Edgebrook Covenant Church - "I don't know whether to cry, gritar (scream) or shout for joy!"  

The Spanglish seems to flow when we are particularly tired as was the case for Erika when she said this following a recent, and particularly stressful, Monday evening of the English Club at the Family Foundation.

Community Development
The English Club is a part of the Family Foundation's community development project that began three years ago in the neighborhood called La Campana (a low-income area located on a hill in front of the Foundation's building). Currently, there are more than 60 kids and teens registered, with an average attendance of 35.  The Club meets weekly and offers a space for kids (ages 5-18) to come and learn and practice English mostly by playing games.  While the kids are participating in the Club their mothers are meeting either for a time of Bible study or arts and crafts.  We also have special outings about once a month to develop community and have fun together.  In all that
we do, we seek to encourage and promote positive values such as love for God, respect and love for our neighbor, respect for creation and the environment, education, a positive self esteem, a loving community.  

It has been very exciting to see how God is working through this ministry, however, at the same time Erika has often felt out of control as it is growing faster than we seem to be able to keep up with.   We are so thankful that God is providing volunteers to help teach English and for our Foundation team members who are also very involved.  Please pray for this ministry and that as a Foundation team, we may be able to discern God's direction for moving forward.  Pray specifically for Erika as she discerns just how she can best contribute to this ministry and other ministries that she is involved in.

Strategic Planning
Seeing great response from the community of La Campana and the growth of this ministry, we recognize the need to step back and discern what all this means for the life of the Family Foundation.  What are the implications for other areas of work?  Is God calling our team to a different ministry focus? What does all this mean?  How do we go about discerning God's will as a team?

To try to answer these questions, we have begun a process of strategic planning being led by Brian Weld, fellow Covenant missionary.  Throughout the next two months, we are setting aside several days as an entire team to focus on strategic planning.  This will culminate with our annual staff retreat in June when we take a couple days to get away from the city to reflect, pray and plan together for this next year.

Family Update
The last couple of months have been an exciting time for our family as we experienced two major milestones:
*   Lucas took his first wobbly steps in early April and is now walking all over the place - mostly chasing his older brother.
*   Matías has officially graduated to "big boy underwear".  Translating one Mexican friend's comment: "Today it's going poopy in the toilet, tomorrow it's earning a doctorate...both make you equally proud."   It's true, we are very proud.
We look forward to Erika's parents coming to visit and for the time together to celebrate all the May birthdays together: Erika, Dan and Matías.

Prayer Requests
*   For Brian and Kerith Weld and their three daughters as they face serious visa issues that could effect their involvement in Monterrey.
*   For the Foundation team as we together discern God's leading and direction for the three different programs in which we are currently serving:  Healthy Families, Community Development and Project Down.
Particularly, we ask you to pray with us for the Annual Planning Retreat in June.
*   For Erika as she decides how best to use her time as a mother, wife and missionary and child of God.
*   For Nils as he is taking on more responsibility over the Foundation's daily activities
*   For Carlos, our friend and colleague, who has finished four months of chemotherapy and is waiting to hear how this has affected his cancer.
*   For Monica, a friend from the community development ministry, whom
Erika is discipling.

Muchas, muchas gracias!  Thank you so much for your prayers and support of God's ministry through us all together in Monterrey, Mexico!  We pray God's blessing on you!
Our love,
Nils, Erika, Matías and Lucas