Dear Praying Friends,
As always, we thank you for praying.
Last Tuesday, I went to the hospital to get Jesus and bring him home. They told him that one of the medicines he had been taking should have been stopped two months before the surgery, not just one week before. So, he was sent home after being in the hospital 5 days. He said he would have to start the process all over again. On the way home, we had time to stop at another social medicine hospital where one of his doctors practices. We were told that he wouldn't be able to get an appointment to start the process all over again until June, but he also said, "That medicine has nothing to do with not being able to have a surgery. I don't know why they sent you home." We waited in several long lines and finally Jesus was able to get another doctor's appointment today (Tuesday.) Pray that he will not have to wait for a long time to reschedule the surgery. Jesus' wife Analilia is from Acapulco so they went down to visit her family this past week. Please continue to pray for them.
Faith, Cristi, Cherith and Caralyn were all very very sick last week with Faith being hit the hardest. It was a difficult week for all of us with mom down. However, we carried on with our plans for our first Easter sunrise service on Sunday morning. It was such a blessing to have about 40 people total here on Sunday morning. AND, INCREDIBLY, most people were here within 5 minutes of us starting. It was a real blessing as we sang a number of hymns and then went through the end of the crucifixion and burial and the the resurrection of Jesus from John 19 and 20. For breakfast we had waffles, fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice, egg casseroles, bacon, and toast. It seemed to be a real encouragement to many and we heard comments about wanting to do it again next year.
A special blessing was that Marta who has not been well lately was able to attend with her daughter, Frida, 14. She really enjoyed it and because of her poor health recently, the doctor gave her the whole Sunday off from work. So they came to the sunrise service, attended SS and our worship service, and then we were able to have them back for lunch in the afternoon. Please pray for her with her very difficult home situation with her Catholic unsaved husband and her health. She was thrilled to be able to be in so many services on Sunday.
On a sadder note, please make Janet and Vanessa a subject of your prayers. Janet has been very sporadic in her attendance for the past two months (only being there once or twice.) Vanessa has been pretty faithful, even bringing her little sister Jessica, but none of them were present for the young people's meeting on Saturday nor for any of the services on Sunday. Janet has been struggling with a problem for a few months now and needs to surrender to the Lord's Word. Pray that she will. Vanessa has been battling with some discouragement. Thank you for praying for them.
Nico's wife Liliana who lives right next door to us wouldn't come to the sunrise service. She was obviously bothered by something, but would not talk about it. She is the one who just recently was getting more excited about the things of the Lord. Again, this shows that reformation of life is not a possibility; the new birth is a necessity. Please pray for God to shed His saving grace abroad in Liliana's heart.
Saturday's youth outing on the bike path was fun and exhausting. Going down the mountain is pretty easy. Getting back up? Not so much. We stopped at a very scenic place where you can see much of the city and had a picnic and our devotional. It was a blessing to continue studying the life of Joseph and seeing how he could love his brothers who had sold him because he constantly saw the providence of God in leading him in difficult circumstances.
Yesterday we received a phone call from a lady (Noemi) who has attended off and on throughout the years. The man she has been living with (Mario) for 13 years wants out of their relationship and is very self-centered. He wants her to go to a psychologist so that she won't be crying and sad when he moves out. (Nice.) He has agreed for me to go tomorrow and talk with them, so please pray for me to have Biblical wisdom and firmness and pray for the Lord to save Mario. Noemi has a profession of faith but not much fruit. Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for your prayers, encouragement in notes, letters and emails, and your faithful financial support. We could not be ministering for the Lord here if it were not for you all.
In Christ,
Mike for all the Goldfii
Tuesday, March 25
Monday, March 17
Goldfuss update (March 17)
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers during this past week. Things were very busy and very interesting to say the least.
