That was quick!

We had just shared that we wanted to use our house to reach out to others in any way the Lord led.
One concern we had with the house was a lack of security; it needed burglar bars in some windows. We asked that landlord to take care of the contracting, and we would pay the bill if they took it off the rent. We gave a deadline, and they came the night before the deadline.
The bars were welded and painted, and fit perfectly. They didn't want to install them as they had come at 7 pm, but we assured them we needed them now as we were leaving the next day for a few days. So they agreed to install them securely, drilling and welding. As they went back and forth, I heard one fellow mention to Karlene that supper smelled good. I was throwing some leftovers together into a casserole type dish.
I asked Josiah and Keyana if we should invite them to stay for supper. Josiah very quickly responded with enthusiasm that we should. I had been only half serious, but when he continued to urge that we invite them, I went up and asked them if they would "cenar con nosotros", that is supper with us. They were surprised, but the elder of the 2 men agreed.
When we were seated, I prayed in Spanish as best as I could, then we started to eat. The gentleman, I will call him John, asked if we were Christians. I said yes, and he said they could tell by how we prayed. We started to visit, and found out that his son Ross and he were saved as well. They had not been attending church lately because of a difficult situation that he didn't want to talk about. They also found it difficult as their extended family didn't appreciate their faith.
We talked a fair bit during the meal, and found out that they know some of our fellow missionaries! He opened up a little bit more during the meal, and when the son went back upstairs to continue work, he shared about losing a son. It was amazing how quickly they warmed up to us. In the end, I invited them to come to El Faro the following Sunday for a special service to celebrate Christmas. We pray that they will come, and be blessed to fellowship with other believers once again. Pray with us, and we will let you know more soon!

House hunting

We are blessed and content to be settled in La Paz. We praise God who has helped us to get this far, and trust He is with us and continues to guide in every way.
House hunting wasn't something that I looked forward to. We wanted to find a house that would be suitable for our family for a long time, that we could use in home schooling, ministry, bible studies and outreach. The list of what we wanted in a house was fairly extensive with these things in mind, and may not have been difficult to find in a Canadian city, but we soon found that it was more difficult in La Paz.
The first night we arrived, we decided to go for a drive to get a feel for some neighbourhoods suggested to us by other TEAM missionaries. We ended up looking at a house that fit some of what we were looking for, but was being renovated. It had a lot of work to be done, and we were warned that taking over the renovation was not a good idea for us. We also saw another home that was beautiful and would have fit well, but definitely didn't fit the budget.
We continued to pray and search for the next 10 days, calling many numbers, practicing spanish on the phone, which is more difficult than face to face communication, and ended up seeing over 15 houses. We enjoyed Casa Buena, the guest house we were staying at, but were starting to feel like we were ready to get into a house. We continued to contact real estate agents, as well as drive around. We saw one house that didn't look great, but phoned anyways. The lady came, it was a fixer upper, and only had 3 bedrooms without any space for an office or homeschool. But the lady knew of another house she thought we might consider.
In an hour we were looking at another. It was bigger, had a yard (of cement) that the kids could play in, had a secure fence, but the price was a bit high. We decided to pray about it and look a bit more. We decided to make an offer on the house. It came with furniture, so we asked to drop the price by 20% if we didn't use any furniture, but kept the stove and fridge. They came back and said no, 15% but without anything. At least that is what I thought was said. When we went to look it over and talk some more, it was 15% less and with all the furniture that we had a use for.
We took it! And feel God led us to a house that could be home for awhile. We pray that we will be able to use it for many wonderful times of sharing the love of Christ with others.
A bonus is that we are close to a high school that has a basketball court with shade within a block. It may be a great place to reach out to youth through sports ministry. We also like the location for there are many houses around us, as well as access to a quick route to get to El Faro, the church we are working with in La Paz. God answered our prayers in a big way with this house, praise His name!

Psalm 43:3-5 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

The Thiessen Talk'O November Newsletter 2013

For those of you who have been following our story, you know that our year has been a bit of a roller coaster in regards to our visas. It’s been a time of waiting & testing, growing our patience & persevering through what sometimes seemed like insurmountable odds. But we have come out on the end, excited to be moving onto the next step in the journey, when yet another curve ball has come our way. Yes, there is, once again, a hiccup in our plans. I guess we still have more to learn in the areas of trust, patience & perseverance. However, I’m getting ahead of myself so first let’s fill you in on the past couple of months since our last newsletter in July…

At the time of our last update we were still in Canada waiting to get our papers from the Mexican consulate in Calgary so that we could return to Mexico, apply for our temporary resident visas & finish language school. What we were hoping would only take 4 weeks took 3 months because of various problems & even though it delayed language school, it was good to be able to reconnect with family & friends during the summer. 

