Highlights of January

So many events this last month so we will try to send a few pictures this month and just a few words:)
Jan 13 was a big day here in the village. Juan and Juana got married. Juan Carlos got to hold one of Mama's flowers so he wanted to come back and show it to"Pa":) He was so cute. They have chosen to go to his home town and go to church there. We miss Carlos but when they stopped by for a visit the other day he seemed happy and content with his papa and mama.

Then we got to take a field trip to the zoo. Everyone from the village was able to go except the Grandpa; Sofie came and stayed with him. After a fun time and lunch at the zoo, we and the people from Village 2 all packed into the 2 vans and Juan's jeep and went to the park...We had about 30 people in our van:) The children got to roller skate and run and play and Village 2 had brought pinatas for the children to break and enjoy the candy. It was a fun creating memories day:)

Edith has 2 new friends here in Mexico. Selena from Cuamila was 17 on the 19th of January. Then Sergio's daughter Brenda  turned 17 on the 26th,and of course Edith turned 17 on the 20th. So we 3 families went out together for the day. We went to Piedras Encimadas. It was  such a lovely day!  Even Asher was up there climbing on the rocks and being adventurous:) The children enjoyed horse riding. A few of the older teenagers also loved the thrill of the zipline, including Edith and Eliana, who both went upside down. It was a fun birthday for the girls!! Here's a few pictures to share some of the fun we had.

Javier and Daya's boy was born on January 14th. His name is Mateo(or Matthew) He is healthy and doing well. Their other son Luis is 4years old. He is so happy about having a baby brother:)

Edith was so excited to get a special  present on her birthday...Juan and Bertha's baby girl was born that day the 20th of January. She is healthy and beautiful! Their other children, Giovani 16yr, Ivan14 yr and Rubi 8yr are all very happy with their little sister, especially Rubi. They have not yet settled on a name for their sweet little girl:)

Angel and Alma's first girl Milagros was born 4 years ago but because of difficulties at birth she is unable to walk, talk or do much of anything besides lay there. So there was lots of apprehension as they anticipated this little girls birth. Again there were problems because the baby was laying sideways and the cord was around the neck but thankfully they were able to do a c-section and they are blessed with a healthy baby girl named Elysama. She is so beautiful. Milagros smiles when you lay her close to her sister:)

Its been a busy month with 3 mamas having babies but we are happy and rejoicing at God's goodness!! 

In the midst of all the life the Grandpa died. He had broken his hip so at such times it's a relief they can be delivered from the pain and difficulties. We hope his being here for a little while gave him a little comprehension of God's love.

Blessings dear friends. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement and support. 

Asher and Gannah and Family

Hello from the Kids

WOW I cannot believe its been this long:( HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!! We took a trip to the US during the months of October and November. It was a good good trip!! We are happy to be back with our Mexico family and friends again.




EDITH

Well I was given the task of writing about the New Year’s Eve campaign, so here it goes:) Of course we started preparing the food a few days ahead: pealing the green tomatoes for salsa, cleaning the rice and beans (we had to go through and pick out all the rocks and dirt), and the men cut up the hog that a friend of ours, Sergio, bought specifically for the campaign. They’re actually wasn’t much more than that as far as food goes. Of course we had to make sure everything was as cleaned up and ready for a ton of people.

The day of the campaign we all got up pretty early to get everything ready, and it didn’t seem too long before people started showing up at around ten. I actually think I enjoy the fact that people don’t show up on time on days like this. It makes serving ten to twenty people rather then a hundred or more at a time an easier task:) I was in the kitchen most of the day helping serve the plates. We had a lot of fun with it, and I was more than happy to be near the fire where it was nice and warm. I didn’t actually realize it was cold outside until we sat down for the service. Then I wished I would have put on a few more layers

Singing started around 1:30 and went on for about 2 hours:) There were a few different groups  that wanted to be a part of the music. A couple weeks back The Village got a drum set to add to the band that’s been forming. So of course they led a few songs. Jason started preaching at 3:30. The theme of his message: 2014- TALK LESS AND DO MORE TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD. There was about 250 people; it was a nice crowd.




ELIANA

Hey Everybody! How are you guys? I’m ok I guess. Missed everyone a lot over the holidays. We didn’t do anything here for Christmas, but on Christmas eve we sat on my parents bed and opened gifts that our sisters sent us. It was very sweet This last week we were a little busy with the campaign, but we had fun. I really enjoyed serving the food and keeping the tables clean. I also got a little out of my box and talked a little with some people I don’t know very well, which is like a never for me I’m kind of a chicken when it comes to doing that. Ok that’s and understatement. I am the biggest scaredy-cat when it comes to talking to people. That’s why it was so hard to write this letter:) Well I don’t know what else to say. Happy New Year!! God Bless you! Eliana



ELDORA

About a month after we got back from our visit to the states, an eighteen-year-old girl named Gonzalina came to The Village. She has two little boys, a two-year old named Carlos, and a one-year old named Irvin. Carlos is a little momma’s boy and will start screaming and crying when someone tries to take him from her. He has a bad temper. Lina (that’s what we call her) said that Irvin, the younger one used to cry all the time, but now that they’re here he’s practically always laughing. Everyone loves him and all the girls, and the boys sometimes, are always fighting over him:) Lina is very sweet and is a hard worker. She calls me Irvin’s niñera, which means nanny. Every time he sees me, a big smile appears on his face and he reaches for me. On Wednesday, they went back to their house and will be gone for 2 weeks. I already miss him so much.

