3 March 2012 Update!

A great view of the city of Oaxaca, Mexico.  (copied)

Greetings from warm and sunny southern Mexico.

As a family, we are so grateful for your prayers on our behalf.

In our last update we asked you to pray for several things.  Here's an update!

• We asked you to pray for us as we build relationships with different ministries here.  Over the past couple of weeks we've made great progress in this area.  We found a Children's Home here that houses children from indigenous villages.  Many of the children come from villages as far away as 12 hours.  This could prove to be a powerful way to minister to some of the neediest villages in southern Mexico.  It is also a wonderful opportunity for ministry here in the city of Oaxaca.
• We asked you to pray as Jeff traveled to Missouri for a mission emphasis at Second Baptist Springfield. This was a wonderful trip for Jeff as he was able to help so many folks get a better idea of what it will take to minister in our culture here.  He was also able to meet with the missions team at First Baptist Branson MO who sense a strong call to equip Mexicans for ministry here.
• We asked you to pray for upcoming visits from teams from Mississippi and Virginia.  We are asking you continue to pray for these upcoming projects.  The team from Mississippi College arrives here on March  8.  Pray for a great week of ministry from these students.

The past couple of weeks have been busy.  Following a wonderful time with the folks from College Street Baptist Church (Walhalla, SC), we were able to spend a little time gathering research data about our part of the world.  Over the past few days we have learned more about the people of southern Mexico.  There is so much more to learn, however.  We were thankful for a long visit from Arnold Austin from our America's Research Team who helped us get some important data on the people groups of southern Mexico.

Haylee and Jackson are doing well.  Now that the BIG English Project is done, life seems to be more manageable for them on the homework front.  We're thankful for a break next week as Haylee and Jackson head to camp for a week with other missionary kids.  We've been on a pretty hectic schedule since we landed here in Oaxaca, so Haylee and Jackson deserve a break.

Jeff traveled to Springfield, MO for a missions conference at Second Baptist Church.  This was a wonderful  opportunity to share with many others about what God is doing here in southern Mexico.  Second Baptist is one of those churches that is a 'Mission-minded Church.'  They give of all of the resources God has given them...money, time, and people...to further the gospel to the ends of the earth.  What a blessing to be with them.

Thank you so much for your partnership with us here in southern Mexico.  Your prayers are the most important  part of the work here.  Please join us in praying for these specific things:

• Please pray for clarity as we seek to find the right places to minister here.
• Please pray for the Father to send us the right people who will work to bring the gospel to this dark place.
• Please pray that we will be led to do the right things to show the love of Jesus and to make disciples here in southern Mexico.

Blessings to you all!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

Psalm 9:10

God's a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. 
   The moment you arrive, you relax; you're never sorry you knocked.