was before.

José hasn't returned as yet so we're not sure what is happening there. He may be looking for other work but we will continue to pray for him and hope that he will come around again. If his life is to change it will need to be the work of the Holy Spirit, not of the Proyecto MEFI team!

Keep informed

I just want to remind you that the work we do here is just a small part of a much bigger picture. If you have time and are interested please click the link to the 'OMS Mexico prayer blog' on the right. It is updated weekly with news of the different ministries going on and with emergency news as required.

Valle de Chalco

Taking advantage of the free babysitting service (mum) Andrew, Oscar and I were able to make the long journey to Valle de Chalco to visit the Mex-i-Kids breakfast club. This is the main road leading to the church where it takes place. One wonders as we put the suspension to the test, why a man is throwing water across the road in just one part...and why the driver of the van in front reached out to give him some money...
There seem to be just a few houses around but in this dusty area we play games around the stones and bricks that litter the road. One kid was watching from a little distance and the charismatic lady who has the church in her home called to him from a distance. He waved over but didn't come. The lady told us his dad must be home this weekend. He beats him when he attends! Whether his Dad was there or not we don't know but the little boy eventually came with his 2 sisters. There were about 30 kids in all. A lot were missing due to sickness and a special activity on at the school.

One lady was there with a little boy of almost one year old. She told me it was her first time to attend. They had been asking her to come for ages but she is a single mum and works every day in the market. That morning she was to late to make it to the market on time. I encouraged her to attend the Sunday evening service and explained that God says He will honour those that honour Him. I'm not sure of her name but she was chatting to other people too and I really hope that she was able to make it along today and that God will touch her heart.
After the games we went through the little entrance to the patio where the church meets under this little tent. The 'sheds' on the left are the homes of the extended family.
Andrew teaching a couple of new songs.
These are such lovely kids.
And we are impressed by the organisation and energy of the team that work there. It takes them 90 mins on Metro and buses to get there and they do that each Saturday and Sunday. It was nice to offer them a ride and to chat a little. The pastor's wife was telling me that she used to help on a radio broadcast. They had a wide listening circle including people in the prisons. One lady heard about the church through the radio and started to attend. She asked them to start a church in her home...which is now the little church in Valle de Chalco and has been running for 5 years.

Drop-In Centre

Here are some photos taken on Friday. As you can see the Drop-In Centre is taking shape. This is the hatch from the kitchen to the dining area.
The bathrooms becoming a little more private.
This will eventually be a little medical consulting room.
On Friday night Fidel, Juana (left side of picture), Alex and Paty (right side of picture) came over for the evening. It's always good to be together and a lot of fun. We feel so blessed to be part of a great team and to work alongside such a called and dedicated group. We leave here on the 1st of May and Fidel will continue to direct the building work until it is almost completed. Please continue to pray for strength and unity of the team.

Family time

Our missionary family went on retreat this week. After the difficult time we had at the national church retreat we thought it better not to repeat the experience. We really missed being with everyone but enjoyed a couple of family days together. We went to a children's museum and spent some time at home. It was nice to have Daddy around a bit more than usual.

A little different

We arrived at church today to find out that there was a power cut. I've sometimes wondered what would happen should the electricity go off, especially in terms of the music. Normally we sing for about an hour with a keyboard, 3 guitars, drums and tambourines. Today we still sang for an hour but with no amplification, no keyboard, one acoustic guitar, drums 3 tambourines and no words. Everyone clapped along regardless and sang the songs they knew. It's always nice to have a change...

The father of the new baby mentioned in the post following this one was preaching today (Miguel's son-in-law). He told a story about his uncle who was the first convert in the area where he lived. One night his house was surrounded and he was tied to the back of a horse and dragged along the rough ground about 1km. He was asked if he would renounce his faith but said he couldn't renounce the God who had given him life and rescued him from his previous way of life. One man took a huge stone and crushed his head with it.

Just a few days later some of the men involved died naturally with no reasonable explanation. Some others went to the man's wife and asked how they could be saved. She told them how and they trusted Christ. She served food to the man who had lifted the stone and killed her husband. Now there is a church in that area! The church that Andrew visited last week in Huautla is in a similar region and the church there is not able to preach in areas close to the church. Remember to pray for them.

