I know it´s been a LONG TIME

Hola from Mexico! No I haven´t died or been seriously ill, just incredibly busy! Life is going really well and ministry as well. I wanted to give you a quick update to those who have been checking since May and not seen any new news!

Recently, I had the blessing of hosting along with my team one of my praying supporting churches, Bethel Baptist Church of Erie, PA . We had a wonderful week and we were able to put on a Hawaiian themed VBS program. Thanks be to God that he used us to bring 12 kids into his kingdom, as 12 confessed him as Lord and Savior for the first time. The group also repainted the church inside and out (the old building) and even painted a farm mural for the kids classroom and butterflies and flowers to make our small bathroom a bit more appealing. We had an awesome time fellowshiping and getting to know one another. I loved singing in English with them and sharing in devotions at night. God is so good to have blessed us all this past week and have used it for HIS glory.

Kurt and I also continue to teach the youth leaders training course. We are now into part 2 which reviews theological bases with the future leaders and teaches them how to teach theology/doctrine to teens. Please pray for this!

My English student Lina began attending women´s Bible studies with me in June and when they get back from vacation this month, I hope to begin taking her daughters to youth group and that as a family they can come to church. This may seem like hardly anything, but its a huge step of faith on her part as she comes from a very closed family who has always been completely against any religion but catholicism and veneration of Mary. Please pray for her and thank God with me at all that is happening in her life!

Next week (Aug 3-11) I will host a small group of 2 friends and my brother, who will be doing a photography based missions trip--taking pictures of our field, the works, the needs, everything Mexican! They will also be taking professional portraits of my teammates and even be taking Kurt and I´s engagement pictures....what a nice treat for us!

Other than all the above, life continues on normally. I can thank God for safety and a relatively clean health bill the past few months. Although I only now have 4 months left in this first term, I know that time is urgent and God can use even those months left. I desire to finish this term well and know that I used the remaining time for God and for his church here in Mexico. Pray for me as I finish up and we (Kurt and I) continue in our wedding and future plans. We are balancing ministry, planning two weddings, and planning furlough ministry all at once. If you would like us to visit you when we are home because you already support me and/or would like to support us in the future, please let me know! We will begin visiting churches and supporters, Lord willing, in April of 2010. We hope to arrive to the US around the end of Dec 2009, and take the first months home to settle and find a place to live. We will have our official wedding first in Mexico on Nov 28, 2009 and then a stateside ceremony to follow on Jan 2, 2010, right after Christmas.

Thank you all for your support and prayers. God is so good to us. We read through portions of Philippians 3 with the group here and God has really used that to challenge me anew to LIVE for him alone. When we think about it, there is NOTHING in this earth or in this life that can possibly be more important that living for Christ. Just as Paul longed to already be with his saviour and Lord, so must we, but we must also be conscience that God has us here still for a reason and he still has a big job for us to be doing if he maintains us alive! Let us use every second of our living days for Him alone.

Until next time...and I promise it will be sooner and not as long as last time!

Bethany