June 2009
Dear family and friends,
It has been awhile since you have heard from us. Sorry about the amount of time that has passed since our last letter. We are still here in Baja, Mexico. We have been here for over three and a half years and we continue to be amazed at how awesome God is!
It has been a difficult year in many ways for all of us here at Rancho Casitas, but God has been here with us every moment. We have three families living at the ranch now—the Johnsons, the McCoys and the Van Nes’…and we have all had our own individual trials in our lives. We have also seen a decrease in the number of people willing to come to Mexico related to the negative media regarding crime and violence in Mexico and to the recent outbreak of the swine flu. But God is not limited or intimidated by crime, by flu, or by low numbers! So, we continue to host the groups that do come down to build houses, and we have also seen the ranch being used more and more by the local churches. They often come out for a weekend, or even longer, to have retreats, conferences, or just a time of relaxation and fun.
So—reflections of the past year include:
1. Houses and outhouses continue to be built for the poor in Mexico.
2. We are building and investing in relationships with
• Many people and churches in the USA
• With friends and neighbors here in Mexico
• With local pastors and their families
3. Danny had the privilege of going with a group to Liberia in March. Please pray for this nation that is trying to recover after many years of civil war.
4. We have seen and felt God’s power first hand as we have been bombarded with oppression from Satan. The Lord has carried us through and in Him we have been victorious! I John 4:4 ”…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
5. We continue to be blessed by our children Corbin and Lindsey. Corbin will be going into the 6th grade next year! He loves to ride motorcycles, anything to do with cars, and living on a ranch with lots of animals. Lindsey will be going into the 4th grade. She loves sticks, climbing trees, having pets and “sometimes” playing dress-up.
We want take a moment to thank each one of you who support us financially—without your sacrificial giving, we could not do what God has called us to do here in Mexico!! Thank you even more to those of you who pray for us faithfully!! Without your prayer, we would not survive. James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Prayer requests:
1. For Corbin and Lindsey that they will grow in the truth and knowledge of our Lord.
2. For Lindsey as she has many fears.
3. For wisdom in the daily decisions that need to be made.
4. For protection from Satan’s arrows of discouragement, sickness, fear and tiredness.
5. For the pastors as they minister to the people on the “front lines”.
With much love and thankfulness,
Danny, Joy, Corbin and Lindsey