On September 5^th, we walked out of the Mexican consulate with the papers we needed & on September 7^th we flew back to Mexico. Thankfully, transitioning wasn’t as difficult the second time around. On September 14^th, we signed & submitted our paperwork to the immigration office in Guadalajara & began the wait for our temporary visas. This process was delayed as Anthony had to sign 3 different times because they didn’t think his signature matched the one on his passport. Finally on November 5^th we were called to the office to give our fingerprints & final signatures. They told us that it would take 15 working days to get our visas. However, 9 days later we were called  back & even though government office was filled, we were in and out in 45 minutes & left with our visas in hand!We had to celebrate, so we stayed in the downtown area & had lunch with Leroy & Faith Siemens, who got some of their visas the same day!

With our visas in hand, we have been working towards moving to La Paz.  A moving company has been found that can move us economically. We have planned to move on November 27th if all falls into place. It is an 8 hour drive & a longer ferry ride across the Sea of Cortez. We are looking forward to the transition. Once we hit the ground in La Paz, we will be hunting for a house to move into & hope that we can find one quickly. After we are settled in, we will begin our internship with the El Faro church plant.

We are also blessed to be able to say, that we are finished formal Spanish school! We still have much to learn, and see that every day.  However, it is still a great feeling to graduate with certificates in hand! We continue to work on improving & have been blessed by a generous young man who visits us almost every morning for 90 minutes of Spanish speaking practice. He also helps us to understand more of the culture. Yesterday we discussed some of the holidays that are so unusual to us. 

They have a day that is called El Día de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead. The belief is/was that the souls of the dead could come back to earth that one day every year.  To prepare, small altars or shrines are set up to place food & drinks to welcome relative souls back for the night. Some even spend the night at the cemetery with their families. 

It is very helpful for us to learn more of the Mexican traditions & beliefs as we get to know people more closely.  We trust that this will help us to be sensitive as we reach out to those around us. 

And about the hiccup….Our hope was to move to La Paz immediately after we finished language school. However, in October I got a call from the doctor clinic in our home town. I had an ultra-sound in August when we were back in Canada but hadn’t given it much thought until the phone call came. To make a long story short, I am being advised to have my gallbladder removed & we have chosen to have this done in Guadalajara before we move to La Paz. God has been amazing in directing us to a doctor who specializes in gastro problems/surgery & we feel confident that this is the way God wants us to go, even though it interrupts the plans we had made (His timing is always best). My surgery is scheduled for Nov. 21^st. We will let you know how it goes.  Blessings, The Thiessens :)

The End Is Just The Beginning

10 months. 10 months of hard work. 10 months of hard work, tears, change, transition, homesickness, challenges, loneliness, frustrations, visa problems, delays and homework.....oh the homework! 10 months of language school, probably one of the hardest things I've done in my life, has come to an end! When we started in January I remember thinking that we would never finish and yet here we are,10 months later and looking back on all that we have encountered, all that we have experienced, all that we have learned. And yet I find myself looking ahead at all that is still left to learn. The end of language school has arrived but I feel as though it's only the beginning because I have so far to go. In school, things made sense on paper and I got great marks on my exams but when it comes to speaking in Spanish.....yikes! It leaves much to be desired and much to be frustrated about. As excited as I am to get to La Paz and to get settled, I am also worried because my ability to speak Spanish is so poor. How in the world am I going to be able to build relationships and bridges with others? How long is it going to take until I can communicate and speak in Spanish well enough to be able to participate in the things I love to do? People encourage me by telling me that it will come but I think I have fallen prey to modern day thinking that says, 'I should be able to do it now!' 'Instant results without the effort!' I remind myself that I need to take my own advice given to my children. “Anything worth having is worth working hard for.” Ahhhhh, but the pain and sacrifice is difficult. 10 months down and many years to go. When I look at it this way, I find myself giving in to defeat and wanting to just escape from what lies ahead. Some days it would be easier to pack up and move back to Canada. I knew there would be days like this. So I return to my stake in the ground, the verses that God used to confirm His call to Mexico.

“I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’
For I have chosen you
and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Isaiah 41:9-10

Only for me right now they might read more like...

“...Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you to learn and speak Spanish...”

10 months...and the end is just the beginning.

In addition...

I didn't post this blog right away and now I know why. It's always amazing how God works! I had decided to leave this sit for a while and percolate because sometimes it's better not to share certain things and I was wondering if this was one of those things...But then I went and checked email and there, out of the blue was an email from a friend. How wonderful it is when the Holy Spirit prompts a person to encourage another and they follow through on that prompting and then you turn out to be the person to receive the encouragement! After reading her timely and encouraging words, I knew that I had to share this as a way of giving glory to God for the ways that He chooses to work! Interestingly enough, He used some of my own words to remind me of where to keep my focus!

