Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Love, Mark, Susan, & Emma
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Welcome, Emma!
Lying on the bed next to me as I type this entry is the newest edition to the Mission: La Paz Team. Emma Izabella was born in the early morning (3:50AM to be exact) on Saturday, December 10th in Fidepaz Hospital, La Paz, Mexico. Emma weighs in at a healthy 8.2lbs and is 19.5 inches long, with lots of dark hair, blue eyes, and at the moment…a case of the hiccups. She joined us after 25 hours of labor which began at about 3AM on the 9th. At 8AM we had a regularly scheduled appointment with our OBGYN and our friend, and translator (and the inspiration for Emma’s middle name) Iza. After one final ultrasound the doctor indicated that he would be seeing us later in the day!
After running several errands, we arrived at home and thought it might be a good idea to start timing the contractions. A call to Susan’s doula (birthing coach), her arrival, and a re-checking of my math, and we were loading up the truck to meet the doctor at the hospital (that was about 2:30ish). With a quick examination it was determined that Susan was only dilated about 1cm. The doctor sent us home. We were disappointed, but began to prepare for what would become a rather long night.
Susan’s doula (also named Susan) rejoined us at our apartment around 5:30 pm, and we all decided to take a walk around the block. The contractions continued to grow stronger and increase in frequency, so at 7:30 we headed to the doctor’s office this time. His examination revealed that Susan was now dilated 5cm, and it was time to go to the hospital, where things progressed nicely until Susan hit the 8cm mark, where things stalled out for over 3 hours. No more dilation and the contractions were beginning to fall off.
The doctors, knowing our desire to have a natural birth – a rare thing here, became concerned because of the strain on little Emma indicated by spikes and drops in her heart rate. We did not want to go the Cesarean route, so we opted for medication to quicken the frequency and intensity of the contractions. Still nothing. Our now weary doctor and staff gave Emma another 10 minutes to get moving. She did, and with that we moved into the delivery room for the final push (Ok, pushes).
After Emma was born, she spent only enough time in the nursery to get thoroughly checked out by our pediatrician and a bath…she has been with us ever since!! She is absolutely beautiful in our incredibly biased eyes, and we can’t believe she’s actually here!
Susan handled the delivery amazingly, and is recovering well. Emma has been receiving visitors constantly, and we are finding time to rest whenever she allows.
Thank you all once again for all of your love, your prayers, and your unending letters of support and encouragement. We cannot wait for you all to meet our beautiful Mexican daughter Emma!
After running several errands, we arrived at home and thought it might be a good idea to start timing the contractions. A call to Susan’s doula (birthing coach), her arrival, and a re-checking of my math, and we were loading up the truck to meet the doctor at the hospital (that was about 2:30ish). With a quick examination it was determined that Susan was only dilated about 1cm. The doctor sent us home. We were disappointed, but began to prepare for what would become a rather long night.
Susan’s doula (also named Susan) rejoined us at our apartment around 5:30 pm, and we all decided to take a walk around the block. The contractions continued to grow stronger and increase in frequency, so at 7:30 we headed to the doctor’s office this time. His examination revealed that Susan was now dilated 5cm, and it was time to go to the hospital, where things progressed nicely until Susan hit the 8cm mark, where things stalled out for over 3 hours. No more dilation and the contractions were beginning to fall off.
The doctors, knowing our desire to have a natural birth – a rare thing here, became concerned because of the strain on little Emma indicated by spikes and drops in her heart rate. We did not want to go the Cesarean route, so we opted for medication to quicken the frequency and intensity of the contractions. Still nothing. Our now weary doctor and staff gave Emma another 10 minutes to get moving. She did, and with that we moved into the delivery room for the final push (Ok, pushes).
After Emma was born, she spent only enough time in the nursery to get thoroughly checked out by our pediatrician and a bath…she has been with us ever since!! She is absolutely beautiful in our incredibly biased eyes, and we can’t believe she’s actually here!
Susan handled the delivery amazingly, and is recovering well. Emma has been receiving visitors constantly, and we are finding time to rest whenever she allows.
Thank you all once again for all of your love, your prayers, and your unending letters of support and encouragement. We cannot wait for you all to meet our beautiful Mexican daughter Emma!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
November 15th, 2005
I’m going to take advantage of this journal entry to focus on what’s been happening with Baby Emma!
I’ll take you back to Sunday, November 6th, when Crossroads threw a Surprise Baby Shower for us. We thought we were going to a youth event at Flor de Cardon (the B&B we stayed at when we first arrived in La Paz) with the youth of Crossroads where we would have a cookout and play some games. When we arrived not only were the youth there, but all of Crossroads was there, some of the pastors from the Mexican churches and their families, and all of our friends from La Paz! They somehow managed to plan a Baby Shower for Emma while we were in Los Angeles renewing our visas. How an entire church kept a secret for 2 weeks is still beyond me! We were overwhelmed at the sight. We were blessed with so many gifts from our friends, and everyone wore “Emma” stickers. Mark and some of the other men were subjected to participate in some games including seeing who could diaper a doll the fastest and the best while blindfolded (Lord, help Emma!), seeing who could identify the mystery baby food from diapers while blindfolded, seeing who could drink from a bottle the fastest, and also a relay race to see which team could transport cotton balls on a spoon the fastest. A more traditional game was seeing who could guess how many squares of toilet paper Emma and I are around. In case you were wondering, I am 11 squares around! We had a wonderful time, and feel so blessed to have such a loving community of friends and brothers and sisters in Christ! Thank You, Crossroads!!!
On November 9th, we had our 8th month Emma check-up. There are pros and cons to having an ultrasound done every month. Obviously the pros include being able to see our little Emma and watch her grow and see her move and to be sure month after month that she is in fact a she! The cons include seeing things that are common but alarming to new parents. Before you think anything is wrong, let me explain. Last month at our ultrasound we discovered that Emma had the umbilical cord around her neck once. The Dr. assured us that this was very common, and most parents don’t even know it’s happened. He said everything is fine, we will just hope that she will get the cord off from around her neck soon. This month, Mark and I were anxious to see if she did, and of course Emma removed the cord! The doctor told us that she is already heading south meaning she is in the correct position for the big day – head down, feet up, the cord is away from her neck, and he also said that because it’s getting quite cramped in there for her, she will not be able to change positions, so she’s there to stay until she arrives. Her heart rate was strong at 158 beats per minute, and everything looks great. I have gained a total of about 22 pounds, and the Dr. estimated that Emma is already about 2.7 kilos which is close to 6 pounds! He’s anticipating a 7 to 7 ½ pound baby girl to arrive around the 2nd week of December, although he’s still saying she could come anytime between Dec. 6th and Jan. 6th.
We are getting more and more excited every day as we are in the home stretch. Physically I get tired very easily, but I feel great! Emma has definitely had a growth spurt in the past 2 weeks. Mark and I like to play “Guess that Body Part” when she moves around. We were able to guess that her feet were up around my ribs even before the Dr. told us by her movements and the shapes of the parts sticking out of my belly at times. The other night I was lying on my side, and Mark was resting his head on my belly. Within a few minutes, Emma kicked Mark’s head as if to say, “Daddy, get off – it’s already squished in here!”. I love feeling her inside of me, and I will definitely miss that part of being pregnant, but I can’t wait to see her in person! Who will she look like? How big will she be? When will we get to see her first smile? It’s so exciting! We set up her Emma space in our bedroom with all of her gifts. We had all of her clothes washed, and I even packed her hospital bag for the big day. I think we’re as ready as we’re going to be to be parents!
