redeemed by HIS grace

I have MOVED!

2009-09-05T12:25:00.005-06:00

NTM has created new blogs for their missionaries as part of their site, so I am changing to post at my new site! All my old posts will remain here in the archives, but get new information at the other site.
So, go ahead and visit my new blog. Bookmark it, and come back again and again!!

www.ntm.org/rachel_chapman

Finally Here!!

2009-08-24T14:39:00.004-06:00

Here we are all ready to jump in & drive off. We were packed to the gills. It took a little maneuvering to close the back window! A couch, a stove, most of my earthly belongings, and some of Katie's.
It was an 8 hour drive on a very curvy, narrow highway. But, we arrived safely. The traffic was not bad, and we were not stopped at any checkpoints.
The scenery was beautiful & green. It rains more here than in Chihuahua.
Thanks for praying for our trip. We made it, and everything went well.

All Packed & Ready to Go

2009-08-22T17:46:00.005-06:00

Sunday, two co-workers are driving Katie & me farther south into Mexico to where we will settle for a few months as we build houses in the mountains where the Nahuatl live. Please pray for us as we travel. It's a 8 hour trip!

I'm Back...

2009-08-18T16:07:00.002-06:00

... in Mexico. We crossed the border this weekend, and this week is full of meetings and reconnecting with friends and co-labourers already here. This weekend we'll be heading farther south.
I'd appreciate your prayers for safety and protection as we travel.

On the Border

2009-08-13T11:31:00.003-06:00

I'm here, in El Paso, and getting ready to head into Mexico. My co-workers have been delayed a bit, so we're not heading in today. In a few days, Lord-willing!

Flying Tuesday

2009-08-10T14:13:00.003-06:00

I didn't make it today on my space-available ticket, and the rest of the week is also very full. So, I've bought a ticket, and should be home tomorrow, Lord-willing!

A little fun before church

2009-08-09T15:41:00.002-06:00

Yep, the Panama City Marathon.
I ran the first leg. Can you tell we had just woken up? Marathoners started at 5:00. Relay teams started at 6:00.
Most of my relay team. One is running his leg, and I'm on my way to church already. SO FUN!

Panama

2009-08-07T22:38:00.001-06:00

I find myself amazed at how fast time flies. It is now August and time for me to leave Panama and head back to Mexico! I praise the Lord for the many opportunities I have had to share what God has been teaching me and where He is taking me.

I have been able to reconnect with many friends from my childhood and friends from the church. I have met many new people who have been praying for me. I have been encouraged by the Lord through my fellow believers here in Panama.

I've also had some time to do a few fun things, like visit Old Panama - the original site of Panama City in the 1500's and 1600's. Pirate Henry Morgan sacked and burned the city in 167? and it was reconstructed farther west. We climbed to the top of the ruins of this cathedral. They've done a lot of restoration and preservation work. Stairs to the lookout is a new thing, so this was a first time experience for me!
I praise Him and thank Him for the time I have been able to be here again.

James City

2009-08-02T21:03:00.002-06:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending two days with people that I have known most of my life. As you can see, we did a lot of visiting and eating.
And visiting and eating!
My friends are now living in a city of Panama that I do not know. Well, I've driven through it before, but I've never gotten off the highway. So, we went for a walk downtown.
And enjoyed... (well, as much as our ears would let us enjoy - there was a competition between different stands to see who could blare their music the loudest. Believe me, competition was stiff!) ... anyway, we walked through the street fair that was going on this weekend to honor the patron saint of the city.

A week and a half to go...

2009-07-30T09:24:00.005-06:00

These last few weeks in Panama have been very busy. It's been a time of seeing old friends again, meeting new friends, sharing what God has been teaching me this last year, sharing where God is leading me for the present future, eating food that I have missed for the last 4 years, going to the beach, enjoying the torrential downpours of rainy season, and seeing what God is doing in Panama in Crossroads Bible Church and among my friends. It's an exciting ride!
July 22nd, Crossroads Bible Church sent out another of their own - Andres & Diana Galvez. A few years ago, Andres went on a medical missions trip to the Jahango people in Guinea, Africa. The Lord worked in their lives and put a desire in them to go back to work full-time with the Jahango to bring them the Gospel. They left a week ago and are learning French for these first 6 months after which they'll move into a Jahango village to learn the Jahango language. Please pray for them in this transition as they learn the Guinean culture & French and then the Jahango language & culture.Their last Sunday, we had a Despedida to "send them off" to Guinea. Here they are surrounded by their extended family.
I have also had the privilege of sharing with the young adults group at the church in Chame, where I grew up.
Enjoying the aguacero - torrential downpour with friends. We had just returned from the beach, so we took advantage of the rain to take our showers.I am enjoying once again all the fresh, tropical fruit and the fresh seafood that abound in Panama. Passion fruit juice, fresh sea bass right out of sea, plaintain chips, and fried yucca! Mmm...
Here I am preparing a little to speak to the youth in Chame. Perfect place to think. :)

Cristo-pagan worldview

2009-07-20T16:09:00.003-06:00

data from the Joshua Project
The people of Las Moras are a small group of approximately 1,300 people, who live in a remote area in the Western Sierra Madre mountains. They grow crops and raise livestock. Corn, squash and amaranth form the basis of their diet, though they also hunt game and gather wild fruits.Although they have incorporated various elements of Catholicism into their religion, they’ve retained their pre-Columbian worship practices with regard to the sun and moon, Venus, the eagle, and the deer. More than 10 years ago, a process of pre-evangelism through community service was initiated. A Bible translation project has also been started in this language.
The pre-evangelism work done by co-workers has opened the door wide open for us to be able to move into the village and live with the people. Please pray for us as we

build houses (September - ?)
move into the village of Las Moras (after 2 houses are finished)
learn the language & culture of the people (next few years)

so that we can teach the the truth of the Bible and confront the erroneous beliefs that have been passed down for thousands of years. These people are a lost people. Dying without ever hearing the Gospel. Pray that they will soon have a chance.

Arrived

2009-07-20T14:50:00.002-06:00

Praise the Lord I'm in Panama! Thank you for praying. For Saturday's flight, there were 27 seats available, but I was number 33 on the standby list, so I figured I wouldn’t get to go on that flight, and was hoping that Lord-willing I would be able to go the following flight. For the second flight, there were 13 seats available and I would be #6 in line after the 27 people in front of me had left on the first flight.
Well, the agents gave the 27 people seats, and then the monitor said they had “dispatched” the plane. They were packing things up & stuff, not calling more standby’s on, so I figured that flight was done. All of a sudden, one of the agents grabs the mic & calls “So –and-so and Chapman” I went up to the counter with my carry-on & they said, “the flight attendants say there are 2 more seats, get on down there.” I asked what seat, and they said “Just pick one of the empty ones!” So, I “got on down there” and sat between two flight attendants who were heading to Atlanta to work later that day.
It was God, because there were 6 people ahead of me on the standby list! I don’t know why they called me. 3 of the others were traveling together, but I don’t think the others were.
Anyway, thanks for praying. I arrived safely and was met at the airport by a friend.
I've enjoyed seeing old friends, remembering old favorites, and seeing new things - there are some things that are the same as they have been for oh-so-many years and others things have completely changed in the last 4 years. It's good to be back.

fly Saturday?

2009-07-09T13:54:00.002-06:00

Well, I was hoping to be on a plane right now, flying to Atlanta, and then to Panama. However, I'm flying on a space available basis. When I made the reservations, today looked good. But now, there are no empty seats leaving Dallas today or tomorrow. So, the next chance is Saturday. The chances are SLIM that day, though, so would you pray with me that God would open up the way for me to fly on Saturday?
Thanks.

I'm leaving on a jet plane!

2009-07-05T18:00:00.002-06:00

Well, not quite this caliber, although this jet plane would be much more fun!

Thursday I will be heading to Panama on an airliner! I would appreciate it if you would pray for safety and that I would be a blessing to those around me.
Thanks.

Meditations

2009-06-30T05:03:00.000-06:00

As I was driving down here to Texas, I had plenty of time to think - well, 13 hours to be exact! I reflected on this past year, praising the Lord for what He has done. As I said goodbye to friends in Missouri, several people shared with me how the Lord had used me in their lives. As I was thinking, a song came on my mp3 player that puts words to what I am feeling:

Grace Alone - by Scott Wesley Brown & Jeff Nelson
Every promise we can make
Every prayer and step of faith
Every difference we can make
Is only by His grace.

Every mountain we will climb
Every ray of hope we shine
Every blessing left behind
Is only by His grace

Every soul we long to reach
Every heart we hope to teach
Everywhere we share His peace
Is only by His grace.

Every loving word we say
Every tear we wipe away
Every sorrow turned to praise
Is only by His grace.

Grace alone which God supplies
Strength unknown He will provide
Christ in us, our Cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone.

It is only by God's grace that I am anything. And, it is only by His grace & Him working in me that I can be of any good to others. I know people look up to me or admire me because I'm a missionary, but I know what is in myself - my weaknesses, my timidity, my selfishness. I'm nothing special, I just have a super powerful and gracious God that can take this worthlessness and make it of use to others.

As I was driving through OK City, I switched to the local Christian radio, and a song came on that I had not heard in a long time, but it mirrors the sentiments of the song above and echoes what I've been meditating on in Philippians 3:8 "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him."

In Christ Alone - sung by Brian Littrell (I don't know who wrote it)
In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory Let it be said of me
My source of strength My source of hope
Is Christ alone

In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor than just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord

A Video Ministry Update

2009-06-28T21:35:00.006-06:00

Woohoo! I'm catching up to technology. Here's my first ministry video. Hope it gives you a better perspective about what's ahead. Enjoy!

A little language lesson

2009-06-12T13:42:00.012-06:00

Nahuat is the language spoken by the people of Las Moras.
Did you know that you can speak some Nahuatl (NAH-waht)?
Let's see...

What is this?

Yep, chocolate! The Nahuatl word is xocolātl. (The "x" is pronounced "sh.")

Give up yet? The Nahuatl word is tomatl.

This fella is called coyōtl.

In Nahuatl, this is a āhuacatl.

This one may be a hard one if you don't know your types of cats. In Nahuatl it's called an ocēlōtl.

These are just 5 words that we've borrowed from Nahuatl. Here are some more... cacao, cocoa, chayote, chili, guacamole, mesquite, quetzal, shack, tamale... and Spanish, especially Mexican Spanish has many more.

A Visual

2009-06-07T21:46:00.004-06:00

This is a video my partners, Tom & Teresa Elkins made for their church. It has some photos from several trips that Tom & Ron made into the village doing community development projects for the people. Hopefully it gives you a visual of what it will be like... :)
Unfortunately, one thing that has changed since these trips were made is that flying into the village is no longer an option for us. For several reasons, that is no longer feasible. We will be driving in and out each time we travel unless God works several miracles.

