Thursday, February 28, 2013

February In Florida

We're fully into the Hispanic Ministries here in Plant City, FL...and loving it!  Recently, the Hispanic Ministries took on the responsibility for setting up for an all-church banquet to kick-off the evangelistic outreach called "Got Fruit."  We had a great turnout and we had SUCH fun working together and then enjoying the banquet together!
Daniel, who is learning to speak Spanish and attends our services, and his wife Nancy, our main translator in the ministry, and some teens help make the table centerpieces...

Linda, John, Juan, Lupe, Felipe and Luz helped set the tables...
Veronica, Sonia, Maria, Fico and Sebastian also lent a hand...
YES - we had a great turnout and set 25 tables for the banquet!
THEN it was time to enjoy the FRUIT of our labors!  We had four tables for the Hispanic Ministries!
We had tried to cancel the English class, but almost everyone at this table came to class for the 1st time, so Glenn taught  and then we all ate dinner together!







The Hispanic Ministries children all sat together - they speak in English primarily while their parents primarily speak Spanish!
Glenn is now teaching English on Sunday evenings and helping John to teach Spanish on Monday evenings!  The church is trying to integrate the Spanish and English ministries as much as possible - and communication is key!
One thing that we've realized about being in Florida, is that MANY people visit here and that a few of our friends already LIVE here!  Susie had the privilege of getting together with a childhood friend from West Orange who now lives in Tampa - Sue (Oesterlie) Shealy!  We also had the joy of visiting with Crossworld friends, Joe and Maggie Drygas and then Dale and Jerusha Losch as they passed through our area!
In January we visited with our good friends from the DR!  Josh was best friends with Kevin in 2nd and 3rd grades and I've kept up with Ana and just the two of us got together in Tampa this month!  They live just outside of Tampa.
Our dear friends Stan and Sandy Nagahashi visited this month and we had a relaxing 2 days with them!
We had a last-minute surprise visit with the Morby's, who were on vacation just 1 hour from us!
Just this week we received a surprise call from our Dominican son, Jhonny, and he drove to our home to have dinner with us!  What a joy to hear how he's grown in the Lord and is using his profession as a dentist for ministry in the DR!
So, yes, we're adjusting to life here...and we've finally seen the alligators we were always told about!!  I guess you have to live here for awhile to see them...!

Thanks again for your prayers and support!  God is at work in and through us because of your faithfulness...to Him and to us!  God bless you!

Friday, February 1, 2013

January's New Beginnings

Yes, January was a month of beginnings.  We received a training from Crossworld's Mobilization staff via the internet and had our first mobilization meeting - with Crossworld mobilizers all across the USA- over the internet using our new cell phone!  We also flew to Crossworld's home office in Kansas City, MO to be further trained by the Mobilization staff and to get updates on the needs for international staff from many of our International Directors.
We are following up 50 of the MANY young adults that these Crossworld Mobilizers made contact with at the Urbana Missions Conference in early January!
We also got MORE involved in the Hispanic Ministries at First Baptist Church of Plant City, FL! 
It was THIS sign that God used to lead us to the Hispanic Ministries at FBPC and Glenn continues to love teaching English every Sunday afternoon!  Susie joins him in his class when he has women and then we both stay for the Sunday evening Evangelistic Church Service in Spanish!  Glenn even preached last week in the Sunday evening service!
Our Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday evening Spanish services are always held in the same room and always begin with worship, led by the Pastor, John Foxx, with the faithful support of his friend and assistant, Miguel...
Coffee and snacks are usually available in the same room - it's a great gathering point for the families!
The ministry was begun four years ago by the Senior Pastor's wife, Liliana (far right), and by Brenda (far left). Sonia (next to Brenda) joined the ministry with her husband (and now our men's Sunday School teacher), Juan (not pictured), and then John Foxx, was called, along with his wife, Veronica, (center) to Pastor the ministry in early 2012.  The ministry has grown incredibly under this team's leadership!
John and Veronica with one of the families from the ministry!
The ministry has become like a family...here are the women showering Barbara (seated in blue) with love as she anticipates the birth of her 2nd child...
I even got in on the fun...SO thankful I'm milk-free and didn't have to chug a bottle full of milk!!
This year the ministry is focusing on training the members, the family, to reach out to the English Class/Sunday evening attenders and to others who need to hear the good news of God's love!  Please pray for us as we, and the other leaders in this ministry, begin one on one discipleship!

The OTHER new beginning this month was in our new home.  After two months of living with Glenn's parents in their home, we, along with Glenn's sister and husband, decided it would be best for us and for Glenn's parents if we found a home very nearby to live in.  God blessed us incredibly as a good family friend found us a fully-furnished single-wide trailer home that we could rent on a month to month basis from a wonderful couple in the same trailer park that Glenn's parents live in!  We are able to walk or bike to Glenn's parents home, and they receive visits and calls from us and from Glenn's sister on a daily basis!  This is helping us better understand their needs as we continually look to the future. 
The outside view - the front window on left is our "office"...
The view from the office door...to the right of the blue picture is the entrance to our bathroom and bedroom.
SOOOOOO...although it was a super difficult transition, leaving our beloved Ecuadorians, God has provided and we are content...praise God with us!  Thank you SO much for your prayers!!!
Glenn and I at Medard Park...getting back into the habit of a weekly get-away...our walk, talk and pray time!