Blessed

Advent seems to be an especially good time to pause and reflect on the many ways God has blessed each one of us. I couldn’t help but think about this topic after a recent conversation. Another fellow and I were perusing some photos of the Hope House boys on a bulletin board set up at church. The fellow made a comment that got me thinking; he said, “What do these boys have to look forward to?” Perhaps this is a natural inclination for many on the outside, looking in. After pondering this gentleman’s comment though, I have come to the conclusion that these boys do indeed have a lot to look forward to, and a lot to be thankful for right now.

To begin with, they are surrounded by people who truly love them and want to see them mature as productive citizens in society. All of the staff and volunteers at Hope House have a keen interest in encouraging the boys and teaching them the values and skills they will need for success in life. Each one of the boys has chores they are responsible for, and completion of homework is a high priority. They are learning English and other vocational skills (like woodworking) that could be valuable for them later in life. The boys are also taught the importance of respect for adults and each other. True, the boys are not living with their biological mothers and fathers, but nonetheless they know and experience unconditional love everyday. For some, it may be the first time in their lives that they have experienced such wholehearted love and acceptance—even if they have come from a two-parent family.

The greatest blessing I believe these boys experience—and the one that will benefit them most in life—is the Christian nurture they receive. All of the boys hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are encouraged to grow in Him. They spend time in devotions and prayer everyday. Five, ten, twenty years from now only God knows where these boys will be and what kind of a positive influence they could have on someone else because of the Christian foundation that was laid years earlier. I believe some of them will be the Christian leaders of the future, having the opportunity to bless countless others in the name of Christ. Advent reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways. Who could have imagined that God’s plan of salvation for mankind included coming to earth as a baby, in a manger, the child of humble parents with no political clout? Who could have imagined what God could do? Who can imagine what God will do?

This Advent, take some time to thank God for his abundant blessings in your life, the greatest of which is salvation through Jesus Christ. But rest assured that you can also trust Him with whatever challenges you face. He is God, and He can…

Back from Laredo

We arrived back home Tuesday afternoon with a VERY loaded Durango (kind of reminded us of our first trip down to Mexico). Thank you Vriesland for sending down another pallet of supplies - the clothing, helmets, balls, Matchbox cars, books, tents, and all sorts of other miscellaneous goodies will be put to good use.

While in Laredo we stayed at Stepping Stone Ministries again. Stepping Stone is a ministry devoted to serving missionaries - they provide short term housing for missionaries staying at the border. We have been blessed to become good friends with the family that helps to run the ministry, and our kids had a great time hanging out together for a few days.

If you haven't done so already, check out the new pics in the right column "Pics from life in Mexico"

Feliz Navidad!

Thankful...

In this month of November, as we focus on giving thanks, may we be thankful to God for all that He is and has given to us. Take time to praise Him for His attributes found in scripture. “Siempre damos gracias a Dios por todos ustedes, y los recordamos en nuestras oraciones.” 1 Tesalonicenses 1:2 (“We always thank God for you all and always mention you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2)

One of the attributes of God that we are thankful for is His providence - we are reminded of it often. For example, one day a few weeks ago I was walking through Walmart while wearing my Texas Longhorns T-shirt (I'm not really a Longhorns fan, but I do like Texas). Anyway, a lady yelled out "Hey are you from Texas?" That brief introduction led to the opportunity to talk with this friendly lady and her husband, and eventually take them on a tour of the Hope House. As it turns out, she writes articles for a web site on Chapala, and she is going to write an article on the Hope House to publish to the web. Who knows where it will all lead, but I trust God will use it as an opportunity to promote the mission of Hope House and encourage others to become involved in that ministry.

Our children wanted to share a story of how very different school is here compared to public school in the states. We’ve seen several stories lately of “Zero tolerance” in regard to knives at school in the United States. Josh and Anna thought it was pretty funny that Pastor Bob, their Bible and Life Skills teacher, actually handed out pocket knives to every student in class. The knife was theirs to keep, to use in stripping wires for their wiring unit in Life Skills. Where’s a news camera when you need it?

Now that we have settled back into a routine for the school year, Anna has started working again at Casi Nuevo on Mondays, after she gets out of class at the missionary school at YWAM. This is the thrift shop that helps support the boy’s home and the school for the deaf. Josh helps Steve on Fridays at Casa Hogar. Sophie helps me get ready for the prayer group on Mondays and then stays out of sight until we are done praying.

PRAYER REQUESTS & PRAISE:

-We thank God for your support and your prayers!

-We thank God for your emails and letters!

-We thank God for the Mexican and American women who have come to pray!

-We thank God for Casa Hogar Mi’ Esperanza, may He continue to bless all the boys and staff.

-We thank God for the good health our family has had. May God protect us from the dengue fever and the flu that is in our area. May He protect the children and staff at the local orphanages.

-Request for safe travel as we travel to the border over Thanksgiving to get more supplies.