A Scary Day but We Arrived Safely

Greetings Family, Friends, and All Ya´ll who read this blog,

On Wednesday June 1st we had a very scary drive down from Texas to León. Stay tuned for more details in our next newsletter at the end of the month.

The good news is we arrived safely to León, and we know that God was the only one that helped us get here in one piece. Thanks to all of you who have prayed and who prayed specifically that day. God used your prayers in a mighty way!

Currently, we are easing back into life here in México. We are getting used to the pace, the different rhythms, and brushing up on our Spanish of course. Last night we had our small group time, (which is getting to be a larger group), and we were blessed by everyone there. A joy for us has been to see many of our friends and hear positive things that have happened in their lives while we were in the States. Once again, stay tuned for more...

It is hot here and we do not have air conditioning. We are tired from our 32 hour trip to Mexico and a little exhausted fitting back into a culture that we love, but is not ours. Somehow, God sustains us and is giving us much peace in the midst of the daily hassles that we had forgotten about. Things like the high price of cell phone service, or getting water and groceries are so different here. Everything takes longer, but we are getting used to it and soon it will feel just like home again.

In this post mainly we wanted to let everyone know we were safe and sound in León. Keep praying! We love and appreciate you all!


Our friend Jennifer is visiting us for two weeks and helping us transition back to life here. She has been a blessing.

Quick Update

Thankfully we figured out that the check-engine light wasn't a big deal on our vehicle. It was merely reminding us to change the oil which we had already done and the light is now off. So no car problems up to this point. Praise God! We made it to McAllen, TX safely and are doing our paperwork today and running errands before heading into Mexico tomorrow. Our trip hasn't been comfortable as we are packed in like sardines. One of our close friends, plus our little cat, plust lots of things we are taking back for people, equals one tight ride, but it is all worth the hassle. We are excited to have a friend with us for two weeks and how were we going to leave our Mexican cat back in the States? In addition taking things back that people can't get in Mexico or are just too expensive is a pleasure. We are taking some things for an orphanage and for several other people including our Spanish tutor friend who is going to have twins within the month.

Thanks for praying that our paperwork (visas and insurance) goes smoothly today and that we have a safe trip tomorrow!

Love to you all!

We Are on the Road!

Greetings from Texarkana, on the border of Arkansas and Texas of course. We left this morning from Wilmore, KY at about 10:30am. Thankfully we arrived here safely after having some trouble keeping our car top carrier closed and then having our check-engine light come on. Please pray that nothings serious is wrong with our vehicle and that we can get it checked out and taken care of quickly tomorrow so we can get back on the road. In addition, we would love your prayers for a safe trip all the way and especially on Wednesday as that is the day we will be traveling in Mexico. If our plans change we will let you know.

Thanks for your encouragement, prayers, and support!

Packing and Getting Ready for Our Trip Back to Mexico

We had a wonderful weekend this weekend sharing with the Young Adult Sunday school classes at Nicholasville UMC and spending time with some of our supporters there. Our weekend was a long one, but God used it to bless us very much by the prayers of those at Nicholasville UMC and by the prayers and sending off of the community we've been a part of in Lexington, Communality.

God has been very good to us as he has answered prayers about our stress levels, and given us wonderful churches and supporters to encourage us and to be a part of our team. He continues to surprise us with his goodness as we prepare to leave for Mexico.

Currently, we are packing bags and trying to make everything fit into our vehicle, which is no small task since we are taking things for an orphanage, friends, and one of Jennifer's closest friends is going to be traveling with us. She will be staying with us in Mexico for two weeks which will be a treat as she is our first friend to visit us there. In addition, we have to fit our little Mexican cat. Needless to say we need our vehicle to turn into Mary Poppins bag. Ha, ha, ha.

As we sit here and ponder what we've learned, where we've been, and who we've met over the course of this year we are amazed at what God has done, how far he has brought us, and we are excited about going back to do what he has called us to do. Planting a church is no small task, but we know that it, among other things, are what God has for us in Mexico. Please pray for us and that we would have discernment and wisdom in everything.

