I know it is a few days late, but better late than never.
I returned last night from Indiana and am settling in again for another round of teaching and God's service. It was great to see many of you during the holidays, but it s good to be home again. As I try to return to the normalcy of everyday life, I ask that you continue to pray for Ixtlan and the many things happening here.
Pray for the church. Pray for its growth and unity. Pray that in each day of this year the believers here can grow in their relationship with God and with each other. Pray that the church family here would be a blazing light to the community here.
Pray for the school and the work that has been started there. Pray for the opportunities that we have to transform the lives of not only the kids, but also their families. Pray that the truth of the word sticks in their hearts and that each one can eventually come to understand the love of God completely.
Pray for me and the others here (Marshall and Jan, Matt and Ruth). Pray that we stay strong in the word and in prayer. Pray that we have the endurance to power on when things get difficult. Pray for our unity and relationships with each other. Pray for our willingness to follow the will and direction of God regarding the work that He is doing here in Ixtlan.
Thank you for all the support and the encouragement as the time goes by.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Nothing short of a miracle
Prayer is an interesting thing. It can sometimes feel so weak, and we doubt its power being result oriented people that we are. I so often pray knowing that I should and knowing that we are told to prayer to communicate with our Father, but I often find it difficult to get past the easier said than done part of prayer. It's easier to talk about its power than to truly believe it, but sometimes God gives us little boosts anyway.
Estela called this morning to give an update on Victor. Victor returned to his house last night. They had done more studies in Guadalajara and couldn't find anything wrong. Victor told Estela already that he has no pain.
As Estela was telling this, I had to think back on all that I had witnessed in Victor last Thursday. He was bleeding from the ears and vomiting blood. An MRI done in La Barca, the first hospital he was at, showed a cranial fracture and fractured vertabraes. My tendancy is to try to write this off as doctor error or something similar, but I know that this is God's work and I can only praise and thank Him for that.
Victor is a miracle. I don't know all the details and maybe I never will, but maybe it should be that way. Thank you for praying and for your passion and compassion on Victor, a boy from Mexico that you don't even know.
I will ask this. Keep praying for Victor and his family. (Father-Jesus, Mother-Monica, Sister-Marisol, Brothers-Alex and Brian). Victor may be healed, but there is still a spiritual battle being waged. Pray that God gets all the glory and not some saint to which they might have prayed. Pray that the power of God would be manifested above all else and that the deafness and muteness of the Catholic saints would be clearly seen through this. Pray for the salvation of Victor's entire family and that they could be a testimony of God's transforming power to their community. The easy part is over, now begins the real battle for their souls.
PRAY!
And thank you all so much!!!
Estela called this morning to give an update on Victor. Victor returned to his house last night. They had done more studies in Guadalajara and couldn't find anything wrong. Victor told Estela already that he has no pain.
As Estela was telling this, I had to think back on all that I had witnessed in Victor last Thursday. He was bleeding from the ears and vomiting blood. An MRI done in La Barca, the first hospital he was at, showed a cranial fracture and fractured vertabraes. My tendancy is to try to write this off as doctor error or something similar, but I know that this is God's work and I can only praise and thank Him for that.
Victor is a miracle. I don't know all the details and maybe I never will, but maybe it should be that way. Thank you for praying and for your passion and compassion on Victor, a boy from Mexico that you don't even know.
I will ask this. Keep praying for Victor and his family. (Father-Jesus, Mother-Monica, Sister-Marisol, Brothers-Alex and Brian). Victor may be healed, but there is still a spiritual battle being waged. Pray that God gets all the glory and not some saint to which they might have prayed. Pray that the power of God would be manifested above all else and that the deafness and muteness of the Catholic saints would be clearly seen through this. Pray for the salvation of Victor's entire family and that they could be a testimony of God's transforming power to their community. The easy part is over, now begins the real battle for their souls.
PRAY!
And thank you all so much!!!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Updates
I don't have any specifics, but the report is that Victor continues to improve little by little and has gone through the critical 72 hours, so our hope is that he will continue to heal. Praise God for His provision and continue to pray for both Victor and his family. They still have a very long way to go. Thanks from all of us here in Ixtlan!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Updates on Victor
After talking with Estela tonight, I have a few more specific details.
