Dear Friends,

Thank you for your faithful prayers.  Here are some updates:

Continue to pray for the medical team from Stayton who are currently in Haiti.  Dr. Dessieux is heading the team.  Pray for safety, for compassion, for opportunities to not only share their medical skill, but also the hope found in Jesus Christ.  Pray for the pastors and missionaries in Haiti.  Pray that they would be bold to proclaim the gospel as they extend compassion to the suffering.

Pray for the Foothills team traveling to Mexico in March.  Here is an update from Don and Ilene Nagle , the missionaries we are going to help:

We are writing this letter from Guadalajara where Don and I and Dwight and Sarah Hires are in language school.  It is hard to be here and not on the front lines in Papalote. 

Disaster in Papalote

Today we were able to contact Esther [local pastor's wife] in Papalote.  Cell and phone lines have been down until today.  Pouring rains began last Thursday in the Baja and continued until today.  Tremendous lightening and thunder caused panic.  Three major bridges washed out between Ensenada and south of Papalote, making food, fresh water, propane impossible to arrive by truck to the towns between the bridges... neither from the south nor the north.  The forecast is for the rains to begin again on Monday.

Papalote streets are rivers.  No one has been able to leave their homes until today and they have to use cars that are 4X4's or very high.  Food is a problem.  The stores are empty and drinking water and propane supplies are almost gone. 

The little town south of Papalote, San Simon, has been completely flooded out.  A number of our church families are from San Simon.  They and a number of families have moved into the dormitories and classrooms at the church.  The police are bringing other families that have been spending the night in the rain, cold and wet.  The church has scrambled for dry clothing, preparing meals and using the WARM CHILDREN'S BLANKETS that were made by so many of you.  We still had a supply of rice and beans that was recently sent by church in California. 

We told Esther to open the trailers and our home if needed to house people.  We also told her to take our propane tanks to the church to prepare food for these families, and to take any food we might have available in our house.  We have lots of grains and oatmeal, etc. 

The Mexican army is supposed to begin bringing food and water, but they are still waiting.  The news is that temporary bridges are being made right now. 

Ramon [local pastor] is trapped in Ensenada.   He went to Ensenada to help a team from Madras build a home for a retired pastor.  He cannot get home because of the bridges being washed out.  We are in communication with him.  We have asked him to look into perhaps finding a private plane to fly into San Quintin.  His family and community need him.

Please pray that the love and outreach that the church is doing will be a great testimony to the community.  Pray for the families that are affected.

 Continue to pray for those in our community who are battling cancer and/or other health problems.  Pray that they would find their encouragement and strength in Jesus.

Let's pray for our families.  Pray that fathers would lead their homes in obedience to Jesus.  Pray that mothers would love and honor their husbands and train their children in godliness and faith.  Pray that children would be obedient to parents, and that they would hear and receive the gospel.  Pray for those who are laboring to train and support our families.  Pray for servants to come forward to minister to our families.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:9-10 ESV