Various Pics

The God of Hastings Street

Matthew 9:9-17  

The Calling of Matthew

 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Through Matthew, who I wrote about last week, I was able to meet a group of people who minister on Hastings Street. It is quite awesome to see the various backgrounds of those who either directly or indirectly belong to this ministry. Last night I was able to join them and worship in one of their community gatherings (every Tuesday night). One of the men who is a resident missionary is a former alcoholic and crack addict. I asked him to share his testimony with me and he did. I had to wipe tears away at one point as he told of his life and how God had delivered him from his bondage. When he finished telling, he made sure that I understood that the story that he told was not his testimony but God's. I asked him later if he would mind if I video taped his testimony so that I could share it with other believers and he said that he would be happy to. I hope to be able to share it with you soon.

After we talked some more, I discovered that this ministry had not only helped pull between 20 and 25 people off the street but is doing so by the means of a saving relationship with the Lord. One of the young men, Bobby (not his real name) who was visiting this group last night was a new believer who had also been enslaved to the drug culture of Hastings Street. He had gone into a drug treatment facility and ran into another man who was there recovering. This other man was one of the 20-25 and he is the one who introduced Bobby to our Father.

My joy in God has increased all the more. To see His love for the unlovable being reflected through obedient saints and then seeing the fruit of genuine conversion humbles me to my core. In reference to the passage in Matthew above, John MacArthur described Matthew as the " major sinner...  (and) unequivocally the vilest, most wretched sinner in Capernaum" before he was called by God. Then we see the Pharisees, the legalistic, religious leaders of the Jews who were supposedly godly who were not able to see their need for Jesus. They only needed their rules and regulations that made them dependent on their own good works.   

It is amazing how I identify with the Pharisees, in that it is so difficult to want to associate with the Matthews of the world. It is easier for me to sit at home or staying in my own sterile environment. As I walk the streets of Hastings I repeatedly see "the vilest and most wretched sinners". These are people who I have to continually remind myself that I am no different from and that we are invited to sit at the same table. I also have to remind myself that their sins are no greater than the ones that I commit. 

I too was imprisoned into a world of hatred; a world of hatred not only to mankind but ultimately and most dreadfully, hatred towards God. I was consumed with self interest and idols that captured my desires, desires that were intended to be directed towards God. Though my idols were not needles nor were they crack pipes, they nevertheless were just as powerful in that they were capturers of my worship. They were objects of my lust, objects such as money, prestige and winning to name a few. Praise God for brining me low. How great is the love the Father has lavished on me, that I should be called His child.

 

Please pray that God would continue to show His greatness by healing the death that so permeates this vile, wretched place. May we all act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. 

To Him be the glory ALONE.  

Lee Family Update - Saturday June 13th

It has been two weeks since our last update and a lot has happened between then and now. Before I begin I want to praise the Lord for the work that He has done in our friend Daniel's life. Daniel now professes to be a believer! This past Sunday (the 6th) he accepted Christ after church services! I have yet to have an opportunity to visit with Daniel regarding his profession. Please pray that he would quickly display fruit in his life. is life.

-I met a man (Matthew) while visiting Hastings Street Monday before last. I was sitting in a coffee shop, reading my Bible when he came up to me and asked if he could sit down. He then proceeded to pull out his Bible and we read in silence together. Now if this were to happen at the Trail Lake Starbucks in Fort Worth this scenario might not seem so strange. However this happened in a little coffee shop on Hastings Street . He and I began discussing the Bible and what we believed to be true. I discovered that he was fairly well grounded and was familiar with the Word of God. Discovering that he wasnt going to church we discussed meeting the following Sunday for Bible study. He seemed to be excited about our plan so I encouraged him to invite as many friends as possible. For reasons of his own Matthew was not able to come nor were those who he invited. Please pray for this Sunday as we are trying to meet again. Please pray that not only would Matthew would be able to come but that those he invites would be able to come and that a seed would be planted on Hastings Street.  Please pray for wisdom, and for protection for Matthew as this is a difficult place to witness in.

