Natalie and Nicole

Our girls are really enjoying the life God has given them here in Mexico City.  Both girls have friends at church, basketball and from other connections.  It has been fun to watch our children grow up in another country.  They have learned another language plus have been brought up in a church plant focused life.  This lifestyle isn't like any other.  This year has been a year of them both realizing that they are going to have to pick up and leave again.  For Natalie, it  has been much more difficult.  She has come to a point in her life that she knows that her life won't be like it has been for the past 17 years.  She is going to finish her high school education in the States and then move on to college.  She will only come back to Mexico for visits.  Let's just say, she has shed a few tears about this.  We have just a few more months 'til we head back to the States for our furlough year.  We enjoy our time in the States but it just isn't the same as our life back here in Mexico City.  Please pray for our girls.  My childhood was not like my kids.  I went to the same church my whole life up until we came to Mexico 20 years ago.  I didn't know another culture, another language like my children have been so blessed to learn.  I barely knew that there was a West Lafayette.  (I grew up in Lafayette)  There are always lessons in these transitions.  Saying good-bye doesn't get easier with time.  We continue to grow more and more attached to our church and those around us.

This is a cool truck that we found in the Home Depot parking lot in Poza Rica where Sam's dad lives.

Thanks so much for your prayers as we get ready to transition to the States.

Double Baby Shower

A week ago Sunday we had a Double Baby Shower at Nueva Vida en Cristo.  What a fun time of games, devotional and opening gifts!  It was a joy to see the church folk demonstrate so much love to these two families.  You may remember Fransisco and Sonya.  They are the couple that lost a baby nearly a year ago.  God blessed again and this past week, Kevin Emanuel was born!  We barely got the baby shower in before he got here!  Lizbet and her husband Daniel, the other couple that is expecting, have been a blessing to have in our church.  They came to our church with their marriage ready to end.  They've both come to know the Lord and are now expecting their second.  That's right!  They have a son Diego that is almost 14!  This is the second family in our church that has a big age gap and they too just had a baby in November.  We are expecting little Daniela to arrive any day now!  It was fun to buy both girl and boy gifts for the shower.  In thirteen months our church has had a growth spurt in the nursery of 4 babies!!!!!  This is so exciting and fun for the church.  There are plenty of babies to hold when you get to church!  Our church is also going to have two weddings this summer!  One in June and one in July right before we leave for furlough.  Sam is enjoying doing two premarriage classes during the week in preparation for these weddings.  Pray that these couples and families will continue to strive to please God in everything.

Ellen Hornbrook's Homegoing

Several words come to mind when describing my mother in-law:  gracious, humble, loving and hospitable are just a few.  I've had such a privilege being in the same family with her.  I"ll be honest, years ago (1984), I was blown away with my mother in-law.  So much so that I decided that I could never measure up to all that she was.  Sam, myself and a friend, Kandie (Johnston)Stilwell, went down to Mexico in 1984 so that I could see what I was getting myself into by marrying Sam.  I came back feeling like I could never do what I saw my mother in-law do.  I felt inadequate for the job of: missionary wifery.  Sam was good to convince me that I could learn to do what every missionary wife and mother has had to do.  I still fall way behind when it comes to all that my mother in-law has done all these 50 plus years here in Mexico.  I'm so thankful that I got to rub shoulders with my mother in-law.  Not all the Hornbrook sister in-laws have gotten as much time with Mom as Ruth and I have due to living here in Mexico.  We all however got to experience her love and kindness.  Mom was quick to jump up.  Ellen was also quick to play with her grandchildren.  I have fond memories of her playing dolls with my girls and legos with our son.  She always brought a special book up to read to the children when she and Sam Sr. came to Mexico City.  Our children always looked forward to her yummy desserts that she also brought along.  We miss Ellen tremendously but we know that God hasn't allowed something to happen to us that we can't handle.  And we know that good will come from this.

There were so many flowers.