Cameron is 14

Our middle son, Cameron, turned 14 on June 17. He had a great birthday and enjoyed getting to celebrate it this year with Papaw and Grandma Sankey....

Love you, son. God has great things in mind for you.

Fundraiser for Mexico Summer VBS Ministry

Last Saturday, the young ladies in the Saltillo BM Church made pineapple pies to sell in the neighborhood to raise funds for their Summer VBS Team Project. They sold all the pies quickly and were able to raise about $50 toward their goal. These girls, with their sponsors, Pastor Dolores Herdez Matta and family, will be holding VBS events in the poor areas of Zacatecas and in the mountain missions in Oaxaca. Please pray that God will bless their efforts!

Spring 2011 Bible Institute Classes

Spring 2011 Bible Institute Classes

April 18 – 21, 2011

Bible Methodist Church in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

• Special Guest Professors: Conference President Walt Hedstrom, Alabama BMC;

Rusty Rundell, Professor at UBC, Westfield, IN

• Other Professors: Pres. Eli Balderas, Marc and Melodie Sankey, Pastor Dolores Hernandez, Steve and Beth Stetler

• 
  
  Classes to be Offered: ~ Practical Leadership ~ Spiritual Growth/Christian Life ~ Acts ~ Romans ~ Music Classes/Choir ~ Basic Computer ~ Church Administration ~ Ladies Scrapbook/Prayer Sessions

• 
  
  Please help us pray for God’s presence in each session as we train and equip our Mexican brothers and sisters to fulfill their own Great Commission and take the Gospel to their own people.

Marc & Melodie Sankey

Jordan, Cameron & Logan

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Wishing my wonderful father in law, Leonard Sankey, a very happy birthday today!

Love you, Dad!

"Hno. Jazhiel Sankey".... :-)

Jazhiel enjoyed doing his homework the other day in Marc's little office in the corner of our little living room...yes, I used the word "little" twice because that doesn't begin to say it. :-) But God has helped us adjust to this much smaller house and we love it here!

Jordan's birthday supper and cake

We enjoyed supper at Chili's last night (yes, there's a Chili's in Saltillo, although we hardly ever go there) for Jordan's choice of birthday meal.

A few pics of him I took yesterday....

Jordan requested a Double Fudge Chocolate Cake for his birthday - he IS a Sankey, after all! lol

It was scrumptious if I do say so myself...

Pastor Dolores, Sylvia and kids helped us celebrate Jordan's bday and enjoyed the cake with us....singing Happy Birthday and Feliz Cumpleanos to him in our home in Saltillo.

Jordan is 16

I blinked....

and he's 16!

Jordan, you are our awesome oldest son. Thanks for making us parents!

God is doing awesome things through you and He has even more planned. Hope this is your best birthday ever.

Love you....Mom and Dad

Marc's Bday Party (1 of them)

Marc and our boys in front of our home in Saltillo, Coahuila, MX on Marc's 41st birthday.

Marc and his birthday treat, hot fudge cake. It wasn't "Frisch's" (which he dearly loves, but it'll have to do)

Our good friends, Hno. Lupe and Hna. Chelo stopped by to visit that evening and brought the. most. delicious. mango pie!! it was scrumptious!

We enjoyed playing games with friends that evening...Pastor Dolores and family beat us every time in Dutch Blitz (although we taught them how to play only a few months ago)...lol...

Our wonderful church people in Saltillo, congratulating Marc on his birthday after Sunday School. Love this special tradition! (notice the Mexican handshake...between the men, that is)

I hope your birthday was the best one yet, Marc. I love you!

Spring has come to Saltillo

Spring has come to Saltillo.....Thank you, Lord, for new life!

Happy Birthday, Marc

Today I wish a very happy birthday to my wonderful husband Marc....the love of my life and my best friend. Every day with him is a gift. I love you, Marc.

Sunday in La Boca

The weekend before last we visited our Bible Methodist Church in the village of La Boca. This is considered a pioneer church which has basically been re-0pened by Pastor Pablo and Sis. Ofelia in the last 2 years. They are doing a wonderful job and the Lord is blessing them with good attendance and with His presence in their services.

This is the church and parsonage in La Boca.

Common transpotation in La Boca.

After Sunday School, Sis. Ofelia fixed us a wonderful Mexican meal...here she is making fresh salsa of roasted tomatoes and jalapenos, using a molcajete...a stone grinder.

Jordan helping Pastor Benito with English.

Pastor Pablo with his little grandson, Leonardo.

