July 2017 Happy 4th!

MOVE TO QUERETARO
​On May 9 the truck came with four workers and in two hours had our house loaded and they were on the road to Queretaro.  Getting to Queretaro, we had arranged with the Christian University for six of its students to help unload the truck and within about two hours we had most everything in the right room, if only in boxes.  The next two weeks of May we unpacked boxes, put furniture back together and hung pictures.   We wanted to have most of the house ready before we left for Field Visits to NMSI affiliates in Buffalo and Toronto.   Eric was also putting together his office area at the IMPACTOnetwork office about 5 minutes from the house.  

​Queretaro is lower in altitude and therefore is hotter than Pachuca and then heat has been a challenge to adjust to.   We did end up putting an Air Conditioner in the master bedroom which did help immensely at night.  We also had to change phone numbers, official addresses with immigration and find an internet provider.   Dee is fixing one of the rooms at the house as a area for teaching since she is going to help with homeschooling for Abby, Emmy and Eric two days a week starting in September.   

​We really like the neighborhood where we are located.  All the houses are new so there seems to be someone moving in about every week.  Cost of living is higher in Queretaro than it was in Pachuca so we are also having to adjust budgets.

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​IMPACTOnetwork OFFICE

Sergio Alvarado worked hard and long to get the office facility remodel finished.  The office is  professional in its arrangement and appearance.   As is almost always the case, it took longer than anticipated and there seemed to be always an additional cost that came up.   This week the final organization is happening and the interns from Johnson University are helping unpack the last boxes of books and materials and putting them in a storage closet.  

​Eric is presently writing a 12 part study on the Cell Church model that will be used as part of the training for Lead Pastors and their staff in preparation for the church launches.   These studies will eventually be 12 videos, each one lasting about 10 minutes and having worksheets that will be part of the training.   The recording will be done here at the IMPACTOnetwork office and is a cooperative project with Good News Productions International.  

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​Regional Directors of the Americas

​We had the opportunity to visit three NMSI affiliate families as part of our responsibilities as the Regional Directors of the Americas.  We visited in Buffalo with a family working with refugees from the northern Africa.  Since their work is sensitive in nature, we can not say a whole lot about the ministry, but we were impressed with how they have connected with the refugee community and made an impact through their service of love to that community.

We later went on to Toronto to visit a family that has been part of the Haiti work of NMSI.  Nego and Ellen had worked with youth and youth leaders in the Jacmel area on the southern coast of Haiti.  They also helped with a church and school in one of the villages about 2 hours up in the mountains.   Their team of young adults continue the work while they are in Canada retooling and looking for funds.  Since Ellen is Canadian and Nego is a permanent resident of Canada they were able to work there as they search out God’s leading for their future ministry and funding.

At the end of July we also had the opportunity to visit with Shawn and Susan Inchaustegui in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  Shawn and Susan are doing Sports Camps (Evangelism and Discipling) directed to communities in Cuernavaca and Mexico City.  We spent three days with them taking about vision and projects and Eric had the opportunity to see the location they are researching as a place of a future campsite. 

In August, Eric will be going to Santiago Chile to visit with the Diaz-Ramos Family.  He will be with them less than a week and will be helping them with vision and plans for their next phase of ministry.    At the end of August, Eric and Dee both with be visiting in Indianapolis.  Dee will go a week to visit with her mom in Greenwood, Indiana and Eric will join her later when they will visit with the Banta Family that has been doing Hispanic ministry.  On the way back to Mexico, they will visit in Dallas with the Klein Family who is fundraising to join IMPACTO Latino in Queretaro.  We also plan to visit with the Compass Christian Church in Dallas and the Northside Christian Church in Houston.  

​We have one other major trip yet to make, we are still trying to work on a schedule for a visit in Haiti.  There are three family units working in Haiti that we have not yet met.  We need to see their ministry and introduce ourselves in person (we have talked by Skype or phone).   It is possible that trip will be in September.  If not, it may be after the first of the year.   We are waiting on NMSI budgets for the Regional Directors to be approved before making final plans.

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OUR FINAL MINISTRIES WITH JUBILEE

On July 9 the Jubilee church is having our party to say good-bye officially to the Duggins and to the Rodrigues Family (who will be leaving in August for Queretaro).  This will be a special day.  Eric will be preaching and there will be lots of food and good fellowship.  Eric also has two wedding, one July 15 and another August 26.  These will be the last responsibilities that we will have with Jubilee for the foreseeable future.