Just Walk Across the Room

The personal connection makes all the difference.   It can be intimidating trying to find common ground with another a person, especially with a language barrier.   Many people are surprised to learn that both of us are introverts.   This can make all the more of a challenge.   But God opens up doors and avenues, if we are just willing to be attentive and to listen.   If we are just willing to start by acknowledging that each person that we come across is a beloved child of God.  If we are just willing to walk across the room.

Last week when Maria was back in Ohio with her family to celebrate the life of her grandfather, a woman and her 8-year old daughter came to the door seeking help.   Their names were Lucin and Bella.   Two or three months ago Lucin’s father-in-law passed away.   The local government was able to help with the costs of the funeral and burial, but they needed help purchasing the blocks needed for the tombstone, about 400 pesos (under $25 with the current exchange rate).  After talking it over with them, deciding that we could help and praying with them I felt prompted to turn to the daughter Bella.   I explained to her how sorry I felt that she had lost her grandfather and that we would continue to pray for him, but I had a favor to ask of her as well.   I explained to her how my wife was currently back in the United States with her family for her grandfather that passed away.   It would be a huge blessing for us, if Bella would pray for Maria and her grandfather as well.   Bella beautiful green eyes became very serious with her new mission as she nodded her head yes.   God has connected together two families from two nations, separated by over 2,000 miles.

Mexico City Airport

Rebekah and I (Maria) had a wonderful time flying together from Mexico to Ohio.  I never imagined it would be fun (albeit exhausting) to travel with a 2-month-old baby!  I had so many wonderful encounters with people, got to hear all about others’ children and grandchildren, and really just got a chance to talk with people as we waited for our flights. 

Our last layover was in the Mexico City airport.  By that point I was tired and not thrilled about sitting for a couple of hours waiting for our flight.  I was feeling a little overwhelmed with the set up of the airport, and navigating through immigration and customs.  I honestly didn’t really feel like talking to anyone at that point.  All I wanted was to get to the Monterrey airport and see Josh.  As I was juggling Rebekah, carryon luggage and a cell phone, a woman from Sweden came to give me a hand.  We got in to a small talk conversation and I learned she was headed to Monterrey for her son’s graduation.  She shared a lot about her life as a single mother, how her son came to live in Mexico and his hopes for his future.  

Then she asked what we were doing in Mexico.   After sharing that we are Catholic missionaries, she asked the question why.  Why would we want to do something like this.  I explained to her that we have a God that loves us, and we want others to know that love.  We want them to know His love by being told, we want them to know a small piece of His love by our service.  I told her that so often people hear about the rules of faith, but don’t hear about the love God has for us.  As I explained these reasons for our crazy life, her face changed.  She softened.  She needed to hear about how much she is loved.  We had a long conversation after that, and I heard a lot about who God is to her.  It was amazing to be able to share that time with her after a full and exhausting day of travel.  I keep praying for her, for her son, for what the Lord wants to do in her heart.  That conversation made that extra layover worth it.  It was another reminder that when I am exhausted and have nothing left is when the Lord can step in and fill a moment with his grace.  I just have to be open for those divine appointments He sets up.

Josh's Macayu All-Star Team!

Monday evenings, different members of our team take turns going to the ejido Macayu, about a 20-minute drive outside of town.   For the past several months there have been some tensions between some of the individuals in the ejido.   At the conclusion of our last short-term trip, there were a number of items that needed to be wrapped up, and so I, Josh, offered to go with our three oldest boys and the four oldest boys from the Kiehl family on Monday, June 12. Between the eight of us there would be enough musical talent and translators that we would be able to run the prayer service.   I jokingly referred to us as “the children’s crusade,” praying that we would have better results then the original children’s crusade, but also hoping that these young men would be able to touch hearts and melt some of the tension.  First of all, I was so blessed to work with these seven mission partners ranging from seven years old to fourteen.   They were so eager and excited to help and to have various responsibilities, and they rocked it!   They were on fire as we drove back that evening, and without any hesitation they wanted to go again on the 19^th.  

