A little over a month ago I sent out a newsletter (which you can find here), but I want to ask for your prayers. Would you consider praying for us daily for the next 30 days? There’s a lot going on, and I desperately desire to be in the center of God’s will for the ministry that He’s given us.
Like, seriously, could you mark on your calendar to pray everyday until Sunday, March 12th???
Here’s a quick update and topics that we need prayer for:
Our Kids
The new school year started in January, and we’re really happy that Celia’s younger sister, Ana, came to live with us. She finished sixth grade last year, which is all that is offered in their town. It’s so great to have her with us now!
Please pray for her adjustment to living with us. Please pray for Celia and Alfonso as they’re in new high schools, and for Karla who is in sixth grade. One wonderful thing to see is how Karla’s worked so hard to befriend Ana and help her to feel comfortable. They quickly became friends!
Our oldest boy, Carlos, received a new job this month as a guard at the school where Celia attends, so he now has to stay there. It hasn’t been easy for him to be away, but it’s great to have a more stable employment.
Please pray for us as we try to care for all of them, and pray as we teach them about God’s great love for us and encourage them to grow in their relationship with Him. It’s so hard for kids from orphanages and broken homes to feel the security that God loves them and cares for them. I really want to see our kids experience the peace that comes from Him.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17b–19 (NIV)
Shoeshiner Ministry
We started weekly meetings on Monday nights in January with the shoeshiners, and it’s been great to have more consistent time with them. We have roughly 20 who are dedicated to come, and I’m privileged to be able to share the Word with them each time. We also feed 100 people every Sunday morning in the park, so we’re cooking a lot for those activities.
A group of teens and young adults help us a lot with the activities, but have been having a lot of problems this year. Some are just tired or preoccupied with their own life’s busyness. Others are fighting and some have fallen away because of sin.
I’m trying to have a more active role in discipling some of them and ministering to them as a group more regularly. I understand that they’re young in both age and faith, and I hope to help them mature in their faith. Working with them has really consumed a lot of time and emotional energy this past month, so I’d really appreciate your prayers for me.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV)
Our Family
A common topic of conversation in the States with people my age is how to have a good balance between work & home. And I struggle knowing how to balance the two since my work is largely in my home. Our kids would love to have my attention every second that they’re here, and they get jealous with each other if one feels like I’m helping another more with homework.
I’m so incredibly blessed to have a very dedicated wife who has the same heart as me. She’s been working with the the kids nonstop today on all their homework and school projects. And Margaret is so sweet and happy. She just loves everyone. But I really ask your prayers that I can always be mindful to spend enough time with my family and not overcommit to helping others at the cost of not helping my own wife and daughter.
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,” Philippians 1:9–10 (NIV)
Other Prayer Requests
- A van. We’ve been looking for a long time, but we haven’t found one that will work well for us.
- I’d like to start construction on the girl’s house this year. It would be great to have them here on premises instead of renting a house down the street.
Thanks so much for your prayers; I hope to send an update in 30 days about everything that’s happened!
Brent
Celia just turned 18 and she finished 9th grade. This is a big accomplishment here because many children are not able to go to school this long. So they have a big graduation ceremony, and she’s the first one in her family to finish 9th grade. This month she starts vocational training to be a preschool teacher. Alfonso is now 17, and he also finished 9th grade last year. He is also about to start 10th grade and will receive training in computer programming. In some ways he can be our most challenging child, but we’ve enjoyed seeing our relationship with him grow tremendously during these last few months. It’s wonderful to watch him start to fully understand how much we love him.
Flora is now 23, and she is working in a store near our house. This has been her first year to be working, and she enjoys making a salary! She transitioned into her own apartment about two months ago and now lives about a quarter mile from us. It’s wonderful to be able to continue help and counsel her, and to see her continue to seek the Lord’s will for her life. And Carlos is now 26, and he continues to work at a pure water distribution company. He’s such a sweet and easy-going guy, and he continues to seek the Lord’s will for his life.
The new school year starts in two weeks, so right now is the best time for our home to grow. We’re currently talking to two families about caring for their kids and giving them an education, and in both cases we’re receiving resistance to the idea by the parents. We’ve met the kids through the orphanage, Casa Shalom, and they’d really like the opportunity to go to school. But they’ve been sent back to their parents by a child-services judge, and the decision is up to the parents. Please pray for God to work on their parents’ hearts so that they can come to live with us.
2016 was a very exciting year for the ministry to the shoeshiners and homeless. We continued to meet them every Sunday morning to share food and God’s love with them. And we started a bi-weekly meeting on Monday nights to have a more formal Bible study and dinner together. It’s been so great to get to know them better, and to have a more focused time of ministry with them. Every Sunday we feed 100 people, and 20 come on Monday nights. We now have a better place to hold our meetings, and this year we’re changing to weekly meetings. It’s a much bigger time and financial effort, but it should provide more consistent attendance.
The teens and young adults that we have helping us are very dedicated, and they raise the majority of the finances through people of our community. I hope to continue to minister with them and to them. It’s so easy to get so focused on the physical needs of the people around us that it’s easy to forget about their much greater need of a Savior.
In early December we were able to take a trip to visit our home church in Austin, Texas. We had a great time staying and fellowshipping with our pastor and his family, and it was so wonderful to reconnect with lots of old friends. The trip was extra special because our dear friend, Edwin, was able to go with us. He grew up at Casa Shalom, and I was his houseparent when he was a teenager. It’s been great to work with him these past 12 years and watch him grow into the man he is today. (Goofy story: I was so shy to talk to Yuliza when I was trying to get to know her, and Edwin helped me!) During our trip Edwin was able to visit his mother who lives just south of the border in Mexico whom he hadn’t seen in many years.
We’re blessed to be able to serve in Guatemala, and we’re so grateful for your continued generosity through the years. Thank you so much!
Now that we’ve finished the construction we have more rooms
