Hello, and Christmas Greetings from where it’s always warm (or hot)! Here’s a quick look into some of the things we have the great privilege to be doing lately.
1) The second floor of the Clinic will be finally done in a just a few weeks. The part remaining is where our Doctor and his family will be living, a nice apartment, and right where emergency patients can reach him after the Clinic’s normal hours. We’re so blessed by all that have donated over the last several years to make it happen. And especially to Drs. Dave and Mary Kay Ness who headed up the fund raising since the very beginning of the project. Since this project began approximately 40,000 patients in dozens of villages have been seen and ministered to.
2) There were continued trips and ministry in two towns close to Juchitán, our hard hit earthquake area some seven hours away. Slowly the fallen and damaged houses and businesses are clearing the rubble from their lots. Many are still sleeping anywhere they can. Some churches are full of sleepers at nights, and many using the cots and tarps that we brought through the generosity of folks like you. We also have continued to do food and clothing distribution to those who lost everything.
Some of the Spanish school students and teachers were able to go with the Clinic a few weeks ago, and we did some special meetings for 100+ children, many who admit that they’re still quite fearful because of the quake.
3) Spanish school and Bible school are going well, finishing up in the next weeks for the holidays. Equipping both missionaries in the Spanish school, and Mexicans in the Bible school, many from our indigenous people groups nearby, is a tremendous joy. We’re finishing up a New Testament Survey in First Year Bible, and almost halfway through the Second Year Bible class in Missiology. Soon we’ll be sending out Mexican missionaries to the nations so that they can have their share in the glory of bringing eternal truths and life to others outside of their own culture!
4) I (David) have been working as Superintendent in our K-12 schools here on the base, as mentioned in our last blog. It’s been a fair amount of work, but things are progressing well. Our Mexican high school has 40+ students from neighboring towns (some are indigenous pastor’s children) and our own village. Our K-9 is now fully bilingual, and we’ll be adding 10-12 incrementally with all English curriculum. Our schools are shaping up to be excellent institutions of learning for our staff children, Spanish school student children, and town children, almost 60 in total. We’re very pleased to be a part of all this.
Please allow us to provide you now with an opportunity to help us in this school, for those of you who might be interested. We’re aware that many Christ followers have certain causes that move them. Many give for our Clinic and medical work, for which we’re so grateful! We’re still trusting God for our budget needs there, another $1,200 monthly support as mentioned in our last blog. Others of you are more moved by education and ministry equipping for adult foreign missionaries and Mexican pastors, evangelists, teachers, etc., in training. And there may be some of you who would like to respond to the vision of our younger children’s bilingual Christian education for the next generation coming.
Our K-12 schools can’t possibly charge our staff and townsfolk what’s really needed to run the school. If you’ve been here you know that our town and missionary base staff work hard to make ends meet. And our parents also give up a government subsidy given to public school parents to send their children to us! Sacrifices of love are manifested all around us here. And our teachers are getting only a small portion of what they would receive if they were teaching in our Mexican school system, and loss of valuable benefits as well. But they’re sacrificing for love of their young students, our kids, knowing that the fruit in years to come will be worth the losses. We see how they live, and would very much like to pay them a little more. And the need for materials and other necessary items for the school is constant.
If you sense the Lord tugging at your heart to help with this or any of the other valuable ministries mentioned above then you’ll find multiple ways to donate on the Support tab above on this site. It would be an answer to prayer for us working here! Thank you!
A fine Christmas and New Year time to you! God’s breathtaking blessing cover you this season!
Dave and Laura