One of the things that they noticed during that first night was that a good number of the children present felt bad that they didn’t know how to pray and were eager to learn.   The decision was made that for our second trip we would focus on the children that showed up and teaching them how to pray.   We figured that any adult that showed up, we would explain that we are all children of God.   It didn’t matter if we were a 5 year old child or a 70 year child, God is all of ours loving Father.   I was once again thankful for my years in Jesuit education and St. Ignatius’ directions of praying through a scripture passage with our imaginations and senses, placing ourselves in the story, letting it unfold, and conversing with Christ in the scene.  Prayer is after all simply a conversion with God where we both speak and listen.  The team decided that something similar would be effective and that we would use the passage of Jesus accepting the little children (Matthew 19:13-15).   

We are all God's children.

After explaining what we were doing and reading the passage slowly three times, we handed out paper and crayons so that they could draw what they had imagined.   We were surprised when even the adults asked if they could draw too!   We are all God’s children.   Once the drawing was over we asked was there a particular image or word that struck them?   How did Jesus look?   What was his demeanor?   Was there certain aspects of the scene in the imaginations that stood out?   One woman in particular drew rain in her picture.   What an amazing insight into the symbol of rain and Christ bringing refreshment to the desert of Mexico!   The biggest surprise for me was at the end I asked all the kids to come up for a photo with their pictures.   As soon as we were done, a number of the adults (including an elderly gentlemen with crutches) asked to have their photos taken with their drawings too!   We are all God’s children!   God is working and slowly softening hearts.   I am so thankful to work with this team of young men!

Sometimes all we need to do is just walk across the room.  God's grace is in the moment and let Him make the connections and inspire our words.   We just need to be open to His promptings and respond to His grace.

Please pray for the next short-term trip that arrives today!   May the Lord bless each of their hearts, our hearts as we host them, and the hearts of the people God will place in our paths to serve.   May we recognize Christ in the face of all we meet, and may God give us the grace so we can be the face of Christ for them.

Our June Newsletter

Here is a digital copy of our newest newsletter!   In it you will find an overview of our past several months, the birth of Rebekah, and what is coming up during the summer months!
If you are interested in being added to mailing list and would like hard copy of our newsletters, please send us a message!

Encounters with God during a Mission Trip

This past week we hosted and helped run our first short-term mission trip!  We had 23 guests, of which 13 were younger than 20!   It was a blessing for our kids to make new friends with peers.   During the trip we had community prayer, time for personal prayer and reflection, work projects, home visits, shared meals, a pilgrimage day, and downtime for fellowship.

For our pilgrimage day we traveled an hour through the desert to a town called Parras.   Parras played a role with the cristeros during the 1920’s and was a 17th century missionary site for the Jesuits (which of course Josh loved!)   We were able to celebrate with a bilingual Jesuit, Padre José, at the Church of Santo Madero, “Holy Tree” (as in the Cross).   The church was located on top of an extinct volcano.

The Church of Santo Madero

During the homily Padre José explained why the cross behind the altar did not have the body of Jesus.   The indigenous people of this region of Mexico were the Aztecs.  They believed that the path of the divine, followed the course of the sun from East to West.   The path or road of humans runs perpendicular from the North to the South.   The Jesuit missionaries capitalized on the power of this image to show the significance of the Cross and the Incarnation of Jesus.   It is in the personhood and Incarnation of the Son that the Creator and creation meet, where the supernatural and the natural touch.   It is in our everyday moments, interactions, and experiences where we encounter God.   He is present even in the most normal and mundane parts of our days, waiting and longing to be discovered.

Maria receiving communion from Padre José.

Nothing helps us to experience this crossroad between the human and divine and Christ’s presence in the face of others like a mission trip.   This mission trip seemed to make General Cepeda come alive with God’s life and grace.   It was a perfect catalyst for us go out and meet some of our neighbors and to set up home visits with some of the elderly and home bound.   When you look into the eyes of the people, you cannot help but love them.   It is here that the two members of the Cross intersect, and we encounter Christ present in the person before us.   We can only pray for the grace that they too encounter Christ in us.   We are constantly humbled by the little that we can offer.   We aren't Christians (or missionaries) because we are perfect, but because we are broken and need of a savior.   And how can we let our language barriers, our fears, our weaknesses, our pasts stop us from sharing the divine love that has been given to us not despite our shortcomings but because of them.   It is in our brokenness and the brokenness of others that Christ is found and where Christ desires to go.

Maria with Carmen.

