Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Merry Christmas!







Hello dear friends and family!

We have been busy with Christmas dinners and alike and we are sure you have been busy too. Before Christmas comes we wanted to take a moment and share some pictures with you from our time yesterday at an orphanage that we go to every week. We held a Christmas party for the 34 children that live at the orphanage called Alfan. We took them tamales, cookies, and punch as well as Christmas gifts and a piñata. It was a delight to see their faces when they got their small Christmas gifts and candy. These children have very little and may not get any other gifts for Christmas. You may expect the children of an orphanage to no be well behaved but these children are wonderful and have very good house parents. They are grateful for what they have and are kind and loving. Would you please pray for these sweet kids? Pray that they will come to know Christ and his deep love for them.

This Christmas will be spent here in Mexico with our friends, but on the 27th we will head to Michigan and then Kentucky to spend several weeks with family and friends in the States. If you are in the Kentucky area and would like to get together with us please let us know. If you don't hear from us for a few weeks it is because we are in the States.

Remember that you can send your end of the year gift to:
GO InterNational
PO Box 123
Wilmore, KY 40390
With our names on the memo line

The orphanage is also in need of funds as it runs off of donations. If you are interested in giving a gift to help the orphanage please e-mail us at: jandjmexico@gmail.com

We hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,
Josh and Jennifer

Pictured: Christmas Party for the orphanage, Christmas church party

Monday, November 28, 2011

A Great Week!



Last week was a wonderful one as the Reynolds family spent the whole week with us. It was nice to have family in town especially for Thanksgiving because it is holiday when we miss home. We spent the week showing the Reynolds crew around our area of Mexico. We had a great time together. We concluded our activities with a big Thanksgiving meal the Friday after Thanksgiving. Though we bought a big turkey, we slightly underestimated how many people would attend. There were 50 of us! Thankfully, we did have enough food (barely). It was a joyous celebration as we thanked God for all that he has done for us this year. We were glad to be surrounded by family and friends.

This year there is so much to be thankful for and each of you are on the top of our list. Thanks for your ongoing prayers and support. We could not be in Mexico if it weren't for you. We are also thankful to be back in Mexico this year. We are thankful for our many Mexican friends who constantly show us their love and support. And we are thankful for health and wholeness.

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Preparing for Thanksgiving





The first weekend of November we traveled up North again this time for Josh to give a Bible course for WGM's theological education program. Thankfully the class went well and we had no problems on our trip.

Last Saturday we went to the orphanage to the birthday party of one of the girls. There we were greeted by the cutest group of kids you have ever seen. We wish we could adopt several of them, but that wouldn't be fair to the other kids. We have been spending time with them once a week playing and helping out with homework. They have captured our hearts and we look forward to our several hours with them every week.

Currently, we are preparing for company. Josh's family is coming for the week and will be here to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. We are going to have a huge Thanksgiving dinner the Friday after Thanksgiving for our church and our friends. It will be a time to thank God for what he has done for us this year. Please pray that we will have a good dinner and that it would be a great time of fellowship for everyone involved.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Ballet




Never before have I taught ballet to such an attentive group of girls. Hola maestra I hear as I am greeted by the sweet girls in the poor neighborhood of Cañon de la India. There lies a non-for-profit organization started by a wealthy business owner. She started several libraries with classes for children and their parents as well as a youth orchestra. They have a very nice facility complete with a little ballet studio. I have enjoyed my time there on Fridays and look forward to seeing the girls faces greet me every week. Most of the girls don't have the resources to be able to have nice ballet clothes and ballet shoes. Thankfully Bluegrass Youth Ballet in Lexington, where I used to work, donated some shoes, leotards and tights to me a while back. This week I passed them out and the girls were excited to receive some lightly used items. It is exciting to teach a group of girls who have a desire to be in class and aren't just there because their parents want them to be. These young ones ranging from ages six to ten bring me much joy each week.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Praises and Prayer Requests

Hello everyone! It is time for a prayer update.

