Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The dry season...

January 2009 - A New Year and a new President of the United States of America...and for many, new difficulties and challenges. A friend sent me the "Daily Walk" devotional for September last year. One of the focuses was on Habakkuk 3:17-19. They rephrased it into a 21st century perspective. "Even if the stock market does not rise, my boss fails to give me a raise, I lose my job, the supermarket shelves are bare, and the gas stations are closed on weekends, yet I will ..." We all can come up with a list of things that attempts to steal our joy and peace. I find myself rereading Habakkuk almost daily to remind myself about where my joy and peace comes from. "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." May we all meditate on God's Word daily and find our strength and refreshment in Him!!

As we get back into our routines in Mexico (Harvest Language School- Level 3 for Steve, teaching at the missionary school, and volunteering at the Hope House), here are a few photos that endear us to this region of God's world:

The daily cattle drive in front of our gate. They go up the mountain in the morning and down in the late afternoon. The dry season is making it hard for many animals to find food.









When people se
ll their wares or food products, their young children are usually with them. These children are sleeping on the steps of the Catholic Church in Chapala on a Saturday afternoon. The mother had just nursed her baby, laid the baby on the coats, and then went back to selling guavas.











Carlie Post is visiting us from Michigan and is our first official visitor since we came to Mexico last May. She is fluent in Spanish and the boys at the Hope House already love her. They asked when she was coming back. Here is a picture of them playing Blokus.