We hope you enjoy some pictures from Emma’s Baby Shower! We love you all and thank you for sharing in our joy from near and far away!
I’ll take you back to Sunday, November 6th, when Crossroads threw a Surprise Baby Shower for us. We thought we were going to a youth event at Flor de Cardon (the B&B we stayed at when we first arrived in La Paz) with the youth of Crossroads where we would have a cookout and play some games. When we arrived not only were the youth there, but all of Crossroads was there, some of the pastors from the Mexican churches and their families, and all of our friends from La Paz! They somehow managed to plan a Baby Shower for Emma while we were in Los Angeles renewing our visas. How an entire church kept a secret for 2 weeks is still beyond me! We were overwhelmed at the sight. We were blessed with so many gifts from our friends, and everyone wore “Emma” stickers. Mark and some of the other men were subjected to participate in some games including seeing who could diaper a doll the fastest and the best while blindfolded (Lord, help Emma!), seeing who could identify the mystery baby food from diapers while blindfolded, seeing who could drink from a bottle the fastest, and also a relay race to see which team could transport cotton balls on a spoon the fastest. A more traditional game was seeing who could guess how many squares of toilet paper Emma and I are around. In case you were wondering, I am 11 squares around! We had a wonderful time, and feel so blessed to have such a loving community of friends and brothers and sisters in Christ! Thank You, Crossroads!!!
On November 9th, we had our 8th month Emma check-up. There are pros and cons to having an ultrasound done every month. Obviously the pros include being able to see our little Emma and watch her grow and see her move and to be sure month after month that she is in fact a she! The cons include seeing things that are common but alarming to new parents. Before you think anything is wrong, let me explain. Last month at our ultrasound we discovered that Emma had the umbilical cord around her neck once. The Dr. assured us that this was very common, and most parents don’t even know it’s happened. He said everything is fine, we will just hope that she will get the cord off from around her neck soon. This month, Mark and I were anxious to see if she did, and of course Emma removed the cord! The doctor told us that she is already heading south meaning she is in the correct position for the big day – head down, feet up, the cord is away from her neck, and he also said that because it’s getting quite cramped in there for her, she will not be able to change positions, so she’s there to stay until she arrives. Her heart rate was strong at 158 beats per minute, and everything looks great. I have gained a total of about 22 pounds, and the Dr. estimated that Emma is already about 2.7 kilos which is close to 6 pounds! He’s anticipating a 7 to 7 ½ pound baby girl to arrive around the 2nd week of December, although he’s still saying she could come anytime between Dec. 6th and Jan. 6th.
We are getting more and more excited every day as we are in the home stretch. Physically I get tired very easily, but I feel great! Emma has definitely had a growth spurt in the past 2 weeks. Mark and I like to play “Guess that Body Part” when she moves around. We were able to guess that her feet were up around my ribs even before the Dr. told us by her movements and the shapes of the parts sticking out of my belly at times. The other night I was lying on my side, and Mark was resting his head on my belly. Within a few minutes, Emma kicked Mark’s head as if to say, “Daddy, get off – it’s already squished in here!”. I love feeling her inside of me, and I will definitely miss that part of being pregnant, but I can’t wait to see her in person! Who will she look like? How big will she be? When will we get to see her first smile? It’s so exciting! We set up her Emma space in our bedroom with all of her gifts. We had all of her clothes washed, and I even packed her hospital bag for the big day. I think we’re as ready as we’re going to be to be parents!
We hope you enjoy some pictures from Emma’s Baby Shower! We love you all and thank you for sharing in our joy from near and far away!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Mission Team in Santa Rosalia - October 24, 2005
Due to technical difficulties, it’s been a while since our last blog. We are now on laptop number three as once again our computer has been sent back to the States for repairs.
Two weeks ago a team of four men (Jack Justus, Tom Fox, Gary Achey, and Steve Berg) from First Baptist Church of Bethlehem joined us for one week. David Reed and I [Mark] traveled with the team to a small city about 7 ½ hours north of La Paz called Santa Rosalia. A mission of the First Baptist Church of La Paz there, named Mahanaim, is situated along the coast of the Sea of Cortez and has been the victim of an encroaching sea, especially during hurricane season. A couple years back the church lost its kitchen as hurricane Marty ripped it from its foundation. Our mission was to help erect a sea wall large enough to protect the church from future storms. None of us quite knew what to expect.
We arrived in Santa Rosalia in the early evening hours and were greeted at the church by Pastor Ruben and a couple of the members of his congregation. Pastor Ruben showed us around their humble facility, and then took us around to the back of the church to show us exactly what we would be doing. A front end loader had already removed a swath of beach about 75 feet long and 15 feet wide. The 6 of us looked at each other rather overwhelmed recognizing the scale of the project we were recruited for. Oh, yeah…did I mention that the wall would reach about 12-15 feet high?
Our only consolation was knowing that another team of men from the First Baptist Church of La Paz were also on their way to aid in the project. I can’t speak for the whole team, but I can honestly say that I have never worked so hard in my life, mixing cement, moving sand, and harvesting over 7 dump trucks worth of rocks and boulders from a nearby mountain. The team worked like champs!! We put in four ten-hour days at the worksite working alongside our Mexican brothers on this enormous project. .
At the end of the week the wall measured 75 feet long and about 7 feet high! That is a lot of rock, cement, and pain relievers. Although we did not see the wall to completion, the mission in Santa Rosalia is committed to finishing the project. It was great having the guys from FBC here with us in Mexico. They definitely came to work! The Saturday before they left we even put in a couple of hours mixing more cement and moving more rock to add to the foundation of Mary and Raul’s new home in La Paz.
The following is an excerpt from a journal entry from Joyce Reed on how God spoke to some of our team:
Gary: I live on a farm and began to build rock walls around my property. I just kept building and building. People would ask, “Why are you building all these walls?” And I’d reply, “I have no idea.” Finally, when the boundaries were enclosed, I stopped. I said, “I’m not touching another stone or rock again!” And then the chair of our Missions Committee came to me after church one day and told me about this project in Santa Rosalia. The mission needed to build a rock wall to protect it from the ocean. And I thought, “I think I know what God has in store for me!” Coming to Mexico and meeting brothers in Christ from different areas, seeing us bond together as we built this wall--rock by rock, this is what drove me all week.
Tom: God could have sent an angel and built this wall in an instant.
But he didn’t. Instead, God wants us to build each other up in Christ. This is the way God works: he puts us together to be a family. There is no East, West, North, or South. No United States or Mexico. That’s what happened as we built this wall. We built each other up in Christ. It just swells my heart to see the power of God come together when we unite as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Mark: It’s amazing how God speaks. I’ve never seen a burning bush. I’ve never been swallowed by a whale. I’ve never met a giant like Goliath. But I have experienced God speaking to me in a small, still voice. Sometimes I focus on the task at hand at the expense of my relationships. So I was putting all my energy into building this wall, and God would whisper in my ear, “Get to know the people working beside you. Open up your heart. Can you hear me now?” God showed up in a powerful and mighty way. He renewed, strengthened and united us in Christ.