The people of Las Moras

2009-06-03T17:04:00.007-06:00

The people of Las Moras are one group in 30 that form the Nahuatl language group in Mexico. They are the descendents of the ancient Aztecs that used to rule central Mexico.
They are friendly, hardworking people and have been very receptive to our visits and desire us to live among them.
The people in and around Las Moras number around 1000 people and live in villages scattered in the mountains.
This is part of the village where we will be living.
It is right on the edge of a cliff! Makes for gorgeous views!
This is the road that we will be using to travel into & out of the tribe. It's a long, bumpy drive!
Here's some more pictures of the people:

Introducing... My Team

2009-05-31T13:10:00.011-06:00

God has opened the doors for me to work with the people of Las Moras in Mexico. There is no Gospel witness there - no believers - no Bible - no truth. Lord willing, we will be able to present God's truth to these people in a few years when we know their language & culture.
So, let me introduce you to those with whom I will be working:

My Team - My Co-workers - My Partners

Dan & Sarah Alkire - Josiah - Dan & Sarah are both children of missionaries. Actually, Sarah's family was in Panama with us & the two of us were in a dorm together at the boarding school! I've known them for a long time & it is cool that now God has brought us together to serve Him on the same team.
Ron & Tasha Davis - Ben, Emma, Josh, Nathaniel - I met Ron & Tasha when they went to Mexico in September 06. I was the newest on the field, but acted as their "host" kinda. How ironic! They were the only missionary family within walking distance of my house. I hope they enjoyed my spontaneous visits! :) They had been serving in another country, but moved to Mexico when it was no longer possible for them to be where they were.
Katie Moore will be homeschooling the Alkire & Davis children. This will free up Sarah & Tasha to have more time to dedicate to learning the language & culture of the Las Moras people.
Tom & Teresa Elkins began to have a ministry in the Las Moras area about 10 years ago. Despite many setbacks, they are continuing to do community development projects and will be supporting us as we live in the village.

This summer, the whole team is taking a "summer furlough" visiting churches and family before the move into the tribe. Lord-willing, we'll all be back in Mexico in August and then get ready to build houses in the tribe & move in.

More details to follow... :)

Memorial Day a la Mexicana

2009-05-31T12:57:00.004-06:00

Arriving late, like a good Latin, although, perhaps this time it was a little too late, but I had to come from an hour & a half away and I didn't find out about the party until after I was supposed to be there! :)
Friends from Chile & Nicaragua
Sebastian playing a little for the kids.
Gerardo, the pastor of the Latin church, hosted the get-together.
Mmmm.... Grilled chicken, beef, sausage... watermelon, warm homemade tortillas, beans, rice. What more could you want?
A feast shared with friends. A great way to spend a holiday.

I'm a Survivor!!

2009-05-14T16:22:00.006-06:00

11 kids - 4 hours a day - 5 days a week - whew!

This is the reason for all the work everyday. My job made it possible for these people to be trained for cross-cultural ministry. Some of them are now heading out to different countries around the world to expand the reach of the Gospel. Others have another semester before they head out. Please pray for them as they embark on this new stage of life's journey, that they would be faithful.

Another camping trip

2009-05-12T13:06:00.005-06:00

We try to do fun things periodically with the Latin youth group. Last semester we camped outside for a night, in the yard of one of the Latin families who lives out of town. We had the fun things about camping but with some modern ammenities - bathroom & kitchen to help prepare food. It was such a hit that we decided to replicate it this semester, but go a little more primitive.
One of the families from the American church I attend has some property out in the country and offered to let us use it to camp. So, we took them up on it. Praise the LORD for the gorgeous weather we had both Friday & Saturday.
There were a few non-normal camping apparatus that we enjoyed.
Despite the means of cooking with gas in the background, we chose to make our dinners over the fire.
Going with the model "Don't fix what ain't broke" and since TFD's (tin foil dinners, aka hobo dinners) worked so well the first camping trip, we had them again.
After a walk and a few games, we had a time of getting real at the campfire. It was a time of honestly sharing before the Lord and others some of our struggles. It was good to hear the kids open up & to see how they're doing & with what they are struggling.
I also had the opportunity to share some of the things I've learned over this past year, especially about who God is and how knowing Him and His character affects my behaviour and what my response to Him should be. I especially appreciated the opportunity to share because I only have a short time left with the youth before I'm planning to head back to Mexico.
This was the girls tent. Although, 2 of us slept outside. I slept out in the open under the stars, and another girl slept in her hammock. Right before we loaded up the cars to head back to "civilization," we took a group picture. Although we did not realize that just a second before, two of the girls had run off to see something. We took the picture, loaded up the cars with the two of them who had returned and blended into the group. We didn't realize that we were missing the girls in the picture until we were looking at the pictures later on the computer.
But anyway, here we are...all but two. :)

10K race

2009-05-10T13:15:00.005-06:00

I had the opportunity to run a 10K race this weekend with 7 other friends from NTM. 2 others ran the 5K race at the same time. It was fun to do it as a group - seeing your friends at different stages of the race as you pass each other on the parts that you backtrack. And, we had a cheering section, too! That was fun.The first 3 miles, Danielle & I ran together. It was fun to have someone with whom to run - to comment about what we were seeing and to pace each other.
Here's 8 of us at the end of the race. 2 others had already left.

The Living One

2009-04-12T10:01:00.002-06:00

He is not dead. He is alive! Death is not strong enough. The grave couldn't hold Him. Everything is under His authority.
"O, Death, where is your victory? O, Death, where is your sting?"

This is what John saw years after the Resurrection:
When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw...standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
When I saw Him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But He laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One. I died, but look - I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave."
He has triumphed! He has conquered all! He's alive, today!

2 or 28, it's all the same

2009-03-31T20:16:00.001-06:00

Many times, when I teach Bible time to the kiddos, I am challenged myself by God's Word. Sometime, I have to get real before God and work out things before I can go before the kids and teach. Sometimes God speaks to me and says "Rachel, you're teaching them that I am good, you're singing "God is so good" but you're heart doesn't believe it. Do you believe what you're teaching? Does your life show that you believe Me?"
One of those moments happened just a bit ago. Our lesson was about prayer. And, the text was when Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Our lessons are VERY simplified - they're 2, remember.) So, the lesson boiled down to Jesus praying, "God, help me to do what You want. Help me to do what pleases You."
What pleases God? We focused on 3 things: obeying our mommies & daddies, being kind to our friends, and being thankful.
The Lord challenged me in my obedience to Him. We define obedience in childcare as: right away, with a happy attitude. Many times, with the Lord, I drag my feet. I need to listen to what I teach the kids, and God is faithful to show me those areas that are not pleasing to Him.
The other area that God has been showing me where I am deficient is thanksgiving. He blesses me everyday. I take so much for granted. He is opening my eyes to His work around me & in me, and asking me to thank Him for what He is doing and to give Him the praise He is due.

Praises in the Latin Church

2009-03-30T10:51:00.003-06:00

Every week, we as a ministry team meet for prayer and to plan whatever is coming up that we are responsible for (ie. the weekend hangout at our places.)
We have begun to see fruit in the church, and I believe it is a direct response to prayer. It is work only the Lord can do & I have been delighted to see Him work. It has been a huge blessing to me and I have grown more in my journey of learning about prayer.
One of the things we have been praying for is that the people would be hungry for God and for His Word. We prayed that they would be faithful to read the Bible and that they would be growing in their relationship with the Lord. As part of that, we gave Christmas presents to every family and we also gave out Bible reading plans, beginning with the basics - John, Genesis, and other foundational books. And, we continued to pray. As we visited with people in their homes and at church, we began to hear about their excitement in what they were reading & learning from the Scripture.
I was visiting Esteban & Blanca's house, and they were both telling me what they were learning. Esteban got so excited. He went and got the reading plan & his Bible. He showed me the chapters of John that he had been reading. (In each chapter, there is a phrase they have to find & then write down the verse number they found the phrase in.) He told me that as he read, he would get so involved in what he was reading, he forgot about the phrase & all of a sudden he would realize that he was half-way through the following chapter. So, he would go back & read it all again to be able to find the phrase. Sometimes, he said he read the day's portion three times so as to understand it better.
Part of our Sunday night prayer meeting has been opened up to let people share what God is teaching them in His Word. It has been a blessing to me to hear what God is doing in their lives, and as God's Word never returns void, it has been a challenge to me also in areas that God needs to work in my life.
God is revealing Himself to them through His Word. He is at work, doing what only He can do - changing people's hearts & drawing them to Himself. I rejoice to see Him in action - magnifying Himself here on the lake.
We have also seen a growth in the youth - in their understanding of God, in their trust in Him, and the difference that He makes in their practical life. One quick example: One of the girls, Brianda, was a cheerleader. Since she had become a cheerleader, her attitude was different - more sullen, tired, not participative, depressed. Seeing the change in her and how she was affected by her environment, several of us were praying for her. When I returned from Christmas break in January, I talked to her about her break, school, etc. She told me she had quit cheering. I was surprised, because I knew it was important to her. I was rejoicing when she told me why: she saw the effect the other cheerleaders had on her and how her reputation as a Christian was affected just for being associated as a cheerleader, even though she was trying not to be like them. She knew that God wanted her to quit cheering because it wasn't a good atmosphere for her, and she obeyed. She is back to her old self - smiling, joyful, compassionate, praying for her classmates who don't know Christ. God is alive & working! Rejoice.

A special day

2009-03-27T13:39:00.005-06:00

This past week was my birthday, I'm now a whole 28 years old!! Woohoo! Some friends had told me to save Tuesday night so they could take out for my birthday. I thought I would slip through with a quiet birthday, celebrating over supper with a few friends. However, I was in for a few surprises.
It all started Sunday night at prayer meeting. Afterwards, we usually have some fellowship time, which usually involves food, before everyone heads home. Someone had told that it was my birthday coming up, so they had a cake for me & for little Emerson, whose birthday was Monday.I was one of the first ones to leave the meeting because I had been invited to watch a movie with a long-time friend from Panama that night. Emerson's family had called me that afternoon to ask for a ride to church, so I had to leave early to be able to take them home & then get home in time to start the movie not too late. I finally got home, changed from my church clothes into comfortable lounge clothes, scarfed a bowl of cereal, and ran up to my friends' house. She greeted me at the door, and as I stepped into the house, I realized I was walking into my own birthday party! It's the first surprise party I've had that I was surprised at! :) Thanks guys, you're awesome!

They'd written to my Mom in PNG to find out what my favorite cake was. My mom sent 2 cakes that I like - super moist chocolate cake & cheesecake. My friend made both of them! My Mom & Dad had a bouquet of flowers there waiting for me.

Thanks, guys, you made me feel so special.

My ministry team & my friends from Panama planned the party. I found out afterwards, that as soon as I left the prayer meeting, they jumped in their cars to rush back to campus to make sure they got to the party house before I did. :) They made it!

Then, Tuesday morning, I showed up at work to find my co-teachers decorating the room with balloons & streamers. I went to get snack ready, and there was a tray of cupcakes ready for celebrating! One of the little girls also has a March b-day, so we celebrated together.

Do you think they enjoyed the cupcakes?

I know they did! They loved the birthday party, and so did I.

Thanks, Edna & Christine, for making my day special!

I'm so thankful for the people that God used to remind me that I'm loved and cherished. Thank you all!

This weekend (edited - content added)

2009-03-09T10:50:00.008-06:00

This past weekend, we (those of us from NTM who attend & work with the Latin church) invited the youth from the church out to our campus to overnight & then hang out on Sunday. (We meet Saturday night - many of the Latins work on Sunday and since we share a facility with an American church, the building is generally empty that night.)
Saturday night, we watched a movie, then hit the hay. Sunday morning, we had breakfast all together, then we had a devotional - a time of sharing, praising the Lord, and prayer. Afterwards, we sent the kids on a treasure hunt all over campus.