Pictured: Us with some dear supporters at Nicholasville UMC

Southern Living

After some much needed R&R we headed to Fort Valley, Georgia to visit one of our supporting churches, Fort Valley UMC. We spent several great days with the heads of the committee and were thankful for the warm welcome at the church. The title of our message when we shared on Sunday morning was “Ministry in the Spirit.” In addition to giving an update about our ministry Josh shared about the fact that we can do nothing without the Spirit working and living through us. We cannot take sips of the Spirit when we want to and get re-charged to go out and minister, but rather we must live in the life of the Spirit all of the time, letting his life flow through us. The truth is we have no ministry apart from God’s ministry and we can do nothing without a deep connection to God through the Spirit. Are we connected to the Father all the time? Or are we like the energizer bunny that keeps going until we need a new battery? Those bunnies do run out of juice at one time or another.

Currently, we are in Sylvan Springs, Alabama visiting some supporters. Yesterday, they took us around their area to see some of the tornado damage. As we road around with the windows down we got cold chills seeing the houses off of their foundations, destruction as far as the eye could see, and complete subdivisions wiped out. In our entire lives we’ve never seen anything like what we saw yesterday. We felt like we just caught a glimpse of what it means to live through a natural disaster and there have been so many in our world as of late. Would you join us in praying for those affected by natural disasters in our own country and abroad and for people who live in conditions much like those after a natural disaster everyday, ones who are living in abject poverty. Our world has so many needs! Let’s do our part.

Several of you have mentioned that our blog aids you in helping to know how to pray for us. We will keep you informed in the coming days, but here is a short list of current prayer requests:

-Safe travels back to Kentucky on Wednesday

-More ongoing financial and prayer support to come in before we leave for Mexico

-Guidance as we pack and prepare to say good good-byes

-Our time at Nicholasville UMC this coming Sunday

-Our stress level as we are getting ready to make a big change and return to Mexico and we still have a lot to do before we leave

PICTURED:

Damage of an EF5 tornado in Concord, Alabama

Fort Valley UMC

Josh with some longtime friends at Fort Valley

Going Forth Fair and An Answer to Prayer

Sunday we spent the main part of the day at St. Luke United Methodist in Lexington, KY. Jennifer attended St. Luke in middle school and her parents are very active members of the church. We had the honor of participating in many ways Sunday at their annual "Going Forth Fair." The congregation was challenged to go forth into the world, their communities and abroad to serve as Christ served. We felt extremely welcomed by everyone and were blessed to be a part of such a wonderful celebration of what God is doing in the world and hear how we can contribute to his work.

After participating in the early service and sharing with several Sunday school classes, José from Wilmore's Casa de José, hosted and donated along with others a HUGE Mexican meal to raise money for our trip back to Mexico. We were amazed at the turn out. Lots of people showed up to eat some pretty amazing, not to mention authentic Mexican food, and to bless us through their donations. We are in awe of what God has done and humbled by the many people who have and do contribute to our ministry so that we can be missionaries and follow God's call on our lives. And when we say "our ministry" we don't really mean our ministry, but rather God's ministry your ministry because you partner with us. We are praising God and happy to announce that yesterday God raised the funds to cover our travel costs back to Mexico! Pray that we will continue to see God's provision in more ongoing monthly support.

Here and There and Everywhere

This past weekend we traveled to St. Louis, MO to spend some time with the Reynolds side of the family, visit friends, and share with a small group. As we get ready to go back to Mexico we are faced with the reality that we have very little time left with our family. Therefore, we headed West to see Josh's sister and spend some time with her small group. We had the chance to share a meal with two of the leaders of her group, and we were pleased to find out we have much in common. They are starting a group within a Lutheran church that is missional in it's focus and open to various Christian traditions. We were encouraged because it was refreshing to meet others who are doing similar things that we are doing only in a different part of the world.