Once again we are reminded of the opposition to the gospel in areas not so far away from the City and challenged about our own commitment to our faith. How far are we prepared to go? What are we prepared to deny ourselves? How bold are we to share our faith, even in less threatening circumstances?

Happy News

Last week Oscar and I went to a baby shower for our pastor's daughter. We were delighted to hear that she had a little boy last night. Miguel spoke this morning about God's faithfulness and goodness in his family in spite of terrible mistakes he made in the past. Hopefully we will get the chance to see this little boy before we head home.

Huautla (waow-tla)

Andrew was expecting to leave early on Saturday morning with one of our national UNIFAM pastors for Huautla which is about a five hour drive away. We mentioned it in an earlier post. On Friday morning at 5am he received a phonecall from the pastor wondering where he was! It seems there was a confusion and he ended up leaving straight away and spending the night there.

They found a little church with four walls and no roof. The service which takes place on a Saturday was conducted in two languages, Spanish and the Aztec language Nahuatl (naa-waat-il). Some of the congregation don't speak Spanish, only the indigenous language. The church is the only one in the area that has a service in both languages.

The pastor Guillermo and his family are sustained by growing crops and flowers on their land. God has richly blessed them by making their land much more fertile and abundant than other plots in the area. Nowhere else can people grow spearmint all year round and so this family can easily sell their crop and make enough money to live in a shorter time than normal. That allows them to dedicate more time to God's work.

Here is some of the produce which they gave Andrew. Homemade and homegrown coffee, tortillas and bread with some bananas from their garden.

Huautla is an area where the mobile medical clinic could really be used. The nearest hospital is 45 minutes away in a taxi bus. It only serves the public at weekends so if the people get sick during the week they have to go to a town 4 hours away and most would have to sleep on the streets as they couldn't afford to pay to stay somewhere. The government sent a couple of medical workers to the area and though the rain was heavy there was a line of 100 people. How our hearts are moved upon hearing such a story as we think about how as Christians we could show God's love in action and see His kingdom extended.

We thought you might like to see a short video of the work. It shows some singing in the Aztec language, the little herb garden and the spearmint crop. The elder and his family are leading the singing and you will see them at the end. They were able to get some basic essentials and each person in the church took away a bag of sugar, rice, oil, maize flour, milk etc.

The journey home was longer than the journey there. The rocks were coming off the mountains onto the road and it was obvious God was protecting Andrew and the pastor in their journey. One rock did hit the car and damage the wheel and after changing it they took a different route. With heavy fog the journey was slow and Andrew finally got home early on Sunday morning.

Reacting in a different way

Something that really stood out to me last year and I have never forgotten was a lesson from my daily devotionals. It talked about how it is easy to appear in control and be a model person when all is going well but it is when things in the home are going against you that you have the opportunity to show the world the power of a Spirit controlled life. I'm not talking about big things but I had one of those moments last week.

On Monday Andrew and I both woke up feeling unwell. Kindly Andrew let me go back to bed with Oscar and he looked after Tabitha. I woke up feeling much better and improved as the day went on. Andrew on the other hand got worse. His temperature rose and he spent the rest of the day in bed. It was a long day and a relief when Tabitha's bed time finally arrived. I went back downstairs to work with our 'refluxer' who typically gets more uncomfortable in the evenings. As I rocked him and tried to find a comfortable position for him he managed to release a big burp accompanied by a fair amount of his previous feed which unceremoniously landed on our carpet. As he continued to cry Tabitha, struggling with the time change the night before, appeared apparently uninterested in sleeping. The microwave beeped to indicate that the soother was sterile and as I pulled the steriliser out and placed it on top I knocked a little tray onto the floor, smashing everything breakable on it. I think it was one of those moments...

A missionary lady here gave me a piece of advice before Tabitha was born. "Just remember," she said, "'This too will pass!'" I often remember that. The immediate storm passed quite quickly. Oscar found a happier place and Tabitha settled down to sleep. Andrew was out of action for a few days but by Thursday was beginning to feel much better. It's no grandiose missionary story, rather a reminder that we are ordinary people living out our faith just as we would want to do and taking each day as it comes! We appreciate your prayers as we do 'normal' things in this different country.