We saw God answer prayer in several ways. We had a good turn-out: 8 in total-6 of them are regulars, 1 doesn't attend regularly, and 1 was an invited friend.
We experienced the most exciting answers to prayer Sunday morning. We had planned to spend much of Sunday outside with the treasure hunt. However from the moment that weekend appeared on the weather forecast, the meteorologists predicted a rain & clouds all day. We began to pray and asked some other to pray, at least that during the time for the treasure hunt it would be clear. Saturday night, still the forecast was: RAIN. I woke up early Sunday morning, took a shower, and as I sat on my stoop for devotions and some quiet time with the Lord (some of the girls were sleeping in my house), huge dark storm clouds rolled in and it began to rain. I wasn't too worried, b/c God had plenty of time to stop the rain. It was another few hours until the treasure hunt. I went in to make breakfast & as the other kids arrived, I noticed the rain was stopping. After we finished eating, I went outside to check the sky. It was clear! The clouds were COMPLETELY GONE!! There wasn't more clouds waiting to come, it was CLEAR!! The rest of the day was a beautiful day. Clear, bright, sunny. Exactly OPPOSITE of what the meterologists predicted. THAT'S MY GOD!!! It rained just a few minutes. God did over & above what we asked for. I think He was just showing off - showing us how abundently He can provide for us & bless us. The kids noticed it too, and praised the Lord for the clear, sunny day!
The other praise was equally exciting. We had asked the Lord for an opportunity to share the Gospel with anyone who wasn't saved. Toward the end of the devotional, we were taking prayer requests for a time of prayer. One of the girls asked prayer for unsaved family members. The friend that was invited asked, "What does it mean to be saved?" Sam was able to take a few minutes and explain our need for a Saviour to save us from sin and to provide a way for us to have a relationship with God. We praise God for this open door to have be a witness in Kat's life. She attends a church that does not teach the Gospel, and we pray that the Lord will be working in her life, convicting her of sin & her need of a Saviour.

Here are some pics of the weekend: (You can see what a gorgeous day it was!!)

One of the teams is super excited to find the next clue!

The other team is trying to figure out the clue they just got from off a buoy in the middle of the lake.

With each clue, they gathered letters. The very last clue gave them the final letters they needed to unscramble the words "Icecream @ DQ." So, after lunch, we headed to town to celebrate with icecream. It was a very rewarding time, and it was good to hang out with the kids, building relationships with them in a much more casual atmosphere than weekly church meetings.

Please pray that the youth would grow in their relationship with the Lord and that they would be godly testimonies to those around them - at work, at school, and at home.

A week's difference

2009-03-09T10:49:00.007-06:00

A week ago, Saturday, this is what it looked like outside when my brother came back from taking a shower in the washhouse. (Our apartments have bathrooms, but no showers. So, we head to the washhouse to wash clothes & ourselves.)

Not even a week later, on Friday afternoon, it was 80some outside. It was definately starting to get hottish. So, a friend, Holly Tiegs & I solved that by jumping in the lake! My first swim of the year. :)

Gotta love Missouri weather!

The Team

2009-03-02T20:20:00.005-07:00

One of the things that has brought me great joy has been the opportunity to be involved with the Latin church here at the Lake. And, one of the reasons that that brings so much joy is the team that I get to serve with at the church. There are five of us that attend & are involved in the church. Some of our responsibilities are to lead worship, play guitar & piano, produce powerpoints for worship songs, and teach the youth during Bible study time. We are all involved in relationships with the people - youth & adults, those who are bilingual and those who only speak Spanish - many of these relationships extend beyond church hours. It has been such a blessing & an encouragement to see how God has worked in the church these past few months and answered prayer.
God has given us such a unity and a like-mindedness in sprit and purpose. It is my priviledge to know these guys and to work with them. As you pray for me, would you pray for each of them, also, as they look to the Lord for wisdom & guidance in their daily lives & future ministry?
There are a few other "white" people who go to the church. This couple has been involved with the church for about 4 years now. They attend the American church where the Latin church meets and help out with worship & teaching the kids during Bible study hour. We all got together for a time of food & fellowship and just had a fun time of getting to know each other better.

I praise the Lord for the friends & co-workers with whom He has surrounded me. They are a blessing, encouragement, and joy to me.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2009-02-27T19:37:00.009-07:00

Last week I missed a day of childcare when I went down to Branson to meet with the church-planting consultant for Mexico. When I returned to work on Wednesday, I had a few good laughs. All the kids get dropped off between 7:45 - 8:00. They free play for about half an hour, then they go potty, then we run them around the room to get some energy out. About 9:00 we sit down for circle time, talk about things, learn about numbers, letters, and read a story or something. As we were talking in circle time, about 9:15, one and a half hours after we'd all been together playing, one of the boys suddenly got super excited and said, "Miss Rachel, Miss Rachel, YOU'RE HERE!!"

That same morning, as one of the dad's dropped off his girl, he told me what had happened at their house the night before. He put his daughter to bed, and she prayed her normal prayer. But, then, she said she wanted to pray for her friends, too. So she proceeded to list all the kids in childcare, Miss Christine, Miss Edna, and the new teacher (fill-in mom while I was gone.) Her dad asked her if she wanted to pray for Miss Rachel, too. She said no, because she wasn't at school today. Needless to say, I was not prayed for that night by little Lucy. I didn't realise there were such dire consequences of missing a day of childcare! :)

I usually put my hair up, looped up in a pony tail when I'm in childcare. It keeps it out of my face & out of the way. Well, one day this week I left my hair down, straight & long. One of the little boys came in the door, "Good morning!" Then, he looked at me and said, "Miss Rachel, you put your hair on today!" And, then ran off to play with some of the toys!
This is what I look like when I "put my hair on!"

It's getting a little crazy in here!!!!

2009-02-24T14:30:00.001-07:00

So crazy, they're going cross-eyed!!

Those 2-year old teachers are as crazy as the kids!

We've got a room full of wild characters... a lion, a tiger, a bear, oh my! And a dragon! Is that Miss Christine? She succumbed to 2-year old peer pressure and put on the dragon suit. Wanting to fit in, I tried to get into the duck, but got stuck! Haha! (The duck suit is smaller, I'm sure, than the dragon suit. I'll have to try that one!)

How would you go about teaching the letter "U"? We paraded around the room under an umbrella!!

That's about all the crazy this post can handle. How about some semblance of order & normalcy?

Ah, tranquility. Nice, quiet sticker work.

Getting ready to play musical chairs. Up until a few weeks ago, we played "nice" musical chairs. Everyone always won. We never removed chairs, everyone always got a chair when the music stopped. Now, we've moved it up a notch. We remove a chair each round, muahaha. Each round, whoever doesn't get a chair has to go sit down at their place at the table. We have to congratulate them & high five the ones who DON'T get chairs or else it's a bucket of tears we have to wipe up each time! It's good for them - teaches them that we don't always get what we want, that we have to share/take turns, etc. Good life lessons at a young age! And, it is entertaining for us teachers!

I guess I'm still a kid at heart. The simple things thrill me. I love to swing. I took this opportunity to swing doubles with this kiddo after he fell off the swing. So, as we swung we talked about ALWAYS holding on to the swing with BOTH hands or else you fall & get an owie! Consequences of unwise actions. Another good lesson for a 2 year old!

Sliding is so much fun!!

The sand box is a daily activity - monitored a few at a time. I think we'd have a mutiny on our hands if we skipped sand for just one day!

Thomas the Train is another special toy that comes out randomly with other vehicles - trains, tractors, trucks, police cars. It's another one of those "sharing" lessons that we love to help them with!

So, you can see, we stay quite busy, and at times I don't know if we're quite ourselves! But, we have tons of fun!!!

Thank you for praying for us, I know the Lord has given us creativity & patience with these kids. They truly are a joy!

Potential Partner

2009-02-24T12:41:00.003-07:00

The big new development is actually an answer to prayer. You have been praying with me for some time now for a partner to be able to work in a tribe in Mexico or elsewhere if the Lord so led. There is a girl in the area who has just recently decided to go to Mexico to work in a tribe there. She is a teacher and is joining a team of 2 families to homeschool their kids so the moms will be free to study the language and culture of the people group. We met in December and talked about the possibility of partnering if she decided to head to Mexico. Now that she has decided to work in Mexico, we’ve talked to some of the leadership in Mexico, to both families on the church-planting team, and at this point, we are getting to know each other and talking about working together.

Her name is Katie Moore. She grew up in Venezuela and returned there as a teacher to teach the kids of some of the missionaries. However, several of the families left and she was no longer needed to teach. So, now she’s headed to Mexico.

Would you pray with us as we get to know each other in these next few months and talk through a lot of things. Would you pray for wisdom for us and that we would clearly see God’s hand working in leading us and guiding us. Also pray that everyone would be in unity in this decision of partnership.

I covet your prayers as the Lord lays us on your hearts. I feel kinda overwhelmed, as this has come together in the last few weeks rather quickly and in a way I wasn’t expecting. I was thinking I’d get to know someone before deciding to be partners. However, God has brought us together and we’re doing it backwards – talking about partnering, then getting to know one another.

Thank you all for your faithfulness to pray for me. It is a real battle out there, and our greatest weapon is prayer. Thank you to those who pray on my behalf.
Thank you also to those who give financially so that I can be involved in this ministry. I really appreciate your sacrifice, especially as we are falling on harder economic times. Thank you.
Thank you also to those of you who have encouraged me through phone calls, email, lunch dates. You’ve lifted up my spirits & let me know that people care. Thanks.

Snow Days!!

2009-02-13T14:34:00.004-07:00

A little bit ago, we had two days of precipitation. It began as sleet, then changed into snow. We had several inches of accumulation & it was gorgoeus! Here's some pictures of the campus:
The second day was after the storm had passed. The sun came out & it made everything even more beautiful.

Looking toward the lake. Our cove was frozen out until the main body of the lake - but the ice wasn't thick enough to walk on.

Student Apartment Buildings. There are 4 apartments to each building. I live in a student apartment just like these.

Canoes that won't be used for a while yet.

Snow accumulation. So pretty.

It reminds me of God's creativity, majesty & control over everything.

Psalms says... The LORD does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths. He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.

He sends his orders to the world - how swiftly his word flies! He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. He hurls the hail like stones. Then, at his command it all melts. He sends his wind, and the ice thaws.

He has EVERYTHING under his control! Praise Him!

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!

2009-01-27T06:00:00.004-07:00

Thankfully we were ready! Last Monday was the start of classes here at the Missionary Training Center. That means that childcare also started for those students with kids under school age. That is one of the things that I do here.

Last semester I rotated around in different rooms, helping out all the age groups wherever I was needed most.

Now, this semester, I have a class of my own.

This is the 2-year-olds team: myself, my co-teacher, Christine Hamb, and the craft & spontaneous fun creator, Edna Berto

So, 5 days a week, 4 hours in the mornings, we are responsible for these kids. We have 11 or less, depending if some are sick, etc.

For the most part it has been good and I've enjoyed it. But, it wears me out!

Please pray for me that I would have patience, love, wisdom, and CREATIVITY!!

