Wow, time gets away from us fast! We are so sorry once again that our blog has been post-less for so many months. It's very easy to forget to get updates posted on here.
Since last time we have had a lot change! Elena had an awesome first birthday, We made a trip back to report and encourage the church and visit family, saw our English students graduate from highschool and go off to college, getting a car, the Newell's new baby girl, and bought a building for the church and English school!
Our trip to the states was a real blessing, Elena got to experience her first Christmas in America and had a good time with her grandparents and aunts and uncles.
We also invited two of our English students to come back with us. It was a treat for them after passing their college entrance exams. We were really glad to be able to share Christmas and New Years with them and to be able to just pour out love on them. They got to hear about God's love for them and see and feel it from all the family around them.
We saw they both (along with a few other students we know) graduate in March, and send a lot of them off to colleges in mainland. It was sad to see them go! It felt like we would have them as students forever, it was almost 3 years ago that we started teaching them! Time goes by so fast! But we are so proud of them and are always praying for them.
The Newell's had their newest addition to the family, little Yui Emily! She is adorable! It is so fun to see her grow everyday and to watch her family love her. She is God's little princess, and has some good big brothers to watch out for her.
The new building is really exciting for the whole church! We had been praying and looking for a long time, but nothing had really worked out or felt right. But finally we found one and God just led the whole thing, it's really amazing the favor God has poured out on the building and everything pertaining to it. Not that long into cleaning it up, we were given a truck-full of furniture and supplies for the church! So amazing.
So far, we have cleaned it, tore off wall paper, sanded things, pulled weeds, and painted! It is really looking great, and we are planning to have a church dedication and first service on May 4th.
We are all very excited!
We will be making a trip back to the church again next month also, and attending a few weddings (always weddings when we go back! so fun), and Michal's highschool graduation! We are so proud of her and excited!
Also, Eder just applied to renew his visa, asking for a 5 year extension. We are praying he gets it! And that it would process quickly before our trip so that we have no complications leaving and coming back.
This Sunday is Easter! Getting ready and praying for good weather, hoping to have an outside beach event and picnic.
Also coming up is Mother's Day, and our women's bible study, which we have not had for a few months now. Please pray for it and for hearts to be stirred up, we got busy with the new baby and the church building, but we don't want to neglect the things God has called us to do.
Here are our prayer requests:
-Praise God for our car!
-Eder's visa
-health (all 3 of us are congested)
-trip to the states (safety, God's leading and blessing)
-continued guiding/vision
-new church building (God's continued favor and blessing, finish on time)
-women's study (women would come and grow)
-English students (to grow and come to know Jesus)
-family in the states (grow in walk/come to know Jesus)
(next post will be of pictures!)
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