As we look up the haze of the morning prevents us from seeing the true sky, but with assuredness we know you are there Lord, our Constant One! Blessed assurance, we are not alone…

The team has left for this long grueling day of intense effort. We know that special angels are in attendance, sent by the prayers warriors pleading for us and the souls waiting for deliverance.

Our guards board the bus first, checking to make sure all is safe and then guard the entrances on both sides of the people as they board. They will stay with the group all day and evening, keeping everyone safe as they labor in love.

Bob will go and pick up the fabricated steel this morning and bring it to the construction sight so that the playground can be started. The local Pastor is late this morning and Bob calls him to find out what is happening. The Pastor is at the clinic trying to disperse the thousand or so people who do not have tickets and are wanting to get in. They have been going to his home trying to get tickets and we tell him the guards are on their way and will be there shortly.

In the last e-mail the fact that we are over budget was brought up in a joking way, but the fact is we are going to be considerably short this time. The transportation each day to and from the construction and medical sites and here was suppose to be donated. But that was changed at the last minute, and the cost to us now is an extra $1.50 per person per day. Melissa R. also just informed us that we are going to need to purchase another estimated $1,000 worth of medicine to make it through the week. The Lord always works things out for us though by touching the hearts of those who are able to help. It really is exciting to watch the Lord unravel His plans before our eyes as we trust Him. All we have to do is be willing to move as He directs.

Yesterday Manuel and Amilcar from Maranatha were with us for a time. Amilcar called the airlines to make sure my order for oxygen on the plane for the trip back was all set. Well to our surprise, they don’t have me ticketed to go home, so that at least solves the oxygen problem! Oh I am so glad I like the food hereJ We will make sure that gets straightened out today

I was privileged to have a wonderful talk with Betty Taylor today about her extensive service in the Lords work. Wow was I impressed. She and Dwight started their life together right in the mission field and never left. The Lord has brought them to the jungles of Peru where they had nothing to eat but what they could grow themselves to Botswana and several other places, Dwight just came back from working in Yemen before this trip. The Lord has used this wonderful, sweet couple over and over through their 50 year marriage. Every person here has a story to tell that is life changing and if you were not a Christian when they started telling you, then you would be for sure when they finish. Not only do they all have their own story, but just the fact that they have given up their vacation time to come and work so hard in such desperate conditions., and not only paid big bucks to do it, they are actually reveling in the joy of it! Now if that doesn’t make a person sit up and think about what this is all about then all of heaven will be crying for them, for they are not listening to that still small voice. What supernatural power would make people do this? And do it with a fervor… a fire burning brightly in the heart and life of each one present. Oh may that fire always burn brightly for Jesus is our prayer. There are about 3,000 people receiving this email, and I know that not all are called to go into the mission field, but all are called to burn brightly for Jesus. I want to ask you now, are you burning brightly for Jesus? If not, then you can be, just by asking the Lord to use you in ways you never even dreamed of. The only qualification for a life that burns brightly for the Lord is a willing heart. Today as our prayer warriors have their 24 hour vigil is a wonderful time to re-dedicate your life to Jesus and to partake of the joy of the Lord. If you feel the Lord encouraging you through these words, please, write and tell us about it. It will encourage and strengthen us too for the days ahead.

The city of Casa Grande was white with the smoke of the sugar cane factory burning today and it bothered everyone as they worked in it.

At the construction site there now sits an almost finished church building. There are about 40 blocks left to put down. They are working now on the wall that the Pastor would like put up around the building to protect it from thieves, after today they have about 570 more blocks to put down on it. The steel is just about finished and once that happens the playground will be up in nothing flat and little children will be swinging and dreaming of the happy tomorrows to come,.

The construction team put down 288 blocks on the church and 113 on the wall.

The medical team saw 660 patients today.

The eye glass clinic is about out of glasses and will help in other departments tomorrow.

I do not have a dental count at this time.

The meetings started tonight and there were 95 adults present, hanging on every word as if their life depended on it. And it does..

The children’s meeting was blessed with 200 very well behaved children that will never forget the songs, stories, puppet ministry and love shown to them tonight and the rest of the week.

Our team is so happy and so exhausted, all rolled into one.

Pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks. May the Lord be with you and keep you close to Him. May you always walk in His shadow where it is eternally safe.

Smiling as always,

Jennifer Young

Mission reporter