Another goodbye

2009-01-25T13:31:00.002-07:00

The Lord was very good to us this Christmas in allowing all of us to be together again. It will be several years before my parents plan to come back for a furlough, so we enjoyed the time together knowing it will be a while before we can enjoy that again.
My dad is again in PNG, already back at work at the hangar, maintaining the aircraft and fulfilling several other jobs as well. My mother returns to PNG this week. My brother is back in Wisconsin studying the Bible at New Tribes Bible Institute & Elisabeth is at home in Texas, enjoying her job as a vet tech at a local equine medical clinic.
Thank you all for your prayers for our family. We appreciate you!

About this time 30 years ago...

2008-12-16T00:00:00.005-07:00

...two young people getting ready for one of the most significant days of their lives. And on that very cold & snowy day in Steinbach, Manitoba, these two commited their lives together for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, 'til death do them part. Today, they are celebrating 30 years of marriage!

David & Lena Chapman - 1978

David, Lena, me & Elisabeth - 1985

David, Lena, Elisabeth, Joshua, me - 2008

Congratulations, Mom & Dad on 30 years! You have been such an example to us kids as to what a godly husband and a godly wife should look like. Thank you for that legacy.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-14T14:34:00.010-07:00

This week at church we celebrated the majesty of God in His demonstration of love for us in sending His Son to Earth to live as we do in order to ultimately provide a way of salvation for us. However, this season of reflecting on God's love for us began a few weeks ago. Every two months, those of us from NTM who attend the church are in charge of the church service. We try to focus on God's heart for missions. This time we ended by giving every family a Christmas present - 31 Days of Praise by Ruth (& Warren) Myers - in Spanish of course. If you do not own this book, I highly recommend it. It has helped me keep my focus on the Lord & praise Him by meditating on truth when I do not feel like praising.

We had a wrapping party!

Then, last night was our special Christmas service at church. We praised the Lord for His sacrifice and humbling Himself to come to Earth as a baby through some of the traditional Christmas songs. And, there were a few specials.

We prepared a song to sing for the church. We sang part in English & part in Spanish. Hopefully there will be more participation from others in seeing us being willing to participate in the service. We're praying that others would be motivated to be involved also.

The kids had a fun song to sing with lots of jingle bells!

There were quite a few visitors who came for the first time last night. The pastor spoke on the salvation that Christ came to provide for us through His death on the cross. Pray that door were opened and that we might continue to have a witness to some of these people.

Merry Christmas!!

A Chance to Share

2008-12-07T14:48:00.003-07:00

There are several of us "white" people who attend the Latin church here at the lake. One of those "white" ones is a local pastor who has a burden for the Latins in the community. Last week, he invited Rebekah Huffman (one of the students at the training center who also attends the church) and me to speak at his church this morning. One Sunday a month they have a missions emphasis, and he wanted each of us to share our "God story." It was a very friendly church, and it was fun to be able to share with them what God has done in my life & what He is teaching me.
It was a good day.
Thank you to those of you who pray for me. I appreciate your faithfulness.

His faithful love endures forever...

2008-11-30T19:53:00.002-07:00

Friday morning after Thanksgiving, I woke up and began to read in the Psalms. Psalm 136 to be exact. I had been studying the Psalms of Ascent (120-134) and figured I'd just keep going!

It was a good reminder of who it is that we are thankful to this time of year.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
Give thanks to the God of gods.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.
Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully.
Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters.
Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights - the sun to rule by day and the moon and stars to rule the night.
Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt.
He brought Israel out of Egypt.
He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm.
Give thanks to him who parted teh Red Sea.
He led Israel safely through, but he hurled Pharoah and his army into the Red Sea.
Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness.
Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings.
He killed powerful kings - Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan.
God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance - a special possession to his servant Israel.
He remembered us in our weakness.
He saved us from our enemies.
He gives food to every living thing.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T18:30:00.005-07:00

I was blessed to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my "little" brother. We both traveled to our aunt & uncle's house in St. Louis & spent Thanksgiving with them, praising the Lord for His goodness to us this year.

It was fun to be together again. We haven't seen each other very much in the last 2.5 years, so it was fun just to hang out together.

Thanksgiving morning we ran the local 5K Turkey Trot. He ran beside me the whole way and helped to pace me. With his encouragement, we finished in a record time for me.

We also spent a little time in a cute old historic town & got a few pics by the old train bridge.

Josh is currently attending New Tribes Bible Institute. After that, he is hoping to pursue a degree in medicine to be able to serve the Lord overseas helping people's physical needs as well as spiritual.Josh snapped this one of me.

Pray for these men

2008-11-24T14:21:00.006-07:00

There are two men who are regularly attending the Latin church here who are not believers yet. Please pray for them, that they would be open to the Holy Spirit working in their lives. Pray that they would see themselves as sinners, be convicted of their sin & realize the only remedy for that is Jesus Christ.

One's name is Hector. He & his family are from the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, just a few hours away from where I was living when I was there! His wife & girls are believers, so he's the only one in the family who has not chosen to believe yet. However, he's been pretty regular at the church services & evening prayer meetings the last few months.

The other man is Esteban. He's from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. His wife is a believer and she is from Honduras. They have two young children. He's had a real interest in coming to church & fellowshipping with believers but is not one yet himself.
Please pray that these men would trust in the Lord, realizing that they can do nothing to save themselves but that Jesus already paid their sin debt with His death on the cross.

Last of the Leaves

2008-11-12T20:54:00.008-07:00

There is a state park just a few miles away from the campus here in Missouri. I like to go & hike around a bit. Sometimes I take others with me to enjoy the outdoors. Here's what it looked like a few weeks ago.

This trip I went with two students - Julie & Lisa. One of the things that I really enjoy about being here is the opportunity to interact with the students one-on-one or a few at a time. Many times I get to share my experiences in Mexico, how God led me there, how He led me back, what God is teaching me now... I live in an apartment on campus right in the middle of all the student apartments, so I get to visit with students all the time. That's one of the things that I enjoy most about being here.

I went back to the state park last week, and this is what it looks like now:

Very barren, but still beautiful in its own way.

Kids are Hard Work!

2008-11-09T13:05:00.002-07:00

The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to work with the kids here on campus. There are 4 classes - nursery, 1 year olds, 2 year olds, and pre-school. The childcare is for children of the students studying to be missionaries. Each room has regular staff women who work everyday with the kids, but moms have to work also to fill the ratio of childcare worker/children. So, every time I work, it enables a mom to go to class with her husband and get the training. Women are just as much missionaries as their husbands - half of the tribal people we hope to reach are women!! So, it is very important that the women get to hear the training also!

I thank the Lord when I am able to work and let moms go to class. I enjoy working in all the classes - I get to rotate around & know all the kids. Its so fun when they see me out of class & run to hug me or shout out "Hi, Miss Rachel!" They are darlings!

My 2nd Race

2008-11-09T12:22:00.003-07:00

Bass Pro had a fitness weekend with several races - 5K, 10K, Half-Marathon & the Marathon. A few students & I went down to Springfield to run in them. On Saturday, the girls (top row - Faith Stokes, Sharon Bruce, Keri Patterson, Kathryn Kreiger, Jenna Currey) & Jenna's dad ran the 5K, and Sam ran the 10K.
Then, I stayed the night & ran the Half-Marathon the next day. My Uncle Gerry & Aunt Marge came from St. Louis to cheer me on! Thanks so much guys - that was SO special!

Almost ready to start...

Finished at last!

It was pretty hard race. It was very long. I had run 10 miles in training, but never the full 13.1 Those last 3 miles were brutal. But, by God's grace, He enabled me to finish. I was able to get out & run on Friday and this morning also, and am feeling great!

Camping with the Youth from Church

2008-10-22T13:37:00.004-06:00

One of the blessings/ great opportunities I have here at the mission training in Missouri is to be involved with the local Spanish church. I had attended when I was here as a student, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of the church again when I found out I was moving back here to work on staff.
Several students from training and another staff go to the Spanish church also, and are quite involved. So, this past weekend, despite the dropping temperatures, we went camping with the youth. It was a wonderful time to get to know them more, and introduce them to camping. It was just an intro, because we were camping in a backyard. Next time we'll go real camping!
So, the boys set up the tents as the sun was going down.

We girls were inside cutting up veggies for making hobo dinners (tin foil dinners) in the fire.
Here is everyone minus myself, as I am the photographer.
Those hobo dinners were good! On to seconds!

This is the only picture I'm in, as one of the girls grabbed my camera & snapped a pic of me with some of the others.

We ate, played some games, had smores... sang together, prayed together & John shared from the Word.
Yes, we did go to bed - and most of us slept well. However, in the morning, as we were breaking down our (girls') tent, we found this INSIDE the tent!
A large wolf spider! And it was right where one of the girls slept! She was a little freaked. :) But, she wants to camp again!

Please pray for the youth of the Latin church here, that they would grow in their relationship with Him. And that they would be bold witnesses for Christ.

changes...

2008-05-27T09:27:00.003-06:00

Hello my friends, family, and faithful supporters,

Thank you for your love, your prayer, and your support. You have been an encouragement to me these last months. Thank you. The main thing that has been on my heart this year is a partner. I’ve been praying for the Lord to bring the right person along, and I know many of you have as well. Thank you for praying with me.

So far, it hasn’t happened yet, and since I need a partner to be able to work & live in a remote tribal area, the leadership here in Mexico, my family, myself, and my churches have prayed, sought the Lord and have considered other options. At this point, we feel it would be best to relocate to a place where there are more opportunities to meet people who would be open to partnership – specifically NTM’s training center, where all the new single missionaries are finishing up training & looking to the Lord as to where they should serve.

It is not yet finalized, the people at the training center are talking out logistics, etc, and they’ll get back to me in the near future. I’ll let you know what they decide!! But, would you please pray for the Lord’s will to be done in this matter. Please pray for me in this new transition, as I leave Mexico behind to go find a partner. And please pray for a partner or partners. I believe the Lord has some great things in store in this next year, and I’m excited to see what this next year will bring.

Praise Update:
This past month, three new Tarahumara believers were added to the Church!! Toribio, Candelario, & Matara! Praise the Lord!! Others are interested in learning about God from the testimony of other believers. After long years of seemingless fruitless ministry, the Lord is working to build His Church!!
Here's Toribio - You can see the joy and peace on his face. The weight of sin is gone!

Candelario & Matara - I love the joy that just bubbles up out of them! You can SEE it!!

May the Lord bless you & keep you,
Rachel

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

2008-05-24T01:27:00.003-06:00

God is Good. He blesses us above & beyond what we can imagine!

I am not worthy of His blessing, yet in His kindness and grace, He chooses to bless me anyway. His unconditional love is so humbling.

The Lord provided tickets through a family friend for my sister & I to visit our parents & Josh for his graduation in Papua New Guinea!! We are so excited to be able to visit them, share this memory with them, see where they live, and experience the PNG culture!!

So, here I am with tickets in hand (yes, the old-fashioned paper kind!) ready to go!! Only a few more days. Thank you Lord!

Please pray for Elisabeth & I on the trip.

-Pray that our flights might be okay so we can join up and fly together

-Pray for the long trip - over 30 hours - that we might be alert & awake when we need to (changing flights), but also sleep well on the plane.