Last Monday while Morgan was here studying in the cabin, Matthew and Cherith went up in the loft to play for a while. There is a hanging light bulb that we have hooked up on nail in the rafter so that it doesn't touch anything. Matthew and Cheri unhooked it and let it hang. The problem is that it was hanging right on a big roll of carpet foam underlayment. They all came over to the house for lunch. Before Morgan was going to take Mike and Mikey down for Mikey's basketball, he went went into the cabin to get his book and saw smoke everywhere. He called me and it was very very thick smoke. It took me 4 tries to get up the ladder to get the big roll down so that we could throw it out of the cabin. The smoke was very toxic. Finally we got it out. We praise the Lord that no one was hurt and that the cabin was not burned to the ground--or burned in anyway for that matter. It still smells somewhat burnt inside, but we are thankful for the Lord's watchcare and protection. (We had put some fans in there during the afternoon to try to blow a lot of the smoke out and in the evening, the fans were yellow from the toxic foam that had been burning.)
Mikey was studying "writing a newspaper article" in English on Monday,and he chose the exciting cabin incident. It went something like this:
The hospital didn't seem very clean where we went and some of the people didn't seem very competent medically. I was very concerned that they were just recommending two hip and two knee replacements before the needed time. On Thursday we were able to get him a doctor's visit with the head of pediatric orthopedics in all of Mexico. We felt more at peace with it all when our doctor looked at the x-rays and said that it was very obvious that he needed the two hip replacements. She also knows his doctor and the hospital where the first one is going to be done and said that there should be no problems. Jesus was admitted on Friday to the hospital. His wife Analilia called us on Saturday to let us know that his doctor is going on vacation (holy week here in Mexico.) Jesus has to be in the hospital all week and the surgery will not be until next week. (Go figure.) Anyway, Analilia asked if we could pick her up for church yesterday. We did and she was paying very good attention in SS. As soon as we started our worship service and as we were reading a Psalm, Analilia got up and appeared to be headed to the bathroom. She stopped in the back of the room by the bathroom, by the chair of one of our ladies, and then another lady yelled out, "Grab her, she's going to fall." Several jumped to help and laid her down as she had a grand mal epileptic seizure right there. Faith and three others were able to really help her. She had bitten her tongue, but not severly. By the end of the service, she was doing well, except for a bad headache. So, please really keep this family and their trials in your prayers. I was able to speak with Jesus in the hospital this morning and Lili had just gotten there to be with him. The church people are taking turns watching their children.
Marta was not able to be there yesterday. She was very sick all week and called to let us know. Sra. Gloria has not been able to be there for the last several weeks either due to a virus. Our family has been ravaged the last 4 days with some serious bronchial infections. Mikey, Cristi, and especially Faith and Caralyn have been really hit. Please pray for the Lord's grace in these days of sickness. We haven't been able to sleep very well for the past few nights.
We had a very good men's meeting on Saturday. We are studying a book on Biblical eldership and Saturday we had 8 present. Please pray for the men to see the need of a plurality of elders and the need to be men who meet the qualifications. Men who were present were: Morgan, Memo, Uriel, Humberto, Nico, Fernando, Marcos and myself.
This week is shaping up to be another full week.
Sincerely in Christ,
Mike for all the Goldfii
Thank you so much for your prayers during this past week. Things were very busy and very interesting to say the least.
Last Monday while Morgan was here studying in the cabin, Matthew and Cherith went up in the loft to play for a while. There is a hanging light bulb that we have hooked up on nail in the rafter so that it doesn't touch anything. Matthew and Cheri unhooked it and let it hang. The problem is that it was hanging right on a big roll of carpet foam underlayment. They all came over to the house for lunch. Before Morgan was going to take Mike and Mikey down for Mikey's basketball, he went went into the cabin to get his book and saw smoke everywhere. He called me and it was very very thick smoke. It took me 4 tries to get up the ladder to get the big roll down so that we could throw it out of the cabin. The smoke was very toxic. Finally we got it out. We praise the Lord that no one was hurt and that the cabin was not burned to the ground--or burned in anyway for that matter. It still smells somewhat burnt inside, but we are thankful for the Lord's watchcare and protection. (We had put some fans in there during the afternoon to try to blow a lot of the smoke out and in the evening, the fans were yellow from the toxic foam that had been burning.)
