Back home safely in Columbia!

On the ground in Atlanta. Off to Kansas City soon, and then back home in Columbia tonight.

Wrapping Up

It looks like adding pics and giving a more thorough overview of the trip will have to wait until I can get alone from my laptop back home, but still thankful for the chance to send out updates here and there. Our trip to Ixtapa with several of the high school and college students from the church and mission was an interesting experience, to say the least: driving around central Zihuatanejo at night trying to find a safe beach (the first one we got to had a sign about "cocodrilos"; turns out it was a fenced in nature reserve but we weren't takin any chances), meeting three salvavidas Mexicanas up close and personal (I got to experience a riptide - other than sunburns, I was the only one that encountered anything potentially serious), and learning the cultural nuances of doing a youth trip in Mexico vs. the US. All in all, we enjoyed the break after a very full week, as well as the chance to get to know some of the people we've been working with better.
Today we'll be traveling to Guadalajara, and then getting up early in the morning for our flight home tomorrow. We should be back in Kansas City around 4pm and then in Columbia tomorrow night. Thanks for praying for us; it's been a good trip, and we look forward to sharing more when we get home. Pray for safety as we travel over the next two days, and for the ongoing ministry with El Divino Salvador and Mision del Valle.

Finishing Bible School in Mision del Valle

We finished our last day of Bible school yesterday and wrapped up the week with a special service for families that tied into the regular weekly Bible study at Mision del Valle. Around 10 families were represented this week in attendance at Bible school, with several others attending last night's evangelistic concert. One Christian family came by when they heard the music and were excited to find out that a Bible study was meeting in the neighborhood. Many contacts were made with families in the area, and the church has discovered needs that they can now strive to meet as they continue outreach in Mision del Valle. This update is shorter, because I am only able to update from my phone, but the following are a few prayer requests:
1. Follow-up from the week, as the church seeks to keep up with families that attended.
2. On-going ministry that will take place through the weekly Bible study and youth and children's programs that will begin soon.
3. Noe and Sol as they continue to lead the ministry in Mision del Valle, and Eduardo, David, and other leaders from El Divino Salvador.
4. Wisdom and resources to determine whether to take an offer to rent a larger building for the mission that was offered by a realtor this week (a larger home with two more rooms for approx. $200/month).
5. Continued growth for the mission in Mision del Valle, hoping to launch it as a church next summer or early fall.

We're almost through the week of Bible school, and we have consistently had around 20 kids attending. This week has been eye-opening for the church, as they are now more clearly able to identify the needs of the community in Mision del Valle. Our soccer outreach was moved to today; we start at 4:00pm with a large group of boys we ran into yesterday. Pray for us as we share the gospel with them and finish out Bible school.

First Few Days in Morelia

We have finished two days working with the people of El Divino Salvador in the community of Mision del Valle. It has been an answer to prayer for both our groups to see the small rented house full of life energy, the fulfillment of a vision that began in March. The Bible study that outgrew the home of Noe and Sol Soto began meeting in the house this spring, and is the basis for El Divino Salvador's church plant among the 1,000 homes of the Valle area.

We have had the privilege of helping with Bible school in the mornings and other outreaches in the evenings. 12 kids and 2 parents came to our first day of Bible school, and 20 kids, along with a couple teens and parents, attended today. Jordan is teaching memory verses, Lydia is working with the puppet team, and Debi is coordinating crafts. Because of the evangelistic nature of the Bible school, we've been using the same Wordless Book theme as last year with Iglesia Jerusalen.

The Montemayor family is leading the ministry from the church's side. Nena has been our consistent translator and liaison, her sister Mine is the director of the Bible school, and her dad, David, is the general director of the outreach this week. Eduardo is leading the afternoon and evening outreaches. Yesterday was good, but a little rough as everyone figured out how to work things best in a new area with a combined team, but the efforts for the gospel were effective nonetheless, as both parents that came Monday expressed interest in the Bible study and a desire to know more. We also have a unique opportunity to impact a couple of students who are helping with the BSU and have been involved this week, but are not yet believers. One girl accepted Christ a few weeks ago, an her friends have come because they are interested in what they have seen.

Prayer requests:
1. Smooth continuation of the Bible school this week that results in confidence to attempt another one next year.
2. A movie outeach for kids tonight and a soccer outreach for teens tomorrow evening.
3. Strength and focus for all involved in ministry this week.
4. Karen and Tania, the two girls who are not yet believers.
5. Claudia and Yvonne, two new believers in Mision del Valle, as they and their families get plugged into the ministry this week.

We go settled into the Montemayors' apartment last night and enjoyed a full night's sleep. This morning we joined El Divino Salvador for church. This evening we will be meeting with the church members to coordinate plans for this week's outreach in Mision del Valle.