Autumn in Sinaloa -- Update from the Coult Family

Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. 

You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?  Psalm 71:19

After a long and very eventful trip through Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington, we're back in Sinaloa, Mexico.  It's good to be back in this land we've begun to call home.  At the end of this letter are prayer requests and praise reports.  Please feel free to print these out and post them somewhere you'll be reminded to pray about them as you go about your day.  Thanks for partnering with us in prayer!!!

A new season of ministry is opening up to us in Mexico.  Notice that I didn't just say "Sinaloa".  God has expanded our work not only in Sinaloa, but also in Nayarit, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Sonora and Puebla.   We've been able to come alongside of three Mexican pastors/missionaries and their families as well as four single missionaries.  We would like to see that number increase to twelve, Lord willing, by the end of the year.  What does it mean for us to support one of these missionaries?

1. A monthly supplement to their income, equivalent to about half of an average Mexican wage.
2. Training and teaching courses for their missions, both from us and from coordinated teams from the U.S.
3. Occasional projects for their community or church by teams coordinated by us, such as building a house, repairing a house, digging a well, installing hot water, helping to start a business, doing a VBS, etc.
4. A networked leadership team to turn to for counsel and prayer support.
5. Yearly or bi-yearly leader conferences.

All of this seems quite above our abilities, both in strength and resources, but what can we say?  This is what God is calling us to!  We have already had one family come alongside us to say, "We would like to adopt one of your missionary families."  This is significant, because it allows us to redirect current resources to bring another missionary family on board.

If you are currently supporting us in prayer or financially, thank you!!!  If you would like further information about adopting a missionary in Mexico, please get in touch with us, and we will be glad to give you specifics.

Our goal is that as many people as possible will hear the gospel message and respond to the King of ages, the immortal, invisible, the only true and wise God.  To Him be the honor and the glory forever and ever.  Amen! 

Snapshots:

 

Despite our kids' growing up and moving out, our dining room table is no less crowded!

Our Tuesday kids' class has been going through the oral Bible.  Last weeks' lesson was on the Tower of Babel, which was constructed amidst much confusion and laughter using tables and chairs.

Last Sunday's church service in Las Flores.  It was a small group, but a very blessed time.  We divided into groups after church and went to visit and pray for several of the church members who were sick.

Focus.
The guys worked this week at putting a cement floor in front of the bathrooms beside the Aposento Alto.  Cement had to be hauled from the bottom of the hill where the mixer is, to the top of the hill where the bathrooms are.  Yes, the hill is as steep as it looks.

After a couple of rather scary-looking trips with the wheelbarrow, they decided that one bucket at a time was a safer way to go.

Here's Julio working his magic with a trowel.  Also pictured is his newest assistant, Jesus Piña.  We called him the supervisor.  The finished project looks great, and you don't have to step up two feet to get into the bathroom!

Prayers and Praises:

• Pray for Pastor Braulio's complete and speedy recovery from a bout of dengue fever.  There have been quite a few cases of this disease in our area this year.  It's not as serious or life-threatening as malaria, but is still quite debilitating and requires much rest and good nutrition to get over quickly.  
• Pray for God's provision in the lives of the fishermen here in Sinaloa.  The season has been incredibly bad, which means the economy and morale is also bad.  Pray that we would be able to speak encouragement to the people around us and be lights in a dark place.
• Pray that God would speed along our Mexican residency paperwork.  We are now at the point of waiting for our residency cards to arrive, which is good, but we need them to arrive by November 5, which seems almost impossible to our eyes.  But we have a big God!
• Praise God for the youth He is raising up here in Sinaloa.  Sarah will be sharing at an event in Guasave today and there is a prayer vigil scheduled for next Saturday, also in Guasave.  It is so encouraging to see youth who are passionate about God and who know what they believe and are willing to stand up for it.
• Praise God for providing a small sound system for the Aposento Alto.  It's been a blessing already! 
• Praise God for the three missionaries we have here with us.  Jeremias, Keala and Hailey are all settling in well and diving into life and ministry here.  Pray for the girls as they push through the language barrier to learn Spanish.  They are doing well, and Jeremias is even learning some English! 
• Also pray for wisdom as we reach out to the girls in our village.  They have been on our heart for some time.  We desire to start a Bible study for young ladies, but need direction from God to know where and how to begin.
• Pray that we would have wisdom as we teach and live here.  Specifically that God would help us lead by example, and that it would be a good example.
• Pray for us as we make plans for a mission trip in January to central Mexico.  There are many, many places we want to visit, but pray that God would help us focus on the places that He would have us go.
• Pray for the pastors' retreat and conference planned for February.  We're in the final stages of preparation and are looking forward to hosting a team from Washington state to help with this event.  Pray for this team as well, that each person who is supposed to come down would be able to and that the time would be a blessing to everyone involved.
• And of course, pray for us as we make preparations for a wedding February 28, 2015!