This friend had just been listening to a repeat program of Joyful Praise (the radio show that I used to host and produce when in Canada and which I hope to pick back up again once we are settled in La Paz) and she had been encouraged through the program which was an interview with Brenton Brown. She pointed out some of the things that he had shared that were uplifting. Then she went on to remind me of some of the things I had said when closing out that hour and I was encouraged, challenged and convicted all at the same time....

“The Lord is God – He’s beyond us, He’s above us, His ways are not our ways...”


“He loves us, He’s a God of compassion...”


“God calls us to follow – even to places where we feel vastly under qualified, we have to trust he will be with us all along the way...”


“Remember the Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the heaven and earth, he does not grow weary, he gives power to the worn out...Wait on the Lord, find new strength, rise up with wings as Eagles...”


“Take courage – the everlasting God is carrying you! He will give you the power and strength to carry out what he has called you to do!”

...there's nothing quite as convicting as hearing your own words, meant to challenge others, come back to you. But as I reflected on them, not only was I convicted that I need to take my own advice, I was also encouraged to remember that indeed God is the Everlasting God and He will give me the strength I need to become a proficient Spanish speaker!

Yes, the end is just the beginning........but I know who holds all my beginnings and ends in His hands! And there's no one better to hold them, then Him!

Moving Forward!

We wanted to leave early to pick up our Temporary Resident Visas! But first we wanted to fulfil our commitment to practice Spanish. So right after we had a short session with our good friend, Carlos, we excitedly left. He was understanding as we cut our session short to head downtown, around 10 o'clock. Just as we were to head out on the main street, Karlene asked if I had the papers with the numbers we needed. I had everything but those papers. So we quickly went back home, picked them up, and headed out again. We met some friends and fellow missionaries who were doing the same thing. They had been there for an hour already. The office was fairly busy, but not as bad as before we arrived, we were told. We were a bit nervous and hopeful that the visas really were ready. After all, it was in half the time that we had been told they would be ready, and we had expected it to take longer!
Soon after our friend was called, I was called, and we got 3 of the cards. I notified the lady we were missing Karlene's and in a few minutes we had it too. Then I had a strange experience. A fellow asked me if I spoke Spanish, and I told him with a laugh, a little. He asked if I would translate for him! I did, and managed to get across to the lady that he had been waiting since 9:30 when his wife and child got their cards, but it was 11:40 and he didn't have his. I was happy to be able to help out - in Spanish!! I was also glad I had asked immediately about Karlene's missing card rather than sitting and waiting.

Now we are going to be looking for a moving company more fiercely. Hope to get that sorted out by early next week. Then we should be in La Paz before the end of November, and we are so looking forward to settling in there, getting to know the church plant El Faro, La Paz and the Baja California Sur! But we will miss Guadalajara and the people we have come to know and love as well. :(

Spanish Attack is Back

We are already half way through the last level of Spanish in Guadalajara. It is going very quickly. It is hard to believe that in a few short weeks we will be released to go and try out our Spanish full scale. Of course, we realise that a lot of learning is yet to come, but it is exciting to think of our graduation around the 28th of October.
Yesterday was a bit of a test of our new Spanish learning as we had guests over...our kids were super excited to have 4 new "friends", though Josiah couldn't understand why the teenage girl would rather listen to the adults talk than come and play lego with Marco and him. The children had a super time, despite the fact that the only English the visiting children would use is "May I use the bathroom?" They did understand more of what our kids said.
The adults visit was almost all in Spanish, though the mom helped out when we were uncertain with our Spanish comprehension. With 9 kinds of verb conjugations floating in our heads, it was a challenge and we messed up, laughed and were corrected a fair bit. We had them try Somma Borscht, and the mom would like the recipe. She had just connected with some Mennonites at Lincoln School at a home school fair, and they thought it was neat that I have a Mennonite background.
After a short visit the Dad had to go, as he is a chofer. Neat job, he gets paid to take the factory manager of Ferrero Rocher's kids to a soccer game hosted by Chivas; it is like getting to see an NHL game.
Another note of interest is that our kids are being taught at home while we are at school. They tried to go back to the school they had attended before, but with a lot of changes in staff, and having lost 2 of their best friends at the school who moved, it wasn't working out. Their new teacher is great, she is a nurse who is raising money to go to Bible School in Paraguay. The kids love her, so much that today when we came home, there were tears as the day had passed too quickly. We are asking her to focus on Math and Spanish learning.
We have submitted our visas to the Department of Internal Affairs, and hope to get a call this week to submit our finger prints and signatures. We appreciate prayer for this continuing process to receive our temporary resident visas. :)

Awakening The Prayers of God's People

I was really struck by something that our friend and colleague said the other day after hearing about some of the difficulties we have gone through this year, especially in regards to our visas...."I am convinced that sometimes the difficult things we encounter are for the purpose of awakening the prayers of God's people." To all of you who are praying for us, thank you. Thank you for loving us enough to take us before the Father. We are humbled to think that God chooses to use us and our difficulties to raise the prayers of His saints. We are completely unworthy and completely in need of His grace and strength and your prayers. Thank you for praying for us.

