We have been blessed over the past two weeks to have had two amazing mission teams supporting us, one from Harrisonburg and one from Richmond. A special thanks to Paul, Kelly, Murray, Chad, Derick, Kaitlin, Marilea, Kris, Jason, Carrie, Susan, and Daryl!!! Hosting these mission teams is always a lot of fun and an encouragement to us in our day to day ministry...it is also tiring! After a solid day and a half of resting up we were ready for Sunday night church at 6pm...then, what has become a common occurrence in our Mexico ministry experience, took place again. Changed plans and false promises. We were prepared...the music, the food, the lesson, the announcements, e-mails sent...we weren't prepared for our core members who host the church to be stuck in their hometown 3 hours away and without transportation! So with church only 3 hours away we turned to plan B...we'd meet all our other regulars, all the people we've been inviting for weeks, all the students our mission teams had built relationships with for the past two weeks...we'd meet them at the Gonzales' house and go to a restaurant to pray and read the Bible together. Many had told us they'd be there. Some were going to be bringing friends. At 6:30 David showed up. At 7pm we drove away, Abby, me and David. After weeks of inviting, praying, relationship building, and planning we ended Sunday night without having seen even one new guest, without seeing familiar faces, with only one faithful core member at our side, and with a big cloud of doubt and frustration over our heads. We thank and praise God for the wonderful things He has done here, for our health, for Abby's pregnancy, for those we've seen accept Christ. But we are also asking, What does it take?? Can we make a lasting impact?? Who can we trust to lead?? We ask for your continued prayer support.
Love,
Mark and Abby
4 comments:
That burdens me big time Thick and Abby. Please know that I will step up the prayers for you knowing that God is in control of everything and that he still has big plans for your ministry there. I love you guys.
I'm heartbroken. That is rough after all we had done last week. I know God is working on something great down there though. All for His Glory. Please don't lose hope. God is bigger we know and works in mysterious ways.
It was such an honor working with you guys. I enjoyed every moment, and already miss it all dearly. You two are such a blessing to us and to God's Kingdom. Please remember who is in control. Our prayers are with you, always. Blessings! -Daryl
Thick & Abby - You guys are working really hard. Don't think that just because people didn't show that you're not having a solid impact. God works in wonderful (often not immediately understood) ways. I know he will bless the effort you guys put into ministering to your community down there. However, if you need me to come down there and man-handle some folks into church on Sundays, let me know. haha We're all praying hard for you up here.
Hey Thick...Aaron recently mentioned about beating on the interior roof of his infamous truck...and I have told the story about me kicking a few chairs...Church planting can be frustrating...I remember the story about Andy Stanley starting a church in alpharetta Ga. and then the Olympics came to town and he couldn't meet in his building for four months. Well, watch what happens...you will probably have 60 people or more show this next weeks...the church is God's idea...He will see this through. Love you guys...and pray for you daily!
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