Goldfuss update

Dear Prayer Partners, Happy New Year!
Our new year got off to a bang as well as I am sure yours did. Ours has begun with many ministry opportunities. In church, Mike has paused our series in 1 Corinthians and begun with three New Year’s messages from 1 Timothy 6. Our Wednesday evenings we have been working through the book of Ezra, and in Sunday School we are going through a systematic study of doctrines. Right now we are studying the Holy Spirit.
Prayer Requests: 

1. NEW PEOPLE: Maricella, Luis, Lourdes, Monica and Francisco. Please pray that they would understand salvation and that God would open their hearts to understand and see the glory of Jesus.
2. POLICE OFFICER: Please pray for him—we aren’t sure of his salvation. In his job as a police officer, they are expecting him to do things that he feels are not right before the Lord. Please pray for direction for him and for faithfulness at church.
3. 3 FAMILIES: Please pray for three families who come to our worship services faithfully, but would profit much from Sunday School as well.
4. YOUNG COUPLE MAY BE MOVING: Please pray for Lenny and Mariana who may be moving back to the States because of his job. Pray for decisions and the birth of their first baby. 
5. SERIOUS SITUATION: Please continue to pray for a serious situation in one family—for the Lord to grant true repentance and restoration.
6. UNSAVED LOVED ONES: If you were to ask any one of our faithful members for prayer requests, almost always their greatest desire for 2013 is to see their loved ones brought to salvation. This is a great burden especially for Lala (Our 91-year-old member), Clara, Lourdes, and Juana.

Praises:

1. Mikey, our oldest, who is in eleventh grade, began his first college course, History of Civilization via Internet through BJU online. The great thing is that this will count as dual credit for both high school and college. So far he is really enjoying it. Please pray as this is an intense six-week class that he will have alongside his other six classes and basketball. 
2. Mikey has found a video Bible for deaf people online and will be trying to use it to help his deaf friend, Elias. Elias has come to church with Juana, his mother, for years. All of us are concerned for his salvation. Even his mother is unsure if he truly understands. Please pray that this new tool will help to clear up any questions that Elias might have. 

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST: An unsaved friend of Faith’s (C.) has asked prayer for her husband. First he had a large semi-truck of material stolen—quite a large sum of money for which he’s responsible. Then the next week, people from a drug cartel contacted him and are threatening his family if they will not pay money. Please pray for their protection and that these situations may drive their entire family to Christ.
We have seen on the American Internet news that Mexico City has been in the world news quite a bit lately. Earthquakes, the cartel wars, gun problems (no one is allowed to own a gun, so only the criminals have them. And we know that Mexico’s crime is soooo low!) Now we just heard that rabid dogs have killed 4 people in a park not too far from us, and there is a water crisis in Mexico City as well. Of all these things, only the water problem has really affected us. We are content and happy serving the Lord here, but sometimes I have to cringe for our poor mothers who have always totally entrusted us to the Lord. Please do continue to pray for our family’s safety, and for the water situation. So far we have been able to contract trucks to bring us water, but it has been a struggle.
Thank you so much for praying for our family! We depend on those prayers!
In Christ,
Faith, for all the rest of the Goldfii, Mike, Mikey, Cristi, Carissa, Matthew, Cheri, and Cara