The Thiessen Talk'O - July 2013

Home and waiting

We had a good trip home from Guadalajara; I enjoyed a 12 hour drive to Laredo to bring our vehicle out of Mexico, then flew to Calgary. The other 3 Thiessens flew directly. I had to bring the SUV out as it also had a 6 month tourist visa. Coming through the border was easier than going out as I had good advice and overhead aerials of the streets so I was able to find the correct office to get my tourist sticker removed. It was a bit of a close call in getting stranded in line without gas as I was coming out...I had just under a 1/4 tank when I got to the border, but sitting in lines with the vehicle running had me on empty when I got through.
A wonderful place called steppingstone guesthouse gave me a place to sleep and park the vehicle as we return to Canada. I met an excited and amazing man of 69 who is ministering to young people in Mexico. He shared his testimony as I helped him load his van with items he was selling. I was challenged by his zeal for ministry and excitement for God's powerful movement in Mexico.
At 4 am I was off to the airport as my good host gave me a lift so early. When I arrived in Calgary, my phone didn't work, as I had misplaced a phone number I needed, and couldn't use the pay phone to get the number. I was wondering, "What now?" Well I was a reluctant facebook user, but it sure was a good help this time. I found a message waiting for me as to how to get to where I needed to go.
We left Calgary Wednesday, the day of the flooding, without a clue it was coming. When we got to La Crete the next day, we heard what was happening.
The terrible disaster has a small side effect for us... the Mexican consulate is in one of the worst hit areas of downtown. We now don't know how long it will be until we can have our interviews for our visas so that we can return to Mexico. We were scheduled for July 3-4th, but are doubtful they will be able to get in the office this week. We are very empathetic for the many Calgary residents and pray that they will be able to clean up and recover quickly.
But for this reason, we may have to stay in Alberta longer than anticipated and take a short break from Language School. We tried the Vancouver and Saskatchewan consulates, but they are very filled with appointments and advised that we continue with the Calgary consulate. We trust God has a plan in this for us. Pray with us as we wait and ask that He conform us to His will.

Visa Prayers!

Paperwork has never been my forté. I enjoyed teaching and playing much more than prep and marking. So it is with fear and trepidation we set out to apply for a temporary visa. We have already made one mistake, which we are praying won't make us late in returning to Mexico for level 4 spanish. We ask that you would join us in praying that we would be able to get all of our ducks in a row so that we can have a successful interview in Calgary between June 17th to July 1st.
Having said that, we are hopeful since a lady in the Mexican consulate seems to be wanting to help us, and mentioned a 2 week wait. That would be doable for us, though we may have a very sad ballerina in our house if we can't make it back to Mexico in time for a performance. So we hope to see many of you back home soon, and hope to be able to return to Mexico soon there after! Thanks for your prayers.

Testimonial

Today I heard an amazing testimony at the men's Bible Study group that I would like to share with you. It was in Spanish so I hope that I didn't misunderstand many of the details.
I will call him Juan. He shared about a life of drugs and alcohol that was very hopeless. He was a tough guy with those who knew him. He has tatoos, and looks like someone you would leave alone. But when he was talking with tears streaming down his face, sharing the passion of a life changed by Jesus Christ, you see a very different side of Juan. He was married and had children, but had nothing to do with his family, unless it was with the back of his hand. His son talked about not having a dad. What brought Juan to Jesus? It was despair, brokeness, not having any hope for tomorrow that caused him to break down in tears one morning. He had been looking for a vein in his arm and couldn't find one to pierce. As he looked, he realized what a broken wretch he was and called out to God. He shared that he wondered why no one had shared Jesus with him, but as he searched for God, he met a man who declared that Jesus loved him, even as he was. These words struck his heart with strength and force, and he realized he wanted this Jesus.
He has shared Jesus with his family, both immediate and extended (Mexico's definition of family seems to include what we might call extended family all the time), and also with those from his past life. He was changed and wanted to share that with others.
At this time he works at a Casa Hogar, an orphanage. He has a passion for God and held the men captive as they listened to his powerful testimony. I wish I had been able to follow with more detail to give you a better picture of this disciple of Jesus. I am excited to be in a place where God is changing hearts and lives with power and love!!

Full Rewarding Day

Busy day!

