It is so exciting to see how the Lord is working here in Santa Cruz. Our Alpha course is going really well. We have anywhere from 10 -18 people in attendance every week. Everyone who attends is really excited about the course, and it is so encouraging for us to be a part of telling people the good news about Jesus. This past week the theme was about reading the Bible, specifically why and how. In our small group time afterward it was refreshing to hear how honest people were - that they want to read the Bible regularly, but don't, and don't even know how to start. We were able to give out some guides and some advice on what it looks like to read the Bible for yourself. Laura and I have compiled a study guide for the women's devotional Bible and have had a few interested women. So thankful for the opportunity Alpha has provided for us to share deeper about the Christian faith and for the relationships we are building in the process.
We had another church service at the Kienzle's house this past Sunday, something we are doing once a month through December, with the plan to host one more often starting in January. It was great - we had 27 Bolivians in attendance, folks who don't normally attend a church. It was a great time of worship, with music, a testimony, and a message, even a kids' sunday school. Exciting to see how the Lord has brought this together.
Another ministry opportunity I wrote about last time was the ESL Bible study. I'm happy to say that we are starting that tomorrow night. Chelsea, another missionary, will teach the class here in our home. So far we've had 5 women say they will be here. We are praying that these women will come and that they will bring friends as well. It will be similar to the previous english class we hosted, but with a few key differences. This one is only for women and we will be using the Bible as our text. Praying that not only will women improve their English, a good skill to have, but that they will be impacted by the Bible Study as well.
On a personal note, our family is doing well. We enjoyed time with both sets of parents in the last month - such a blessing! Thankful to have the love and support of our parents even though we've taken the grandkids thousands of miles away :) Oops - my time is up - need to pick up Ty from school. As always - thanks for your prayers!
