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School

I have not written for a few months because we were in a holding pattern. Basically, we continued with the same activities as before but still had to wait for details to come together in order to start classes in the Teach Us to Pray building in Huejotzingo. On Wednesday, we finally initiated school with three children. Although the oldest of the three is 11 years old, none of them have attended school, so Abraham and I are taking a few hours four days a week to teach reading, basic math, and beginning English. When one of the women from their family can be with them, the children can also use the showers, since there is very little water where they live. Our own kids have their homeschooling simultaneously. They enjoy going out to recess with the other kids at break time. 

picture book, and then Lani and Abish begin their school We plan to have classes from 10 - 1:30 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  When the kids first arrive, everyone sits down for breakfast. We take turns washing the dishes afterward.  Next Abraham, Abish, or I read aloud awhile Abraham or I teach reading to the others.

Recess follows.  During recess the kids can take turns using the shower, if their adult family member chooses.

Math class is Abraham's, while I work with Abish and Lani on subjects that they do not study alone.  The last class of the day is English, taught by me, with Lani and Abish helping.

Once internet is installed, we will also stay a few hours in the afternoons so that teens and adults have access to computers to finish their secondary or high school.  Everyone will also be able to read books in the library, once it is organized.

Please pray with us that the children will consistently attend classes with us. Pray that they and their family members will be drawn to Christ as they see him working through us.

VBS 2023 - Judges

 

We structured this year´s VBS differently from previous years.  Knowing we would have fewer volunteers, and that the helpers that would be joining us would be mostly teenaged, we chose to keep all the kids together for all the activities rather than dividing into two groups.  In that way, volunteers could be available for whatever area most needed help.  

The ages of participants ranged from 2 to 14. On our busiest day, we had twenty-four kids and teens attending.

We decided to start an hour earlier than we had before, beginning at 10.  We also scheduled for a half-hour less than other years, planning to end at 12:30 each day.  We learned many VBS´ ago that it´s best to start on Tuesday and go through Saturday, because Sundays are generally very occupied for us, preventing last-minute preparation.

As in past years, we provided transport for a number of the participants. This presents a challenge, since Abraham and I are the only drivers, and that means one of us is not present at the VBS for the time it takes to pick up and return the kids.  Abraham chauffeured in the morning, so I began the VBS with review, Bible verse practice, and songs with the kids who arrived on their own or were on our route to Huejotzingo where we held the VBS.

Once all the kids were present, Abraham began games, an often riotous and crazy time.  At the end of the game time, the kids lined up to wash hands and dig in to their light meal which Six, Abraham´s mother, had prepared the night before. 

While the stragglers finished their food, I gathered the kids together to review and practice their Bible verses, and then Abraham taught the Bible story of the day.  He told the story of  Joshua on Tuesday, followed by Ehud, then Deborah, Gideon, and finally Samson on Saturday. 

After the story, Abraham stayed with Six and a couple voluteers to wash and store dishes while I took the kids upstairs to work on their crafts and worksheets, with the assistance of three or four teen helpers.  The difficulty with having young helpers was training them at the same time as we did the activities.  Two of them were actually younger than the oldest VBS participant.

Although we had planned on having a closing time of review and songs after the craft and worksheet, we only did that once during the week.  The other days, we had to race to finish the projects.

Some time soon after 12:30 the kids requiring transport stuffed into our car, and I drove them to their homes. Some of the young volunteers stayed to help clean up, while one had to hurry off to her factory job.  

It would make a tremendous difference in future VBS´s to have someone besides Abraham and I who could drive, and also to have more volunteers in general.  Some of the ones who assisted this year came only one or two days, and others worked every day, but needed quite a bit of guidance.

the VBS team

We are thankful for your prayers and support.  Throughout the week, God protected us from accidents and other problems.  We were blessed in every activity.  See all the pictures and videos here.