Thank you

Honoring Teachers

2008-05-19T14:27:00.005-06:00

In Mexico, people and relationships are very important. As a result, people are honored. May 15th was Teacher's Day. We had a wonderful time all gathered together - most of the students (a few were sick) were there to honor & thank their Spanish teachers for the great job that they do.
In the US, thanks to Hallmark, it is quite appropriate to send a card. It conveys our love, our respect, and our thoughfulness - that we took the time to pick a card, write in it, and mail it.
Here in Mexico, sending a card like that would be an offense. Because it shows you don't care enough about the person and the relationship to go and spend time with them to tell them in person how you appreciate them. We could learn from this, don't you think?At our Teacher's Party, each student prepared a bit in Spanish expressing their thankfulness to God for bring the teachers into their lives, for the valuable input the teachers have had, for their friendship outside the classroom as well as their patience and perserverance inside the classroom. It was great to hear how much everyone has progressed in the last few months. It was a very encouraging time!
Yoshi Castillo has been helping 3 of the women with Spanish & Mexican culture. She's trusting the Lord to be able to enter NTM's missionary training here in Mexico in the fall.
Dany, on the left, is a great teacher, who is ready at the blink of an eye to help with whatever needs done. He never says no! He's been a wonderful part of the Spanish Program for the last 1.5 years. He's currently looking for an English as a Second Language teaching job in Texas. We'd love to keep him around, but know he would be good at this, also.
Edwin, on the left, is planning to enter NTM's missionary training with his wife this fall.
Steve & Katrina Marti, center, wrote a song put to a traditional Mexican melody, and delighted us all!! I wish I'd recorded it...
Caleb & Rosario have been a great part of the program. Rosario has been finishing Bible School this last semester. Caleb was ahead of her, so he was already done. But, he'd accompany her and a few days would come upstairs to the Spanish department to help different students with Spanish. And, every Friday, he would teach a Bible class in Spanish so the students could practice their "spritual" words! He's a great teacher. They are trusting the Lord, also, to be able to enter NTM's training in the fall.

America, left, filled in different times and days when she was needed. She's very flexible and has been a great help being able to teach some of the mom's in their houses. She's heading to NTM's missionary training with her husband, Edwin, above. Arehmi, right, is a member of NTM, and has been teaching Spanish for the last year. She's hoping to work with one of the tribes in Baja California when the team is able to move in.

Bible Study

2008-04-30T22:48:00.005-06:00

We had a few months break (we had a topical study for all the older youth in the church for a few months) from the Firm Foundations Bible study a friend and I teach to some of college girls from the church. They are new believers coming out of a background of a predominant religion here in Mexico.

We began with a review of the Old Testament & the promises that God had given Adam, Abraham, and David concerning the Promised One. I think I get as much or more out of it that they do. No matter that we are not worthy of deliverance, God is faithful to complete what He has promised.

Sarai - the other leader of the study.

Alejandra, Sarahi, & Lili - some girls come and go. But, Sarahi & Lili have been there from the beginning. We're all ready for the Birth of Christ this week & all the prophecies that His birth fulfills! I'm excited!
Sometimes we have some fellowship time, too. This last week, some were hungry, so we made a run to Wendy's to make use of their "Dollar Menu."

Please be praying that the girls would be faithful to attend and that they might give the study priority over other things that clamour for their time. They are all in university. We have the study on Friday nights, so that there are no tests or homework for the next day, but still sometimes they choose not to attend.

Crossing the Border

2008-04-17T20:48:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago, I went to El Paso with some friends. We were taking one friend, who works in Juarez back there after holidays spent in Chihuahua. We spent some time hanging out in El Paso and did some fun stuff together. We had to wait quite a while in line to cross the border, and amused ourselves with catching glimpses of lives of those on the border.
Mexicans are quite ingenious. There you have hundreds of cars trapped in traffic and they have to all pass the same way, so why not sell them stuff! And you can buy just about anything there in line waiting to cross the bridge.

A little girl watches her families ceramic stuff for sale. Lawn ornaments to idols.
Need a drink? Or maybe a candy bar? Here you have a mobile vending machine.
Maybe you're more healthy - here's some nuts, mangos, other fruit. Just honk or wave, and they deliver!
Are you suffering from High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Obesity, Circulation Problems, Artheritis, Reumatism, or WHATEVER.... for only 2$ or 20p (20p is a better deal!) you can have the cure: Japanese Garlic!!
This lady isn't selling anything, she's just hoping that with all those people, there are some there that will pity her and give her a few pesos.As you creep up the Mexican side of the bridge, the vendors get fewer and fewer, but there are still a few persistent ones. There was a guy dusting cars under the watch of the Mexican eagle.
Ah, finally, we're getting close to the United States. The glorious Stars & Stripes. As soon as we crossed the top of the bridge over the border, there was only lines of cars. No colorful people selling all manner of stuff. Just plain boring lines!

He's ALIVE!

2008-03-23T00:15:00.003-06:00

He is not dead, He's ALIVE! Our hope is living! He sacrificed Himself, buying our salvation, then triumphed over death and Satan by rising back to LIFE!

Happy Resurrection Day to each one of you!

Made me smile :)

2008-03-23T00:09:00.003-06:00

Update from the Sierra

2008-03-22T23:06:00.006-06:00

I have told many of you about a Tepehuan tribe here in Mexico where two missionaries families work. They spend 3 weeks in the village, then leave for a week and a half or so back to Durango and then go back in to the village for 3 weeks. They have been doing this for over 5 years, and have just about learned the language of the people. The people are still very suspicious and hard. They do not want the missionaries permanently there, often asking around 2.5 weeks when the missionaries are leaving. 3 weeks is the longest at a time the the missionaries can be there. But, then, the next time they arrive, things are fine again for a little while. The Lord has opened up opportunities to build relationships and learn language in this less than ideal situation. Recently, things became a little more threatening. The Lord has again preserved His work there, but please pray that it might continue. Here's some excerpts from recent updates from the missionaries:

We made it safely out to the village and are enjoying being with the Tepehuan again. There is a sacred dance underway, called a “xiutalh”, and so everyone fasts everyday till noon. At noon the shaman and his helper offer up prayers and then cleanse those that go down to the “xiutalh”. here was a meeting here in town a few days before we arrived, and we have been told that some of the outlying Lajas communities are wanting us to leave. This has been happening for years, and the town and leaders have for the most part ignored them. However, now it seems there has been an official letter made asking us to leave. At this point the person informing us has said that unless the town governor actually tells us officially, there is no need for us to panic, and so we're not. Actually, we're used to this and know that either way, God will allow us to stay or allow us to leave. It seems the problem isn’t so much us, but that there are political struggles in the village and outlying towns, and we are being used by one side to stick it to the other side. Pray that God’s will and His plan for this place will be allowed to continue. Really it is a spiritual battle, and apart from this Tepehuan friend informing us of these threats, life is going on the same for us here.

And then, this was the result of those threats:

We deeply appreciate those that prayed about our situation here. It was looking like we would be asked to leave the village very soon. We believe that God has answered prayer and the"storm" has passed, at least for now. The village leaders are looking forward to the dental clinic that we are hosting next week. We are thankful for this and trust that the very ones who are trying to have us ousted will be helped by the dentists and change their minds. We know that the Lord can work in any number of ways and we trust Him to keep this door of ministry open.

Again, thank you so much for praying. We are so grateful for those who care enough to pray. May the Lord bless and encourage you as you have us.

The missionaries just got done with the dental clinic.

What a blessing to have been able to help over 80 Tepehuan people with their dental needs! Everything went very well and we deeply appreciate your prayers.
We are also very thankful that we weren't told to leave the village. There are still rumors of people trying to get us out, something we may just have to live with. There will be a town meeting on the 30th of March when our names could come up again. So please pray that the Lord will keep the door open to ministry.
We are safely back in Durango after a long and dusty trip.

This is not over. Please pray for the meeting on the 30th. Pray that the people might recognize the good that the missionaries are doing and not feel threatened. Pray that nothing bad will come out of the meeting for the missionaries. And better yet, pray that they might be invited officially to stay.

With the Lord

2008-02-22T23:59:00.006-07:00

Picture of Eugenio, taken about 2 years ago, with a friend from church.

About 2 hours ago, Eugenio, a young man from the church, passed away. It was a shock & surprise. He was run over by the bus that he was trying to get on to go home after work. He was rushed to the hospital and into surgery, but died shortly thereafter.

He was about 20 years old and had just gotten married legally, but they had yet to have their church wedding. He was working extra to be able to get a house for them to move into after the wedding.

He was a believer, so he is now in the presence of God. He was one of the first ones in his family to believe, and now almost all of his family, which is quite large, believes, in part because of the testimony of his changed life.

I did not know him real well and do not know his wife/fiance, but I know some of his family. Please would you be in prayer for them as these next few days will be especially difficult.

Wednesday - Saturday

2008-02-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm heading down to NTM's training center on the Lake of the Ozarks to present the work in Mexico and talk to those interested in going there as missionaries. Also, I'll be seeing if there are any girls interested in working there. I need a partner to be able to work in the tribe, so please be in prayer about that.

In St. Louis

2008-02-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Praise the Lord I made it to St. Louis without any problems. The Lord kept me awake & alert & safe both days of driving. He gets the glory.
I was able to stop & worship last Sunday at my church in Texas. It was great to see people that I had not been able to see during Christmas.
Then, since Wednesday I've been involved in a Mission's Conference at my aunt & uncle's church. It was my first conference and it went well. I was very blessed and encouraged in my time there. They had me paired with a Sunday school group. We got together for supper on Thursday, bowling on Saturday, then I was with them for Sunday School on Sunday, so it was a blessing to be able to get to know that group. It was so exciting to see their passion for the Lord & for serving Him, be it here in St.Louis, or overseas if that's what the Lord has. Another highlight was being able to get to know some of the other missionaries that were at the conference & to hear what God's doing in their part of the world. Overall, it a great time of encouragement.

And, the Lord answered another prayer, also: SNOW!!!

I had wanted some snow since we didn't really get any in Mexico this Christmas. And, the weather has already warmed up beyond snowing possibilities. Well, the Lord sent snow starting yesterday afternoon. It is beautiful, but slippery, b/c there was sleet mixed in. So, thinks are slick. So, I'm up here freezing in the teen temperatures, but enjoying the beauty of God's handiwork.

Update from January 30th

2008-02-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

It's starting to warm up outside - a few days this week is has been in the upper 70's (24-26). It is beautiful weather.

I want to say "Thank you" to everyone who has been praying for me. I am so grateful for your support and believe that your ministry is SO important. We have an enemy who is very real and seeks to destroy us. Please keep standing in the gap. For those of you financially supporting me, Thank you also. You make it possible for me to stay here in Mexico and not worry about finances. You are such a blessing.

We are now into our 3rd week of Spanish after the Christmas break. People are settling into routines again, and it's going well. Two families are new this semester, making the student total to 17!! It will be super cool to see all the tribal teams moving into unreached tribes in about 1.5 years when they all finish Spanish!

