Hello Praying Friends,
It has been blistering hot here in Texas! I can't believe it is almost October. I'm missing the colored leaves that fall brings in Indiana. I'm also missing the cooler temperatures! Today our high was supposed to be 100 degrees! To me, this just does NOT feel like autumn.
In spite of the heat, we remain busy. Gerson continues working on the soccer field. He has the poles ready to put in the ground and will be picking up the net (hopefully) tomorrow. I need to remind him to take pictures of the progress as he finishes up the final touches.
Today Debbie and I had our first Bible Club in TCC! Although Gerson and I had canvassed the nieghborhood with fliers (going door to door), we had no children show up from the local community. However, seven students from TCS did attend, and we were thrilled to teach them. I will be trying to go door to door again sometime in the next week to try to reconnect with some of the local families who had expressed interest and who perhaps simply forgot the starting date. Please pray for us as we continue to make connections within the neighborhood.
I am also stuffing a prayer letter this week and hope to send it out by the end of the week. Be looking for it in your mailbox in the days to come!
Thanks for your continued prayer. We appreciate each of y0u!
Love, Betsy for the Tejedas
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Busy Fall
Hello Friends,
It's hard to believe it is almost October! It's been a busy month for us, hence I haven't updated the blog in several weeks. The time has just flown by as we've been juggling ministry and family life. For some reason, our family has had quite a few doctors'/dentists' appointments this month. So, we've been fitting those in here and there as needed.
We have also been very busy in ministry. I (Betsy) have become very involved in our local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. The group started back up in September after a summer break. I am enjoying being a small group leader. It's a joy to minister alongside some amazing women! We are not a large group (around 20 or so) but are trying to grow it, reaching out to other young mothers who desire a fellowship and support from other mothers of young children. Please pray that the Lord will give me wisdom as I love the women the Lord brings into my small group. I see one of my main ministries as an intercessor on their behalf, and some of the women are heavily burdened with hard situations. We officially meet twice a month, but we also have many other activities (Mommy time, play days, etc.) throughout each month. It's a joy, but I need the Lord's annointing and strength!
Gerson has been busy with the soccer field. As you can tell by the photos, it is just beautiful! Gerson is hoping to begin practices with the youth and children of the community around the middle of October. We now have the money in hand to put up the netting around the field to keep stray balls on our property. It will take a few weeks to get that finished.
As many of you have probably heard, Texas is in the midst of a horrible drought. We praise the Lord that the city of McAllen has worked with us to get adaquate irrigation on the soccer field. As you can tell from the pictures, the grass is doing well, although some patches are drier than others. Gerson irrigates the grass almost every night to keep it looking so nice. He's had to mow the field 2 times so far!
Please be in prayer for the final details to come together to finish the outskirts of the field. Then pray that God will use this field to bring many families to Him!
Last Saturday, as a family we walked around the community to pass out fliers announcing Bible Club. WGM missionary Debbie McKelvey and I will be doing a Bible Club at TCC starting next Wednesday, September 28. It will be every Wednesday for 7 weeks. Please pray for us as we finish up the planning stages for the Bible Club. Pray for the kids who will be coming and for a special annointing on us as teach them about the love of Christ!
It's hard to believe it is almost October! It's been a busy month for us, hence I haven't updated the blog in several weeks. The time has just flown by as we've been juggling ministry and family life. For some reason, our family has had quite a few doctors'/dentists' appointments this month. So, we've been fitting those in here and there as needed.
We have also been very busy in ministry. I (Betsy) have become very involved in our local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. The group started back up in September after a summer break. I am enjoying being a small group leader. It's a joy to minister alongside some amazing women! We are not a large group (around 20 or so) but are trying to grow it, reaching out to other young mothers who desire a fellowship and support from other mothers of young children. Please pray that the Lord will give me wisdom as I love the women the Lord brings into my small group. I see one of my main ministries as an intercessor on their behalf, and some of the women are heavily burdened with hard situations. We officially meet twice a month, but we also have many other activities (Mommy time, play days, etc.) throughout each month. It's a joy, but I need the Lord's annointing and strength!
Gerson has been busy with the soccer field. As you can tell by the photos, it is just beautiful! Gerson is hoping to begin practices with the youth and children of the community around the middle of October. We now have the money in hand to put up the netting around the field to keep stray balls on our property. It will take a few weeks to get that finished.
