6 Weeks and Counting...

...till we hit the dusty trail to Mexico. We've spoken with Bill and Lydia Allshouse about when the best time for us to make our move to Mexico would be and we all agreed that we should arrive at the border August 8th. So, the date is set and we are now busily discarding our unwanted possessions and packing the necessities while we make arrangements for visas and truck rentals and all the other million things you thought you'd never cram into 6 weeks. However, we will not complain about our current predicament because it is a blessing to be where we are right now: to say good good-byes, to remember the people and places that have formed our lives and to look forward to new hellos and new memories.

Sweet Release!!!

We know it's been a while since our last post, but we've been hard at work. Today we received the news from headquarters that we are released! Although we still need several more people to partner with us financially, we can now make plans for moving to Mexico. After years of preparing our minds and bodies for ministry in Mexico and a year of sharing our calling, passion, and vision for the Mexican church with others, we have finally reached the point at which the dream becomes reality and we are only here because of people like you. You want to take part in what God is doing to redeem a lost world, you are not content to sit and watch, you want to make a difference. Thank you! We rejoice together today because of what God has done in our lives and communities and now we eagerly anticipate what he will do in the lives and communities in Mexico.

We hope to talk with our field directors tonight or tomorrow and establish a departure date for our move to Leon. Stay tuned for more exciting news as we transition to a new phase of ministry.

We're packing up, but...

...we can't leave yet! We are very excited to tell you that we are now very close to being able to leave for Mexico. So close, in fact, that we are beginning the packing up phase of our journey in faith believing that we will soon have the funds needed to set a departure date and get on the road to Mexico. "How close are you," you might ask. As far as we can tell, we may need only 3 people to partner with us at $50 a month in order to leave or 6 people at $25 a month. Please pray with us as our hearts are ready to be ministering in Mexico and the church is ready to have us. Our mentor, Pastor Carlos, and our field director, Bill Allshouse are making preparations for us to arrive as well. Pray that God would move people to partner with us in ministry and that we would be able to leave soon. We can't wait to be able to share a departure date with you!

Thanks Bryantsville UMC for allowing us to share with you today and for those of you who eagerly joined us in ministry! We had a wonderful time with you all.

News Update

Jennifer went in for her colonoscopy/endoscopy at 11am on Friday. Thankfully, the sedation was sufficient and it was as pleasant a procedure as one could expect. The good news is that the doctor did not find any Crohn's disease or anything visibly wrong with Jennifer's stomach or intestines. The bad news is that she is still experiencing constant pain, and we don't know what is causing it. We are waiting for the lab results of biopsies taken to see if she could be suffering from celiac disease or possibly an h. pylori infection. If these two things are not present, then we may need to examine the possibility of another cause. Please continue to pray for us as we seek healing.

Saturday's gathering in Marietta, GA also went really well. The Barbers hosted an amazing cookout with delicious food, and the fellowship was warm and enjoyable. We had the privilege of sharing about our calling to Mexico and the great challenges and opportunities there. You could continue to pray for us and those with whom we shared. We not only would love to have more people partner with us in ministry, but we must have more people partnering with us in order to reach Mexico with the transforming love of Christ.

Thank you all for your prayers and your involvement in taking the gospel to a dry and weary land. You are not only ministers to us but also to the people of Mexico.