Blog 45 27 Sep 2016

School News:

This was taken right after PE

Praise the Lord! This past month, someone contacted me to offer a scholarship to a needy student. As our tuition is very modest, it is mostly the price of the books that prevent those interested from being able to afford the school. The scholarship money was enough to purchase two sets of pre-school workbooks, and one student tuition. Here is a pic of our newest students: Aby, K5 & Sara, K4. You probably recognize Samy, and Mauricio, K4, is also new to our school this year, but he was in the first day pics of the last blog.

 

{Tommy & Jonathan are with their parents at a Missions Conference and visiting Grammy in MI}

The Great Commission!

With the start of September, I began greeting those we were inviting to church and to whom we are hoping to give the Gospel.  This is a huge step for me, as my goal is to be able to witness to someone in Spanish before the end of 2016.  Most of the time I am partnered with Jenny or Jessica, who, as of now still carry the conversation; but at least I can introduce us and offer a church tract -- small victories!

The Local Church:

September 16 is Mexican Independence Day.  We celebrated with family activities (consisting mostly of food and games) on Thursday night.  On Sunday, we had tamales after church and encouraged everyone to dress in traditional Mexican attire.

(So, much like an "Old-Fashioned Sunday" in the states.)

We all had a lot of fun and there were many visitors on Sunday.

 

Jenny & Laura in a cookie-eating contest on Thursday
 -- can you guess who won?

We continue to see many saved in our numerous soulwinning and out-reach programs.  Bro. Jon has a great vision for our church and its ministries.  

Interesting & Exciting Happenings:

The local horses have found their way onto the Mount Hebron properties.  The much rain we experienced in August and September made our grass especially appealling to them. The people here did not find this unusual at all, but I was a little taken aback at encountering horses on the sidewalk on the way to school.  Here is a pic of one in my back yard, taken from my window.  Notice the office building right behind him.

Adapting tO my Changing Life:

"Learning another language is like becoming another person."

After one full year of living in Mexico, I have noticed a few things about myself that are completely different than the "myslef" I knew from the United States.  Here are just a few samplings of instances in which I now respond completely differently:

1. I used to love to drive; just to relax and think about things.

     I no longer own a car; + driving here is very stressful.

2. I recently discovered an ant crawling on my toothbrush.

     I rinsed it off and brushed my teeth anyway.

3. One time I was awakened in the middle of the night by a spider 

     crawling on me.  I killed the spider and went back to sleep.

4. I used to make plans several weeks, or even months, in advance.

     This is no longer possible, except for grand events like

      Christmas or trips to Europe.  I am adjusting to 

     "rolling with the flow."

5. I always enjoyed a trip to the local library.

     Although I have been assured on numerous occassions that there

      is a library in Monterrey, I have yet to actually see it, 

      let alone visit it.

6. Fruits and vegetables are so abundant here that I am able to buy 

     them every week.  This makes me feel much healthier and

     stronger than the ravioli I previously used as a staple.

7.  I have not once gone out for pizza with my friends.

      I have brought home pizza from Costco: not the same.

8. I do not miss the fast-food restaraunts like I thought I would.
      We do have McDonald's and BK, but not Sonic or Chik-Fila.
      I have gotten a burger and fries a time or two, but I really don't 
      want or crave it like I thought I might.

9.  I am praying every day that the Lord helps me to adapt to my

      new life and my new lifestyle, as well as to learn the language.

      I love living in Mexico -- the pros far out-weigh the cons:
      however, it is an on-going series of adjustments. 

Blog 44 06 Sep 2016

First Day of Classes!     23 Aug 2016

Primer Dia de Clases!

First Day of School, Take 1
23 Aug 2016

First Day of School, Take 2:
6 Sept 20

We are off to a great start and are anticipating a tremendous school year.  We have two seniors and two juniors in the High School (all young men), and a brother and sister in the elementary.  The Kindergarten consists of three K5 and one K4 student.  Samy will be the first to turn 5 later this month.

You may notice which students were still enjoying summer while the rest of us were hiotting the books.  Our new students this year are Mauricio in the K4 and Joel in the high school.  Mauricio and his family live on the property of the church.  Joel is Jon and Jenny's nephew from El Salvador.  He will be finishing his last credits of High School and taking a few classes in our Bible Institute before heading to Hyles-Anderson College in January.  

You might be attending school in Mexico if 1/2 your class is named Gonzalez. 

The Great Commission!

The first Friday of the summer break our ladies' group was involved in a car accident.  Praise the Lord no one was injured! The ladies witnessed to those who were waiting at a nearby bus-stop and saw two people saved.

Mrs. Carrie Suhl (now Kaighen) was driving us in her van; the driver of the other car ran a stop sign.  Neither vehicle was traveling very fast, thus no injuries.  Her van sustained minor damage to the bumper and the license plate holder was broken; the back door of the other car was demolished.  

The aftermath

Mrs. Carrie and the Insurance Man

The many soulwinning programs of our church ministry continued throughout the summer, with slightly smaller numbers in attendance due to people being out of town or spending time with their children.  I appreciate your continued prayers and interest even though I did not give as many updates over the summer months.