-Our team has been blessed to be able to spend the next 6 weeks being tutored by the man who developed a technique to further the Gospel. This technique is being used in many regions of the world and is getting wonderful results. We are very excited to get started learning this method. Whether it is something we will be able to use in Queretaro or not, it will offer tremendous principles that we can glean no matter where we go or who we minister to. Megan will have the opportunity to put this discipleship training into practice with a group of ladies beginning Tuesdays.  Please pray that the ladies will come and be able to grow with the discipleship training. Providentially, Mike was also invited to join a team member in teaching this training to a group of believers at a local Baptist church in a nearby province.  God’s timing is amazing in giving us groups to disciple with this training during the weeks in which the developer of it is here to help us.  The foundation of this training is prayer and so we ask you to join us in praying for these groups.

 This is truly a city where God is bringing His people so that they can not only hear who He is but be able to easily go back to their home lands and proclaim it there! I wish you all could come here and experience it. I want to encourage the churches back home who are receiving this letter to seriously consider sending a group up here to Vancouver so that you can help the bodies of believers spread the Gospel.

The Lee Family Update- May 1, 2009

We had another great week in Vancouver. 

-The lady Megan met on the Sky Train ended up being a bruja (Mexican witch). Megan and a co-worker were able to share the Gospel with her and give her a Bible. Im not sure much, if any, ground was made during this meeting. Please pray that the H.S. would convict her and that she would turn from her evil ways to the One true God.

- PRAISE! Daniel, who I have been asking you to pray for, came over for dinner Thursday night. We feel like God is working on him. He had many questions  about God, the Bible and church. Please pray for his salvation and that we would have other opportunities to visit with him.

- Ricardo, whom you have also been praying for, was supposed to have come over for dinner earlier in the week. He never came and I have not heard from him.  Please pray that nothing has severed our relationship and that we would be able to continue to be lights to him.

- I am seeking to understand more about the homeless population here in Vancouver.  Please pray that God would give me a new understanding of these people, how they are perceived by those on the outside and how they perceive those on the outside. 

- Last week I was able to meet a homeless man (Kevin) who is 21. It was like staring death in the face (both spiritually and physically). He was addicted to meth and lived in some bushes in a nearby park. He allowed me to sit with him and talk. He was very open to hearing the Gospel and listened intently. I asked If he would want to talk to me when I came back to this area of the city and tell him more about Jesus. He said that he would like that. Please pray that God would save this young man.

As a family we are doing well.  We have had fun here in Vancouver and have enjoyed the city Jake and Tess are working hard in School and are looking forward to an unexpected break in August. Joy is very willing to know Spanish and often will greet our Spanish speaking friends in Spanish. Megan an I are hoping to spend the night away soon to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. We would covet your prayers as we approach the halfway mark of our time in Vancouver as we are missing home, family, friends and pets.  Please pray we would stay focused on what God has for us here as a family. We love you all and thank you for your prayer support.

The Lee Family

Lee Family Update May 17th, 2009

Wow what a week this has been. We were in class 4 of the 5 days this past week. All were classes on how to acquire a new language. We gained a lot of insight on how to learn Spanish on our own.

Thank you all for your prayers. Thank you for participating in our mission here. Please continue to lift us up before the Father so that His Name might be known among the people in this city.

-While out on the streets this week I was able to meet many new people and was able to clearly present the Gospel to one young man in particular by the name of Steve. Steve is from the Cree nation in Saskatchewan. He is living with his girlfriend and they have 2 children. They are dirt poor and have recently come to Vancouver in order to get out of the reservation life (his wife is also Native American and is from another people in northern B.C.). 