EMILY

Every night Michael and I go down to the barn and give feed and water to the rabbits. There are 10 momma rabbits, 10 or 12 middle sized ones and one big male that we use for breeding. Three of the momma rabbits have babies and 2 of them are pregnant. Last night, one of the rabbits had her babies, and two of them died. Michael and I found them last night when we went to take care of them. It’s sad when that happens. One of the mom rabbits is mine. I’ve had her since she was a baby and her name is Cloud, because she’s a cloudy color. I like taking care of them sometimes, but sometimes I really don’t like going down there because it’s usually really rainy in the evenings. Love and miss you all so much and can’t wait to see you again…. Who knows when that will be Bye, Emily

MICHAEL

Hi Everybody. Its kinda cold here...in the 40s and rainy. In the evening when its cold like this people like to sit around a fire and drink coffee or tea. And they like to play on their phones.  My friends are Lencho, Ricardo, Rodrigo, Isaias, Javier, and Flore. Some days when the sun shines the solar water heater heats the water for the showers but otherwise we have to cut wood for the boiler. Papa bought me a real nice ax when we were there in the US to help with that work. Today the guys are going to the field to work ..I get so frustrated because I have to stay home and do school..NO FUN!!!!

RAFAEL

Hi everybody!! I miss you and I wish we could make another trip:) We cant go back now because we are to be here with the people in Mexico. I am glad to be here with my friends Ricardo, Rodrigo, and Lencho. We have lots of fun playing together. Sometimes we play with our toys and sometimes we just run around and climb the mountains. Bye everybody! 

Blessings to all of you!! Thank you again for all your support, prayers and encouragement!! Love from the whole Asher family!!

July 9

Well here we are writing another blog after, what is it, a month? Anyways, huge thanks to all who made our trip possible!!!! We had a wonderful time with Samuel and his girlfriend Julie. Rafael ended up being fevered the whole time, so that was a bummer for him. It took him about two weeks to get back to normal though, and we are now happy that he's wanting to eat again:)

Anayeli and Liliana graduated from kindergarten:)

Last week was what we've started calling graduate week. We actually ended up going to only one graduation, but we attended 7 different parties. We've decided that it is also the one week out of the year when people must eat the most. It wouldn't be so bad, I guess, if you went to a different party every day. On Tuesday, however, we were invited to 4 different places. 'Full' doesn't even begin to describe it. We actually didn't end up eating at the last place because we knew we couldn't handle it. But three heaping plates of food in 4 hours can't be good for a person. lol Mom said she never wants to see pork again:) It's a great time to get out and see people though. So despite all the food, it really is enjoyable. Jason and Nicole were also here for that week. They did lots of visiting and going and spending time with everybody. We squeezed in a birthday party for Isaias and the teacher, as well.

Of course all the kids are out of school now, and hardly anyone has been up before 8 this week. However, Eliana and I have to do the morning milking so sleeping in isn't really an option for us:(

We're back to rainy weather here. Not an evening goes by that we don't get a downpour it seems. I've personally enjoyed going to bed with the sound of rain falling on the roof. With the rain the electricity has been going out sporadically, which has made us ever more grateful that we do have it.

Milagros in her new wheel chair. Doesn't she look happy?

Last Sunday a family connected with a rotary club in Villa Juarez came.  They had been here before and had it in their hearts to get a wheel chair for Milagros. She is the 4 year old girl that, because of complications at birth, is still unable to sit up, walk or talk. A couple weeks ago they came by with a dental student from Iowa and measured Milagros to figure out what size chair would best fit her needs. The dental student was here doing a research project for her doctoral thesis. She and her boyfriend helped pay for the chair. Anyways the family brought it Sunday, and Milagros and her parents were there to try it out. She seemed very happy and content, and we are grateful for the relief it will bring her mother. Alma, her mother, usually carries her around everywhere.



We have another grandma here again. She's very mild compared to some of the others we've had come through. Very easy to take care of, not demanding, or picky. The girls seem to enjoy taking care of her. She was found on the streets in Huauchinango, and had no one to take of her so she was brought here.

There are also 2 new boys here, Elias and Mario. Elias is 21 and Mario is 14. They both just needed to get away from their home situations for a while.

Love and blessings to all! Thanks again to all who supported us on our trip with prayer and funds! And to all who continue to support us, THANK YOU!!!!!!

Vicki graduated from kindergarten:)

Beautiful sisters

Tired after lots of food and a party:)

Emma Diana graduated from Junior High

Cute girls: Ruby, Sarah, Marisol, and Matilde

Stephanie graduated from middle school. With her Aunt Angie

The kids love Hermano Rey

Well, we're finally writing a blog again. I know it's been forever, and I'm sorry we don't do better with this!

Our last post said we would give more details on the baptisms, and we never did. So I guess I'll catch up on that... We ended up doing them in a deep part of the creek across the road. The weather had been really rainy and cold, so it wasn't a good day for the river. Over a hundred people were here, which made a pretty big crowd. 7 people got baptized: 4 men from Tulancingo, a lady from San Lorenzo Josefina, Blanca (the 18 year old girl in the village right now), and Jasmine.

Afterwards, we all came back up and had lunch. The brothers from Tulancingo blessed us with bread filled with either beans, ham, or chilies. They were absolutely delicious, and they didn't last long:) We also had bowls of popcorn and pitchers of coffee on the tables.

Stephen and Esther visited for a week in May. They ended up coming early, surprising my mom for Mother's Day:) (I guess I should say this is Edith writing). We had a wonderful week with them just being together. It was of course very good to see them again. They ended up helping us finally put plastic on the green house. About 2 months ago, it had gotten ripped off from some heavy winds.

The same week Stephen and Esther were here 5 people came from Heavens Family to check on further development of the widow's fund and the rehab program.  Their visit in our village was quite brief. They went  to Osomatlan one day, the next to Africa and San Martin and Cuatepalcatla and then Saturday they went to San Lorenzo and Los Colonias and then on to Village#2 in Tulancingo, returning to Mexico City the next day.

The rainy season doesn't usually start till the end of June but here we are at the beginning of June and its been raining 2 weeks already:) We barely had a dry season this year. Several good rains spaced throughout the dry season kept things green all the way through.

