Is having time as a family important? 

Early on when we first arrived to Mexico, we were advised to take a day out of the week for just the family and no ministry on that day. It was one of the wisest piece of advice we have ever received being on the mission field. I can tell you that this is such a battle at times to keep that day. When John and Elizabeth Rodgers were here, they choose Mondays as their day off. So that is what we did as well. Being that Sunday is one of the busiest days of the week Monday is a good day to recover by sleeping-in if need be as well as doing various little projects that need to get done. We often spend our Mondays doing different activities like going to the park, going downtown to have churrios or just doing work in the back yard together. It is not easy to protect this day. Things always come up. Someone needs help or needs to talk and advice about life choice.

This week was just the same, it was a national holiday so must everyone had it off. The church decided to get together at the park in the afternoon. We decided to not go this time. After much discussion we felt it was important to protect our family day and not go.  We realize that this might offend someone. Which is better: to offend someone by not attending an event or protect the family life we have by spending time together? This is the question we have been faced with.  What it comes down to is that we have to teach what is important which is making time for your family. The health of your family is very important. This doesn't always come natural for some families we are ministering to at church. For us to say your family is important but to show them how the family is important is by far greater. There are not a lot of good family life examples here. We are always demonstrating what normal family life is like.