Blog 16 6 Oct 2015

New Students in Christian School!

Another family has enrolled their three students in Mount Hebron Christian Academy!! All of our desks are occupied now.  If we continue to grow, we will need new desks; and eventually, hopefully, a new learning center.

I would like to someday see churches or families in the states offer scholarships for some of the families who truly cannot afford tuition.

Church News! 

Dr. W.L. Smith from OK City, OK was with us for the past week.  He has been a special guest speaker here for 25 consecutive years. We had over 35 first-time visitors on Sunday and the altars were filled at invitation.  He spoke in church two Sundays and taught in our Bible Institute the week in between. Excellent thoughts on the importance of forgiveness.  And, I will admit, though I love and respect my new Pastor greatly, it was nice to hear a sermon in English.

Soulwinning (still silent partner)
There was a tremendous turnout this week for soulwinning in general.  On the Friday night ladies' van there were sixteen ladies, the driver and his teenaged son.  These 18 soulwinners led 13 people to the Lord.  We were in a middle-class neighborhood close to the church.  My partner, Esther, and I encountered a few birthday parties and one cookout, but still she led one man to Christ.  The men's group took a bus instead of a van.  In the morning soulwinning group, there were 19 ladies.  Mrs. Ashcraft and those in her van led 5.

New Food of the Week:

Mrs. Brenda, {my Pastor's wife} treated me to a frozen yogurt this week!  Think TCBY only better! They come with three fruits / candies and I chose pina, zarzamora, and oreo, which translates to: pineapple, blackberry, and oreos.  It was really good!

*Sorry; I did not have my camera.*

Language Update:   

I continue to work with my Rosetta Stone, though not as much as I did before school started. I have progressed to Level 2, Lesson 15.

Learning Corner:

I posted about the coins used in Mexico in Blog 5, and thought I would share about the paper money this week.  I think it is interesting that the bills are all different colors and sizes.  

Although the exchange rate fluctuates daily, it has remained between 15 & 17 pesos to the dollar since June.  I will use the same rate as I did when talking about the coins, which was 15.7.  So . . .

500 p = @ $31.85

100 p = @ $ 6.37

 50 p = @ $ 3.18

 20 p = @ $ 1.27

Sometimes I feel rich carrying around a couple hundred pesos, but even 800 pesos is only roughly $50.  I spend around 500 pesos, or about $35, a week on groceries.  A pineapple water or Jamacia tea bought at a market stand is 15-20 pesos, or around $1.  A medium yogurt with 3 added fruits or candies is 40 pesos, or less than $3.  All are well worth it! 
See if you can figure out how much the locksmith cost in dollars:

Around the House:

I am including pic of door lock because I don't think I could quite describe it with words.  The lock broke.  The lock broke stuck on "locked" not "unlocked;" fortunately while I was  outside with my purse.  One of the men of the church tried to open it with the keys, tried to jimmy the lock, had four teenage boys try to get in through the windows, all to no avail.  My house is basically impenetrable, which is nice to know. The locksmith came and spent about two hours. First, he took about 1.5 hours banging out the metal deadbolt from the metal door with a hammer and medium sized crowbar. (The screwdriver in the pic did not help!) Finally, the lock landed inside the house with a THUD! Then the locksmith took a mallet and banged the metal sideposts back into place.  Lastly, he installed the new lock, one side at a time, then screwing either side to the other.  Maybe you are thinking, as I was, however in the world is she going to pay for all of that?! Well, believe it or not, it only cost 400 pesos!  You can see the Learning Corner above to know just how much that cost in dollars.

Prayer Corner

Thank you for continuing to pray for the needs listed in detail in Blog 13.
1. For students to be influenced through the Christian school.
2. For me to learn the language so as to be more effective.
3. For finances.

A Personal Note:
My college cohort for trouble-making;
My sounding board for teaching techniques;
My confidant through every boyfriend breakup;
My "person;" My friend:
Kristen Hall was always there for me.
I miss you, and I love you!

My long-time friend, Kristen Hall, took her flight to Heaven this week.  On Saturday, aroung 1:40 pm, her two-year battle with cancer ended, and she is now enjoying the victory.  

We have been friends since our days together at Hyles-Anderson College in the 80's.  She was a good friend and a wonderful teacher.  In her almost 30 years of teaching she influenced hundreds of students, many of whom are faithfully serving the Lord today.  Her investment in the next generation is an example and admonition to us all.  

She will be greatly missed!

Kristen, with her buddy, Samuel Perryman

Me, Cathy Brown, her daughter Julie, and Kristen