Last Friday our doctor friend came by with 5 other people who represented a foundation from Huauchinango. They looked around, talked to the kids, had coffee and zuccini muffins and then left. Later that day the doctor called and said that the foundation had approved and wondered if it would be ok to come back on Saturday morning at 8:00. We said,"Sure."

Saturday morning they came with bread for breakfast, 25 blankets, 5kilo beans, 5kilo rice, 5kilo sugar, 3 boxes of boxed milk, several bags of clothes, stuffed animals for all the kids and of course several bags of candy:) It was very sweet.

The doctor is a pretty amazing man. He runs a clinic in Huauchinango, is very active in his church, and right now is deeply involved in politics. He is on the ticket as vice-president for one of the candidates who is running for president of the municipality of Huauchinango. A municipality in Mexico is like a county in United States. He believes very deeply that we are on this earth to look after each other. That's why he is in politics, to show how politicians should be. One of the stories he told at breakfast was about a blind man in Huauchinango who does what he can to help the homeless folks around town with food etc. His question was if a blind man can do that where does that leave the rest of us??? Another story he told was about his daughter being with him on a mission trip to one of the mountain communities. They were passing out gifts, doing medical exams etc. As they were preparing to leave a young person showed up and asked where his gift was....they told him sorry they were all gone. But the daughter noticed that their shoes were trashed,soles falling off. She herself had on a new pair of name brand tennis shoes that her Dad had finally allowed her to buy. The question was was she willing to help?? She was willing! She gave them her new shoes!!

Our visitors visas expire on June 20....Brother Sergio is trying to figure out how he can get us residency under the civil association of the village. But he really does not have a clear answer yet. In Mexico to get the paper work done is more about having friends in high places than it is about following established protocol. So if nothing comes through here at the last minute we will have to leave the country one more time.

We thank you for your prayers as we live out each day...these were just highlights, not so much the daily details of the care of the cows, and do we sell cheese here or bread etc etc etc and schooling the boys etc etc Thank you for your support!! Blessings, friends!!!

Time slips quickly by and we are already in the last week of April. Our family is very excited because on the 15th of May our daughter Esther and her husband Stephen will come and be with us for 7 whole days....we haven't seen them since their wedding last June so we are very happy for this gift!!! And I will be happy to have someone come who talks EnglishLOL. Some days are fine and then other days it gets so overwhelming how painfully slow it is on my progress in being able to communicate. Thank God my kids can do reasonably well and interpret for me!!      The first of May Jason and Nicole will be back to celebrate Jasmine's 12th birthday and there will be a baptism at the river..I hear there are a lot of baptisms that day altho I do not have names and numbers..we'll write those details in the next blog:) Since we last wrote Jason and Nicole left for the beginning work in Mexico City. That was 2 weeks ago...like the beginning of all new works it is not easy sailing for them so please pray for them.     Since we are now getting 6 to 8 gallon of milk a day my work has increased in managing all that...there is so much that can be done with milk:) I make a pressed cheese in little round disk...not pressed like with a weight and board but while it is warm I press it with my hand in this round shape and then salt it and its wonderful eating plain or in a tortilla etc. I also make butter  and yogurt and use the buttermilk in baking...all in all I have enjoyed it...altho it can get time consuming making 20 to 30 round disk of cheese. We sell it when we can for 8 pesos a disk and if it doesn't sell there is no problem giving it to our family here..the Mexicans love the cheese:) We go to Market on Wednesday..I get up and make cinnamon rolls and then we sell cheese and rolls...its usually 250 to 300 pesos worth...which buys some feed:) Then again on Sunday I make cheese for the Mexicans to take to San Lorenzo and they sell cheese and Milk over there..again about 250 to 300 pesos worth...so we are not making any big money but it at least helps with feed cost. And its good my girls will now know how to make cheese as well and Natalia has helped me several times so eventually the Mexicans will able to carry it, too:)    Just alittle update from the last time...not much trouble with the vampire bats lately..and  Manchitas had a heifer calf!! And Rekaka and the calves cooperated and she and her 2 calves are now out in pasture and they are both enjoying Mama and growing nicely. We had a headache for awhile with cows getting out of the pasture and in the neighbors corn but finally we got the fence fixed to where they will not get out and now things are more peaceful:)     We have a new single mom here with her year old twins...Jose and Iris. The twins were pretty sick when they got here but are slowly improving...Iris is a little more open to others holding her and helping with her needs..Jose clings to Mama but is slowly allowing others to hold him.....you know us we are just loving all the babies:) Carlos(Juana's boy) at 14 month isn't really walking alone yet..he can, he will take steps between people  and he loves for you to hold his hand and walk around with him but he just won't be adventurous enough to just do it on his own. He adores Papi(what he calls Asher)...Asher is good about taking time to hold him and do things with him...and he loves to come crawling into Grandma's house...I have a box of toys that I do not let go outside so it is special to come in Grandma's house:)...its nice for Juana to be able to get something done while he plays at Grandmas house..he's sad when we are doing school and I don't let him come in...its not because he is a problem but because he is so darling and we all want to play with him and school work goes out the window:(      2 weeks ago we went to Puebla because Edith needed to do her ACT test. We spent the night with a pastor who had visited here a few months ago...Jorge and his wife who is a doctor. There were very kind and he spent Saturday morning showing us around where we needed to drive. We dropped Edith off at Puebla Christian School(in a house and only 2 others took the test.)..Edith enjoyed talking English:) They told her about this English Bible School Camp they have in the spring...we missed it for this year ..but it may be good next year for the older girls to meet new friends who are on the mission field and be able to encourage each other. We hope to ask questions of what they have learned about paper work, about colleges etc etc. It was nice to meet other Christians and we will see what all God has for us in making this contact. While Edith took her test we went to a park so the kids could play..Michael and Rafi enjoyed trying to catch squirrels:) They have some pictures of the squirrels eating out of their hands:) After picking up Edith we headed for home and Asher was more than tired of city driving and traffic till we ever got out of there..he would be happy to never do it again:)     Asher had to fix the brakes on the van this week...even if we just fixed them when we were in TX...some things just wear out quickly here:( Like shoes for the kids too. I have never had to buy so many boots and shoes...I guess the wet weather is hard on shoes or boots. Such is life in Mexico!!:)     Blessings friends. Thank you for reading, thank you for praying. We are grateful for our friends support!!