Tomorrow we will be a part of St. Luke UMC's Going Forth Fair in Lexington, KY. It is going to be a long but exciting day for us as we will be participating in the early service, sharing in several Sunday school classes, and participating in a luncheon to raise support for our trip back to Mexico. We are extremely thankful for our St. Luke family and the way they have so faithfully supported us over the past three years. We look forward to a full Sunday tomorrow as we challenge people to go forth into their communities and around the world to share the love of Christ.

Perfect Timing

In December we visited an Organic Church in Gainesville, FL where we were told about a Mexican whom also visited the church and who had a passion for planting organic house churches in Mexico. We became friends with Rodrigo on facebook and have been only in slight contact with him until the other day. We finally had the chance to skype with him and he gave us the incredible news that he is moving to a city only about two and a half hours away from León. We decided that we could work together and join efforts in working with a church-plant in this nearby city and with ours in León. As a group we have been in desperate need of more Mexican leadership and are thankful for this divine appointment with Rodrigo and that his new job led him to live near us. Please pray for us as we continue to pursue this possibility of working together. We were extremely excited this day, but the excitement didn't end there.

Later in the afternoon we met with a Mexican pastor who lives and ministers in Lexington, KY. His passion is to work with those who have been hurt or broken, especially by the Church. He is a very generous man and wants to help our ministry in any way he can. His small congregation is involved in many ministries in Latin America including an orphanage in León. In León of all places. We will make room to pack up some things and take them down to the orphanage from this small Lexington congregation with a big heart. We were moved by this pastor's sincerity, love, and concern for others. He wants to be a part of what we are doing in Mexico? That is amazing and encouraged us immensely. We are thrilled to get to participate in their ministry as well and get to know the family that runs the orphanage and the children that live there.

God has arranged several specific connections for us, he has provided for us, and he has a plan for our ministry. We are only starting to see the beginning of it all!

Pictured: Travels and time with college friends and prayer supporters!

Ready Set...Almost Go!

Time is flying by more quickly than the windy weather we've been experiencing in Kentucky, and we are happy to announce that we now have a return date for our journey back to Mexico. We will be leaving Sunday May 29th after the Wilmore FMC's early service where they will have a commissioning prayer for us.

Though we have a date we still need your help to get us back to Mexico. Would you consider making a one-time donation to help with travel expenses for our road trip down to Mexico? Would you consider supporting us monthly? Ten dollars a month can make a huge difference! Thank you for your continued support and prayers. God had worked in wonderful ways lately and we are overwhelmed by his goodness.

Together we can make a difference in Central Mexico!

God is Bigger

Do you ever have so many needs that you wonder how in the world they are going to be fulfilled? Or then you think that maybe they don't matter and are not as important as the needs of the starving around the world. And maybe they aren't. And do you wonder "what is a need and what is a want anyway?"

There is a lot of gray in our lives and we often live in that gray space. However, this weekend God showed up in a BIG way and made it clear that he wants us back in Mexico as soon as possible!

Friday morning we left for Ohio to visit some supporters and speak at a church. We spent the afternoon with some close missionary friends and laughed and encouraged one another. To be quite honest as missionaries we need a lot of encouragement and the joy of being with other missionaries is priceless.

We then headed to spend the rest of the weekend with some other supporters who have become like family to us. We enjoyed every moment with them as we laughed, cried, and shared with them. God continued to provide...

One of those silly things that we don't know if we "needed" or "wanted" was a car top carrier to use to take things to Mexico. We've been asked to take things to an orphanage and many other articles and our vehicle is not expandable. So we felt like the car top carrier was necessary, but we didn't have the money to buy one. God did though and Saturday he gave us a practically new one through a wonderful older couple that felt they should give it to us.

On Sunday we shared at Cornerstone Community church and had the opportunity not only to see one of our missionary friends from Mexico there, but also one of our supporters. In addition, we made new friends and felt the Holy Spirit's presence in the service.

But God didn't stop there. He continued to provide and through a meeting later that afternoon God provided a huge amount of support for us through the generosity of a man who has a passion to support young missionaries. As I, Jennifer, write this post tears fill my eyes as I think about how much God has done in such a short amount of time, how much bigger God is than our fears, doubts, and worries, and how he accomplishes his will through the generosity and love of others.