Steve had been told in the past by fellow believers that he needed to ask Jesus into his heart and he would be saved.  This allowed me to explore his worldview a little more in depth, and then present the whole Gospel. He was certainly moved and was more than happy to be given a Bible so that he could start reading it. He promised me that he would read a chapter a day. The encouraging news is that I only asked him to read the book of John, one chapter a day. He responded that he wanted to read all of it. Pray that God would regenerate this young man so that he might have the hope that we have. 

-Pray for a lady that Megan met on the Sky Train. She is from Mexico City and is into a lot of spiritual disciplines. She was already on the train when Megan got on and asked Megan what it was about her that was different from everybody else. Megan told her it was Christ in her that she was seeing. The lady had many questions for Megan and wanted to get with her at a later time so that she might be able to visit with her. Please pray that God would give Megan wisdom and boldness and the He would remove the scales from this woman's eyes so that her heart might be right before Him and that she would repent of her wickedness. 

-I am still investigating the church planting movement that I mentioned to you last week. I went to a prayer meeting and was blown away by the genuine desire that the people had to make Christ known. Praying for the lost was stressed over and over. Getting out and proclaiming the Gospel was also proclaimed repeatedly. These people were SERIOUS about reaching not only Vancouver but the world (because the world is here in Vancouver). As I mentioned in my last letter, there were people from many different countries represented in the group that I was part of. One of the statements that the group leader said that moved me was that he wanted to see each one of the people who were not from Canada to take the Gospel back to their people. Even better, the group members were all agreeing.

Oh yes. This movement is apparently happening among young people. I was by far the oldest one in my group and among the entire leaders meeting (about 60-80 people) I was probably the second oldest. Nearly everybody else appeared to be around 26-27 and younger!

-I have not heard back from Daniel. Please continue to pray for him.

-I also have not heard back from Ricardo. Please be in prayer for him also.

-If you have not witnessed the Horror of Hasting Street (the post below) please take the time to do so. Please do not allow this clip to paint your view of all of Vancouver because all of Vancouver doesn't look like this. This city is actually a very picturesque place. The beauty here is breath taking. And as I have said in other posts the people here are, at least on the surface, as nice if not nicer than the people in the southern U.S. However the theme of the Horror on Hastings is entrenched within the culture here. I haven't quite been able to put my finger on it yet but it has much to do with the liberal mindset of the people--in more than just the obvious ways.

-THANK YOU ALL for praying for Jake. He is doing MUCH better now. He seems to be beginning to like Vancouver. Best of all mine and his relationship is growing and strengthening. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The Lee Family

The Horror of Hastings Street

I caught a glimpse of Hell today. I went to Hastings Street which is the only place in North America where it is legal to do drugs in the open. For blocks and blocks I saw people shooting up, people smoking crack, people selling themselves. I had a pimp tell me that I needed to leave before I got killed. Words can not describe the decay and the depravity of this modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.  

God's revelation of who He is, is clearly displayed to the people on these streets. The beauty and the grandeur of  this city, the beauty of the mountains touching the seas and the beauty of the flora everywhere leaves them without excuse that there is a God. Their hearts have been darkened and they glory in their needles and their trades. They are worshipping and serving created things rather than the Creator. Pray that God doesn't give them over to their shameful lusts. Pray that God does not give them over to depraved minds to do what ought not to be done. Pray that they might believe. Pray that they might hear. Pray that one might preach to them. Pray that God sends beautiful feet who might proclaim Good News!

This video is VERY shocking. It shows almost exactly what I experienced yesterday. Remember, my trip was done in the day time as was this video. I was told by several people in the area that I needed to leave at dusk. Just imagine how bad it gets when night falls.

Vancouver Prayer Update 5.9.9

Praises to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Thank you all for your prayers. Thank you for lifting up the lost here in Vancouver and thank you for lifting up our family.

I write this with a heart full of joy, a heart that is overwhelmed with God’s goodness. We want to share with you what has happened since our last update. It is long but it is worth it.