OK Finally we are writing again:)       Jason, Nicole, Sed and Jasmine  returned the end of February.Their plans are to be her till the middle of April and then go to Mexico City.They are busy making things happen while they are here. Nicole just said they have guest coming the15th to 19th of April..so it will be sometime after that.       Weather is changing..last week was cold in the mornings but then would warm up above 70 every day ....it was lovely. This week is cloudy and cool and rainy. But we will enjoy it because soon we will go into the dry and hot time of the year...altho not hot like in Tennessee:)     Men are still working hard at their job of building a house for a brother. Plus working a day here each week to get some work done on the dining room...they got one of the walls plastered and Jasons had a brother put in windows. The plastering looks nice when they get it done. Progress is being made one step at a time!       Our other cow Rekeka had a bull calf and Asher named him Rafiki and call him Raf for short:) The black cow Manchitas is to have her calf anytime...Asher said this morning she is worse than a woman..I laughed and teased him no he just forgot because he hasn't been through that torture of waiting for a baby to come in over 6 years:) LOL. Shes huge and looks miserable:) Rakeka isn't a big milker and we only milk her in the evening. Asher's hope is for her to nurse both her calf and Manchitas' calf...we'll see if they cooperate:)     Some finances come in so Asher was able to rent the pasture for a whole year, which is helpful because now he can do some seeding to make it better and the brothers are going to help him work on the fence to get it in good shape as well. The brothers have bought some calves so altogether we have 12 head of cattle plus the new calf to be born:) They take a lot of Ashers morning time..its harder to keep cows healthy around here:( The latest thing we are battling with are vampire bats....Asher has done some research so he knows what he is dealing with.....they lick the cow which numbs it then bite and lick the blood...because its numb, the cow does not struggle so it can get a number of bites in one night without any fuss but they end up depleted..our one cow was pretty wiped out till we realized how serious they can be...we found some poison to put on the bites so when they come back that night to lick it again they get the poison...and we discovered when they go back to the colony the bats lick each other so the poison gets spread and kills more than one...as difficult a time as we have had we are guessing its a big colony.......makes me feel like we are dealing with spiritual darkness in dealing with vampire bats:(     This past weekend Tulancingo Village hosted a Youth Conference. Jason, John and Bertha and Javier and Daya and all the young people from the village went so it left things pretty quiet for those who stayed home:) It sounded like a good weekend.      Eusevio and Luis Alberto have returned to their homes. It always leaves a hole..even the troublemakers add their spice:)      Thanks again for all your care and support. Blessings to each one!!

 We are once again enjoying REAL milk! About three weeks ago, one of our cows had a bull calf, which Papa named Panda since it is so black and white:) The cow, Fina, is a terrible milker; she kicks and won't let her milk down unless the calf is nursing. So we have to bring the calf, let it nurse for a sec, then continue milking. When I did it, we had to do that like four times…painful. She does give close to two gallons, though, at each milking time; so mom has been making a bunch of cheese:)

We are also enjoying wonderful dining room space again. The supports for the ceiling of the dining room in the pavilion finally came out about 3 weeks ago! There is still a lot of work to do till it is finished: plastering the walls, putting glass in the windows, and doing the floor. As of right now, we've swept it out, set up the tables out there, and we are thoroughly enjoying the breathing space in the kitchen!

There are also a few new people here again, and a few have left. Alejandro went to  Village#2  in Tulancingo, and Teofilo went with a group in Mexico City. That puts our numbers at about 45. Eugenia is a twenty year old single mother, with a one and a half year old daughter Yami. They are from San Martin, which is on the way to Africa. At first Yami would scream if anyone dared to touch her besides her mother or uncle Benjamin. She now actually lets people touch and hold her if you have her attention; and she has become quite the entertainer, chattering and waddling around getting into trouble:) It's been a blast to have another toddler around!!!! Eugenia is quite the worker; sweet, silent, and cheerful with a wonderful laugh.

Mari Sol, a 9 year old girl, came about 2 weeks ago. Her brother Isaiah, who is 13, has been here since last summer. Another one of those sad stories. Their father is drinker, who beat his wife. After a really bad beating, she died a few days later; leaving nine children. Some are adults, not totally sure of all the details. After being abused by her siblings and relatives, Mari Sol moved in with her grandmother, who ended up sending her here. She is a lot like Isaiah: sweet, quiet, but smiles a little more readily then her brother. Right now, I'm training her to clean the bathrooms; she is a very obedient girl and a fast learner. They are working at enrolling her in school.

The weather seems to be warming up…We've had some totally awesome sunny days, between the rainy ones. We just finished up our pea patch, which was enjoyable while it lasted. We've also had a steady supply of carrots, cilantro, and green tomatoes, but thats pretty much over too. Over the weekend, they planted tons of chili. They have also planted cabbage, green tomatoes, beans, and more peas. We love to get things from our own gardenJ

The mason brothers are working outside the village right now on a building project for a brother in LaGallera.

The brothers are busy preaching and evangelizing…On Monday evenings they go to Huautla, Tuesday evening they go to Cuamila, Thursday evening to Chicahuastla, Friday evening to Cutzontipa and then Saturday they leave for the more distant outreaches and return on Sunday night…..Juan leaves for Africa where he stops at San Martin for a service on Saturday night then on to Africa for Sunday morning service and then on his way home he stops at Cuatepalcatla and has a service there and returns to the village late Sunday night. Javier and his wife go to Osomatlan , and Chucho goes to Comaxarco. Also a group goes to San Lorenzo.

Asher has had a cough since December before we left to the states. Finally after much coughing, a week with fever, and slowly declining he agrees to go to the dr....as we suspected their was infection in his right lung...after a week of medication its looking much better...Dr. wants him to take meds another week to be sure all is gone. His blood pressure is a little high as well...I WONDER WHY??:) Dr did a blood study as well and it looks good so Asher says it looks like I'll be kicking for awhile:) Thank God.

Thanks again to everybody for your continued support through prayers and letters and all. God bless each of you

Pictures....

Okay so we've just transferred our pictures to Google+... The link that will get you there is on the right:)

Happy New Year!!!!!

We're back, and boy has it been busy! 

We had an amazing time in New Braunfels,TX!! We stayed at a really cool old historical rented house called the Waulheifer Haus(I don't remember if thats how you spell it:). These are the people that were able to come down and see us: Tabach, Hashachar and their girls came with Donna, Brian and Chasah, Ben, Elena and Jessica, and Brenden and Brandon. It was soooo good to see people again:) 

Brenden and Brandon got to come down with us!!! So the drive was a little cramped, but fun:) Eliana and I were super grateful to have them here…We've been planning on changing our room around and painting it, so Brenden was able to help us with that, which was totally awesome!!! We got to watch some of Brandon's videos of the recent weddings and other events, which we totally enjoyed!!!!! On the 31st, Papa got them on the bus to go to the airport. They had to make a few switches, but it sounded like they managed okay:) We loved having them, and totally can't wait till they come again!!!!!

On Monday, we had a New Years Campaign… We started preparing for it on Friday: hand grinding a ton of stuff for moli, making paper flowers for the tables, making sure everything was cleaned up, clearing out of the pavilion, and setting up chairs and tables. We made all the food Monday morning: 10 kilos  of mexican rice, a gigantic pot of moli, and two huge bowls of pork. We bought 70 kilos of tortillas!!!!!! There was a pretty big crowd, about 200 people, and pretty much all the food got eaten besides some moli. It was mom's birthday, and one of the brothers got up and read a letter from all the women in The Village to her. It basically expressed their love and gratefulness for her, which was really really sweet. Then everybody sang their birthday song. So she was very blessed:) 

So this next month will be pretty busy! One of the brothers from nearby, Brother Sergio, was  able to get like 10 boxes from Samaritans Purse for the children in the churches here. So this week some of the people from The Village along with Sergio and his family, will be visiting a church everyday and handing out gifts to the children there, also giving a bible study. In the weeks to follow each church will be given 3 more bible classes, so that will be lots of going back and forth. 

Thanks to all who made it possible for us to get up to the states!!!! We are sooo grateful!!!! Everything went safely and pretty smoothly! Also mom said to thank all who sent her letters and gifts! It was all very refreshing and again she felt very loved. Once more, thank you for all your prayers!!!!!! We can never say that enough!!!! We hope everyone is blessed with a Happy New Year!!!!!! 

Edith<3

NOVEMBER 28-

    Wet cool weather is here …and I know you may get tired of hearing it but again Praise God we have a dryer:) and a washer…the water is very cold on the fingers for washing by hand:( This last trip to US I brought an electric tea pot…how wonderful that has been for heating water in the kitchen for dishes, for tea, for cooking etc etc. I am not too good at washing dishes in cold water on a cold day…it makes my fingers hurt awful so hot water is awesome:)

    It seems like the building of our dining room is going too slow:) It was great the week Alfanso and Jaime were working all week but normally Jaime is working alone and maybe only 3 or 4 days instead of 5 or 6…so progress is slow:( Maybe the men don't mind the crowded kitchen where everybody cannot find a seat to eat and the kids eating outside in the cold and dark at night like I do:) LOL NO the guys are always busy. There's just too many things to do:)Yes well I guess slow progress is better than nothing.

    Since we last wrote the men bought a sow who will have babies the beginning of the year. Also Hermano Juan bought 2 calves. And Asher traded our 2 bulls for a cow and a heifer calf. So we are getting milk again ..on a good day we get a gallon in the morning and evening but some days she only does half a gallon at a time..we are trying to figure out the little tricks that help her give more milk. Its taking a good bit of Ashers time to be sure she gets enough grass…thankfully we already had a grinder so he can get corn husk from market for a little bit of nothing and bean hulls and orange peel and grind it all up with the grass and she eats it up….So if the milk doesn't get all drank in the morning with coffee then some days we get to make cheese which everybody loves….theres a variety on who likes the milk and who doesn't:) So we still buy some of the box fake stuff for those who don't want the real stuff:)

   We did switch the boys dorm and girls dorm…they are still in the process of building the addition up by the boys dorm which will be a room for the older single guys and a spare room for guest. When that room is done,  some of the older girls are moving into the room that the single guys are now in. That will open a number of beds in the girls dorm. After talking to us and Bertha, Evelyn is planning to move into  the girls dorm. The girls are all excited about it. She feels it will be good to help her Spanish and prepare her a little,when she  leaves the nest in 6 month to go back to Rose Creek to prepare for going to college.

   December 17 we leave for the border so we can renew our 6 month tourist visas and renew the van papers. We are asking God to provide enough money so we can register the van in Mexico. We do not have definite but from what people have told us we are guessing $500- $1000. Before that trip we really need to buy at least 2 tires which cost $200 each. We will be a little north of San Antonio in a rented house with family and friends for 3 days, 4 nights. We are very excited about this and grateful for friends and family who paid for this so we can all be together. We are looking to God provide financially what we need for the trip. 

    After being here a year and a half I thought I should be through the worst of homesickness but getting through Thanksgiving and our grandbaby, Jessica's first birthday were rough for me. Thankfully, its better now:) I am so grateful for my daughters who have become my close friends but some days I still just get lonely for my friends:)

   Blessings to each of you. Thank you for reading this and praying and all your love and support.

Today is Papa's 53rd birthday!!!!! 

So once again we have a few more recruits to The Village…About 2 weeks ago, a teenage girl Blanca came to stay for a while. Apparently she wasn't getting along with her step dad, so her mom wanted to get her out of the house.  There are also some more single guys: Teofilo is 18 and his cousin Jose is 28. Teofilo has actually been here for about 3 weeks. This last weekend he went back to his house to check on his work there, where he met his drunk cousin on the side of the road. He offered to bring him to the Village, and give him work to do. So they have been working in the gardens and stuff like that around the land. 

Our numbers are now up to about 55, so every meal we stuff anywhere from 45-55 people on 3 6ft tables with the children out in the pavilion. So we are definitely awaiting the finished dining room!!! 

In the pavilion they have the concrete beams poured and are starting to form for the rest of the ceiling. This will probably take several weeks to prepare for the pouring of the ceiling/floor. Just to explain: the same slab of concrete will be the ceiling for the dining room and the floor for the upper level. 

This month we were able to sell some roosters, a turkey, and some rabbits. Which was a good step towards selling enough to pay for feed. Our daughter Liz is working at an agriculture fundraiser for us, so we were able to get stuff to make rabbit cages. 

Our neighbor has been wanting to sell us his 3 cows. It was more money than we had and more commitment then we can handle at this point. So we just bought one cow and a little heifer calf in trade for our 2 bulls, plus we gave 150 cash besides. The reason we wanted to by a cow, is because our 2 cows are dry at the present and this one will milk till the others have their calves. The heifer calf is still taking 3L of milk morning and evening, so we are only getting a gallon a day for us. But in 2 weeks we will ween the calf, and get more milk then. So we have 3 cows, all are pregnant, and will be having their calves at the beginning of the year. We also now have 2 heifer calves and 1 more bull calf. We are not getting big amounts of milk at this point, but we are building slowly and are quite happy with our beginning. Because of having milk, we used some of the fundraiser money to buy a fridge!!! We are pleased with our bargain: its a 16 cubit for only $465. 

So the seasons here are obviously changing. Last week we had our first days with drizzle and fog, with its dreadful freezing coldness. The roadsides have taken on a fall-ish sort of look. The brothers are planning cool season vegetables. 

The brothers are building another 2 rooms where the mudslide, last year, wiped out 4, and the girls and boys will be switching dorms as soon as they get it finished. The girls will feel a little safer in the middle of things instead of on the edge.

October 5--FINALLY we are writing a blog...we get busy with living life and forget to write about life:)
To catch you up on the work of the pavilion..all the big concrete support post are poured , at this point they are working on all the support beams...doing it in concrete is a LOT of work...they have to put all the forms together so that takes alot of wood and time..then pour the concrete then when it is hard enough all the boards need to come back down...LOTS of work but in the end we will have a very strong building. And not only strong but dry and when the wood stove goes in hopefully there will be one warm spot from all the coldness and that makes all the work and sacrifice and mess worth it now.
The rooms on top of the showers have come to a standstill...Hermano Juan and his family are in 3 of the rooms and they are livable...still need to get glass for the windows and some little things like that. And the other room is in half way stage...always more pressing things:)
A new family has moved to the village..a family from San Lorenzo..Robert, his wife Martina 5 boys and the 10 month baby is a girl:) So we have lots of boys around:)...our numbers are up to 50 when everybody is there. Robert has been doing gardening things so that is great to have the planting get done...there has been so much building and other projects going that the gardening has had to wait. So once again the lettuce is getting planted, the carrots, etc. The oldest boy is 13, the youngest boy is 3. He was shy at first but hes so cute to try to befriend him and watch that smile come:) Of course we love having another baby around..we really enjoy Carlos and now little Maira.
Our boys had fun birthdays..a bunch of the guys went out of there way to do something special for them so they felt loved and they were delighted with the candies or cars or whatever little treasures they were given.And to the ones who sent the boxes for their birthdays a BIG thank you..I always wish you could see the delight on their faces as they open the treasures!! Now we are enjoying a family outing because their brother sent money for their birthdays.We found this rather rustic back a dirt road hotel..it seemed like it wouldn't be good deal but then we turned the corner and we all oh and awed at the green grass and trees and hammocks hanging in the trees inviting a quiet rest and lots of flowers and beautiful looking rooms...the only disadvantage is there is no internetn the rooms because of the thick rock walls..we sat out on the beautiful lawn on a sunny afternoon which was fine till the chill of the evening was here then we got chased indoors:) I am sure the green grass doesn't sound like that big a deal but after living on a mud hill for over  a year the green grass for the children to run and play, the pear trees and apple trees that they could enjoy the fruit, the hammocks, all the beautiful flowers everywhere, a loft with soft soft carpet and soft wonderful throw pillows and 2 hammocks to sit and  play games ... it all has added up to a pleasant experience and we are glad we found it:) And no TV:)

Again may God bless you and we thank you again for your support and encouragement!!

Jason and Nicole left for their trip to the states on Monday and will be gone till October 15.  

School started this week. The schooling system here is divided into 4 parts: Kindergarten, Primary(grades 1-6), Secondary(7th, 8th, and 9th), and High School(10th-12th). Most of the children here in the Village are in Kindergarten and Primary school. There are 3 Kindergarteners and 7 in Primary who are all under the same teacher;  5 students going to the local public school in La Gallera, 4 to high school and 1 to Secondary. Things seem to be going smoothly so far.

Evelyn has been going to the chiropractor twice a week for 3 weeks and she is starting to see good results. Today the chiropractor said she only needs to go once a week now, so we are very relieved. 

We are still getting daily rainfall. It's changed from July's late in the afternoon to later on when we are going to bed. The rain can be pretty heavy though, on some occasions, according to the buckets we've had over 4 inches. 

We have stopped selling bread for the time being, mostly because they've started doing school and there really isn't anybody else to go sell. So we get to sleep in till 6 now:)

Thank you all for your prayers and support!!!! God Bless. 

We finally have electricity!! They came and hooked it up on Monday, and that night we switched everything that was hooked up to the generator over. Tuesday we got the plumbing installed, so we can finally use the washer and dryer again!!!! We weren't using the washer and dryer with the generator because it burned up the motor on the washer. It's definitely the biggest advantage of having electricity!!!!! Especially with all the rain. No more washing laundry by hand every morning, Yay!!!! We also don't miss the noisy generator every evening:) Thursday Papa rewired the kitchen, doing away with all the extension chords and power strips, and installed light switches and outlets. 

The brothers have been working on the dining room project. Since that area of the pavilion is mostly fill dirt, we have to do extensive foundation work to support the heavy concrete ceiling. So since there has been lots of digging work, we have all been eating in the kitchen. Also some of the other brothers have been working on the bedroom project above the showers. They got the roofing completed this week. 

One of the business ventures that the brothers are engaged in right now involves selling plants in Michoacan… They buy up plants locally, load them on a truck, and resell them to greenhouses in Michoacan. On their present schedule they buy up plants Monday through Thursday, load Friday afternoon, leave Friday night, deliver their plants on Saturday, and drive the 11 hours back Saturday night. Truck issues have been the main problem in the venture so far. The motor blew up in the Nissan pickup, and while that was being fixed they rented another truck. A tire blew out on that one and the truck rolled over on its side. After they got the body work done, they were driving back and it developed engine problems…fortunately it wasn't to serious. The Nissan is now back on the road, and the latest issues have been more minor(break problems and the clutch). 

Another venture right now is selling our homemade bread. We have been getting up at 3:30am to make zucchini muffins, banana muffins, and cinnamon rolls which we sell for 3.5 pesos(a little more than 25 cents). We didn't sell to much to begin with, but as people have tasted our bread, it has gotten a lot better and we have several regular customers:) We started just selling in the mornings, but we have now added going in the evenings selling the leftovers from the morning(if there are any) and selling chocolate crinkles and oatmeal raisin cookies…We have been doing it for about 2 weeks Monday through Saturday, and getting Sundays off. Tomorrow we are planning to add Evelyn's yummy hot rolls to the list:) We have hopes of it eventually being  growing and prosperous:) We get up and make the bread, and the Mexican's get up and make atoll or coffee to sell. I (Edith) go in the mornings with Daya, Teresa, and our driver, and Evelyn goes in the evenings with Anjelica and a driver. So mom is extra thankful for the washer and dryer, since Ev and I are gone more often:) 

Jason and Nicole left Thursday afternoon for Mexico City to take Alejandra for pre op work for her first surgery on Monday. She will have several surgeries in the next 2-4 years to correct damaged muscles, nerves and tendons in her back and legs. The end hope will be that she will be able to walk normally. Pray with us for her that all would go very well and hte desired results could be accomplished.

Thank you for reading this blog and praying for us...good friends are such an encouragement and blessing!!

ELECTRICITY---July 23
WOW after 10 months of phone calls and hassle and waiting the electricity got hooked up today!! Asher is busy trying to get all the wires run that need to happen so we can have lights and washer and dryer by tonight or asap:) And it is pouring down rain right now so that is a really welcome thought!!:) I'll write more another day..I just had to let everybody know the good news:)

So it is July, which means lots of graduation parties:) Here they end school in July and start back up in August, but they have a lot more holidays than we do I think. Graduations are quite a big deal here, so on Tuesday we went to Bro. John's son's graduation party, Geovani, who was graduating from 10th grade. We had a big meal of rice, beans, and the famous Carnitas(pork tacos). We enjoyed ourselves helping out where we could, and visiting with people we hadn't seen in a while. We left there already practically bloated, and went to another house that we were invited to, having to eat another plate! This time we had rice with moli and pork again:) We actually all managed to scarf it down, but lets just say another bite would have pretty much sent us over the edge:) 

Wednesday we went to another big party. Bro. Javier, who lives in The Village, invited us to his brother's graduation who was actually graduating from high school, i think:) We had carnitas there again:) 

We actually had a short visit from David Servant, from Tuesday through Thursday. He came to get some stories for things that their ministry sponsored. He was actually given money to get Alejandra through what she needs to start walking correctly!!!!!!! She is the crippled girl who has been here since before we came… It will be a long process, but they have already connected with a world known doctor, so it will hopefully be started soon!!!

We have been having some pretty heavy rain, this week, in the evenings… It actually took out the girls boiler, completely covering it with mud. So we all had to shower in the guys two for a few days, but we now have it back and running:) Thank God!!!

More another day:)

Edith:)

June 26, 2012
After an awesome trip to the States, we are now back home in Mexico! Even though some of the good-byes were hard, it really is good to be back!!! After living out of suitcases and totes for five weeks, is is also wonderful to be unpacking and putting everything on the shelves. 

Traveling went amazingly well; we only had to open the box on top once compared to twice the last time. About 20 minutes from home, we went over a speed bump too fast, causing the rain gutter on the top corners of the van, that the ladder racks clamp to, to break. It didn't come off or anything, but it did shatter the back right window:( Thankfully that didn't happen sooner:) 

We came back to rain and mud, which we were expecting…so on come the boots:) It was funny going from 90 degree weather to wearing a jacket. Today is nice and sunny though, and we got a load of laundry washed and out on the lines. Of course that was by hand, we aren't using the washer and dryer yet, since there is still no electricity. The guys said they would come today, but I don't think we've seen any signs of them yet:)  

For those who don't get Jason and Nicole's newsletter,  there are now 2 new boys here Antonio 13 and Luis 9, a young girl Laurita 9(Antonio's younger sister), and we now have two elderly men here Antonio and Alsencio. So there are some new additions to the family.

This afternoon Brother John came in with a cute pink pig trotting in front of him. I had seen some of the guys making a fire and carrying a big pot out, but I wasn't sure what it was for… So I've now heard that they are going to make tacos and sell them at market tomorrow… We had Brother John's tacos at a birthday party one time and they were the BEST ever!!!! I really like them; hopefully they will have good success tomorrow:) 

A HUGE thanks to everyone's kindness and love while we were there!!!!!!!!! Everyone made the trip very refreshing and encouraging. Thankyou all for your hospitality, provision, and donations; everything was as perfect as it could have been. We are all grateful that we were able to make the trip, I think we've all come back encouraged, full, and ready to get back to God's work! Thank you all again!

Edith:)

MAY 3----On Saturday we had a big day of making tamales. Tamalas are not difficult to make just time consuming, but we all worked together and we got LOTS of tamales made. Then on Sunday we all went to the river for baptisms...the 2 girls here Juana and Gumer were baptized, the recently married couple, Jaime and Bacilia got baptism,  Jaimes' mother and Florentino from Africa....After baptisms the kids and some adults had fun swimming and playing in the water.It was barely sunny enough for playing in cold water but they still had fun!!

ON Monday we had a birthday celebration for the birthdays in May, which includes Jasmine, Evelyn, Manuel and Natalia, and Jiame from San Lorenzo(he's been doing a lot of work around here lately)...it was a fun party. We had tostadas( a favorite) and then had a 3 milk cake and popcorn bags for those who could still eat another bite:) Evelyn and Edith decided to have a contest to see who could eat the most tostadas...Evie won when Edith quit at 10 and Evie ate the 11th. The other fun thing was after everybody had a  peice of cake there was a smearing frosting on the other persons face going on...the kids had great fun, plus a few adults:) 

--Tuesday afternoon was a memorable afternoon for Asher.....he went to check on the bees and evidently did not have his bee suit on right and they got under his hood and started stinging him. So he goes down by the greenhouse to get away from them but they chased him there so he is taking off his suit as he runs down to the water swatting bees the whole time...he goes under water only for them to get him when he gets out so he went to the dark showers and shut the door and after buzzing around awhile they finally left and he came to the room and they started pulling out stingers....about 25 around his head and face and neck and one hand....I had been out with Nicole that day so I came home to a swollen husband, gave him some benadryl to help with swelling..of course that was no fun but he is fine and slowly the swelling is going down..........the bees are being pretty aggressive so we are considering requeening the hive...killing the present queen and buying a new one to put in there..it will quiet them down.

The electricity is finally beginning to happen...after 3 months of promises:) A week ago a guy showed up and put a cross brace on the pole for the transdformer. Now again guys came to put brace wires on the transformer pole and also told us what we have to do to be ready for them to hook it up which is building a meter base pedestal out of concrete. Hopefully in a few weeks we will have electricity

And for those who did not hear yet we are leaving on a trip to the US in about 2 weeks...hoping to leave on the 19th of May and return the 24th of June. Of course we are VERY excited about seeing family and friends again!! We are  here almost a whole year...a learning year for sure ...hopefully the next year will be easier but wherever HE leads we will go and know HIS grace is sufficient. Thank you again to all the kind precious friends who keep us encouraged and support us with their letters and prayers.GOD IS GOOD!!!

April 10- I am home from Rhode Island after a wonderful time with my children and grandchildren there and of course Ron and MaryAnn:) It's been quite busy since I got back and a few changes....I will just copy a paragraph from Nicoles newsletter... Last week there was much change and transition that took place in the ministry here. Jason turned more leadership over to the nationals. This work will only grow and remain if it is overseen by nationals. I am pleased to say that they stepped up to the plate and things are running smoothly, in spite of the darkness around us. We are more than conquerors through Him..................

It really doesn't make a lot of difference for us..we are here to serve , so it doesn't much matter if we are helping Jason and Nicole or helping Juan and Bertha and Javier and Daya....so even if theres lots of talking and lots of emotion around us we just quietly continue to do what we can:)

The men have been working here on the land a good bit in the last 2 weeks..working on the dam and now working on the steps for the rooms that will go above the showers. Both are pretty labor intensive so to have 8 to 10 guys able to work has been good....and we just cook BIG pots of food and lots of tortillas:)

Its also childrens school break so this week the children went along with Jason and Nicole to Tulancingo to have some fun with the children from that church there...my 3 girls Eliana, Eldora and Emily also went along..today till Friday. So it will be quite quiet around here:)..but less workers as well:)

ON Sunday Rafael and Michael went home with a brother Everet(they have 4 boys) and they will come home tomorrow...Michael and Rafael love every chance they get to get to their place..they wish we lived there:) so its been very unusual for me..if anybody knows Rafael you know how very affectionate he is and cuddly and so loves his mama even if he's 5..so it feels too quiet and empty:) So for today Edith is our only child here so her and I are going out this afternoon to do internet and eat out and have mom/daughter time...she deserves it!! She had worked hard while I was gone and just in general is my right hand and serves a lot!!..so we will enjoy our only child for today:)

The day I got home from Rhode Island the cow had her calf.....a heifer!!! 3 cheers!! She is healthy and doing well....we have discovered the mother isn't too big on the milk production:( She seems to have enough for the calf but not extra..so that is disappointing at the moment....Asher bought some alfalfa hay to encourage the milk amount so we'll see if improvement comes.

So long for now......