Here are some things we are praising God for:

-We have our visas and are legal immigrants in Mexico

-Jennifer's ballet classes are going well

-Jennifer's grandma was very ill, but is doing much better

-Josh's opportunity to referee American football

-The visitors we had at our church meeting on Friday who are from a nearby city

-Grace and strength during adversity

As you pray please pray for:

-Safety for us, especially as we travel north next weekend

-Josh's theological education class next weekend in Northern Mexico

-The spiritual growth of people in our church group

-Unity in our church group

-Wisdom and discernment for us in all we do

-More ministry opportunities

Pictured: Celebrating Pedro's birthday on Friday with our guests from out of town

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Casa Hogar



This past Tuesday we had the privilege of going to visit an orphanage where we will be volunteering once a week. We walked in the door and we were immediately greeted by seventeen girls from age one to about fourteen. Everyone of them had a smile on their face and their eyes lit up when they saw the bags of candy in our hands. These children are beautiful. Why? Because while they may only have one pair of shoes, they are rich with generosity and love. As we were talking with the girls some of them were showing off their handmade bracelets. Jennifer commented that one of them was beautiful and without even thinking about it the little girl took off her bracelet and gave it to Jennifer. She didn't want to take it knowing that for that girl the bracelet was a priceless treasure, but the girl insisted and the director of the orphanage told her to take it. What a gift! And to think of all the bracelets Jennifer has and the truth is she doesn't need another one, but out of the kindness of her heart this little girl gave what little she had to someone she barely knew. We were speechless.

After spending some time upstairs with the girls, we headed downstairs to be with the boys. There are also about seventeen of them. We were hugged and kissed by a bunch of boys dressed like cowboys. They were proud of their cowboy shirts and gladly showed them off. Then we began to talk about all sorts of things and we were suddenly surrounded by a swarm of boys. They asked us all kinds of questions and were thrilled to have us share with them some short phrases in English. Later we played games and it was obvious to us that these kids, though very well behaved, were starving for attention. The two to three women that take care of them do a great job, but there just simply aren't enough adults to go around.

On the ride home we talked about our visit and our amazement of how happy those kids are with what very little they have. We on the other hand tend to take for granted the fact that we have more than one pair of shoes and two parents that cared for us. Yes, we have soooo much. Reflecting about our time there made us even more excited about being with these children once a week. The director of the orphanage spends her days running around and finding donations to pay the bills and feed the children. They live off of donations.

Overall what a humbling we had a humbling experience. Will you join us in praying for the kids of this orphanage?

Thursday, October 6, 2011



Thanks for praying! We had a wonderful trip to Northern Mexico and a safe one as well. Jennifer's theological education class went smoothly and she feels like the students were very interested in the topic. During the class we talked about culture and knowing your audience etc as it was a communications class. Thankfully, she was able to get through 12 hours of teaching in Spanish and feels like God was helping her along the way. We also had a safe trip home and pray that we have the same sort of success in a month when we travel north again for Josh's class.

During our church meetings we've been talking about the indwelling life of Christ and his presence in us at all times. An odd thing happened the other day. Jennifer was teaching ballet class when she had the urge to go and visit our friend Lety after class. Lety works near where Jennifer teaches ballet so it was the perfect opportunity to stop by and try to be an encouragement. Jennifer went to Lety's office, mainly just to say hi, but soon she knew that it was the Holy Spirit who had laid it on her heart to stop by and see Lety. For over an hour Lety poured her heart out as she shared about the difficulties of her job and an upcoming meeting that was going to be difficult. Lety said that in the morning she prayed to God to show her that he was real and answered prayer. She said Jennifer was the answer to her prayer because she needed someone to talk to. When we are open to Christ's leading in our lives it is amazing what can happen. Lety is in a process right now of coming to know Christ and his transforming life. Please join us in praying for her and her family as they discover the risen Lord.

Pictured:
Jennifer teaching
Us at a church in León where Josh preached

Friday, September 30, 2011

Prayer Requests


Hello Friends and Family!

Today we want to write you to ask you to specifically pray for several things. Especially the trip that we are taking to Saltillo in Northern Mexico tonight and our return Sunday night. We are going by bus, but things aren't very secure. So please be praying that we have a safe trip.

