Feb/March, 2007 Update

And group season begins! February brought with it 2 US mission groups seeking warmer weather and new experiences here in Ocosingo. A group of 12 from Orchard Lake Presbyterian Church near Detroit included 4 teens – a great treat for Holly & Maggie! And on their heels was a small group of public health/free clinic folks led by our friend, Glenn Pierce.

General Mission Update:

• Hosted and organized the work of mission work groups from Orchard Lake, MI and NC. Group members worked, worshipped and played with Bible School students, elders from neighboring Presbyterian churches and toured barefoot doctor medical clinics. Insights from free clinic and a WHO public health official were shared, and medical supplies were donated.
• Arranged and led a meeting with the Rotary Club of San Cristobal de Las Casas and a representative from an Asheville, NC Rotary Club. They agreed to submit a joint grant proposal to Rotary Intl. for well-drilling in Chiapas villages.
• Joined Board of Directors for a synod-sponsored prison ministry to serve 4 area prisons and wrote funding proposals for US and Mexican funding sources. Invited to present Self-Esteem workshops at area prisons (translated by Jan, of course!).
• Helped host a presbytery meeting attended by 110+ from nearby churches
• Completed Glasses in Missions training and began producing eyeglasses.

Medical Clinic Update

• We have a name! “Manos de Cristo” (“Hands of Christ”) is the name chosen for the medical clinic. It is our collective vision that patients will receive medical care inspired by Jesus’ ministry – compassionate, supportive and open to all for quality medical care.
• Together with the Orchard Lake group, the foundation and floor for Phase I of the medical clinic was completed ! This was a huge milestone and one that helped Orchard Lake travelers feel a strong sense of accomplishment & personal investment in the clinic!
• Barefoot doctors continue to be engaged and encouraged by mission group travelers and plan to have an active role in the clinic operation.

Family Update:

• Overall, we’re all healthy, happy and focused. Mostly we’re just glad to be together!
• We celebrated Holly’s 15^th birthday last week. Read the blog entry, “To quinceaños or not to quinceaños?” if you’re interesting in knowing more!
• Holly & Maggie are enjoying activities with our budding youth group and outings with bible school students from time to time, including guitar lessons!
• Prayers for the gift of language are still needed, but we’re definitely improving!
• As she tries to finish up geometry, Holly was blessed by the angel “Patrice,” a math teacher from Orchard Lake, who was able to supplement Keystone instruction with qualified hands-on instruction! She was truly a gift from God!
• Ginny’s dad seems to be doing pretty well and is grateful for NCAA basketball, a busy schedule and great friends. And John’s sister, Ellen, is recuperating well from her double knee-replacement surgery last month but she’s got a ways to go before she’ll be running any marathons!
• We still need a tenant for our house in Winston-Salem, NC. The tenants moved out last Wednesday, so we need your referrals and your prayers!

Prayers

• For God to continue to open doors of opportunity for us to be of service;
• For travelers from Orchard Lake, MI, New Bern, NC, Asheville, NC and Chicago, IL – that their experiences here have blessed their lives, inspired them in their walks of faith, and will lead them to continue in service at home and abroad;
• For the prison ministry and well-drilling proposals to be funded so these projects to grow;
• For the Director of the Ocosingo prison as he tries to maintain a safe environment and receive outreach efforts from our prison ministry and others;
• For continued success during the medical clinic construction progresses;
• For continued comfort and healing for the family of Hermano Cristobal, a former foundation helper who was killed last December;
• Of gratitude for the new director at the Bible School and his family;
• Of gratitude for the safety of our friend, Ramiro, who had been lost in the desert in February but is now safe;
• For continued comfort and healing for Ginny’s dad, Jim;
• For a tenant family to come forward to rent our house in Winston-Salem;
• Of support for those coping with illness (including Bonnie Bode, Mary Wynne Perryman, Tom Edwards, Peggy Skrynksi, Katie Yarbrough, Hal Newell, Dick Dye, Marshall Hollingsworth, Louise Holshouser, and the families of Cecelia Belk and Sandra O’Brien) and for those coping with losses (including the families of Ann Atkins and Dennis Moody). Again, please let us know of your prayer needs and whether you’re comfortable with us sharing them.
• For Pablo & Jan’s daughter, Amalia, as she progresses in her pregnancy
• For fellow missionaries Pablo & Jan Feliciano, Dick & Ann Dye, Merle & June Dye, for future missionaries Julie Alexander and her husband, John, and for newly retired missionaries, Jim & Sharon Heneveld.

Opportunities

• If you know anyone who might be interested in renting our house, send them to www.rentalhouses.com and have them search for Property ID NC97034.
• Propose to your church’s Mission Committee that they adopt our family as missionaries representing your church until August, 2007.
• Donate to First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy, NC for our family’s missionary support (details on our website at www.millsfamilymission.org/7.html)
• Donate to Hebron USA for Phase II of the Manos de Cristo Medical Clinic in Ocosingo (details on the HUSA website at www.hebronusa.org/8.html)
• “Missions Tip of the Month”- A senior at the Presbyterian college, Lake Forest College, (not Wake), teamed up with Google to run a donation-generating search engine called SearchKindly.org. Whenever you use www.searchkindly.org, you generate $ for the charity of the month. This month all proceeds go to support Smile Train, a medical ministry for children with cleft lip and palate problems. Giving has never been so easy!

Paz en Cristo,

John, Ginny, Holly & Maggie