Just a quick post to keep us on the same page.
Mexico celebrated her Independence over Sept. 15th and 16th with shouts, speeches and some wild fire works. We are most proud of the fire works since we live in the only municipalidad licensed for the development and testing of fire works in Mexico, Tultepec! So we’re pretty sure that most of the fire works we saw on TV were from our town. Because of the massive traffic jams that occur around Independence day we stayed home during the evenings when most of the jams occur. Last year it took us 45 minutes to cover the 3 minutes from the freeway to our house! Viva Mexico!
We have also been really involved in the Children’s Club at the North Side Christian Church. Actually it is mostly run by members of the church and we are only there for support and to help prepare the refreshments. Steve uses the two hours mostly to do maintenance jobs around the church that are in need of doing. The number of children participating in the club is holding steady at around 25. Church members serving number around 10. Some of the children’s families are now attending Sunday service while others have visited.
The English Club at the Eagle’s Church/Community Center is taking off again. We thought it was only going to offer classes to the children until 22 youth and adults showed up. Steve and Kay quickly came up with a game plan and it turned out great. Katie and Abby, CMF Reveal Interns, are hosting the children’s classes. They are doing a great job.
Last Friday, Kay, Mexico Field Team Leader, took the bus to Puebla to meet with our missionary family there and the Global Scope people concerning the church plant there. Steve took the pickup to the North Side Church where he, Katie and Abby and two youth painted the neighbor’s garage for four hours. What a lovely PINK! Anyway, it was a good service project which made Rafael very happy. After that we dug out and framed a section of yard beside the sidewalk going to the classrooms for pouring cement. Then we got rained out! Lots of rain these days. We will mis the cement by hand and pour it when there is a break in the rain and we have the time. Hopefully soon!
Today, Monday Sept. 23rd, Steve drove in to ICN and picked up Katie and Abby. Monday is wash day at the Carpenter’s house. It is also “play a table game” day. Since it is wash day it is also sort of a down day. Since we had two guests visiting as well it was an extra fun day. In the morning before they left ICN Steve took the dimensions of a window that got blown out Sunday after church by an errant soccer kick by one of the youth. It was to have been fixed today, but heavy rains delayed that. It will get replaced tomorrow.
Tomorrow: Meet with Ruben at the Eagle’s Church, fix window at ICN, visit widow and family of a good friend that passed away early Sunday morning, study “Baptism, Why Wait?” by Rees Bryant, which is the text for our men’s leadership study, and get back to Eagle’s in time for the English class. Then home before 8:00 pm, we hope.
Please keep Mexico in your prayers. The heavy rains have been especially bad along the coasts where multiple Hurricanes and tropical storms have wreaked havoc. Homes have been destroyed, one entire community 40 miles north of Acapulco has disappeared in a land slide and many people have been displaced on both sides of Mexico. The Eagle’s church is collecting cans of tuna and sardines to deliver to the Red Cross for delivery to the people affected by the storms.
May the Lord bless you and yours.
