I knew I was going to miss something. And now I am going to sound like a horrible son-in-law. I had my mind so set on ministry related items that I completely forgot that I have not in formed you of my mother-in-laws surgery.
Before we came to El Paso about 5 or 6 years ago she had a heart attack. The doctors put some stints in. This past August she was supposed to go in and have a few more stints put in but while at the hospitals the doctors discovered that the damage was far worse than originally thought. They kept her there to do a bypass procedure. It ended up being five arteries that they were able to bypass. The surgery went well and the healing has been going well also. It was however, a very stressful time for all of us, but it seems that everyone is pulling through fine. She has been going to cardio rehab (which is about an hour of exercise three times a week), and she is doing very well.
There has been some benefit for me as well, the change in diet and the walking I do while waiting for her to finish the rehab is causing me to lose some weight, so far about 9 pounds.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
overdue update
All my life I have always been the type of person that thinks about what I am going to say before I say it. I suppose that is a good habit. It certainly has kept me from putting my foot in my mouth form time to time (of course there are still times that my mental filters don’t work). But, I find that it can also hinder my ability to hold good conversations. There have been countless conversations that have passed me by because I was reviewing my response to a certain topic only to find that the conversation had moved on to something entirely different. Writing to you has been a wonderfully different experience. I am completely in control of the conversation and can take all the time I feel necessary to find the right words to communicate my thoughts. Until now that has suited me quite well. Since the end of summer I have been processing my thoughts in order to fill you in on all that has transpired since my last correspondence, only to have something else come along which changed the whole thought process of what I wanted to be the topic of this letter. Needless to say there are many things that I need to share and I scarcely know where to begin. So, I have finally decided that I had better just sit down a write. (at least I can edit it later if I don’t like how it comes out)
As you read in my last letter Juarez and El Paso got hit with more then a fair amount of rain which caused flooding in both cities. I don’t have the numbers for Juarez but 325 families are being forced to rebuild their homes or relocate in El Paso alone (that does not include businesses). Given the conditions I see every day in Juarez, I have to believe the numbers are higher there. We at Amor have been collecting household items and clothing in an effort to help families rebuild. We are also starting a special push for next year hoping to bring extra groups to help rebuild Juarez.
You may remember that we have been without a field manager in El Paso/Juarez for quite some time now. That position has been offered to me and I have accepted it. I was unsure if the position was right for me, but so many people asked me why I didn’t take it, that I began to wonder if it may be God prompting me to take the position. So I told Amor that I was interested in the position but only if everyone agreed I was the right person for the job. Well I suppose they felt I was right because here I am. I am still a bit nervous about it though. Over the passed year God has really impressed upon me that I am exactly where he wants me, and I could see the gifts he gave to me working so well in my former position. Taking on this new position has caused me to question if my gifts fit it well or not. I know that God is constantly refining me and He certainly has the ability to give new gifts to fit my situation. But, it has been my experience that he makes me grow through trials, and while I am willing to face the trails that are in store, I have to admit the uncertainty of what might come my way scares me. I don’t want to fail him. And looking back at my history, I would have to believe that I will fail at some point. My hope is that I don’t let one failure defeat me.
This may sound a bit redundant but with my acceptance of the field manager position, my former field specialist position is now open. I am sure that God will provide the correct person for the position. But, it can’t hurt to have your petitions for just such an outcome as well.
This month we were informed that the gentleman who we rent our campground from is trying to sell and has apparently found a buyer. That would mean that we would need to find new property to use as a campground. We still have not received any written notification of the pending sell. So we are not sure what it all means just yet, but if you would please keep this issue in prayer it would be very much appreciated. It has our staff here a little worried (none more then our camp caretaker who lives at camp). I know God will work it all out for the good but I am not looking forward to moving.
We recently started a bible study that has been such a blessing to us here in El Paso/Juarez. It is something that was supposed happen every fall but it was never something we did together. Over the past month or two the Mexican staff and I have been meeting to study scripture, and share our struggles, concerns, needs and observations. God has been working in a mighty way to bind us together not just as coworkers but as brothers. I pray that we use what we are learning to become better servants to God, the groups we work with, the families we build for, our pastor’s board and all people.
Well those are the major items that I wanted to share, I am sure I’ve left something out. Just know that with all that has been going on I have not stopped thinking about you. Your support, whether financial or spiritual, sustains me. It would be extremely difficult to continue without you.
As you read in my last letter Juarez and El Paso got hit with more then a fair amount of rain which caused flooding in both cities. I don’t have the numbers for Juarez but 325 families are being forced to rebuild their homes or relocate in El Paso alone (that does not include businesses). Given the conditions I see every day in Juarez, I have to believe the numbers are higher there. We at Amor have been collecting household items and clothing in an effort to help families rebuild. We are also starting a special push for next year hoping to bring extra groups to help rebuild Juarez.
You may remember that we have been without a field manager in El Paso/Juarez for quite some time now. That position has been offered to me and I have accepted it. I was unsure if the position was right for me, but so many people asked me why I didn’t take it, that I began to wonder if it may be God prompting me to take the position. So I told Amor that I was interested in the position but only if everyone agreed I was the right person for the job. Well I suppose they felt I was right because here I am. I am still a bit nervous about it though. Over the passed year God has really impressed upon me that I am exactly where he wants me, and I could see the gifts he gave to me working so well in my former position. Taking on this new position has caused me to question if my gifts fit it well or not. I know that God is constantly refining me and He certainly has the ability to give new gifts to fit my situation. But, it has been my experience that he makes me grow through trials, and while I am willing to face the trails that are in store, I have to admit the uncertainty of what might come my way scares me. I don’t want to fail him. And looking back at my history, I would have to believe that I will fail at some point. My hope is that I don’t let one failure defeat me.
This may sound a bit redundant but with my acceptance of the field manager position, my former field specialist position is now open. I am sure that God will provide the correct person for the position. But, it can’t hurt to have your petitions for just such an outcome as well.
This month we were informed that the gentleman who we rent our campground from is trying to sell and has apparently found a buyer. That would mean that we would need to find new property to use as a campground. We still have not received any written notification of the pending sell. So we are not sure what it all means just yet, but if you would please keep this issue in prayer it would be very much appreciated. It has our staff here a little worried (none more then our camp caretaker who lives at camp). I know God will work it all out for the good but I am not looking forward to moving.
We recently started a bible study that has been such a blessing to us here in El Paso/Juarez. It is something that was supposed happen every fall but it was never something we did together. Over the past month or two the Mexican staff and I have been meeting to study scripture, and share our struggles, concerns, needs and observations. God has been working in a mighty way to bind us together not just as coworkers but as brothers. I pray that we use what we are learning to become better servants to God, the groups we work with, the families we build for, our pastor’s board and all people.
Well those are the major items that I wanted to share, I am sure I’ve left something out. Just know that with all that has been going on I have not stopped thinking about you. Your support, whether financial or spiritual, sustains me. It would be extremely difficult to continue without you.
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