Dear Praying Friends,
It is a blessing to once again share with you, all that God has been doing in our lives and ministry. There have been a lot of exciting things taking place since our last letter. Summer has finally arrived and we are glad to be back home in the mountains of Mexico. As you know, January completed our fourth year on the field and so we are planning trips to the US to visit our supporting churches. We just returned from a trip to the midwest and had a wonderful time visiting churches and fellowshipping with friends. It was one of those situations where we hated to leave the work, but enjoyed seeing everyone again. While it was encouraging, it was also exhausting. We were out of the country for almost six weeks and every few days, we were on the move again.
People were so gracious and we really appreciated their care for us. It was also a blessing to receive all of the items that were sent for our people. Along the way, we received so much, that we towed a trailer full of good used items back to the US/Mexico border. From baby items, including clothes and a crib, to fabric and yarn and even a wood stove for the mission�s kitchen, and several rolls of material for roofing the homes of some of our needy families. It is all a tremendous blessing! Several people even helped us with new tires, brakes and front end work that our van needed. Two dear families that pray for us regularly and keep up with our ministries needs, donated a 1985 pick-up truck for the work. What a tremendous blessing God�s people are! Thank you!
When we crossed the border, we knew that people were praying for us. We had the van and truck both packed with as much as they would hold. We didn�t know how the inspectors would react. It is always a questionable experience to try to cross the international border with a lot of things. There is the potential of being denied entry or the possibility of being charged a 33% importation tariff, based on their assessment of the value of each item. We always ask God to guide us through the check points and this time, we had more than ever, with things everywhere. God heard our prayers, and when we arrived at the most critical check, He must have blinded the inspectors to what was before them. They simply checked our papers, didn�t even look under the tarp in the truck, looked in the windows of the van and then let us pass as if it were normal activity. Praise the Lord!
It has been wonderful to have our family united again. Isaac and Jessica left college in Florida by bus and met us along the way. It is great to have them with us again and they have been a big help. They traveled back to Mexico with us and will be here until the end of summer break. Jessica is playing her guitar during services and Isaac is driving a van route. Our family needs your prayers concerning something that happened shortly after returning home. For some reason, our dogs had gotten into a terrible fight. Deb was trying to separate them and was accidentally bitten on the leg. The bite was so deep that we had to rush her to our family doctor. He cleaned the wound and it required eleven stitches to close. She is recovering well but still has pain when she walks. Please keep her in your prayers. Please pray also for our daughter Bethany, as she is ministering in Nicaragua this month. We have only sketchy information. We received word that she arrived in the country and also that the DVBS she is leading has been blessed with over three hundred children each day. What a tremendous opportunity to see God work! And what a great senior trip to celebrate her high school graduation. Thank you for helping make her ministry desire a reality. Please pray for her as she concludes her work and travels from Nicaragua to Miami, Dallas, El Paso and then home to Mexico.
As you may remember, we had just gotten moved into the mission building, shortly before we left on our furlough trip. Upon arriving home, we were met with the unpacked boxes and piles of things that accompany a move. For about a week, it was like moving day all over again. We have been swamped with everything needing to be done, but we are starting to get a handle on it. We had to build a storage shed and didn�t have anyplace ready for Jessica or Isaac. Our nephew, David, from Iowa, came down to spend a month with us on the field and it has been nice to have his help with the various projects. It is his first time in Mexico and he is doing a good job of learning Spanish. We appreciate his parents and their church sending him.
To our relief, the ministry is going well. Our first week back, we were concerned that we wouldn�t have people to come back to. Several people said they thought we had moved back to the US, we were gone so long. But God protected the work and when we arrived, the young man who was taking care of things for us, had everything under control. The property was secure and except for a few people who seem to have slipped away, we had a good group our first Sunday. We also had a special service for Father�s Day and enjoyed several new men visiting. Please pray with us, as we desire to see the Lord do great things this summer.
Thank you, for all you do to be a blessing to us. Being able to return to Mexico to serve the Lord is a tremendous privilege and blessing. We are honored to have you with us as a part of our team. We truly appreciate you and pray that God will richly bless you for your labor in the Gospel ministry.
Sincerely, For Souls Who Have Not Heard,
The Chambers Family
