The last couple months have been filled with challenges. It has been extremely busy and we aren't sure sometimes if we've been meeting ourselves coming or going.
Helping other churches
A church about an hour away has asked for help and advice because their pastor resigned. Then the pastor returned to his position, so we are praying for them and the Lord's direction. Morgan has been helping once a month in preaching for another church where the missionary is on furlough. Jon filled in for him one Sunday. That Sunday between Jon and I, we preached in 4 different places in the city. We really felt like our heads were spinning that day, but we were thankful to be busy serving the Lord in many places throughout the city.
We had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday as the Lord brought about 60 people for our sunrise service in the living room and 81 for the regular worship service in the garage. The early service was followed by a full breakfast and the regular service was followed by a full taco lunch. We had about 15 visitors that day and were missing about 15 regular people. It was a happy and blessed day. (We've enclosed some pictures.)
Growth
- We've seen much growth in Victor. He has come from Spain to live with his aunt and uncle here in Mexico City, and has asked great questions, helped with answers to different questions in SS, has agreed to prepare a message to preach on a Wednesday, and attends Jon and Andrea's Bible study on Sunday nights at the Olivares home. The Bible study has been a great learning and growing experience for all who attend there as Jon has been preaching through Bible Doctrines.
- Martha has returned for about 4 of the last 6 weeks after not having attended for several months. She has been bringing two friends--Esther and Miguel, whom she has known for years at a Neurotics Anonymous group. She has only been able to attend for our SS class as she is a nurse who has to work in the afternoons, but we are grateful that the Lord has brought her back again. Please pray for her continued health problems with extremely low blood platelets.
- Luis--used to attend the Olivares church (actually, instead of "church" we should say "cult"), where they taught all types of false doctrine, including perfectionism. In fact, their group was called "The Perfects." He recently met up with Gabriel Olivares from our church and has been attending pretty faithfully for the last month and a half. Many of you remember that we had some problems for several months between several of the men and their unwillingness to love and be patient with others in the church. Luis is another opportunity for them to show patience and love toward someone who has been woefully taught in the past and comes with much baggage. Please pray that the Lord will give us all patience and love toward men like him, as we remember how much patience and love the Lord has showed to us.
- 5 different ladies (Liliana, Vanessa, Reme, Sarai and Ruth) take turns teaching the children's classes. We have 10 young people who take turns assisting the main teachers. Lourdes is going to be added to the teaching schedule soon, so that is another blessing. Faith and Andrea are preparing the 0-3 year olds so that they will be able to be in the older children's classes and be a blessing, not a distraction.
There is a family in the church who apparently has been loaning money to other people in the church with interest. They have denied that over and over, by saying that some other "ladies" that they know loan the money and they are just the go betweens. It has caused some serious problems that have been a tremendous drag on the church. It has been difficult to get to the bottom of the situation because of so many lies. Please pray that the Lord will give wisdom, repentance to this family and restoration. If not, pray that the discipline necessary will cause us all in the church to fear and understand how the Lord views and treats sin.
Nico missed four straight Sundays due to some conflicts with different people in the church. He returned with his family yesterday. Please pray that the Lord will help him to resolve these conflicts and to keep his eyes fixed on Christ. He struggles greatly as Liliana and his three children are all unbelievers.
Upcoming Events
- Humberto and Sarai will be getting married on June 5. There will be many unsaved people present. There has been some friction between the two families over different issues for the wedding. Please pray that they will all show the love of Christ to each other and that the wedding will truly glorify our Savior, reflect His love for His church, and the church's submission to the Savior.
- BJU mission team June 14-21.
- June 12??--Teacher's Training Session
- VBS--August 2-5.
We praise the Lord for Jon, Andrea and Paul Crocker being with us this year. They have been a great help and encouragement in the ministry. And we praise the Lord for the Labelles: Victor, Shelley, and their four children (Rachel, Victor, Michael and Sarah) who have also been a great encouragement and help in the ministry. Victor is here on a work assignment with Chase bank and we are hoping that they get extended an extra year if the Lord wills. Victor is the one who will be leading the teacher's training session.
School is ending this week. We praise the Lord that with the help of the Crockers (and Bekah Buccio during first semester)--that Cristi has been able to get totally caught up--completing two years of math and science this year. She will be completing elementary school on time and beginning junior high in the fall. The only thing that she will be behind in then is the spelling, which we will try to deal with this summer with the dyslexia therapist. We are also praying for endurance in reading. She can read 5 or 6 pages beautifully, but easily gets tired after that. Pray that the Lord will supply a teacher for the fall in His perfect will or at least a teacher for second semester as this need is urgent.
Urgent Prayer Request
Andrea Crocker woke up Saturday at 6 AM with severe pain in her lower abdomen. Around 9:30 or so, Faith had dentist appointments with all the kids so we decided to drop Faith and the kids off and Mike would take Jon and Andrea to their hospital about an hour away. About 15 minutes down the mountain, however, the pain was so intense that we decided to go to a closer hospital. After being examined, the doctors aren't sure what's causing all the pain--she's not in labor, no contractions. The doctors have done ultra sounds and X-rays, but still aren't sure as to the cause. Please pray that they will find the cause and be able to alleviate the pain. Right now they are just trying to alleviate the pain, but don't know what's causing it. They have had several ideas that it could be a kidney stone, but haven't found anything to prove that on the tests. The baby is still about a month away from the due date. Please pray for the Lord's perfect will. (A side note--Their insurance ends today and they need to renew, so pray that there will not be any problems with that with Andrea being admitted to the hospital on Saturday.) (Update to the update--Jon just called. The doctor says that they can come home and that he will just give her something for the pain. It could be that a ligament has just been very stretched. Andrea said that the pain has been worse than being in labor. So I am going to get them now.)
We appreciate greatly your prayers. We need them constantly. We will try to get back to writing more frequently.
In Christ
Mike for all the Goldfii
