Happy Thanksgiving!
I was planing to send this email out in time for Thanksgiving, but I've been a little behind these past few days.
The biggest news this month is that our daughter Margaret Sophia was born last week! We named her Margaret after my grandmother who has been such a blessing to us. Both mother and daughter are doing well, but sleep sure has been much more difficult these past few days! We are so grateful for God's wonderful provision and protection throughout the complicated pregnancy. And we are so excited to now hold our little girl in our arms. Please be praying for Yuli as she continues to heal from the C-section that was necessary.
Elias graduated from high school at the end of October, and he is now searching for his first job. So these past few weeks he's been here at home with us, and we've had much more time to spend with him than we normally get. It's been great to have this time with him, and our relationships have grown a lot deeper. He's also been an absolute blessing to us this past week with our new daughter as he's been so incredibly helpful with cleaning and running errands. I really enjoy our time together, and it's so wonderful to watch him grow and mature. Please pray for him as he searches for a job.
Benjamin just celebrated his 24th birthday last week, and he also just started a new job. He decided to work at a cell phone company where a few other guys from Casa Shalom now work. This new job offers more money, but I'm concerned because it also requires longer hours. Our relationship with him has grown and matured a lot these last few months, and we've seen a direct link to how busy he is at work with how stressed he is at home. (In other words, he's just like all of us!) Please pray for him as he decides where to work and how to invest his time.
The house construction continues to progress as well. We're currently working on putting stucco on all the walls and installing pipes and drainage lines. I'm not sure when the house is going to be finished, but the progress continues to move along. I guess I should make a new video soon in order to show all the progress since we poured the roof!
Verse for November
This month we finished our Bible study on the book of John. I just love this book, and I learn more and more each time that I read it. It's fascinating to see how Jesus interacts with His disciples and other people around Him. The thing that really stood out to me this time was how Jesus acted as a leader. I want to be a good leader to the guys that God has placed in my life, and I want to be a good leader for my family.
Chapters 13-17 are so rich with great examples of His leadership during the last supper and in the Garden of Gesemane. Jesus serves the disciples by washing their feet. He says hard things to them and does what He knows must be done. He gives them a vision for the future and a plan for the present. He challenges them and comforts them. He spends a long time praying for Himself and for them. And all throughout these chapters there is a continuous theme of love: God's love of Jesus, Jesus's love of them, and their need to love each other.
John the Baptist's attitude about Jesus is exactly what I want and need for my life. It's a great response about how to be a good leader:
He must become greater; I must become less."John 3:30 (NIV)
I would appreciate your prayers for me: Jesus must become greater in my life, and my personal desires and attitudes must become less. It's so simple, yet so hard. Thanks for your prayers!
Here are all of the blog posts for this past month:
Thank you so much for your support and prayers for Yuli, Margaret, myself and our ministry with these guys. We pray that God also blesses your lives and draws you closer to Him. We pray regularly for you, so please let me know if you have any prayer requests!
Brent & Yuliza
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