Milton: I live in La Paz and am part of the English-speaking church Crossroads. I was on my way home from a trip to San Diego and pulled into Santa Rosalia on Wednesday night, found the guys, and bunked with them at the hotel. The next morning, I had coffee with them, and then hit the road. I was several kilometers outside of town when God said to me, “Where are you going?” I countered, “You don’t need me, God. They have enough help. I want to go home.” I kept driving a bit further. Then it was like, “Oh man! I can’t do this!” So I listened to God and turned the car around. Did God need me to finish that wall? Not really. But it wasn’t about finishing the wall, was it? It was about building relationships. It was letting God use me to build up his kingdom.
The last day, as the men were gathered at the work site, a ten-year-old boy named Victor walked over to the church. Victor’s dad ran a road-side flea market across from the church. Everyday Victor would come across the street and see what was going on. This particular day he walked up to Mark and Tom. He motioned to Tom to set down his cup of coffee. He motioned the same thing to Mark. Mark and Tom looked at each other, trying to figure out what Victor wanted. After the coffee cups were out of the way, Victor grabbed each of their hands. He indicated that he wanted the other men to join them. So, in a few minutes, this little boy had all the guys joined in a circle. And then Victor began to pray for them. This wasn’t a short prayer. This wasn’t a “God bless you and have a safe trip,” kind of prayer. No, this was a passionate prayer. Full of conviction. Full of the Holy Spirit. Full of love. It went on for several minutes. It was God blessing the hearts of adults through the faith of a child.
Two weeks ago a team of four men (Jack Justus, Tom Fox, Gary Achey, and Steve Berg) from First Baptist Church of Bethlehem joined us for one week. David Reed and I [Mark] traveled with the team to a small city about 7 ½ hours north of La Paz called Santa Rosalia. A mission of the First Baptist Church of La Paz there, named Mahanaim, is situated along the coast of the Sea of Cortez and has been the victim of an encroaching sea, especially during hurricane season. A couple years back the church lost its kitchen as hurricane Marty ripped it from its foundation. Our mission was to help erect a sea wall large enough to protect the church from future storms. None of us quite knew what to expect.
We arrived in Santa Rosalia in the early evening hours and were greeted at the church by Pastor Ruben and a couple of the members of his congregation. Pastor Ruben showed us around their humble facility, and then took us around to the back of the church to show us exactly what we would be doing. A front end loader had already removed a swath of beach about 75 feet long and 15 feet wide. The 6 of us looked at each other rather overwhelmed recognizing the scale of the project we were recruited for. Oh, yeah…did I mention that the wall would reach about 12-15 feet high?
Our only consolation was knowing that another team of men from the First Baptist Church of La Paz were also on their way to aid in the project. I can’t speak for the whole team, but I can honestly say that I have never worked so hard in my life, mixing cement, moving sand, and harvesting over 7 dump trucks worth of rocks and boulders from a nearby mountain. The team worked like champs!! We put in four ten-hour days at the worksite working alongside our Mexican brothers on this enormous project. .
At the end of the week the wall measured 75 feet long and about 7 feet high! That is a lot of rock, cement, and pain relievers. Although we did not see the wall to completion, the mission in Santa Rosalia is committed to finishing the project. It was great having the guys from FBC here with us in Mexico. They definitely came to work! The Saturday before they left we even put in a couple of hours mixing more cement and moving more rock to add to the foundation of Mary and Raul’s new home in La Paz.
The following is an excerpt from a journal entry from Joyce Reed on how God spoke to some of our team:
Gary: I live on a farm and began to build rock walls around my property. I just kept building and building. People would ask, “Why are you building all these walls?” And I’d reply, “I have no idea.” Finally, when the boundaries were enclosed, I stopped. I said, “I’m not touching another stone or rock again!” And then the chair of our Missions Committee came to me after church one day and told me about this project in Santa Rosalia. The mission needed to build a rock wall to protect it from the ocean. And I thought, “I think I know what God has in store for me!” Coming to Mexico and meeting brothers in Christ from different areas, seeing us bond together as we built this wall--rock by rock, this is what drove me all week.
Tom: God could have sent an angel and built this wall in an instant.
But he didn’t. Instead, God wants us to build each other up in Christ. This is the way God works: he puts us together to be a family. There is no East, West, North, or South. No United States or Mexico. That’s what happened as we built this wall. We built each other up in Christ. It just swells my heart to see the power of God come together when we unite as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Mark: It’s amazing how God speaks. I’ve never seen a burning bush. I’ve never been swallowed by a whale. I’ve never met a giant like Goliath. But I have experienced God speaking to me in a small, still voice. Sometimes I focus on the task at hand at the expense of my relationships. So I was putting all my energy into building this wall, and God would whisper in my ear, “Get to know the people working beside you. Open up your heart. Can you hear me now?” God showed up in a powerful and mighty way. He renewed, strengthened and united us in Christ.
Milton: I live in La Paz and am part of the English-speaking church Crossroads. I was on my way home from a trip to San Diego and pulled into Santa Rosalia on Wednesday night, found the guys, and bunked with them at the hotel. The next morning, I had coffee with them, and then hit the road. I was several kilometers outside of town when God said to me, “Where are you going?” I countered, “You don’t need me, God. They have enough help. I want to go home.” I kept driving a bit further. Then it was like, “Oh man! I can’t do this!” So I listened to God and turned the car around. Did God need me to finish that wall? Not really. But it wasn’t about finishing the wall, was it? It was about building relationships. It was letting God use me to build up his kingdom.
The last day, as the men were gathered at the work site, a ten-year-old boy named Victor walked over to the church. Victor’s dad ran a road-side flea market across from the church. Everyday Victor would come across the street and see what was going on. This particular day he walked up to Mark and Tom. He motioned to Tom to set down his cup of coffee. He motioned the same thing to Mark. Mark and Tom looked at each other, trying to figure out what Victor wanted. After the coffee cups were out of the way, Victor grabbed each of their hands. He indicated that he wanted the other men to join them. So, in a few minutes, this little boy had all the guys joined in a circle. And then Victor began to pray for them. This wasn’t a short prayer. This wasn’t a “God bless you and have a safe trip,” kind of prayer. No, this was a passionate prayer. Full of conviction. Full of the Holy Spirit. Full of love. It went on for several minutes. It was God blessing the hearts of adults through the faith of a child.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
October 4th, 2005
Although summer is a down time here in La Paz due to the oppressive heat and humidity, God has been working overtime. . .
