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Arrival in Mexico City
Its
been a while since our last newsletter so well try to get you caught up as much as possible with what God is doing in our
part of the world. I guess we have to go all the way back to July to get caught up.
On July 2nd we moved to Mexico City and we hit the ground running. After meeting with the leadership team of ICN (Iglesia Cristiana del Norte or Northside Christian Church)
it was decided that they needed us to work in the area of youth ministry. Praise the Lord! Because of our experience in youth
ministry He is able to use us with young people here in Mexico City also. The word for young person
is joven, pronounced hoben. But the idea of youth or young people has a slightly different meaning in this culture than in
the USA.
The Mexican
culture is very family oriented. So Mexican youth are not encouraged to leave home after high school or college. So a young
person is considered a joven as long as they are single and live at home. So one is considered a joven from about the age
of 15 until they are married, or turn 30 or so.
We started 3 youth cell groups in our home. 2 on Saturdays
and 1 on Sunday nights. To say that we have enjoyed sharing with and getting to know the jovenes is a huge understatement.
We have not only been teaching them from Gods Word but have learned a lot of Mexican slang from them. Of course to make sure
it is not offensive, I have to ask them if it is something I should say to Hector, ICNs pastor, or not. If they say, No. then
I know its not something I should repeat.
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| The jovenes at one of the cell group/Bible studies. |
What we've been up to.
ICN held Vacation Bible School on August 12-16 and we were able to participate for
the first time. In the past a work group from the US has helped with VBS, but because that was not able
to happen this year we were not able to have as many workers. So there were fewer children but we still had several visitors
and it was a good outreach. It was a great test for our Spanish proficiency as Tonja headed up the craft department and Todd
was in charge of recreation.
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| Tonja teaching crafts at our VBS. |
Novermber
1-3 were the dates for our Be Different! youth retreat in Huasca, Hidalgo, a little Mexican puebla with a lot of fresh air and
space for these "city kids" to enjoy. We joined with the youth from New Hope Christian Church in Pachuca (about an hour and a half
north of Mexico City), where fellow CMF missionaries, Greg and Vicki Syverson are serving. Pablito, an intern with
CMFs Globalscope Ministry in Southern Mexico City, was our retreat speaker. His testimony and Gods word really challenged the young people to ...be transformed by
the renewing of their minds. And it was a good oportunity for our jovenes to meet and fellowship with other christian teenagers/young
adults. Of course Mexican young people are a lot like young people from the USA. There was a whole lot of
flirting going on at the retreat.
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| Monica, Esperanza, and Malinalli at the Youth Retreat |
Upcomming events
We are looking
forward to several work groups from some of our supporting churches coming to Mexico
City in the comming months to help us in our ministry and outreach. We also look forward to a student from Lincoln Christian College coming to help in April as
well as some REACH interns helping us during the Summer months.
We continue
to look for land to purchase for a permanant home for Iglesia Cristiana del Norte. Property is very expensive and hard to
find in such an urban setting as this. We look also for direction as to when and where God might lead us to plant another
christian church here in north west Mexico City.
The Hancock Household
Mitchell is in first grade at Mexico City Christian Academy. Classes at MCCA are taught
in English (except Spanish class), although during recess and free time I have heard most of the students speak spanish with
one another. Mitchell is really enjoying school and he wants you to know that some of his school friends are Caleb, Stephen,
and Ben. And some of his church friends are Max, Emanuel, Coco, and Pablo.
Mallory is 4years old and staying home with Tonja, enjoying what she calls her home school
class. She is She wants you to know that she "...like(s) living in Mexico City and ... nothing else." She
is really popular with the young girls. They all take their turn carrying her around and everyone oohs and ahs at her nearly
perpect spanish.
Tonja is involved with a ladies cell group along with
helping lead the youth aros in our home. She is enjoying teaching art class at Mitchell's School and teaching a chilldrens
church class on Sunday Morning.
Todd teaches a jr. high Sunday school class and besides leading the youth aros attends a Men of Honor class and other
courses that ICN offers. From time to time he substitutes at the Mexico City Christian Academy Jr and Sr High.
Thank you so much for your prayers and other support. We realize that we are not in this
alone. Not only is the Holy Spirit within us but we know that through your prayers and giving you are a part of what is happening
among us as well. Thank you.
Praise God for:
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A
life-changing youth retreat. Many of the young people were strongly impacted.
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The
great relationships that are forming between us and the young people and that they continue to invite their friends.
Pray for:
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Gods
guidance as we continue to look for the property on which He wants to locate His church.
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God
to change lives through our ministry.
God bless us, every one.
Todd and Tonja
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