 I went to men’s Bible Study at church at 7:30. I had a hard time following the conversation, as I understand many words but few sentences. The discussion was on the importance of accepting the death and resurrection of Jesus to our lives. I had told myself I would contribute to the discussion, but after the opening statement, the discussion was off to the races and I couldn’t keep up to contribute in a meaningful way, so was content to listen. 

I took the kids to Oansa (Awana), and then went to the gym to work out, though I am feeling a bit worn out, but it was OK once I got started. I am trying to get to the point where I can play with kids or play pickup basketball at the park without getting sore. If I wish to be involved in sports ministry in a few months, I hope to be in shape to do so without limitations. 

At 2 Carlos (friend from church) came over for 1.5 hours of visiting in Spanish, and we got our vocab homework questions done, as well as I did an interview. It was about values of Mexican people, but there weren’t any big surprises in there. Family is the greatest value, #1 in the Mexican culture. 3 generations often live in one house, and they spend a lot of time together. This is something to keep in mind as we minister to the hearts of people in Mexico.

We then made some food for a picnic, which we brought to the park to share with Nadie (a lady from Keyana’s Ballet classes Karlene got to know) and her family. Her husband came along too, apparently somewhat begrudgingly as he was wondering how he would converse with us if he didn’t speak any English. It went well though, as I was able to visit with him in Spanish without much trouble, lots of stops in starts in my sentences, but it was good. We talked about family, farming, living in cities, safety and more. We had potato salad, quesadillas, gringas, chips and nachos. We played soccer in the park on artificial turf that is falling apart so that we had bits of black rubber in our shoes just walking across it. Josiah scored 3 goals, but his ball handling skills are weak. He needs a breakaway to be able to do something. Sort of like me when I play with adults! The smallest boy on the other team was 5 or so, but was quite good considering his size. Most of the Mexican boys can play quite well. I got deked quite often by the young ones on the opposing team.

We came home and played some cards, 7 up 7 down. Card playing was limited to UNO for them, so this was a change. We then had a late Mexican supper at 9, they left at 10 pm. They seemed to have a very good time. We know we did. As Karlene said on facebook, our brains are tired (thinking in Spanish for 6 hours does that), but our hearts are happy!

Learning to mix it up...

I love sports, both playing and watching. When asked what is my favorite, it could very well be which ever I am playing. In the park that we live 100 meters from, basketball is the easiest choice for drop-in, and has been the only activity we could sign the kids up for without a wait list. So I try to get to the park and play 2 to 3 times a week.
Last week I went with Josiah and Keyana to watch and help out where it looks like I could be useful. I ended up sitting on the side for quite some time, noticed a man watching from the far end. Finally I obeyed the little voice telling me to go visit. I was glad I did.
He was one of the easiest speakers I have practiced with yet. He spoke slowly and clearly without being asked, and offered tips and suggestions on how to say things. He corrected me when I needed it (which feels like too often at times) and rephrased things when I didn't seem to understand. I will look for him when I am at the court next time!
Another interesting visit I have had several times are with a grandfather of our childrens classmate. He challenges me in other areas as well. Since he is Jehovah's Witness, we have discussed differences in belief and practices, and it has been a good way for me to work on religious vocabulary.
Another good practice that challenges my listening skills is Bible Study on Saturday mornings with the men's group at 7:30 am. This Saturday I am challenging myself to take part in the discussion as I haven't said boo so far, unless asked a direct question or asked to lead in prayer or Bible reading.
One other practice I enjoy is with Carlos, a friend from church. He knows English fairly well. We have gone swimming with him, to the park to play soccer and had him over for a visit or lunch several times.
This mixing it up has been good, fun and interesting. I told one fellow yesterday on the court that when I understand their teasing and joking that I will know that I am much closer to fluency. Now I smile good naturedly and look somewhat confused. Thanks be to God as I continue to grow and learn, and hope to be laughing with the Mexicans soon!

The Thiessen Talk’O - Spring Report

Level 1 & 2 - Survived & Completed...And Level 3 Has Begun!

As we reflect on these past 4 months, the song “I Will Survive” comes to mind. However, we want to take the liberty to change the lyrics to fit our situation. Hopefully, you can see the humor & reality mixed together!

At first, I was afraid, I was petrified

Kept thinking, I could never learn this thing called Español

But then I spent so many nights studying, the questions I got wrong

And I grew strong and I learned how to conjugate a noun (wait? isn’t that a verb?)

I will survive, Oh as long as I know how to use the proper tense, I know I’ll stay alive

I’ve got all my life to learn 

(someone told me it takes 7 years to become a proficient speaker of another language...sigh)

I’ve got all my brain to give (but I don’t know how much that is:)

And I’ll survive, I will survive.