PICTURES: From our travels to Ohio!

Sights from Nicaragua

Nicaragua

We'd love for you to view the video below (see the link) in order to get a better idea of our 11 day trip to Nicaragua. Our time was profitable not only because we helped others, but because those we met made an impression on our hearts. They changed us. In addition, we learned about how short-term mission trips are run and all of the work that goes into them. This trip was helpful to us as we might host a few short-term teams in Mexico.

http://animoto.com/play/dT48bVc9H0BeJwCQmouYJg?utm_content=main_link

Pray for Nicaragua. It is a needy country, but one filled with lots of love and beautiful people!

Esperanza (Hope)

We want to tell you the story of a beautiful woman. Her name is Esperanza which means "hope." And Esperanza is a picture of hope. She is married to a man who lost a few of his children and his first wife in a mudslide that resulted from Hurricane Mitch in 1998. She and her husband live in what amounts to a refugee town that was built after the mudslide that forced people to relocate and leave their land. Though Esperanza and her husband Tomás have been married for eleven years, like us they have not been able to have any children of their own. And while the house Esperanza lives in has only two small rooms and is made of cinder blocks, and her life is much different from ours, she is a person who transmited much love to us during our time in Nicaragua. She helped out with VBS and was thrilled to be the star of several skits we did for children. Esperanza and Jennifer led games outside in the street one night for the little kids in her town and Esperanza was full of joy.

Esperanza's story doesn't end there...At age thirty-one she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and doesn't know if she will be able to afford the price of the opperation she needs. (GO InterNational is currently trying to aid in this effort.) While we never saw her complain about her situation, we did see her shed a few tears as she shared about her health.

Esperanza's story spoke to us deeply as we realized how much we take for granted; our health, our resources, our access to medical attention. Her story inspires us not to complain when trials come but to rejoice in the hope we have in God. For he is our only esperanza!

Off to Nicaragua

Hello Friends!

Sunday morning we joined the wonderful people at High Bridge Union Church for their Sunday morning service. We gave a mission's update on our work in Mexico and enjoyed our time fellowshipping with the poeple of the church. Without support from churches like High Bridge Union we would not be able to minister in Mexico.

We are currently preparing to go to Nicaragua early Wednesday morning. If you've read our newsletter then you know that we are going to help lead a team with GO. We will be involved in VBS, construction, and a pastors' conference. Josh is finishing up several sermons and a seminar that he will be giving on church planting. As we wait for Wednesday to come around we are getting excited about using our Spanish and serving in a new part of the world. Would you please join us in prayer for our trip? The dates are March 16-27.

Pray for:

-A safe and healthy trip

-Effective communication

-Patience and kindness

-Receptiveness

-A smooth and productive time

THANKS!

Sharing, Sharing, Sharing

In these days we have had the privelege of sharing our story with various groups of people. We've made it to Berea a few times and Sunday we shared at our home church which was a gift in itself. For us it is important to be able to share with those who pray for us and give to our ministry because we desire for our support team to be informed. Many people from the Wilmore Free Methodist church support us and therefore having the opportunity to tell them about our first two years on the field and our future ministry was very special. After the service we had a cookie reception with homeade cookies by Josh's mom and by Jennifer. It was a wonderful time of sharing and catching up with our church family.

Last night we went back to Berea and shared with a Bible study from Berea United Methodist. We appreciate the Ramsay's dearly. They are the kind couple who have invited us to their house several times and invited us to share with their Bible study last night. We talked about missions, what we did on the field, and church planting. They had been studying the churches of Revelation so our talk on church planting tied into their study.

Sadly we don't have any pictures from our recent adventures because either our battery has been dead or we have been so busy that we have forgotten to take them. We apologize and will try to do better next time.

Ways you can pray:

-For our speaking engagement this Sunday at High Bridge Union Church

-Our trip to Nicaragua March 16-27th

-Our preparations for the trip to Nicaragua, Josh is preaching several times and teaching a seminar on church planting

-That we would get the monthly financial support we need before May 25th

-That we can see as many of our supporters as possible in these weeks.