               ADDICT WITHOUT HOPE

1) I was on a bus riding through the city and a homeless lady who had to have been no more than 23 or 24 years old got on board and was fried out of her mind. I have never seen anyone look more pathetic than this poor girl. I have never seen anyone more miserable, who was hurting worse (internally), and never have I seen anyone look more hopeless. 

Worse, I didn't to anything about it. It wasn't that I didn't want to, because I did. However, I allowed two excuses to rise up to prevent me from ministering to her. First, I struggled with whether it was appropriate or not since she was a female and Megan wasn't with me and second I realized I was on the wrong bus headed away from my destination and so I got off.

Please pray that this would never happen again. Pray that when God clearly places people in my path, I faithfully share who He is by revealing His character through my life and His Truth through what I say. Most of all pray that God will provide another to faithfully proclaim who the God of Hope is to her.

              

HASTINGS STREET MINISTRY

2) The next morning I met a man on the Sky Train who God had delivered from being a crackhead and meth attic several years ago. He now has a ministry in the worst part of the city. This is no exaggeration, the area is so bad that the homeless, the strung out, the dealers, the pimps and hookers all do business on the steps of the police station. He invited me to go and help him this next Saturday night. Pray that God would grow me through my ministry while there.

The video below gives an accurate portrait of Hastings Street. It shows the hate and depravity of those without hope. You might consider using discretion and turning the volume down for possible language.

                                                         RICARDO

I met a young man while with Will (another M here in Vancouver) night before last. His name is Ricardo. He is about 26 and is from Chihuahua city and is here to study English. It seems that God has already been working on him based on our conversations. We met with him again last night and was able to clearly share the Gospel with him. We left much for him to think about and to consider. He asked for a Bible and providentially I had a Gideon Bible in my pocket and was able to give it to him. He said that he would start reading it. Pray that God would bring Ricardo to him.

POSSIBLE POLICE MINISTRY

Another incredible praise. I met two police officers, one a follower of Christ and the other a Catholic. We talked for more than an hour. Later I contacted the one who knows Christ and asked him if he would be interested in me possibly providing a Christian ministry of some type and he responded positively. I went to the internet to find some teaching resources aimed at police officers (no pun intended). While searching I ran across a guy who I knew in college 20+ years ago. He is now a director of a Christian police officers fellowship in the D/FW area. He has now got me in contact with some of the national leaders and they are excited about getting something started here. Pray that the officer who I met would desire to start something here.

                                                             DANIEL

5) I have not heard further from Daniel. He was to come to Bible study Tuesday night but never showed. Please continue to pray that God would grow our friendship and that He would draw Daniel to Himself.

                                   A CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENT IN B.C.

Since the time that I wrote the above update I went out into the city once again. I met a young man who was reading his Bible at a bus stop. After a few minutes I was amazed to find out that God is very active in this city. Though there are few churches there apparently is a tremendous house church movement taking place. He told me that there have been 68 house churches started in the last 3 years. Now you need to realize just how amazing this is. This city is a godless city. There are so many foreign gods due to the incredible influx of refugees here that it would make your head spin. Even worse most of the native (not indigenous) Canadians are either atheists or agnostics. 

God is moving among the people here. Two men whom I spoke with today were former  Muslims and another was Catholic. I also met a former atheist. All four of these men were sold out for Christ. I will be meeting with these men (all 4 are house church leaders) who will be meeting with other house church leaders so that I can ask questions and listen to their conversations in order to get a better picture of what is taking place here.

May God’s Name be known,

mmjtjlee

Lee Family Update April 28th, 2009

Please be praying for the kids:

• Joy has a bad case of allergies which have led into a low grade fever. However she was bouncing off the walls right before she went to sleep.
• Jake expressed his anger to us last night about having to leave home. A large part of him seems to be doing just fine but I know that obviously there is an undercurrent of much struggle.
• Tess is rocking along just fine...at least on the surface.
  

