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!