It’s Almost Here…

As the days of the new year unfold, we've reflected on the year that brought us to this one, and we are grateful for how faithful God has led us through all the way. And with that blessed assurance, we move forward with starting a church here in Guasave. We are blessed that God has brought another laborer to join us in this venture, a friend that Ryan actually met in Israel about 9 years ago. Daniel is from Merida, Yucatan, which is on the other coast of Mexico and has lots of experience helping at the Calvary Chapel that his dad pastors there in Merida. As we continue in fellowship with the friends we’ve made here in Guasave and Los Mochis, we have that peace that God will continue to lead in the formation of the team needed to start this church.

Spending time with Daniel at Leal Cafe

Please pray for Daniel as undergoes the process of moving here. He is set to arrive on January 18th, and will be staying here in our extra room / office until we are able to find him a suitable apartment or something. Meanwhile he is doing some freelance design work online, but will need an income. This is a big area of prayer since he is coming to serve at the church. It would be best if the church could support him, but right now we barely have enough to cover our income. If you or someone you know would like to support him in any way please let us know.

We also found a rental space in the center of the city that’s on the same street we live on, about a 5 minute walk away. There’s an option to rent one or two spaces. At least at the beginning, it would seem wise to start with half and the setup is perfect. The cost is 7,000 MXN pesos per month for each half. This works out to about $400 USD meaning both would be only $800/month. That's an amazing deal for about 3000 square feet of commercial real estate in a prime location! Nevertheless, as stewards of funds which have been dedicated to the Lord, we don't want to step beyond the means God has entrusted to us.

Slight modifications will be needed, such as adding air-conditioning units and seating which will be the most significant. Overall the suite is clean, especially for local standards and prices, and easy to get ready for church use. It looks promising, and we are prayerfully considering signing a contract with the owner in the next two or three weeks. We definitely desire the Lord’s guidance in all the details, and that we’ll have the patience for what we’ll need to wait on, as well as the tenacity to make those decisions that require faith. We covet your prayers!

Below are a few photos of the proposed rental property for the church. We've also made some drawings of what it may look like once we're able to meet there. The drawings show what 60 chairs may look like. It would be quite crowded, but we believe the Lord will provide for the second half as it becomes needed.

In Palos Verdes, on Friday evenings we continue to rent a small restaurant building for 200 pesos ($14) a day, located in the center of town. God has been so faithful. We either cook and serve hot dogs there on our electric griddle, or bring a meal that’s ready to serve. We also bring games for the kids which can get a little rowdy at times. It's the beautiful sound of discipleship. Sitting with the adults and youth as we bring God’s word to them brings a consolation and joy of the eternal investment we are making together with each of you.

In the busyness of life, it can be challenging to make time to read God’s word. But what a privilege we have to come into a community and sit with them as we read in God’s word and help them develop an appetite for it. Last month, Calvary Chapel Los Mochis held a two-day conference to which we were able to bring 4 from our Palos Verdes bible study to attend, and the teachings they heard, they continue mentioning as eye opening and encouraging. We are very encouraged to see God's word taking root in those attending the bible study there in Palos Verdes.

Christmas Eve we had the opportunity spend there as well. We actually have learned to incorporate both Mexican and American traditions. Thankfully, Mexicans celebrate Christmas 'en la buena noche' on the 24th at night. Then on the morning of the 25th we celebrate with our own American family traditions. Virtue hung with the adults. Jasper had fun celebrating her favorite song the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' by eating twelve fresh clams. Jubilee played with the puppies she's allergic to, and Cyrus helped Nacho with the fire.

It has been a great month as we have been wrapping up our special time of waiting on the Lord for the beginning of Calvary Guasave. We will continue to wait on the Lord, but now in a much different way. We look forward to seeing what he has prepared for this coming month and year. Please pray for us, and pray with us as we see the fruit of the Lord's work. We truly experience the strength of your prayer, and we recognize the great need we have for your prayers on a regular basis.

God Bless,

and HAPPY NEW YEAR

The Van Deusens