I have been invited to a missions conference at my aunt & uncle's church to share what the Lord's doing in Mexico. So, I leave tomorrow, to work my way up there. Please pray for me as I drive. I will spend the weekend with my sister, Elisabeth, worship at TBC in Weatherford, TX and watch the SuperBowl, continuing on to St.Louis on Monday. Then, the following week, after the missions conference, I'll head to NTM's misson training in Camdenton, MO. I'll again get to present what the Lord's doing in Mexico in the different tribes where NTM is present and also present the need for workers for the still unreached tribes.

Besides the trip, would you be in prayer with me for a partner, also? For me to be able to work in a tribe here, I will need another single female to partner with. This is for security and cultural issues, as well as just a good team principle. (Ecc. 4:9-10) Please pray for wisdom and patience. I will be able to meet some of the single students at the training center who are graduating, so please pray for that visit.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you in the Weatherford area on Sunday and all of you in the Camdenton area in about two weeks!

Take care & God Bless,
Rachel

Mm is for Missions

2008-01-15T15:46:00.002-07:00

God has brought James 1: 27 to my mind recently: "What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world." Part of the Spanish program is getting involved in a work in the community. Currently, students are in three locations, 2 orphanages, and an old-folks home. It is my responsibility to coordinate these activities, and it is my pleasure and blessing to be able to visit each place regularly and work alongside the students involved in that location.
This last week, I had some long-distance help! The PreK kids at Trinity Christian Academy collected winter items for kids for a missions project. There are a lots of kids and people who are not properly equipped to withstand the cold. Especially orphanages. So, the kids collected all this:

21 hats

29 pairs of gloves

4 scarves

1 bag of socks

1 baby sleeper

2 sweatshirts

for me to give away to kids who need them. I took most of the stuff to one of the orphanages called Libres Por Amor. (Free Through Love) It's a children's home that houses about 130 kids. It's the only children's rehab place in the state of Chihuahua - most of the kids are recovering from drug abuse, substance abuse or have been removed from a drug atmosphere at home. Many have also suffered other abuses. The kids were very excited to get the hats, gloves, scarves, and one of the workers there snapped these pictures when she was giving some things to the boys...
I just saw one of the workers again today, and she said the kids are wearing their hats & gloves & loving them! Thanks so much TCA PreK kids for your generosity and serving the Lord by helping take care of orphans!

Home for the Holidays

2008-01-15T15:46:00.001-07:00

This Christmas, the Lord provided for me to be able to go home to Texas to spend some time with family & friends. It was a wonderful time of resting, celebrating Christ's birth with family, and catching up with friends.

One night, I think the coldest night I was there, Elisabeth & I went downtown in the big city of Ft. Worth to look at lights! We had a fun time together.

It was really cold, though, so we ended up going into a bookstore & reading books inside where it was warm.
We celebrated Christmas with my Grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their kids, etc. It was a houseful!
I think my Grandma enjoyed the colorful butterfly I brought her from Mexico.
On Christmas day, Elisabeth were at home in her house.

Christmas Dinner!!

One of the highlights was a real blessing from the Lord. Elisabeth & I were able to visit with the whole Hefft family, my parents' partners from Panama, who where in Dallas for the holidays. We met Ben Taussig, Katie's fiance! And, saw Doug & Sharon, and also Paul & Melissa and their kiddos. Paul & Melissa just moved to Dallas to attend Wycliffe's linguistic training. They are members of that mission and are trusting the Lord to be able to come work in Mexico in the summer of 2009! I can't wait.

HOLA & FELIZ NAVIDAD

2008-01-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Some friends & I went downtown before Christmas and got some fun pictures. The plaza was all decorated with lights, trees, etc. It was beautiful.
Feliz Navidad!

City Tree at the Plaza Fountains with Christmas colors
Saraí, Raúl, Katie, Judit, Me, Ruben.
There were long sparklers that people were selling at the plaza. We tried to find short things to say with easy letters! HI MOM!!
Saraí, Katie, Judit, & Me. Saraí & Judit are sisters. Saraí is the one that I do the Girl´s Bible study with. Judit helps out a lot, too. Katie grew up here and is the daughter of some missionaries. She was back for Christmas & we all went out to see downtown decorated together.

Thoroughly Chastised

2008-01-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have been thoroughly chastised about not posting in over a month, so here goes. I will try to be more faithful.

Doubly Thankful

2007-11-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

This year, I was doubly blessed to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving twice this year.
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. The tradition was begun by President George Washington in setting aside a day to thank God for His goodness to us. As far as I know, no other nation on earth has been founded on godly principles like the US. And, as far as I know, no other nation, which includes Mexico, celebrates Thanksgiving.
However, Mexico celebrates the beginning of their revolution on November 20th. So, quite a few Americans celebrate Thanksgiving that day, because it's a day that everyone has off.

I was blessed to spend that day celebrating God's goodness with fellow friends and missionaries, L-R: Peggy Warren, Kevin & Sandra Gutwein and Shelbi, Raul & Melanie Salavarria, Harold & Sue Middleton, and two other girls, Erika VanKirk, and Emily Drake. We had two dueling guitars for a little while. Then we enjoyed a time of singing praise and worship songs to the Lord. There were a few other fun songs mixed in!

THANKSGIVING DAY

Then, on Thursday, after the kids got out of school, and after Spanish class, most of us involved in the Spanish Department and our Mexican friends got together in a large borrowed place to celebrate Thanksgiving again.

The decorations portray the goodness of God.

Thank you Lord for the godly heritage that America has. Thank you that we are able to publically say THANKS for all you have done for us.

Thank you Lord for bountiful harvests that provide us with sustinance. You provide everything we need!

Mmm... Yummy pies! Gary & Starla Kloth have a lot to be thankful for! If i remember right, they found out the week of Thanksgiving that they have "graduated" from the Spanish Course. They have reached a level of Spanish to be able to move into their regular ministry. After spending a year brushing up on Spanish, their ready to move on. However, they'll finish up the semester, keeping on study, and change ministries in January.

Carving Turkeys! Steve Marti and Joe Wisniewski. They're both in Spanish study and progressing nicely.

Look at all those pies!

Thank you Lord for taste buds and for all the variety of delicious tastes. You did not create a bland world. You are so creative!

Tasha Davis and her husband, Ron, are finished with Spanish also. Tasha finished up in the late Spring, and Ron was cleared to leave about 6 weeks ago. However, he is finishing the semester out also, working a little more on Spanish. Ron & Tasha are trusting the Lord to be able to move into a town in Durango to work with the Mexicanero people. They are descendents of the original Aztecs, and have still not heard the Gospel in their language!

Cindy Whylings, together with her husband, John, is currently in charge of the Spanish Department. I work with her!

Look at all that yummy food!

I'm getting hungry again, just looking at it!

This is just one of the tables - there were 3 or 4! L-R: Gary & Starla Kloth, together with Gaby Orrostieta, their langauge helper. Then, Shelbi, Sandra, and Kevin Gutwein, myself, and Tony Orrostieta, Gaby's brother. Then, a friend of Arehmi's, Arehmi Barrera, who is helping out at the Spanish Department teaching Spanish.

Thank you Lord, for the godly leadership that you have set up in the mission here. Thank you that they earnestly seek You, that they genuinely care for those around and under them, and that they look out for our best interests. Thank you for the wisdom You have given them to be able to aptly lead. The kids had great fun!
Yoshi Castillo has finished 2 years of Bible School and is trusting the Lord to go on to the other 2 years of mission training next year. This year she is working with some of the new missionaries, helping to teach them Spanish.

Shelbi Gutwein graduated from highschool last year, and stayed with her family here in Mexico to be able to go to the Bible School here in Spanish.

Thank you Lord for friends!

We are quite a bunch, kids and language helpers etc.

Thank you Lord that even though we're not in the US, we still have the freedom to celebrate You!

Guess what?

2007-11-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

It snowed tonight! One of the daughters of a missionary family is turning 15, so she had a traditional Mexican Quince Años party. It was planned for outside, but at the last minute, they changed it to be inside. That was smart because it was raining when we arrived and it turned to snow in the middle of her thanksgiving service. Here's a bit that was left on my car when I got back into town.

Spanish

2007-11-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

Things are normal on the Spanish front. I keep teaching & being available to the students & they keep learning! That's good!
Normal life pressures & the stress of being in another culture are catching up on some people. Could you pray with me that they would continue to look to the Lord to keep their focus & priorities straight and not to get overwhelmed by all the other things.
Thanks.

To Juarez

2007-11-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

The youth group at church just recently took an overnight trip to Juarez. A church there, Gracia Soberana, invited us up for a time together with their youth.

It was a long trip!
We didn't go right to Juarez. First we detoured for a few hours in some dunes just outside of Juarez. The other church joined us there. We enjoyed God's beautiful creation a bit under the full moon.
It looks like we're in the middle of the desert! Oh, wait, we are!
A few of us.
Sand angels?We were all split up with different families from the church for the night. The next morning we had a meeting with some of the young adults in Juarez and their college pastor taught on the principles of courtship vs dating. It was very though provoking and we had some good conversation on the way back!

We were gone about 24 hours, which means we got to enjoy two beautiful sunsets!

The Race

2007-11-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Almost done!
Finally, it's over!

Before & After

2007-11-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Can you see the sleep still in our eyes? The sun had just come up. And I had to get up before the sun to get ready and then pick up the other girls!
We all did well. Sarah Anderson got 3rd in our division of the 5K, Chris Baxter got 2nd in her division of the 10K, and I finished the 5K! WooHoo!
Everyone got a medal, so don't think I'm something special! I just hadn't taken mine off yet.

Just a Hint

2007-11-09T21:29:00.001-07:00

Fall in Mexico is shorter daylight, nights getting chillier (which it's not as cold this year as last - hope it stays like that), and the end of the year fast approaching. One thing we don't get is many fall colors. Every bit you see a hint of color from a random aspen or these trees called "lilas." This one is a few doors down from my house. I enjoyed seeing a bit of fall color for the few days that the leaves lasted.

I'm number 348!

2007-11-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

I'm running a race tomorrow morning!

Happy Birthday!

2007-10-15T20:12:00.000-06:00

Sunday, October 14, 2007 was a day of great rejoicing in Heaven!

6 new names were written in God's Book of Life!

Yesterday, after the sermon, 6 people at church got saved, and one other person, Idalí, was assured of salvation!

I had the priviledge of talking with Idalí after church. She's a young girl who has been in church for many years, but has not been involved for a while. She's been doing her own thing, and just accompanying her family on Sundays. Well, yesterday the Lord got ahold of her heart, and she is repenting of living her own way. As we talked about sin & forgiveness, her whole face lit up when she learned that ALL her sin, past, present, & future has already been forgiven. Praise the Lord for the work that HE is doing in Chihuahua!

Visitors!

2007-10-15T16:14:00.000-06:00

This week, I am having visitors! Jeremy & Nicole Hager, staff from Trinity Bible Church, are coming to visit for a few days! I'm excited.

And the winner is...

2007-10-15T15:57:00.000-06:00

LindaSueBuhl was right when she said the snack looked like bug pieces. They were grasshoppers. Grasshoppers with chile & lime is a snack food that they eat down in the south. It's a good thing I'm not in the south!! Fhew.

Another nod to my mother, who said to me on the phone, "Rachel, you didn't eat those did you? I know you & I don't think you would." Yes, Ma, you're right. I posed but I didn't injest. If it were a question of offending someone by refusing, YES, I would have eaten. But, since this was just a fun thing in the Spanish Dept, I claimed the right to refuse.