This is what our day will look like today:

We have a day of training from 9am to 12pm. From there we go and get a bite to eat. After that we go to a refugee house which is at this time and by coincidence is just housing refugees from Mexico. Then sometime this evening Will (an m who is also going to Mexico) and I are going to try to go down town to find more Latinos.

• Pray that we will learn and be able to apply what we will have learned in class today.
• Pray that we will be able to build relationships with the people in the refugee houses.
• Pray for safety for Will and I as we venture into the heart of the city.
• Pray that we will find a community of Latinos so that we may be able to build relationships with them which will more easily allow us to share who He is with them.
• Pray that a Bible study and eventually a church would birth there in the downtown area.
  

To Him be the glory,
mmjtjlee

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him
than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling
the word darkness on the walls of his cell.
-C.S. Lewis

Misions Dilemma

Are we doing missions the right way? This DVD series examines this incredibly complex question. Interspersed with conversations with church leaders from around the world, as well as lessons learned from living with his Waodani family in the Amazon, viewers will learn the truth of our mission efforts.

Click here to purchase the Missions Dilemma DVD series from the I-Tec store.

First Bible Study In Vancouver Slated for Wednesday!

Thank you all so much for your prayers! Please continue to partner with us as you participate in the Author of salvation's mission here in Vancouver by asking Him to bring us Spanish speakers so that we might be able to share the Good News that has changed us. 

God has been so good to us while here in Canada. He continually puts Spanish speaking people in our paths despite the fact that there are so few here in Vancouver. Even better, He is not only placing Spanish speakers in our path but more specifically, He is placing Mexican Spanish speakers in our path! I have yet to be amazed. 

We will be having our first Bible study this Wednesday night with a small group of local former Mexican nationals who we have met on the Sky Train and the bus. Please be in prayer for this study. 

• Pray that we would faithfully and clearly communicate the Gospel to them. 
  
• Pray that nothing would hinder their commitment to come.
  
• Pray that God would so affect them in such a way that they would want to come again.
  
• Pray for their salvation.
  

Thank you all so much for your prayers! Please continue to partner with us as you participate in the Author of salvation's mission here in Vancouver by asking Him to bring us Spanish speakers so that we might be able to share the Good News that has changed us. 

As you continue to share in our joy,

mmjtjlee

He Is Risen!

It has been a few days since we arrived here in Vancouver which normally means that we have had a few days to write an update. However since our arrival it has been controlled chaos. We are willing to bet that we have walked close to a million miles since the plane touched down. That includes a full two hours waiting in line to get through customs. 

We had always thought that the Seattle area was God's country. However we are becoming more inclined to believe that Vancouver is. We have never met so many friendly people in all of our lives, and that is coming from Southerners! There is no telling how many people we have engaged concerning spiritual matters and only one has said that she wasn't interested. In fact she said, "That isn't my cup of tea." But remained extremely friendly! The lostness here is great.

Vancouver is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. There are Chinese, Russians, Italians, Mexicans, Peruvians--you name it, they are here and they are coming in droves!  A few days ago another worker was sitting at a table with me in the food court of a local mall and it occurred to me that I was being given a hint of what Heaven will look like because there was a sea of people from all over the world before us. Then a great sorrow came over me because I knew that likely none of these people would be included in that actual "vision" of Heaven that I was looking at. The lostness here is great.

How can a blending of languages and cultures in one small area be so beautiful but at the same time so heartbreaking? It is beautiful because He created these languages and cultures to praise Him. They were created to worship Him just as they are. He delights in hearing their shouts of joy, their groans of awe and their voices singing praise in their very own language and their own way. It is wretched because most will never see the condition of their being even after being clearly shown. The lostness here is great.

I praise God that Jesus is not in the tomb. People such as the ones here in Vancouver are the ones that He died for. He died in the place of His sinful children in order that they would not. Then on the third day, He rose. Because He is the King of all who believe, His sheep will be gathered.

Please pray for Vancouver. Pray that God's great mercy would be displayed through our family in order that the people here would be able to praise Him for it.