Compare & Contrast

Accident Scene in US:   / Accident Scene South of the Border:

Two policemen arrive in    One officer is dropped off, the other
patrol car.                            continues his patrol. 
                                            This paticular officer was finishing his ice cream.

Each driver presents his     Drivers may or may not be licensed or 
license and insurance.         insured.           This is only
                                            really an issue if you are an American driver.

Depending on state law,     Both drivers must wait for the insurance
both drivers report the        agents to arrive and photograph the
incident to their                  scene.
respective insurances.
Usually by phone

The police determine          The police make a report and issue 
who is at fault, and make    tickets at their discretion; which may or
an official report.                may not be based on what actually
                                                                  occurred.

The ins. companies pay      Each ins. agent makes his own 
according to the official      report and determination, which may or
report.                                 may not agree with the officer's, each
                                            other's, or the facts.

In this particular case, the officer found the other driver at fault for running a stop sign, but only ticketed him for lack of license and insurance.  Mrs. Carrie's agent found her at fault because her van struck the car past the mid-way point; he told the un-insured, un-licensed driver that they would be replacing his door.  At that point, the other driver "suddenly" developed neck and back pain. The agent, officer, Mrs. Carrie, and Mrs. Jessica immediately started laughing, so he didn't pursue that angle for long.

The Local Church:

As I mentioned regarding soulwinning, everything in the church continued as normal; our crowds were down when people were vacationing or visiting family and up on our big days or special promotions.  We celebrated Father's Day on June 12th, so we could celebrate our church anniversary on June 19th. We had dinner on the grounds, which is sure to draw a big crowd in any Baptist church.

In Sunday-School that morning, the lesson was on Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.  The plan of salvation and baptism was presented clearly for the many visitors in attendance. 

(Too many for one visitor's class -- everyone went with the person who invited them).  

The teacher asked each of us to  tell when we were saved.  I struggled through mine in Spanish -- I am sure my grammar was horrible, but the others understood me. Most of the others answered, "En eso iglesia," or "Con Pastor Tommy." ("In this church," or "With Pastor Tommy.") 

The lady next to me, though, said, "Con dos Americanas en mi casa." ("With two American women at my house.") Praise the Lord for soulwinners!!

One Sunday night that Jon's Dad preached, ten young people surrendered their lives to full-time Christian service. PTL!

Summer Hilites:

Don't miss pics from my August blog! (#43) Here is our last day of summer at the Flagpole.
The city of Monterrey is behind me with saddleback Mountain as the backdrop.  
This really is a beautiful country!

 

Blog 43 Summer Pics

May:

Last Day of School
This pic was worth repeating!


Car Accident while out
soulwinning.
Write up in September's Blog

Memorial Day / South Padre Island
Not a flattering pic, I know;
but we had so much fun!

June:

Hma. America giving her testimony at a Wed. Night Split Session
She has a bone disease which has confined her to a wheelchair.
One prayer request she has shared w me is her desire to
go soulwinning regularly.

Fun & Games at the Split Session!
The beginning of "Musical Chairs"

The ending of "Musical Chairs"

A relaxing day at the pool!
Samy's mom works for the people who own this little resort.
It was free of guests on this day.
Take in the view behind me!

Packing BEAMS Bibles w Mrs. Carrie

We readied 4,000 Bibles for distribution

Sembradoras -- Ladies' Soulwinning

Sembradoras -- Ladies' Soulwinning

The road where we were soulwinning.
Again, take in the view behind Mrs. Betty.

July:

The North Atlantic Coast of Iceland

My cousin's girls -- Hadn't seen my Louisville family members
in over 15 years -- Great visit!!

August:

Bridal Shower / Going Away Party for Mrs. Carrie --
as of September 3, 2016:  Mrs. Kaighen

Last day of Summer Break @ the Flagpole

1st Day of School!!

Summer Hilites:

1. On a trip to the Texas Border with Jon and Jenny for mail and shopping, it was decided we would drive the extra hour to the Gulf and visit the beach.  It was the boys' first time to see the ocean.  Lucas probably will not remember it, but the rest of us definitely will.

2. I celebrated turning 50 this year (not officially til December) by vacationing in Europe with my long-time friend, Debbie.  We had been planning for this trip for many years and decided to keep it on the calendar even after my decision to move to Mexico last year.  Pics in folders of cities we visited are on my FB page.
(None of your support money was spent for this trip.)

3.  As my hometown of Louisville was my departure city for my vacation, I was able to catch up with some friends and family before heading back to Monterrey.

4. I kept the nursery (cuna) for the first time: six children who understood no English (J & T stayed w Granny).  Lucas got a little jealous when I picked up the other baby.  The other four were aged 2-5.

