Team Thanksgiving

Yesterday I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving with the CFCI missionaries here. We had a great time. Everyone made some food and we had a celebration of Thanksgiving for God's goodness to us this year.

I was glad to get to share the holiday with the missionaries and to also be able to be with my family for the Holiday. I can't stop being thankful to God--He indeed does all things well!

Dios esta conmigo dondequiera que vaya (God is with me wherever I go!)

We knew that something was wrong when the grandmother approached the van with her head down. Elizabeth and I were on our regular route picking the kids up and this particular grandmother is usually pretty chipper and happy to see us. We listened as she explained in tears that her granddaughter no longer lived with her. Her daughter had taken her from school and moved across the border with a boyfriend who was bad news. As she cried softly we prayed with her that God would give her peace, that He would protect the little girl and help her remember and draw comfort from what she learned in Club.

I realized then how important our lessons really are. This little girl who was moving to a strange place needed to know that God was with her there too. God could provide for her the same way that He provided for Jacob when he was forced to flee his home. This wasn't just a story, it was her life.

I can also testify that God has been with me these five months that I've been in Mexico. I know that God is omnipresent, but sometimes I forget that He's right here with me....aware of what I'm feeling and in control of my life. This lesson has been driven home even more as the CFCI Board is making a decision about the Patio (the house we live in). They are deciding whether or not we have the funding to buy the house or if we are going to move to a different location. God has been with many CFCI missionaries in this house and I know He'll be with us....wherever He leads.

Please pray:

1. for this Club girl's safety as well as comfort for her grandmother--and most of all that they would come to know the Lord through this


2. for wisdom as the CFCI Board makes a decision about the Patio


3. for continued strength and vision as we finish up this semester of Club

ps: here's a pic from our All Saint's Party (Nov. 2).

Dios Provee (God Provides)

This week at Club we've been studying about how God provided a spouse for Isaac. We taught the kids that just like Abraham's servant all we have to do is pray and God will provide all of our needs. The phrase for the week is "Dios Provee" (God Provides). Thus, I've been meditating on the wonderful ways that God has provided for me here and on the faith I should have that He'll continue to provide in the future.

I've especially thought about how God provided Isaac with a wife. I pray that our kids (especially my 3 & 4 year olds) will learn early on that godly spouses come from God and that we have to be patient while He provides. I'm also praying that this truth will take root in the heart of so many singles I know who love the Lord, but are struggling to wait for His timing. I'm hopeful that the truth of God's perfect provision takes root in my heart and I'll use this time to focus on pleasing Him.

"Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master..." Genesis 24: 27

Just for Fun!

I wanted you all to know that life in Mexico is not all work and no play! So here are some pics of some fun days! Some are from our trip to Zacatecas. Zacatecas is about an hour away from Fresnillo and it has the same name as the state (so it's Zacatecas, Zacatecas). It's the big city and has some American conveniences like Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Burger King, Starbucks and (drumroll please!) McDonald's!! My roomies (Karen, Christen, Elizabeth) and I went to McDonald's and had fries (other food too, but that was most important :). The other pics are of my food accomplishments since I've been here. You all know how much I cook (LOL) and these are a few of my sucess stories--strawberry bread (meet Karen, my roommate in pic) & breakfast casseroles--both of which were consumed completely without a hitch :)

VBS & Club

We kicked off the beginning of the ministry year with VBS (Escuelita de Verano). Our theme was Hay Un Solo Dios Verdadero (There is only one true God!). We walked through stories from the Bible where God demonstrated that He is the only real God. Each day (VBS lasted 4 days) the children were taught the Bible story in a large group and then we reviewed the lesson, plus made a fun craft in small groups. This was my first experience working with my age group--the 3 & 4 year olds!! I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to a great year with these "tots."

VBS serves as a jumping off point for Club, which we started this past week. We have 3 clubs, 1 on Wednesday and 2 on Thursday. So if you get a chance please pray for us during these 2 busy days. Club days start with going to invite kids in the vans and on foot. I'm still learning my way around the colonia and it's a whole other venture to learn where my kids live, but poco a poco (little by little)! After inviting we again have a big group time where the kids are taught the lesson (for the first week the theme was Dios hizo a la gente (God made people). The kids learned about how God made each one of us special and in His image. After the large group, we do small groups where we review the lesson and do a craft (trabajo manual) to reinforce the lesson. Finally, we visit the children one on one to play with them, pray for them, and teach them something about the Lord!