Pray that God would regenerate hearts here because the lostness here is great.

"Behold! The Lamb of God!"

Thank You All

Thank you all for your prayers, kindness, gifts, letters of encouragement and time. We have been so blessed to have been able to come home these past few days. The greatest blessing has been to spend time with you all.

We will continue on our journey tomorrow morning as we leave for Vancouver. Please pray for traveling mercies and for any easy adjustment for all, especially the kids. Also pray that mine and Megan's relationship will continue to grow stronger. Also please pray that God would raise up believers in the neighborhood where we will be working.

Please Pray for Jake

To those who have been called, 

who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ,

Please pray for Jacob. Megan and I think he is beginning to withdraw. Over the last couple of weeks he has become distant to the other MKs, not wanting to play with them nor have them come over here or go to over to their "houses". He never found another boy that seemed to "fit". There are other boys here who are great kids so that is not the problem. I think what part of the problem might be is that he knows that any relationships he builds here will be quick ones and he doesn't want to go through the heart ache of saying good bye again. Another problem is that he isnt into sports and all the other boys are.

The next four to five months could be difficulst for him as well. We will be going back to Texas for a 2 week tour before we fly to Vancouver for four months. While in Vancouver it is possible that he will not be around any kids since we do not know where in the city we will be living in relation to the other M's. I know that if that is the case then it will be especially hard for him.

Please pray:

that Jacob finds a friend in Costa Rica. 

that his relationship with me grows.

that he learns to be content.

that he learns to rely on the Lord during this time.

that he will trust mine and Megan's decision to follow God's call.

that he will ultimately trust God and His call on all of our lives.

Thank you all for your many prayers. Thank you for holding the ropes for us and please continue to do so.    

M, M, J, T and J LEE

Angel on the Water

Now please understand that I am not one who tends to get excited about sensational things, especially sensational things that are spiritual. If anything I tend to go to the opposite extreme. However, after listening to Dr. Rankin and other trusted m's and former m's, as well as friends who are m's, Im beginning to reform my understanding of the spiritual realm... especially after what happened a couple of days ago.

On Wednesday Megan was out walking around the facilities here at the ILC pushing Joy in the stroller. There is a small lake about 50 yards from the house that we are staying in and as Megan was walking back to the house Joy looked out toward the lake and said, "Mommy...where did the angel go?"
And Megan said, "What angel?
Joy replied, "The angel that was right there."
"An angel", Megan said,"What was the angel doing?"
"She was playing on the water." We left it alone for a day and then I asked her to show me where she saw the angel. We walked a ways and I got sidetracked talking to a friend. When we got in front of our building Joy interrupted me and said,' Daddy the angel was over there". She was pointing to the same spot she had told Megan about. She was very serious and matter of fact. When asked about the angel, she said that it was just standing there on the water. I asked if the angel was looking at her and she said, "No the angel wasn't looking at me".

I thought that I would share that with you Take it for what you will.

Sick again

Jake is recovering from strep and Tess and I are recovering from some kind of viral infection. Next week we will be recovering from something else...umm maybe chicken pox. Who knows? At this rate it is possible. :)
Thank you for all of your prayers. We cant wait to get home before we leave for Vancouver.

Much Better

Thank you again for your prayers. Joy is feeling much better.

Joy

Megan just got back from the doctors office with Joy. He said that she has a double ear infection. Please pray for quick healing. Thank you all again for your prayers.
mike

Urgent Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for one of the children (Anna Kate) who lives in our quad. She is about a year and a half old and is hypoglycemic. Her mother and father just rushed her to the E.R. because her blood sugar is very low which is causing her to be very lethargic and incoherent.

