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| It has been a wonderful past year… Tiffany and I have now been in Mexico City for one year and two months. It is difficult to believe that so much time has gone by, as it seems only yesterday we were preparing for, very excited about, and getting ready to come down to work with Niños de Mexico.
It is such an odd thing being here at times... We have such a privilege and opportunity to work with these young children, and yet some… not so young. Mexico is a country I fell in love with at age eighteen, during my first year in College and my first time out of the United States on a mission trip to Saltillo, Mexico… and I have yet to fall out of love with these people, all the cultural wonders, and… not to mention… the food.
At times, Tiffany and I forget we are in a different country. We have become all too familiar with the little store down the street, and the same sweet women who helps us with our purchases… and the same cashier at the local supermarket, or the bag-boy at Bodega Aurrera (Wal*Mart)… the same streets, people selling goods on the side of the road, and the same smiling faces every morning as we begin a new day at school… the same foods, restaurants, traffic, police officers, and the same wonderful family and house to come home to each night all help us to forget that we are hundreds of miles from our family and friends back at home in the States… that is, until late at night when all your faces begin to flash through my mind.
I am often haunted by wonderful memories with family and friends… I see my mother-in-law holding April in the air, tickling her, and then kissing her on the cheek… or I see my sister-in-laws being little mommies with our kids, and loving every minute of it… I see my father-in-law asleep in his chair, holding our precious Matthias, who also happens to be asleep… I see my mama doing whatever April wants, tired as can be, but with a smile and look of contentment… as April bosses her around… I see my dad pushing Matthias around in the stroller through the park, and my little sister’s face light up with joy as she puts a new outfit on April and Matthias that she saved up for to buy just for them… name brand of course…
I see many more faces and images, and normally… it makes me want to see our families and be there for them. Tiffany and I truly love what we do, and we know we are where God wants us right now… This still does not take away the pain of being so very far from those we love most. It is not the places we miss, as our home is very much here in Mexico… but rather, we miss the hugs, the memories, the smiles, and the laughter. The times together that can never be replaced.
I often pray to my Heavenly Father, “Lord God, my heart is hear, and my life is dedicated to your service. I will stay and do as you ask for all of my days if you ask of me… but please, Jesus… let my babies know their grandparents…”
I know and understand that to follow Jesus often means that one must leave his father and mother, sister and brother… although doing what your Savior has asked of you is fulfilling, it does not take away the pain of the distance between you and those you love so dearly.
Life is so short. Although our dear brother, Dr. Noe Flores, is doing much better and, I believe, will be fine… the events of the past few weeks have caused me to think deeply about life… Here is a man who has dedicated his life to helping people both spiritually and physically… and yet he is very much vulnerable to the sicknesses of this world. It often does not seem fear, yet we all live in a fallen world and are susceptible to the illness therein. Please be in prayer for Dr. Noe Flores, medical missionary with Niños de Mexico, as a tumor found within his digestive system was found to be cancerous. They did remove the tumor, and are awaiting further medical council.
Life in Mexico has been very exciting, culturally challenging, and spiritually rewarding; yet, the distance factor is true of every missionary, and is a very real issue, and can be used by Satan, I believe, to tempt us missionaries from straying from our original calling. It is my prayer that my babies know our families… and I am sure it is the prayer of many. It is very much human, I know… but even Jesus himself and in humanity longed to be with His Heavenly Father as often as possible… I find comfort in that. Yes, we are only able to be with our families about 3-4 weeks out of the year… yet our comfort is found when we cling to our Heavenly Father in prayer and in fellowship with Him.
Thank you for reading!
Matthew, Tiffany, April and Matthias Carmichael
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| Here I am sitting in the living room of the Agape House, one of the four children’s homes we have here in Mexico City. We are waiting for a youth group from Florida to arrive, mainly made up of young men, as they will be visiting with the children here tonight. It is our day to give the house parents a day off.
…I opened up my laptop to check a few online accounts of ours, and… as I was sitting here, I realized that it has been a very long time since we wrote our last prayer update…
So, I said to myself… “Self, why not write one now?” That is precisely what I am doing, as I imagine you may like to know what’s going on, right?