This Sunday!

If you live in the Wilmore or Lexington area please come see us this Sunday at 6pm at the Wilmore Free Methodist Church. We will be speaking in the evening service and there will be a homeade cookie and coffee reception following the service so that we can chat a little more with those who attend. Also we will have a sign-up sheet if you would like to make a one-on-one appointment with us to hear more about our past two years and what our plans are for the future. Please join us!

Humbled

Well it was a few days before we were going to head back to Kentucky and one of our close Mexican friends who is part of our group approached us and took us by surprise. She said God had placed it on her heart to wash our feet. Tears came to our eyes as we thought of her kindness and the act of someone doing such a thing. Sure enough, the day before we left she came over to our apartment to pray for us and wash our feet. What a humbling experience! After serving this person for over two years she served us in a way that no one has ever done before.

Later that evening we had our group time and at the end everyone placed their hands on us to pray for us. We were overwhelmed by our friends, the ones we've taught, praying for us. God is using our friends to bless others and Monday we were receipients of those blessings. It is humbling to receive from those you've given so much to. We never expect anything in return, but what a nice surprise to be served by those whom you've served.

On a different note we are thankful that we arrived to the States and to Kentucky safely. A US diplomat was shot by the drug cartel only a few kilometers from where we were driving on Monday. He was shot the same day we were traveling from León to the States. Only a few weeks ago a missionary was shot on the same highway we take to the States. In both cases the people were targeted for various reasons, but the violence is getting worse in Mexico. Please pray that it will calm down and people's lives would be spared. We hope to be back in Mexico by May or June and want to be able to safely drive back to León.

One week left

We can hardly believe we only have one week until we head back to the States to finish up our fundraising. Time has flown by and it will be hard to once again say good-bye to our close friends here. Please be praying that we have a safe trip back to Kentucky especially since we are driving. The 15th we head to McAllen, TX from León. Pray that we have a smooth and uneventful journey.

We have had the opportunity since we've been here to spend time with our small group, make plans for the future, and do special things like help host a huge Super Bowl party. We invited all of our friends with hopes to make contact with new people and bring others into our family of faith. Thankfully one of the couples who attended the party on Sunday showed up at our small group on Monday. Join us in praying for them and others that attended the party. Here we like to party with a purpse.

Today we are headed to San Juan de los Lagos to share with some youth that we worked with at a camp a while back. We look forward to seeing them and teaching them about Christ. San Juan is a city that is very idolotrous and has only one evangelical church. We have a missionary friend who is working there and it is very slow work. We are glad we can be a part of God's transforming mission in San Juan.

Pictured at the Super Bowl Party: Josh with our missionary friend who works in San Juan and with our partner in ministry David, Jennifer with our close friend Blanca

Our Latest News

Hello Family and Friends!

Greetings from Mexico. We are here on a visit and will be back in the States shortly. Before our visit we were unclear on our time frame for coming back to Mexico. We've mentioned that we desire to have a church-planting team and that is still our desire. After coming down here to deal with our apartment, where we still have all of our things, and after meeting with the missionary couple with whom we've been working, we decided that we will continue to build our team but from Mexico. Therefore, we will come back to Mexico as soon as possible and most likely it will be around the first of June. First we need to return to the States to finish raising our support and to visit our wonderful supporters.

We feel at peace and are excited about this decision. We spent many months learning more about house-church planting and going to conferences for further education. Though our time in the States was extended we know that it was for the best and that God has restored us and equipped us for our future ministry here in Mexico. We will be working with our friends to plant an organic church here in León.

In the meantime we need to raise 15% of our budget in order to come back to Mexico as soon as possible. Will you join us in prayer as we return to the States in order to raise this amount?

Thanks for sticking with us and partnering with us in ministry both in the States and here in Mexico.

Visiting Mexico

We are here in Mexico for a visit and our plans are rapidly changing. Stay tunned for big news and and update about our ministry!