Southwest Travels -- August 2009 Update

I will praise you, O God,

because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Marvelous are your works! My soul knows this full well!

Psalms 139:14

Greetings from Sinaloa! Well, August came and went and September is rushing past. Many parts of the country are enjoying the cooler temperatures of fall and here in Las Glorias/Boca del Rio the villages are a-buzz with preparations for la pesca -- fishing season. The season opens here on Saturday and there is no way to describe the sense of anticipation which is hovering over the town. Literally every man in the village is in some stage of preparation for fishing -- mending nets, building tablas, cleaning the boat one more time. You can read more about last year's shrimp season in Boca del Rio by clicking here.

Here is one of the local men, Pino, preparing one of his 100 meter long nets. Please pray for protection for each fisherman this season. Also pray for a good harvest. Shrimp and fish are the life's blood of the village. With the economy being what it is, a bad season would be devastating.

On Friday we will be taking Sarah, our oldest, to the neighboring city of Los Mochis. She will be staying there for the next couple of months to help at a school for the deaf. Pray for her as she settles in and adjusts to life away from home. This is a big step for her -- but probably a bigger one for her parents. Please pray God's protection over her and that He would use her and grow her in a mighty way! You can keep updated on her life by checking in regularly at Sarah's blog. That's how we keep tabs on her!

Another thing Sarah is involved with is a mission trip planned for January 2010. You can find out more by emailing Sarah at gone.riding14@gmail.com . Keep this trip in your prayers! Youth like these are the future of the Church!

We are happy to announce that Karen and Mavil got their passports. Hurrah!! Pray that God would continue to work in these young ladies' lives. Karen is working to earn money to travel to Africa to work with an orphanage there, but it has been a real struggle. Pray that God would both guide and provide as she seeks to do His will!

What is it about kids and mud anyway? We've put our parenting classes on hold until after the shrimp season dwindles. All of the men will be fishing, and the class is very "couples oriented". We continue to meet with the families in Las Glorias we have been discipling and the ladies' Bible studies are going strong. Rebecca has stepped in to help with the Saturday children's classes for the next few months. Pray that God would capture the hearts of the children of Boca del Rio, as well as those of their parents!

The kids will be restarting school next week. All the kids have been working hard around the house for the past week cleaning the property and the house, moving the pool, building a sun-shade and hauling water. Life is never dull around here! Andrew's latest project was building a cot. This was just before we left for our trip to the States. School is more than books and classes, and God is continually reminding us of that! Pray that God would grant wisdom this school year -- for the teachers as well as the students!

Our trip to the US was fabulous! We spent time in Tucson, Arizona, as well as in Riverside and Rancho Santa Margarita, California. It was wonderful to renew old acquaintences and make some new ones and to spend time with grandparents. We'll be posting photos and stories about our furlough during the coming month, so check in at Rebecca's blog and the Coult Family Blog from time to time for updates.

Thank you, everyone, for covering us with your prayers during our trip! Feel free to print out, post, or forward this email as desired. Also, you can print out our "Prayers and Praises" below to stick on your fridge or workstation to remind you to pray for us. Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support as we get back into the swing of ministry in Mexico!

Que Dios les bendiga!

Prayers and Praises:

• Praise God for His provision and protection during our time in the States.
• Praise Him for the new contacts and friendships we made in Riverside, Tuscon and Rancho Santa Margarita
• Pray for a bountiful fishing season this year.
• Pray for protection for the fishermen and their families. Pray that God would be drawing them to Himself and giving them purpose to their lives.
• Pray for Sarah who will be working at the School of the Deaf in Los Mochis for the next couple of months. Pray that God would grow, stretch and bless her to His glory!
• Pray that, according to His will, God would provide the funds necessary for Karen to travel to Africa.
• Pray for us as we restart school next week. The first week is usually a little bumpy as we scramble to find the necessary materials and to get our daily schedules smoothed out.
• Pray for the parents and the families in our parenting and discipleship groups.
• Praise God for the materials He provided for the parenting classes.
• Pray for the mission teams who are planning to come down during October, December and January. Pray that God would direct both our plans and theirs and that their time here would be a time of growing and learning for everyone involved.
• Pray for the ADAPT team which will be heading to southern Mexcio in October to share evangelistic seminars. Our family will be leading worship in Sergio's absence, so keep us in your prayers for that as well!