Also we would like to ask you to pray for:

-Jennifer to have a wonderful class this weekend as she teaches "Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally." Pray for her Spanish to flow and for the class to go smoothly.

- Josh as he prepares to teach "The Synoptic Gospels" in a month. He still has lots of preparation to do.

-Our church group. That it would continue to discover who Christ is and the power of the Holy Spirit. For transformed lives.

-Our friend Lety. She is in a very difficult job situation right now and needs a new job or her current situation to improve.

We praise God for what he is doing in the lives of those around us and in our own lives. He is moving and we are excited!!!!

Thanks for praying for us and praising God with us!

You are appreciated!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Reasons to Celebrate







This past week we had several reasons to celebrate. Thursday was Jennifer's birthday and Mexico's Independence Day, and Friday we officially started our church plant as we began talking about the indwelling life of Christ. After our meeting we celebrated Mexico's Independence with the traditional dish of "posole," a filling soup, and laughed and shared our lives with one another. In addition, we have several answers to prayer. One is that Rodrigo was able to be with us and share with the group on Friday. The other is that a couple who are neighbors of ours started attending the group and want to be a part of the church. This is a HUGE answer to prayer.

After an amazing week we went with some friends and Rodrigo to Mexico City to be a part of a house church plant there. It was a blessing to spend time with other believers who are taking the same route we are as being with them is such and encouragement. We plan to be traveling a little more this Fall and Rodrigo will be traveling a lot to be with us here in León. Please continue to pray for us as we travel and that we will have the finances available in order to do so.

Sometimes we can be rather focused on the things that aren't going smoothly in our lives and we forget to take time to celebrate what the Lord is doing in and around us. What are your reasons to celebrate?

Thursday, September 15, 2011

¡Viva México! (Long Live Mexico)





Greetings from sunny Central Mexico! Today is Jennifer's birthday and it also happens to be Mexico's Independence Day. So we are preparing to go downtown to eat some yummy Mexican food and watch fireworks with friends. We are thankful for this beautiful country even though it is struggling with its economy and organized crime. We still think it is a great country and we are grateful to call it home!

This past sunday we had a wonderful get together to celebrate Jennifer's birthday and the birthday of someone else in our group. It went well as everyone was able to attend and we spent the whole afternoon and evening together getting to know one another better. Tomorrow night we are starting our church meetings officially and are excited about what God is going to do among us. Please be in prayer for our meeting which starts at 8pm Central time followed by a dinner.

Jennifer asked you to pray for a neighbor with whom she was going to be starting a Bible study. We are thankful to report that they had their first meeting yesterday and it went very well. The neighbor responded positively to the study and then opened up to Jennifer and talked to her for hours about her life's story. Would you continue to pray for this neighbor and that the idolatry in her life would be revealed and God would reign in her heart! She knows NOTHING about the Bible and doesn't know any Bible stories even though she grew up catholic. Therefore, Jennifer is starting from scratch and doing a panoramic study of the Bible with her.


Thanks for your prayers and support as always! We could not minister without you.

Pictured: Birthday party
Iván and Pedro playing music during one of our home group meetings

Friday, September 9, 2011


The most interesting thing happened yesterday...I went to visit one of my neighbors, which I do fairly often, when my neighbor took me by surprise completely. She asked me when we could study the Bible together. I was a little shocked because if you knew my neighbor you wouldn't think that she would want anything to do with protestantism, but she knows us very well and stated that she realized we had studied the Bible a lot. My neighbor said that she has been around a lot of people lately who know something about the Bible and she doesn't know anything about it. Most catholics here, not all, don't know anything about the Bible except for what they might hear at mass, and many don't even go to mass. I am praising God for this hunger that he has put deep down in her heart to know more. I've been praying for my neighbors ever since I met them several years ago. Since then one has accepted Christ. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this other friend of mine would want to study the Bible with me and ask "when can we start?" Josh and I decided that our church plant would not be the best place for her, at least not yet, but I am going to meet with her once a week to study the Bible. Who knows what God will do during our times together. Please pray for our neighbor and that the Holy Spirit would work in her life use this Bible study to open her eyes to know Christ. I've spent so much time with my neighbors and sometimes I think they will never want to follow the Lord, but little by little we have seen open doors and things changing. Praise the Lord!

