After 16 years with New Tribes Mission we feel God is
leading us into a new chapter of our lives.
This chapter will hopefully be for the good of the Guarijio as well as
to our family.
What is happening now?
We are now going to only be in Mexico four months out of the year.
Dennis will be working on the farm from May through December. January
through April will give us 4 months to work with the Guarijio believers, encouraging
them, preparing any lessons or materials
that they will need, encouraging our Guarijio partners, and filling in any gaps
that are needed.
This fulfills a dual purpose: giving the believers a chance to stand on
their own and not rely on the ‘white’ missionary and also so our teens can be
in a stable place that they can interact with their own culture for part of the year.
We thank you for your many years of interest in us
and the Guarijio ministry. When we look
back through the past 16 years we can see God’s hand in our lives and
work. The birth of the Guarijio church,
Bible translation 75 % complete, baptized believers, the many relationships we’ve
developed that can’t be measured in numbers, and the many lessons God has
taught our hearts. We are humbled by all the prayer support,
emotional support, and financial support we have received from so many over the years.
Here are some of
the details, as some of you have already been asking about how this transition
time will work and when does all this start.
· * May through Dec in the US we will be living in Maryland in the house that Dennis has
built for us. Here we are part of a
good church, close to family, Dennis has a job he loves, and the girls are a
part of a great youth group. The girls
are also helping with chores on the family farm.
· *January through April when we are in the tribe we will be living in
the same house as before. We will be
interacting with the same group of people. We are excited that Vicente and Edendira will
be full time missionaries there starting in October. (Our national partners) It’s a lot of work for one family so
hopefully we can be a help to them the 4 months we’ll be with them.
· *How long will we be doing this 4 month/ 8
month thing? We don’t know! As long as the Guarijio want us to keep
coming and as long as God keeps the door open.
If Vicente and Edendira get full time partners we will back out. Or if the Guarijio church feels like they
have no more need of us we will also back out.
But for now there is need so we’ll return.
· *New Tribes Mission only has full time
members. So since we are going part time
we have to leave the mission. The members of New Tribes have been our surrogate
family and wonderful friends for years and they assure us this will not change.
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| At the dental clinic in February we were able to pull or fill the teeth of 116 people in 4 days |
These cute kids are part of children’s church on
Sundays. Our Maryland church made
backpacks and provided school supplies to fill them. The kids were so excited.
Thank you for your prayers and support in
our lives!
We appreciate you all so much that words cannot
describe.
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