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News for Friends, Family, and Partners July 23, 2007 Dear Praying Friends, Thank you for your consistency in prayer for us. We know that it helps, and that we could not be effective here without you! We want to catch you up on what has been going on here. The girls finished up their junior year at Alliance Academy on June 15th, and promptly went to a week long camp with other Alliance students. Then during that time, and the following weeks, most of their recently graduated friends left, either for the US or for other countries. On July 18th, the girls headed to the US for a month of visiting friends, and colleges. So far they are having a great time. Wendy spent 5 weeks studying in Guadalajara Mexico, and hopes to graduate early (next summer) with a degree in Spanish, minor in Latin American studies, and a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language. She had a great time in Mexico, but is glad to be back in the US. Pray for her as she looks for a job for the rest of the summer, and on into the school year. Our friends the Smiths and Sandy Pollard from Carrollton had a great visit with us in May, and the piano classes ended up being training for the La Gracia music ministry. It was a very valuable time, and they all look forward to Sandy’s return. In addition, at the end of June we finished our first business course at El Tejar Church. It was a great blessing. Through the class, Robin has found at least one lady to help her practice Quichua. In addition, there may be opportunities for savings groups among the women of the church. Please pray for God’s leading and wisdom here. We hope to have another class ready to begin in September. On July 1 our first work team arrived from Albertville, AL, and we headed up to Imbabura province for a week of working with a small Quichua church north of Otavalo. We had a great time having a good “cultural exchange” in which two churches, which are located “worlds apart”, were able to encourage one another. This church, which had never had an outside work team before, repeatedly expressed gratitude to God for the help we were able to give. At the end of the week, the pastor’s wife prayed in Quichua with many tears. Robin asked a Quichua co-worker why the lady had been crying. She said, “She had been praying for a friend to come and help, and God sent twenty!” We praise God for the blessings to the church, to the visiting group, and to us personally. During the week, we helped with some construction, and teaching English, but the pastor has invited us to return to do some teaching on stewardship, and other discipleship topics. We thank God for an open invitation to return, and for relationships that were begun. On July 14 our second work team arrived from Ridgeland, MS. San Marcos Presbyterian Church here in Quito has been reaching into a small poor community here for about 13 years through a kids club. In a desire to amplify a Christian witness in the community, we approached the community leaders about a construction project and Vacation Bible School. They told of their desire to build a bread bakery to employ senior citizens in the neighborhood, saying that they already have the equipment, but lacked the resources to build the building. After a big community work day, the group from Highlands PCA made a good beginning for the bakery. They also had a VBS with an attendance of about 145 children! At least one lady in the neighborhood has expressed a need for spiritual peace, as well as a desire to attend the San Marcos church. Pray for further outreach in this neighborhood. We have offered to do some business training, and expressed a desire to begin a Bible study in the neighborhood. The officers of the neighborhood committee were very appreciative of the time the group spent there. Our next work team from Faith PCA in Birmingham, AL, which arrives on August 3, will continue to work on the bakery, teach some English in the same neighborhood, and help with a church retreat for La Gracia church. Please pray for details of this work team to come together. In the meantime, Robin heads to the US on August 2 to spend some time with Whitney and Waverly visiting colleges. She will be looking for a car to use from about August 4 – August 18. Please let us know if you know of one she could borrow. Also, please pray for wisdom and direction with regard to colleges for the girls. Finally, on August 9 Mike will join all of us in Middletown, OH to celebrate Robin’s grandmother’s 100th birthday! We are very happy for her, and look forward to seeing lots of family at the party on August 11. Once again, we are so thankful for your prayers and financial participation with us. We continue to find other ministry opportunities, but desire to be very intentional in participating in our team’s vision. Pray for wisdom about when to say, “Yes” and when to say, “No.” Also, please continue to pray for our health. We continue to have health challenges. And finally, please pray for our spiritual health, that we would be depending on Christ at all times! And let us know how we can be praying for you. Blessings in our Savior Jesus, Mike and Robin McMahan
Write us at: Mike and Robin McMahan
Email: Vonage phone: 770-573-0586
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July 25, 2007 |