In baby news, yesterday I had my 7 month appointment. 7 months already!!! Mark and I are trying to comprehend the fact that Lord willing, in 8-10 weeks we will have a daughter! I had two ultrasounds done – a level I and a level II. The level II ultrasound showed a clearer picture of Emma as it looked at the circulation of the blood throughout her body. It reminded us of a weather map that shows patches of color corresponding to weather patterns. In Emma’s case, we saw red/orange waves throughout her major arteries including her brain, her heart, and her carotid arteries. We also saw her liver, her stomach, her pancreas, and her spinal cord. We are excited to announce that we have a very healthy little baby. We were also able to hear her heart beat for the first time! It sounded like a herd of horses galloping away as her heart beat 150 times per minute! When we got a closer look at her face, we could see her perfect little nose and her perfect little lips and her perfect little eyes. She had one arm resting on her forehead and her little chin resting on her other hand which was closed like a fist. I said to the doctor, “Ella esta pensando”, (she is thinking), and he agreed. Once again, she had her little legs crossed, but from what we could see all fingers and toes were accounted for. All of her readings indicated that she is growing and developing into a very normal and healthy baby girl. Definitely a girl. 4 hours after the level II ultrasound, we had our routine level I ultrasound. We got to say hello to Emma twice in one day. Again, everything looked great. My doctor also had the opportunity to meet my doula, Susan, at this visit, and she was able to describe her role in our lives. He responded positively to her participation in my pregnancy and delivery. Our next job within the next 2 months is to choose a pediatrician for Emma. We plan on meeting with a few recommended doctors to determine who will be the best fit for our family.
Mark and I have planned a necessary trip to the States for the 3rd week in October. We will be spending a few days in Los Angeles taking advantage of the 50% off deal Aero California Airlines was offering last week. The longest you can get a visa for another country is 180 days. After that time you must renew your visa in order to continue staying in the country. Since we arrived in June, our visas will expire in December. I will not be able to travel in December, so we have to renew early. Our other option is to drive 8 hours up the Baja to the nearest consulate and drive 8 hours back. I can barely sit comfortably in a car for 1 hour let alone 8. I have to admit, we are looking forward to some American conveniences. We also hope to do some baby shopping at this time.
Last Monday, we had an opportunity to attend a Marcos Vidal Concert here in La Paz. Marcos Vidal is a Mexican Christian singer whose music is jazz-like. We had one of his CDs from last year, and we really enjoy his music. The First Baptist Church in La Paz organized the concert on a huge faith budget. They had to sell 300 tickets to break even. The day of the concert we had terrible weather – it rained hard for over an hour flooding all of the streets. We weren’t even sure if we were going to make it at one point. Many folks from Crossroads were planning on attending, and we invited Mary and Raul to come with us. Finally, about an hour before the concert, the rain stopped. We all made it there, and not only did First Baptist Church break even, but the concert was sold out with over 1,000 people in attendance! It was a very powerful concert and the praise band from First Baptist was the opening band! It was an incredible night.
On September 16th, we celebrated the Mexican Independence Day, complete with fireworks. We celebrated with the First Baptist Church who had a party at the seminary. Men and women dressed in authentic Mexican attire for a contest, and our very own Carolina and Ruben won first and second prizes respectively. They celebrated with fellowship, skits, and of course food. The entire congregation sang the Mexican National Anthem, then shouted their support for their government, their love for their country (“Viva Mexico!”), and ended with a shout of, “Cristo Vive!” (Christ Lives!).
The construction of Mary and Raul’s house was put on hold temporarily as Raul tended to an injured knee. His doctor told him he was not allowed to work for a week to see if the pain and swelling would subside. We tried to convince Raul to allow us to continue working on their house, but he would not hear of it. If he can’t work right along side us…no one works. David, Mark, and Raul resumed work last week with the help of our friend Dave, who runs a local bed and breakfast (Flor de Cardon) with his wife Jean and daughter Crissy.
The Crossroads Christian Fellowship has been taking the past couple of weeks to talk about the mission and vision that God would have for this ministry. Every Sunday after services the core group of the fellowship has been meeting in order to discern what God is doing in our community, and how we can best join Him in what He is doing. It is awesome to watch God stretch and grow this unique ministry.
The youth group continues to grow! We have now added several other missionary kids to the mix. We average about 12 kids each week between the ages of 11 and 18. They have been working very hard at putting together a worship service for the end of November. The group is planning the entire worship service, including music, video, teaching, etc. It will be interesting to be a part of the finished product!
We hope this update finds you all well. We miss you and continue to pray for you!
In baby news, yesterday I had my 7 month appointment. 7 months already!!! Mark and I are trying to comprehend the fact that Lord willing, in 8-10 weeks we will have a daughter! I had two ultrasounds done – a level I and a level II. The level II ultrasound showed a clearer picture of Emma as it looked at the circulation of the blood throughout her body. It reminded us of a weather map that shows patches of color corresponding to weather patterns. In Emma’s case, we saw red/orange waves throughout her major arteries including her brain, her heart, and her carotid arteries. We also saw her liver, her stomach, her pancreas, and her spinal cord. We are excited to announce that we have a very healthy little baby. We were also able to hear her heart beat for the first time! It sounded like a herd of horses galloping away as her heart beat 150 times per minute! When we got a closer look at her face, we could see her perfect little nose and her perfect little lips and her perfect little eyes. She had one arm resting on her forehead and her little chin resting on her other hand which was closed like a fist. I said to the doctor, “Ella esta pensando”, (she is thinking), and he agreed. Once again, she had her little legs crossed, but from what we could see all fingers and toes were accounted for. All of her readings indicated that she is growing and developing into a very normal and healthy baby girl. Definitely a girl. 4 hours after the level II ultrasound, we had our routine level I ultrasound. We got to say hello to Emma twice in one day. Again, everything looked great. My doctor also had the opportunity to meet my doula, Susan, at this visit, and she was able to describe her role in our lives. He responded positively to her participation in my pregnancy and delivery. Our next job within the next 2 months is to choose a pediatrician for Emma. We plan on meeting with a few recommended doctors to determine who will be the best fit for our family.
Mark and I have planned a necessary trip to the States for the 3rd week in October. We will be spending a few days in Los Angeles taking advantage of the 50% off deal Aero California Airlines was offering last week. The longest you can get a visa for another country is 180 days. After that time you must renew your visa in order to continue staying in the country. Since we arrived in June, our visas will expire in December. I will not be able to travel in December, so we have to renew early. Our other option is to drive 8 hours up the Baja to the nearest consulate and drive 8 hours back. I can barely sit comfortably in a car for 1 hour let alone 8. I have to admit, we are looking forward to some American conveniences. We also hope to do some baby shopping at this time.
Last Monday, we had an opportunity to attend a Marcos Vidal Concert here in La Paz. Marcos Vidal is a Mexican Christian singer whose music is jazz-like. We had one of his CDs from last year, and we really enjoy his music. The First Baptist Church in La Paz organized the concert on a huge faith budget. They had to sell 300 tickets to break even. The day of the concert we had terrible weather – it rained hard for over an hour flooding all of the streets. We weren’t even sure if we were going to make it at one point. Many folks from Crossroads were planning on attending, and we invited Mary and Raul to come with us. Finally, about an hour before the concert, the rain stopped. We all made it there, and not only did First Baptist Church break even, but the concert was sold out with over 1,000 people in attendance! It was a very powerful concert and the praise band from First Baptist was the opening band! It was an incredible night.