• Please pray that God will open up doors for us to share the Gospel with the parents of our children when we visit them.



• Also, pray that the Holy Spirit will draw more children to Himself through Club.

Running Bases for Jesus

Recently we had a group from Chicago come down and run a sports camp for the kids in our colonia. The kids came by the droves and were all pumped up to play baseball and soccer. The guys from Hudson College along with Father Tom and Daniel Park were a greatly blessing to Fresnillo during the week! They showed Christ's love, shared their testimonies and encouraged us by their servant's hearts. The kids (and us!) were sad to see them leave but overjoyed that God had touched their hearts and made this trip possible.

A Special Moment

I am very grateful for the little ways God shows His grace. Dr. Dorsett and Mary visited with us recently. I won't take the time to recount all the many ways God shed His goodness on our time together (I couldn't do justice to all the cookies & war stories!). One was especially touching to me. Dr. Dorsett doesn't speak much Spanish, but the Holy Spirit has a way of transcending the language barrier! I happened to be standing next to him when he asked his customary question to a sister in Christ, "How is your soul?" She recounted a difficulty that she was having (which I "explained" in Spanish. Then Mary joined us to pray with her. It was a small thing (if prayer could ever be considered small!) but it was a little way that God showed His strength through our (read that my!) weakness.

4th of July & Keith Green

The CFCI Team here had a good 4th of July celebration! The day began with Torta (more about that to come). After Torta we went over to the Jones' house for a cookout! We had barbecue chicken, hotdogs, baked beans, corn on the cob and cupcakes! I had a great time trying roasted corn the Mexican way--with lime juice, cheese, butter and salt! It was quite tasty. I also got to try out some Mexican refresco (or soft drink) that was pineapple flavored. I also enjoyed that! We rounded out the evening with some poppers (the tiny balls of paper filled with gunpowder that make a loud pop when they hit the ground). The kids (and the adults) got a kick out of these.

After the party we watched a Keith Green documentary. He was a musician who became a believer and started living out his faith in a radical way! I had never heard of him before, but he is one of Pastor Doug's favorites! This was a good reminder that I'm not just learning about Mexican culture but about the Body of Christ as a whole. Thank God for the ways He expands our horizons and let's us in on the wonderful world He's redeeming!

Also I wanted to show you some pics of my room! So, here you go :)

What I Did Today

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." 1 Chronicles 29:11

Today was a good day. I painted a room at the Bodega with Ruth, Karen, and Christen. We did a nice job and the meeting room is now a cheery yellow. After a great lunch of french fry (formerly tater tot :) casserole and great banana nut, chocolate chip bread, we pulled weeds from the garden, by hand! After dinner we walked around downtown a bit. There was a parade for queen of Fresnillo. Fun day and night!

Mi Primer Domingo en La Iglesia del Gran Pastor

"The soul is healed by being with children." Fyodor Dostoevsky

Hola de Mexico! I am happy to say that I am writing this from my room in the Patio in Fresnillo, Mexico. I am excited to be here and adjusting to the many differences between Fresnillo and home. We (Christen aka Cayli, the other new missionary) got here on Friday night late and have been unpacking ever since. The team painted our rooms special for us, mine with purple stars and hers with a nice bluish green squiggly pattern.

We went to our first church service today and it was good. Christy (Pastor Doug's wife) translated the sermon for me. Thank the Lord for sisters in Christ, because otherwise I don't think I would have understood much :) Nevertheless, the people in church were really nice and patient as I tried to speak Spanish, especially difficult was trying to explain my locs...yeah, I'm going to try to write that one down and practice :)

After church we had a good lunch in San Jose (near Fresnillo) with some people from church. We had carnita (which is a lot like pulled pork--only with salsa instead of barbecue sauce). Some people also tried pig ears, but not me. I can have those in the States :) Today is George's last Sunday here so we got to hang out with him and he let me ride his motorbike. He will be greatly missed by the missionaries and the church. He's an all around swell guy!

Yesterday we got to see torta (Saturday lunch). It was great to see all the kids and hear Becca explain how Christ knocks at the door of our hearts. We were able to meet Juan and David, two other teammates. Their enthusiasm for Christ and love for the children is contagious.

Praise the Lord! Thanks for your prayers as I continue to adjust and work at being bold at trying my hand (my mouth?) at Spanish. Gracias y Dios te bendiga.