As many of you have probably heard, Texas is in the midst of a horrible drought. We praise the Lord that the city of McAllen has worked with us to get adaquate irrigation on the soccer field. As you can tell from the pictures, the grass is doing well, although some patches are drier than others. Gerson irrigates the grass almost every night to keep it looking so nice. He's had to mow the field 2 times so far!
Please be in prayer for the final details to come together to finish the outskirts of the field. Then pray that God will use this field to bring many families to Him!
Last Saturday, as a family we walked around the community to pass out fliers announcing Bible Club. WGM missionary Debbie McKelvey and I will be doing a Bible Club at TCC starting next Wednesday, September 28. It will be every Wednesday for 7 weeks. Please pray for us as we finish up the planning stages for the Bible Club. Pray for the kids who will be coming and for a special annointing on us as teach them about the love of Christ!
We appreciate each of you and love to hear from you. Thanks for your continued prayer and support!
Love,
Betsy for the Tejeda Family
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Short Update
Good morning, Friends,
I'm sorry I didn't get a posting up last week. Both kids have been under the weather with colds and allergies. Thankfully, although they are still coughing and sniffling, they are getting better. It's been a busy week of doctor appointments and taking care of my boys.
Gerson was able to preach on Sunday. We praise the Lord for helping Gerson perpare and share a message about God's healing power! The Holy Spirit moved among the congregation and many people came forward for prayer. I'm so thankful we serve a God who heals, both emotionally and physically!
I had my first MOPS meeting last Thursday. I am excited and honored to be part of the MOPS leadership in our local group this year. What a privilege it is to reach out to mothers of preschoolers. We share our challenges, our joys, and our heartaches together, all the while growing in our walk with our Savior. I am a small group leader. Please pray for me as I minister to the moms in my group. I desire to be available to help them, pray with them, encourage them, and be there for them as we take this journey of motherhood together. We will have two official meetings per month --- the first and third Thursdays. I'd appreciate your prayers for those meetings.
In addition to MOPS, I am also working with another WGM missionary, Debbie McKelvey, to prepare a Bible Club after school for the kids in the community near the TCC. Pray for us as we are in the planning stages of this new ministry. I am excited that Debbie arrived at the end of July, having transferred from another WGM field. She has a huge heart for children's minsitries, and I'm so thankful she is offering her help to get a Bible Club up and running at TCC.
Once again, THANK YOU for your love, support and prayers. Our hope is to get another prayer letter written and mailed out this month. Pray for us as we write it and get it ready to mail. It is time-consuming, yet we know the importance of keeping everyone updated on what God is doing here. We really need the Lord's help as we balance ministry and family.
Love, Betsy for the Tejedas
I'm sorry I didn't get a posting up last week. Both kids have been under the weather with colds and allergies. Thankfully, although they are still coughing and sniffling, they are getting better. It's been a busy week of doctor appointments and taking care of my boys.
Gerson was able to preach on Sunday. We praise the Lord for helping Gerson perpare and share a message about God's healing power! The Holy Spirit moved among the congregation and many people came forward for prayer. I'm so thankful we serve a God who heals, both emotionally and physically!
I had my first MOPS meeting last Thursday. I am excited and honored to be part of the MOPS leadership in our local group this year. What a privilege it is to reach out to mothers of preschoolers. We share our challenges, our joys, and our heartaches together, all the while growing in our walk with our Savior. I am a small group leader. Please pray for me as I minister to the moms in my group. I desire to be available to help them, pray with them, encourage them, and be there for them as we take this journey of motherhood together. We will have two official meetings per month --- the first and third Thursdays. I'd appreciate your prayers for those meetings.
In addition to MOPS, I am also working with another WGM missionary, Debbie McKelvey, to prepare a Bible Club after school for the kids in the community near the TCC. Pray for us as we are in the planning stages of this new ministry. I am excited that Debbie arrived at the end of July, having transferred from another WGM field. She has a huge heart for children's minsitries, and I'm so thankful she is offering her help to get a Bible Club up and running at TCC.
Once again, THANK YOU for your love, support and prayers. Our hope is to get another prayer letter written and mailed out this month. Pray for us as we write it and get it ready to mail. It is time-consuming, yet we know the importance of keeping everyone updated on what God is doing here. We really need the Lord's help as we balance ministry and family.
