The Past 8 Months (we're still alive!)

Well, it is high time that something goes up on this blog.  Seeing as we haven’t written for awhile (thank-you for your patience! - the truth is that it’s been about 8 months now), I thought I’d try to highlight something from each month that has passed us by, and then end by telling you about a wonderful weekend we had just recently.

Okay, here we go…

March: Hmmm, not remembering too much from this month…. Oh, except for one very important thing:  We found out that the Lord had blessed our family with a new life.  Pretty amazing for us, and so thankful we are.

April: Our siblings came to visit!  Garnet, Sarah, & Ruth were here for a week and helped us to celebrate Naomi’s first birthday.  

May: We had a very encouraging, wonderful 10 days with a group of 15 from Canada & the US.  We were amazed to see how many seeds were planted.  May the Lord yet grant (more) growth!

The Whole Team

 

The Team Hard at Work

 

 June & July: Richard & Angela & family left to Canada for 2 months, and we moved into their house.  We were ”on our own” for 8 weeks or so, and experienced a mix of ups and downs, but felt very blessed by the Lord.

August: We received our permanent resident cards!!  This was quite the stressful, trying time, and the Lord taught us much about trusting in Him.   These cards do not have an expiry date, which means that we will not have to renew our Visas every year – an incredible blessing! 

Permanent Resident Cards!

September: We enjoyed a four week visit to Ontario.  One week with each side of the family at a cottage, some time with our Church family, a trip up to Ottawa to visit my parents, some visits with friends… four weeks flew by pretty quickly.  And such wonderful times! But with much thanks to the Lord, when the time came, we were ready to return home, and happily and quickly settled into our lives here once again. 

October:  Dad & Mom Van Dyken came for a visit!  What a rich two weeks we had with them.  Naomi just loved having Grandpa and “Mama” (as she called Grandma) here, and she enjoyed lots of extra walks and attention.   We also went to our first Mexican wedding this month.  Charlie & Debbie are neighbours here in the apartment building. 

Charlie & Debbie

Grandpa, Grandma, and one very happy grand-child

 

And here we are in November.  Let me tell you about two weekends ago.  We had the joy of participating in our bi-annual church retreat.  All seventy-five of us (yes, a large group – just about everyone from the church plus some family members and friends!) left the church Friday morning, and headed to Santa Maria del Oro, where we enjoyed two days of inspiring speeches, uplifting songs, great fellowship, and delicious food.  We were doubly blessed by having a pastor & wife & sister join us from Guadalajara.  Gonzalo and his wife Celia are serving the Lord by planting a church (Presbyterian) in a little town called Santa Ana, which is part of GDL, and actually very close to where we lived while we were at language school.  Celia and her sister Teresa (who used to visit me in GDL to help me with my Spanish) sing beautifully, and also have amazing testimonies of how the Lord called them to Himself.  It was a great encouragement to everyone to have them there.  They really took an interest in each of us.  Then on Sunday, after the church service, we had our own little concert in the church.  So, a very full, rich weekend .  We thank the Lord for this.        

Retreat Group Photo

 

Today marks 37 weeks in my pregnancy.  Three more weeks to go.  Or maybe less, if my doctor and all the ladies at church are right. J  We are getting quite excited to meet this little one.  Naomi likes to point at my tummy and give kisses to the baby, but she also thinks that Daddy has a baby in his tummy too, along with Grandpa and Grandma when they were here.  J    

Somehow, most of the above monthly hi-lights have something to do with having visitors from Canada or going to Canada.  But the honest truth is that as much as we love having visitors and sharing our lives and what the Lord is doing here with them, we also do really love our normal lives here.  Matt continues to enjoy very much working alongside Richard, and we are treasuring the time we have with them here yet.  Matt keeps very busy with preaching every other week, leading Bible studies throughout the week, teaching Sunday school, setting up a better sound system for the church, giving guitar lessons to some of the young people, ….. and doing all sorts of odd jobs here and there.  Matt & Naomi & I enjoyed setting up a table for our church at a local tianguis (outdoor market) awhile ago, and hope to be able to do this again sometime.  And amazingly, we are still able to enjoy lots of family time.  I’m especially thankful to be able to share three meals a day together – something most families don’t get to experience.   

Here are some random pictures of our life in Tepic.

Naomi and her good friend Daniela

Our adopted nephews and nieces  :-)

 

At the local library

 

Saturday Morning Ladies' Bible Study

 

Well, that’s all for now.  Lord-willing, we will have some more happy news to share with you all soon. 

May the Lord bless and keep you. 

Matt & Anne-Marie