Mikey was studying "writing a newspaper article" in English on Monday,and he chose the exciting cabin incident. It went something like this:
Two tikes playing in the loft of a cabin on Maninal St. almost left the cabin in ashes. Thankfully the man who studies in the cabin, Morgan Bernal, returned for a commentary before leaving. "I didn't know the lightbulb would burn the foamy", stated 5 year old Matthew Goldfuss. "I don't know? It was him!" declared three year old Cheri Golfuss as she pointed at her big brother. The entire family is thankful to the Lord for sparing the cabin as they use it for the ministry.Monday night I tried to visit the Lopez family and the new family (Jesus and Analilia.) I was only able to make connections with the second family and asked them if they needed any help. Jesus stated that he had to go the the doctor's on Tuesday and that it was a long trip with his arthritis to drive a stick shift. He asked if I could drive him there. So we left on Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM and arrived at the doctor's at 10:00. 2 1/2 hours to go about 20 miles. :-) It's mind-boggling to think that people do that every day. Many people take two hours to get to work in the morning and two hours to get home at night. 1/6 of your day is spent in travel to and from work. Anyway, for all the time that we were together, it was a blessing to really go over the gospel with Jesus and answer some of his questions. Continue to pray for the salvation of each one in that family.
The hospital didn't seem very clean where we went and some of the people didn't seem very competent medically. I was very concerned that they were just recommending two hip and two knee replacements before the needed time. On Thursday we were able to get him a doctor's visit with the head of pediatric orthopedics in all of Mexico. We felt more at peace with it all when our doctor looked at the x-rays and said that it was very obvious that he needed the two hip replacements. She also knows his doctor and the hospital where the first one is going to be done and said that there should be no problems. Jesus was admitted on Friday to the hospital. His wife Analilia called us on Saturday to let us know that his doctor is going on vacation (holy week here in Mexico.) Jesus has to be in the hospital all week and the surgery will not be until next week. (Go figure.) Anyway, Analilia asked if we could pick her up for church yesterday. We did and she was paying very good attention in SS. As soon as we started our worship service and as we were reading a Psalm, Analilia got up and appeared to be headed to the bathroom. She stopped in the back of the room by the bathroom, by the chair of one of our ladies, and then another lady yelled out, "Grab her, she's going to fall." Several jumped to help and laid her down as she had a grand mal epileptic seizure right there. Faith and three others were able to really help her. She had bitten her tongue, but not severly. By the end of the service, she was doing well, except for a bad headache. So, please really keep this family and their trials in your prayers. I was able to speak with Jesus in the hospital this morning and Lili had just gotten there to be with him. The church people are taking turns watching their children.
Marta was not able to be there yesterday. She was very sick all week and called to let us know. Sra. Gloria has not been able to be there for the last several weeks either due to a virus. Our family has been ravaged the last 4 days with some serious bronchial infections. Mikey, Cristi, and especially Faith and Caralyn have been really hit. Please pray for the Lord's grace in these days of sickness. We haven't been able to sleep very well for the past few nights.
We had a very good men's meeting on Saturday. We are studying a book on Biblical eldership and Saturday we had 8 present. Please pray for the men to see the need of a plurality of elders and the need to be men who meet the qualifications. Men who were present were: Morgan, Memo, Uriel, Humberto, Nico, Fernando, Marcos and myself.
This week is shaping up to be another full week.
- Young people's meeting on Saturday--- bike trip.
- Sunday morning at 7 AM we are going to be having our first ever sunrise service up the mountain at our house in addition to our regular services at 11 and 1. Please pray that our church will be blessed as we remember again the resurrection of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. We seek to often remember the resurrection throughout the year but by God's grace we will have our recollection of it sharpened this coming Lord's day.