Sometimes, laughing & seeing the humor in things helps to keep you sane...especially when you’re trying to learn another language! In all seriousness, language school is hard & we are being stretched to the max while trying to wrap our heads around all that we need to know & learn. Truly, the only way that we are managing, is by the grace of God. Language school runs from Monday to Friday - 9am to 12:30 pm & each day finds us with 3 - 5 hrs of homework. It’s challenging to balance learning & studying with the daily demands of family life. That’s why we appreciate your prayers during this season! We have just finished Level 2 which means we are half way through Language School!

In Other News... 

Thankfully, life hasn’t been just about school. Here’s a timeline to catch you up on other things that have happened since our last newsletter:

January:

15^th: First day of Spanish classes

19^th: Josiah & Keyana attend Oansa (Awana) for the first time

22^nd: Keyana’s first ballet class

23^rd: Started meeting weekly with Ralph & Ellen Shepard - fellow TEAM missionaries & mentors

25^th: Enjoyed supper with Leroy & Faith Siemens & their family. It has been great to connect & spend time together! 

February:

4-5^th: Dia de la Constitución Holiday - no school, enjoyed a visit to the children’s museum as a family.

6^th: The kids first day of playing organized basketball in the park near our home. 

12^th: The kids ‘play’ cops and robbers (see story below)

16^th: Enjoyed having Leroy & Faith & family over for lunch, an afternoon at the park & a visit to our local ice cream shop. 

21^st: Last day of class for Level 1

22^nd-25^th: Finished Level 1 finals

23^rd: Enjoyed the evening at Leroy & Faith’s with the EMC Prayer Team - a wonderful evening of worship & blessing as we sang together, were encouraged through the Word & surrounded by the Team as they prayed for us.

24^th: Had the opportunity to join the EMC Prayer Team & the EMC missionaries at their church plant on Sunday morning for a wonderful time of worship. 

27^th: Visited schools, looking at options for our children.

28^th: Traveled 1hr out of the city with Shepard’s to enjoy the afternoon at Lake Chapala. The sun was hot but the pool was “mucho frio!” Still we braved it, desperate for a swim. Lunch, overlooking the lake was lovely & it was neat to have peacocks walking amongst the tables in the open air restaurant.  

March:

1^st-2^nd: We were challenged as we attended the online Verge conference at Leroy & Faith’s. Enjoyed the sessions & discussion with the EMC missionaries.

3^rd: Excited to attend Keyana’s first ballet recital! She did a wonderful job!

6^th: Spent the day at the zoo/aquarium. What a great place to explore together as a family! The kids were so excited that it was finally open. We had tried 2x’s before & each time it was closed.

In the evening we met with a man who explained more about what the new Mexican immigration law means for us. (see below)

7^th: Josiah & Keyana’s first day of school at Colegio Jose Vasconcelos

8^th: Because of the kindness of fellow TEAM missionaries, we

enjoyed a date & the kids had a fun time with the Rios’s.

11^th: 1^st day of classes - Level 2.

13^th: Anthony led class devotions in Spanish for his first time. He also met with a man from church to practice conversation for 1 hr.

15^th: Took Keyana to the Dr. Praising God that her infection has cleared! 

19^th: Karlene shared class devotions in Spanish for her first time.

22^nd: Karlene attended her 1st worship practice at church just to listen to & try to learn Spanish songs.

23^rd: Spring Festival for our children’s school & it was an amazing cultural experience! Keyana danced & sang a duet & Josiah also danced & was crowned king for the Gr. 2 class.

24^th: Met a wonderful lady & her 3 daughters at church. She doesn’t speak English but her daughter, who is in University, does. When we mentioned our kids being lonely & wishing for friends, she said we should get together as she has 2 girls who are 5&7. So we planned a play date in the park the very next day.

25^th: Our play date was wonderful! Our kids had a great time, we were able to practice our Spanish, & we feel like we made some Mexican friends, something we have been hoping & praying for! God is good. Just when loneliness was threatening to overwhelm, He stepped in & blessed us through this wonderful family! We hope to spend more time with them.

27^th-28^th: J&K were SO excited to skype their classmates & teachers back in Canada!

29^th-5^th: Spent Easter in Puerta Vallarta with Mom & Dad Thiessen & the Bueckerts. It was a great, relaxing break both physically & mentally! Our kids spent most of the week in the pool, they both made friends & Josiah was especially excited to meet another boy who “spoke English & looked just like him!” :) J&K were also thrilled to receive cards & letters from their classmates in Canada & Easter treats from Papa & Nana Foster. :)

April:

12^th: Met the Terpstras, our Timothy Network Mentors via Skype. Blessed to know of another way we are supported. Also enjoyed a BBQ with Leroy & Faith, their kids & Caleb & Stacey who were visiting from La Crete! So great to see people from our home town! Made it feel a bit closer!