Mmm Snack!

2007-10-06T17:05:00.000-06:00

Look what someone brought for snack to the Spanish Department on Friday!
It's a snack food from down in the southern part of Mexico. What do you think it is?

Grammar

2007-09-28T19:19:00.000-06:00

Over the course of the last two months, there have been many changes in the Spanish course from what it was to what it is now. I believe that we've started well, and morale remains high. I wanted to let you know about one of the changes, because it is in regards to me. My job in the department is "the grammar teacher." I teach the grammar that coinsides with the lesson that we are learning each week. There are 3 levels of classes, so that means 3 levels of grammar! Please pray for me that I might communicate accurately & effectively & that the students might learn quickly!

x3

2007-09-28T19:00:00.000-06:00

Well, on Sunday, another new family, Mike & Karen Kelly, got robbed while they were at church. Their house wasn't cleaned out, the theives just grabbed their laptop, digital camera, & mp3 player.
Right now, there is an increase in crime here in the city. From what I've heard, people are getting layed off work, employment is down, and sustance abuse is rising. So, it seems there is an increase in need for money. Since, white Americans stick out, and even if it's not true, being white Americans shouts "rich," we as Americans are feeling the effects of this. Please pray for the Lord's protection. We know none of this is out of His control.

The Grito

2007-09-28T18:47:00.000-06:00

Buildings downtown are lit up in September for the celebration of Independence.
All over Mexico, on September 15th at midnight, the head of government (president, governor, mayor, etc) reenacts the first cry for independence which was shouted in 1810. It's a big deal, and every year the youth group goes down. This year, we were there together with 80,000 in the downtown area.
I got in the spirit & put on a Mexican hat!
Some of the others who went. Me, Raul, Sarai, and Ruben in front.
After the "cry", fireworks galore! My friend Magos.

2x2x2x2x2

2007-09-17T15:29:00.000-06:00

There has been a lot of things happening here in Mexico lately. And everything has been happening in two's.

2 missionaries' vehicles have been stolen. It seems both times were professional jobs: one vehicle was stolen from in front of the missionaries house without setting off the alarm. This family is still dealing with paperwork and looking for another vehicle. The other family has basically gotten the situation resolved. 1 family was new and in the Spanish course.

2 houses were robbed within a span of a few days. Both houses were of families in the Spanish course. Praise the Lord, neither family was home, and were not hurt. They both lost things, but they have both been encouraged to see how God provided things they've lost or has brought people along to help the cleanup, etc.

2 kids broke their arms on the same day! Both kids were in the dorm. Let's just say that was a day the dorm parents won't forget! Their son broke his arm in the afternoon, so they left the kids with other people and took him to the doctor. When they got back to where they left the other kids, they ate supper. While jumping on a trampoline, one of the girls in the dorm fell and broke her elbow. There was no circulation in her lower arm, so she went directly into surgery. Her parents came out of the tribe to be with her. The kids are fine, just both in a cast for a while.

2 people have/had typhoid. It is a sickness that causes fatigue and gets you run down. One lady has recovered and the other is still trying to rest and take her medicine. She's one of the teachers at the Spanish course.

2 deaths. One year ago, Alonso Cano, an NTM missionary who taught in the Spanish course, died after being run over by a drunk driver. We just passed the one year anniversary. A few days after that, we buried little Glenn Isaac Urquhart. He was the firstborn son of fellow missionaries; he was 2 months old, although he had been born early and with downs syndrome, he was recovering so well, he was about to go home. But all of a sudden, the Lord called him home.

As you can see several things have been happening in the Spanish course. Please pray for the students & teachers and for other missionaries here. It seems like we're taking a hit right now, and we would covet your prayers. Satan is trying to discourage and cause disunity. The first bit of a missionaries time overseas is a vulnerable, hard time for new missionaries, and Satan wants to take advantage of that.

They're ripe!

2007-09-17T14:51:00.000-06:00

Finally I have ripe tomatoes. They are so good. Mmmm.

Look how green it is!!

2007-09-02T20:14:00.000-06:00

This is a open area that I pass fairly often in the city. Usually it is just plain brown dirt, if any vegetation, you can't tell b/c it is also brown. But with all the rain we've had for the last month and a half, it is GREEN! And there are little wildflowers along the sides of the roads. It is so pretty.

New students have started Spanish study

2007-09-02T19:39:00.001-06:00

We have fun! These first two weeks the students are just listening. Their ears are getting adjusted to hearing Spanish, different tenses and commands, etc. They are focused on comprehension and are learning a ton! Even if they don't know every single word, they understand what the teacher says.
Here we are learning the names of fruit/veggies, food. They are learning so fast.

Aaron & Kimberly Knapp (on the left) and Dan & Sarah Alkire (Sarah is on the right, Dan is not in the picture) are also new to Mexico this summer and are just beginning Spanish study. They too, are trusting the Lord to be able to plant a church in an unreached people group.

Starting the New Semester

2007-09-02T18:21:00.000-06:00

At the start of every semester, the new students have a set of excursions they go on to get "immersed" in the Mexican culture and to get to know their way around the city a bit. The last outing is always to have "coffee" with the teachers. This year, there are 3 new families who are entering the Spanish course and 3 other families have come from other Latin American countries and have moved into other ministries. Those families tagged along sometimes for the fun of it and to get to Mexico also! They all had a great time.
The last night we went to a restaurant that overlooks the city. We got their early, before the crowd so the waiter could explain any questions the students had about the food. So, we had crash course lesson on Mexican food! It was great.

The sunset was lovely.

It was a cultural activity. Dany, one of the Mexican teachers, accompanied the group and brought his wife, Berenice and son, Miguel. We were able to observe how culturally to act/dress at a restaurant, etc.

Mike & Karen Kelly and baby Tucker are one of the new families here in Mexico. They are beginning Spanish study and are trusting the Lord to be able to work in a tribe after Spanish. Peggy Warren, left, is a teacher who used to work in Panama. She was my parent's neighbor! She's now working here in Mexico. It's fun to have her here.

Joe & Nicole Wisniewski arrived in January, and never got to go on the outings for their semester, so they tagged along! It was fun to get to know them a bit more, since I only usually see the when we talk grammar!

Steve & Marta Murray are new to Mexico, but before that they were in Colombia & then Panama. Steve was actually one of my teaches in High School! It's great to have them here also. Welcome guys!

The city at sundown.

Friday Nite, errr Saturday Morning :)

2007-08-15T21:06:00.000-06:00

We took a break of about a month during July/first part of August from our weekly girl's Bible study because of schedules and people being gone, etc. So, as a "kick-off" to get running again, we decided to have a sleepover at my house. It would also serve to get to know some of the girls that we didn't know as well. There are several newer girls that I don't know very much.
I told the girls to get to my house around 8pm, and we'd start to make pizzas. I would direct them, but they would make homemade pizza.
So, around 10pm the first ones showed up.

Sarai & Tania
All of us: Magos, me, Sarai, Tania, & Judit
Then, around 11pm, just after all the "work" was done & the pizzas were coming out of the oven, 2 other girls showed up. They'd already told me that they'd be late, b/c one of them had to play for a wedding. So, they came after her commitment was fulfilled.

There were fewer than I'd hoped for, I had hoped that all the girls who attend the Bible study would be able to come. But, they couldn't/didn't for different reasons. The Lord was in control, though, I'd left all the details & the "worrying" up to Him. We had a good time just the few of us & the smaller number served to get to know each other better.

We'll try it again, though!

Monday nite we started up again with a review of what we've studied. We reviewed with questions, and I was pleasantly surprised with what the girls had learned/remembered. The Lord is working in their hearts & they are learning His Word!

A Green Getaway in the Cement Jungle

2007-08-15T20:37:00.001-06:00

This is my backyard. It is a place that I can escape to to relax, prepare for class, study for Bible study, etc. It's my own personal get-away.

My Garden

2007-08-08T22:22:00.000-06:00

Pink Day Lily

Moon flower just opening in early afternoon

Tiny Morning Glory plants pushing up

Geraniums Galore!

Look how the wildflowers grow. They don't work or make their clothing. But I tell you that not even King Solomon in all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. Mt 6:28-29

Just think, if the most beautiful of what man can make is nothing compared to the mere wildflowers that God creates, can we even begin to image His beauty? His glory? It is too much.

Meetings, meetings, meetings

2007-08-07T23:58:00.000-06:00

This week is meeting week! The Spanish Culture & Language Acquisition course starts next week, so we are trying to get all our ducks in a row. The Whyling family returned from a summer furlough just yesterday. Now that they're here, we're talking and planning and making room for another classroom to accomodate all the new students!
Please pray for a smooth transition to this new semester. We've made a few changes, Lord willing they will be for the better.
Please pray for unity between Whylings & myself as we take on this new responsibility and for unity among the teachers & students also.
And, finally please pray for prepared hearts, that all of us might see the prize at the end and be willing to go through the hard times to get to the end and learn Spanish & Mexican culture well.

I've got tomatoes!!

2007-08-07T23:50:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

2007-07-29T23:16:00.000-06:00

Today is my Grandma's Birthday. She is 81 years old!

Thanks for everyone who was praying for her surgery. Please keep praying for her. She went through surgery well. She was in ICU I think for two days, then went to a regular room. A few days ago she was moved into a rehab place where she'll be for about a month.
Please pray for patience for her & that she might be encouraged by progress that she is making. I think she gets bored a lot and tired of being in a hospital room. I know she'd much rather be home.
Please pray that she would look to the Lord and find encouragement and rest in Him.

Next semester

2007-07-29T22:56:00.000-06:00

This summer was a good training session. The director of the Spanish Course is going on furlough for about 6 months & has asked myself and another lady, Cindy Whylings, to run the Course til she gets back. There are 3 new couples starting this August semester & we'll have 4 students in an intermediate class (the ones that started in January), and then a few that are almost finished, 5 in the advanced class. 15 students in all! 4 of the families are planning Lord willing to work among some of the unreached people groups here when they finish Spanish.

This Summer

2007-07-29T21:57:00.001-06:00

During the summer, the Spanish Course continues for those new to Mexico and studying Spanish. However, those who have been here a while and want to brush up their Spanish with a few classes are welcome also. This year we had quite a few summer students. There were even a few kids that came to have fun learning Spanish in a special kids class.
The director of the Spanish Course here travelled half the summer, so while she was gone I was left "in charge" and took over her grammar classes. I think it did more to help my grammar than any others. There is definately truth that the teacher gets more out of what he teaches than the students.
These are the teachers that helped out during the summer. With the extra students, we had to have a few extra teachers. Juan, Noel, Danny (regular teacher), Pati (regular teacher), Monica, and Erick, missing: Arehmi.
Several students had already taken off to take a quick trip to the US by the time we got this picture taken. This is most of the ones that I was with all summer, though.
At the end, we had a traditional Mexican meal, discada, to celebrate summer school's end. There is an endless variety of what you can cook in the disco, but we had hamburger, ham, bacon, onion, green peppers, and jalapenos. That together with fresh corn tortillas made an excellent meal.
Ron, Zack, (full time Spanish students) talking with Danny (teacher) and Tad (summer students, principal of missionary school).

