Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

As you read this post, please pray with me for these people and for the prayer requests I've mentioned. Please write some of these names down, especially my friends below who are not believers, and continue to pray for them.


On the left side of the picture are Matt, Kandi, Kaitlyn, and Mckenzie Ostertag, a new missionary family in Guadalajara. They were in Virginia with me during training and then went to Costa Rica for a year of language school. They arrived in Guadalajara in December and it's been so fun to spend time with them now that they are finally here! Pray for their family as they continue to transition into living here and beginning ministry.
Misael, Erica, Laura, and Mariel were some of the students in my conversation club last semester. Misael became a believer in November. We have become really good friends and it is amazing to see him growing in his faith. Last week he went to the Sierra to do some mission work with Manuel and some other people, working with the indigenous people there. The other day at the CEB I was sitting by him as we sang a song that translated says, "Precious blood that changed my life...It was on that cross where history changed, where my life took on a different meaning, where I found the reason to live." What sweet words to hear coming off of his lips. Pray for Misael as he continues to grow and mature in his walk with Jesus. Pray for Erica and Mariel to be able to attend the conversation club again this semester that I may be able to deepen my friendships with them. Last week, I went to eat lunch with Laura and we had a great time hanging out together. I can tell that our friendship and conversations are beginning to deepen. Pray for more opportunities to spend time with her and for our conversations to begin to turn to spiritual things.

Yesterday I went to Jose Miguel's house (Adriana's boyfriend) to eat lunch with him and Adriana. He is studying in Canada but was in Guadalajara for a month over the Christmas break. He will return to Canada on Sunday. Adriana, as I've mentioned before, is one of my best friends here in Guadalajara. We met soon after I arrived in the city and it's been great to have a close friend like her here. Adriana and Jose Miguel will be getting married soon after Jose Miguel returns in August. They are two of the nicest people you could ever meet, but don't have a relationship with Christ. Pray for God to reveal to them that salvation is by grace, not by works, and that they may come to know and experience the love and mercy that God has shown to us through Christ.

This week Jeannete and Chadi came over to watch a movie and make brownies. Mexicans love brownies but few know how to make them (even though you can get the mix in a box here). Most Mexicans just don't bake. So I gave them a step by step lesson, which they loved. Jeannete and Chadi are both studying tourism in the university and I met them when we had a volunteer team here last March. Kim and I have become pretty good friends with them and have been able to share the gospel with them. Jeannete and Chadi are searching for a lot of things in life, but are looking in all the wrong places. Pray for their salvation, that God would give them new hearts and make them new creations. Pray that God would reveal to them the abundant and eternal life that He wants to give them and that they would understand that they will never be completely satisfied apart from a relationship with Jesus.