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| Summer 2009 |
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Photo Highlights - Summer 2009
Here are some new family and ministry photos. You can either click on the thumbnail below to go to our picasa site, or watch the slideshow here.
Smith Prayer & Praise - August 2009
Thanks for your prayers. We have not been real faithful in getting requests and praises out recently because we have been in a whirlwind of summer activity, but we do appreciate your continued prayers for us. Here are some praise and prayer items:
PRAISE:
1. For the teams that came to minister here in Querétaro this summer from Pennsylvania, Texas, and Indiana. Each team was a blessing to the ministry here.
2. For the recent remodeling that was done to our church meeting area. It is a new place! We have a new floor and stage, painted walls, a storage room, a new wall, and security bars on the windows. We praise God for His provision for these projects.
3. We praise God for the people that have been touched in recent community outreach – children, teens, and couples have been impacted with the Truth, and we have much follow-up to do.
4. It was a joy to see eight believers baptized in July, including our daughter Tara.
PRAYER:
1. For Lori and our three children, Kendra, Tara, and Ben, as they start homeschooling again next week. Ben will be at home for first grade now after having completed his stint in a Mexican kindergarten. This will be an adjustment for the new school year.
2. For Bryan as he catches up on his Masters’ studies after a busy summer. He would like to go to his next class at the end of August all caught up.
3. For a new Bible study with a couple that we will be starting on Friday. They are interested in knowing more about Jesus and God’s Word, as well as learn more about marriage. Pray that Jorge and Mari Carmen would come to Christ.
4. For God’s provision for the purchase of the church property that we have been renting. The owner is interested in selling the property to the church, and the church is interested in buying if it is the Lord’s will. Please pray for wisdom and provision.
Thanks so much for your prayers! We appreciate your faithfulness in lifting us and the ministry here up to the Lord. Stay tuned for some new pictures soon.
For His Glory in Mexico,
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
PRAISE:
1. For the teams that came to minister here in Querétaro this summer from Pennsylvania, Texas, and Indiana. Each team was a blessing to the ministry here.
2. For the recent remodeling that was done to our church meeting area. It is a new place! We have a new floor and stage, painted walls, a storage room, a new wall, and security bars on the windows. We praise God for His provision for these projects.
3. We praise God for the people that have been touched in recent community outreach – children, teens, and couples have been impacted with the Truth, and we have much follow-up to do.
4. It was a joy to see eight believers baptized in July, including our daughter Tara.
PRAYER:
1. For Lori and our three children, Kendra, Tara, and Ben, as they start homeschooling again next week. Ben will be at home for first grade now after having completed his stint in a Mexican kindergarten. This will be an adjustment for the new school year.
2. For Bryan as he catches up on his Masters’ studies after a busy summer. He would like to go to his next class at the end of August all caught up.
3. For a new Bible study with a couple that we will be starting on Friday. They are interested in knowing more about Jesus and God’s Word, as well as learn more about marriage. Pray that Jorge and Mari Carmen would come to Christ.
4. For God’s provision for the purchase of the church property that we have been renting. The owner is interested in selling the property to the church, and the church is interested in buying if it is the Lord’s will. Please pray for wisdom and provision.
Thanks so much for your prayers! We appreciate your faithfulness in lifting us and the ministry here up to the Lord. Stay tuned for some new pictures soon.
For His Glory in Mexico,
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Prayer Letter - Spring 2009
Click below for our Spring 2009 prayer letter in either PDF or WORD:
PDF: Download file
WORD: Download file
PDF: Download file
WORD: Download file
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Some Swine Flu (I mean A-H1N1) Humor
Here are a few fun items circulating about the Swine Flu:
This is a slightly modified $20 peso bill
Did you hear that they found the kid today that is responsible for the swine flu outbreak??
On April 27, besides dealing with the swine flu, Mexico City had a scare with an earthquake
This is a slightly modified $20 peso bill
Did you hear that they found the kid today that is responsible for the swine flu outbreak??
On April 27, besides dealing with the swine flu, Mexico City had a scare with an earthquake
Friday, May 1, 2009
Photo Highlights - Spring 2009
Here are some new family and ministry photos. You can either click on the thumbnail below to go to our picasa site, or watch the slideshow here.
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| Spring 2009 Photo Update |
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Special Swine Flu Update - April 2009
Thanks so much for your prayers and concern for us in recent days. Mexico has certainly been in the news a lot! Here are a couple points of general update on the situation and on our family:
- Lori’s Surgery - we thank God for the recent visit of two ladies from our home church in PA. They were a GREAT blessing here as Lori had her surgery and the beginning of her recovery. They made it back to PA safely on Monday. Lori continues to do well and recover more each day.
- Swine Flu – even though the news has been inconsistent and it is hard to know the truth, here are a few facts we think we know:
- There are no officially confirmed cases of the flu here in our state of Queretaro, although we are right next to two states that do have confirmed cases
- The government has closed all schools at all levels in the entire country until May 6 – this includes Ben’s Kindergarten, but not the girls’ home school! :)
- The government has asked that people avoid public gatherings for now, and has closed many museums, parks, convention centers, restaurants, and sports arenas.