I may need to do some explaining as to our living arrangements in order to give you a more accurate picture of what life has been like in our quad since getting here. We live with 2 other families under one roof. Each family has their own "apartment". The apartments have bedrooms, a small kitchenette, a bathroom and a small dining area. However we all share the same living area. Since we all share the same living area, all the families enjoy hanging out and visiting in this common area.
Being that it is winter time and the flu season is upon us coupled with the living arrangements and apparent attacks, it is not surprising that our quad has suffered with sickness to such a degree. There has only been 3 days where no one in our quad has been sick. Usually there are at least 2 people who have the flu in some form or another. One (Anna Kate's father) had to be rushed to the E.R. last week because he had high fever and was hallucinating along with various other symptoms. He is OK now. And of course as you already are aware, Joy is sick with temperatures ranging from 99 to 102.4.

So please be in prayer for our quad and especially for Anna Kate right now.

Two missionaries in residence just came to the door and said that an ambulance has been called.

Please pray.

Blessings,
mike

Either go or send. But do not remain passive, uninterested bystanders in the missionary work of our Lord. Both goers and senders are needed. Both are important. Both labors must be entered into with equal commitment and seriousness.
-Tom Ascol

The Lee Family Blog

M Winter Olympics

The video below was filmed here in Va. by one of my quad mates. The hill that they are sliding down is much higher and steeper than it appears. Also, I discovered that there is a drainage ditch at the bottom...I got soaked from head to toe. By the time I got back to my quad my pants were like cardboard! This Texas boy isnt used to this kind of weather. FUN! FUN! FUN! I had flashbacks of Glorieata.

The Lees at ILC

God has answered all of our prayers. He has provided friends for both Jake and Tess. In fact Tess was best friends with three little girls who live in the same quadplex as us* within 10 minutes of arriving. 

Jake has two friends, one of who's family will also be going to Vancouver and then on to Costa Rica. Which is certainly a blessing. 

Joy has not had quite the experience as the other two. She has only been able to go to 5 days of school so far due to illness. She also hasnt adapted very well to the changes that have been taking place around her. She is a very sad little girl who misses home. Please continue to pray for her. Pray for Megan and I as well. Ask the Lord to give us wisdom and compassion when dealing with her. I was very encouraged this morning when I dropped her off at school. Before we went inside she asked me to pray for her...a three year old asking for prayer! Wow! Of course I was pleased and delighted to do so. After I prayed she seemed to calm down quickly and was ready to go to her classroom.

The stress that Megan and I have been experiencing has been subsiding. We seem to be getting into the routine of things, especially after all of us being sick. Please pray that Megan and I would continue to seek unity with one another.

I would like to praise God for what He is doing and has done with the IMB. It is an incredible organization. It is amazing how many people are praying for us who have a heart for missions and who never knew that we existed prior to us going through this process (people we have never met). You can go to the IMB website HERE so that you might know how you too might be able to intercess for those who God has called to go. HERE is a free resource that you can receive on praying for the nations.

We thank you for your prayers and ask you to continue to share in our joy as we go to Mexico to make His name known among a city of .09 evangelcals. Know that our invite is not flippant, we want you to come visit us in Queretaro and share our joy as you participate in assisting with the harvest of God's children not only through prayer but also through deed.

May God bless you all! To Him be the glory!

mmjtjlee

*A quad is like a duplex except there are four apartments under one roof instead of two. Each of the apartments share one common living area that is shared with all the people in our quad.

2 Ways

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The Cabins at Serenity Falls in Cosby, Tennessee

SERENITY FALLS CABINS




We stayed at one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen while on our quest to Richmond, Va. These cabins are the actual buildings of a former, I would call it, ghost town. We stayed in the former grist mill. Beside us was the former general store and beyond that was  a barn that was reconstructed into a cabin. Across the road was a tobacco barn that had five levels for storing tobacco. Right beside our cabin was a water fall that descended approximately 50 feet over a course of 100 yards. 

The sweet couple who own Serenity Falls, the Blackman's, made taco soup for us "so that we would have something hot to eat".  

Maura's Home

Mom's Home

The Lee Family Christmas with Mimi and Poppi 2008 in Evant, Texas