Before and After

I had a request for some before and after pictures, so here they are. Enjoy! Thanks to Cary McCall for the before shots. Check back again soon because I'm planning to do an update about our newest cell group. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!

The last work day and the Kermés

Well, it's all finally over and done with. After months of planning and praying, the tools are now put away, the gravel is level, the fish is done, the brushes are clean, and everyone is either home or on their way home. All that's left is a clean park and the light of God that shone through everyone that worked this week. They all did such an amazing job! I'm not just talking about the ACUers (although they did do an amazing job), but the locals as well that stepped in and gave what they could was such a blessing to see. I can't believe it went by so quickly!
As you'll see in the pictures, we were able to get everything finished off on Friday for the kermés (carnival) on Saturday. Friday night we took the group out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants to thank them once again for all the hard work that they did. We also gave them t-shirts as a sign of appreciation. After that, I headed out with the group to a place downtown for a little Michoacán culture in the form of 'La Danza de los Viejitos' (the dance of the little old people). Everyone really seemed to enjoy it, although they were rather tired after all the work they'd done over the past three days.
Saturday went wonderfully! Our best guess as to total attendance is somewhere in the 300-400 range. Definitely our biggest activity to date! Everyone seemed to have a really good time. Unfortunately, the group from Abilene had to leave about half way through, but before going, they sang a few songs and were able to be there for the official ceremony with representatives from the city. We were even able to get a letter down here from the president of ACU, Dr. Royce Money, to present to the city officials.
It was such a great week and we are looking forward to seeing how God uses this project to change lives. Please be praying for all the people that came and helped throughout the week, along with those who came today. Pray that they saw something in us that will give them a desire to change their lives. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your prayers on our behalf! We definitely couldn't have done it without you.

More pictures than you'll know what to do with

As requested, PICTURES!!

Before Shots



During Shots

We were able to get a tractor to come out and dig up all the pathways. We are going to put in gravel.

We also have painted the bleachers on either side of the basketball court.

ACU leaving its mark, at least temporarily. : )

José and Jaz moving dirt

You can see some of the gravel that has been delivered and is being distributed throughout the walkways. Also notice the new color for the benches.

ACUers and people from the community planting flowers together.

I'll have more to post tomorrow and Saturday. Things are moving along! Thanks for all the prayers.

We survived the beach!

While I don't actually have any pictures of the beach, I am living proof that somehow we were able to get through it. : ) Actually, we all had a great time and it was a good Sabbath to prepare for the days ahead. I do, however, have a couple of pictures from the first day of work (they started this afternoon instead of waiting until tomorrow) and from dinner tonight. Two of our cell groups hosted the dinner tonight at our house and they did a MAGNIFICENT job. They served roasted pork in an orange sauce, spaghetti with mushrooms and salad. The ACU group said it was the best meal they have had since arriving in Mexico and the love in which is was given made it even better. It was so amazing for me to see our church step up like that and serve those who have come here to serve them. It brought tears to me eyes on more than one occasion! Anyway, I have pictures from that. The group also starting cleaning up around the park today and were able to meet some of the neighbors and invite them to come help over the next couple of days and to come to the kermés on Saturday. Everyone, both in the church and in the group, is so excited about these next few days. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store!! Oh, because college students these days are so technologically minded, they have started their own blog (evidently mine wasn't good enough!). : ) You can check out their thoughts and pictures throughout the week here.
Enjoy the pictures!

Here are some of the guys working very hard on one particular piece of ground. That's going to be one clean square inch when they are done! (Actually, they were just posing for me.) : )

ACUers and church people getting to know one another. What a blessing!

Half of the wonderful group that made and served dinner

The other half of the wonderful group that made and served dinner

They're here!

The ACU group arrived safe and sound today around 5 p.m. after a much longer than anticipated trip that included three hour on the border, someone locked in a bathroom, a motor blow-out, a new rental van, and a trailer that wouldn't close properly causing some luggage to fall onto the road! But the Lord was gracious and they got all the luggage and made it here. And they are definitely excited about being here! We got to take them by the park tonight and they prayed over the place and can't wait to get started. We just have a little trip to the beach and then they can have at it!
Here are a couple of pictures from the meeting tonight, along with the picture of Saúl and his family that I promised you. Blogger is taking too long and I need to go to bed, but I promise that when we get back from the beach, I will upload some of the before shots from the park. The students have named this 'Extreme Makeover: Park Edition'. Stayed tuned throughout the week for some during and then after shots as well!
Keep praying!

Sam explaining the schedule

Jack Walker and a few others listening intently

(R to L) Saúl, Samara (6 years old, I think), Evelia, and Saulito

Spring Break Campaign and cute baby pictures

Hey, all!
I thought I would fill you in on what's going to be happening this next week so that you can be praying. This Saturday, we will officially be hosting our first short term mission group! We are really excited but also kind of stressed because we still have so much to do before they get here. There are 25 people coming from Abilene Christian. I'll give you prayer requests by days. Sound good?