- The leadership of our church decided it would be best to suspend all church activities at least until May 6 and focus on praying as families at home for this situation
- The US Department of State has issued a travel alert encouraging Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico has encouraged U.S. citizens living in Mexico to take precautions, including having a two-week stockpile of essentials such as food, water, and medicines
We are taking the necessary precautions and trusting in God to keep us safe and healthy in the midst of everything. It has been a blessing that things have slowed down on the church side of ministry so that we can focus on catching up in some other areas, as well as to allow Bryan to continue helping Lori around the house as she continues to recover.
Thanks so much for your prayers for us during this time.
Trusting God,
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, and Ben
- Lori’s Surgery - we thank God for the recent visit of two ladies from our home church in PA. They were a GREAT blessing here as Lori had her surgery and the beginning of her recovery. They made it back to PA safely on Monday. Lori continues to do well and recover more each day.
- Swine Flu – even though the news has been inconsistent and it is hard to know the truth, here are a few facts we think we know:
- There are no officially confirmed cases of the flu here in our state of Queretaro, although we are right next to two states that do have confirmed cases
- The government has closed all schools at all levels in the entire country until May 6 – this includes Ben’s Kindergarten, but not the girls’ home school! :)
- The government has asked that people avoid public gatherings for now, and has closed many museums, parks, convention centers, restaurants, and sports arenas.
- The leadership of our church decided it would be best to suspend all church activities at least until May 6 and focus on praying as families at home for this situation
- The US Department of State has issued a travel alert encouraging Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico has encouraged U.S. citizens living in Mexico to take precautions, including having a two-week stockpile of essentials such as food, water, and medicines
We are taking the necessary precautions and trusting in God to keep us safe and healthy in the midst of everything. It has been a blessing that things have slowed down on the church side of ministry so that we can focus on catching up in some other areas, as well as to allow Bryan to continue helping Lori around the house as she continues to recover.
Thanks so much for your prayers for us during this time.
Trusting God,
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, and Ben
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Smith Prayer & Praise - April 2009
Thanks so much for your continued prayers for us. Here are a few current things to praise and pray for:
PRAISES:
- That Lori’s surgery went well last week, and that we have the help of two sisters from our home church in PA. Many people have been such a blessing to us during this time of need. We praise the Lord that Lori got her stitches out today, and is healing well
- God has kept our family healthy and away from all the bugs that are going around right now – this has been a blessing with Lori’s surgery and recovery
- For a clear opportunity Bryan had to share the Gospel with a doctor at a blood bank here in Queretaro. Pray that this doctor might come to Christ
PRAYER:
- Lori’s continued recovery from her surgery and regaining of her strength
- Paty, a mother of three, including a baby, whose 36-year-old husband passed away last Thursday. She is a dear believer who has been through so much. If you are interested in reading the whole story see below. Some may remember us mentioning her for prayer in the past
- For our “Children’s Day” service at church this Sunday – they celebrate children here in Mexico on April 30, so we will have a special service for them on April 26
Your prayers are a blessing!
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Paty’s Story
Friday morning when I arrived home from the hospital after spending the night with Lori I got a message on our answering machine from Jose Luis and Estrella. They asked me to call them back ASAP. When I called they informed me that Paty’s 36-year-old husband, Mario, had died of a massive heart attack the previous evening. To make a very long story short, Mario had a history of abusing Paty and their children in many ways. She is a believer, and if you read 1 Peter 3:1-6 you will see a beautiful picture of the way she has been toward her unbelieving husband for many years. Paty had been in a group Bible study that I taught about 6 years ago. She and her daughters had been going to our church, but stopped going to church because he did not allow them to attend anymore. I could give countless stories of the way he ridiculed and abused them. I had even counseled her to separate from him for a time for her own protection, and that of their children. She remained quietly and faithfully with him. After MANY opportunities to come to Christ, God said enough is enough. We can only hope that in his last moments he came to the foot of the cross.
Now the rest of the story – Jose Luis asked me if I could possibly accompany him to the funeral home where the vigil was being held. Because these two sisters were caring for Lori in the hospital and our kids at home, I was able to go. When I arrived at the vigil Paty was sitting in the back of the little chapel all alone while his family, staunch Catholics, were doing the chants and prayers for the dead soul. I pulled Paty and her daughters to another corner of the room and Jose Luis and Estrella arrived a short time later. We cried, we prayed, we read some Psalms, and we encouraged and comforted Paty and her daughters as best we could with God’s comfort. God was so gracious! It was also an excellent opportunity to mentor Jose Luis, a budding church leader, in how to handle these types of ministry situations. We talked about the stark contrast between the two groups in the little funeral chapel. This contrast is often seen at a funeral in Mexico. Our focus was life – comforting the family, praying for the salvation of the lost, reading the living Word of God. We gave Paty two evangelistic “Life Kits” to share with whomever she wanted of the unsaved family and friends and a love offering to help this widow in her time of need. Their focus was death – praying for Mario, that God would show him mercy, that the virgin of Guadalupe would be his intercessor, and that he would soon be able to be released into God’s presence. The singing was sad, without hope, without life. The prayers were meaningless repetition.