Still Waiting

The building in Huejotzingo is not ready yet.  Minor complications prevent us from cleaning up, starting classes, and setting the library in order.  My brother-in-law has been working on some faulty installment of the bathroom furniture, since the person who originally completed the bathrooms took shortcuts that left the sinks unfastened from the walls, among other problems.

prep for VBS

Certainly the building should be cleaned and ready by VBS, Aug.1 - 5.  During the last few weeks, I have searched for, created, and modified crafts and worksheets for the two age groups.  Abraham and Six checked over them and wrote suggestions, and now all those activities are ready.  We still need to request help from the church members for the VBS week.  The teen who agreed to help me with the youngest kids is now working full time, but hopefully she can get the week off.

choosing their book

Yesterday we passed the day in Puebla on various errands.  Abraham earlier had found an enormous bookstore near tae kwon do, so after the tkd class, we spent two hours choosing the final lot of books to buy with the donation we had earlier received.  

Several kids take home a book a week from the library books currently waiting at our home.  Abraham and I are in the second module of a government-sponsored program that will officially certify us and the library once we complete the classes. 

Sunday church attendance varies greatly from week to week.  Some weeks work takes priority over attendance for the families.  One little girl who used to come every Sunday now has missed many weeks because her family lets her keep what she earns in their taco business.  She is about 7 years old and has decided she would rather have money to spend, rather than come to service.  

kids' class

Ever since Easter Sunday, her family has been in a crisis of poor decisions. One of the teens who wanted to be baptized that Sunday chose not to because of difficulties in the family, and she has not returned to church since. Her older sister continued coming for a while, but then had to work.  The next youngest girl has been attending regularly. The rest of the kids (there are 7 in total) come when they decide to. We have not been able to do the weekly Bible study with the family for about a month, either.

Please pray for VBS preparations, for sufficient help during the week of, and for the building in Huejotzingo to finally be finished in all its details. Pray also for the families that attend our church, in particular for the one I mentioned above.

More Progress

As we approach the year's half-way mark, we also near completion of the construction in Huejotzingo where we plan to have English, Tae kwon do, and ballet classes; school prep; VBS; and the Oikos library. Progress is slow, but the building now has electricity, running water, a rain-proof roof, and tile flooring in the area where classes and the library will be. What still remains to complete is tiling of the bathroom walls and floors to prevent water damage. Hopefully by next week, Valeria, the woman in charge of Oikos libraries, will be able to finish categorizing and stamping the books donated to the Huejotzingo library.

At home in San Mateo, thanks to a financial donation, I have purchased a number of new books. Several of the children who attend Sunday service borrow one book a week from the new collection. 

We would be happy to receive more books in Spanish, preferably for youth or children. Getting the books to us from the States is a slow business, because of luggage restrictions. We have two unofficial couriers - the sons of the man we buy chicken from in the Saturday market. His sons live in Illinois but visit their father fairly frequently. They kindly agreed to carry four or five books for us each time they come. 

Abraham's and my children have progressed through their homeschool year. With the Sonlight curriculum, they only a have a couple more weeks before they finish. They have a few more weeks with their Spanish-language schooling. 

We are gearing up for this year's VBS with the theme of Judges. Our first day will be a discussion of Joshua's charge to the people to remain faithful to God. Day two we will teach about Ehud, followed by Deborah, then Gideon, and finally Samson. Marina, another Teach Us to Pray missionary, normally helps my mother-in-law Six with the oldest group of kids. However, this year Marina works full time and will not be able to join us. Please pray we have enough volunteers for the VBS to run smoothly. 

For my group, which is the youngest bunch, I have requested the assistance of a teen girl who attends Sunday service. Last year another teen volunteer was wonderfully helpful, and hopefully she can join us again this year. The two teens who worked with Abraham in the VBS games are both employed this year, although their schedule varies, so they may be able to be with him again. 

Please pray for the completion of the construction in Huejo and that the activities will glorify God. Pray for someone to live in the upper-story apartment. Pray also for VBS and for the various activities we are involved in.

Easter and the coming library

 The construction site in Huejotzingo is almost ready for classes to begin.  The final step is for us to install a floor in the area where there will be ballet and tae kwon do classes, and then we can organize and open the library and start with English, tutoring, and other classes.

A few Wednesdays ago, a visiting team from Canada joined forces with various people from

The mighty cleaning crew

our home church to clean up construction trash and clouds of fine dust from the library area and the donated books.  After several grimy hours, the group had books neatly stacked and cleaned and the floor cleared.  They lined up desks and chairs and removed coatings of dust from them as well.

