Blog 23 24 Nov 2015

More School Pics -- not so candid--

Now for the High School Guys:

Francisco

Ivan

Obed

A Music Test

Angel and Andrew
Brothers & My Neighbors

Frisbee Anyone

Soulwinning   ----

was changed to Thursday this week due to our Missions Conference Jenny, Jessica (my neighbor), and myself were on a quick and unexpected trip to the border.  We handed out a few tracts while running errands, but were unable to attend scheduled soulwinning.

Unexpected Trip to the Border:

A good friend of Mrs. Brenda's came for a visit and needed a ride back to the airport in McAllen.  We were able to pick up a few things for the Missions Conference and Thanksgiving while we were there.

I also returned to the Department of Safety to title my car in the state of Texas.  While going through the glovebox to make sure I had all of my "proofs" in order, I found an unopened envelope from the State of Arkansas.  Yes, the correct title!!  Now headed out to transfer to Texas, I was braced for another horrible experience -- but was pleasantly surprised!  No line, one form, and done!  Best of all, there was no additional fee!  PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Vision Mundial 2015

World Vision 2015

Here are a few pictures:                             

Jenny singing the special

I apologize that they are a little blurry :( 

Bro. Jon having Faith Promise Cards
passed out Friday.

Bro. Jon impressing 
upon us the fact that the country
of Somalia is closed to the Gospel

Saturday, we observed an International Dinner.

Mt. Hebron Baptist Church supports 55 missionarries, many of whom are graduates of our Bible Institute.
Pics of the display tables and costumes will be posted next week.

New Food of the Week:

I think Tino's has become my favorite restaraunt!  They have really good Jamaica, pictured here with Enrollado de Carne.  
(The "ll" in Spanish is pronounced "y.") 
In English, Rolled Meat.  There were beans on the side, cheese on the top, and it was covered in salsa verde - green salsa. 
Surprise! I really liked it.

Language Update:  

The more I learn, the more I know how much I have to learn.

I am still plugging away.

Book Nook

For those interested, 365 Days of Thankfulness will be ready for publication before Jan 1.  

If you would like to pr-order for use in 2016, or even for Christmas gifts, please FB Message me or e-mail me at superiorscholasticskills@gmail.com.  A digital version is available through Kindle Direct and print versions will be available soon through Amazon.  For info regarding other books available or "in the works" please see Blog 6.

PRAYER CORNER

Thank you for your faithful prayers and encouragement

1. Pray for the teachers and students of the Mount Hebron Christian Academy.

2. Pray for me as I learn the Spanish Language.

3. Pray for Finances for the ministries as well as me personally.

4. Please pray for continued good health 

Blog 26 15 Dec 2015

More School Pics -- not so candid

Pre-School / Kindergarten

  

Preview of our Christmas Party!

Other Bible Classes

Soulwinning  

Evangelists Darrel & Buffy Ratcliff were with us for a Friday - Saturday Evangelistic Campaign geared toward reaching children.  They brought their inflatables and we had several church-members on hand to present the Gospel to the children and their parents.  Over 900 people registered and well over half of those responded at the invitation time.  Our church services were filled with visitors on Sunday!

Here is my neighbor Jessica, leading a teen girl.  Many of our ladies were helping at the campaign, but the five of us at regular soulwinning saw three people led to the Lord.

I tried cropping the picture; I am sorry you cannot see the people well.  But I wanted you to see the roads and houses, too.  This is about a mile or two from my house and the church property.

Language Update:  

Please pray for me regarding learning Spanish.  I am still working on my Rosetta Stone and Scripture memory.  I have learned John 3:16a and am moving on to John 3:16b.  I am on Core Lesson 3 on the RS cds.  Ironically, this lesson is titled "School and Work."

This score was on "Speaking"!

I went on to get an 88% on the Adaptive Recall Review for Core Lesson 2.

Book Nook

For those interested, 365 Days of Thankfulness is now available through Amazon, Amazon Kindle.  You may also purchase it through me directly via email: 

superiorscholasticskills@gmail.com

I appreciate the encouragement I have already received from so many in my writing endeavors.

New Food of the Week:

  We had many errands for the campaign 

mentioned above as well as for various Christmas parties besides our regular grocery shopping, so Jenny and I decided to go to Reyes de Hambrugesa.  This is a picture of my first fast food in Mexico.  I also had my first milkshake in six months on this same day.  This quaint little restaraunt reminded me of a place I have been to in the states, but I just can't place it.

