August 21, 2008
We are so thankful for your support and prayers. The Lord uses you to bless and encourage us and to equip us to minister among the Tarahumara people here in the mountains of northern Mexico. Thank you!
We have a couple of special prayer requests. First, as you may have heard, 13 young men were killed last Saturday in Creel. We do not know all of the facts, but the killings appear to be related to the growing violence throughout Mexico resulting from illegal activities. The deaths have affected all of the people of Creel, which has a population of about 6,000, and we ask you to pray for this community. Pray for comfort and salvation for the people; pray for wisdom and grace for the Christians of this area to share the truth and love of Christ; and pray that above all the Lord will bring good from this tragedy.
Second, we ask you to pray for the Christians in San Luis Majimachi and in Pitorreal. Pastor Luis, the missionary working in Pitorreal has received threats against him, his family, and the Methodist church by a Mexican family (who are not Tarahumaras). In working to help Pastor Luis, Jose Luis discovered that there have been some misunderstandings between some of the Christians in the 2 congregations. Please pray that the Lord will fill Jose Luis and Pastor Luis with wisdom so that they can address the offenses and seek the restoration of Christian fellowship between the 2 churches. Pray that the hearts of the Christians in San Luis Majimachi will be open to receive correction and guidance. Pray that as we work through this, those who are not Christians will see Christ’s love as expressed between all of the Christians in this area. Pray especially for the discipleship class we will have with the Christians in San Luis Majimachi on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.; pray that the Lord will give Jose Luis the words he should speak.
Thank you for praying for Jose Luis’ trip to Mexico City. The meeting was very informative and Jose Luis felt that his time was well spent. The Mexican government sent an official to discuss the process of becoming certified as a translator by the National Institute of Indigenous Languages. Jose Luis was also able to hear reports from other indigenous peoples working on Bible translation in other parts of Mexico. Thank you for lifting up Jose Luis during his trip. Please pray, also, for the translation committee which will meet next week (Aug. 25-29) in Samachique. The committee will continue to work on translating the book of 1 Chronicles; they are currently translating the tenth chapter.
Finally, we would like to ask you to continue to pray for our transportation needs. After further investigation, we were told that there is no way to import a 1995 vehicle into Mexico. Therefore, we hope to bring the Isuzu Rodeo into Mexico on a temporary permit for 6 months. In order to do this, we will have to register the vehicle and insure it in the USA. This will require us to spend approximately the same amount in getting the Rodeo registered (paying the tag, title, and tax) as well as getting insurance for both the USA and for Mexico. We have been awed at God’s provision and ask you to pray that we would know what God’s will is in this area. Pray that we would be good stewards of what the Lord has given us and that our steps would be ordered by Him.
Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for the Tarahumara people as well as for the residents of Creel. You are such an important partner with us in ministry. May God bless you abundantly according to His will.
Your servants in Christ,
Jose Luis, Susan & Jaynie
August 19, 2008
Thank you for your continued support of our family and ministry. Thank you for your prayers on behalf of Jose Luis’ family. We have been encouraged to see the Lord working in the lives of his relatives.
Lupita, Jose Luis’ sister, called us last week to let us know that she was doing well. She is living with Jesus, the man who is sometimes abusive, although he is not the father of her baby. She assures us that she is healthy and her pregnancy continues without problems. Please continue to pray for her safety and protection and for the health of her baby. Pray also for Jesus to be humbled and to turn his heart and life over to the Lord.
Jose Luis’ cousins have recovered from their wounds and are doing better physically. We have not heard any new information about Marcela, his Aunt Guadalupe’s daughter, or about her 2 girls. Please continue to pray for this situation, also. Shortly after we sent out our last prayer update, we received word that another one of Jose Luis’ aunts, Dolores, had died. She had been coming to our studies every Saturday in Los Manzanos and was always very open to hear God’s Word and to learn more. Please pray for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Pray that they will be open to hear God’s truth and experience His love.
We ask you to continue to pray for the Christians in San Luis Majimachi. We have continued with the discipleship classes each Saturday and the Christians continue to learn and mature. Please pray for Enrique and Marianita in particular; we would like for them to attend the next Discipleship Training School to be held at our base next January. Please pray that they would be willing and obedient to attend.
Jose Luis continues the work of translation, both working with the translation committee on Bible translation and working with a couple of others on the script of God’s Story. He has been sick since June and has been unable to get over his cough. He is scheduled to go to the hospital in Samachique next week for tests. Please pray for his health and for his translation work. Pray that the Lord will fill Jose Luis with wisdom so that he knows exactly which words will express the message of the film God’s Story. Pray also for Jose Luis as he attends the annual meeting of the National Union of Indigenous Translators in Mexico City this week. Pray that the Lord will bless Jose Luis’ effort to attend the meeting and that Jose Luis will return home on Saturday with no trouble.
Finally, we thank you for praying for the new tires for our truck. The tires cost a total of a little more than $600 dollars. We received the money needed and were able to purchase new tires by June 14, 2008. In addition, we were blessed with more than needed for the tires and, therefore, were able to do some much needed maintenance to the engine. With regards to a 4-wheel drive vehicle, a pastor, who we met through the God’s Story Project, has informed us that his church has a 1995 Isuzu Rodeo with 4-wheel drive that they would like to give to us. We are awed at the Lord’s timing and provision. Please pray that we would have the resources needed to go to the Los Angeles area to pick up the vehicle and the money needed to import the vehicle into Mexico. An estimate of the import tax is $850 dollars US. We praise the Lord for His perfect timing and His perfect will!
Thank you again for your partnership with us in reaching the Tarahumara people with Christ’s love and truth. May the Lord bless you with wisdom as you lift up these requests and may He fill you with His grace and peace daily.
Your servants in Christ,
Jose Luis, Susan, & Jaynie