18 April 2012 Update!

Thank you to all who pray for us.  We are so grateful for your investment in what God is doing here in southern Mexico.  We've had some busy times here over the past few weeks!

GREAT NEWS!  YOU can receive some important training that will help you understand how to be a better short-term missionary on Tuesday Evenings in May.  There is no cost and all that you need is your computer.  For more info please CLICK HERE!

Arnold and Marie

Liesa's folks came down for a week-long visit and we had a fun time with them.  We were able to hit all of the local tourist sites and show them a little about what our work involves.  Of course, the real reason they came is to see Haylee and Jackson and they enjoyed having Nana and Papaw around.  We enjoyed nightly games of Farkle and trying to get them to eat grasshoppers.

Our furniture arrived from Peru on April 4!  We are really enjoying having our furniture.  Three months on the air mattress was quickly forgotten when we were able to sleep in our own beds.  Amazon, the amazing Peruvian Dog, has loved having her normal perch back on the back of the big red chair in the den.  We still have a few boxes left to unpack but we are all enjoying life a little more with our 'stuff' around us.

Easter Sunrise in southern Mexico.

We spent Easter morning with a large group of our missionary friends.  We had a sunrise service at Oaxaca Christian School (where the kids go to school) and it was a meaningful time for all of us.  We rarely get the opportunity to worship and be taught in English so that was wonderful.  During Easter weekend we invited two of our missionary friends who live and work in a village to come and spend the weekend with us.  They are Journeygirls serving for two years here.  It was great to have them with us.

A team of two men came down from the Agricultural Development Foundation to look around our area to determine possible agriculture and human needs projects that USA partners might could be involved in.  Jeff had a great time traveling the back roads around southern Mexico looking for ways to help the people.  The team was able to meet with a trout farmer and a local greenhouse owner while they were here.  To learn more about the Agricultural Development Foundation click here.

We also had a visit from a few folks from First Baptist Church, Clinton, MS and Menchville Baptist Church, Newport News, Virginia who came down to look around Oaxaca and explore possible future ministry projects.  We were able to speak at FBC Clinton last fall and their folks have been very interested in southern Mexico since then.  We are always excited when Mississippi folks come down for a visit.

We've also had a visit (along with the FBC Clinton crew) from the Dr. Ramiro Marrero family.  The Marrero's are a Mexican family who are doing great things in Atlacomulco, Mexico.  They came down to learn more about southern Mexico and discover ways they can get involved.  We look forward to some shared ministry projects in the future.  You can discover more about their ministry by clicking here.

Our city is in a huge valley surrounded by the Sierra Madre mountains.

Here are some prayer requests that you can help us with:

1. Please continue to pray for open doors among the indigenous communities here.  Pray specifically for a village that we'll call 'S.B.Y.'   We are planning to place a small group of summer missionaries there this summer to build relationships and get some regular Bible studies going.  This village of around 600 people only has 4 known Christians.  
2. Pray for more open doors in other communities.  Pray for God to lead us to the right places.
3. Please pray for Jeff as he travels to Virginia for training meetings.  Pray for productive meetings.
4. Jeff has some upcoming training meetings in Lima, Peru so we're taking Haylee and Jackson along with us.  They are excited about returning to Peru and seeing their friends.
5. Pray with us as more churches in the USA express interest in engaging an unreached people group here in southern Mexico.  Pray that God would lead the right people to us who are committed to doing the right things.  For more info about YOUR CHURCH engaging an unreached people group please CLICK HERE!

Thank you for the way you bless our family through your prayers and your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Hasta luego!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson