Things have been ticking along here in Hermosillo. With the summer heat approaching, we are already feeling that familiar "drain of energy". I remember in Paraguay during the hot season feeling like it was all I could do to get up and eat and kind of just exist day to day. You feel so tired on an ongoing basis. Well that feeling is coming back. We have been regularily up near 40C each day and they say it isn't about to let up. Right into July and August we will see temps of near 45C. You kind of get used to it but at the same time, your body goes into preservation mode and you just can't muster the energy you had when it was cooler.
We bought a puppy for the children finally. He is a little French Poodle, Maltese cross and we named him Gilligan. He is a joy to have around the house but the reality is that he is a lot of work too! We are hoping to have him trained sooner than later but with him being only about 2 months old, we have a ways to go still! The kids love him and he is quite cute. He is a litte white puff ball running around the house.
We have just punched a hole in the back fence in order to connect our yard to the Neufelds yard. They are our teammates here in the city. Now we have easy access to each others yards with the main goal being an above ground pool that will be put just on the other side of the fence. The kids will love it I am sure and are bound to spend many hours in the water as the summer heat swealters.
On the ministry side, I am discipling 2 or 3 young men from the church on a weekly basis. Some of those relationships are based in English, some in Spanish, and some are mixed. It is a unique fact that in this area of Mexico there are more than a few people who speak English quite well. Some of them are new believers and it is a blessing to see their eyes light up when I explain to them a bible passage or a truth in scripture. I wish we all had the same level of excitement about our faith as new believers do!
This Thursday I will be going downtown with "Marina" (if you remember she is the one who we raised money for in order to pay off a debt that she incurred through no fault of her own- and because of that she has been living with her 2 kids on the gererosity of a distant relative-living in their small house- but that relationship is beginning to be strained as you can imagine living in such tight quarters) in order to pay off her debt. She is so excited and is already making plans to move out of their current living situation into their own rented house. It will be a blessing to us to see her living in her own place and having enough each month to provide for her family.
This morning after our discipleship class I am heading downtown with Cesar. Sheri and I have been working with Cesar and Marcela. They are another couple in our church with quite the testimony. Having overcome drug addictions and many other problems, they are now new creations in Christ and Cesar is holding down a regular job. It isn't easy to raise a family on little income each month and there are certainly no frills, but we are trying to help them to manage their money and stick to a monthly budget while at the same time, disciple them into mature believers in Christ. Cesar and I are heading downtown to purchase some fans for their house. Air conditioning is just too expensive for them to buy and to maintain - power bill.
It isn't easy to know where the line is between helping and creating dependency. You know the age old saying "give a man a fish or teach him to fish"? Well that is what we continually struggle with. It is sometimes hard to know the difference. We are aiming to teach Cesar and Marcela how to fish. They are learning as well and have made great strides, however part of the key to learning how to succeed is going through failure first. Man that is tough to see friends failing when you know you could step in and fix the problem. Does that teach them how to avoid the problem the next time though? Usually it doesn't. However we need wisdom in this so please pray for us!
Finally, thankyou for enabling us to be here. We really do love the ministry here and love being where God wants us to be. It is a blessing, not without challenges, but it is a blessing for sure! We hope you are enjoying being where God has put you as well. Lets all remember that our purpose in this life is not earning money to feed our families, rather it is to do the work God has given us, to extend His kingdom by remaining close to Him and being His hands and feet in the world. That is where our true joy comes from!
Grateful for you,
Lane and Sheri
Have a look at what the Elliott's are up to in Northern Mexico
