Just a quick note to thank you for your prayers and let you know we made it safe and sound back home to Queretaro a little while ago. We had a very smooth border crossing and no problems on the road. Our new puppy did really well traveling. The kids did good too - they enjoyed the trip, but are also really glad to be home again. We found everything in good order here at home.
Thanks again for your prayers!
Bryan, for all of us
Greetings from Laredo, TX! As promised, here are a few recent pictures from our trip this summer. The most recent highlight: a new addition to our family - Tanner Eugene, a Jack Russell. See the pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/bryanandlori/USTripSummer2010?feat=directlink
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| US Trip - Summer 2010 |
Thanks!
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben (and Tanner!)
Thanks so much for your prayers for us. Here are a couple of recent praises and prayer requests:
- We praise God for the safety He has given to us in our travels. We are making our way back South now, and plan to be back home in Mexico by August 23. Please continue to pray for our safety in our travels, especially on August 23 as we cross the border and travel in Mexico. We plan to caravan with a fellow missionary from Mexico.
- We praise God for a great time of seeing family, friends, supporters, and supporting churches. It has been a whirlwind trip, but very good and refreshing as well.
- Please pray that God would continue to provide what is needed for the Square Meters property project. We had many good opportunities during our trip to share our vision for the church/community center property, and we are trusting God to provide for it in His timing.
- Please pray for us as we get back to Mexico and get back into life and ministry there next week, including Lori starting the new homeschooling year with our children. We are looking forward to all that God will do in our lives and the lives that He continues to bring into our path.
We'll post some pictures to our website soon and let you know when we do.
Thanks again for your faithful prayers!
Bryan, for Lori and the kids
We would greatly appreciate your prayers for us over the next several weeks. Here are three specific ways you can pray:
1. Please pray for the Vacation Bible School being held here at the New Birth Bible Church starting TODAY and through Friday. We are praying for 100 kids to attend and that many would hear and respond to the Gospel.
2. Please pray for our trip to the US from July 17 through August 23. Bryan has a week of team leader meetings in Dallas, then we will head north for a Smith family reunions in Chicago and Michigan and to speak in four churches in Indiana and Michigan. Our travels will then take us east to speak in two more churches and visit family and friends in Pennsylvania before we head back south to Dallas, and then on back to Queretaro. Please pray for safety over the many miles, especially in northern Mexico as the drug-related violence there has escalated this year. We would love to see many of you! Here is our church attendance/speaking schedule:
- Sun, July 25 evening (youth)...Pleasant View Bible Church, Warsaw, IN
- Sun, August 1 morning..........South Boston Bible Church, Lowell, MI
- Wed, August 4 evening..........Merson Church, Gobles, MI
- Sun, August 8 morning..........Chester Gospel Church, Charlotte, MI
- Wed, August 11 evening........Christian Fellowship Church, New Holland, PA
- Sun, August 15 all day..........Calvary Bible Church, Mount Joy, PA
3. Please pray for our Square Meters for Christ project for the church property purchase. In the month of June 2.5 more square meters were raised. Our goal is to raise 100% by September of this year. We currently have raised 112 of 378 square meters, 30% of the total. It seems like a big mountain, but we serve a BIG God! Please pray with us for this need.
Thanks for your faithful prayers! They do make a difference.
Serving HIM with You,
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
Your prayers for us are much appreciated as we come into the busy summer months:
1. Please pray for a missions trip that Bryan will be taking to the rural areas of the state of Hidalgo June 18-22. Our 10-year-old, Kendra, will be going along. Please pray for health and safety as we travel, and for much fruit for God's glory during the trip. One challenge will be the heat with temperatures in the 100's. There will be 15-16 of us total traveling, and we will be involved in a variety of activities including conferences, evangelistic outreach, kids' clubs, and dentistry.
2. Please pray for our VBS at church scheduled for July 12-16. We hope to have 100 kids attend this year - many of them from the community surrounding the church property. Please pray that many might come to know Jesus as their Savior, and that the church might continue to have a positive impact on the community.
3. Please continue to pray for our church property purchase fund. We continue to raise funds both here in Mexico and in the US. As of this writing we have enough funds for 109 square meters, or 29% of the total needed. We praise God for His provision, and trust Him to meet the need by this September. If you are interested in knowing more about this project please hit reply and let us know.
