Dear praying Friends,
We have been writing weekly email updates without fail ever since April. Because of that, it seemed like we had “just” sent a prayer letter. Well, we did “just” send the last one in APRIL. If you have not been receiving the email updates, please let us know. Drop us a note at mikegoldfuss@hotmail.com and we will get you right on the list. If you feel that the weekly email prayer updates are sufficient for you, please also let us know and we’ll take you off the snail mail prayer letter list. You will still receive the prayer letter via e-mail.
In April we had just gotten back from Texas and a visit with Faith’s parents. We left 6 workers working on our house. They hadn’t done the work that they said they would when we left. However, they stated that they would still get done in the allotted time that they had. We continued paying them by the week. When we got to the last week 6 weeks later, there was still about 3 weeks of work to go. All the workers just left. This was the second time we had problems with workers and we were very upset as the BJU mission team was arriving in just over a week. The neighbor lady waited until this time to tell us that the workers used the two weeks that we were gone to take 4-hour “naps” on the roof. That was grand. :-) There is a large unoccupied house, mostly finished and with running water right next door to us. Mike asked permission to use the house for the group from BJ and the lady miraculously said yes. They even had a hot-water heater to use. 24 of the team members stayed in that house and a married couple on the team stayed in another neighbor’s home. It’s great to have good relations with our neighbors.
The week of the team’s visit was the highlight of our summer. Along with our church people, the team gave 6,000 tracts and invitations out in our church neighborhood for several nights of evangelistic meetings. We saw several people come and visit for those services. Pray for continued lasting fruit as a result. The week had several trials and the Lord’s grace strengthened us through each one. One of the team’s van’s transmissions broke for the 2nd time in ten days. The other van had its back window broken. Fortunately we also have a van. One evening a young man on the team drove our van with 31 other people (team members, our family and Rachael Davis who was helping Faith cook that week) down the mountain to the church. They, and the van, all made it in one solid piece—I think everyone was molded together.
We were very concerned about how we were going to get 32 people fed everyday in the cabin, but we divided into two shifts and everything worked out well. The weather was wet and cold the whole week, but the Lord gave everyone the grace for the close quarters. It was actually better than we could have ever planned. The spirit of everyone was wonderful and we enjoyed all of the fellowship with all of the chaotic togetherness.
This past summer, we were able to start a Bible study in our new neighborhood. Nicholas, his son Humberto (20), and three siblings Janet (20,) Vanessa (19), and Jain (15) have been attending for about 5 months now. We have been enjoying studying the gospel of John. They have been hungry for God’s Word. Our studies on Saturday afternoons normally last from 4 PM until about 7 PM. Nicholas has shown true fruit of being born again and trusting in Christ completely for his salvation. He has some serious family problems that he is trying to get sorted out before the Lord, and his desire is to please the Lord in all he does. Mike recently bought him some very good Christian books and Nicholas has been seen studying until 1 AM many nights. What a blessing. Pray for him to be able to correct the things in his life that have taken years to mess up. He has been faithfully witnessing to many people that he has come into contact with including his parents who are very against him because of this. The others in the Bible study have also come to church with us.
Mark and Bekah Perry came from Westerville Bible Church in August. They even took us away on a short vacation for a couple of days. They brought some neat things for the whole family from their church members. They have a digital camera and while they were here, Mark kept up a daily summary, complete with pictures, of everything that they did. The address on the internet is: http://bigmexicocity.blogspot.com/ To find the pictures of the family and the trip details, check on the older posts section under August.
The church has had very good attendance throughout the summer and fall. We are still very burdened about the salvation of a good number who come faithfully, but have no real fruit of salvation in their lives. The big news is that our church landlord is needing our building again. So we need to move AGAIN! We are all seriously praying about this. Our church would really love a permanent building. There is a building very close to where we are now and it is for sale or rent. This would be a miracle for our church, but we have the God of miracles! Thank you for praying with us!
It seems a constant prayer request is that the Lord would raise up faithful men to lead his church here. We have lost several of the men who were rather faithful in attendance but were not saved. Morgan and Marcos struggle in their spiritual lives. Pray for Nicholas to continue his growth and leadership in his home where no one else is saved. We have three other men who need to grow or be saved.
Mike’s mom has organized a special family reunion in December. She is flying us up for it and the whole family is very very excited. Pray for the church in our absence to grow and to go forward.
Pray for us to be able to finish the house soon in the New Year if the Lord allows. It would be nice to get into the house for the new semester of school. It would be wonderful to move soon so that we can function in a much more organized manner and thus be more useful in the Lord’s service. We do have great news! Ruben and Heidi Zartman are planning to come February 1st to begin a ministry downtown primarily working with street children (orphans from age 4-12 who live on the streets). Even though they will eventually be about 2 hours away from us now, they will be staying in our cabin as they become adjusted and as they seek the proper place to live downtown. We are thrilled as Ruben’s parents were the ones that helped us get adjusted to the city. Now, we pray that their son and his wife will be the first of many future missionaries that we will be able to help become established all over Mexico City. Please pray for them as they make this important move.
Thank you so much for your prayers. We rely on them so much for the Lord’s strength and grace of each day. Your support and love gifts are so much appreciated also. May the Lord give you a wonderful holiday season, a merry Christmas and a Christ-centered new year.
In Christ,
Mike, Faith, Mikey, Cristiana, Carissa, Matthew, and Cherith Goldfuss
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