On September 16th, we celebrated the Mexican Independence Day, complete with fireworks. We celebrated with the First Baptist Church who had a party at the seminary. Men and women dressed in authentic Mexican attire for a contest, and our very own Carolina and Ruben won first and second prizes respectively. They celebrated with fellowship, skits, and of course food. The entire congregation sang the Mexican National Anthem, then shouted their support for their government, their love for their country (“Viva Mexico!”), and ended with a shout of, “Cristo Vive!” (Christ Lives!).
The construction of Mary and Raul’s house was put on hold temporarily as Raul tended to an injured knee. His doctor told him he was not allowed to work for a week to see if the pain and swelling would subside. We tried to convince Raul to allow us to continue working on their house, but he would not hear of it. If he can’t work right along side us…no one works. David, Mark, and Raul resumed work last week with the help of our friend Dave, who runs a local bed and breakfast (Flor de Cardon) with his wife Jean and daughter Crissy.
The Crossroads Christian Fellowship has been taking the past couple of weeks to talk about the mission and vision that God would have for this ministry. Every Sunday after services the core group of the fellowship has been meeting in order to discern what God is doing in our community, and how we can best join Him in what He is doing. It is awesome to watch God stretch and grow this unique ministry.
The youth group continues to grow! We have now added several other missionary kids to the mix. We average about 12 kids each week between the ages of 11 and 18. They have been working very hard at putting together a worship service for the end of November. The group is planning the entire worship service, including music, video, teaching, etc. It will be interesting to be a part of the finished product!
We hope this update finds you all well. We miss you and continue to pray for you!
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Sept 10th, 2005
We’re here, we haven’t disappeared! Here’s what we’ve been up to since our last update. . .
Baby News: Last week we had our monthly baby check-up. Our doctor confirmed that she is an Emma and not an Emelio by pointing out little girl parts. She was very active, so we weren’t able to count fingers, but we got a better view of her face and were able to see her eyes, nose, and mouth! She has grown so much since our last visit! The doctor was very happy with her progress and with my health and steady weight gain as well. We were also gently informed that the beautiful glowing feelings and experiences of the 2nd trimester will soon come to an end and the uncomfortable, unpleasant “symptoms” of the 3rd trimester are just around the corner. I feel great so far, and I get so excited every time I feel her move. Sometimes Mark and I fall asleep with our hands on my belly hoping not to miss a single movement. It’s been wonderful sharing my pregnancy with the Crossroads Fellowship and also with the Mexican community. Here there are no hesitations for women to come up to me and feel my belly, so I got over the “this is my personal space” thing pretty quickly. My next appointment is October 3rd at which time I’m scheduled for a routine Doppler (level II ultrasound) in addition to my regular level I ultrasound. We can’t wait to meet her!
Some of you have e-mailed and asked about what our apartment looks like. We have added a few pictures of our “casa” for you to see. It’s a very simple 2nd floor place with 1 bedroom large enough for Emma when she comes and an eat-in kitchen. Our bathroom is located right off of our kitchen. Just 3 rooms, that’s all we really need. It does have air conditioning, which is a necessity, especially since it’s been upwards of 110 degrees and the humidity is about 80%. Our favorite part of the apartment is our view of the bay from our rooftop “terrace”. The sunsets are amazing, and we plan on spending a lot more time up there once La Paz cools down. We even have a table and chairs up there, so we can enjoy meals some day. We have enjoyed getting to know our neighbors as we practice Spanish with them. Since they both have little ones, I get lots of advice on pregnancy and babies. Our 15 month old neighbor Azul loves to play with Mark and smiles from ear to ear when she sees us. Our 4-year-old neighbor Augustine always helps us with the gates, our groceries, and always wants to know where we’re going or where we came from. We are very happy in our little Mexican community.
O.K., Mark here…
Classes start next week at the seminary. It looks INCREDIBLE! It is awesome to have completed yet another phase in the construction. We now have a classroom, library, bathroom, garden area, and a large enclosed piece of property off the back. The First Baptist Church is going to use the newly enclosed space in the back to celebrate the new construction and the fall semester. They are expecting about 300 people! One of the pastors suggested we put an arched roof over the entire area (some day) to be used as a multi-purpose room...not a bad suggestion! Even better is the vision that is taking hold for the possibilities of this shared project.
With classes starting, I will be able to spend more time working on Mary and Raul's new house. We are still working on securing the foundation with lots of rock and cement. David and I have spent a couple of evenings with Raul building the much needed retaining walls. Their original house was demolished in order to widen the road on which they live. No provision or compensation for their loss was made. The Crossroads Fellowship has committed some of its limited resources to the purchase building materials. This is just one of the projects the youth from FBC of Bethlehem will be working on this December. Please remember to pray for that team as they prepare to come to La Paz.
Some sad news, last week we had to say “good-bye” to Pastor Francisco and his wife Lolis. Francisco was the pastor of the 4th Baptist Church, Emanuel. Francisco accepted the call to a new ministry in Tijuana. Please pray for them as they transition. For those of you who know Francisco…pray for Tijuana! Pancho and family will be greatly missed.
We are excited to welcome the team from FBC arriving October 7th and pray for God to prepare them as they travel and work on the Santa Rosalia Mission.
Our prayers continue to be with you all – our cherished friends and family back home!
Baby News: Last week we had our monthly baby check-up. Our doctor confirmed that she is an Emma and not an Emelio by pointing out little girl parts. She was very active, so we weren’t able to count fingers, but we got a better view of her face and were able to see her eyes, nose, and mouth! She has grown so much since our last visit! The doctor was very happy with her progress and with my health and steady weight gain as well. We were also gently informed that the beautiful glowing feelings and experiences of the 2nd trimester will soon come to an end and the uncomfortable, unpleasant “symptoms” of the 3rd trimester are just around the corner. I feel great so far, and I get so excited every time I feel her move. Sometimes Mark and I fall asleep with our hands on my belly hoping not to miss a single movement. It’s been wonderful sharing my pregnancy with the Crossroads Fellowship and also with the Mexican community. Here there are no hesitations for women to come up to me and feel my belly, so I got over the “this is my personal space” thing pretty quickly. My next appointment is October 3rd at which time I’m scheduled for a routine Doppler (level II ultrasound) in addition to my regular level I ultrasound. We can’t wait to meet her!
Some of you have e-mailed and asked about what our apartment looks like. We have added a few pictures of our “casa” for you to see. It’s a very simple 2nd floor place with 1 bedroom large enough for Emma when she comes and an eat-in kitchen. Our bathroom is located right off of our kitchen. Just 3 rooms, that’s all we really need. It does have air conditioning, which is a necessity, especially since it’s been upwards of 110 degrees and the humidity is about 80%. Our favorite part of the apartment is our view of the bay from our rooftop “terrace”. The sunsets are amazing, and we plan on spending a lot more time up there once La Paz cools down. We even have a table and chairs up there, so we can enjoy meals some day. We have enjoyed getting to know our neighbors as we practice Spanish with them. Since they both have little ones, I get lots of advice on pregnancy and babies. Our 15 month old neighbor Azul loves to play with Mark and smiles from ear to ear when she sees us. Our 4-year-old neighbor Augustine always helps us with the gates, our groceries, and always wants to know where we’re going or where we came from. We are very happy in our little Mexican community.