We heard Paty bare her soul as she shared about her husband – she felt guilty because not long ago she had prayed to God that He would remove any obstacles in her life that were not allowing her to serve Him and love Him. Now her husband was gone, and she felt the guilt. We assured her that she did not need to feel guilty. God is sovereign and in control. We knew how she had been a 1 Peter 3 wife to her unbelieving husband. She shared how he had eaten lunch with them that day, something he rarely did, and how he had asked to hold their baby boy, just born a few months ago, so that he could spend some time with him – something else he rarely did. He asked Paty to iron his shirts because he had an appointment somewhere that day at 6:00. He died at 6:05. Lori later reflected that for that appointment it didn’t matter how nicely ironed his shirt was if his soul was un- ironed and wrinkly. At one point during our time Paty asked if there is a vacancy in a ministry at church – maybe in the nursery or Sunday School. She has a burning desire to serve the Lord and can’t wait to get involved in church again.
Paty and her children, Andrea (16), Mariana (11), and Marioni (months), need our prayers.
PRAISES:
- That Lori’s surgery went well last week, and that we have the help of two sisters from our home church in PA. Many people have been such a blessing to us during this time of need. We praise the Lord that Lori got her stitches out today, and is healing well
- God has kept our family healthy and away from all the bugs that are going around right now – this has been a blessing with Lori’s surgery and recovery
- For a clear opportunity Bryan had to share the Gospel with a doctor at a blood bank here in Queretaro. Pray that this doctor might come to Christ
PRAYER:
- Lori’s continued recovery from her surgery and regaining of her strength
- Paty, a mother of three, including a baby, whose 36-year-old husband passed away last Thursday. She is a dear believer who has been through so much. If you are interested in reading the whole story see below. Some may remember us mentioning her for prayer in the past
- For our “Children’s Day” service at church this Sunday – they celebrate children here in Mexico on April 30, so we will have a special service for them on April 26
Your prayers are a blessing!
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Paty’s Story
Friday morning when I arrived home from the hospital after spending the night with Lori I got a message on our answering machine from Jose Luis and Estrella. They asked me to call them back ASAP. When I called they informed me that Paty’s 36-year-old husband, Mario, had died of a massive heart attack the previous evening. To make a very long story short, Mario had a history of abusing Paty and their children in many ways. She is a believer, and if you read 1 Peter 3:1-6 you will see a beautiful picture of the way she has been toward her unbelieving husband for many years. Paty had been in a group Bible study that I taught about 6 years ago. She and her daughters had been going to our church, but stopped going to church because he did not allow them to attend anymore. I could give countless stories of the way he ridiculed and abused them. I had even counseled her to separate from him for a time for her own protection, and that of their children. She remained quietly and faithfully with him. After MANY opportunities to come to Christ, God said enough is enough. We can only hope that in his last moments he came to the foot of the cross.
Now the rest of the story – Jose Luis asked me if I could possibly accompany him to the funeral home where the vigil was being held. Because these two sisters were caring for Lori in the hospital and our kids at home, I was able to go. When I arrived at the vigil Paty was sitting in the back of the little chapel all alone while his family, staunch Catholics, were doing the chants and prayers for the dead soul. I pulled Paty and her daughters to another corner of the room and Jose Luis and Estrella arrived a short time later. We cried, we prayed, we read some Psalms, and we encouraged and comforted Paty and her daughters as best we could with God’s comfort. God was so gracious! It was also an excellent opportunity to mentor Jose Luis, a budding church leader, in how to handle these types of ministry situations. We talked about the stark contrast between the two groups in the little funeral chapel. This contrast is often seen at a funeral in Mexico. Our focus was life – comforting the family, praying for the salvation of the lost, reading the living Word of God. We gave Paty two evangelistic “Life Kits” to share with whomever she wanted of the unsaved family and friends and a love offering to help this widow in her time of need. Their focus was death – praying for Mario, that God would show him mercy, that the virgin of Guadalupe would be his intercessor, and that he would soon be able to be released into God’s presence. The singing was sad, without hope, without life. The prayers were meaningless repetition.
We heard Paty bare her soul as she shared about her husband – she felt guilty because not long ago she had prayed to God that He would remove any obstacles in her life that were not allowing her to serve Him and love Him. Now her husband was gone, and she felt the guilt. We assured her that she did not need to feel guilty. God is sovereign and in control. We knew how she had been a 1 Peter 3 wife to her unbelieving husband. She shared how he had eaten lunch with them that day, something he rarely did, and how he had asked to hold their baby boy, just born a few months ago, so that he could spend some time with him – something else he rarely did. He asked Paty to iron his shirts because he had an appointment somewhere that day at 6:00. He died at 6:05. Lori later reflected that for that appointment it didn’t matter how nicely ironed his shirt was if his soul was un- ironed and wrinkly. At one point during our time Paty asked if there is a vacancy in a ministry at church – maybe in the nursery or Sunday School. She has a burning desire to serve the Lord and can’t wait to get involved in church again.
Paty and her children, Andrea (16), Mariana (11), and Marioni (months), need our prayers.
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