Thanks,
Jennifer Rebecca

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Cultural Experiences and Expanding Our Ministry






This past weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to go to one of our friend from our group's house and ranch (or town) about an hour and a half away. Our time with her family and seeing the local festival was truly remarkable as we had the chance to talk with our friend's grandmother who is eighty-eight years old and had all kinds of stories to tell. We learned more about small town Mexican culture and had the pleasure of getting to know our friend's family. This is the friend who stayed in our apartment while we were in the States. So she is a pretty close friend and has wanted us to meet her family for a long time. Our friend tells us that her grandmother doesn't like to talk with everyone, but we were fortunate enough to win her approval and she talked our ears off. =)

In the meantime we are working on getting our church-plant off the ground. In our next newsletter you will hear about this, but the missionary couple with whom were going to work with is not able to work with us and therefore we were left feeling rather alone this summer. Instead, we are going to partner with a Mexican national who shares our calling to plant home churches that reflect the indwelling life of Christ. We've mentioned our friend Rodrigo before and you will hear is name again in the future. We're thankful for this partnership as it came just at the right time for us. We will even be expanding our ministry by helping Rodrigo plant churches in Mexico City and in the nearby city of Querétaro. These are not big huge churches, at least not yet, but rather they are intimate groups of people seeking Christ together on a weekly basis and living life together throughout the week. Next week we will be starting to talk about Christ's life in us with our church here in León and we are praying that the right people will participate as we begin this journey. Please join us in praying for this group of people and for our new partner Rodrigo.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Answered Prayer



God answers prayer and we all know that but sometimes we neglect to give him thanks where thanks is due. We want to take a few moments and praise him for several things in our life.

First off we asked you to pray for our support and thanks to many generous people like yourselves we had a strong month of support in August. We give thanks for this wonderful gift and ask that you continue to pray for strong financial and prayer support!

Second, we had the privilege of having Bert Jones, the president of GO InterNational here with us for a few days. It was great to be able to show him León and a nearby city where we are thinking about expanding our ministry. Plus, it was encouraging to have someone from back home with us here and to be able to share life together for a brief amount of time. We are always blessed by visitors in our house. We were in need of some encouragement and God sent us just what we needed.

Third of all we are thankful for a breakfast we just had with a local pastor and his family. They too have felt lonely and would like some moral support as they church-plant. We are thankful for this family's sweet spirit and willingness to reach out to us and pray for us. We hope to support them in their ministry. We give thanks for this Mexican family!

Also, Jennifer will be starting to teach English and ballet next week to underprivileged children and adults. We are thankful for this opportunity and ask that you would be in prayer for her as she makes contacts and loves these people through teaching.

And thank you for praying!!!! God is good!!!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011


Sometimes God brings things into our lives that we would never expect. Josh has recently had the opportunity to referee football, something he loves and did for many years in the States. This has given him the chance to get to know other men his age and be a positive influence on them. God brought one of Josh's passions into his life so that he could use it for God's glory. Jennifer will soon be starting to teach classes for a non-profit organization that helps children in need. She will be teaching under privileged children ballet and she is very excited about the start of these classes because it is something she has wanted to do for a long time now. Would you pray that God sends the right children to her class room so that she can share his love with them? We never know what God will use to reach others whether it be football, ballet, or something else. We can use any skill or passion in order to bring praise to God, and we see this time and time again on the mission field. Pray that Christ's life would be evident in us as we spend time with neighbors, teach, and love those who are hurting around us. We know God is using you too in whatever you do! He uses all of us and we don't have to serve in another country in order for him to be seen in and through what we do from the most seemingly meaningless task to the greatest one.

