Thursday, March 11, 2010

E-mail update: March 11, 2010

"So you are the one doing a Bible study with Manuel! He is often sharing what he is studying and learning here with us," exclaimed our waitress to Phil on a recent lunch at the restaurant where Manuel works. It is so encouraging to hear that not only is he learning and growing but is also choosing to share it with those around him. This is how it should be! Please keep this Bible study in your prayers. Manuel also recently asked Phil for prayer because the restaurant has not been paying him for several months. He has been living on his tips. He has been looking for a new job but the economic situation is very difficult right now. Please pray that he would find another job, especially one that would free him up to attend church on Sundays and participate in a cell group. Please also continue to pray for Manuel's friend; that the door would open for a study with him as well. He's shown interest in spiritual things and is struggling in his marriage.

We have been blessed with an overflowing youth group the past several weeks. We have had numerous visitors. It is encouraging to have our youth inviting their friends. One of the new visitors who has been attending faithfully for over a month now also invited her parents to church. They not only have attended fairly consistently but also came to a special evening of celebration for Valentine's Day at the church. They are not believers and are also having marital problems. We are confident that it is no accident that their daughter was invited to our youth group and invited them to start attending church. Please pray with us that they would first of all come to know Jesus, the great healer of their souls and then find healing in their marriage.

Last week, we were blessed to be able to take a short vacation to the city of Guadalajara on the mainland. There are three couples with TEAM who have in recent years and months begun making contacts to begin sharing the gospel. It was marvelous to see what the Lord is doing there and visit another part of Mexico we have never seen before.

In a few weeks, we will be celebrating 4 years here in San Jose del Cabo full time. Our first term has truly flown by. This has caused us to do much reflection and praising the Lord for what He has been doing and will continue to do. We will be departing for our home assignment in June in order to make it to TEAM's headquarters in the Chicago area in time for our scheduled debrief and their annual conference held for missionaries returning on home assignment in July. We look forward to touching base with many of you personally and sharing first hand what the Lord has been doing. We are not so excited about all the details of home assignment which include packing up our entire house for storage while we are gone and trying to finish the home school materials before our departure amidst our regular ministry activities. We are trusting the Lord for strength, wisdom and provision for our home assignment. If you would specifically pray for inexpensive, secure storage here in San Jose and wisdom in how best to complete school or the majority of the materials before our June departure, we would greatly appreciate it.

Grateful for your prayers, encouragement and support,
Phil and Pattie