O.K., Mark here…
Classes start next week at the seminary. It looks INCREDIBLE! It is awesome to have completed yet another phase in the construction. We now have a classroom, library, bathroom, garden area, and a large enclosed piece of property off the back. The First Baptist Church is going to use the newly enclosed space in the back to celebrate the new construction and the fall semester. They are expecting about 300 people! One of the pastors suggested we put an arched roof over the entire area (some day) to be used as a multi-purpose room...not a bad suggestion! Even better is the vision that is taking hold for the possibilities of this shared project.
With classes starting, I will be able to spend more time working on Mary and Raul's new house. We are still working on securing the foundation with lots of rock and cement. David and I have spent a couple of evenings with Raul building the much needed retaining walls. Their original house was demolished in order to widen the road on which they live. No provision or compensation for their loss was made. The Crossroads Fellowship has committed some of its limited resources to the purchase building materials. This is just one of the projects the youth from FBC of Bethlehem will be working on this December. Please remember to pray for that team as they prepare to come to La Paz.
Some sad news, last week we had to say “good-bye” to Pastor Francisco and his wife Lolis. Francisco was the pastor of the 4th Baptist Church, Emanuel. Francisco accepted the call to a new ministry in Tijuana. Please pray for them as they transition. For those of you who know Francisco…pray for Tijuana! Pancho and family will be greatly missed.
We are excited to welcome the team from FBC arriving October 7th and pray for God to prepare them as they travel and work on the Santa Rosalia Mission.
Our prayers continue to be with you all – our cherished friends and family back home!
Friday, August 19, 2005
August 19th, 2005
What have the Larimers been up to lately?
The Crossroads Youth Group is in full swing meeting every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9pm. We started out with only 4, and now we have upwards of 10 teens and pre-teens attending weekly. The ages range from 11 to 16 years. While most of the teens are permanent residents of La Paz, we have had the pleasure of having Eilene and Fidel’s 2 grandchildren who are visiting them from New York. Claudio (16) and Dominga (13) have been with us since July, but we are sad to be seeing them off next week as they return to the states.
We are trying to involve the teens in service projects which takes the focus off of themselves and allows them the opportunity to help other people. Although there are opportunities around every corner, our 2 main projects have been the seminary and the construction of Mary and Raul’s house. Some like the work more than others, and at times it’s challenging for us as leaders to show them the importance of serving God through serving others. Overall, it’s been exciting, and we are seeing God’s hands at work.
Mark has been busy, busy, busy at the seminary with David working to complete the library. It looks great as it has been painted, ceiling lights have been added, electrical outlets are in place, and the floor has been completely cleaned out. Once the floor tile is set and the ceiling fans are in place, the books and the computers will be added making it a fully functioning library! It’s exciting to watch it all come together. It’s also very exciting to take a walk down memory lane and to remember the different groups that have all put their skills and energy into building it.
In addition to eating, sleeping, eating, and sleeping, I have been leading the Women’s Bible Study on Tuesday mornings. We began the book “Women of the Bible” by Ann Spangler & Jean E. Syswerda. This is a book I have used before while studying with 2 of my FBC Bethlehem students. It covers 1 woman from the Bible every week. So far we’ve studied Eve, Sarah, and Hagar. Next week, we take a look at Lot’s Wife. Although I’m still developing my “teaching” skills, I have enjoyed the weekly gatherings and times of study with this group of women.
In Baby News. . . Emma is doing well. She’s moving all the time now. The other morning I got up and my whole belly was lopsided. I had a big lump on my left side, but nothing on my right side. It’s very exciting. My next appointment is September 1st. We did have the opportunity to tour the hospital I will be delivering in. We were very pleased with the friendly staff, the cleanliness of the facility, and the beautiful rooms – Mark even gets a leather couch to sleep on in my room! All we have to do is wait now!
We hope all is going well with you! Keep the e-mails and the comments coming!
The Crossroads Youth Group is in full swing meeting every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9pm. We started out with only 4, and now we have upwards of 10 teens and pre-teens attending weekly. The ages range from 11 to 16 years. While most of the teens are permanent residents of La Paz, we have had the pleasure of having Eilene and Fidel’s 2 grandchildren who are visiting them from New York. Claudio (16) and Dominga (13) have been with us since July, but we are sad to be seeing them off next week as they return to the states.
We are trying to involve the teens in service projects which takes the focus off of themselves and allows them the opportunity to help other people. Although there are opportunities around every corner, our 2 main projects have been the seminary and the construction of Mary and Raul’s house. Some like the work more than others, and at times it’s challenging for us as leaders to show them the importance of serving God through serving others. Overall, it’s been exciting, and we are seeing God’s hands at work.
Mark has been busy, busy, busy at the seminary with David working to complete the library. It looks great as it has been painted, ceiling lights have been added, electrical outlets are in place, and the floor has been completely cleaned out. Once the floor tile is set and the ceiling fans are in place, the books and the computers will be added making it a fully functioning library! It’s exciting to watch it all come together. It’s also very exciting to take a walk down memory lane and to remember the different groups that have all put their skills and energy into building it.
In addition to eating, sleeping, eating, and sleeping, I have been leading the Women’s Bible Study on Tuesday mornings. We began the book “Women of the Bible” by Ann Spangler & Jean E. Syswerda. This is a book I have used before while studying with 2 of my FBC Bethlehem students. It covers 1 woman from the Bible every week. So far we’ve studied Eve, Sarah, and Hagar. Next week, we take a look at Lot’s Wife. Although I’m still developing my “teaching” skills, I have enjoyed the weekly gatherings and times of study with this group of women.
In Baby News. . . Emma is doing well. She’s moving all the time now. The other morning I got up and my whole belly was lopsided. I had a big lump on my left side, but nothing on my right side. It’s very exciting. My next appointment is September 1st. We did have the opportunity to tour the hospital I will be delivering in. We were very pleased with the friendly staff, the cleanliness of the facility, and the beautiful rooms – Mark even gets a leather couch to sleep on in my room! All we have to do is wait now!
We hope all is going well with you! Keep the e-mails and the comments coming!
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Okay, so we caved! We went to the doctors today for our 5 month check-up, and we told the doctor we wanted to know if the baby is a boy or a girl. He laughed and said, “I thought you would want to know”. So. . . . . After another ultrasound, measurements, and some looking around, we discovered with 90% certainty that we’re having a GIRL!!! We are so excited! He will tell us with 99% certainty at next month’s check-up. Little Emma is due December 20th, and she looks very healthy. Her heart rate is good, everything looks strong, and we even counted her 10 little toes! We shared the good news with our parents via computer phones this afternoon. Everyone is very excited, but still won’t believe it until she’s actually here. I can’t believe it’s a GIRL!
I also want to share with you all how thrilled I was with your emails from our last entry. It was so wonderful to hear about your own personal pregnancy and delivery experiences. We each have unique stories of how our little blessings came to be. Thank you so much for sharing them with us!