This past weekend we had the honor of having our friend Rodrigo with us once again. He was a huge encouragement to us and he even had the chance to share with our small group. We praise God that he has provided us with a friend with whom we can share life and ministry with even if we don't live in the same city. We move forward trusting that God will provide more people like Rodrigo in our lives.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011






This week was an especially hard week ministry wise. We had some very difficult moments and have felt discouraged. As we've been told this is normal for people who are in full-time ministry, but that doesn't make it any easier. We are praying that God would guide us as we seek to be one with him and out of our relationship with him serve others. When we serve, give, and love the hurting world around us sometimes we get hurt in return. Sometimes, things don't go smoothly for us, and sometimes we feel lonely and wonder if what we are doing is making a difference. Then we remember that Jesus too was rejected and felt alone. When he was going to be crucified his disciples left him and betrayed him. Our Saviour has gone through every trial that we have gone through, and is aware of our pain and frustration.

We are so glad that many of you are praying for us, and some of you are even praying for us daily. We are humbled and know that your prayers, by God's grace, have been sustaining us. Would you continue to lift us up in prayer?

Here are some things you can pray for:

Encouragement

Constant surrender to Jesus

Guidance and Discernment

Our friends who do not know Jesus deeply

Mature Christians to join us in ministry

Thanks for your continued prayers and support and for ministering with us here in Central Mexico. We will continue to give God the glory and praise!


PICTURED: Ricky playing the violin during one of our meetings
Celebrating Blanca's birthday
The dedication of Emmanuel y Galilea (twins)

Monday, July 25, 2011

The Virgin of Guadalupe



Well today we are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary and we couldn't be more thrilled to do so. =) We thank God for our time together and that we have stayed united during the good times and rough times. We give him all the glory. Thanks for standing behind us!

Today I had coffee with some friends and my heart was saddened by what I heard. Not only did I hear my one of my dear friends tell me the story of her broken family and the heartbreak she was going through, but also the lies of idolatry that are so much part of the Mexican culture. You see here the Virgin of Guadalupe, a representative of the virgin of Mary, is seen as a God. She is prayed to, worshipped, and images of her are everywhere. Where we live, to be Mexican is to be Catholic, and not just any kind of Catholic, but one who also worships the Virgin of Guadalupe among other virgins and images. We have to be very careful in how we approach our friends or talk to them about the subject. Really we have to let the Holy Spirit do his work because it is a VERY touchy topic. Would you join us in praying for our friends who struggle to make a connection between their faith and their everyday life and who are faced with idolatry on a daily basis? Pray that the Holy Spirit would give us wisdom when to speak up and when to be quite. Pray against idolatry and that Jesus Christ will be revealed in Central Mexico and break through the darkness of lies that have a grasp on this area. -Jennifer

Please don't forget to pray for our financial support. We are in much need of our budget being met every month. THANKS for all you do to keep us here on the field!!!!!!!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Trip to Mexico City



This past weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to go to Mexico City with a friend from our group and to spend time with Rodrigo and the organic church that is just starting in the capital city. The weekend was an amazing experience because not only did we get to see for the first time a little bit of the biggest city in the world, but we were able to spend quality time with our friend and her family as well as attend the second meeting of the group in Mexico City that is also working with our friend Rodrigo. Saturday morning we gathered to learn more about what church consists of and doesn't consist of and the Holy Spirit was at work among us as we prayed for one another and shared each other's burdens. It brought tears to our eyes to be able to meet with another group of believers in Mexico City that we did not know previously, but who quickly became dear friends. When you share the same calling, the same vision, nothing can compare to sharing Christ with one another. We spent many hours together that day and then were able to spend some time with Rodrigo on Sunday as well.

We praise God that he is moving here in Mexico in sometimes small ways, but he is moving. It is nice to know we are not alone and that others are walking the same path with us though they may be a few hours away.

Would you join us in prayer for several things? One is for our finances. Please pray that our support would be strong even during this difficult economic time and that people would remember to send in their monthly support. We cannot stay here without the generous support of our friends and several churches. Also, please pray for more mature Christians to join us in ministry in León so that it will be easier for those who don't know Christ to see the love of Christ among us. Please pray for wisdom and patience on our part as we deal with hurting people. God is good and has supplied all of our needs! We would be honored if you would join us in praying that our needs would continue to be met both financially and spiritually.

