The calendar pages are turning so quickly. I suppose that before we had back to our cell group in Hunter tomorrow, I should give you a two or three week update…a lot has happened. So after Señor Julio came to cell group and we were thrilled, the next week when we arrived at 7pm the whole family was hopping out of the pickup truck with 600 lbs of Chinese onions. We knew that when we entered the house they would be exhausted and that trying to do a lesson was out of the question. Normally if we’re there, the family will sit in on the cell group, in the past without Julio, and then wrap bundles of onions until about 1 in the morning and then go to bed before waking up at 4am to leave again at 5am. Que feo! So, Wendy and I stayed until quarter til 10pm and we got them all wrapped up and ready to send off to the market. I thought this would lead to good things the next week…and in some ways it did, but was hard to see at first. 
As a result of how hard the family works, we decided to move cell group from Wednesdays to Sundays so that they would spend all day in the field before cell group. Sundays are just a market day and then much of the family comes over. Well, the following Sunday we had 9 people…but Javier couldn’t make it, Shirley was doing laundry or something, I have no idea where Señora Cristina was, and Julio was passed out on his bed in the other room. So we had some of the other couples and their babies that attended off and on throughout the past few months and a new couple. They listened, some slept, some left for a smoke break, some were responsive…and afterwards when we were discussing a Christmas party they were joking back and forth and talking about bringing vodka to the party and all I thought was wow, these aren’t the signs of growth I was hoping for.
However, the following week, we had 8 people, including Señora Cristina and Señor Julio, as well as a friend and her son. The rowdy bunch was either bored or busy, but still our numbers have been good – though I know that’s not what it’s really about. The dynamic of the group was much more interested and involved. We’ve have taken the last two weeks to break down an extensive lesson on prayer. And of all people, Señor Julio had a comentary on prayer and how big God is, as well as, he was the only one to share a prayer request…though he makes the rest of his family laugh for the simplicity of his comments, he has really opened up. This is the man who ran away the second that he let us in the house each week.Please pray for our cell group and the multitude of people attending. Pray for their spiritual growth and for the provision of their families.
Also pray for the other work that we’re doing in Hunter – We continue to teach the children in the park from the children's festival every Saturday. Other than that, we haven’t had much success with follow-through on the part of the people that we’re attempting to visit. We’ve returned 3 times to the house of a lady that we continue to run into in the street…and she’s never there for our appointments. That’s an hour combi (bus) ride and she’s never there. We were discipling a single mom, but she had to take a job through Christmas time, so that’s on hold until January, and other people that have asked us to visit have not been home during the allotted time. Not to mention, sometimes it’s impossible to find houses with given addresses. Pray for our patience, persistence and for the people to hunger for God. Also, we’ll be doing a festival for children close to Christmas time and have to turn in a document for permission – pray that all goes well. Thanks!