Hello,

I have been thinking recently about our role working with La Fuente Riviera. There is so much happening around here with the construction, five ministry locations, and all of the people it takes to make those things happen. We are blessed to be a part of a thriving ministry. John and I can only do so much on our own, but working with La Fuente Riviera gives us the opportunity to be involved with so many events and ministry opportunities. We have learned a lot by working beside people who have done this much longer than we have. I guess what I am trying to say is that we are blessed.

Neighbors

Recently, the neighbors around the church have been expressing some frustration with La Fuente. One of them has been throwing glass bottles over the wall during youth group and there have been several others who have also been speaking badly about us. One thing they are complaining about is the noise, but the church has been in this location for 4 years, and we have been running the sound systems much lower the last couple months and that doesn’t seem to be helping. This discontent is fairly new, which is strange because not much has changed recently.  We have been praying for them. We would also appreciate it if you would pray for them and pray that our attempts at diplomacy would be effective. The congregation brought cookies to our neighbor’s houses during service one evening as an act of goodwill, and we are trying to compromise with them as much as possible.

Jesus Is My Friend

On Sunday, we had a special program for the kids for Valentines Day. It was called Jesus is my Friend. They had a special message, games and activities. I was in charge of coordinating the snacks and serving them. It was a great night. We had about 100 kids who seemed to have a great time.

Puppet Training

This weekend we also had a non-profit group from the states held a training seminar here. Kids Around The World focuses on training international Christen groups for kids’ ministry. They did a workshop on how to make and use puppets as part of our outreach program. We had 80 people from La Fuente and other local churches attend the two-day program. The training was really informative and fun. John and I made a couple puppets, and now we are thinking about how to incorporate them into what we do in San Ignacio.

Superhero Party

This weekend, the youth group dressed up for their service. The theme was “who are your heroes?” and everyone dressed up like a superhero, a character, or someone they know.  John and I were the official judges, so the kids had to present their costumes and try to convince us to pick them. It was both elaborate and hilarious.  Obviously, we chose Nacho Libre. John dressed up like a GoPro Hero 2 camera, and I was Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. 

Land Donation

Pastor Keith and Maya had a meeting with El Presidente (the mayor) about donating land to La Fuente this weekend. He showed them several pieces of land that the government would donate to us.  Some of the pieces of land were huge.  Of course, the land that is closest to the highway (which is great because of the advertising potential and is easier to get to) are the smallest and the ones farthest from the highway are the largest. Please pray that we get a piece of land that will fit all of our needs and that the donation will go through quickly. Kids Around The World wants to donate a playground to La Fuente, and we would like a place to put it and a church. That area where land is available has hundreds of homes and would be a wonderful place to minister.

There has been some complications to our construction due to a change in government. When the mayor changes, so does all of the building inspectors. The inspectors found several problems with our plans that the other inspectors did not mention. We have been assured that they will issue us a new building permit despite these problems, but we are still waiting. Please pray that we get the permits we need and that they happen quickly.

Teams
We have had several teams contact us in the past few weeks asking to come and serve here at the church. We have five teams scheduled in the next 6 months. John and I are basically responsible for coordinating with the teams, figuring out their schedule and coordinating where they are staying and eating, we have been busy with that. We had small construction team here last month, and are expecting two more small teams in the next two weeks.  We really like working with teams. It is interesting to meet people from all over the states and Canada. We feel like this job plays to our strengths since John Mark is a jack of all trades and I lend an administrative hand in coordinating their visits.

Our home church is also planning on sending a team this summer which we are excited about as well. It will be fun to have some people from home here with us.

John Mark has been struggling with his health some. He was stick again yesterday, for the third time since Christmas. Please pray with us against his allergies which weaken his immune system and make his more suitable to catching viruses. There is so much more dust, mold, and pollen here, and there is no way to keep it out of the house because the windows and doors do not seal.

Thank you for your prayer for us and the work we are doing here. We are so grateful to have a strong support group at home.