Rebekah with her new Mexican grandmother.

Visiting the parents of Tonio and Mari.

Three of the nights were spent going to local ejidos  (AKA ranchos) to run prayer services.   It provided opportunities to reach out to new communities that we have not visited yet and to serve side-by-side with other long-term and short-term missionaries.   Even the kids got to share parts of their faith.  Josh was excited to finally have his keyboard in Mexico and to put it to some good use.

Playing music at the ejido Guelatao.

Aron getting prayed over before giving a testimony.

Not only did we have the opportunity to share our faith and develop new relationships with the people of Mexico, but we were also able to form friendships with the short term missionaries.

Our first short-term mission trip!

Playing Captain Sonar with the other short-term missionary kids.

New friends come in all shapes and sizes.

You never know where you will find God’s blessings and small surprises.   This sign in a restaurant’s bathroom was an occasion of great joy!

It is the little things...

Oh and back to language barriers...  we continue to keep ourselves humble as we venture into the Spanish language.   Josh was talking to another missionary and was trying to explain how he is the other missionary's “older brother” but instead of saying hermano mayor Josh said that he is his hermano mujer, his “woman brother.”

Prayer requests...

• Please pray for Maria's grandfather, Stanley Duke, who passed away last Wednesday, June 7 at the age of 90.   Maria and Rebekah were able to get a flight for the week.   This also allowed for Maria's family to meet Rebekah.  May the Lord grant Grandpa Duke eternal rest and safe travels for Maria and Rebekah.
• Our next short-term mission trip is right around the corner from June 24-July 1.   May the Lord prepare the hearts of all that are coming down, our hearts as we prepare to host them, and the hearts of all those that we will serve.

I'm finally in Mexico!

So many blessings on our way back to General Cepeda.   Yes, we did arrive about eight hours later than we had planned, i.e. 2 am early Friday morning.   This morning we were blessed to have the local pastor, Padre Humberto, publicly welcome us back and congratulate us on baby Rebekah during his closing remarks at mass!   It is amazing how these gestures make us feel at home.

We left Louisiana Wednesday at 9:30 am with another missionary family of eight, the Kiehls.   We had hotel reservations in Eagle Pass, Texas and where we also planned on rendezvousing with Jason, who was coming a slightly different route so he could surprise his mom for her birthday and visit with some of his benefactors.  Jason was also bringing down what we in FMC like to affectionately call Ol’ Blue, an old beat up suburban that has made its rounds in missionary fields and yet has miraculously been resurrected a number of times.  Jason had beaten us to the hotel by about two hours and blessed us by greeting us with a platter of freshly grilled venison burgers.  Ironically the last two hours of our drive was spent watching Bambi in our suburban’s DVD player.   For the record our suburban is called “the Beast.”

After a restful night’s sleep, a light continental breakfast, a quick dip in the pool for the kids, we were on the road to cross the border into Piedras Negras, Mexico, about five minutes from our hotel.   It was an extremely easy and uneventful crossing, and even though we did get a red light, the search of the Beast was minimal.   For those who do not know, when you cross the Mexican border, you get either a “random” green light or red light.   A green light means you just move ahead.  A red light however means you have to pull over where your vehicle could receive an extensive search that includes unpacking everything.   Praise God for easy red lights!   Jason and the Kiehls both got green lights.

When you travel into Mexico, there is a free zone that is about thirty miles in along the border.   In this thirty-mile strip you do not need a visa, to register your vehicle (what is called “importing your car”), or Mexican auto insurance.   But passed that point you need all the above.   Depending on where you cross, either at the border or just before this checkpoint, there is a government office, known as an “aduana” where you can get all the necessary paperwork.   This is the third time we have entered Mexico, albeit the first two times were from Laredo, Texas to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

One of the reasons why we took this new way is that shortly before this checkpoint there are two FMC missionary families from Mexico that are stationed in a town called Allende.   The first family is Tonio and Mari and their children, the second family is Gallo and Rita and their children.    

Tonio and Mari and Family

Gallo and Rita and Family

 Jason and the Kiehls know both them well and the Kiehls haven’t seen them in about two years.   When Tonio and Mari heard that we would be through, they insisted that we stop for a meal.   Many consider Mari’s homemade flour tortillas as simply the best… period.   In addition, we had received word that Tonio was in need of a new guitar for his ministry, which we were able to deliver thanks to the generosity of a benefactor in Lafayette.   Despite the fact that our Spanish is pretty weak, we were so impressed by the generosity, authenticity, and warmth of these two fellow missionary families.