14^th: Went to a Mexican Rodeo, very different from what we are used to but another great cultural experience! 

16^th: Blessed when a stranger offered to show Anthony the way to pay a bill at the electric office. She didn’t even need to go there but she still jumped in her car & Anthony followed her to the office. In a city where people tend to keep to themselves & their houses, this was a welcomed kindness.

18^th: Found out that a girl in J&K’s class is our neighbour. The kids went to play for an hour and loved it! This same day, we had a friend & her daughter over for supper. Karlene has been getting to know this lady during ballet classes since her daughter & Keyana are in the same class. She has been helpful with homework questions & getting Karlene to practice speaking Spanish & Keyana & her daughter are becoming good friends. We had a wonderful conversation in Spanish/English & the kids enjoyed playing together. The language barrier doesn’t stop kids from having fun! 

20^th: We attended a soccer game! Another great cultural experience!

23^rd: Last day of classes for Level 2! Exams for 3 days to follow…

24^th: Went out for lunch with our fellow classmates & our teachers to celebrate the end of level 2!

27^th: Our friend Carlos came to help us with our Spanish. We hope this will become a weekly time of speaking practice b/c we both need help in this area! Especially Karlene who is struggling to string words together into sentences for fear of saying the wrong things & is therefore hesitant to speak.

We also went on another date this evening as we have found a great babysitter who lives 3 houses from us. 

29^th: Karlene got to join J & K on a school field trip to Peter Piper Pizza (similar to Chuck E. Cheese’s) to celebrate "El Día Del Niño." There was 100+ staff/students & 2 coach buses were needed to get there. They had a fun time eating, playing games, collecting tickets & picking prizes! A great memory made with our kids! 

30^th: J&K enjoyed PJ day at school. Fun was had, games where played & of course there was candy b/c no fiesta would be complete without it!

Cops & Robbers...

We've probably all played this game as kids but a few months ago Josiah & Keyana got to experience it in real life.  When arriving home from language school one afternoon, we were surprised that there was no one at the door to greet us. As we entered the house & said, “hello”, we heard the pitter patter of feet bounding down the stairs. We were engulfed in hugs & Josiah & Keyana began to recount their morning adventure.  They had all been downstairs when they noticed a man outside who was intently peering into house windows & doing strange things like kicking car tires. When our house became a target, Areli & the kids closed the blinds & double checked to make sure the door was locked. However, when the man began to throw some rocks at our toyota, Josiah took it upon himself to go out into our gated yard & politely ask the man to “please stop throwing rocks at our vehicle.” The man raised his fists & Josiah thought he should quickly retreat into the house instead of face a man who had just donned a boxing pose. As the kids & Areli watched from the window, the man disappeared & they thought their morning adventure was over. However, it wasn’t long before some police cars pulled onto our street & a knock sounded on our door.  Areli tentatively opened it to find a police officer standing on our step. He proceeded to ask if they had seen a man wandering through the neighbourhood.  Areli told them what they had witnessed & when asked what direction she thought he had gone, she pointed down a side street.  Just at that moment, however, Josiah and Keyana (who were huddled around Areli) saw a set of eyes peeking over the cement wall of our next door neighbour’s yard. They pointed in the man’s direction & started yelling “there he is….there’s the thief.” The police officers flew into action & apprehended the man. Areli, Josiah & Keyana watched until the police had taken him away & then they all headed upstairs because they felt it was a safer place to be because in Josiah’s words, “it would be harder for a bad guy to get them there.” The kids were thrilled that they had helped the police catch ‘a bad guy’ and we, their parents, are thankful that God protected them in the process. This incident reminds us to be careful living in a city of 5+million but even more than that, it speaks to God’s power & protection & the importance of prayer! We are forever grateful to you for praying for us on a regular basis. You play a vital part in God’s work here in Mexico & we thank you for your faithfulness.

Visa Troubles????

In November 2012, The Mexican Government changed the immigration process. Since new laws take time to come into affect, we have just recently learned that it is no longer possible to turn a tourist visa into a religious workers visa while in Mexico. We've been told that we need to return to Canada and apply at a Mexican Consulate for our new visa. Our vehicle has to be under this visa so we have to drive it out as well. This news is unexpected and we now have some important decisions to make. Please pray for wisdom and God's perfect timing so that language school is not disrupted. We plan to return between Levels 3 and 4......We'll keep you posted.

And In Closing...

