For decades I joked about starting a beach ministry and now I’m thrilled that I can combine the beach and ministry. But first…
The day after sending my last letter, Iván, Jimena, Dante and Esdras were overnight in La Paz, so we had a quick visit. (Top left photo) Iván has lost nearly 20 kilos and now wears glasses, so I wasn’t sure it was him until he spoke! As of yesterday, the family is back in La Paz. For fun, we took another 
photo to compare with the one from just before starting radiation after chemo, and Dante wanted to take one of his Dad. Iván returns to Mexico City in about three weeks. He’ll have one test done right away, another the following week, and at the end of September should receive the results. That will determine if he needs to remain there for more treatments or what the treatment will be. It would be fantastic if the tests show no more cancer! Please do keep them in your prayers. I’d also like to ask prayer for my youth leader, and the family, whose wife recently succumbed to cancer. I’m so glad I was able to visit them on my last trip. There is great comfort knowing she is with our Lord and Saviour, but she will be greatly missed.
Our church, El Faro, did the beach clean up and I volunteered to clean up in the water and get some great video while doing it. I continue to be amazed that I still see new fish and creatures every time I dive. I made three videos to show most of what I saw, including a new stingray. 
I had a metal rod in my hand (part of the garbage collected) and considered using it to prod the stingray to watch it swim because they’re so graceful. I’m so glad I didn’t! It was a Bullseye Electric Ray and my book says it could give a charge of 14- 37 volts! I also filmed a couple of types of eels, also graceful swimmers, along with lots of fish.
The audio-visual team has a new member and two more who I am training so they can participate. I’m very pleased with the commitment and quality of their work. Please pray for a couple of people who could do the audio part. If someone else could do that, I’d be able to invest more time in the cell group ministry.
Our cell groups in El Progreso (children’s and adults’) kicked off the new season a couple of weeks ago with a day at a different part of El Saltito beach. Steve Dresselhaus, founder of Reconciliamar which is a kayak/scuba ministry, brought the kayaks and a devotional that used experiences with octopuses to illustrate biblical truths. 
The vast majority of the group doesn’t know how to swim and had never been on a kayak before, but everyone had a fantastic time. I made a video, which I hope to update now that I’ve received more photos, but I didn’t get the video I wanted because the GoPro was off when I thought it was on and vice versa. I did have it straightened out once I got in the water. After pulling one of the kayaks to the island (where the kayaker was able to switch kayaks with the leader to one easier to steer), I went skin diving. Click on the photo and then on Grupo Pequeño El Progreso Día en Playa El Saltito.
Last week I enjoyed taking part of the cell group and their families to the beach and taking several of them to see some of the fish. There was only one other Christian in the group. Please pray that the friendships developed lead to them entering a personal relationship with Jesus. It was great to hear that one of the ladies expressed an interest in coming to church. And the children love their group! There are about a dozen attending with the majority from unchurched homes. Please pray that the seeds planted take root.
With the kids heading back to school today, the ladies’ ministry will be up and running next week. Please pray for increased unity and deeper maturity as we meet to pray and study God’s Word and for effective outreaches into the community. Also, speaking of outreaches, we plan to show a movie with a teaching time as an evangelistic event August 31st. Please pray that it be effective in reaching the unsaved and that the teaching clearly expresses what the Bible teaches because it will be very counter-cultural.
Always grateful for your prayers!
Brenda
