Well everyone we are back in the US. After six or so months in Mexico we are back in the discernment game. These past six months have been hard but very blessed. When we went to General Cepeda we went with the understanding that we were in discernment to see if that was the place he wanted us or if there was another place for us. After this time we heard the Lord call us out of General. Thankfully we didn’t leave there without fruit. We were able to see that the Defending the Faith class was very helpful for the people in getting to know the Church. We have learned a lot about our family and about the way Jesus is using us. One thing we have learned is that it is very important to strive to form our family identity. We already have the foundation of this identity(Family of God/missionary), but we now need to form all the things in between. We have learned that this is something that doesn’t just fall in your lap. It takes hard work and perseverance to hold on to the things that are important to you and humility to let go of the things that are not in the Lord’s plans for your family. This is something that has also built a greater trust in the Lord.

 Now we are looking to what God has next for us. With our second child on the way we are asking God for His word to be spoken to us. Of all the things I’ve learned in my years of missionary serves the greatest is KNOWING that God has a plan and that my family and I have a vital part in this plan if we let ourselves to be weak so he can be strong through us. He has chosen us and called us by name. Now in this time of waiting this is what we need to remember. Please pray everyone that this word will come soon!! God bless

As we are now in the advent season we are so blessed to put up the things that remind us just what we are celebrating. It is a very unfortunate thing to see what has become of this season, but that does not mean that Christmas is bad. To like that the Almighty God of all ages decided to come to earth and feel all that we feel. All the pain and suffering. It reminds me of a story I heard one time. The short version goes like this. There was once a great king. He ruled his kingdom greatly, with much power and wealth. One day as he was riding through the town he saw a peasant girl who was so beautiful one glance stole his heart. As he went to the castle he was consumed with the thought of her. He decided that he wanted her as his wife but he wanted to know that she loved him truly. He thought this to be a hard thing to know sence his was a great king with great wealth and power and her a point woman. And then he had an idea. He would disguise himself as a peasant and go down into the town and win the heart of the one whom he loves with all his heart. I hope this reminds you of something too. Let us prepare for the Lords coming!!!

This past all saints day was great. The ladies and Josiah put on a party for some of the kids around here. What more can I say but praise the Lord!! Enjoy the video.

The past two weeks have been great. Most of the ranchos are very interested. I have seen that they are in very great need of the tools and weapons to defend their faith. This was clear before but now it is a thing that I can see them going through.  Please continue to pray for us and our safety as we travel all over the town.

So we have finely started. The last two days we have went to 4 ranchos to give the class. In some they are very interested and in the others they are not. I guess it depends on how other religions have affected the rancho. But for sure it is information we all need. In the pictures you can see the resorses that we have to use. The Lord has blessed us so much with these things and with the opportunity to do such a great work. Every week we will be going to 9 ranchos, 2 every day except on Thursday we will be present for the things that happen in the perish at night. So I will only go to 1 rancho in the morning. It is a bit difficult because some of the ranchos are an hour and a half away from the town and almost all of them are down roads that are nearly impassable. For this reason they are in great need of spiritual food. Please pray with us that Jesus will always give us the strength to not just bring them the things they need but to do it with the love of Him.

This is a video of the things that have been going on here in General Cepeda. please pray for us, we are getting ready to start a very great and needed ministry in the ranchos. I had received the inspiration from the Holy Spirit to give a class on the Catholic faith and how to defend it when I came to General Cepeda in July to staff for a group and we worked in a rancho of about 500 people  that only 13 or so persons remained catholic. All the rest had converted to the Jehovah’s witness church!! The name of the class is “Defendiendo la fe catolica”(Defending the catholic faith). We have a number of weapons. First and most mighty is that God has our backs and our fronts. Next is our swords(the bible). We also will be teaching them how to use the Catechism of the Catholic Church and we will use it in the class. We have a digital projector and a laptop so we can make Powerpoint presentations, and get videos to show them and illustrate the points better. So please pray for my spanish(Sarah can speak it like a champ) and for protection in the ranchos. God bless you all!!!

What an amazing God we have that through our own fault we sinned (and sin) against him and yet he still came down to us to save us.(Romans 5; 8)  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How important it is that all the world know that they are saved and forgiven. That in this world man kind did not find God or do something to win the love of God. He loved us first and came to find us the lost sheep.   Praise the Lord!!!

We just got back from a month in Cuernavaca where I attended school for spanish.  One of the highlights of being there was that we were able to see the basilica of Guadelupe and have mass there. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Just to enter the church gave all of us a sense of peace. What a gift to the mexican she is.  We had a great time there and I fell that my spanish has improved very much. Thank you all for praying for us. It is great to be back in General Cepeda were my family and me can get started on the work of the Lord. Know that we are praying for yall.  God bless!!!

Praise the Lord, another group Jesus did mighty things with! Ten days after the long trip me and my family made up to Ohio and Wisconsin I was blessed to help with the mission that started on July 10 and ended on the 17th. Sarah and I decided that because of the long trip that we had just made it would be better for Josiah if he wouldn’t make the long trip to Mexico so I went on this one without my family. And let me tell you it was hard to be away from them, never will that happen again!! It was a group of priests and seminarians from all over the country. In this mission I was able to see how when the clergy and the laity work so closely together that great things happen. There was one thing that blessed me and showed me the movement of the Holy Spirit. We went to ranchos every night to have mass, give testimonies, sing and pray with them. After mass father would go to the back of the chapel to hear confessions. There is a few things that the people struggle with when it comes to confession. I think the main thing is that they are just shy to confess to an american priest so there were not many people(if any) that would confess when we would go to the ranchos. But on this night after mass when we were giving testimonies I wanted to as father a question so I went out the back of the church and when I saw father, he was talking to a young girl so I stood next to father to let him know I needed to ask him something. I was not listening to what he was saying  so when he blessed her I realized that he was hearing her confession! I freaked out and apologized as he asked the next young girl in line “esta lista”. I couldn’t believe it! They were young girls, maybe ten or so, and they were going to confession! Praise the Lord! There was a reading I got that confirms all that I feel in my heart. “Look over the nations and see, and be utterly amazed! For a work is being done in your days that you would not have believed, were it told.”(Habakkuk 1;5) Thank you Jesus!!!