The long awaited blog post

¡Yo lo sé, I know! To my shame it has been almost 6 months since I posted our last blog.  Apologizes are not enough. Instead, I vow to try to do much better over the rest of our time here in Mexico so that you remain informed and do not feel neglected.

Much has happened over the past six months.  To try to write about it all would be long and boring.  Therefore, we will give you the “CliffsNotes” version.

Gone and Back Again

Maykon, the student from Honduras, who arrived shortly after we had arrived in Matachi, went back to his county in May due to some personal reasons.  Fortunately, those issues have been resolved and last week he was able to join us again.  We are thankful to have Maykon back.  He has a unique way of making people laugh and brings much excitement to our community.  He rejoins our other two students, Gustavo and Heber.  Oh! And Aleesa has now joined the staff and is doing a wonderful job.

Hello Chihuahua!

Before arriving in Matachi we knew that we would be looking to move the school to the city of Chihuahua and Matachi would become a secondary location.  Therefore, back in mid-April we began the process of looking for a suitable building in Chihuahau to rent.  We looked at several before finally deciding on a building that is about 10 blocks from downtown Chihuahua.  It is a wonderful location for us and is located in a very nice community.  Thanks to a grant that provided half of our yearly rent, we were able to move into the building in mid-August.  And we are prayerfully hopeful that the rest of the funds will become available to us through other resources that Hillside Missions Organization in Richmond, VA is currently soliciting.

Significant changes

Our move to Chihuahua has brought with it several changes to how we live in community.  We now find ourselves having access to so many resources that it was a bit overwhelming at first.  I (Andy) have gone from being the primary teacher to being one of 6 different teachers.  Academically, the level of study here at the school has increased tremendously.  In terms of practical ministry, we now have access to a number of different ministries.  Already we have been involved in evangelistic efforts with a local church, and we expect to soon participate in some unique ministries for children, for women, and for drug addicts and alcoholics.  We are also learning about horticulture and renewable resources and how we can use them on the mission field.

In fellowship

One of the challenges of living in Matachi was the limited access to other Christian communities.  While never truly alone, there were certainly times that we as a community felt lonely and disconnected from the rest of the Christian community.  Certainly for missionaries, this is not uncommon and we now have a better idea of the struggles that missionaries go through.  Image what William Carey went through in India during those seven years before he started seeing the fruits of his ministry and people starting trusting in Christ for their salvation!  Being in Chihuahua and having greater access to Christian communities is something that we will no longer take lightly.  We are very thankful that we have found a church that we can regularly join in fellowship.  The church is called Viento Fresco meaning “Fresh Wind”, and it certainly has been a fresh wind to our spirits.  In addition, we are excited about the opportunities to visit and share with other churches in Chihuahua and encourage their involvement in missions.

Not forgotten

Although we are no longer in Matachi on a daily basis, we still have the building there.  We envision this property as becoming a kind of retreat center that the churches here in Chihuahua can have access to.  Perhaps in this way, we can promote more awareness of the needs of the churches in that area and provide more opportunities to support and assist those churches in their outreach efforts.  We also envision Matachi as being our primary base in the summers so that we can put into practice what we have learned.

Our Needs

It is never easy for us to express our own needs.  We truly do not like putting the burden on others.  On the other hand, we recognize that God does move the hearts of individuals to support us.  For that we are very thankful and grateful.  This has been a humbling experience for us and we are always amazed when God provides exactly what we need.  Should we really be that surprised when God comes through for us time and time again?  Maybe not, but on the other hand we do not want to lose that sense of amazement when He does come through for us.  For those interested in finding out more about how you can help the ministry here in Mexico, we ask that you take a look at the “current needs” page on this blog which list some specific ways in which people can help the school.

M1 for Mexico

The M1 for Mexico project is going well.  We have received several knitted and crocheted items to be distributed to the people of Matachi.  We will be doing the first distribution in November.  Therefore, if you have items to donate, they may be taken to New Life Baptist in Greencastle until the end of October.   For more information about M1 for Mexico, go to the “M1 for Mexico” page on this blog.