4. Please pray for a trip to the US we will be making from July 17-August 22. Our first stop will be Dallas, TX for some meetings at CAM's headquarters that Bryan will be involved in. Our next stop will be Chicago for a family reunion on the Smith side. The last time we were all together was over five years ago! Our next stop will be Michigan to visit Bryan's extended family and share in three churches. We will then head out to Pennsylvania to visit more family and friends and speak in another two churches, before heading back to Texas, and then Mexico. We would love to see as many of you as possible! We will send out our speaking itinerary once it is finalized.
5. Please pray for our continuing ministries here in Querétaro:
- Bryan continues to meet with four men from church on a weekly basis for leadership training and discipleship. It is exciting to see the church leadership continue to develop and grow into their roles. Please pray for continued unity among the group of church leaders and for the well-being of their families in every way.
- We are meeting with five couples twice a month for a marriage study group, and are very encouraged to see what God is doing in and through these couples. Pray for the salvation of one of the couples, Moises and Noemi. Pray for the others as they deal with things in their lives and marriages in order to grow more in love with God and each other.
- We are reaching out to our neighbors, Carlos and Lucy. Their daughter, Naomi, has responded the most at this point. Not only is she attending our church youth group, but she usually takes three or four of her friends! Pray for a continued open door to this family.
- We are meeting with Margarita on a weekly basis for training and discipleship. She continues to grow, and it is exciting to see her involved in reaching out to many of her friends and family members with the gospel and follow-up studies. Pray that she might continue to be sensitive to God's leading in her life.
- Bryan is involved in helping preach through the book of Revelation at church this year. We thank God for the response so far, and for the many visitors that have been attending. Lori continues to be involved as a Sunday School teacher, and we are both involved with the worship team. God continues to develop the church for His glory, and we are glad to continue to take steps in pulling back and turning ministries over to others.
We thank God for these, and many other opportunities that we have to serve Him here in Mexico. We value your participation with us through your prayers and support!
For God's Glory in Central Mexico,
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
Thanks so much for your faithful prayers! We have not been as faithful with our prayer updates! Please take a little time to read through and pray over our photo prayer update.
These World Cup Tracts are currently being handed out all over Mexico and other parts of Latin America as the world gears up for the soccer tournament. The tracts give the World Cup schedule as well as a brief plan of salvation and offer a free Bible study. Our team ordered around 12,000 of these for our Bajio region of Mexico. Praise God that a few weeks ago we got the information of a man that had received a tract and is interested in a Bible study. We visited Jose to drop off a study, and have been in contact with him about getting together to study the Bible. Just today we gave a young couple a tract and started a conversation with them. We hope this may lead to another evangelistic Bible study as well, although they live in a small town outside of Queretaro. Please pray that these tracts might continue to have an impact here and all over Latin America.
MK Spiritual Emphasis Camp
In April our three kids enjoyed a few days at camp with some of their fellow MK's. It was Ben's first year to attend as a first-grader. While they were at camp we had a chance to get away for a few days and celebrate our 15th anniversary a little early. Please pray that our family would continually grow in our love for God.
Children's Day celebration at church
Children's Day celebration at church - Luis & Miriam did a great job
with an Ephesians 6 Armor of God presentation
Mother's Day service at church
José Luis, Cesar, and Gerardo organized the Mother's Day service
and sang to the mothers with the help of the youth group
We praise God for what He is doing in the New Birth Bible Church. We recently had services celebrating the children for Children's Day and the mothers for Mother's Day. Part of the excitement for us was that we did not have much to do with planning either one of these special services! Please pray for the leadership of the church as we are moving toward naming elders and deacons, and continue to organize the church leadership.
Cesar updating the square meter chart at church
Foosball for square meters!
We continue to raise funds for the property purchase project. Right now we are at 26% of what we would like to raise in the US, and at 32% of what we would like to raise in Mexico. This means that as of today we have purchased 101 m² and have 277 m² to go. One of the creative ways that the church here is raising funds is through a foosball table. The youth group raised funds in order to purchase the table, and all proceeds from the table are going toward the property purchase. Please pray that all the funds would be provided in time to make the last payment in September. Would you consider helping us with a square meter, or whatever God lays on your heart? If you are interested in helping us in this way, please see the Square Meters for Christ article below.