PRAYER CORNER

Thank you for your faithful prayers and encouragement

1. Pray for Mount Hebron Christian Academy.

2. Pray for me as I learn the Spanish Language.

3. Pray for Finances for the ministries as well as me personally.

4. Please pray for continued good health 

5. Pray for many who will be travelling during the holidays.

Wishing you and yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

-----No Blog over Christmas Break-----

I will be celebrating Christmas with my family.  I will not be updating again until mid January, 2016.

Blog 22 17 Nov 2015

More School Pics -- not so candid

Ladies First:

Karla

Dulce

Enjoying Music

Geography

Soulwinning   ---- 12 tracts ---- (still silent partner)
Jessica and Jenny were my partners again this week.  Jessica prayed with Olivia, a lady who was running an outdoor grill.  We knocked doors in a neighborhood not too far from the church. As a matter of fact, we were only a block or so away from the yogurt shop ... and of course, we had to stop and enjoy a frozen treat. The five ladies in our van won three people to to Christ.

If you receive the Ashcraft's prayer letter, you may already have read Jon's most recent soulwinning story.  He and one of our Bus Captains visited in the home of the owner of the hardware store while knocking doors.  Before they left, the man had accepted Christ and was assured of his home in Heaven. 
(This was the owner, not the same man who recently fixed my door lock.)

Language Update:  

Finally!  I have completed Unit 2 of Rosetta Stone! Ironically, this unit is Greetings and Conversation.  Unit 3 is School and the Classroom.

Book Nook

For those interested, 365 Days of Thankfulness will be ready for publication before Jan 1.  

If you would like to pr-order for use in 2016, or even for Christmas gifts, please FB Message me or e-mail me at superiorscholasticskills@gmail.com.  A digital version is available through Kindle Direct and print versions will be available soon through Amazon.  For info regarding other books available or "in the works" please see Blog 6.

Guess Who Came to My House?!

Samy was outside palying so we went out and joined him.

PRAYER CORNER

Thank you for your faithful prayers and encouragement

1. Pray for the teachers and students of the Mount Hebron Christian Academy.

2. Pray for me as I learn the Spanish Language.

3. Pray for Finances for the ministries as well as me personally.

4. Please pray for continued good health for me as well as the Ashcraft family, during cold and flu season.

Blog 21 10 Nov 2015

One More Candid!

Another candid shot; this one from morning assembly.  It seems we have gotten into the routine of every day.  For PE this week we played an actual game of Softball. It ended in a tie 5-5.

Soulwinning   ---- 5 tracts ---- (still silent partner) 

This Friday our ladies' groups visited in a less-populated residential area right off the highway.  There were fewer houses than in the downtown areas where we were soulwinning last week.  Most of the places were "quintas" or rental places for people who come down for the weekend for horseback riding or parties. My partners were Jenny and my neighbor Jessica. Jessica talked to one lady who believed that we could choose our eternal destiny after we die.  Of course, they were speaking in Spanish, but I believe it had something to do with her belief in Pergatory.  She was polite to us and accepted the tract, but did not get saved today.  The seven ladies in our van won two souls.  We also stopped in to have a brief visit and word of prayer with a lady who was once a faithful member of Mt. Hebron who is dying of cancer.

New Food of the Week:

While chocolate-covered ripples were coming out in the US, here we were unveiling "Beanitos." These white and black bean potato chips were good, but not as good as the homemade chips served at many restaraunts here.

The makers of the best store-bought Jamaica have come out with Cucumber - Lime water that is really good!

Language Update:  
I recently realized that my students are repeating my instructions not to show that they understand, but to mentally correct my grammar.  It has only taken me three months to realize they are not saying the same thing I just said.

I got a little discouraged with having to repeat my Rosetta Stone lessons so many times.  It has been a few weeks since I have progressed more than one or two lessons.  I am determined to work with this on a daily basis again, and truly appreciate your prayers regarding my learning.  I become easily frustrated with myself.

Around Town

I am so excited that I actually knew where we were in relation

to where we live driving around the town last Tuesday evening!  Those of you who have ever gotten lost with me can appreciate what a major victory this feels like to me.  I even remembered one of the one-way streets! (Don't panic -- I was not the driver!) I am certain that the fact we were on the same block as the frozen yogurt shop has nothing to do with my amazing directional skills.

Book Nook

For those interested, 365 Days of Thankfulness will be ready for publication before Jan 1.  