Here’s a picture to prove that we do study from time to time ;) In all seriousness, we thank God for the wonderful experiences He has brought our way. However, these past 4 months have been hard. Change & transition has affected all of us...culture shock, loneliness, homesickness, frustrations in language learning, balancing the pressures of daily living & responsibilities of raising children with assignments, studying & the need to get out & practice Spanish. Tears have been cried over the difficulty of proper pronunciation, the realization that grade 1&2 in Canada is a thing of the past, the heartache over missing family & friends, the wondering over whether new friends will ever be made & if the old ones will all be lost. The struggle between desiring to learn to communicate in Spanish & feeling foolish when trying to do so, is ever constant. There are days when bad attitude raises its ugly head, the spirit of discouragement strikes & the thorn of complaint presses in. However, we continue to lay hold of the promise that we can do all things through Him, The Almighty One, who gives us strength! We are reminded daily that His strength is made perfect in our weakness & we can’t do this on our own. Charles Stanley says it well, 

"God allows us to face difficulties so that our faith will be stretched & refined. The trials we face provide an excellent opportunity for us to declare our dependence on God & not on ourselves. The way we win the battle with discouragement is by humbling ourselves before God & telling Him that we need Him. There is only one way to do this, & it is through prayer."

So here’s to declaring dependence on God, for in doing so lies the power to live! Thank you for      your faithful prayers & support.                                              

Until our next Talk’O together - Adios & God Bless!       

                                                                               The Thiessens :)

Praying

Pray for continued spiritual growth as God uses this time of language school to refine our faith & build our trust in Him.

Pray that we will have the energy needed to learn Spanish, & the opportunities & boldness to practice speaking it!

Pray that Josiah & Keyana can make some friends. they are finding it a bit lonely & are missing home.

Pray for opportunities to witness to those in our community & for safety as we live in a very big city - 5+ million.

Pray that attending school will help Josiah & Keyana, socially & linguistically & that they will continue to enjoy it. 

Praising

We praise God For His help in completing Levels 1 & 2!!!!

We praise God For our home which is in a great location, close to our school & the kid's school!

We praise God for continued health & safety. 

We praise God for the friends we & the kids are making, even though it’s been a bit of a slow process.

Giving

If you would like to partner with us financially - 

EMAIL: giving@teamcanada.org 

                                                           ONLINE: www.teamcanada.org

Call TEAM Canada: 1-800-295-4160

OUR COUNTRY CODE IS 2400 AND PERSONAL ACCOUNT #110689.  

THANK-YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS IMPORTANT ROLE.

Stay Connected

                          To receive our email newsletters contact us at: anthonythiessen7@gmail.com

                           To read our blog “The Thiessen Times” visit: www.akthiessen.blogspot.com

Poco a Poco.......with a little humor thrown in :)

Yes, it’s me….I’m finally writing a blog…..but it’s going to be short…..cause I kind of need to get some sleep…..

This week, one of our teachers said that we’re suppose to note our progress, as we journey through these months of language learning, because we can use all the encouragement that we can get….( lol :)

Okay, that’s not exactly how she said it….What she was getting at was the importance of taking notice of the moments when things click and we remember how to conjugate a certain verb in the right tense, or when that word we couldn’t think of miraculously comes to mind at the right time, or that day when we go to a restaurant and are able to make ourselves understood and can order the item on the menu that we want…..and actually get what we want because we used the right words to order it…....you get the idea…..

She was encouraging us to mark our milestones in this language learning journey, to note our progress, to celebrate those small victories as ways of encouraging ourselves and our classmates to NOT. GIVE. UP. EVER.…...All the while, remembering that language learning is a labour of love.

So, today I’m marking a milestone! :) When I arrived here in Mexico in January, I knew all of one word in Spanish - the universal Hola! When people would ask me if I knew, spoke or understood Spanish, my go to answer was an emphatic shaking of my head followed by a very clear, “No. No Español.” But I have been faithfully attending classes for 3 months (even though the temptation to play hooky has crossed my mind once or twice...there’s a really great ice cream place not to far from our house…..;) and so I had to answer honestly today when someone asked me if I knew Español. 

I smiled (and this time nodded, rather then shook my head) and answered with these words.

“Un poco.” (Which means a little).

As I reflected on this later, I became excited that my “no” answer had changed to “a little” answer and I realized this was a “take note and mark it as a milestone occasion”!!!! 

YAY!!!! And now that you are all celebrating with me…….maybe it’s not a good time to tell you that after I gave my “un poco” answer, the man started to talk to me in Spanish and although I smiled and nodded my head and said “gracias”, I understood absolutely NOTHING that he said to me.

Sigh…...talk about taking the wind out of my sails and the joy out of my “take note and mark it as a milestone occasion.”

Oh well, as my husband’s sister so kindly told me, “It takes 7 years to become a proficient speaker of another language.” 

Great...I have 3 months down and 81 to go…….

So I will keep plugging away at language school reminding myself daily that this is a labour of love and that 

word by word, 

        verb by verb, 

       phrase by phrase…and...

…poco a poco (little by little)...my Spanish will come...eventually ;)

~Karlene