US.
Hello everyone, and I apologize for the delay with the updates. My initial plan was to release this at the beginning of October, but that did not happen. I thought we could kick off this newsletter with an update on us. Oliver’s minor surgery went well, so thanks for all the prayers. He is now 4 years old and is starting school in January. He attended his induction class last week, and it went really well. Despite telling us for weeks that he would cry if we took him to school, he ran inside the class and didn’t even say goodbye, leaving his parents as the ones who felt like they could cry. Leidy and I have been feeling exceptionally tired this last month with a lot of responsibilities on our plate. There was a holiday last Monday, but I had to attend class for my studies. We decided to work on Monday and take Thursday off because Leidy’s mom would be with Oliver. This would give us the opportunity to disconnect and rest all day.
However, that did not happen. The school changed Oliver’s induction date to that Thursday, and then we received some urgent messages from a coupld who needed a meeting. Hopefully, we will get some downtime at the end of december.
I can’t believe it’s almost 2024. We are hoping to visit Canada this year around the end of May. Please feel free to write to us and schedule times if you would like to see us while we are there. Also, with air ticket prices on the rise and Oliver now paying a full fare, if any of you are able to make a special donation to help cover trip costs, we would be very grateful. Here is the link:
So much has happened over the last while that I really don’t know where to start, so I will jump right in. Lets start with…
EL NIDO.
Here is the most recent video update.
We are currently juggling various potential grants that will enable us to renovate a room, turning it into a tiny beauty salon. Here, the girls will continue to learn the basics of cosmetology and, hopefully generate some income by attending customers. This project will run in conjunction with everything else we are already doing, so please pray for more volunteers. While we always need more help, we are also very grateful that this year we have seen various people from Reunion getting more involved.
We now have people helping out with local fundraising events, launching our own coffee brand, assisting with social media, and mentoring young mothers.
Leidy, although she probably does not want me to mention it, has been nominated for an award that celebrates women involved in social projects within our city. The awards ceremony is on the 28th of November, and I am very proud of her. She was nominated by friends and other volunteers from the Nest, which is a testament to how much she loves people and the work she is doing. The competitive streak in me wants her win (hehehe), but either way, it will be fun to celebrate her, and it is just another reminder to be grateful for what God is doing through her and all of you.
The video will fill in the rest of the info, so we can jump to the next project…
REUNION.
We are so thankful for community. Nothing is perfect, but it has been encouraging to watch people we have discipled become more involved and eager to serve God and one another. Recently, we held our Sunday service at a cafe (we do this every other month), and three new people were at my table who couldn’t believe that this was a church. They were excited that they could participate and enjoy coffee at the same time. We are growing, which is great, but it also means that we are beginning to plan to plant another community. Please pray for wisdom as we navigate how to plant a new community while still caring for and pastoring the one we already have. We are also trying to develop creative ideas on how to care more for one another and our local community, so if you have any ideas you would like to share, please let us know.
My studies are going well, but they take up a good portion of my time as well. I will be finishing this May, around the same time we are planning to visit, so it will be nice to be done and be able to focus on other projects that I have on the backburner.
Holy moly, that’s a big avocado! Want to try one? come visit us.
With this year coming to an end, we are extremely grateful for everything God has done in our lives and the projects we are involved in. These words from 1 Corinthians have been a focal point for the year to come:
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.
Thank you for your love and commitment to us and for being part of these projects. May all of us continue to do everything with love. Happy Thanksgivng, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.
Jacob, Leidy & Oliver