Missionary training school has officially started and it is going well. We are still adjusting to a new environment and new schedule but each day gets a little easier. We survived "Orientation Week" and it was actually really fun. We enjoyed getting to hear everyone's testimonies which reminded us how great God is and reminded us why grace is so important. Each afternoon they took us to do something "fun" as a group. Of course, the kids enjoyed those outings a lot and we enjoyed getting to spend time with all the people who will be here with us going through training classes this year. We are already learning so much through the first few weeks of our training classes each day too. Our schedule is very busy and we have lots of studying to do but we are truly enjoying it. The picture above is just our required reading list for this year so that alone will keep us busy not to mention all the various classes we are taking each week too. We are also learning Spanish since the area we live in is primarily Hispanic and we are also going down into Mexico each month. We are really happy to be here and be training to take the gospel to unreached people groups in hostile regions.
We were able to participate in some local community work in Los Fresnos as well. To Every Tribe partnered with a local church and other people from the community to participate in "Serve Our Schools". We met at 8:00am at a local park and enjoyed breakfast tacos and doughnuts together. Then we walked to Los Fresnos High School and planted 70 Oleander bushes along the fence line by the highway. This will allow the school to eventually have a little more privacy and it also added more beautification to their campus. After we got done planting, we came back to the park and had a little celebration and several community leaders came and spoke. It was great to be able to work right here in our new community and it was a great opportunity for our children to serve with us and see that mission work is everywhere...not just in other countries!
Our family has been assigned to a "Mexico Team" and once a month, our team will travel several hours down into Mexico to do mission work. Our team has 4 single people, our family and one other family. We will be working in a small fishing village of approximately 150 people where there are currently only 3 Christians. There is no school, no major businesses and this area is still trying to rebuild from a hurricane that came through years ago. Each month, our team will spend approximately 4 days working in this village. Our prayer is that we will be able to establish relationships with the local people there, start Bible studies with them and take the gospel into this area. Gretta and the kids will be able to go on some trips with us but not on all of them due to safety reasons. Please pray for "Village M" with us as we minister there each month over the next year.
And how are the kids adjusting? They really like it here! There are over 30 kids on campus (ages 3 months - 15 years old) with us this year so they have tons of new playmates. They started homeschooling and Abbey is in 6th grade, Sidney is in 4th grade and Wyatt is in 2nd grade. They have had to learn to adjust to a new homeschool schedule as they often have classes, chapel, Mexico team meeting, etc. during the day as well. One of their favorite things to do here is "tarantula hunt". One afternoon, I joined the kids (and a few of their friends here on campus) for a tarantula hunt and filmed exactly how this is done. You can check out how to go tarantula hunting on our video. They are also enjoying having the beach (South Padre Island) just 20 minutes away and although our schedule doesn't allow for much time at the beach we do take one afternoon/evening a week and go to the beach as a family for some quality time together and away from campus.
HOW YOU CAN PRAY FOR US:
- For good health - physical, mental and spiritual
- For financial support - we still need monthly supporters
- Our ministry with "Village M" in Mexico
- That we can learn Spanish more fluently so we can communicate better
- Our marriage and family as we continue to adjust to life as full-time missionaries
- That God would send more workers into His harvest
"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out
in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light"