Well, for starters, everything is a little crazy again around here, as school is coming to a long-awaited end here shortly. We are at the end of our second to the last week of school… Next week, we are free on the 15th of June! I tell you what; I think that I as the Primary Principal am more excited about being out of school than the kids are… I am counting down the days!
The group down here from Florida has put together a party for the students, which will be held this Friday… Not only am I excited about getting out of school; I am also excited about this party. They say it’s a blast!
In way of prayer, please pray for Tiffany, as she has been having problems, I guess post-gallbladder operational problems, and it is not fun for her, let me tell you. She says it feels like the attacks she had before her gallbladder was removed. Dr. Noe, our medical doctor here with Niños, says that this can happen for up to two years after having the surgery. I guess its just her body getting used to not having that organ.
Also, we are praying about a calcification, connected to the back of her skull, which is pressing up against her brain. This was found in a CT due to some pressure she was having back in February. Now, the Neurologist says that is it nothing to worry about right now, but if it continues to grow, we may have problems, as it is located right near her main artery that supplies blood to her brain. We will go in for another CT in August. Please pray, and don’t worry. We believe that God has her in His hands and that everything will be just fine.
April and Matty are growing so big! April is talking up a storm and understands both English and Spanish equally and perfectly. They are so cute, and it is my wish that all you might be able to see them soon, God willing…
There is one other area of prayer that would be most appreciated by us, and that is the area of physical and spiritual strength. This sort of ministry is difficult let alone with children from our own country, but a new array of difficulty arrives when working in a second culture with a mixture of Mexican and American Staff from all different backgrounds.
Most days we begin at 6:00am, and we do not stop to rest until close to 10:00pm, although Saturdays for the most part are a blessing and a day of rest. We are kept very busy with school, our kids, other ministry events, substitute house parenting, and at times it feels that time for family and for personal time with our Lord is neglected, and a lot of the time it is. We need your prayers for strength both physically and spiritually, as the Enemy would like nothing more then to run us down to the point of going back home and leaving God’s calling on our lives.
Jessica, Tiffany’s little sister, is down for about 6 weeks and will be traveling back up to the States with us. We are having such a blast with her. She keeps us laughing… She is such a blessing, and we are excited to have her here with us. Please be in prayer for Tiffany’s whole family, as the Lord is working in their lives, and they want His direction only. Also pray that her parents too might be able to come visit us soon. I know that they would love that, as would we!
We will be traveling back to the States on June 28, 2007 and will be in the States for about five weeks for vacation and for speaking at churches / camps. We are so excited to be back in the States for a time, as it is always refreshing to be home. It helps give us a bit of a boost!
Well, I will write again soon… and I pray this update was a blessing for you! Remember, cross-cultural work is a blessing, but it is also draining. We need your prayers more than ever! Thank you all for your prayers and support! God be with you!
In Christ,
Matthew and Tiffany Carmichael, April and Matthias
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| Little Blessings
The Lord is always sharing with us and teaching us to grow up and mature in Him. What a blessing it is to be part of such beautiful mission work as Niños de Mexico. We learn something new each and every day while with this ministry, both about ourselves and about His calling on our lives.
At times, it feels as if we are all alone, and at other times, we realize the huge army of prayer warriors that surrounds us and saturates us in prayer. We also thank God for the wonderful team of missionaries who work along-side us. If it were not for them, we would really feel lost at times. The many little blessings that God shares so generously with us are such an encouragement in times of the unknown.
A New Commitment
Many of you are probably wondering… I know they were committed to serving in Mexico City for one year, but what happens next? …Well, we are very pleased to share with you our new plans, direction, and commitment:
1. NHM is now a 501c3 non-profit organization with the Federal Government as well as with the State of Missouri, as many of you know. And, Tiffany and I, along with our Board of Directors, will continue to build up this ministry by prayer, growing partnerships for our family’s financial needs, and continually growing the vision. To be honest, this has been quite the journey, and there have been many times I have just felt like giving up. BUT, through the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness, He has helped carry us through, and we want to be faithful in return by continuing on with His vision and purpose for the ministry of NHM. Every Good Tree begins as a small seed, anchors its roots, and then blossoms into a Mighty Tree, withstanding wind and rain, and with time, it becomes something great among the forest, producing its fruit.