Sincerely in Christ,
Mike for all the Goldfii
Sunday, March 9
Goldfuss update (March 9)
Dear Praying Friends,
PRAYER REQUESTS:
We thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement,
In Christ,
Mike for all the Goldfi
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Pray for Teresa's grandson Jonathan. He is only 15 and they just placed him in a drug and alcohol rehab place.
- Pray for Guille. There was a big problem this week when at the last minute Alejandro got angry when the ladies' meeting was at his house on Saturday. He had said last week that it wouldn't be a problem. Please also pray for Christian's (their youngest son) salvation.
- Pray for Jesus and his family. They were in church again today. He will be going into the hospital on Friday for his first hip replacement. They are going to be having some difficulties. Please pray for our church to be able to be a blessing to them during this time.
- Pray for the men's meeting this coming Saturday.
- Pray for Martha. Her husband has been drunk and on drugs and breaking windows again in her room. She is very concerned for her safety and seeking a place to go to be safe. We are trying to keep daily tabs on her. Please continue to pray for her.
- A good ladies' meeting yesterday (Saturday.) The lesson was on learning to live above our circumstances.
- The two young men who are preaching on Wed. nights (Morgan and Humberto.) Pray for Mike to have wisdom in helping them.
- Excellent attendances the past two weeks.
- Thank the Lord that we have finished our series on the family and ask Him to bring lasting results from it.
We thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement,
In Christ,
Mike for all the Goldfi
Monday, March 3
Goldfuss update (March 3)
Dear Praying Friends,
Lots has been happening here which is why we have not gotten a prayer update out for a couple of weeks. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. We greatly need your prayers.
The past three Sundays we have been blessed to have a new family. Jesus, Analilia and their three young children have been attending. They have come from a Catholic church. We don't get many families who come straight from a Catholic church. Jesus' father moved up to the north of the city in the past several years and attends a church that had some contact with another missionary that we know. The father gave his son the address of our church and they have been coming. What an incredible God we serve. We are not allowed to have a sign up for our church, but in spite of that, we see God's providence constantly here. This family's thirst for the Word of God is truly evident. They are thrilled to be able to begin to study the Bible. What amazes us is how the Lord has been preparing them.
Jesus is 36 years old and hasn't been able to work for the last 6 years. He is in tremendous pain with arthritis and needs both hips and knees replaced. His first hip replacement is scheduled for March 14, so please be in prayer for him and his family. We were able to have them for dinner yesterday and we were able to regive them the Gospel clearly. They have been taking the CD's of the messages at church and have been listening to them over and over. I'm enclosing a picture of their family.
While getting to know their family, the impact of their situation and their desperate need for Christ was overwhelming. They have 5 children. The 10 year old girl and the 8 year old girl are now living with relatives in Acapulco---(over 3 hours away) because they just cannot take care of them with all the physical needs that Jesus has. Their little baby boy, also Jesus, was just born two months ago and Analilia spends her time trying to care for the baby, two year old Sandra, and the five year old Brenda. She also has to care for Jesus and help him with his walking. BUT wait---there is even more. She also has epileptic seizures. SOOO Jesus must go everywhere with her. She cannot be alone. Going shopping and taking the five year old to school every day are great painful trips for Jesus. We have offered them our cabin for Jesus' recovery time. Please pray that if it is the Lord's will, they will accept. Faith can help with his nursing care---while our Cristi and Carissa can help with their little girls. We just really feel that this trial may be more than they can handle without immediate family to help. All family lives far away and cannot help them at this time. Please pray for more opportunities like this where we could show them the love of Christ. Please also pray for their salvation.
