Amanda in Mexico: April Update          

Hello from Chihuahua, Mexico! I hope this letter finds you well. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support! I am excited to share with you what the Lord has been doing here!

I returned to the mountains mid- April, as we had a 2 week Easter break. The children were so excited to come back to school and we have 3 new youth that have been joining us on the days the public school has no classes. My class has 8 energetic kids between the ages of 3-7, meanwhile Ana teaches the older children, ages 10-11. She has 6 students that come on and off, as it all depends on their school schedule. She has 1 full time student, and it is so neat to see her learning to read and do math. This student never had the opportunity to attend school, as her family needed her to herd the goats. It is wonderful to see how hard she works to catch up to her classmates who have all attended public school.

I am so excited to see how God is opening hearts for the gospel here in the community! Ana has been sharing passionately about what Jesus Christ did for her and explaining to others how they, too, can be saved. Two weeks ago, Ana shared the gospel with 2 youth girls from her class. They both accepted Jesus as their Savior! The following day, a lady from the community came to visit and Ana began sharing about her own life and what Jesus has done for her. This lady was very attentive and we learned that as a child she had once made a profession of faith, but had since left that path and made some decisions that had distanced her from God. She decided that day to rededicate her life to Christ and is excitedly attending a Bible Study with Ana on Thursdays, reading the book of Juan, as she doesn't know how to read.
It is such a blessing to see Ana courageously sharing her faith with her people and I am excited to see how God will use her in this community. She truly has a heart for her people and incredibly gifted in speaking with the women!

A verse that God has placed on my heart is Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." As I am nearing the end of my time here in the mountains, I feel both excited and nervous what this fall will bring, as I will be returning to serve in the ministry in Cuauhtemoc. There are so many unanswered questions, such as the staff for this upcoming school year, where we will teach, and which students will return... I begin to dream  about all the possibilities and with it come worries of all the things that could go wrong. Yet, I remember that God has always provided before and I know He will put the details in place again. I know I need to trust God and wait patiently as He leads.

Praise and Prayer

- Praise God for the 2 girls and the lady that accepted Christ.

- Praise God for the courage He has given Ana as He prepares her to take over the ministry here in the mountains.

- Praise God for Cande, our 2nd student in Cuauhtemoc who will be graduating from the school this coming Sunday.

- Pray that God will provide a 15 passenger van, which is much needed as the ministry grows.

- Pray that God will show us a permanent buildimg for the ministry.

- Pray for Sandra (our 1st graduated student, who is currently studying in YWAM) as she is leaving for outreach this Sunday.

- Pray for the students in Cuauhtemoc, as they've a begun to work in the apple orchards. Pray for God's protection over them from bad influences and temptations.

Thank you so much for your prayers! We are so blessed to have you working alongside us in this ministry and we hope one day you can come see for yourself what God is doing here!  God bless!!

Amanda