Hello,

What We’ve Been Doing

This week, John Mark has been working on preparing the new sanctuary and grounds for our big dedication weekend that is coming up in two weeks. He lead a team that designed and build 25 sound deadening panels to hang in the sanctuary. Buildings are made of concrete block here and echo like crazy. Even with lots of help, it took him and several others a week to make and hang the panels. He has also been moving construction debris out of the parking area, and fixing lots of little things around the church. He took a team out to the new property that the government is giving us to clear the weeds and debris. He will be helping instal a playground there next month. After being in school for several months, John is thrilled to be back working with his hands.

Cleaning the land in Santa Fe - our newest location

New sanctuary with sound panels - view from the stage

I have been helping out with communications. I have been translating things for pastors who need to send emails in English. All of the pastors speak English, but do not write it confidently. I have also been communication with teams from the States and Canada. I have been taking inventory of the craft and medical supplies for our two kids events and free clinic next month. And of course, doing other random tasks that need to be done. I am still teaching history to Pastor Keith’s 15-year-old son, AJ, twice a week. which is fun for me (less so for him).

Young Adults Bible Study

While we were in Guadalajara, our friend started a young adults bible study at La Fuente. I have been going since we have been back, and I love it. It is all in Spanish, which is definitely a challenge, but I am able to follow along and contribute a little as my Spanish allows. I enjoy immensely getting to know the young adults on a deeper level. Most of them I have known for over a year, but since we are always busy serving, and I have limited Spanish, I feel like I am really getting to know some of them for the first time. I look forward to it every week.

Kids from Young Adult Bible Study

Teaching in Spanish

I taught my first class in Spanish on Tuesday. For the past year, I have been teaching through a translator. It took the kids a month or so for the kids to get used to the translator (which slows down the class), but they have been doing well with it. (It has actually work great because when visiting teams come and teach through a translator, the kids in San Ignacio listen a lot better than the kids at other missions who are not used to the language barrier). On Tuesday, I wrote out my lesson in Spanish and went over it with one of my Mexican friends to correct my mistakes. When I gave the class, the kids understood everything I said, could follow the story, and listened. It was great. I am excited that my Spanish has progressed and I will keep learning as I try more and more to branch out on my own to teach. 

 Praying for kids in San Ignacio

Playing soccer in San Ignacio

Puppy

Last week, I came home in the afternoon to find a puppy on my doorstep. He had slipped under the gate. I think that he was hiding from the other street dogs. I thought he would just go away, but he didn’t so we have adopted him. He was very pathetic looking and small, about half the size he should be. We pulled about 80 ticks off of him, and washed him up. After a couple days of food, he perked up a lot and started acting like a puppy. We named him Antioch. He still has a few health issues, like severe anemia, but he is acting surprisingly healthy, which is great.

Baby Antioch

Thank you all for keeping up with us. 

Peace be with you,

Moorea

Hello,

John Mark and I are done with language school and have returned to Buerías where we have been working for the last year. We are very excited to be back. We were planning on living in a small apartment at the church for a couple of months, but by a miracle the lady who was subleting our old apartment moved out the day we arrived. We were able to move back in the next day. It is wonderful to be in our old place. We have been renting a small room for the last few months, and it is great to have our own space again. Even with boxes everywhere, it feels like home. 

We went to the mission in San Ignacio on Saturday. It was so fun to be back with the kids. I had a little girl clinging to each leg. It was adorable. 

We were able to do some fun things around Guadalajara before we left. The coolest thing we did was outside the city. We took a daytrip with some friends to a city called Guanajuato which is almost the very center of Mexico. The fort in the city was founded by the Spanish nearly 500 years ago, and it was an native city before that. Since the roads were not built for cars, they are mostly too small, and many of the roads go underground in stone caves that used to be underwater drainage a couple hundred years ago. It is the most beautiful city we have seen here. There are more photos on my Facebook, if you are interested. 

With Friends 

A famous street in Guanajuato 

The whole city was just beautiful 

Over looking the city

We also had our third anniversery in September. We had lamb tacos, bought some flowers and got creme brulee to celebrate. It was a great day. So much has happened since we’ve been married, it had to believe that it has been such a short time. 

A team is here from Saskatchewan, Canada. John Mark is leading one of their projects to build sound deadening pannels for the new sanctuary. The building is built of concrete block, which is very bad for playing music. It echos terribly. Hopefully these pannels will make the worship sound a lot better. 

We are praparing for the official building dedication next month. Constructions is nearly over! The week of the building dedication, we are also planning on installing a playground in a neighboring town where we are founding a new mission. There will be a dedication for the playground and a celebration festival with games, food, and prizes. There will be huge event in a local school and a free medical clinic as well. And a team is coming from Southern California. It is going to be a very full week. 

Finishing up the main sanctuary

Than you very much to whose of you who gave money so that John and I can continue the work that we are doing. Mundane things, like paying rent and replacing a worn tire are much easier when there is something in the account. We are very grateful for the way that God has provided for us through you. 

God bless,

Moorea