Pastor's daughter, Tere with her new keyboard that she uses in the services in La Boca.

Thank you so much to the Hough family and a few others for donating the funds to purchase this keyboard. She loves it as you can tell. :-)

Cameron and Pastor Benito playing some pre-service music.

Marc preaching in the evening service.

Pastor Pablo and his wife Ofelia....dedicated, committed pastors and wonderful friends.

Cameron with Pastor Pablo's grandson, Isai.

Weekend in San Rafael

Recently we spent Saturday evening and all day Sunday visiting our Bible Methodist Church in the village of San Rafael.

We stayed again with our wonderful friends, Daniel and Lorena. They had asked me to make them an American Sunday dinner, which I did: Meatloaf, Cheesy potatoes, corn, cole slaw, bread and chocolate cake.

I hosted a Ladies Activity in the afternoon with Bible Study/prayer time and then a scrapbook class. Love these ladies and girls!

The first time ever for any of them to scrapbook....loved the smile on this sweet lady's face.

Marc taught the SS class in the morning, and preached in the evening service.

Our wonderful hosts, Daniel and Lorena. Gracias, hermanos!

Their daughter Daphne was not in the picture.

Logan's Bday Celebration

We celebrated Logan's 12th birthday at the "slide park" in Saltillo....such a fun place! Pastor Dolores and family went with us. We enjoyed a picnic lunch, ice cream sandwiches (Logan's choice....he doesn't care for cake) and hours of fun on those huge slides!!

Logan and his best friend, Jazhiel.....they call themselves brothers.

Logan is 12

It's hard to believe....but yes, my baby boy turned 12 yesterday. I have no idea where the time has gone...

A more eager to please, easy tempered boy there never has been....Logan loves to work hard and help others.

Son, we know God has good things in store for you by the way He's already working in and through you in our family missionary ministry. Keep that tender heart toward God and others....

All our love, always...

Mom and Dad

In Oaxaca, headed for San Gabriel

Got to talk to Marc this morning for a couple minutes. They had a great weekend in Oaxaca/Jayacatlan and are heading south across the mountains to San Gabriel. 6 hours on some of the curviest roads I've ever seen; Marc and 5 of our pastors in our Sequoia. They will be the preaching/teaching team this week through Friday in the San Gabriel church and mountain missions.

Piano Lessons for the Cuatas//Twins

I recently began giving piano lessons to our pastor's twin daughters, Kenya and Christy. We will be doing the lessons on my piano in the church but since it was a frigidly cold day and there's no heat in the church, we opted for a keyboard in my living room.

The girls are smart and learn so quickly.

That's the way, Kenya.

They've been practicing every day and are doing great!

"Mama, tengo frio//Mommy, I'm cold"

Those were the heartbreaking words I heard a few minutes ago as Pastor Dolores, his wife Sylvia and I visited in the home (I use the term loosely) of the new family in our church. Most of you know that extreme cold has come to Saltillo - the last few days have been in the 30s and tonight sleet is falling, making all the surfaces icy.

Hugo, 5 years old, had the hood up on his light jacket but was huddled near his mother, shivering with cold. We were sitting in their "kitchen" visiting, encouraging them in the Lord, listening to them talk about their struggles. They have no money, no heat in their home, no refrigerator; the father is barely able to find sporadic work but with the poor economy, sometimes the employers have money to pay him; most of the time they don't.

The couple have 4 boys; their 2 oldest boys spent the day in our home, playing with our boys and eating meals with us. The hunger was obvious on their faces as they ate BBQ Chicken, Cheese Potatoes, Corn, Cole Slaw, Rolls and chocolate chip cookies. Who knows the last time they had chicken to eat?

We prayed with them and Sylvia gave them some hot chocolate and strawberries she had brought from Guanajuato. They were so thankful; someone knocked at the door and brought them a bowl - 1 bowl - of soup; again, so thankful...

We walked out through the sleet to our car and my heart was breaking. I walked in the door of our little house, which now looked like a mansion. I felt the heat from our space heater. I looked at my plastic "pantry" shelves with food on them, at my refrigerator, my microwave....and felt like I had walked into a mansion. I began telling Marc all about it...we started pulling things together to take to them: food items, blankets, an extra electric heater we have. Pastor Dolores and Marc drove back to their house and took them the things we had collected....so thankful, they were.

Lord, help them keep warm tonight, help them keep following You and help me be thankful for the multitude of blessings You've given me. May my hands hold loosely to those blessings so I can share them at a moment's notice with some of your most needy children. And please, Lord, keep Hugo warm tonight......