November

"He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

Mark 12:27

November second is the nationally celebrated Day of the Dead.  Traditionally, families set up offerings to the deceased-- believing that they come to consume the food and drink presented.  Skeletons and skulls adorn the streets and many dress up in as Catrina, a lady skeleton who represents death.  It is, in short, a very dark time of year.

In order share with children the thrill of our living God, Xaume and I had the privilege of celebrating a special "God of the living" program with several churches.  After singing, object lessons, and dramas, we told the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.  The kids got to be a part of the story by using these visuals.

By God's mysterious working, youth leader Judith in another state saw some of our previous pictures on facebook and asked if we would be interested in facilitating the church's youth conference.  A few weeks after meeting her and hearing her vision for the conference, we were honored to be the speakers and facilitators for the day. 

With the theme of purity and delighting ourselves in the Lord, Judith asked me to share with the young men and Xaume to share with the ladies.  At the end of the day, we came together for a final message from Xaume and a commitment to Christ and to the Great Commision.  

Xaume and I were also excited for the opportunity to share God's Word in the youth missions conference at our church.  We spoke on the importance of preparation and how to reach those in our circle of influence.  

Leaving the conference, I passed by a young lady who had been reserved the whole day.  I was prompted to talk to her and found out that she saw little purpose in life and was unsure of God's existence.  The Spirit gave me words to speak regarding her own spirit  in which God has placed the witness of eternity.  She told me that she had never heard about what I was sharing  and that it was a lot to think about.  Please pray with us for her to receive understanding and to make the choice to follow Christ. 

A pastor friend of ours invited us to share with a developing youth group in the state of Hidalgo (that makes the sixth state for me!) We were thankful for yet another opportunity to share God's Word with youth!

Thank you for praying for us.  We are so blessed and continue to marvel at God's greatness.  We are seeking His move here in Mexico and look forward to what He has ahead. 

P.S.  -- We did get to celebrate Thanksgiving!  We had a meal with Xau's family (I assigned them all traditional dishes to bring), and some of his relatives who do not know Christ personally came and got to hear testimonies of how thankful we are for the change He's made in our lives.