2. With much prayer and discussion between Tiffany and me, as well as with Niños de Mexico, we have come to a decision that the Lord has willed us to tentatively commit to another three (3) years to Niños de Mexico, with a year by year solid commitment understanding. What does this mean? It means that we are willing at this point, by God’s direction only, to stay for another three (3) years, as this is what Tiffany and I believe God has placed upon our hearts. However, we will only “fully” commit, by the counsel of Niños de Mexico, to one (1) year at a time throughout the course of the next three years, as we also want to be fully open to change and advancement in the ministry of NHM. In other words, when God moves, we move. We still do believe that God has sent us to Niños de Mexico to learn and be educated for our future ministry with NHM, as well as provide ministry help in a time of need.
Your Financial Support
Many of you financially and prayerfully support us. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for seeing the vision we have, as well as sharing that vision with us: to make disciples and to build up the church through removing spiritual and physical hindrances worldwide; thus, sharing in world evangelism.
Now, we only asked that you might partner with us for the first year. We understand that we are still within that year until August 1, 2007. However, the time is running short. So, we ask you as our committed partners in the ministry of Jesus Christ that you might consider partnering with us once again for at least one more year, from August 1, 2007 until August 1, 2008. We also ask that you might seek God’s will and prayerfully consider the possibility of increasing your partnership by at least 10%.
This past year, God provided about half of what was needed through personal friends, family, and mission minded churches; the other half was provided through Niños de Mexico’s general funds, which takes away from other areas of the ministry. We thank God for you and we thank God for the many people who support Niños de Mexico. Without your commitments, what we do as missionaries would not be possible.
New Partners in Ministry
We have around 100 – 105 people on our email list as well as about 75 extra people on our postal mail list (this includes a few churches as well). Now, only about 7% of both lists combined send financial gifts on a monthly basis, and the average person sends about $50, about $700 per month in total. We are seeking monthly financial partners.
We as a family are in need of financial partnerships so that we might help free up some of Niños de Mexico’s general funds. Our total monthly need at this point is about $1,500 for our family (each month). Would you, those who have not already partnered with us, prayerfully consider committing to a gift of $100 or more per month over the course of this next year, August 1, 2007 (or sooner) to August 1, 2008 to help us further the mission work in which God has placed us?
Here’s the Breakdown
- If four (4) more people committed to $100 per month, and…
- Six (6) more people committed to $50 per month, and…
- Four (4) or five (5) more people committed to $25 per month, plus…
- The people who are already committing $700 per month, then…
- We would meet our financial goal for 2008!!!
Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us by committing $100 per month or more? Let us show you what God is doing in and through the ministry of Niños de Mexico and through us as a family, and then please consider:
In a nation conquered for many years, now free, yet still under much oppression, the Hope of Jesus Christ has been hidden, yet it is still being desperately sought. Statistics will tell you that nearly 98% of Mexico’s population is Christian (Catholic); yet, this number has been obscured by ancient Aztec and Mayan religious practices and beliefs. From my own personal experience in the culture, I would say that this number could very well be flipped in saying that 94% are non-believers; yet, very much religious… and about 3 – 4% is actually Christian, true Jesus Followers.
Niños de Mexico has hit the target! They have approached discipleship from a new level, which is also the level NHM is seeking. They are reaching the Nation of Mexico by its children. Not just any children, but the children who have lost hope, the children the world has hindered from coming to Christ Jesus with open arms.
Four (4) children’s homes, church planting ministries, medical ministries, Christian bilingual school for kindergarten, primary, secondary, and high school, and mountain outreach ministries, and all in the name of Christ Jesus. Right now we have several young adults in college, universities, bible colleges, and several have grown up to become pastors, professionals, missionaries, and more…
Right now, Tiffany is involved in the HUGS Child Sponsorship Program, doing translations work, as well as serving by my side in Substitute House Parenting. In fact, that is what we are doing at this very moment, which we will be here at the Agape House for a week while the regular parents are on vacation. Also, each Wednesday, Tiffany and I give our dear house parents of the Esperanza House a break. She is also a very busy full-time mommy to April and Matthias.
I am also the Primary School Principle. Some of my responsibilities include devotionals, grading workbooks, pre-tests, tests, giving bible memory work, and maintaining permanent records. I also am over discipline and discipleship in this area. In fact, anything that has to do with the primary school, I am responsible for. Right now, we are on “spring break,” which is a wonderful break for us teachers, as well as for the children.
