Lots Happening on the Pacific Coast of Mexico!

Looking at my list of the last twelve big events of these past weeks, I've decided to lean on the saying: A picture is worth a thousand words. Otherwise, this post will be WAY too long. Enjoy the last couple of weeks in pictures!

Our dear friend and sister, Esther, has been waiting to head to the States for a year where she will work as a nanny with a family near Atlanta, Georgia. We will miss her greatly, but know it will be a great year, full of new experiences. Family and friends shared in a "Tamale Farewell Party" a few days before Esther took off. I have no doubt Esther will be light and salt to the family that has chosen her to be with them for the year.

We were honoured to host Cameron and Margaret Husband from one of our supporting churches, Moose Mountain Church of Christ, from Saskatchewan, Canada. They filled our cups until we were slurping out of the saucers! We loved having them join us in our weekly activities. They were real troopers in keeping up with us in the heat. What a contrast to the -40 C temperatures they were experiencing in the land of snow and ice!! They met our neighbours, friends at the "Casa del Anciano" and beloved sisters and brothers from La Comunidad de Cristo.

Sunday was an extra special day as we worshipped together, then spent the rest of the day at Memaw's Manor at Mirmar with a few of our newer families in the congregation. It was a lovely day of fellowship.

A special event with which Margaret helped was our Valentine's dinner party. Bernard and I invited four of our servant couples and lavished them with candle light and a lovely meal. The best part of the evening was the sharing of each person's appreciation for his/her spouse. The sweet words were then sealed with a kiss. It was a night to be remembered!!

Since we said good-bye to Cam and Margaret, we have celebrated Bernard's ?? birthday. The day was complete with birthday wishes from Canada, our traditional "present treasure hunt", and a surprise pozole party with Bern's Thursday night group. Does age 55 join you to the official group of senior citizens?

Last Wednesday at our team prayer time, we celebrated Bern and Ivan's birthday with the best gift of all: Tammy and Malcolm's arrival back in Mexico!!! After many months of having to be in Texas, they have again joined us in Lazaro Cardenas. Our team is once again complete. We are looking forward to a wonderful reunion this Sunday as the church celebrates their return. They have been greatly missed!

A Woman of Noble Character...

Proverbs 31 speaks toward the characteristics of a godly woman: A woman of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies... Our hearts are saddened to have to say good-bye to such a woman. Georgina, a pillar in her family, work, church and community, received her eternal reward as she ran into the arms of Jesus, Saturday, Feb. 5. Georgina suffered, what appeared to be, a stroke. Although she continued to improve, her high blood pressure prevented the doctors from performing an operation to stop the bleeding in her brain. We rejoice in Georgina's victory; we mourn with her family and friends who will sense her absence every day. Monday, we shared in a beautiful celebration of Georgina's life as her brother, Pedro, spoke of the fact that Georgina was a huge reason the church was planted in Lazaro Cardenas. It was Pedro, for the love her his sister's soul, who encouraged Billy Moore and Malcolcm Pointon to look at Lazaro Cardenas as a possible church plant site. Through God's leading, a team located in Lazaro, resulting in Georgina and Salvador's salvation, becoming two of the first Christians in La Comunidad de Cristo (although there was no formal name of the church at that time). Since then, God used Georgina as a powerful servant of His. She held studies in her home; she helped with studies out in the countryside; she cooked countless meals, she worked behind the scenes of every church activity; she organized pot-lucks; she paid all the bills; she cared for her family, including her mom who lives with the family--Indeed, she was a woman worth much more than any amount of rubies. Please pray for Salvador, their two girls and one son/families, as well as many others who were "children" to Georgina, and her dear sweet mother, Sofia, as they grieve Georgina's absence and find a "new normal" without her. Please keep Tammy and Malcolm in your prayers. They were not here in Lazaro as the family passed through this dark shadow of death. Tammy and Malcolm were the spiritual mentors for Salvador and Georgina. They longed to be with them as support and comfort. Georgina was especially close to Malcolm as she served as administrator of the land sales company. She will be greatly missed in that capacity. We look forward to welcoming the Pointons back to Mexico toward the end of February. Their first longing, I'm sure, will be to minister to this family in their time of loss.

With our temperatures slowly creeping up to the high 20s C, Christmas and the" cooler season" are all but a memory. But not so with the (not so express) burro mail system of Mexico. Today, our family experienced a bit of Christmas as more than 20 Christmas cards depicting all kinds of snowmen/snow scenes arrived at Santos Degollados #253!! Thanks, Saskatoon Church, for making our day!!! We had a great time reading the many Christmas wishes and trying to remember the feel of the cold and snow of Canada. We figured either the burros made a wrong turn, or they needed the two months to thaw after their trek to and from Canada. Logan got a few laughs out of Reid Patterson's card and art work, and gave a big YaHooo for the Canadian tattoos that Auntie Jean sent. ALL the cards and sentiments put a smile on our faces and a prayer in our hearts to be honoured by you. Thank you to Heather Smith who seems to have been the mastermind behind it all!

Until the next blog,

Alicia for the Krogsgaards