The English Update

Last month we sent out a prayer request for our first OLIs (oral language interviews). We received our results and both scored at the same level! We are super pleased and proud of the results we received! Praise the Lord! Thank you for praying for each of us for these interviews! Our next evaluations are scheduled for the end of June or the start of July, we will share more information about them as we get closer.

We’re incredibly thankful for the friendships we’ve formed and the chances we’ve had to immerse ourselves in Mexican culture these past few months. Sharing meals with friends, exploring new towns and markets, and diving into various ministries have all been so life giving. Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers for our connections with nationals and friendships we are building, both for us and for our daughters. Please continue to lift up this area of our lives and work. It is hard work, but so, so rewarding.

Shortly after our OLIs, we got busy planning a few upcoming birthday parties! We have two special girls who share the same birthday, two years apart! So much fun! Asher’s 6th and Graycen’s 4th birthday was on March 13th! We had a jam-packed couple of days including a trip to a (kid-themed) spa with their best friends from school, an afternoon at the McDonald’s playground with friends who speak English, a family birthday party with cake, presents, and a FaceTime call with grandparents, and, as if that wasn’t enough, we concluded the festivities with a party at the girls school with each of their classes!

Just when we thought things were slowing down, we jumped into an amazing weekend of new experiences. The pastor of our church and his fiancée were getting married a couple of hours away from Puebla (the city we are currently living in), and we were invited to attend! We had an absolutely fantastic time celebrating their wedding (we got to sit with another family from church) and loved learning about wedding ceremonies here in Mexico. Please say a prayer for Emmanuel and Ashley as they start their life together. These two are going to do great things! They both love the Lord so much, and we can’t wait to get to know them more over the next few months. I trust our friendship will continue even after our time here in Puebla!

Which brings us to this week, SLAM Training. We are looking forward to a deeper dive into Bible Storying this week with leaders in the field. We will spend every morning together in our large group and then each afternoon with a smaller group working on preparing stories together. We are expecting this time to be busy (as always) but so, so fruitful. Please pray for our minds to be open to the teaching, and for our Spanish not to leave us during this time away from school.

Next week, drum roll please, we get a vacation week with Noni and G-Pops (Tyler’s parents)!!! We are over the moon excited to see them and for them to see the girls! We have a long list of things we want to show them and delicious food stops we want to share! The girls are mostly excited for the sleepovers, drawing together, and showing them our favorite playgrounds. Tyler is looking forward to coffee shops in the morning with his Dad and late-night taco runs to show them true Mexico! As for me, I am excited to see the girls with grandparents again; time with their grandparents is such a gift, and we are so thankful for all the time we can get with them. 

With Love
Tyler & Rachel