God bless you,
Moorea


Please pray:
Peace between La Fuente and its neighbors
John Mark's health
La Fuente will receive the right government land donation
Building permit for the sanctuary that the construction might continue

On the dock, ready to watch some whales

Hello,

It has been quiet a while since my last post. Things have been going really well. We keep pretty busy with services, teaching kids classes, and other special events. We both love what we are doing and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Whale Watching

For Christmas, my parents gave us the opportunity to go whale watching. I had never been before and it was amazing! Growing up going to the zoo, I am used to seeing animals in cages. You know what you are going to see before you get there, but this was totally different. We were speeding around, watching the horizon for a spout of water, a tail against the sky, or to snatch a sight of a long, round body under the water.  We saw a few from a distance. We even saw one dive down and fling his tail into the air. We thought that might be all for the morning, when we came up on a baby and, deep below the surface, the mama. They stayed within about thirty feet of us for a while. The baby even came close once. My friend jumped into the freezing water and got some under water footage. It was a pretty amazing morning.  

 Whale sighting

Learning to Listen

One Saturday, I really felt like we should do something a little different with the kids in San Ignacio. Through a translator, we talked about what it means to hear God.  We took some time just to listen. I separated the kids into corners and told them to close their eyes, and wait for God to speak to them. We got off to a bit of a rough start. This was totally new for them. Misha, my translator, talked to them a bit more, explaining exactly what we were doing, and then we separated again. This time it was totally different. The kids were  v e r y  still and quiet. I had never seen them like that before. I sat with the youngest ones in a group. They are about five year olds. I prayed very quietly, sometimes in English, sometimes in Spanish so they would understand what we were doing. I felt the presence of God come strongly into the room. One of the little girls with me knelt and put her face to the floor.  We stayed like that for maybe 15 minutes. For these kids, that is an eternity, and they were quiet the whole time. When we gathered back together, the kids were solemn in a way I had never seen them before. A couple of the girls looked like they were deeply moved; they looked like they might cry any moment.  Misha asked them if they had heard from God and several of them said that they had. We talked about how it is okay if they didn’t hear anything, but that God wants to speak to them and that with practice they will hear him more clearly. It was an amazing morning and I a so grateful that God touched all of us.

Since then, we have definitely been feeling the enemy push back. The kids have been even more distracted and other things have happened that make ministering in San Ignacio more difficult. Your prayers are vital. Please continue to pray for us and for these kids that they will love God passionately and change their community. 

Charla Pereau
In January, a lady named Charla Pereau came to visit. She was the one who started the orphanage on the Baja where John Mark lived as a little boy when his father was head of construction there. John's family met Pastor Keith when they were all living there and that is how we ended up here twenty years later. She has an amazing testimony about how God used her, a Christian house wife and a person with sever dyslexia and other learning difficulties, to start an orphanage that has grown to house many children. She has also founded a free clinic, many literacy programs and other services to the poor in Mexico. She is an inspiring lady.

Sewing Class

John Mark has started taking a sewing class they are offering at the church. He has been wanting to learn to sew so he can make his own backpacking stuff: tarps, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, etc.  He has made himself a potholder and a nylon stuff sack for a sleeping bag so far to practice. He is getting a feel for how to use the machine so that he can move on to other projects on his own later. It has been difficult for him to find the types of materials he needs for backpacking gear like nylon straps, rip stop or waterproof nylon and plastic clasps, but he is happy practicing basic skills for now. 

Hiking

One of the things that John misses the most about being home is being able to go backpacking. There are not many trails around here. The jungle is too dangerous to hike through because a python can drop out of a tree, and there are also some panthers and crocodiles among other strange creatures out there.  The last few weeks, however, we have discovered a couple great places to go hiking. We spent one of our days off hiking along the beach in Sayulita. We covered sandy beaches, boulders, tide pools, and cliff faces. Some places the water came right up to the cliff, so we just free climbed right over the side. We covered about 7 miles that day and ended, as all hikes should, at a taco stand eating amazing food. It was super fun. We went with out fried, Zac, who is now hooked on hiking and has become our hiking buddy.