Time for cake!
Quest training event with our team
Ben (right) had his friends Silas and Tucker Hower over for a few nights
We have so appreciated our CAM missionary team. We get together about every two weeks to pray, encourage one another, and fellowship. We recently celebrated Ben's seventh birthday together. We are made up of four families - 13 kids. We also recently enjoyed some training together at the camp. The topics were Finding a Balance Between Family and Ministry and Cross-cultural Conflict Resolution. Our team seemed to benefit greatly from our time together. Bryan is currently leading the team, and preparing the next team leader who will take over in 2011. Please pray that our team would continue to be unified and grow together.
We recently started a marriage study with five other couples using Gary Smalley's Making Love Last Forever study in Spanish. We have met twice, and it is exciting to hear and see what God is doing in each couple. This is a great study that God used to help us make some changes in our marriage about five years ago. One of the couples have not put their faith in Jesus yet and we are praying they will see their need for a Savior. Another one of the couple's, Jose Luis and Estrella, and from our church and are interested in taking the study in order to share it with some other couples. Please pray that this study would be used for God's glory to see his work accomplished in these couples.
Thanks so much for taking the time to pray and support us in this venture together for God's glory!
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
Square Meters for Christ
The New Birth Bible Church and Community Center here in Queretaro, Mexico is purchasing the property which we have been renting for the last year and a half. We praise the Lord for His provision for this opportunity. The corner property is 378 m² and includes a large open roofed area which we have been using for the sanctuary. It also includes a house and two apartments. The property is ideal in many ways for the church to continue to grow and reach out into the surrounding communities. We praise God that the church here has been working creatively and giving sacrificially toward this purchase. The owner is a believer, and has given us a very fair price, and about a year to pay the balance.
The property viewed from the corner
So how can you help?
~ Give a gift:
Each square meter has a cost of $350. An account has been set up with CAM International to receive tax deductible gifts toward this project. Would you pray about this and consider helping us with one or more square meters? This is an opportunity to invest in a wonderful gift for Christ’s glory to be proclaimed in Queretaro and around the world!
There are two ways for you to make this gift:
- Make a secure online donation with credit/debit card or paypal:
Go to www.caminternational.org - Click the “Give” tab and select “donate online.” Select “Special Project” and enter the number 063608
- Send a check by mail:
Send your check made out to CAM International and earmarked for “Project #063608 New Birth Bible Church Property”
Send to:
CAM International
8625 La Prada Dr.
Dallas, TX 75228
~ Become a “champion” for this project:
Would you be willing to help us promote this project in your circles of influence? We would be glad to provide you with some brochures which you can use to promote the project. Simply e-mail us and let us know how many you would like, and where to send them.
~ Pray!
Please help us by praying for God’s provision as funds are raised both in the US and here in Mexico. We know that God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
Thank you!
Thank you for your prayers. Here are some answers to prayer that the Lord has given us:
- I am doing better after a week of medicine and rest. My case of shingles did not seem to be too bad, or at least we caught it on time.
- Our website (www.smithconnection.com) is up and running again virus-free and hopefully more secure. We have turned off the comment feature which may have been a weak point in security. If you would like to comment just drop us an e-mail: bsmith@caminternational.org
- We have almost reached the 25% mark of the funds we would like to raise in the US for the Square Meters for Christ property purchase project. We praise God that we were recently able to make another substantial payment toward the total due in September of this year. See the Square Meters for Christ note below if you would like to help us with this project.
- On a related note, the Governor of our state of Querétaro granted our national co-worker, Mauricio Pérez, an appointment with one of his officials to hear our plans for the property purchase and community impact project. Mauricio was able to present the project and give the Governor some Christian literature. Please pray that God might work in his heart, first to trust in Christ as his Savior, and second to help us with the property purchase project.
- I recently got word that my Masters’ level classes from Lancaster Bible College will be credited toward the program I am currently enrolled in at Puebla Bible Seminary. This being the case, the only thing left to complete my Masters’ in Leadership Development is my thesis.