Love to you all!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Refreshment


Boy does time fly. We apologize for letting so much time go by without posting something. By now most of you should have received our latest newsletter and if you haven't you will be getting it in the mail shortly.

Well the weather has cooled down some and the rainy season seems to have actually started. So León is getting its much needed rain, and with the rain comes refreshment.

This past weekend we experienced refreshment as we hosted a new friend in our house. He is from another part of Mexico, but we have become good friends through mutual friends and were excited to finally meet Rodrigo in person. You see Rodrigo has been working on starting organic expressions of church for many years and has lots of experience in just the type of ministry God has called us to here in Mexico. It was an encouragement to be able to spend time talking about Christ being the head of his church, instead of the normal reaction of us wanting to take control and lead it. We discussed how slow ministry is here and that things do not grow fast, but little by little and as people see Christ's body at work and loving others, the church will grow. Right now Rodrigo is working in several cities to help support groups that are seeking Christ in their homes. Soon Rodrigo will be living in a city close to León, and we are looking forward to working with him in this endeavor to start a church where all the members are functioning and Christ is the head.

We've had some discouraging moments in ministry, but God used Rodrigo to encourage us and affirm our call along the way. Only God could have made this connection as we've both been praying for ministry partners. Would you join us in praying for more partners? More people that catch the vision of Christ being the head of his church and more believers to help us start what God called us to because the workers are few.

Pictured: Us with Rodrigo and another friend

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Ups and Downs of Ministry





Yesterday was a tearful day as we said good-bye to Jennifer's close friend who had been with us since the time we arrived here in Mexico on June 1st. It was not an easy good-bye as bidding farewell to one of your closest friends ever is. But alas, we are here in León on our own once again. Not to mention yesterday was Josh's 29th birthday.

Many people often ask us "What is ministry like for you?" "Or what does a normal day look like for you?" We think our friend got a taste of real missionary life as we eased back into it here. You NEVER know what a day will hold. Someone might come by at 10:30pm unexpectedly or maybe a day will be full of visits, dinners, breakfasts and alike. Mostly we live life alongside others. We try to show them the love of Christ through our daily actions as well as through our group time and Bible studies.

Ministry sure does have its ups. One of our close friends and neighbor suffered a severe problem in her marriage just over a year ago. Yesterday, while Jennifer was at breakfast with her and some other neighbors, this neighbor whom we will call Rosa, decided to confront one of the other neighbors about her marriage, testifying that God was the only one who helped save her own marriage. She also said that we are responsable for our own actions and we cannot control our spouses. Jennifer was amazed as she sat there and listened to a very deep conversation that she thought would never take place. God is working through Rosa and her family and we believe he will use them to eventually reach the rest of our neighbors. God is amazingly good and is answering years of prayers for Rosa and for our neighbors. Yesterday the women at breakfast had never opened up as much as they did with one another and Jennifer knew that her many hours spent with them were not in vain. Praise God for what he is doing!

Ministry can also be discouraging. One day an old friend whom we tried to help years ago suddenly showed up at our door. We will call him José, though many of you have heard his name already and know who we are talking about. It was amazing to see God bring this young man back into our lives. You see José is an alcoholic and he is now expecting a baby out of wedlock. He has always had a sensitivity towards God and a desire to follow him, but the temptations of alcohol and his friends have always been stronger than his desire to change. We were shocked to see his face and have him back in our lives. We've spent quite a bit of time with him and tried to help in every way we can, but of course we cannot baby-sit him. And when or if he fails it can and will be discouraging and disheartening. We love José and to see him fall breaks our heart. Let's pray that God will sustain him and that the Holy Spirit will change him!

Would you join us in praying for all our neighbors and for praying for José. It doesn't matter if you know their real names or not. God knows. And pray for us as we minister out of the fullness that Christ has given to us so that we can persevere in the encouraging moments and in the discouraging ones.

Pictures: Jennifer with our friend Jennifer in León, group time, us in the capital of our State.