Wednesday, September 27, 2006
[4:24 PM]
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
Good Morning,
God is good! We just finished out a very busy but very rewarding week. A group of six came down from our home church in Branson, Missouri. Wednesday evening we had the pizza party to celebrate the victors from the contest at the mission. Wednesday and Thursday, during the day, we were able to finish the gospel saturation project in Guadalupe, then we took a short sight-seeing tour of La Bufa that evening. Friday we spent the day in Fresnillo at Pepe's feeding kitchen. We helped serve over seventy hungry people and then had the privilege of passing out coloring books and hats to all of the children there. What fun it was!
Some of the members from Pepe's church gave their testimonies and reminded us of the importance of passing out scripture and tracts. It was a gentle reminder that we don't know exactly what the effects of our ministry are but can expect that God will do greater things than we can even imagine!
Saturday we cooked for the children's home. A huge thank-you to Cheryl and Judy, our chefs for the day! We were able to spend time out there with the kids as well as give the house parents a break from cooking and the clean-up. We took new towels and washcloths that were donated as well as new socks and underwear for all the children. It was an incredible blessing. They are forty-five of the most wonderful children you will ever meet. It's a tremendous blessing to see them being raised in the admonition of the Lord!
We returned to the house with about thirty minutes to spare before the Saturday evening discipleship time. We had a time of food, fellowship and fun for all. There were a total of sixty-seven at our house that evening. We sang songs, studies God's Word and played lots of games. We had a sack-race, egg-toss, trampoline, ski-ball, and a "Bounce-Around" for all to enjoy. Then we had a free garage sale upstairs where the mom's could find things for their families. We cooked and ate more hot-dogs than you could believe.
Sunday, we had church in the morning and then we went to the market where we passed out scripture. We had people ask about our church and are hoping to have new contacts due to this time invested. Sunday evening we packed for the trip home.
We have a bit of news that is a little sad, but also happy. Alison has really be struggling with God's will for her life. Last Sunday evening she had to make a trip to Laredo to get her Visa renewed. Because of that trip, she missed Monday at school. One of her teachers told her she wasn't welcome back in the class. This was just an indicator of what God had been speaking to her heart about. Saturday evening she had gone to bed after a long discussion with us about God's will in her life. She said she was really miserable here. She had been discriminated against by most of her teachers for being American. But the most difficult part was that she hadn't had time to do any Bible study. She said she couldn't' remember the last time God had given her any real direction in her life. Steve sent her to bed with the assignment of remembering the last time God had spoken to her heart about what His will was.
The next morning she woke up and told him that she remembered knowing that God was calling her to go the school at Maranatha in Wisconsin. After some investigation into the school, she got scared because of the cost and the fact they only had a nursing program. She decided at that time to go to Florida, enroll in school there and stay with her sister. After about a year of wasted time, she returned to Mexico and enrolled in the medical program here. This was the place God had used before to speak to her heart about Maranatha.
We're not sure what God has in mind for Alison, but we will continue to keep you all posted as things develop. At this time she has returned to Missouri and is in contact with Maranatha. She will be looking for work until she is able to get enrolled in the school there. Please continue to pray for her.
Please remember to pray for us also. We are as busy as we have ever been. We are preparing for a gospel saturation project in another area of town here. God is good and He continues to work on us day by day. Thank you so much for all of the prayers, financial support and gifts that you all send on a regular basis. Without you this would all be impossible.
The Benedicts
Co-Laborers in Christ,
Mexico Division
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Tuesday, September 12, 2006
[5:22 PM]
Weekly Update
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalm 24:1
Good Morning Everyone,
We had a good trip to the border, thanks to all of you who prayed for us. The "fixed" differential seal gave way, but thankfully we noticed it before it did damage. We filled it back up with oil three times on the way home, but made it back no worse-for-wear, took it back to the mechanic and he fixed it again. So far, so good.
School has started with a vengeance here for the boys. They are all doing very well with their studies and it's good to be back in a routine again.
Last week at church, we had ten first time visitors walk through the doors, Praise the Lord! One of those was a lady named Elisa. Her two daughters have been coming regularly for a few months now and they finally got her to come with them. She first came on a Wednesday evening and came back for Saturday discipleship and again Sunday morning. At the invitation Sunday morning, she accepted Christ as her personal Savior.
There's a lady in our mission named Soledad. Saturday night she came for discipleship class and was happy and everything was good. Then Sunday morning when we went to pick her up for church, she told us she had spent the night at the hospital. It sounds like she has an infection near her heart. Yesterday she was feeling better, but please remember to pray for her. She and her husband have two little boys, Oscar and Juanito, and they are all such a blessing.
Alison has made it through another week of med school, thankfully, and is finding it a little more bearable. She spent some time in the lab examining unborn babies with severe defects and seemed to reaffirm her desire to become a doctor. She's still only getting a few hours of sleep a night with all the homework, and while we were gone to the border she had to spend a day at the hospital getting IV antibiotics and nebulizer treatments. Please, please continue to pray for her.
Thank you all so much for your part in what goes on down here. Keep up the good work.
The Benedicts
Co-Laborers in Christ,
Mexico Division
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