GENERAL UPDATE #2

Since the first update, we finished the VBS in Orizaba. Then while Marcus was kept busy with house preparations, I accompanied a team that went to another mountain church that I had not yet been to. Xoxocotla (show-show-COAT-lah) is about two hours from Orizaba. So for four days we commuted four hours to do a VBS there. About 30 kids attended, and praise the Lord that six of them accepted Christ as their personal Savior!

I asked our driver why they had chosen to plant a church so far away, instead of first evangelizing a closer area. He told me he had grown up in Xoxocotla and that he had become convicted that he ought to preach the gospel to his family there. The Lord blessed this desire, and they received his message so well that within the past two years the town went from having no Christians to about forty. Around three months ago a building was constructed for them to meet in. Please pray for the spiritual growth of this new assembly, and that solid local leadership would be raised up.

Twice now I have gone with Marcus and about eight others to evangelize yet another mountain region, where there is much confusion and erroneous doctrines about the Bible and salvation. There is only one Christian in that area. In the past there has been some persecution towards the towards the teams. Although the people have received us better the last two weeks, most are blinded by what they've been taught by others. Many are also illiterate and thus cannot read the Scriptures for themselves. Please pray for the Spirit of God to enlighten the truth of the gospel to them, and for the preparation and testimony of those bringing the good news to them.

We are grateful for the prayers for the new house. Things are moving along and we should be moved in no later than September 6th. Marcus' mother will also be returning Sept. 3rd to help with the move. We are especially looking forward to having a lot more space with this place since we are now up to having seven people in the house and only two bedrooms. Next week when I move out of the Mexican family's house and back into the Reyes', it will be eight people and two rooms. (There was a slight change in the housing arrangement since the first update). Please pray for a smooth transition and also for the various household needs that come up in a situation like this.

Living with the Mexican family has been a great blessing for language acquisition. Progress is difficult to measure, but it is coming along. Though it was particularly challenging at first, it is becoming easier to understand people despite the presence of background noise, other conversations, mumbling, accents, etc. I've also made progress in making myself understood, but there is so much yet to learn and I appreciate prayers for this. Much free time has been spent studying grammar and vocabulary. We plan to begin some translation work this week, which I am quite excited about!