 Zac & John Mark

A beautiful hike

 Climbing

We went hiking again on our next day off. There is a river that flows out of the mountains, but it is really shallow right now since it is the dry season. We followed the river up about a mile or two, crossing it when the shore became impassable. We ended at a hot springs that is right next to the river. Some of our friends drove in and met us at the hot springs. We had a relaxing day sitting by the water and in the hot spring pools. We hear that there are even more hot springs hidden father up the river and there is also a great place to jump in the river. We definitely want to go back before the rainy season makes the river more dangerous and unpredictable (because of flash floods). That river might be our favorite place to go since it is so beautiful, quiet and the water is the perfect temperature: warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It was the only cool water I felt the whole summer. 
 

Thank you to everyone who is praying for us and who has give us support. We are continually in awe of how God has provided for us through you. We are so grateful for the sacrifices that you have made so that we can be here working with kids and supporting the local church.  We pray that God blesses each of you and gives you both a peace and a passion for his plan in your life. 

We love you,

Moorea (& John Mark) 

Please Pray:
That the kids in San Ignacio would hear God's voice in in their lives
That the kids in San Ignacio wouldn't be distracted during out teaching times

Feliz Año Nuevo!

 Planting my little garden

Christmas Time
I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas season. We certainly did. There was a whirlwind of Christmas parties, programs, and celebrations.

 Pastor Abel, Daniela, & Oliver in the living nativity (note the donkey in the foreground)

 Watching the Christmas Program

 My group of kids dancing

 Fili, a friend, at the Christmas Program

We had a Christmas program on the 18th of December with a choir, dances, and drama. I taught some of the La Fuente children, including several kids from the nearby orphanage, a simple dance, and we performed it that night. The kids were so sweet before the show. They were shaky and nervous. They probably had never been on a stage before. I asked one of the boys if he had butterflies in his stomach. Although I am positive that the phrase doesn’t make sense in Spanish, he gave me a funny look and nodded his head. They did really well, and the audience loved it.

I miss teaching my weekly dance class. The whole thing was in Spanish, which really tested my Spanish skills. Though there were times we didn’t understand each other (or they would pretend they didn’t understand so they wouldn’t have to listen to me), they understood me most of the time. I learned a lot from them.

Marking the kids who recieved a hygine pack on Christmas morning

 

Waiting in line for clothes and linens, Christmas morning

Christmas weekend was, as I’m sure you can imagine, very full. We had mission Saturday morning. That afternoon, we had dinner at Pastor Keith and Maya’s with their extended family from the Baja. We ate turkey, mash potatoes, posole, and tamales- all excellent. That night, we went caroling in the town square (downtown) and passed out hot chocolate and Mexican sweet bread. We were joined by several tourists and locals. It was really fun. We skyped with my family late that night, conferencing with my sister and brother-in-law in Texas and the rest of my family in California. It was cozy, loud, and crowded, just like Christmas is when we are all together.

Christmas morning, we had church followed by a program for the neighborhood kids. We had several piñatas, toys, cloths, and hygiene products to give away. The mothers also received linens donated from a local hotel. That afternoon, we went to our friends’, the Forgets’, house. We spend the day chatting, cooking, and playing Just Dance on the Wii. I made eggnog from scratch, a first for me. I am please to say that it turned out great. John and I had a fantastic day. We were surrounded by wonderful people at church and at dinner who feel like a second family. We didn’t have a tree, or presents (which were still en route from the states), but we had maybe the best Christmas we’ve ever had.

This is what we did with most of our time off

Market
We had several days off last week in celebration of Christmas. On one of those days, John and I went up to Guayabitos (g-why-ah-bee-toes) with some friends to the Thursday Market. Every week, they close off 10 blocks and vendors move in with makeshift tarps and tents to sell things. You could buy anything from local produce, to painted ceramic sinks, to vintage milkshake makers, clothes, and tacos. The worst thing I saw was a box of live chicks that had been dyed bright colors. Children were buying them for 10 pesos each and carrying them home in plastic bags. Apparently, the vendors have been known to super glue mini plastic sombreros and cowboy boots to the chicks. Because of all the toxins they have ingested through the dye and the glue, the chicks don’t live longer than a day. So so so so sad.