After about an hour and a half visit we loaded back into the vehicles to head to the aduana to get our visas and import our vehicles.   We had no problem at all with Ol’ Blue and the Beast, but we ran into a problem with the van that the Kiehls were driving.   Mexico passed a law about a year ago that limited which U.S. vehicles could be imported.   Any passenger vehicle over 3.5 tons were not allowed (probably to cut back smuggling).   The two suburbans were fine, but the van that the Kiehls drove weighed in at 4.5 tons.  In order to request an exception we would have to drive back thirty miles to Piedras Negras and ask at the main boarder office.   After weighing our options on whether we should go ahead, we decided to stay together as a group.   Honestly, had we separated, yes we would have arrived to General Cepeda sooner, but we would not be at peace until we were all together.

Amazing though all of this we all remained upbeat and joyful.   Yes there were to practical things to figure out, but we were filled with hope and remained anxiety free.   And this was totally a gift from God, because when we went back to the main office, which was not easy to find, we were unable to get an exception.   After a well-deserved ice cream stop, we decided that we would return to Tonio and Mari’s house where we would repack our three vehicles so that everyone could fit into the two suburbans.   We would leave the van at their house and any luggage that didn’t fit we would have Gallo drive down a week later, as he plans on coming to the first short-term mission trip to help out.

Again we could not be more blessed by the generosity of our Mexican missionaries.   When we showed up and explained what had happened, without batting an eye, Tonio sincerely offered his personal white suburban with Mexican plates and keep the van at his house.   What an amazing witness and act of selfless service!   We had noticed that Tonio had just washed his vehicle that morning.   The tires still had that shiny wet look and there was still a puddle on the driveway.   Tonio just smiled and said that it must of known that God needed it to take a road trip.   I am inspired and humbled.   Am I detached enough from my material things to loan them out to those in need?   Do I see my possessions, talents, etc. as mine, or do I see them as the Lord’s to use according to His will and that I am just a temporary steward?

Our caravan of suburbans... Tonio's white one, the Beast, and Ol' Blue with a smattering of Gehl and Kiehl kids

By the time we repacked and got back on the road it was now almost dinnertime.   We had hoped to arrive at General by 6 pm, but God had other plans.   After stopping for dinner and a couple gas stops, we finally pulled up to the mission house at 2 am.

Not only did God use this opportunity to inspire us and to unite us to our Mexican brothers and sisters, but also the fact that we remained joyful throughout the whole ordeal, brought us closer to the Kiehls and Jason.   We would have been justified getting frustrated and irritable, but remained levelheaded and upbeat.

One of the challenges that our non-U.S. citizen FMC missionaries have is finding donors to partner with them.   As an American missionary family, we have friends and family in the States that simply have more resources at their disposal with which to be generous.   This proves to be a challenge for Tonio and Mari and Gallo and Rita.   We are so thankful for so many of you and your prayer and partnership.   Would you prayerfully consider supporting our Mexican missionaries?   Whether you can commit to a monthly gift or only a onetime donation, they will be truly blessed.  Here are their FMC links...  Tonio and Mari and Gallo and Rita.   Oh and while they were offering their suburban and helping us reload the vehicles, several dozen children were being dropped off at their house for a regularly scheduled evening of children’s ministry and catechesis.   Truly amazing people!

Finally on a much lighter note…  there is a little more dust down here in the Mexican desert.   The other night I laid Naomi down on our bed to get her changed into her PJs.   As soon as I put her down, I immediately became aware of how dirty she had become.  She left this amazing artwork.   Yes those are curls from her hair!

The true icon of Naomi's hair.

Prayer requests…

• Please keep our community leaders, Ben and Natalia Schumann, in your prayers.   They are currently in the States preparing to have their third child. 
• Next week begins our first week-long missions trip for the summer.   Please pray they the Lord prepares the hearts of those coming down, our hearts as we prepare to host them, and the hearts of those that we will be serving.

Love one another

Happy birthday to our dear little Naomi!  We are so blessed by the joy and the love the Lord has graced us with through you over these past two years!