If you would like to pr-order for use in 2016, or even for Christmas gifts, please FB Message me or e-mail me at superiorscholasticskills@gmail.com.  A digital version is available through Kindle Direct and print versions will be available soon through Amazon.  For info regarding other books available or "in the works" please see Blog 6.

PRAYER CORNER

Thank you for your faithful prayers and encouragement

1. Pray for the teachers and students of the Mount Hebron Christian Academy.

2. Pray for me as I learn the Spanish Language.

3. Pray for Finances for the ministries as well as me personally.

4. Please pray for continued good health for me as well as the Ashcraft family, during cold and flu season.

Blog 20 03 Nov 2015

More Candid School Shots

Here are a few shots in the class room.  Many of the students speak English and most days I have a volunteer helper who is bi-lingual. 

 

Jenny teaches music on Tuesdays; Jon oversees chapel on Fridays.  They each stay to help on their day. Other days my helper is a parent or a college student.

Soulwinning = 25 Tracts!

(But, still, the silent partner)

Although I thoroughly enjoyed going soulwinning with the college girls, I must admit that it is nice to be back with the ladies group and be at home on Friday nights. (Yes, I am that old.) 

This week I partnered with Jenny in a busy downtown area. There were a few houses between the shops on our street. Mrs. Carrie and some ladies in her group went on the streets behind the shops.  Jenny and I were not able to talk long to anyone, but we did pass out a lot of tracts.  I handed out a stack of 25; Jenny handed out all of hers as well.  We went back to the van and scrounged some from the door panel or the glove box.  We did have one man refuse the tract and shut the door.  This was only the second time that I have seen that happen since I have been here.

Thirteen ladies went visiting on Friday.  The six ladies in our van led ten individuals in the sinner's prayer.

New Food of the Week:

Roast Beef Enchiladas

Made with roast beef and guacamole, these enchilladas were absolutely delicious! Roast beef is my all-time favorite meal and this is what Jenny "whipped up" from the leftovers. Obviously, none of her culinary skills were learned from me. And, of course, we had home-brewed Jamaica tea!

Language Update:  

True, but funny story:  I made up some certificates for the students to earn which would allow them to wear denim or casual clothes to school.  I was told that here it is called a "free clothes" day.  Not "free of clothes" but free from the rules about the clothes.  Well, I misspelled the words -- I know, you are totally shocked, right? -- For my Spanish-speaking readers, the certificate said 

"Ropas Libro -- 2,000 Merits."  

For my non-Spanish-speaking readers, 

"Bookish Clothes -- 2,000 Merits." 

(Literally translated, "Clothes Book") 

No one bought any of these. :/

Just a reminder to my friends in Arkansas that we are once again on the same clock!

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.

Blog 19 27 Oct 2015

Candid School Shots:

Here are a few shots of recess and PE; the students having a good time on our large soccer field.

   

PE Fridays
Team Tag @ Recess

Also Featuring the Large Soccer Field:

Sorry pic is a little blurry; they were running fast.

Here is a shot of a church youth activity Saturday night. 

K & PreK Have PE:

Can you see Samy's Ohio State shirt? Proof of Jenny's far-reaching influence! I told him if he would pose for a picture for my blog, I would give him a candy.  As soon as Javi heard that, he ran over and posed, too.  So, this cute pic cost me two candies; it was well worth it! 

   

Interesting Note:

Here in Mexico, our time has already "fallen back" one hour as of Sunday, October 25.  That makes a on-hour time difference with my friends in Arkansas until the US catches up with us.

Soulwinning (still silent partner)

The weather is much cooler now, so Ladies' soulwinning is now at 2 pm on Fridays. We had a little luncheon to invite new ladies to come out soulwinning for the first time.  There were 3 first-time soulwinners and 13 ladies altogether.  I was privileged

to partner with Mrs. Brenda this week, who led one man to the Lord. The 8 ladies in our van saw 11 saved.

New Food of the Week:

Apple Pie Tacos! My neighbor, Jessica

(pictured next to Jenny), created this new dessert and brought some to the soulwinning luncheon.  I think they are my new favorite tacos!  Think apple pie filling then wrap a fajita around it, & top it with cream cheese! 

Mmmmm! Mmmmm! Good!

Jonathan & Tommy

We love to paint and color!

Can you see my blue mustache?

Prayer Corner

Special Note: Thank you for your prayers for the country of Mexico in general during the onslaught of Hurricane Patricia.  Though areas around Monterrey experienced only heavy wind and rain, a few of our church members have family on the West Coast, and several graduates of our institute serve in churches in these areas.

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.
4. For wisdom in the timing of bringing my car across the border.