January 2008

Dear Friends and family,

We hope this letter finds you well. We are all healthy and blessed, though a bit chilly! The temperatures have been down in the 40’s and 50’s, which would not be too bad except that houses in Mexico don’t have heat! Thankfully the cold weather only lasts a month or two.

January has been a time of setting our yearly personal and ministry growth plans in motion and looking to what God has for us in the New Year. So far, plans for La Roca, the Christian Community Center, are coming along. We have been getting quotes to have the building fitted up with the amenities we need to accommodate our needs. Soon we should be on our way to having it completed. We are looking to start our outreach trainings at La Roca by early spring. In the mean time, there is much to prepare.

W.O.W. (Women of Worth)

Our Women of Worth Bible study has just started its third session. We began last April with 4 women. This fall we had 12. This session we are up to 18 and there seem to be more coming each week! God is so faithful. Of the 18, we have women from Germany, India, Spain, Mexico, Canada and Korea as well as 6 states in the U.S.! Plus, over half of them are not saved, but curious. It is so exciting to have this opportunity! It was prophesied over us before we left North Carolina that we would be ministering to people from many countries other than Mexico. We had no idea that we’d be doing it in Mexico! Walking with God is always filled with delightful surprises!

Guadalupe Victoria (the rancho)

We are back in full swing at the rancho. We started classes on January 19. It was good to see everybody again. Everyone was glad to be back in class. Through some miraculous circumstances, we have become friends with a wonderful brother in the Lord from Arkansas by the name of John Clendenin. Though his primary purpose here is to facilitate adoptions in the U.S., he will be joining Jim in teaching a new youth and young adult class for the guys. Lisa will continue with the girls.

One of our goals for 2007 was to raise up at least 6 leaders in the youth and young adult class. We did that and are continuing that discipleship this year and are preparing them to join us in San Luis at La Roca for out- reach training. We are excited to see what God is going to do in the lives of these young people who ,for the most part ,have never been anywhere off of the rancho.