Other exciting news. . . Tomorrow we are starting construction on Mary and Raul’s new house! Mary and Raul and their 3 children have become very special to us and to many others at First Baptist Church Bethlehem since we met them 4 years ago. They have also become a special part of the lives of the Crossroads community – our English speaking congregation here in La Paz. I think I shared a bit about them in an earlier e-mail, but their home was basically eliminated earlier in the year in order to make room for a road to be widened. They have been renting a home in their same neighborhood with the hopes of one day rebuilding. At a business meeting 2 weeks ago, Crossroads voted to give their mission budget to help Mary and Raul begin to build their home. Raul is a very talented man who works very hard to support his family. He is so artistic and resourceful, it’s amazing to watch him work and to see the finished product – it’s always perfect. Mary has been helping us with our Spanish and is always a blessing to be around. This couple’s love for the Lord is evident in everything they do. We are so excited to have the opportunity to help them in such a big way. We will be doing construction mainly in the evening so Raul can continue to work his other jobs because it is so much cooler in the evening. Raul has the plans for his house all ready to go. We challenged him to be the “Jefe” or boss for the project since it is his house. He had a very hard time accepting that role. One thing about Raul and Mary is that they are very humble people, and Raul feels that the one supplying the money (the “patron”) should be the one with the “Jefe” title. He has reluctantly accepted the title with the understanding that it’s God’s money and God’s house for Mary and Raul to use. We are so excited to begin this project – and it will be ongoing over the months to come.
Some new pictures have finally been added to our blog site, so check them out when you get a chance! http://www.missionlapaz.blogspot.com/
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Friday, July 29, 2005
July 29th, 2005
Okay, so, we finally have internet at home, but our computer is out of service. We are borrowing computers until ours is fixed. It’s actually being sent back to the states to be fixed and sent back to us. I can’t load pictures to our blog until we have a more permanent computer which should be soon! Bare with us!
Baby news – I have my 5 month appointment this Monday at 1:00pm. I’m feeling great, but my iron is low as was just reported in my most recent blood work. I’ve always struggled with low iron, so this is nothing new, but my energy level is lower than usual. My doctor did put me on an iron supplement, but so far it hasn’t been changing my levels much. We have a girl’s name in mind, but are searching for just the right boy’s name – any suggestions would be helpful! I have been working with a doula, and for those of you not familiar with the term, a doula is the woman who worked with the midwives. While midwives delivered the babies, the doula coached the mother-to-be through the delivery. My doula’s name is Susan (what a coincidence!), and she has been wonderful even in the 2 times we’ve met. She will be with Mark and me in the hospital working with the doctors and nurses up until the point when I deliver – then it’s just me and Mark. The doctors all respect her role as a doula and she will be a great advocate for me while I’m going through the birth process. She will help me with breathing, positioning, and encouraging in addition to getting me whatever else I need to keep me more comfortable. Since the doctors here tend to give cesarean sections very quickly, she will be my advocate as she works with the doctors in order to do everything possible to avoid a c-section unless it’s absolutely medically necessary. I am much relieved to know that she will be a part of our delivery. I have felt little movements here and there, but it’s hard to tell if it’s my body, or the little one’s. No definite punches or kicks yet. I’ve had 4 dreams that it’s a girl, and all of my Mexican friends say it’s a girl because 1. I haven’t felt a lot of movement yet, and 2. because I’m round and not football shaped. Mark is still convinced that “Larimers only make boys”. We don’t want to know what we’re having until the little one arrives. We’re so excited!!!
Mark has been very busy every day working at the seminary. For those of you who have worked on it in the past, you wouldn’t recognize the place! The library is just about finished. All it needs is to be painted and tiled, and then they can start using it as a library / computer lab. The walls surrounding the seminary have been covered and smoothed with cement for a more eye appealing finish. They are now in the process of digging trenches around the entire property – way out to the back and along the row of houses next door, where they will build a wall to enclose the entire property. Pastors Braulio and Hernando have been faithfully working with David and Mark and also Oscar as well as others now and then including Raul, Jesus, and others. The seminary has found a “friend” too. A tiny little kitten has found a home in the classroom, and since he is being fed daily by the work crew, it looks like he’s there to stay. They affectionately named him Francisco in honor of our friend Pastor Francisco who is soon moving to Tiajuana.
Also, exciting news, we have begun a youth group at Crossroads for young’ins ages 11-16. We currently have 4-6 kids in that age group. We are still finalizing a name for the group, and we are having fun getting to know them. We forgot how. . . challenging it can be to work with this age group since Mark and I are used to working with the high school and college aged kids. Last week we took the gang to Bol La Paz – the first bowling alley in the area. We had a great time, but it was much more expensive than we had anticipated! Crossroads has given the youth group a budget of 200 pesos (about $20.00) per week for our outings and materials. We blew 3 weeks of our budget in one night of bowling!
That’s all for now! Keep us posted on what’s happening back home! We miss you and love you all!
Baby news – I have my 5 month appointment this Monday at 1:00pm. I’m feeling great, but my iron is low as was just reported in my most recent blood work. I’ve always struggled with low iron, so this is nothing new, but my energy level is lower than usual. My doctor did put me on an iron supplement, but so far it hasn’t been changing my levels much. We have a girl’s name in mind, but are searching for just the right boy’s name – any suggestions would be helpful! I have been working with a doula, and for those of you not familiar with the term, a doula is the woman who worked with the midwives. While midwives delivered the babies, the doula coached the mother-to-be through the delivery. My doula’s name is Susan (what a coincidence!), and she has been wonderful even in the 2 times we’ve met. She will be with Mark and me in the hospital working with the doctors and nurses up until the point when I deliver – then it’s just me and Mark. The doctors all respect her role as a doula and she will be a great advocate for me while I’m going through the birth process. She will help me with breathing, positioning, and encouraging in addition to getting me whatever else I need to keep me more comfortable. Since the doctors here tend to give cesarean sections very quickly, she will be my advocate as she works with the doctors in order to do everything possible to avoid a c-section unless it’s absolutely medically necessary. I am much relieved to know that she will be a part of our delivery. I have felt little movements here and there, but it’s hard to tell if it’s my body, or the little one’s. No definite punches or kicks yet. I’ve had 4 dreams that it’s a girl, and all of my Mexican friends say it’s a girl because 1. I haven’t felt a lot of movement yet, and 2. because I’m round and not football shaped. Mark is still convinced that “Larimers only make boys”. We don’t want to know what we’re having until the little one arrives. We’re so excited!!!
Mark has been very busy every day working at the seminary. For those of you who have worked on it in the past, you wouldn’t recognize the place! The library is just about finished. All it needs is to be painted and tiled, and then they can start using it as a library / computer lab. The walls surrounding the seminary have been covered and smoothed with cement for a more eye appealing finish. They are now in the process of digging trenches around the entire property – way out to the back and along the row of houses next door, where they will build a wall to enclose the entire property. Pastors Braulio and Hernando have been faithfully working with David and Mark and also Oscar as well as others now and then including Raul, Jesus, and others. The seminary has found a “friend” too. A tiny little kitten has found a home in the classroom, and since he is being fed daily by the work crew, it looks like he’s there to stay. They affectionately named him Francisco in honor of our friend Pastor Francisco who is soon moving to Tiajuana.
