Dear Friends of New Horizon,

It's been awhile since I have sent out any updates on the school. I do hope you got your Christmas card, and could see that we have a very lively bunch of children here now. In case you wondered about some of the costumes, they did a cantata-pageant that traced the plan of salvation from Creation through to the Birth of Jesus. So, besides the normal Nativity Scene people and animals, you have a snake, birds, and bears, to mention a few!

Getting ready for school to start in the fall was a major undertaking, and we are still working on details. A floor for the art and music classroom was the latest project. Waterproofing the roof is coming up next.

We have 96 students, and are just starting to think about the next school year, with a few people coming in to register children to secure their place. We don't have a lot of space for expanding at the moment, since we will need to strengthen the structure of the building before we can knock down walls or build a third floor. In the meantime, we are praying about a possibility that has come up of renting a building across the street, with the option to buy (after we finish buying the building we are paying for now, of course!). It is being used as a school, but this will be their last year there.

Althought it is rundown, with some work it would immediately allow us to expand the pre-school/ kindergarten section (where we have a waiting list) from 30 to 60 children, and would give them a larger area for play. We would have a little more space in the original building for the primary classes to spread out, so we could add a few more students there, too. Of course, we would have to have 3 new assistants and more furnishings and materials, not to mention being sure that we could increase enrollment sufficiently to cover all the added costs. It may not happen, but I wanted to mention it to you now, so that you could be praying with us about the opportunity. There is actually a large piece of land with several buildings connected to the section we want to rent, owned by an extended family and probably up for sale sooner or later (dreams for the future!).

Speaking of the future, Amanda Massingill will be coming with Mission to the World as an English teacher, Lord willing, this fall. She still needs to raise a goodly portion of her support and will need to go to language school for at least a month before starting in September, so I would appreciate your prayers for her, and of course any help you would be interested in giving. Amanda is a certified teacher and this year is getting classroom experience in first grade at a Christian school in Georgia. She has also worked as a program specialist for several years with the Girl Scout Council, and is teaching English as a second language at her church. We know her from several short-term mission trips to the Casa Hogar Children's Home and are very excited about her coming.

As far as paying for our present building goes, we paid approximately $150,000 ($1,500,000 pesos) last February and have paid about $30,000 during this year. We would love to be able to give $120,000 more this month, to finish off the payments without having to add the $65,000 interest that will accrue if we pay for six more years. However, we still need about $105,000! My mother, among others, has been praying for a miracle and "gently upbraided" me for not keeping people informed of the need, so here I am, doing that, although somewhat belatedly. We are very thankful for the gifts we have received toward buying the building as well as the renovations we have done to make it "habitable." However, we continue to pray, and would appreciate your prayers for what is still needed. (I hope that I will be able to get this letter out today. Yesterday, Thursday, the computer wouldn't cooperate again, but maybe I needed to be able to wait and tell you that another $10,000 dollars just came in!)

Meanwhile, the day-to-day work of the school continues. There are frustrations and struggles, but also those encouraging moments when we can see that the children really are learning and growing, both academically and in their understanding and love for the Lord. It was fun to visit with some of the kindergarten teachers recently and hear stories about their students' theological discussions! Praying God's blessings for you and your involvement in His kingdom work, Ellen Barnett, for the school .

ebarnett@iname.com

Ellen Barnett
Apdo. C-38
Acapulco, Gro.
México

Mission to the World, PO Box 116284, Atlanta, GA 30368-6284 ~ Account #010503

February 17, 2007