Thanks so much for being part of our team in prayer!
Bryan, for Lori and the kids
Square Meters for Christ
~ Give a gift:
Each square meter has a cost of $350. An account has been set up with CAM International to receive tax deductible gifts toward this project. Would you pray about this and consider helping us with one or more square meters? This is an opportunity to invest in a wonderful gift for Christ’s glory to be proclaimed in Querétaro and around the world!
There are two ways for you to make this gift:
- Make a secure online donation with credit/debit card or paypal:
Go to www.caminternational.org - Click the “Give” tab and select “donate online.” Select “Special Project” and enter the number 063608
- Send a check by mail:
Send your check made out to CAM International and earmarked for “Project #063608 New Birth Bible Church Property”
Send to:
CAM International
8625 La Prada Dr.
Dallas, TX 75228
~ Become a “champion” for this project:
Would you be willing to help us promote this project in your circles of influence? We would be glad to provide you with some brochures which you can use to promote the project. Simply e-mail us and let us know how many you would like, and where to send them.
~ Pray!
Please help us by praying for God’s provision as funds are raised both in the US and here in Mexico. We know that God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
Please be in prayer for us these days. There have been many blessings, but at the same time some difficulties. We have suffered two virus attacks:
VIRUS #1 - We just found out yesterday that I, Bryan, have come down with shingles to the right side of my head. I am now taking medicines for it, but we understand that it can affect the eye if not properly cared for. We trust that with God’s help and the medicines I am taking I will be well again in a few days. Please pray with us about this. Today I am missing a great missions conference here in the New Birth Bible Church of Querétaro as am at home resting.
VIRUS #2 - On another note, it seems that our website was hacked and a virus added to it. Our server system found and cleaned out the virus, but we are be blocked by Google as an attack site. I hope to correct this soon, but in the mean time please use our back-up website: http://bryan-smithconnection.blogspot.com/ At the same time it appears that my laptop has crashed once again and needs to be fixed. It appears to be the video driver.
Thanks so much for your prayers for us! We know God is in control and has a perfect plan for us – we just need to keep trusting. I have been reflecting on my life verses a lot recently:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Prov. 3:5-6
What a great opportunity to put these truths in practice!
Thankful for Your Prayers,
Bryan, for Lori and the kids
Your prayers for us are much needed and appreciated! Please take a moment to pray as you read this pictorial prayer update:
The 2010 New Birth Bible Church mission logo
The New Birth Bible church mission/goal for 2010 comes from Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go ye therefore…” During the month of January our focus for teaching has been on evangelism and discipleship, concluding yesterday with an evangelism workshop. After the service those who wanted to went across the street to a community park and shared their faith. We praise God that two people responded to the Gospel by trusting in Christ as their Savior! One of them is a man who does maintenance at the park, and the other a 14 year old boy who lives near the park. We praise God for a great start to the year in this way. Please pray as we follow up on these decisions.
Our family with friends Isela, Diana, and Ivan
We praise God for Isela and her children who visited us yesterday evening (Her daughter Gaby is not pictured above. She was in school and not able to come). We had the privilege of leading them to the Lord about four years ago. Even though they now attend another church they are active in their faith and Isela is making disciples of her own. We concur with John, “[we] have no greater joy than this, to hear of [our] children walking in the truth.” (3 John 4)
The chart we have up at church shows the
progress for the property purchase
Bryan giving the owner of the property a partial
payment in December.
We praise God for a good start to the Square Meters for Christ property purchase project in the months of December and January. We have reached 18% of what we would like to raise in the US, and 25% of what we would like to raise in here Mexico. Each square in the above chart represents one square meter. Please pray that we will be able to reach our goals and be able to pay for the property completely by this September. If you are interested in helping us with this project please scroll down and see the Square Meters for Christ article below.
Mauricio, Luis, José Luis, Bob, Cesar, and Bryan –
6 of the 7 church leaders at New Birth
We are excited about the church leadership that God currently has in place at the New Birth Bible Church. Bryan has greatly enjoyed being involved in training three of the above pictured men, Luis, José Luis, and Cesar, plus Gerardo who is not pictured. We praise God that the leadership team continues to grow in unity and is working well together. “To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.” (Ephesians 3:21)
Celebrating a “Happy Birthday Jesus” party with
Grandma and Grandpa Smith on Dec. 25
Fishing with Grandpa Wenger – our
only catch for the day!