First, Victor has a fractured skull as well as several fractured vertabrae. This is apparently what is causing the other issues that he has (bleeding and vomiting). What information Estela has recieved from Guadalajara is that Victor is responding well to treatments so far and possibly improving, but still has some bleeding. After 72 hours they will be able to do more studies with better results.
Please continue praying for Victor's continued healing as well as praising God for the healing He has done so far.
First, Victor has a fractured skull as well as several fractured vertabrae. This is apparently what is causing the other issues that he has (bleeding and vomiting). What information Estela has recieved from Guadalajara is that Victor is responding well to treatments so far and possibly improving, but still has some bleeding. After 72 hours they will be able to do more studies with better results.
Please continue praying for Victor's continued healing as well as praising God for the healing He has done so far.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Victor
Pray for Victor.
Victor is a 13 year old boy, the great-nephew of Estela, one of the sisters in the Ixtlan church. Today while at school (not ours, because I know that some will wonder), Victor climbed into a tree to get a ball that had gotten stuck and fell out.
While I am not sure of the exact injuries, I know that he has fractured vertabrea and possible a fracture in the skull. He also has some internal injuries in his head that is causing some bleeding. His case is still very delicate, and the doctors are transferring him t Guadalajara, a hospital about 2 hours away.
Pray that Victor would heal completel from this injury and that he could return to a normal life quickly. God is the Great Physician and we can trust His diagnosis and treatment more than any man's.
Pray also that this would make Victor think more about Jesus and what he really wants and needs in his life. Victor has come to some church events like Jovenes on Saturday night and he was pretty regular back when we used to play soccer. Pray that through this time God would start greater, spiritual healing in all of Victor's family.
Thanks for all who pray. Prayer is the one thing we can do no matter where we are at and no matter how helpless we feel. It is the single most powerful force of our world. Please pray for Victor, his family and this whole community of Ixtlan and its surrounding towns.
Victor is a 13 year old boy, the great-nephew of Estela, one of the sisters in the Ixtlan church. Today while at school (not ours, because I know that some will wonder), Victor climbed into a tree to get a ball that had gotten stuck and fell out.
While I am not sure of the exact injuries, I know that he has fractured vertabrea and possible a fracture in the skull. He also has some internal injuries in his head that is causing some bleeding. His case is still very delicate, and the doctors are transferring him t Guadalajara, a hospital about 2 hours away.
Pray that Victor would heal completel from this injury and that he could return to a normal life quickly. God is the Great Physician and we can trust His diagnosis and treatment more than any man's.
Pray also that this would make Victor think more about Jesus and what he really wants and needs in his life. Victor has come to some church events like Jovenes on Saturday night and he was pretty regular back when we used to play soccer. Pray that through this time God would start greater, spiritual healing in all of Victor's family.
Thanks for all who pray. Prayer is the one thing we can do no matter where we are at and no matter how helpless we feel. It is the single most powerful force of our world. Please pray for Victor, his family and this whole community of Ixtlan and its surrounding towns.
Friday, November 6, 2009
November
Yes, it is November and it has been way too long since I sat down to blog. Internet Explorer didn't even recognize the web address when I typed it in. I have to sincerely apologize to everyone who has been faithfully checking for updates and to everyone who has given up and just doesn't check anymore. I would promise to do better, but I don't know if that would be letting my yes be yes.
There hasn't been a lot of action in the past couple of months. Mike and Deb Leman were here for a visit in October. It was very good to have them around the guest house some. We always have some very good conversations. The chruch really appreciates Mike because he can speak Spanish and there is no langauge barrier. We look forward to their return sometime in the spring.
Last weekend we had a full guest house. Daniel and Tami Coughlin who are studying Spanish in Morelia were here for the extended weekend (some of us had Monday off). Dwayne and Ann Wulf were also here Saturday and Sunday with their kids, Cassidy, Axel, Zach, Garret, and Marshall. They are studying Spanish in Guadalajara. Both families are planning to go to Magdalena from here. It was a very different environment with four little boys around, but it was a fun change. It sounds like everyone will be back for a Thanksgivng celebration on the 21st. So we will enjoy their presence again soon.
School has been going well. The eight kids in first grade are much more adjusted now and are doing well. They have improved a lot. They just recently learned animals in English as well as some important adjectives like big, little, fast, and slow. They were acting out the animals in class the other day and, wow, it got crazy fast. We've had a lot of fun though and next week they are going to learn some foods, I think. The other classes are going well as well. All the classes exxcept 1st grade are going to end at the end of November, Thanksgiving Day is actually the last day of class. So, I will have a little more time in December to get some more things done before I come home on the 22nd.
