Home Assignment Happenings (E-mail update): Aug. 13, 2010

Greetings from Indiana!
We are about to embark on the next part of our Home Assignment Journey to the East. After leaving California, we headed to TEAM headquarters in the Chicago area in order to have a time of debrief in the office, medical checks and a special TEAM conference for missionaries who are on home assignment as well as visit friends and churches in the area. It was a very full, but wonderful month! We feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to reconnect with so many already and this is just the beginning. The Lord has provided some excellent friendships for our children along the way which is an added blessing for them. We are excited to continue reconnecting with many of you as we travel to various regions.

Many of you already have heard via Facebook: I (Pattie) took a nasty fall from the back of our van while we were loading up to leave California, requiring a visit to the ER, some stitches and quite a bit of pain. We just wanted to make sure you knew that I am doing really well now and pretty much all healed. Thank you for your prayers as we travel, we really appreciate them so much and know that this particular incident could have been much worse if not for many people praying. I have been joking that there seems to almost always be one ER visit during our trips so it is good we got it out of the way at the beginning this time!

We recently received an e-mail with excellent news from our coworkers, Art and Vicki Reyes. We have asked prayer for Amarildo in the past who we first got to know in our cell group. He had stopped by our home various times as well, asking for prayers and counsel about some difficult family situations andd his struggles with alcoholism. Phil had been able to encourage him and share with him the SALT discipleship materials we have found very helpful. Before our departure, we could see much growth and enthusiasm about his new and growing faith. I am going to share an excerpt (bolded) from our coworker's e-mail about Amarildo. We felt like dancing with joy when we read it and we hope it encourages you as well. It reminded us that often, God uses many people and circumstances in a person's life to bring them to faith and to help them grow just like is happening in Amarildo's life.

"Art, would you come over? I am trying to explain the Gospel to Ricardo, but I need some help!" Amarildo called at 10:30 pm last Friday night.

Amarildo has just recently understood that salvation is by faith, not by good works. He is very excited and is trying to evangelize his world! Ricardo did decide to follow Christ. Now, Amarildo wants to disciple him.

Yesterday, Amarildo knocked on our gate. He had two young women with him. They were looking for work. I gave them some breakfast and groceries and began to explain how the Lord uses hard times so that we seek Him.

"I was planning to talk to them about God," Amarildo pulled out a Bible. "Let them eat their breakfast, and I will tell them. You can go back to whatever you are doing."

I was a little shocked, but quite amused!

Please pray for Rosa and Angelica who heard the Gospel yesterday.

Amarildo plans to be baptized in two weeks.

Thank you again for your partnership with sharing the Good News in Mexico and being a part of the chain that helped bring Amarildo to faith and those he will in turn lead to the Lord. Please continue to pray for him and for healing in his family in the days ahead. Please also continue to keep our youth in your prayers. There are several who are really struggling with obedience to their parents. Please pray for wisdom for the parents and that the youth would seek to glorify God above ALL else in their lives.

By His Grace,
Phil and Pattie