 Green, red, yellow, and blue chicks waiting to be sold

 Fruit stand in Guayabitos

 Star fruit at a stand on the way home on Highway 200

Fruit stand on Highway 200 (coconuts, pineapples, jack fruit, and bananas)

Because the market is much cheaper than Puerto Vallarta or Bucerías, I had been waiting to get some things, like a folk art painting on coconut paper, and a table cloth. At one point, I needed to break a bill, but none of the vendors would take it. I was so thirsty (I hadn't drank anything yet that day) and wanted to buy a limeade (6 pesos), but I only had 5 pesos. The fruit stand had been doing brisk business all morning, so I thought for sure they would have change. I picked out some tangerines and told the guy that I only had a 100 peso bill, and did he have change for it (all in Spanish!!). He assured me he did. He ran around the back, asking his co workers if they had change. None of them did. He returned a little sheepish and handed the bill back to me. I went to return the tangerines, but he insisted that I take them and wished me a good day. I laughed pretty hard: all I wanted was the change, but I got four beautiful tangerines for free instead.

 At the market

Later that afternoon, John and I played with the coolest puppy I have ever met. All in all, a really great day.

Pastors’ Prayer
On Friday, we met with the other pastors for a time of prayer and worship. It was w o n d e r f u l. Maybe my favorite thing we have done since we arrived in Mexico. It was so nice to be with people whom I have come to greatly love and respect. The time of worship was very refreshing.

Cartolandia – Cardboard Town
That afternoon, we loaded up the rest of the sheets and blankets that had been donated to us. About twenty of us headed east to an area called Villas del Miramar (Villas of the Ocean View). This is a shanty town on an abandoned piece of property. There are no villas or ocean views nearby. It is huge, much bigger than I expected. All of the people live in houses that have been cobbled together from tarps, cast off bricks, and asbestos sheeting. We had a program for the kids while 400 or so adults received care packages of bed linens, towels, etc. We also gave out some gifts and clothes for the kids. It was really humbling to meet these families who had so little. Many of them heard about the nearby La Fuente mission in San Vicente for the first time. Some of them seemed very interested in coming to the mission. It was an amazing experience and I’m grateful that we got to be a part of it. John Mark is responsible for editing the footage for a short video. I’ll post it once it is ready.

 People from the shanty town

 400 people lining up to receive something

AJ and Misha leading the kids'program

Waiting to give out bags of linens

Playing in the Park
Last week, we were in San Ignacio, playing with the kids at the park. It was dark and one of the boys playing soccer ran into one of the little girls playing jump rope. She started crying and I tried to comfort her for a minute or two before Misha, the pastor’s daughter, took her from my arms and tried to calm her down. Misha asked her what happened, and the little girl told her. Misha threatened idly, “he ran you over? I’m going to punch him.” The little girl was surprised and stopped crying. “Can you punch him?” she asked. “No, of course not. It isn’t good to hit people.” Misha responded. “I see my mommy and daddy hit each other all the time”, the little girl replied. I see this little girl twice a week. She is super sweet and seems so innocent. None of us had any idea her home life was like that. When Misha told me that story, it broke my heart. It reminded me why what we do is important. I can’t change her home life, but I can love on her. Teach her that Jesus is with her no matter what is happening in her life. Pastor Keith and Maya used to teach classes about Jesus to kids in their neighborhood on their front porch. Many of those kids have grown up to be pastors and church leaders. Instead of following their parent’s legacy of poverty, unemployment, teen pregnancy, and broken families, those kids are living healthy, meaningful lives. I met one of them today. That is why what we do in San Ignacio matters. God can use it to change these kids’ lives. I pray that he does.

 Our weekly stop at the churro stand in Centro

 Being silly at the grocery store with AJ

New Year’s Eve
We went to a bonfire party on the beach on New Year’s Eve. At midnight, hotels all around the bay lit off their own fireworks display. We could see fireworks from here to Vallarta. We lit a few fireworks of our own and a friend tried to write 2012 in the sand with gasoline, but the fire just looked smeared. The hotel nearest us released over 50 Chinese floating lanterns after the fireworks, lighting the sky with bright, ever-changing constellations. Later, we moved inside, calling some of our friends in California to wish them a happy new year. After a couple rounds of Wii dancing, we headed home.

By firelight, New Year's Eve

The next morning we had church, and I was scheduled for my first time as a side singer on the worship team for the English service. I haven’t sung on a worship team in a long time, like 6 years. It was really really fun. I didn’t realized how much I missed it.