Here are some pictures from the bondfire we had last Sunday evening. With the time change it is dark by about 7:00, so there was plenty of time for a bonfire.
It was a very nice evening and the hotdogs tasted pretty good considering I probably haven't had on since I was home in July. Besides bonfires are always good reminders of all the good times I've had back in the states with all my family and friends. Just don't have to much fun at campfires without me (of course, maybe it's getting too cold up there. I haven't heard any reports lately, so I don't know).
Here is a picture of a sunset a couple weeks ago. The sunsets have been pretty lately and you can conveniently see them very well from my bedroom window. I did doctor it up a little to get back the true color so I might have made the contrasts a little strong, but it looks pretty cool.
The past months have been a great challenge to further find my identity nd fulfillment in Christ alone. Living alone in the guest house gives me a lot of alone time whether I want it or not. Solitude can teach you a lot and the past months have been no exception. I understand so much better the journey that is being a follower of Christ. What I thought I once knew turned out to be just the smallest beginning of the truth. What I am learning, while new and deep and challenging tells me that there is so much more to learn. The more I learn the more I understand the difficulty of giving up myself for God, the more I take joy in leaving behind the world and walking with the Spirit. There is an incredile joy in this journey in the world and it only comes from coming into the presence of God. Please join with me and many, many others who are praying for God's powerful name to be heard and accepted by unbelievers in Ixtlan,in Mexico, and in every part of the world so that more can come to know this joy and hope that we have in Jesus Christ.
There hasn't been a lot of action in the past couple of months. Mike and Deb Leman were here for a visit in October. It was very good to have them around the guest house some. We always have some very good conversations. The chruch really appreciates Mike because he can speak Spanish and there is no langauge barrier. We look forward to their return sometime in the spring.
Last weekend we had a full guest house. Daniel and Tami Coughlin who are studying Spanish in Morelia were here for the extended weekend (some of us had Monday off). Dwayne and Ann Wulf were also here Saturday and Sunday with their kids, Cassidy, Axel, Zach, Garret, and Marshall. They are studying Spanish in Guadalajara. Both families are planning to go to Magdalena from here. It was a very different environment with four little boys around, but it was a fun change. It sounds like everyone will be back for a Thanksgivng celebration on the 21st. So we will enjoy their presence again soon.
School has been going well. The eight kids in first grade are much more adjusted now and are doing well. They have improved a lot. They just recently learned animals in English as well as some important adjectives like big, little, fast, and slow. They were acting out the animals in class the other day and, wow, it got crazy fast. We've had a lot of fun though and next week they are going to learn some foods, I think. The other classes are going well as well. All the classes exxcept 1st grade are going to end at the end of November, Thanksgiving Day is actually the last day of class. So, I will have a little more time in December to get some more things done before I come home on the 22nd.
Here are some pictures from the bondfire we had last Sunday evening. With the time change it is dark by about 7:00, so there was plenty of time for a bonfire.
It was a very nice evening and the hotdogs tasted pretty good considering I probably haven't had on since I was home in July. Besides bonfires are always good reminders of all the good times I've had back in the states with all my family and friends. Just don't have to much fun at campfires without me (of course, maybe it's getting too cold up there. I haven't heard any reports lately, so I don't know).
Here is a picture of a sunset a couple weeks ago. The sunsets have been pretty lately and you can conveniently see them very well from my bedroom window. I did doctor it up a little to get back the true color so I might have made the contrasts a little strong, but it looks pretty cool.
The past months have been a great challenge to further find my identity nd fulfillment in Christ alone. Living alone in the guest house gives me a lot of alone time whether I want it or not. Solitude can teach you a lot and the past months have been no exception. I understand so much better the journey that is being a follower of Christ. What I thought I once knew turned out to be just the smallest beginning of the truth. What I am learning, while new and deep and challenging tells me that there is so much more to learn. The more I learn the more I understand the difficulty of giving up myself for God, the more I take joy in leaving behind the world and walking with the Spirit. There is an incredile joy in this journey in the world and it only comes from coming into the presence of God. Please join with me and many, many others who are praying for God's powerful name to be heard and accepted by unbelievers in Ixtlan,in Mexico, and in every part of the world so that more can come to know this joy and hope that we have in Jesus Christ.
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