Martha continues to struggle with many situations, but the Lord's grace is very evidently abundant in her life. Her supervisor at the hospital made her give a wrong medicine to a little baby. She was very close to losing her job. She faces temptation in her job from other men and her attitude has constantly been one of seeking to please the Lord. Her father is close to dying. Her husband hates her and has been making her life miserable. To top things off, her health has been very poor. Just last week though they ruled out cancer, so she is praising the Lord for that blessing. She shared that daily she struggles with anger against her husband for being so mean to her. She was so angry that she picked up a potted plant, took it out of the pot that it was in and was ready to throw all of the dirt all over her husband's car. When she held it up over her head, the dirt fell all over her! She said, "Ok, Lord, he does not know the truth like I do." She said for the first time she has real hope that the Lord can save her husband. Please pray for her.
Since Marta has to leave normally right after SS, she isn't able to hear the messages. I try to save my messages for her and give them to her the next week. After SS yesterday, I gave her three messages from the past several weeks. As we finished our last hymn and I was getting ready to preach, I could not find my message. I immediately realized that I was in trouble--I had given Marta several previous weeks' messages but also YESTERDAY'S MESSAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In a panic, I realized I couldn't go home for it--that would be an hour round trip. I just decided that I would have to do it without my notes. I supposed it would be rather brief--about 20 minutes or so. I make up the bulletin with blanks for the main points and other important thoughts. The Lord allowed me to remember every point and even the examples. The message was the normal time--just over an hour. :-) People have been seeking to put into practice many of the principles for their families and it is a blessing to see.
Praise the LORD!!
Many of you have prayed in the past for Fernando. He is 35 and has come off and on for about six years. The "christian church" he is from does not believe that Jesus is God and he has chafed at that in our church for several years. He has come back again for four weeks now. Last week I was able to have a good talk with him and let him know that if he is interested in coming to learn God's Word, he is welcome in our church, but his talking to others about his false doctrine cannot be tolerated. He mentioned last week that the reason he's left the other church is because the "pastor's" day-by-day living does not match up with what he teaches. Pray that he really will see the differences and that he will depend totally on Christ to save him from his sins.
Erasmo and Matilde have closed their taco stand. They are having some problems getting his old taxi back and ready to work again. They missed yesterday as they had to go to another state to get some official papers for their car. Please pray for their spiritual condition.
Manuel and Maricela lived with us for a number of months about 5 years ago. They stopped attending about 4 years ago, but have recently come back to several services. Pray for them to truly be saved.
Memo is taking real leadership of his home. So is Jose. Pray for these men.
We are planning an Easter Sunrise Service at our home. It will be EARLY and with a breakfast to follow. Please pray that a great number of people will be able to come and that we will have even more opportunities to share that our Savior LIVES.
Last Saturday we had our monthly young peoples' meeting. We went to a mountain where the whole side is volcanic sand. It was extremely windy and the wind kicked up the sand and really had some bite. I've enclosed a couple of pictures from that also.
Thank you SO much for your prayers,
We need them and greatly appreciate them. We depend on them.
In Christ,
Mike for all the Goldfi
Lots has been happening here which is why we have not gotten a prayer update out for a couple of weeks. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. We greatly need your prayers.
The past three Sundays we have been blessed to have a new family. Jesus, Analilia and their three young children have been attending. They have come from a Catholic church. We don't get many families who come straight from a Catholic church. Jesus' father moved up to the north of the city in the past several years and attends a church that had some contact with another missionary that we know. The father gave his son the address of our church and they have been coming. What an incredible God we serve. We are not allowed to have a sign up for our church, but in spite of that, we see God's providence constantly here. This family's thirst for the Word of God is truly evident. They are thrilled to be able to begin to study the Bible. What amazes us is how the Lord has been preparing them.
Jesus is 36 years old and hasn't been able to work for the last 6 years. He is in tremendous pain with arthritis and needs both hips and knees replaced. His first hip replacement is scheduled for March 14, so please be in prayer for him and his family. We were able to have them for dinner yesterday and we were able to regive them the Gospel clearly. They have been taking the CD's of the messages at church and have been listening to them over and over. I'm enclosing a picture of their family.
