Duggins Family eUpdate / January 2020

We have been very blessed over the last months and we are grateful to you as partners who participate with us through your prayers and giving.
 
During the months of September and October we continued to visit potential supporters for the new churches in Mexico.  We were blessed through meetings with several new friends and church families that we feel will eventually become partners with IMPACTOLatino in planting Churches in the great cities of Mexico.

Many of you may know that we also began the process toward a significant transition in our own ministry.  We have been doing these two month trips to the United States to do fundraising and recruiting for IMPACTOLatino.  However, after several years we have seen that the two month timeframe really limits our effectiveness to talk with potential new partners and continue contacts with existing partnering congregations.   We and our team have come to the conclusion that we should spend more of our time in the United States dedicated to the development of new partnerships for each new church plant.  Therefore over the next couple of year we will divide our time between Mexico and the United States, spending 6 months in each location.  
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During the two months in the U.S. last year we researched several locations and we have decided that we will be making a home base in Indianapolis during our six months in the United States.  We will be setting up a living situation on the Southside of Indy.  As ministry responsibilities permit, this will give Dee access to visit with her mom who is in a memory care unit on the Southside of Indianapolis.  Our relationships are deep in Indy, so we feel there will be counsel and support for us as we use this centrally located city as a base to reach out to other regions around the United States.

IMPACTOLatino Board of Advisors meeting in Queretaro (Nov. 2019)

Eric, Abby and Emily preparing for Christmas during Home Schooling with Grandma

On October 31 we returned to Queretaro, Mexico and made the next important steps in this transition.  We began the process to move from the house we had been in for almost three years.  We found a smaller, one level house and more importantly, with lower rents.   We move the first couple of weeks of November while attending several important projects, including the meeting of the Board of Advisors of IMPACTOLatino that were meeting for the first time in Mexico. 

During the remaining part of 2019 we finished our moving process and began to integrate fully into the ministry here with the IMPACTO team.  Eric taught a week of the Residency Program in December and Dee returned to participating with the three grandkids, teaching again in their homeschooling program.  We continued to participate with the La Viña church as our home congregation in Mexico.  Both of us serve on the Administrative Counsel for La Viña, which functions in the place of an Eldership until a group of Elders is installed. We also organized and led the Christmas Eve Celebration at the La Viña church. 

Upon return to Queretaro, we were also asked to join in the Administrative Counsel for the coming new congregation, The Anchor church.  This new congregation has its lead church planter and an additional staff couple that will most likely participate on a part-time arrangement.   The original plan was that this congregation would launch at the end of 2019, however, fundraising goals were not reached and that launch has had to be delayed.  The Administrative Counsel will be meeting in the next weeks to project when a new launch date is feasible.   Of the the annual need only 34% has been committed to by partnering congregations.  Fortunately, that is enough to pay the lead pastor and his family.   Andy and Bitia (lead pastors) have been able to move to the target area of Queretaro and the team has been able to being the cell group ministry.   

Eric, Sergio & Hector visited with a Church Planting group in Monterrey at the first of December.

A shark from the Grandkids to commemorate their introduction to Sharknado by Granddad & Grandma

​Christmas and New Years were somewhat quiet this year, which actually was beneficial after several months of travel and major activities and responsibilities.  That calm lasted only until January 2, when we joined the Administrative Counsel of the La Viña church in their Evaluation and Planning Retreat that lasted for three days.  Great meetings!  However, we returned to Queretaro kind of mentally exhausted.  During this second week of January, we are both working to get back on our normal routine.  Dee has started her homeschooling responsibilities and Eric returned to the IMPACTO office and began 2020 planning details and meeting with the IMPACTO staff.  

A few things have been put on the calendar.  We were blessed that Eric and Sergio were invited to attend a Church Planting conference in the Dominican Republic.  One of our partner church is paying for our plane flights so he and Sergio will be at this conference from January 23-26.

We also now have our trip planned to visit in Santiago, Chile to be with one of the New International affiliate families working in Santiago.  This is part of our responsibilities as New International's Americas Regional Directors.  This visit will be  February 5-12.  We will be planning other field visits with families working in the Americas Region throughout 2020.

Sergio Alvarado, Director of the IMPACTO ministry in Mexico, has also asked us to Coach with Geraldo and Natty Dominguez, lead pastors of La Viña church.  This will be a weekly breakfast meeting.   We will also be coaching with Joy and Hector Rodriguez (missionaries with IMPACTO and designated members of the La Viña church Staff) which will most likely be once or twice a month.  

COMING EVENTS:
11-16 JAN. / Jim Vogel, New International International Operations director visiting in Queretaro.
23-26 JAN. / Church Planting Conference DR
30 JAN - 2 FEB. / AVANZA (Assessment of potential new church planters.  Eric will be one of the observers and Dee will be taking care of three grandkids).
5-12 FEB. / Field visit in Chile.
14 FEB. / Couples Dinner at La Viña church.
25-28 MAR./ Mexico Missionary Reunion
19-24 APR./ Regional Directors' Meeting in Ft. Myers (This may be moving as to its dates, but presently that is still on the calendar)
MAY/ The first few days of May we will be transitioning to INDY for the six months in the United States.  We will be in the United States from May to the end of October each year).

PRAISE AND PRAYER REQUESTS:

-We want to thank you for your prayers about the house sale in Pachuca.  Papers were signed in October.  The funds received will help us set-up our living situation in Indy. 

-We would ask you to pray for Andrew.   He is settling into life in Minnesota and is excited about being part of the North City church plant.  However, he is looking at other options for employment.   Be praying for a smooth transition to a new opportunity.

-Be praying with us about the funding for the Anchor Church.  We still need $40,000 yearly to completely funding for this new church.  We are looking at new projects and funding sources to expand possibilities and the team just spent time brainstorming about how to move the funding forward.   Be praying for us as we lead in this area of IMPACTOLatino.  Though the lead pastor and his colleague is not waiting and has started several small groups, the official launch will most likely be delayed beyond the first half of 2020.

-We would ask that you be praying for a grand-nephew, Liam.  Because of problems he was born very early and his still in natal care.  He is gaining weight and improving each day.  Pray for his protection.