Dr. John Mark

Tepic
Yesterday, we left Bucerías early to be in Tepic for a pastors meeting. We drove through field after field of blooming sugar cane. I had no idea that sugar cane could bloom, but it was lovely. After we arrived, we stopped at a taco stand for breakfast, and I had goat meat for the first time. It was very good. We spent the rest of the day in meetings (and eating more amazing food.)

John and I are staying here tonight. Tomorrow, we are getting extra training on the new website template. One thing about being in an all Spanish speaking environment is I am realizing how much I still have to learn. Small talk is the hardest, especially in a noisy room where other people are having small talk.

What a Year
John and I have had an amazing, crazy, tragic, beautiful year. We lost our house to a short sale, decided to move to Haiti, God switched the flip and we ended up in Mexico. We left the states, endured humidity, made dear friends, began preaching and ministering, went scuba diving, lost a friend in a construction accident, started learning Spanish, watched monsoon lightening, had our first Christmas away from family, and decided to make a two year commitment to La Fuente. Pastora Maya said it best “If you feel a little terrified, that’s a good thing.” This year has surprised us at every turn, but honestly we wouldn’t want it any differently.

Thank you for all of your love, prayers, and support. We absolutely know that we couldn’t be here without you. We are humbled by the sacrifices that our friends and family at home have made for us. We are so grateful. May God richly bless you, surprise you, and be near to you this year.

Love,
Moorea and John Mark

Also, we recieved a huge donation of sheets, blankets, towels, and other linens yesterday. Here is a clip of unloading the truck. (I get to see these people every day!)

See it here

John Mark spoke at church last night. Here is a recording of the bilingual sermon he gave. The introduction is in spanish and ends around 1:55. Enjoy!
Ir a descargar

John Mark lost his wallet last week. We haven't been able to find it, so now he is going through the process of canceling cards and so forth, but we don't know how he is going to be able to get a new drivers license. Please pray that we either find the driver's license or that he can get a new one before we visit the states in May.

Also,our computer is starting to act up. The weather and dust are hard on computers down here, and we are thinking that we are going to have to replace it sooner than we had hoped. Most of what I do for the church is on this computer, so it is not really optional. Please pray that the computer will last until we can go to the states for a new one and that we will be able to afford it.

Thank yo for your prayers!
love,
Moorea

 To Tepic

Hello,

Things feel a little more christmasy around here. John and I went to Tepic with some friends on Sunday evening for a Christmas service at La Fuente Tepic. We hadn’t been to Tepic yet. It was interesting to leave our little area and see a different part of Mexico. Tepic is about 3 hours away by car in dry climate at a higher altitude. The city itself was also very different. The atmosphere was a little more intense as it is not as isolate from the cartel issues as we are in Bucerías. It was a fun, spur of the moment trip to see several aquaintences at the Christmas show. 

 La Fuente Tepic Christmas Service

Yesterday, we had a Posada, or Christmas party, in San Ignacio. We had 100 kids and 30 adults attend our potluck and piñata party. We had ponche (a traditional Mexican Christmas drink with fruit and chunks of sugar cane in it), posole (a pre-columbian Mexican corn soup), and tamales. So good. It was very crowded with all those people trying to fit on our small porch. Thankfully, we had just enough food for everyone. 

Last Tuesday, John Mark spoke at San Ignacio. He gave his testimony and talked about God’s goodness. The crows was very small, but he felt confident. I was upstairs teaching kids’class to the little ones, so I didn’t get the hear it, but my friend said it went well. John also had an opportunity to speak at the junior high youth group a while ago. He has a lot of opportunities this month to speak, and he is learning a lot. 

 Youth Group: using the stage for the first time

 

 

 Ladies' Group Christmas Party

We have several Christmas parties, programs, and outreaches still to come this month. Please pray with us that the Holy Spirit will prepare people’s hearts to receive him. John and I are doing well. We are excited about the things that we are involved with. Please continue to pray that we will continue to be healthy and learn Spanish. God has provided for us in unexpected ways. Please continue to pray that he will give us everything we need to do his will here in Mexcio.

God bless you & Merry Christmas

Moorea