June/July MX Mission Update

This summer is shaping up to be everything we have prayed for and more!

General Mission Update:

• Mission groups from across the US have arrived each week, ready to serve and eager to grow through the mission experience. I THINK that the groups were representative of 25 churches, 114 people, and the great states of Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida. Together we have poured tons and tons of cement, moved mountains (literally) and made meaningful relationships across cultures and languages with brothers and sisters in Christ from across Mexico.


• Summer intern, Lora Nelson, has proven to be a wonderful addition to our team of volunteers working with groups and a wonderful addition to our family this summer. We celebrated her 17th birthday together and have enjoyed watching God continue to work in and through her. She was joined by adult volunteers, David Meacham from Hickory and Andrea Plakmeyer from Raleigh, who were also true blessings to have on-board this summer.


• We will wrap up our very fruitful summer by hosting 1 more mission group who join us from 1st Pres No. Wilkesboro (NC).


• We hope to join with the special efforts of Danielle Cullen (NC) to further explore water testing and purification efforts here in Chiapas. Special thanks to Danielle for her fund-raising efforts in this area. Together with the Rotary Well-Drilling Project, we hope to improve the health and well-being of numerous communities by providing resources to have cleaner drinking water.


• We will be helping with programs and hospitality for the bible school´s annual pastor´s conference in August. This event will include some community health training and a medical clinic for pastors and their families, provided by the team from North Wilkesboro, NC. Ginny will be discussing counseling, addictions and spiritual gifts, and Gray Clark from Fellowship Presbyterian (NC) will be traveling down to provide a 1-week pastoral self-care training for Mexican pastors.

Manos de Cristo Update (Medical Clinic):

• FINALLY! The impasse over roof design was resolved, and the HUGE project was completed as we poured all 37 tons of cement for the roof over Phase I of the clinic! Teams of Mexicans and Americans from all across the US pitched in to complete literally thousands of rebar ties (to reinforce the cement) and to pour cement for the whole roof over 2 incredible nights/days. Read more on the blog entries, ¨What a Difference 24 Hours Makes,¨¨Brothers & Goats," and a final entry to be written about last Thursday´s second BIG POUR for more details.


• As the cement roof is curing, American teams will be building furniture for the clinic and helping with foundation prep for Phase II of the clinic. We will need to leave the wooden forms in place until the end of August before we´ll be able to start with interior framing, but it´s exciting to know that we are finally "under roof!"

Family Update:

• Immigration hassles continue to pose serious challenges for our family as we await approval of our FM3s (temporary religious worker permits). For all those who emailed in your words of encouragement, support and prayers, thank you so much! It has meant so much to us to know that so many folks have been praying with and for us. Read more about this in blog entries ¨Bureaucratic Mess,¨¨That´s Why We Call them Bureaucracies,¨ "Immigration Issues Getting More Frustrating,¨ and soon "Psych!" We´ll definitely keep you posted, but for now, thanks for your prayers and assistance. Special thanks to Kristi Rolison, Harless & Anne Wright, Leslie and other staff at Sanford Holshouser, and Tom & Penny Musson for your assistance with documents.

• Everyone´s healthy and happy!


• We have a new puppy! Pablo decided that our family didn´t have enough to do, so he invited our family to care for a black and white puppy, aptly named "Oreo." He´ll be with us until we wrap up our missionary service here next August and then will continue to live at the bible school. In the meantime though, we still miss our beloved Corgi, Baxter, and thank Rick Sigler and his family for taking such good care of him in our absence!


• After 13 straight weeks of working with all the mission groups, our family will be headed to NC for some much-needed R&R and time with family and friends in mid-August. Let´s just hope all the immigration stuff works out!


• While in NC, we are currently planning to visit First Presbyterian churches in Mount Airy, Boone and Pilot Mountain for informal discussions. We welcome opportunities to share more about our ministry at your church for week night programs or small group discussions, so please let us know if you´d like to have us come to your church. We hope to be in NC from August 14th through September 12th.

Prayers:

• For God to continue opening doors of opportunity for us to serve


• For short-term missionaries from the US who have traveled to Mexico with groups this year. May they continue to reflect on their experiences and may those experiences move them to be watching for opportunities to serve in their own backyards.


• Special prayers for Lora Nelson and her family as she re-enters the US culture next weekend after spending her whole summer in Mexico.


• For short-term missionaries from the US who are preparing to travel to Mexico with groups this year. May they prepare themselves to serve and be served, bless and be blessed, and to come to Mexico with willing hands, open minds and loving hearts.


• Of support and comfort for those coping with losses in their families including, but not limited to David Meacham for the loss of his father, for the Prosser Family and all the Wake Forest University family for the loss of Coach Skip Prosser, Katie Yarbrough for the loss of her stepmother, and Dewey Yarborough for the loss of his sister.


• Of support and encouragement for those coping with illness or injury and their families, including Dot Hurley, Donna Painter, Pastor Andrès, Janet Rolison, Pablo & Jan´s daughter Amalia, Carol McClancy, Tenney Dean, Nancy Lingenfelser, Jim Scott, Mary Wynne Perryman, Bonnie Bode, Tom Edwards, Katie Yarbrough, Hal Newell, Dick Dye, Marshall Hollingsworth, Louise Holshouser, and the family of our dear friend Cecelia. Continued healing for Randy Duvall from Virginia Beach who suffered a broken arm on the worksite. As always, please let us know of your prayer needs and whether it's ok to share them with others.


• Of support and encouragement for fellow missionaries and their families around the world, including Pablo & Jan Feliciano, all the Dye Family Missionaries around the world, David Meacham, John and Sandra Wimbish, and Jim & Sharon Heneveld.


• Special prayers for Julie Alexander and her husband, John, as they too are being hampered by immigration challenges as they seek to enter the mission field in Brazil.

Opportunities:

• Anyone who has information about water testing equipment and supplies, please let us know. We need to be able to test water supplies in various communities to determine the best approach to water purification. Limited funds are available.


• Donate to Hebron USA for Phase I & II of the Manos de Cristo Medical Clinic in Ocosingo (details on the HUSA website at www.hebronusa.org/8.html)


• Donate to First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy, NC for our family’s missionary support (details on our website at www.millsfamilymission.org/5.html)


• Mission Tip of the Month: Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church is the proud sponsor of an incredible mission fund-raiser -"Oak Ridge Premium Coffee.¨Each blend of Chiapas-grown coffee is named after a mission destination or special person in the mission field visited by members of Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge, NC. Their coffee is packaged and sold to benefit mission projects at ORPC and helps put their church´s name and mission focus in the homes of people throughout their community. If you´re just a coffee nut, like me, and want your purchases to make a difference, you can order online at http://www.orpc.org/Premium_coffee.html. If you´d like to know more about this as a fund-raising opportunity for your church, you can email Rebecca or Phillip Aydellete at praydelette@earthlink.net for more information.

As always, we are grateful for your prayers, support and encouragement as our Partners in Missions. You remain in our prayers.

Love,
Ginny, John, Holly & Maggie