5.  I spent quite a few hours of my summer in the classroom either learning Spanish or tutoring math or English.

6.  Sorry no pics, but I had authentic Mexican hamburgers a time or two this summer! -- not to be compared with McDonalds or Sonic, or any hamburger in the states: served with avacado, onions, and tomatoes and a rather large order of fries (only comes in regular or doubled -- no small, medium, or large).

7.  The First Day of School will be featured in my first blog of September -- pics included, I promise!

Blog 42 24 May 2016

School News                        

la noticia de la escuela 

Graduation pictures:

Abby, who attended the evening classes

Ivan 

Karla

Francisco

Although we had no school graduates this year, we did give certificates to those who completed Level 1 of ESL.

And, a pic of our Institute lady graduates:

My friend Tania, (in the green dress) who teaches piano in the institute, and the lady graduates.

(The little one on the far right just wanted to stand by her Mama)

I was not able to get a picture of the 2 men.

Last day of school pics:

 

 

These pictures mark the end of my  20th year of teaching.

The last one of all of us (including the babies) is the one I plan to add to my collection of all of the students I have been privileged to teach. I may soon need a bigger office (or at least a new shelf).

Church News

la noticia de la iglesia

Excerpt from a recent update sent to my home and sending church, Heritage Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas:

It is certainly exciting to have the baptistry in the main auditorium and to be able to include those following the Lord in baptism as a part of our regular services.  Last week was the inaugral service for our newly repaired baptistry as well as a "big day" in the bus ministry that resulted in 50 baptisms.  This past Sunday was not a big day; it was just a regular Sunday and we had 32 baptisms.  There are literally hundreds of soulwinners in our church.  Many of our members or their parents were personally won to the Lord by Jon's parents out soulwinning.  There are always exceptions of course, but generally speaking, first-generation Christians usually make the best soulwinners because they fully realize the importance of soulwinning.  And first-generation Christians won by a missionary are also generally those who give the most to missions. At our Missions Conference we were given a list of missionarries our church supports.  This list has 58 families on it. That is 58 missionaries supported by a church that averages 500-600 in Sunday morning attendance.  

I am truly grateful to be involved in a great work of the Lord.  I am glad to be a part of the team used to train the children of these dedicated men and women and help equip them to reach their own generation.  I am truly grateful also for those faithful and dedicated men and women who see the urgency and need for me to be here, who sent me here, and who make it possible for me to stay here and help in this work.  Thank you for believing in me.

For more info about the Mount Hebron Ministries, click the link below.

http://www.jonathanashcraft.org

Soulwinning

Sembradoras

Friday, May 13, took us to a neighborhood not far from Hno. Ivan and Hna. Laura's.  It is apparantly a working class neighborhood; Jenny and I found not one single person at home.  We did give tracts to some men who were working on their cars.  Of the ten ladies in Jenny's group this week,only one lady was able to lead someone to the Lord.  The total from all the ladies' soulwinning meetings was 27.

Friday, May 20, we went soulwinning close to where we have been the past few weeks.  There were a few people home, but not very many.  My neighbor Jessica was able to talk to a lady whose daughter had just gotten home frome school.  Lucia and her daughter trusted Jesus for a home in Heaven.  

Seven ladies went out in our group today and led six souls to the Lord.  The total from all of the ladies' soulwinning efforts was 34.

Weather

el clima

It has been about 85* here the past two weeks, except for a little period of rain which put us in the 70's for a few days. 

During the night it can get into the 60's and I have turned off the AC a few times. (but not many!)

Language

El Idioma

The end of the school year activities have made it difficult to keep up with my language studies as well as I would like to.  Please pray for me to get back on track and for me to remember what I have already learned.  Jessica has been very patient and encouraging with my slow progress.

Other Interesting News:

otra noticia interesante:

I lost :(

One of Jonathan and Tommy's friends, David, is about to join their ranks as a big brother!  David's Mom invited me to her Baby Shower.  There were many ladies there, a few babies, some nice presents, and some really good tacos. 

In Spanish, this event is called a "Baby Shower" just like in English, except with a pronounced Latino accent.  

New Foods

Comida Nueva

Besides cake and tacos, there was a new type of dessert served that I had never tried before. It was jello cubes served in cups of sweetened condensed milk.  It really tasted good, despite the fact that the two tastes sound like they wouldn't go together very well.

(Also, can you tell how warm it was that day?)

This will be my last official blog before school starts back

in the fall.  I will be working on the school calendar and schedule, the pace order, and other school-related activities over the summer. I will have a very relaxed schedule, though, and have even planned some vacation time with my oldest friend (oldest in that she has been my friend since we were 7; not in the sense that she is the oldest of all my friends). I also plan to get some writing accomplished and work hard toward learning Spanish.
I will post some summer pictures like I did over Christmas.

Prayer Corner
la esquina de oracion

Please continue to pray for Mt Hebron Baptist Church:

1. Pastor Jon & Mrs. Jenny

2. Church leadership and SS Teachers

3. The many people who have been saved and baptized since April      to continue to grow in the Lord.

And also, Mt Hebron Christian Academy:

1. For me to be the teacher the students need

2. For wisdom as we prepare for next year