Love, Betsy for the Tejedas
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Exciting Times
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers for the Saturday luncheon! Gerson kept the boys all day for me, so in the morning I was able to go to a local Barnes and Nobles bookstore, drink some coffee, and spend some much-needed time in prayer and preparation. The Lord helped me as I shared with the group about Him being our I AM. It was a wonderful reminder to me, as well. He IS all I need. He IS the same yesterday, today, and forever. Praise His Name! Thank you for praying. It was a blessed time.
Gerson will be preaching (in the same church where I spoke on Saturday) on September 4th. Please be in prayer for him as he prepares the message.
These are super exciting times as we see the Lord opening doors for ministry. In another week or so, Gerson will begin teaching PE once again at Taylor Christian School. He is also finishing up the soccer field. We are thankful the Lord has provided the last amount of money needed to put up the poles and netting around the field to keep stray soccer balls from leaving the property. Praise the Lord for HIS provision! Gerson hopes to finish up the soccer field project in the next few weeks. One the sod is healthy and has deep roots, he will be able to begin using the soccer field for ministry. Please continue to pray for rain. The sod needs lots of water at this time and it is time-consuming and costly to maintain the irrigation needed to keep the sod from dying. Many of the neighbors have stopped by to talk to Gerson about the soccer field. They are anxious to use it to play soccer! We are anxious to tell them about the Lord.
There are other things "in the works," but I'll leave those for another post as we finalize the details. We are thrilled the Lord is working and opening doors for us to reach the community. Thanks for being a part of our team and for keeping us before the throne through your prayers.
In His Grip,
The Tejeda Family
Thank you so much for your prayers for the Saturday luncheon! Gerson kept the boys all day for me, so in the morning I was able to go to a local Barnes and Nobles bookstore, drink some coffee, and spend some much-needed time in prayer and preparation. The Lord helped me as I shared with the group about Him being our I AM. It was a wonderful reminder to me, as well. He IS all I need. He IS the same yesterday, today, and forever. Praise His Name! Thank you for praying. It was a blessed time.
Gerson will be preaching (in the same church where I spoke on Saturday) on September 4th. Please be in prayer for him as he prepares the message.
These are super exciting times as we see the Lord opening doors for ministry. In another week or so, Gerson will begin teaching PE once again at Taylor Christian School. He is also finishing up the soccer field. We are thankful the Lord has provided the last amount of money needed to put up the poles and netting around the field to keep stray soccer balls from leaving the property. Praise the Lord for HIS provision! Gerson hopes to finish up the soccer field project in the next few weeks. One the sod is healthy and has deep roots, he will be able to begin using the soccer field for ministry. Please continue to pray for rain. The sod needs lots of water at this time and it is time-consuming and costly to maintain the irrigation needed to keep the sod from dying. Many of the neighbors have stopped by to talk to Gerson about the soccer field. They are anxious to use it to play soccer! We are anxious to tell them about the Lord.
There are other things "in the works," but I'll leave those for another post as we finalize the details. We are thrilled the Lord is working and opening doors for us to reach the community. Thanks for being a part of our team and for keeping us before the throne through your prayers.
In His Grip,
The Tejeda Family
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Ladies Luncheon
Good morning, Friends,
This morning I'm requesting prayer. Today I am scheduled to speak at a ladies' luncheon at a local church. Although I've prepared and, in theory, am ready, I haven't had the time I would've like to have had to prepare my heart. Between a baby and toddler, little sleep, and disruptions throughout my times of preparation, I am feeling weary and a tad overwhelmed.
The enemy has been diligent in trying to discourage me and keep me busy with earthly things so I can't concentrate on what really matters. I know when this happens it's because the Lord has something big in store. I also know that in my weakness, HE is strong.
From past experiences I know that when I haven't had time to heart prepare as I'd like, I have to depend on the Lord more than ever. He is my Rock, my Fortress, my Help. Pray HE will be glorified today as I speak to these precious ladies. Pray they will be encouraged by the Truth that we serve the Great I Am.
Thank you, my friends. How thankful I am for the Body of Christ.
In His Everlasting Grip,
Betsy Tejeda
This morning I'm requesting prayer. Today I am scheduled to speak at a ladies' luncheon at a local church. Although I've prepared and, in theory, am ready, I haven't had the time I would've like to have had to prepare my heart. Between a baby and toddler, little sleep, and disruptions throughout my times of preparation, I am feeling weary and a tad overwhelmed.