 

Today was an amazing celebration of life, faith, and God’s love.   Not only did we celebrate Naomi’s birthday, but two other two year olds had birthday celebrations today.  

And there was another missionary family that had their newborn baptized.  

And the story I want to share today….  Sometimes I see God moving in the amazing lives and witnesses of my fellow missionaries.  There is a missionary couple, Rich and Rachel.  They are currently stateside long-term and are foster parents to three amazing young children.   We have been fortunate to have them as neighbors these past months.  The biological mother agreed to have them baptized under the condition that Rich and Rachel are the godparents.  Before mass Rich and Rachel went to pick up the mom and brought her to the church so she could be present.

I can think of few more timely Gospel readings than this past Friday’s.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."

John 15:12-17

Of course there is the uber-cheesy song “They will know we are Christians by our love.”   As much as the song is not to my personal liking, there is truth in the power of our Christian witness expressed in love.   It may have taken me almost my entire life, but I am coming to realize that this love is not all rainbows and butterflies.   This Christian unconditional love is tough.   I don't know all the details with the family, but given the fact that it is a foster situations, speaks for itself.  And to be honest, if I were Rich or Rachel, I probably would have just written the mom off.   But Christ calls us to love.   This a love that can look through another’s flaws and sins, and see the brokenness and frailty of the person.   It is a love that is moved by compassion, and not judgment.   It is a love that welcomes and invites, and doesn’t exclude.   It is a love that knows that only through a loving trusting relationship can conversion ever take place.   I am so honored to call Rich and Rachel my fellow missionaries and I am inspired by the example that they live and how they opened the doors of the Church to this mom and their foster children.

But our call to Christian love doesn’t stop with those that are on the “outside.”   Perhaps the hardest people to love are the ones that we are closest to, our fellow Christians, our family, our friends.   It is amazing how many times St. Paul needs to give pastoral advice on the need for believers to forgive and love one another.   And why?   If it were easy, he wouldn’t have to give his exhortation.  If loving our fellow Christians, the people next to us in the pews, or around the dinner table, were easy why did he write probably the most famous chapter in the Bible on love 1 Corinthians 13?   When Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)  Why?   Because loving is hard!   It goes against our fallen and broken natures.

In my own life, there have been some individuals who have deeply and seriously hurt either myself or loved ones.   These individuals could arguable deserve severe judgment.   Through God’s grace and God’s time, I have come to forgive and to pray for God’s mercy for them.   If I can forgive these individuals, why is so hard to forgive my fellow Christians who sincerely desire to love and follow God?

It leads me to reflect on who do I need to love?   Where have I fallen short of Christ’s commandment, not suggestion, commandment to love one another as I love you... unconditional, perfectly, and completely.   Who am I to hold back God's mercy?   How can I let the patience and love that God has shown me be in vain and not extend it to others?

 

Our plans are holding strong!   We should leave Louisiana this upcoming Wednesday and arrive at our Mexican home Thursday afternoon.   Of course, the one lesson we have learned throughout the past couple weeks and all of missions…if God wills it.   Or as they in Mexico, "Si Dios quiere."

Working with God's Plans

Preparations have been made for the warm missionary climate.   As some of you noticed on Facebook, Elijah got a haircut!

So when are we going to stop trying to be in control?   When are we going to realize that this is Christ’s missions… not ours?   When are going to realize that we are on God’s time… not ours?

Cutest little passport picture ever!

Sorry we have been quiet, but God has been working, and well, were still are not back in Mexico. Maria posted our last blog sharing our plans to leave Louisiana on May 10 and return to General Cepeda.   Even with Maria and Rebekah healthy and passport in hand, plans change.  Literally the next day we were with some friends at a splash pad, when at some point I pulled a muscle in my lower back.  I can’t even point to a particular moment when I was lifting a kid or loading up the car.   By the end of the day, I couldn’t standup straight.   Going to bed Monday night, I told Maria, that if my back wasn’t better by the morning, we would go into the chiropractor.   By morning I could not get out of bed without Maria’s help.  Long story short, after various visits to the chiropractor, PT, and doctor, I have a strained muscle in my lower back that is taking it’s time to heal and likes to remind me that my 40^th birthday is approaching this fall.