Once all the work was finished, everyone ate lunch and the kids played wild games.  Some of the teens gathered to teach each other English and Spanish phrases.  Earlier during a break from cleaning, the Canadian team supplied the materials and taught the Huejotzingo kids and teens how to make slime, which everyone enjoyed.

Holy Week followed.  We held services on Thursday and Friday afternoon, which most of the regular members attended.  On Sunday we celebrated Jesus' resurrection throughout the service.  After Abraham preached a brief message, it was time for baptisms.  This year was

extra special for Abraham and I, because our two children decided to follow Jesus' example in being baptized.  All the candidates for baptism had previously taken a class with Abraham in order to understand the purpose of baptism.

Once the church service was over, kids and teens crowded into the pool for some chilly fun, and then everyone lunched together with potluck food.

It was not necessarily a joyful time for everyone present, however.  One of the families with people baptized was particularly struggling with family crisis.  It is an on-going difficulty in that family.

Most of the families we work with have deep, unresolved problems.  Humanly speaking, they are impossible issues.  Please join us in praying for divine intervention in these situations.  Pray also that the opening of the center in Huejotzingo will be for great blessing and that God would put on our hearts which activities we should have there.  Pray he would send the people to attend and also help in those activities.

Year's beginning

 We didn't have the Christmas celebration we would have wanted.  Around Dec. 20, my mother-in-law and both kids began with coughs and fevers.  The kids slept a lot and lay around on the couch downstairs, too tired and listless to do much of anything.  My mother-in-law grew steadily worse, adding vomiting to the original symptoms.

By Christmas Eve, we thought it best to try getting intravenous rehydration, but since she is diabetic, our doctor recommended we get her blood sugar tested first.  Abraham drove her to get the test, and that turned in to a three-day hospital stay, because her levels were close to 700.  With antibiotics and insulin, her condition improved.

However, because of the kids' illness and her hospital admission, we canceled the Christmas Day church service. Abraham stayed the night of the 24-25th at the hospital, an unpleasant experience, since extra blankets are not permitted into the hospital, nor are there beds for care-takers.  He returned home to sleep several hours while another family member stayed at the hospital.  In the following days, various siblings took turns at the hospital.

My mother-in-law is seemingly fine now, although she can no longer rely on diet alone to control the diabetes.  She needs blood sugar tests every morning and an injection of insulin. Doctors have not been very clear about how to proceed with treatment, and she firmly dislikes medication of any kind. 

As we are now all healthy, Bible studies and church services are back to normal.  I drive to three homes on Sunday mornings to pick up around 17 people, and Abraham returns
them to their homes after service, snack time, and play time.  

This past Sunday it was evident that there had been fights in all three houses, since the kids and teens arrived out-of-sorts.  Once the service ended, three of the teens had separate, tearful conversations with Abraham and another church member.  I am thankful that they feel the confidence and security here to have such discussions.

Please continue to pray for us.  As the building in Huejo is just about finished, we hope to begin classes in English, tutoring, and online schooling there.  Abraham might offer tae kwon do and Lani's ballet teacher also may give basic classes.  Those two classes require that we install a proper floor and mirrors.

Christmas season

 This Christmas season we have enjoyed working with the church members to create different decorations for their homes each week after the service.  Instead of dividing the children from the adults for a separate class during the sermon, we stay together for the whole service.  Abraham's sermons have, naturally, been about Jesus' coming to earth.  

On the first Sunday, we made yarn stars.  The teens tired faster than the younger kids of winding the yarn around the cardboard base, but everyone finished, and their bright stars were ready for the next week's decoration.

Near our home, there is a family business buying and selling used pallets.  Abraham and I loaded up on pallets, and then he and another young man worked together to make the example pallet Christmas tree

 The kids and teens threw themselves into the activity on the second Sunday.  One young lady in particular, hesitant at first to use the power saw, soon cut the measurements with confidence.  Other children also took their turns cutting. Another two worked steadily, attaching the "branches" and reinforcing the "trunk." The youngest kids swarmed the finished trees to sand off splinters and rough patches.  

On the third Sunday, two younger boys helped me cut branches off my over-grown rosemary bush.  With the fragrant branches, wire hangers, wire, and lots of ribbon and pinecones, the church members created wreaths.

