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It has been a while since we last wrote. First, I am so thankful that I (Jaynee) have been feeling soooo much better from my morning sickness. I know many people here in Mexico as well as in the states have been praying for me, and I thank the Lord for His graciousness in answering those prayers. With mommy back to feeling well, we set back into our daily schedule in full swing...this leaves me very little time during the week for the computer, but my goal is to at least update everyone here on Saturday evenings and maybe in the mid week if I have time.
The past couple of weeks, Daniel and the boys worked many afternoons on Hna. Juanita's kitchen. She is a widow lady in our church and has 4 of her young grandchildren living with her. She has a small brick house and had a kitchen attached to the outside put together by plywood and other odds and ends. As you can see from the first picture, it was falling away from the rest of the house, and we were thankful to be able to help her out. Her grandchildren tore down the old kitchen and then Daniel and they boys set to work. With the help of some local cement workers, they were able to build her a new kitchen. Although the kitchen was a blessing, Daniel shared that it was even an even greater blessing to be able to spend so much time with the family there while building the new room. He was able to spend hours witnessing to, talking with and discipling not only Juanita and those who live with her, but with her son, his wife, and their children/grandchildren who live next door. Please pray for these families that their hearts would be open and they would receive the Word of God, believe it, and give their lives to the Savior.
Tomorrow evening, after the church service, our church is having a posole dinner (a type of soup) and a time of singing around a fire outside. Though it still hits the 90's during the day, we are just as thankful as can be for the cooler nights and mornings...I think it get's in the 50's...cool enough to wear a sweater and sip a hot cup of tea or coffee. The Lord is so good!
The children are all getting excited about "going to grandma's house" for Christmas. This week they put together a paper chain to count down the days until we leave :) We all had a very good week and again, I am so very grateful to be feeling better. Daniel and Hno. Macario were able to go visiting and soul winning most every afternoon together this week. Daniel was thankful to have a man willing to go with him. Timothy and Elijah have started teaching Rebekah and Benjamin piano each afternoon after their studies and chores are done. I feel so blessed to have so many "little/big" helpers. Rebekah and Abigail have been making apple butter ever Saturday for the family for the week. They use the crockpots to make it, so really need no supervision and we all enjoy the "fruit" of their labors all week at breakfast :)
The 3 oldest boys have been sleeping out in the "treeless" tree fort every Saturday evening (provided they've worked hard with sweet spirits all week). They have enjoyed staring at the many stars in the night sky and have made many comments about how very big and mighty the Lord is just by looking at his vast creation. Yet He loves us so much!! Thank you for your prayers for our family and the people here...continue to pray the Lord will open their hearts so they can know our wonderful Savior!

Happy Birthday Timothy

We are now the daddy and mommy of an 11 year old! We are so thankful the Lord has blessed us with such a big, strong, loving boy. As we gathered around the table last night to give Timothy his gift and have some cake, all the children "blessed" him with words of how much they appreciate their big brother. All the children said how they love Timothy because he is always helping them and plays lots of games with them. He is so strong for being such a wiry thing ( don't tell him I said that :) ), and has been a great help to his Dad in many work projects. He is very thoughtful and always helping mommy around the house too. A few years ago, we heard a missionary to Brazil speak at a mission's conference. That night, at the age of 6, Timothy told us he wanted to go to Brazil when he grew up and be a missionary there. He still has the same desire, and he, along with 4 of his brohters/sisters, have been helping support and writing to a missionary family to Brazil for a couple of years. We know first hand the need for laborers to go to the field...the need is so great and the workers so few.

In the pictures above, Timothy is holding up his present...a new backpack and flashlight. Each on of our children have a backpack where they keep all their most precious "treasures". Little Nehemiah especially enjoyed the cake :) The day before (Timothy's actual birthday) we got to spend the afternoon at the beach and bbq hamburgers. The children's visas were due to expire this week, so we had to go to the immigration office to get new ones. Since the office is right next to the beach, we spent the afternoon there for Timothy's special day.

Happy Birthday Timothy! We love you and daily pray the Lord will work in your heart, that you will love Him above all else, obey His voice, and serve Him all your days.

A trip to the ER and lots of MUD!

Susannah ended her birthday last week by dislocating her elbow...OUCH! She had just finished opening up her present from Grandma that night. It was a wooden animal puzzle, and with lots of excitement, she and the girls ran to their bedroom to begin playing with it. Rebekah climbed up onto the top bunk and Susannah wanted to follow. Rebekah bent down, grabbed Susannah's hand, and was trying to help by pulling her up when...pop...and then....scream! Susannah couldn't move her arm and would cry and wince with pain when we touched it. She laid down in our room and fell asleep; her arm wasn't swollen, so we decided to let her rest and see how she was in the morning.

Then next day, she woke up the same; I couldn't even put her dress on all the way, so Daddy took her into town to the hospital. At the hospital, they x-rayed it and found she had dislocated her elbow. They called it "codo de la ninera" (nursemaid's elbow) because it is common for children of that age to be holding the hand of the one caring for them and then to trip and fall while the adult holds them up by the arm thereby dislocating the elbow. Daniel was amazed how easy it was to fix...the doctor just simply and very lightly twisted her hand and it popped back into place. She had instant relief and was as good as new. We were very blessed that the entire proceedure only cost $10!

On Sunday, we were getting the house set up for service when it began to rain...within 2 hours the town was a mess of mud, streets that had turned into flowing creeks and mini rivers, and it was just a mess. When it rains here, nobody will leave their house for fear of not being able to return. So Daniel and the 3 oldest boys ventured out with the van to try to get to as many houses as they could. While the younger ones begged to go too, we figured if they got stuck, Daniel would have a hard time walking back with the little guys. Daniel was able to have a Bible study with some of the people in their homes which was a blessing. When they got back here, they were wet to the bone. They all changed and then had some potatos and warm bread that Elijah had made with me that weekend.

The town is still a disaster...MUD EVERYWHERE! Daniel and the boys took advantage of the soft, wet dirt and have been digging ditches they've needed to dig to put in some water lines. This morning, Daniel and they boys went over to Hna. Victorias house to trip her hedge and the girls are helping me prepare the food for the day and do some laundry. Lots of mud=LOTS of laundry! :)