The enemy has been diligent in trying to discourage me and keep me busy with earthly things so I can't concentrate on what really matters. I know when this happens it's because the Lord has something big in store. I also know that in my weakness, HE is strong.
From past experiences I know that when I haven't had time to heart prepare as I'd like, I have to depend on the Lord more than ever. He is my Rock, my Fortress, my Help. Pray HE will be glorified today as I speak to these precious ladies. Pray they will be encouraged by the Truth that we serve the Great I Am.
Thank you, my friends. How thankful I am for the Body of Christ.
In His Everlasting Grip,
Betsy Tejeda
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Update and Prayer Requests
Dear Friends,
Thanks for your ongoing prayers. Gerson continues working on the soccer field. The sod needs lots of water for the roots to take hold and to stay alive. Gerson has been working hard with the city to get a faucet turned on near the soccer field. I don't understand all the details, but for some reason the faucet was locked and I believe it belonged to another property/owner. Gerson got it worked out so now we will get billed for the water used from that faucet and it has been turned on again for our use. What a tremendous blessing! Gerson will be irrigating the sod every night for the next 2 weeks, giving it the much-needed moisture to take root. Continue to pray for rain, as all the land around us needs a good soaking!
By the way, Gerson mentioned to me something quite astonishing. One of the days when the men were working on laying the sod, several men/youth from the community walked by the property. When they saw what was happening, they began to clap and yell with excitement! They are THRILLED there will be a soccer field nearby, and we are THRILLED that it is a tool we can use to share the love of Christ with them. Pray for us as we continue to foster relationships in the community and as Gerson begins organizing community activities, both in Taylor Community Center as well as on the new soccer field.
Another exciting thing that is happening is Gerson is taking English classes at South Texas College. He began on Monday, so he is only in day 3 of classes. His class meets from Monday-Thursday from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Please pray for him --- that the Lord will grant him the ability to learn and retain the English language. Also pray for the boys and me as we are home all day and much of the evening without him. Jayden especially misses the time with his daddy in the evenings. Gerson's class schedule will change every 5 weeks as he advances through the courses. We need extra strength these days as we juggle several responsibilities in the coming weeks.
On a family note, Jayden and Edson continue to grow and change. I find mothering challenging yet rewarding as I have an active 2 year old (he'll turn 3 in November) and a teething 5 month old. Several weeks ago, Jayden grabbed Edson's hands, clasped them together, and said to his younger brother, "Pray to God." What a joy it was to witness! Please continue to pray for our boys and for us as we desire to parent them in a way that honors the Lord and teaches the about His immense love for them. (See above picture -- Jayden is on the left and Edson is on the right.)
Love,
The Tejeda Family
Saturday, August 13, 2011
La Cancha (Soccer Field)
Hello Friends!
We have exciting new. Gerson has spend the last week working on getting the soccer field completed. This panoramic shot shows most of the field as well as part of the neighborhood we are reaching for Christ THROUGH the soccer ministry!
The PA team helped prepare the field in March, but then we had to wait for the needed city paperwork to come through. One of the first things that needed to be done last week was the weeds needed to be killed. Gerson decided to hire a company to kill the weeds, till the soil, level the ground, AND lay the sod.
The men who he hired worked hard for about 3 long days in the hot sun. We had heat indexes up to 110 degrees last week. The men also helped Gerson dig and pull out the metal poles that were lining part of the field. Gerson will recycle these poles, and buyt 5 more, to put netting up around the field to catch the flying soccer balls.
The tilled field looked GREAT after the men used a tractor to move the soil. It only took a couple of hours. If Gerson had done it with the limited equipment we have, it would have taken him several days.
Once the ground was tilled, the men brought a HUGE truckload of sod.
They transported the sod from the truck to the field with their tractor.
Then they laid the sod square by square. I must say, they must have a lot of patience!
Now it's done and is simply a fabulous sight! We are so thankful that the Lord provided this soccer field for our ministry. Please pray the Lord will use it to bring many children, youth, and faimies to HIM.
Also, pray for rain. It is super dry here in the Valley and Gerson is having to use sprinklers to irrigate the sod. We need MORE water than we can get out of the sprinklers. We prayed for rain yesterday, and the Lord sent a few showers even though the weatherman said there was NO chance for rain this week! The God who sent rain from a small cloud in I Kings after Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal is the same God we serve. He can send the rain, no matter what the weatherman says! Pray the skys will open up and God will send showers our way.
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