Playing piano with Grandma Wenger
We praise God for the special family times that we were able to enjoy over the Holidays. We had the joy of having both sets of grandparents here over that time! We also praise God for His protection and provision for our family. Please pray for our van which has been giving us a few problems recently. We would love for it to last us a few more years yet.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this update and pray for us. Please give us your feedback: what do you think of this format for our prayer updates? Should we do it again?
By the way, we enjoyed getting e-mails and cards from many over the Holidays! We especially enjoy receiving updated family pictures. Thank you! Please keep reading below if you are interested in helping with the Square Meters for Christ project.
Being and Making Disciples in Central Mexico,
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
Square Meters for Christ
The New Birth Bible Church and Community Center here in Queretaro, Mexico is purchasing the property which we have been renting for the last year and a half. We praise the Lord for His provision for this opportunity. The corner property is 378 m² and includes a large open roofed area which we have been using for the sanctuary. It also includes a house and two apartments. The property is ideal in many ways for the church to continue to grow and reach out into the surrounding communities. We praise God that the church here has been working creatively and giving sacrificially toward this purchase. The owner is a believer, and has given us a very fair price, and about a year to pay the balance.
The property viewed from the corner
So how can you help?
~ Give a gift:
Each square meter has a cost of $350. An account has been set up with CAM International to receive tax deductible gifts toward this project. Would you pray about this and consider helping us with one or more square meters? This is an opportunity to invest in a wonderful gift for Christ’s glory to be proclaimed in Queretaro and around the world!
There are two ways for you to make this gift:
- Make a secure online donation with credit/debit card or paypal:
Go to www.caminternational.org - Click the “Give” tab and select “donate online.” Select “Special Project” and enter the number 063608
- Send a check by mail:
Send your check made out to CAM International and earmarked for “Project #063608 New Birth Bible Church Property”
Send to:
CAM International
8625 La Prada Dr.
Dallas, TX 75228
~ Become a “champion” for this project:
Would you be willing to help us promote this project in your circles of influence? We would be glad to provide you with some brochures which you can use to promote the project. Simply e-mail us and let us know how many you would like, and where to send them.
~ Pray!
Please help us by praying for God’s provision as funds are raised both in the US and here in Mexico. We know that God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
Thank you!
Dear Praying Friends,
We trust that you and yours will have a Christ-filled Christmas and New Year! We appreciate all the prayers that have been taken before the Father on our behalf during 2009! You are an important part of our team as we make disciples together here in Central Mexico.
We want to share with you an opportunity to honor Christ and give Him a gift this Christmas. It is called Square Meters for Christ. The New Birth Bible Church and Community Center here in Queretaro Mexico is purchasing the property which we have been renting for the last year and a half. We praise the Lord for his provision for this opportunity. The property is ideal in many ways for the church to continue to grow and reach out into the surrounding communities. We praise God that the church here has been working creatively and giving sacrificially toward this purchase. Just yesterday we gave a second part of the down payment. The owner is a believer, and has given us a very fair price, and about a year to pay the balance.
So how can you help? The corner property is 378 m² and includes a large open roofed area which we have been using for the sanctuary. It also includes a house and two apartments. Each square meter has a cost of $350. An account has been set up with CAM International to receive tax deductible gifts toward this project. Would you pray about this and consider helping us with one square meter? This is an opportunity to invest in a wonderful gift for Christ’s glory to be proclaimed in Queretaro and around the world!
There are two ways for you to make this gift:
Make a secure online donation with credit/debit card or paypal:
Go to www.caminternational.org - Click the “Give” tab and select “donate online.” Select “Special Project” and enter the number 063608
Send a check by mail:
Send your check made out to CAM International and earmarked for “Project #063608 New Birth Bible Church Property”
Send to:
CAM International
8625 La Prada Dr.
Dallas, TX 75228
Thank you for your time and consideration, and again, Merry CHRISTmas!
Bryan, Lori, Kendra, Tara, & Ben
A view from the corner of the property
A view of the sanctuary area
