Dear Christian Friends,
 
Thank you for your generosity this month! We are so grateful for your participation in transforming lives in Mexico. God has truly blessed us! As I stop to think about September many things come to mind:
The kids are back in school! Many are in different schools due to graduations this summer! It’s great to see them working hard to excel for their future.

Our young adults are making decisions about staying or leaving as they have turned 18 or finished Prepa (High School). Some have felt it is time to be out on their own and responsible for themselves and their future. Others have decided to stay and continue to study and grow inside the organization. It is a privilege to see them grow and develop!

We have staff that is working hard with each child to help them become the person that God has designed them to be. Their desire is to prepare them for that day when they will grow up and make the decision to be on their own!

I have been in contact with many of our alumni, and it is great to know that they are working hard to provide for themselves and their families.

Three of our alumni had babies this month. Beautiful children that remind me that we are not only serving a child – but we are serving future children! What a privilege to see how God has broken the cycle and given these babies opportunities that their parent did not have.

I hope that you know that your partnership continues to make a difference in the lives of many people.  Thank you for sharing and giving!

Sincerely,
Steve Ross
Executive Director
Niños de Mexico

Well, it has certainly been a busy time over the past few months. I just realized that we have not sent you any news since July!

We have spent quite a lot of time with family. We were fortunate to be able to visit my 90-year-old step-mother twice. She is amazingly well for her age. She still has a sense of humor and entertains us when we visit. (She doesn’t like beards and mustaches and both Michael and my sister’s husband have them, so she gives them a hard time!)

We have visited several historic areas with Michael’s brother, Duane. They are both very interested in history and aviation. We attended my family reunion with aunts, uncle, cousins and their families. It was great to see some we haven’t seen in many years.

We began visiting churches at the end of July. We started with a trip to Nebraska. We visited an individual supporter and good friend in the Omaha area. She treated us to a day at the Henry Doorly Zoo. Then we traveled on to visit two supporting churches on the next two Sundays. It was great to see our supporters in Nebraska again and to renew acquaintances and make new friends. In the week between we spent time with our hosts and visited some historic sites in their area. We also spent two days at the Harold Warp Pioneer Village in Minden Nebraska.

When we got back to Minnesota our granddaughter, Gabriella, arrived from South Africa for a ten-week visit. We got to participate in many of the activities that were arranged for her – including a Minnesota Twins game, a camping trip, the Minnesota State Fair, some museums and historic sites, a trip to see the source of the Mississippi River, a dinner cruise on the St. Croix River, a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown, and many visits with family and friends! Are you tired yet? We are!!

In addition to that we have also visited a supporting church in Iowa and a supporting church in South Dakota as well as two more individual supporters and some friends. Gabriella went with us to South Dakota so after the church visit we traveled on west to visit the Badlands, Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Wall Drug. The weather was perfect and one of the highlights was seeing a herd of bison!

We have a few more family events before Gabriella leaves later in October. Then Michael’s sister, Debbie, will arrive for a few weeks to visit her brothers here. They are all looking forward to having the four siblings together again. There are several family activities planned for that time.

We will also continue our visits to churches. We will visit one more church in South Dakota and make a trip to Indiana and Ohio in November to visit four more supporting churches and some individuals. Between last year and this year, we hope we will have been able to visit all of our supporters! We will also attend the International Conference on Missions in Cincinnati in November.

Pray for us as we travel. Also pray for the churches and our work in South Africa. We are in contact with a lady from the church and with some of the ministers and their wives who keep us informed about the situation there. We also have regular contact with our children, thanks to email and internet!

SACRIFICE  AND  STEWARDSHIP

"God blesses our sacrifice, but He also blesses our stewardship" a quote from Jason Vallotton.

Either it's 100% or nothing, those were our thoughts back in 1987, when we entered into the ministry and then on to Mexico in 1991.  It would be a whole new world of uncertainties such as learning a new language and living in a different culture.  Some said it was sacrifice, we considered it more of a daily challenge to depend on God in a more profound way.  Our resources would be limited and then there was the need to account for every gift given to us, stewardship.

A former missionary told me one time, "Are you going to be like most missionaries and continually ask or are you going to live by faith?"  We could wrap it all up in the following verses of Philippians 4:10 - 13  "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me.  Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Yes, we have  needs and a few of you without asking have stepped forward to help us with our current transportation need (Bluffton FCC & Daron and Melissa).  As you know we had an accident on July 4, and to date we continue to wait on the insurance company that declared our vehicle "totaled".  With the extra gifts given toward this need it will help us once again get back on the road.

Moving back to the inner city we have monthly expenses like most people: rent, water, gas, electricity and telephone bills to pay.  Also included in our monthly expenses are the ministry needs we have.

Once again a supporting church (Valley) stepped up and out in faith to help our minister, Jose, with monthly support of $100.00.  God is good to help this young man of faith.  He receives $50.00 a month from the Ontañon church as well.  Again Philippians is true for Jose, who at a young age lived in the streets begging for food and now preaching the gospel and can boldly say "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength".  How many could live on $150.00 a month?  That's true sacrifice and stewardship!   


Projects and goals of EMANUEL MEXICO MISSION:
Special message from Jose:  "During the month of September, we began Sunday School for the adults of the congregation at Ontañon.  During the month of October, we will begin activities (Saturday) for children and also a youth group.  I ask for your prayers for all that is planned for this month of October, that it will be the will of God."

Jose has a passion for helping the poor and the hungry.  Jose has associated himself with a group of Christian men who help provide food for widows and children's homes here in San Luis Potosi.  The group is called:  "Man does not live on bread alone...", Matthew 4:4

With Emanuel Mexico Mission's help, they will be opening a kitchen to provide hot meals to those that truly live without and have an organized means to give to the needy.  Emanuel Mexico Mission is working hard to meet the needs of others.  We are currently looking into a few sites for this kitchen / pantry to best meet this need.

The Ontañon Church of Christ continues to reach out to the inner city.  In September, they began after school tutoring classes and the response has been great.  Once again Sacrifice and Stewardship is at the forefront of all we do.  

It's because of you we are able to reach out in new ways to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those in the inner city.  Sacrifice and Stewardship; two words we have been honored to carry throughout our 27 + years of ministry in Mexico.  Looking forward to year 28!

David DeBolt

Thank you again for your love and support.  You can stay up to date on our ministries by checking on our FACEBOOK pages:
       
       EMANUEL MEXICO MISSION
       IGLESIA CRISTIANA EN ONTAÑON
       DAVID DEBOLT
       SHERI LYNN