While getting to know their family, the impact of their situation and their desperate need for Christ was overwhelming. They have 5 children. The 10 year old girl and the 8 year old girl are now living with relatives in Acapulco---(over 3 hours away) because they just cannot take care of them with all the physical needs that Jesus has. Their little baby boy, also Jesus, was just born two months ago and Analilia spends her time trying to care for the baby, two year old Sandra, and the five year old Brenda. She also has to care for Jesus and help him with his walking. BUT wait---there is even more. She also has epileptic seizures. SOOO Jesus must go everywhere with her. She cannot be alone. Going shopping and taking the five year old to school every day are great painful trips for Jesus. We have offered them our cabin for Jesus' recovery time. Please pray that if it is the Lord's will, they will accept. Faith can help with his nursing care---while our Cristi and Carissa can help with their little girls. We just really feel that this trial may be more than they can handle without immediate family to help. All family lives far away and cannot help them at this time. Please pray for more opportunities like this where we could show them the love of Christ. Please also pray for their salvation.Martha continues to struggle with many situations, but the Lord's grace is very evidently abundant in her life. Her supervisor at the hospital made her give a wrong medicine to a little baby. She was very close to losing her job. She faces temptation in her job from other men and her attitude has constantly been one of seeking to please the Lord. Her father is close to dying. Her husband hates her and has been making her life miserable. To top things off, her health has been very poor. Just last week though they ruled out cancer, so she is praising the Lord for that blessing. She shared that daily she struggles with anger against her husband for being so mean to her. She was so angry that she picked up a potted plant, took it out of the pot that it was in and was ready to throw all of the dirt all over her husband's car. When she held it up over her head, the dirt fell all over her! She said, "Ok, Lord, he does not know the truth like I do." She said for the first time she has real hope that the Lord can save her husband. Please pray for her.
Since Marta has to leave normally right after SS, she isn't able to hear the messages. I try to save my messages for her and give them to her the next week. After SS yesterday, I gave her three messages from the past several weeks. As we finished our last hymn and I was getting ready to preach, I could not find my message. I immediately realized that I was in trouble--I had given Marta several previous weeks' messages but also YESTERDAY'S MESSAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In a panic, I realized I couldn't go home for it--that would be an hour round trip. I just decided that I would have to do it without my notes. I supposed it would be rather brief--about 20 minutes or so. I make up the bulletin with blanks for the main points and other important thoughts. The Lord allowed me to remember every point and even the examples. The message was the normal time--just over an hour. :-) People have been seeking to put into practice many of the principles for their families and it is a blessing to see.
Praise the LORD!!
Many of you have prayed in the past for Fernando. He is 35 and has come off and on for about six years. The "christian church" he is from does not believe that Jesus is God and he has chafed at that in our church for several years. He has come back again for four weeks now. Last week I was able to have a good talk with him and let him know that if he is interested in coming to learn God's Word, he is welcome in our church, but his talking to others about his false doctrine cannot be tolerated. He mentioned last week that the reason he's left the other church is because the "pastor's" day-by-day living does not match up with what he teaches. Pray that he really will see the differences and that he will depend totally on Christ to save him from his sins.
Erasmo and Matilde have closed their taco stand. They are having some problems getting his old taxi back and ready to work again. They missed yesterday as they had to go to another state to get some official papers for their car. Please pray for their spiritual condition.
Manuel and Maricela lived with us for a number of months about 5 years ago. They stopped attending about 4 years ago, but have recently come back to several services. Pray for them to truly be saved.
Memo is taking real leadership of his home. So is Jose. Pray for these men.
We are planning an Easter Sunrise Service at our home. It will be EARLY and with a breakfast to follow. Please pray that a great number of people will be able to come and that we will have even more opportunities to share that our Savior LIVES.
Last Saturday we had our monthly young peoples' meeting. We went to a mountain where the whole side is volcanic sand. It was extremely windy and the wind kicked up the sand and really had some bite. I've enclosed a couple of pictures from that also.
Thank you SO much for your prayers,
We need them and greatly appreciate them. We depend on them.
In Christ,
Mike for all the Goldfi
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