Open Heart Surgery

2007-07-16T00:25:00.000-06:00

This morning, at 7:15 CT my Dad's mom, is having open heart surgery to replace a valve. She will then be in ICU for several days, then regular hospital stay for a few more days, then after that, she'll be going to rehab. It will be a long recovery. She'll be 81 on the 29th. Please pray for the surgery: both my Grandma and the surgeons, and for the recovery: for patience and peacefullness for my Grandma. Thanks so much.

And sometimes He uses other peoples' husbands

2007-07-15T23:20:00.000-06:00

Here in Mexico, I am alone. I don't have a father, or a brother, or a husband. The Lord is my husband. He is very faithful to take care of me. Many times, He reminds me to do something, like set my alarm before I got to bed! Or, sometimes, when I do forget to set the alarm, or sleep through it! He wakes me up in time to be on time for class, etc. There are many little things like that the Lord does to take care of me.

Sometimes, though, he uses other people to take care of me. One example is cars: I don't know too much about them. I have common sense and know a little bit, so I faithfully take care of checking tire pressure, oil levels, and other fluid levels. And I wash it. That's about the extent of my knowledge about cars. Oh, and I think I could change a tire if I need to. My dad taught me a long time ago, and I think it's a pretty logical process, although I don't look forward to it.

One of the things I've been doing here lately is helping new missionary families arriving in Mexico. Two are here & the third family comes in two weeks. I was taking one of the couples around looking at a few houses when they first arrived so they could find one to rent. As we drove along, I turned right and drove right over a glass bottle, smashing it with by one of my back tires. Everything seemed okay, so I continued to the house we were to see which was only a few blocks away. When we got there, the husband got out and checked my tire(s). I had kinda already forgot about running over the glass. :( The tires where fine, no glass punctures, but he notices the tires were getting warn down and told me I needed to rotate my tires. (Now this was something new, I had heard about rotating tires, but I didn't realise how important it was nor did I know that I was supposed to do it every 6 months! I had had the car for 15 months without rotating the tires, yikes!)

So, the next morning I went into a tire shop recommended by another missionary who knows about cars to get my tires rotated. The tire guy had got two tires switched and went to work on the third one when I got called back to check out the tire. It had a bulge in it. Yikes, I know that's bad, because it can explode on you, which is worse than just a flat tire. So, he put that tire back where it was, in the back, because he said a tire with a bulge needs to be on the back. He put the last tire back on. I wanted to consult someone with more car experience than I before I made an decisions about what to do. So, I prayed and tried to drive carefully on my tire with a bulge.

The first guy I asked said, "Yes, a tire with a bulge is bad. You will have to buy a new tire." The next guy said, "You should probably buy 2 tires, and put the two new tires in front to keep the tires even in pairs. But I can't recommend what to buy. I don't know that much about tires."

So, I came home, praying that the Lord would keep my tires from exploding until I got back to the shop. I called my mom over the internet in PNG and got my dad's email address at work. I told him the problem and my options for tires and he was able to recommend the brand I should get and told me that yes, Man #2 was right, I needed to buy 2 tires to have a matched pair in front and put the two best old tires in the back.

So, the next morning again I went to the tire shop, told them I wanted two new tires in front and the two best old tires in back. Someone came and picked me up so I could leave the car there and get to the Spanish school. That afternoon a friend took me back to the shop to pick up my car. After I'd paid and picked up my keys, the tire guy called me over before I got to my car. He asked me if I wanted my two tires he'd taken off. He said one had the bulge and the other had a nail in it. It hadn't started leaking yet, but it was punctured. I let him keep the two tires! :) I don't think I have any use for them.

I was and am so thankful that the Lord had a knowledgeable man in my car when I ran over the bottle. Otherwise, he wouldn't have looked so closely at my tires, and I wouldn't have gone to get them rotated. The Lord had me change those tires before I got into trouble with them. I drive around alone so much, that I was so thankful to have exchanged a punctured tire and a bulged tire with 2 new tires, ready for thousands of miles. The Lord is protecting me, providing for me, ever so faithfully, and sometimes He uses other peoples' husbands.

And, now I know to rotate my tires. :)

Pics from PNG

2007-07-15T23:04:00.000-06:00

Josh was able to go to another area of PNG for about a month and helped out missionaries there with construction projects: especially helping to finish a dorm. While there, he got to do some fun things with friends from school - climbing a mountain, hiking, scuba diving, visiting a tribal village in that region. He enjoyed it immensely. Here's some pics.

Josh in a Picus tree. Can you see him?

Josh scuba diving with some friends. There's one family there who has all the scuba equipment and takes those who want to and who are certified (Josh get certified a few months ago) out diving.

He also got to do some kneeboarding.

This waterfall is one of 4 in a row. It's just a little hike away from the tribal village where Josh & some friends visited. It is truly beautiful there.

Please pray for my eyes

2007-07-05T23:21:00.000-06:00

For several months now, I have been having some eye allergies. It gets better & worse, etc. I think it's almost gone, then comes back again. Right now, my eyes are red again. Please pray for patience for me to deal with this & for wisdom in making decisions about contacts, doctors, etc.

My sister's visit

2007-07-05T21:51:00.001-06:00

Well, Elisabeth & I had a great time together. We got to work together, eat together, travel to the mountains together, sigh-see a bit together, celebrate her birthday early together. We had a fun time.
Here's some pics from our trip to the mountains.
All throughout the mountains are rock fences. Many of them are really, really old: built centuries ago by the indians when the Spaniards conquered the area to distinguish property lines. Today, some of the fences are reconstructed alongside roads, etc for cattle. This isn't one of the old ones, but they are remarkable. Just piled up rocks that stay where they're supposed to!
Darn, I blinked!

We're heading to the hills - hoping for cooler weather. But alas, it was just as hot up there, and a higher altitute yet, so we ended up getting a little sun!
The little town we visited up in the mountains just a few hours from where I live. A popular tourist stopover.
We did one of the things Lis wanted to do most of all! We took a 3 hour horse ride to see some of the "sights" around the area. Yes, it was painful. I know "how" to ride, but I'm not very experienced & it had been about a year & a half since I had ridden!
There is a large people group that lives throughout the whole part of the mountain range where we went. Actually, that section of the mountains are named after them: Sierra Tarahumara. We have missionaries working in two different dialects of this group.
It is a beautiful, but hard land. These are some of the people's houses.

These people are so lost. This church was built when the Conquerors came to this area of Mexico & introduced a major religion in order to pacify and dominate the people group. This building is used every Sunday. The people get together to do their traditional animistic religious rituals, perhaps having a form of godliness, but denying the Truth.
These people have mixed this major religion with their own traditional animistic religion. One thing that caught my attention was that there were "flower & herb offerings" around the bell, exactly like there was in Santa Teresa with the Cora people. I didn't get to ask anybody about it, b/c we were just riding through. Maybe next time. The church was fairly large, but there were only those two benches in it. The main figure is Saint Ignacious with the crucified Christ on one side & the virgen guadalupe on the other side. This is definately not a place of worship for the resurrected & alive Christ & God of all the Universe.
The Tarahumara believe that "the Catholic cross is not the cross of Christ. It is the cross of a severed man in space, the invisible man with his arms wide open, whose nails look at the four cardinal points." In their ceremonies, they "ask for help to God by setting up a cross. Then after help is received, they give thanks to him by giving presents to him. The cross represents the dialogue between God and the Tarahumaras. Most of the time the gifts consist of: offering the guts of a sacrificed animal (cow/goat), chickens, corn tortillas, or tesguino (fermented corn drink)" Looking behind me on the trail. Two Finnish girls were also part of our trail ride.

Looking ahead of me on the trail. Lis stayed up with the guide the whole time! Go girl!
At the lake, finally. the turn-around place. I really enjoyed the ride & it was much more interesting to see the land slowly from the back of a horse instead of having to catch glimpses while I drove down the road. But, I did get really sore!
The lake is continuously used by the people to bath & wash. It is a major water source for the area.
After our trail ride, we took off to see the Copper Canyon, which is 4 times larger than the Grand Canyon.
It was impressive, but I must say, the Grand Canyon does have some magnificent colours that this place is lacking.

Then, we headed back to town. On our way back, we saw several sights that are no longer part of our American way of life in the US.
Plowing a field behind a horse.
Wood-burning stoves for heat & cooking. This is something you find in many houses throughout the mountains. Winter or summer, they cook on this.
Coming back from the mountains, we stopped off in a city just about an hour from where I live. It is the "Washington" of Mexico. It's the apple capital of this country. It is also a place known for the Mennonites who settled here back just after WWI. My mom's parents originated here before they migrated to Canada. There is a little bit of family left here. And, guess what?
Lis & I asked around & found a Great Uncle & Great Aunt. Their daughter and grandson came over while we were there, so we got to meet all of them. That was such a delight. They only speak Low-German & Spanish. And, we only speak English & Spanish, so we conversed in Spanish!

It was a full trip, but I was able to share with Elisabeth my life here & we had some sister-time. Thanks for coming, Lis.

Catching up

2007-07-05T21:44:00.000-06:00

Well, Let's see if I can get caught up here. It's been a little while since I've been on here, so I want to update a bit.

Filling a Need

2007-06-22T16:15:00.000-06:00

The folks who host the guest house in El Paso that our mission and a few other missions use took a few month furlough to go see their family and visit their churches. So, there is a rotation to fill that need while they are gone.
This last week was my turn. I've been cleaning toilets, vacuuming, doing tons of laundry. Then, something exciting happened. A semi truck pulled up right in front of the house! JAARS helped one of the MK school teachers move back to Mexico from her furlough. So, I got to help unload her stuff - table, couch, plastic tubs, etc. Soon, everything was loaded up in a pickup and on it's way to Mexico.
So, this is one opportunity the Lord has opened for me to help out.

Cora Pics

2007-06-22T16:07:00.001-06:00

Cora Trip
Some of you may be interested in pics from the Cora tribe down in Nayarit. We visited two areas/two dialects. Both places are spiritually dark with need for clear communication of the Gospel in their own language & dialect.

A Visit from my Sister!!

2007-06-04T23:30:00.000-06:00

My sister came to visit me in Mexico! I'm so excited to be here with her. Today was our first complete day together. We were tired, so we slept in a little bit! Then she went to work with me and helped out a bunch!

The two Chapman girls in Mexico.Elisabeth stayed busy folding little reading booklets. We were able to find & download graded readers in Spanish for the Spanish Dept. They gave me the job of getting them folded, and ready. There are tons! I've been working little by little each day while I watch a movie, etc, but it just wasn't getting done fast enough. Elisabeth & one of the Spanish teachers, Danny, helped me out today and we made a huge dent in the pile.
I stayed busy trying to keep the printer caught up with their folding & assembling while trying to revise some grammar sections of the current Spanish lessons.
In the early evening, we went to a local park to enjoy the trees, grass, and water! It is a cool, refreshing, and fragrant place where you forget you're living in a crowded city in the middle of a desert! It was nice.
After walking around a while, we stopped to get some freshly made juice. The choices were: beet, carrot, alfalfa, cactus, pineapple, orange, and maybe one other flavour. These are what I remember. Needless to say, we had orange juice. It reminded us of the freshly squeezed orange juice that we used to drink in Panama. It's stuff you just don't get in the US.
Although it's a little late, there were a few roses left in full bloom. They smelled so beautiful.

It was a nice first day together!