Precious little Naomi helping Daddy stretch.

Poor Maria has taken up… well pretty much everything.   We are so thankful for our FMC community and all the help they have given us.   Even superwomen like Maria get a little overwhelmed taking care of 5 children, a 6 week newborn, daily life, an invalid husband, and packing to spend 6 months in another country.   We know we have plenty of help here and in General, but the 14+ hours with “7” children… yeah we’re crazy, but…    

Add on top of it, our community leaders in Mexico, the Schumanns, are leaving for the US on May 17 to have their third baby.   They will also be traveling up with one of the singles on our team, Jason, who will be driving back another vehicle for our team to use after visiting family and benefactors in Louisiana and Texas.  We were looking forward to spending a week with them in Mexico before passing on the torch.  

The Schumanns

Jason

After prayer, discernment, and discussions with our leadership team, we plan on traveling down with a single, John Paul Plummer.   JP has served as an FMC intern this past year and will go through Intake training this upcoming fall.   (Please pray for him and check out his FMC page!!   As a new missionary, he is just starting to look for partners and benefactors.   Maybe God is pulling at your heart to help our brother and his amazing servant's heart.)   My back has improved significantly with some setbacks since last week, though I am still slow and can’t be on my feet for too long before needing to sit down.   Rest stops on the road or if we get a “red light” at the boarder and have to unload the car will be possible with JP’s help.   With JP and a little more time to heal, we plan on trying again on May 20.   This will also give us a day or so with the Schumanns in the US to go over some business but also enjoy each other’s company and play a game of Settlers of Catan. 

John Paul Plummer

I was blessed by today’s Gospel reading, John 14:1-12.  (Daily Readings for May 14, 2017)

Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.  If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.  Where I am going you know the way."

Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you know me, then you will also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."

I found myself relating to the disciples and feeling frustrated…  Jesus, can you just answer the question?  You just said, “Where I am going you know the way.”   Thomas’ questions seems legit, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”   Just answer the question.   We don’t need some kind of enigmatic or poetic response.   Tell me plainly.   What are You doing?   What are we suppose to doing?

***AND STOP***

10 bonus points if you just thought, "Hammer Time."

50 bonus points if you said it out-loud.

Everything up to this point was typed yesterday, Sunday, May 14, 2017, with the intentions of posting this blog last night.   But… of course in the evening we got a call from the Schumanns, and like that, our plans change again.   Rather than retype everything, it just seems to fit just add this amendment.   In a blog about being docile to Holy Spirit, what could be more appropriate then this real life play by play!   We just need laugh.

Ivette

The other single on our team, Ivette, was going to meet us at the mission house on the 20^th to help us.   Ivette is also fluent in Spanish.  Considering that Maria and I, and JP are “less than fluent,” she was going to be a big help in our re-acclimation.  So it ends up, due to unusual circumstances, nothing bad or serious just odd, Ivette flew back home yesterday to be with her family for a week.

The Schumanns recommended waiting until driving on the 24^th and

The Kiehls

caravan with another family of 6, the Kiehls who have been in FMC for about 4 years.  After 2 years in Mexico and 2 years in Peru, they are currently stateside to help out with a number of projects.   They have been discerning coming down to Mexico for a month to help with the 2 week-long short-term mission trips in June.   This again seems like another blessed option, as we will have another family to travel with us and help us on the road.   Their entire family is strong Spanish speakers.  They will also be able to help cross at the boarder and adjust back to missions life.

Of course we are a little reluctant to say with 100% certainty that this is what we will end up doing, but it is the best guess for now.   “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:8)   God is saying, “Trust me.   I’ve got you.   I’ve got your circumstances.   I have never nor will ever leave you.”   What’s His lesson?   “Seek to be small.   The oak tree doesn’t bend and respond with the wind and libel to snap.  It is the small reeds that are docile and bend with Spirit.”

With this strength and confidence, please keep our dear college friend, Meagan Daoust, in your prayers.   She is a mother of 6, and their youngest, Jude, was born in February.   On Friday she was admitted to the hospital for what ends up being a very unusual heart attack.   At this point she is expected to make a full recovery and should be able to return home this week.   May the Lord bless Meagan, her husband Mark, and their family during this time of recovery.

Mark and Meagan Daoust and Family