AIM Evaluation

This week we have planned an evaluation for each of our AIMers. So we will meet with every one alone for about an hour to encourage them to be more like Jesus. We will begin with some strengths as well as weakness, to reinforce their role in the church, their team, and also their future. Many times they forget that they are here to learn, they are apprentices that need to be flexible and changing.
Our new team with six members come from the United States, Trinidad, and Brazil. So their diversity could be a struggle, also they are two girls and four guys. Now they have been here for almost six months, they have one more week of Spanish classes, and as the holidays arrive they will need to refocus to start 2010 before the new team arrives in May. (God willing!!)
Being AIM coordinators takes time and special attention to the young missionaries. Can you imagine all the sin affecting our youth, but moved to a new culture, with new language, time, money, roommates, etc.

We hope this can be an adventure.
Pray for them and us.

Exuberant Sunday

Once in a while we have one of those Sundays that we are glad to be in Leon. Now, it does not mean that all was perfect. We had some things that need to be adjusted , or included for the church to help. But it was a good day because we saw the church ready for a new plan. It was a time to see what we came to Leon for all these years. The Lord has a plan for many people that come every Sunday to worship him. with the naked eye we had some people missing, the men's bathroom not working, a young lady left the church crying, we need more chairs, and more. But when you see that the word is challenging, the ladies are maturing, the youth is being practical, aimers are starting to minister, interns are developing their styles of service, and more...we have a exuberant Sunday. Thank you for your prayers, and love given to us. We would not be here without your help. We will be taking some good time off this next week. There are some finals to take in school, organized the church's ministries for next year, budgets, and more. But we look forward to the new year soon.

Lady's Day in Leon

Yesterday, Saturday December 5th, we had our annual ladies day. This usually is the day we invite the women from other congregations from all over Mexico. In the past we have always had a good number of visitors from Guadalajara, Mexico City, San Luis Potosi, Tepic, and other cities. We always do crafts and have lessons; fellowship and eat together.
This year, Barbara Gary and the women in leadership decided that we would focus on our growth here in the Leon Sur congregation. Our women are great hosts and servants so she wanted to give back to them and let us grow together. The ladies day was smaller and we had less visitors but it was a very encouraging time together.

Many of the women of our congregation gave lessons, testimonies and shared their favorite scriptures with us. We learned a craft together and Bill, our intern, taught us how to make Cuban flan.

Overall it was a great time and I would have to Thank Barbara for her great organization skills and her encouragement to all the women. Shawn and the boys did a great job grilling and serving us lunch. Esperanza and some of the other women taught and shared with us. Thanks to all. Omar and Barb's mom came from Guadalajara and she was very encouraged and I believe overall that the day was a great success.
I pray that this next year more women from our congregation can take roles in the ministry and make it their own. Barb and Esperanza have been doing a great leadership job and I pray for them to have more help next year and that more women will continue to see the importance of woman's roles in the church.
- Tana

Take a look at this year's attendance. We had a record low of 53 and a high of 108. Last year we had a high of 144. So we still have hope for this year since we have one more month to go.
There is a value in the numbers, so we share those numbers with you all. But we ask that you can pray for each number - it is a person. All the changes and ups and downs represent the immaturity of the church. There are families that come and go. In total we have more then thirty people that switch and change who is missing every week. Also, we do have a solid committed group that is always with us.
God is praised! A few years ago we had nothing....Thanks for all the hard work done by many people to see this happen. It takes many churches and people to plant one church.

Thanks to ALL AT SIBI & AIM

Today we received a letter from SIBI with many good encouraging notes, and we thank you all.

There are times and dates that I wish I had received these letters. But today was a good one. We are ending the year and too many things are not in place for the year coming. So to hear good encouragement and word of love.

We graduated in SIBI in 2000, AIM in 1998, and SIBI again in 2003. So we are honored to see God be praised with our labor.

Thank you to all the aimers in this AIM class, and Charles Speer for this kind words. Much has to be done here, and we will keep the faith.

Please come see us when you are able, and we are excited to see a new AIM team come here to work.

The work of the disciple!!

Recently we have been challenged to see people be disciples in the church. And it is not easy to see people want to do more but not capable or recognizing the nuts and bolts to turn. We study individually with couples in their homes, or they come to our home, and we have to tailor the needs for specific giftedness. Our goal is simple, to create a better person in the church and to take some roles we are doing to be better culturally, and indigenous.
Many people would agree that is not hard to collect people together under one faith, but it is hard to make them love one another, and to accept each other with their weakness, and even their struggles to be a church. On Sunday we had 108 people in worship, we need more chairs, and more room for people to sit. These leaders need to be the people that will reach out and multiply our efforts.
Also, our cells are going well. Some are not "small" groups any more! Too many people going to one place. But in two weeks, we will have a break, and start after the first of the year. Pray for this and we are excited to see that Ben will be our leader for this ministry.

Evangelism Minstry

Last week, someone called asking if we could welcome them to share a ministry with us. So since we did not have a meeting planned, we had time to be with them. So the Liga biblica shares New Testaments, bibles, and even just the gospel of John printed to share the gospel. Also, they sell some good little booklets to share how to be a Christian. So far we have started thinking of using the printed material. Although we need to scope the texts to see if there are some questionable materials.
We live seeing people doing something to share the gospel, and his word. All this material is cheap and accessible, but we ask that you would pray for us to decide. It is hard to be in the mision field and not have money, and resources to share Jesus. Pray for us.