Next week, we will make a simple manger scene and then have lunch together with the church family.  Because of various schedule constraints of family members, we will then return the kids to their homes (a feat which often involves piling 17 or more people in our 7-person car - good thing most of them are slender!), and then welcome relatives for a second Christmas celebration in the evening.

May you have a blessed Advent and Christmas.  May this season be a time when you recognize that Jesus came to this earth for all the joyful, the hurting, the lost, and the lonely. Please pray for the Christmas preparations here and particularly the celebration on Sunday.  The majority of those who join us can spend a few relaxed, loving, fun hours here, but then return to painful situations at home.

Two Years

church group

Last Sunday we celebrated two years of having church at our home.  We originally started as only family inside our home.  After some months, a few neighbors joined us and we moved the service to my mother-in-law´s patio.  A little over a year later, some children and teens that we have known for many years also began attending.  I

pick them up on the morning, and Abraham returns them after church service, snacks, and some hours of play.  Occasionally, vistors from the church Dios es Amor come for a Sunday service.

Speaking of those kids, we still go to one family´s house for mid-week Bible study.  As usual, Abraham leads a study with the adults, and I teach the kids and teens.  Abish and Lani participate in the classes, and then enjoy playing with the kids afterwards.  We have studies with another family and also with Abraham´s sister and some other family members who live about 20 minutes from here.

We continuously hear of the difficulties in each family.  One teen works in a jeans factory at night and is exposed to the bleaching chemicals used to distress the cloth.  Worse than that, he is faced with the drug and alcohol use of the other employees, and although he is only 15, struggles with smoking and alcohol use himself.  There are countless other stories.  

This coming Sunday we have planned a festival of life.  During this time when the days of the dead are celebrated, we wish to honor the God of life by showing the kids and adults the blessing that is life. We will have games, hot dogs, face painting, and story-telling.  Members of the house church have volunteered to help in the event.

Please pray with us that each person who attends church here and/or studies with us will lead the life that God has for them.  Pray that we can be a blessing to them and to their families.  Pray also for the event on Sunday, that it will go smoothly and be wonderful fun.  As the construction in Huejotzingo nears completion, pray for us to know who should live in the upstairs apartment, for the library that we have been loaned for the kids' use, and for the classes we will begin to have there.

The Fruit of the Spirit

learning songs

During the third week of August, we held the annual week of VBS.  The theme was the fruit of the Spirit, from Galatians 5.  For the first time since 2019, we had it live.  Although the Teach Us to Pray building in Huejotzingo still didn't have running water, any electricity, or all its doors, it was ready

signing in

enough that we could have the VBS there. 

teen volunteers lend a hand

We provided transport for two families, which meant packing eleven kids - sometimes more - into our car for the short trip.  Throughout the week, 36 children attended, along with a total
of 12 volunteers.  Three of the volunteers were teens who had participated as children.

changing from games to snack

We told stories of Bible characters who demonstrated love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  Old Testament Joseph, Paul and Silas, Abigail, and Ruth represented the first seven fruits, and on the final day, Abraham told of how Jesus embodied all of them, while emphasizing Jesus' gentleness and self-control.

Each day we opened with review and some songs, and then the smaller kids went upstairs for their snack.  The older group enjoyed games for that half-hour, and then the two groups changed places.

craft time with the smaller kids

During the middle of the time, both groups joined to hear the Bible story and sing more songs, and then the smaller kids stayed downstairs for their review page and craft.  The older kids did their activities
upstairs.  Throughout the whole time, we worked with the kids to memorize Galatians 5:16, 22-25.

the final craft

snack

finale with parents

On Friday afternoon, all the parents were invited to attend the finale so that they could see what their children had learned during the week.  Without us asking, four different families offered to buy treats to share with all the people who had participated in the VBS.

one family bought a cake for everyone

In our neighborhood, there are few children, so we felt it more prudent to continue VBS the final week of August by Whatsapp for those children.  We recorded the videos, prepared packets of review pages and crafts, and filled bags with the necessary supplies for each activity.  Twelve children and teens signed up.  They have until September 4 to send photos of their completed pages.

Thank you for your prayers for us.  Please pray that the lessons learned by the VBS participants would draw them closer to God.  Pray also that the construction in Huejotzingo could be finished quickly and well, and that God would guide Abraham and I in how best to reach out to the community there and in our neighborhood.