Also, exciting news, we have begun a youth group at Crossroads for young’ins ages 11-16. We currently have 4-6 kids in that age group. We are still finalizing a name for the group, and we are having fun getting to know them. We forgot how. . . challenging it can be to work with this age group since Mark and I are used to working with the high school and college aged kids. Last week we took the gang to Bol La Paz – the first bowling alley in the area. We had a great time, but it was much more expensive than we had anticipated! Crossroads has given the youth group a budget of 200 pesos (about $20.00) per week for our outings and materials. We blew 3 weeks of our budget in one night of bowling!
That’s all for now! Keep us posted on what’s happening back home! We miss you and love you all!
Sunday, July 17, 2005
July 17th
July 17, 2005
Sorry it’s been a while since our last update, but our laptop is in the shop and could be for quite a while. It seems the fan expired, which caused a shutdown of other important functions such as the keyboard and video monitor. We are praying for a quick arrival of a new fan and repair.
I (Mark) have been spending much of my time over the past couple of weeks on construction of the seminary with David and the pastors of the regional convention. The library is nearing completion! Stucco has been applied to the interior walls and ceiling, electric has been run, and Monday morning we will be pouring the floor. Many of the men and the students from the English fellowship will be lending a hand to make it all happen. Then all we need to do is apply some paint, install the doors and windows, lay the floor tiles, and lighting fixtures. Many of you who have had a hand in the construction would be pleasantly surprised at the progress.
The vision for the seminary not only includes theological training for pastors and lay leaders, but also includes housing for seminary students, a youth center, and a place for the convention to hold larger regional events and conferences. Progress might be slow, but this project has unified the pastors of the Baptist Convention! I consider it pure joy to work with them, laugh with them, sing with them, and share my life with them.
Susan and I just found out about another opportunity for ministry that is starting to take flight. Steve and Lois (missionaries from TEAM Missions) and the Reeds have been talking about joining forces to make a skateboard park a reality in La Paz. Steve has taken some steps to secure a grant though a Christian organization in the States which would cover most of the costs of land and construction materials. The vision is to reach out to the community and provide a clean, supervised, drug-free, and well-maintained park for kids to skate or just hang out together. We are praying that this dream becomes a reality.
Pictures will follow of the seminary progress, and we have much more to say, but don’t have time at the moment! To be continued. . .
Sorry it’s been a while since our last update, but our laptop is in the shop and could be for quite a while. It seems the fan expired, which caused a shutdown of other important functions such as the keyboard and video monitor. We are praying for a quick arrival of a new fan and repair.
I (Mark) have been spending much of my time over the past couple of weeks on construction of the seminary with David and the pastors of the regional convention. The library is nearing completion! Stucco has been applied to the interior walls and ceiling, electric has been run, and Monday morning we will be pouring the floor. Many of the men and the students from the English fellowship will be lending a hand to make it all happen. Then all we need to do is apply some paint, install the doors and windows, lay the floor tiles, and lighting fixtures. Many of you who have had a hand in the construction would be pleasantly surprised at the progress.
The vision for the seminary not only includes theological training for pastors and lay leaders, but also includes housing for seminary students, a youth center, and a place for the convention to hold larger regional events and conferences. Progress might be slow, but this project has unified the pastors of the Baptist Convention! I consider it pure joy to work with them, laugh with them, sing with them, and share my life with them.
Susan and I just found out about another opportunity for ministry that is starting to take flight. Steve and Lois (missionaries from TEAM Missions) and the Reeds have been talking about joining forces to make a skateboard park a reality in La Paz. Steve has taken some steps to secure a grant though a Christian organization in the States which would cover most of the costs of land and construction materials. The vision is to reach out to the community and provide a clean, supervised, drug-free, and well-maintained park for kids to skate or just hang out together. We are praying that this dream becomes a reality.
Pictures will follow of the seminary progress, and we have much more to say, but don’t have time at the moment! To be continued. . .
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
July 6th, 2005
I hope you all had a great 4th of July, it was just another day here in La Paz. No fireworks, no picnics. . . Anyway, it's been another exciting week here in Mexico.
Mark preached at Crossroads last Sunday on John Chapter 4. When we arrived at church, we were greeted by not only Mark's bald head but 3 other bald heads! In order to show Mark support in his taking charge of his baldness David Reed, Milton, and Rueben all shaved their heads!!! We were shocked. One man in the congregation asked what kind of shampoo they used. Mark made it clear to the newcomers that this was not a cult, but followed it up by saying, "of course that's just what a cult would say".
Mark has been working with David at the seminary. They have continued working on the library by covering the walls with textured cement. Mark is learning yet another Mexican trade of whipping the cement onto the walls to make them look less like cinder blocks and more like internal walls. He has been working with Pastors Francisco, Braulio, Guillermo, Hernando, and David in addition to another Pastor Francisco from the mainland. Fortunately, the weather has been a bit more bearable with cooler mornings (low 90's) with less humidity. The plants we planted in the garden in February look great!
I have been enjoying participating in women's ministry with Joyce and getting to know the other women of Crossroads. One woman Barbara is starting a breakfast program in one of the colonias of La Paz called Vista Hermosa (Beautiful View). Currently, the children have to pay 5 pesos (about $.50) for a government assisted breakfast which includes beans, meat, fruit, and milk. Although this may not seem like a lot of money to us, the families also have to pay 5 pesos to bus their children to school otherwise they must walk about 30 minutes into town to the school. Since most families have an average of 3-5 children, this can be financially overwhelming. Barbara is working on getting a free breakfast plan started by this October. While she is waiting for clearance on the program, she is spending time getting to know the families. Most of the families from Buena Vista came from mainland Mexico in search of a better life for their families. We met one family who owned a hardware store. They are doing very well for themselves supporting their children. Other families are not doing so well. One family we met - a family of 8, live in a very small home (smaller than a single car garage in the states). The father is unable to work, so the 17 year old daughter is burdened with the responsibility of providing for the family in the best way the family knows how. Please pray for this family. The decisions they are making are hard for us to understand.
This week we also had the opportunity to get together with the other pastors in the convention for a breakfast. During the breakfast (which was very spicy for my American tongue!), we discussed ministerial strengths and downfalls. The Reeds have been extremely instrumental in forming a partnership between the Mexican Baptist Churches. Before they came on board as missionaries, the churches were separate entities and wanted nothing to do with each other. Now it is not uncommon to see them studying together, working on the seminary together, and participating in each others services. While it is important to acknowledge how far the convention has come in regards to working together, they still have a long way to go. It was a great meeting/breakfast, and it was great to spend time with all of the pastors and their wives.
Our friends Ruben and Carolina (I enclosed a picture of Ruben playing worship music on the malecon) are leaving for mainland Mexico along with about 15 other leaders and members of First Baptist Church for a mission trip and evangelism conference. Pastor Alejandro and his wife are also going, so Mark and the Reeds will be filling in his pulpit over the next few weeks. Please pray for this group - for safety, growth, and for God to use them in a mighty way while they're there.
I think you're caught up to date for now. Keep the comments and the e-mails coming! You continue to be in our prayers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)