• Friday - The group heads out from Abilene. Pray for safe travel for everyone!
• Saturday - More safe travel prayers, please. Also pray for us as we get the last minute details taken care of. They should arrive in Morelia around 2 in the afternoon. We'll be taking them downtown once they get in and settled and then we are all having dinner at Sam and Ann's house.
• Sunday - Church in the morning and then we're all going to eat together afterwards (the church and the ACU group). After lunch, the ACU group is heading to the beach. I'm planning on going with them because they need a good guide, don't you think? : ) The church is going to pass out some flyers in the neighborhood in the afternoon. Pray that the fellowship time will be sweet for both the church and the group and for safe travel to the beach.
• Monday - At the beach. Once again, lift up all the preparations that are going on here in Morelia, especially on Monday and Tuesday.
• Tuesday - Back from the beach and possibly handing out more flyers, buying last minute supplies, etc.
• Wednesday - Friday - We are going to be renovating a park that is a couple of neighborhoods over from where we meet on Sundays. We will be working 9-2 and 4-7 Wednesday through Friday, picking up trash, painting lines on the basketball court, sandblasting graffiti (if we can find a sandblaster. Pray that we are able to, please!), repairing and repainting the playground equipment and putting in some plants. Please pray that everything goes well these days. Mainly, pray that the presence of the ACU group, working alongside nationals from our church, will shine God's light into this neighborhood. Pray that the people who live and work there will see something in us that will direct them to God. Pray for safety and health for everyone throughout these days.
• Saturday - We are hosting a kermés (a small carnival) at the park on Saturday, complete with bounce houses, hamburgers, hot dogs and games. We'll be handing out flyers and inviting anyone we can to this. We would love to see 200-300 people there. Please pray that people will come, even if it's just for the food or the games, and that when they get there, they will notice something different about the people running the entire event and that it will awaken a need in them to know more. We are praying for new people to show up at church the next day because they made a connection with someone at the park. We want and need God's presence there on Saturday because He is the only one who can change hearts.

The ACU group will head out on Saturday in the middle of the kermés so that they can get back in time for school on Monday. Please lift up their return trip as well. We are also praying that this week will make an impact on their lives and that they will see new possibilities for their futures. Pray that we as a team and a church can bless their lives.

Well, you've got a lot to pray for! I'll leave you to it. : ) Actually, I'm going to leave you with some cute pictures I took of Olivia González the other day. She's getting so big now! She'll be a year old in just a month and a half!! Enjoy the pics and THANK YOU for the prayers.

We think she looks like Boo from Monster's Inc. when Ann puts her hair up like this. What do you think? Isn't she adorable?

A showering of blessings

Well, we asked the Lord for a baptism Sunday and we got three! That's right, two more were clothed with Christ today and we give him all the glory for what he is doing in this church! Whom else could we give the glory to but the One who changes everything?
Let me introduce you to your newest brothers in Christ. In January, a new family showed up on Sunday. One of the first Sundays that they attended with us, Sam, Ann, Summer and I went out to lunch with them and were blessed to hear a little of their story. It is a story of reconciliation and hope! Saúl and his wife, Evelia, are both dentists. They met in Morelia while in school and then ended up moving to Zihuatanejo, a beach town about three and a half hours from here, to open their practices. Evelia's family lived there and they opened a practice together. That worked for a while, but then they started having problems. It eventually got so bad that Evelia took the two kids, Saúlito and Samara, moved to Mexico City, leaving Saúl in Zihua.
While in Mexico City, the Lord touched Evelia's heart in an amazing way through a church that she began attending. She was baptized there and was so hungry to learn more. However, she felt the need to make things right with her husband, so they decided to both move to Morelia and see if they could make things work. One of Evelia's priorities when they arrived in Morelia was to find a church home. Well, a few months back, Saúl had been in Morelia and had heard a radio spot that our church was running at the time. He said, 'If I was to go to church, that sounds like a place I would like to go.' He wrote down the phone number and kept it. Just a week after they moved into their new place in Morelia, they called the number and Sam gave them directions to where we meet on Sundays.
Ever since arriving, they have been willing to help in any way possible. And Saúl was hungry for the Word. We could see it in his eyes. Sam studied with him and he decided he was ready to start a new life with God by his side. We just had a few scheduling conflicts. : ) He was on a business trip in the States when we had the baptism Sunday a couple of weeks ago and then last week he and the whole family were at a church retreat in Mexico City with the church that Evelia attended there. But once he got back into town, he was ready. And not only was he ready, but their oldest son, Saúlito, having seen and heard all that the Lord has done in their family, decided to follow in his father's footsteps. First, Sam baptized Saúl and then Saúl baptized his son. It was an amazing thing to see! We are so thankful for this new family that the Lord has brought us and can't wait to see how He plans to use them in this church.

Sam talking with Saúlito and Saúl before the baptisms

Sam baptizing Saúl

Saúl baptizing his son

Father and son are now brothers in Christ!

Evelia is on the far right as Sam prays over Saúl and his son

Ann has a picture of the whole family that she's going to send me tomorrow hopefully. Also, check back in a couple of days for prayer requests for the spring break campaign coming from Abilene Christian on SATURDAY!!