This is time where we need your prayers.This past Thursday we spend a good 5 hours with a couple from our church. We had invited them to come to our house for lunch a few weeks back. We knew that they were living together unmarried. We were not sure how it was going to be received, us talking to them about marriage and about their relationship and what scriptures says about it.  Do you bring them back to scripture about how being in sexual relationship outside of marriage is wrong the eyes of the Lord? Will they leave the church as a result of our confronting them on they are living in sin? With much fear and trembling we proceeded to bring them to the truth of God's word. We do not want them to come back to us someday and ask us why we did not have the courage to confront the sin that they were living in. We talked to them about love. How perfect love cast out fear. If they really do love each other, love we see them through any circumstances. Also love is patient willing to endure. That is what love it. When Jesus said, if you say you love me you will keep my commandments. Oh how difficult that is, when it goes against everything that your life says to do. It really does come down to what Jesus said about following him. Mathew 16:24-26
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
From what we heard these two people, is that they want to live right in the eyes of the Lord. Pray for them. They need strength to accomplish that which God wants for their lives to live rightly before Him. How all this works out is up to the Lord. We are praying that God would use us to direct them in His ways. They have a lot to think about. They have to way out what it really means to follow Christ. We felt they were very receptive to what we said. We will be speaking with them again about very soon.

In my morning devotions this morning I read from the book of Ezekiel. Time and time again, God spoke to the people of Israel. Time and time again they reject His word. This morning I came across the verse that I have heard before from 22:30 which says: So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.(NKJV) 
    The part that really stuck out to me was the first part that says who would make a wall. Make a wall??? I have to ask the question: Do I make a wall spiritiually for those I pray for? If I am completely honest with myself, I lack this type of prayer. The kind of prayer that stops the wrath of God from coming as it says in the next verse: Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God. (NKJV)
I am again reminded of the people I see on a daily basis. Do see them as being people who will suffer under the wrath of God? I get lazy and comfortable in the way I think about people. I am working on leading them to the Lord. What about the prayer that is offered up to those who right now, would die and be sent to hell because of their unbelief or unwillingness to submit to God. I need the Lord to refresh my thinking. I am God's vessel. We are the ones God uses to bring people to Himself.  
    This past week, I had an opportunity to share with a man who came to one of our English classes. Just getting to know him better, I learned that his mother is a christian. He then proceeded to share with me how he knows he needs to get close to God. My prayer is that I would be able speak truth to him and he would find Jesus. I look forward to what God is going to do in him. His name is Fidel. Pray with me for his life in Christ.

    Every so often you will find yourself fighting against a huge crowd of people. On Sunday morning, for church we usually drive our car, even though it is only two blocks away. But with a guitar, computer, projector and bibles not to mention four little people driving is the easier option. Well this day turns out we could not make it. Every road was blocked off for the independence day parade that happens. Every year there is a celebration of Mexico's independence. Every year all of the schools march as a school in the parade. All of the parents are usually watching. If they have smaller kids they are walking along the parade route so when the parade is over, they can collect their child. The parade ended just down the street from La Roca. So not only where there all the kids finishing the parade but all the parents too. A mass amount of people that is for sure. When we first walked by, there was a army patrol that was leading it. I thought just having guns would be good enough. No there was one guy with a bazooka.  I guess if there was any trouble a bazooka would do the trick for taking out a truck or something?? The violence has yet to reach Autlan still, yet in Guadalajara there have been a few instances of violence. I guess you can't stop it all from happening with a city with 8 million people. It was interesting seeing this though. Church started a 15 minutes later as parking was diffi

    The month of August doesn't exist, I tell you. That's what it feels like when you are really busy. The month was filled with saying good bye to three young people from our church, a trip to Guadalajara to help a young family get to some special doctor's appointments and all three girls starting school. Each one of these thing is a big event. Saying good bye was not just saying good bye, it was getting them all squared away with what they needed for school such as socks and shoes (for Chavo and Vicente). They will be missed.
    Going to Guadalajara is a trip just going there for the day, but staying the night it makes you feel so out of sorts. It is a who different way of life than being where we live in Autlan. You have to fight traffic no matter where you go. Just visiting Guady (what we call it!) makes you appreciate the small town feel that Autlan has. Yes there are disadvantages but being reminded of how life is more laid back and relaxed here is refreshing. We don't drive over 20 miles an hour in town. You can't go any faster because it is all one way streets with most of them having "stop signs". I say stop signs because sometimes they are optional. Ask anyone who drives here. you can never be totally sure that a motorcycle is not just going to come flying through the intersection not even slowing down when it gets there.
    All three of the girls have started school three weeks ago now. Jessie is doing an amazing job trying to joggle between all three and various subjects that each one has to learn. It is stressful at times but she is finding a rhythm to teaching. The girls all love school too. This comes as to a bit of a shock with Lilly. She is the athletic one running all over the place. Yet she is excited to learn. She is doing math, reading, and history. Not to bad for her first time doing school. She is turning 6 on Sunday.
    Next week we are also starting English classes back up again. It is one of my main focuses right now as I am calling students and organizing it all. I have two other teaching who will be teaching this year. Pray for us and for my schedule as I am having to re-adjust.