Reflecting on our visit...and looking ahead

We are so thankful we were able to connect with so many people while we were in the States.  God blessed us in so many ways, filling us up through conversations, laughter, tears, and worship. It was an incredible blessing to go to Flint First Wesleyan Church, Journey Church, Kentwood Community Church, and Stoney Creek Community Church.....to worship with our whole heart & mind!

Finding a church home is one of the things we've struggled with since moving down here. For me (Julie), my appreciation of worship/church has increased over the past year, mainly because we've struggled to find an English speaking church where we can be fed and call our church home. Most of our teaching has come from podcasts or online streaming. Visiting these churches in the States, I realized how much I took going to church for granted. So we were so excited to go and worship and learn. It didn't matter where we went....big sanctuary...small sanctuary...school auditorium....what mattered the most was that we could engage in worship and understand the truth of God's Word being spoken in our own language!  It filled us up! We didn't realize how empty we were until we were full again. But then, that is what we're called to do, empty ourselves in service to God and then allow Him to refill us.

Becoming fully fluent in Spanish continues to be one of our greatest desires. We long for the day when we can communicate in depth and have meaningful conversations with those we serve.  So to help us in that process we are going to an intense language school for 2 weeks in Merida (due west of Cancun). We will have classroom learning for 4 hours each day and then 2 more hours a day with a conversation guide, visiting Merida. We are praying that this training will boost us to the next level in learning Spanish. And we would ask you to partner with us in this prayer. We'll be in language school from Sept 3-14. Thanks in advance!

Two Worlds Collide

Earlier this month, we had another first. Another experience that we have never had; like so many others over the last 12-15 months. We had two of our worlds collide....in a really good way.

On January 3, a team of 14 people from Kentwood Community Church (KCC)** came down to serve with us. KCC is the church that we attended in Michigan for over 15 years. It was (is) a great church/community that helped us grow in many ways, and many of our friends still attend there. (The reason we left was because we were asked by KCC to help launch a new church - Journey.) 

 

So our new life...our new friends here in Mexico....the new "normal" - collided with some friends and memories and emotions from our "old world" in West Michigan. 

Have you ever moved from one state to another, or one country to another? And after several months in the new place, friends from your previous life come to spend a week with you, to meet your new friends and fully involve themselves in your new world? Okay, so maybe you haven't, but in our case it was a HUGE BLESSING. Partly because we love these people so much -- partly because we love sharing our new life with anyone who wants to serve with us --partly because this team served so well -- and partly because we loved hearing and watching as they transparently wrestled with how God was speaking deeply to them and what He wanted their "next steps" to be. Each person on this team was here for a reason. And now, a couple weeks after they've all gone back to their worlds, we're still hearing about what God is doing in them and to them. Praise God that He loves us too much to leave us how we are. He's always stretching, growing, challenging, and encouraging us, and all for HIS glory!

 

We loved serving with you all, KCC! Thanks for giving us a week of your lives. More importantly, thanks for going after God, maybe in a new way, and allowing Him to "mess" with you. 

(Loran, we missed you!)

**KCC supports our work down here, and this was the first of two teams that are scheduled to serve alongside us. The next one is coming down in April.

12 days in.......

So we arrived in MX on Sept 8 after a week of travelling. Julie said it felt a little strange having one-way tickets to MX. But this is our new home. And it's great to be here. We have our apt and have bought most of our appliances, but since the container with all of our "stuff" in it has not arrived, we're still living with our generous friends and co-laborers, the Matt and Julie Cooper. We've already had a full 12 days. Much of our time has been spent either taking care of visa/residency stuff, getting our apt, and most importantly, serving with two teams, at Casa Hogar San Jose, Cass Hogar Esperanza, the DIF (an emergency shelter for kids) and a small rural community called Tres Reyes.

When we talked about a story for this blog post, we struggled to keep it to just one. We have been so blessed, but also so challenged by the work to be done, as our hearts break for these kids and families. But we landed on one story told by the picture below of Edgar.

Edgar is 20 years old. He is one of seven teens plus five others who are visiting us from our Monterrey campus. Edgar came to Cancun on his first mission trip to serve the orphans at San Jose and Esperanza. But the BEAUTY here is that he himself is an orphan. He lived in Casa Hogar Galena, outside Monterrey and then moved onto the Back2Back campus in Monterrey so he could finish high school and then go on to college where he's now studying sports science. He is here this week serving the orphans and impoverished because he too has a heart for and clearly understands what these kids are up against. So with Mari (5 yrs old) on his back he is giving back by loving and serving those in need, in much the same way that he was and is being loved so well by the Back2Back staff in Monterrey. Edgar's redemption story is the fruit of many investments made by so many others before us. That's what we're about! And I believe this is exactly what God has called our family to here in Cancun, Quintana Roo, MX. We're feel so privileged to be serving with Back2Back. Thanks to all who are helping make this possible, by partnering with us and supporting us.



These are three of the kids who live in the rural community called Tres Reyes. Back2Back has been able help a couple families in Tres Reyes; working on one home and building another. Gloria has six kids. Lucy, her oldest, is 16 and has a 11 month old baby named Ruth.

 
This is Gloria in her home. We delivered food, diapers, and other supplies that she desparately needed. And then we prayed over her and her family.





Nick was the life of the party as the kids at San Jose got horseback rides from him. It's sooo cool to see him laughing and playing with them and the joy on their faces as this big Americano gets down on the ground to give them a ride. Nick is doing awesome and has had a lot of fun both working and playing with the kids we serve. I'm so glad God is using him. The nuns at San Jose wanted to thank us so they served us an amazing meal of empanadas and tostadas.

Pastor Victor (the one in the white shirt) allowed us to serve him and his family and friends a meal. And then he told us his story of how God miraculously rescued him from a life of crime. After spending several years in prison for drugs and stealing, God invaded his life and made it clear that He had another plan for Victor. We are in awe of where he came from and how God is now using him. Victor has planted four other churches, and now pastors this church in Tres Reyes. B2B partnered with him to complete the roof on his church and provide a feeding program for the people in this community once per week this summer.