Tiffany and I also enjoy participating from time to time in the Chilapa Medical Mission Trip. Chilapa is a small village located in the mountains outside of Mexico City. We are both learning to do injections!!! There are so many aspects to this ministry! And, through creative mission works like Niños, the Gospel of Jesus is transforming the Nation of Mexico, and nations all around the world!
Will you please prayerfully consider partnering with us in this exciting mission work? If so, please send all checks to:
Niños de Mexico, Inc.
P.O. Box 309
Union, MO 63084
Make Checks, written to: Niños de Mexico
And make note, by note or in check memo: For the Matthew Carmichael Family
Thank you for reading and thank you for your years of support for Tiffany and me! God be with you!
Matthew, Tiffany, April, and Matthias | | |
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Welcome Back!
Well, we are back now from the
great State of Missouri, and let me tell you, we had an excellent time with
family and friends, but... we are very glad to be back, doing what God has
called us to. Serving Him is the greatest adventure, I believe!
We are still staying busy…
Tiffany has been enjoying translating for the HUGS Child Sponsorship Program,
and her mommy skills have been tested… She is such a good mother to our
children. I thank my God for her. We are both also keeping very busy as
substitute house parents, which is quite exhausting at times. Deaf Ministry
Speaking of Tiffany… It has been
on her heart for some time now to learn Mexican Sign Language so that she in
turn can teach others, such as the children we minister to here at Niños. As
many of you know, she is fluent in American Sign Language; her college degree
is in this area of ministry. After many years, and what seemed like distant
dreams, God has finally placed her in the path of a couple who will, by the
grace of God, be able to teach her this new language. We were led by God to meet four
deaf people at Burger King, Juan and Karin, Eric and Lisi, and here in San
Vicente Chicoloapan, where we live. One of the things keeping Tiffany from
beginning this new venture is lack of resources. It’s not too feasible for her
to travel to downtown Mexico City, which is where she would need to go to learn
the most, so she really hasn’t had much opportunity. We thank God for this
opportunity for Tiffany, and we pray that all works out in accordance to His
timing. Also, Tiffany has been teaching
English to a young mother and teacher from our church to help her be able to
pass an English test in the spring. I am so proud of my wife! The way she
balances everything, always amazes me… I Am Sorry!
Ok, so I have heard many comments
from people as to why I have not written an update for quite some time. Well,
to be honest, I have been very busy in the school, and life has just seemed to
fly by since we got back from the States. So, I want to take this time to
apologize to each and every one of you. I will try to write more frequently. A Great Time With Family!
My parents and sister were able
to come down to visit with us for a week… this past week, actually. We had such
a great time! We were able to show them the great pyramids, see the Mexican
Palace and Great Cathedral, as well as walk around downtown, which was quite fun! I only wish time didn’t have to fly so fast... NHM A 501c3
In other good news, the ministry
Tiffany and I incorporated, No Hindrance Ministries, Inc., was given non-profit
status through IRS tax code 501c3 in December. After many long months, a LOT of
paper work, and not really knowing what I was doing… the hard work and
sleepless nights finally paid off! Now, what does this mean for NHM and you?
This means that all gifts received to the ministry of NHM are non-taxable, when
used for non-profit use, as well as all gifts given, such as when you give a
gift, are tax-deductible. This also means more paper work, but it is such a
blessing to have it done with… The Kids...
April and Matthias are growing
strong. Matthias is quite the little chunk, now. He eats 24/7, so it seams.
April is learning more and more words each and every day! They are so cute, the
two of them, and boy, does April love her baby boy, and does Matthias cherish
April! A Possible Move
We may be moving! Right now we
live in a one-bedroom studio apartment, and we may be moving to a two-bedroom,
one bath, kind-of house. Actually, they call it the Bungalow… its not much
bigger than what we have now, but I believe it will be good for us to have
something like our own house. My Parents, Moving...
My parents are moving to Denver
Colorado! I can’t believe it… Although I will miss Carthage, MO, I am very
excited for them… So, this summer we will be going to the States to speak to a
few camps in Missouri concerning Niños de Mexico, and instead of visiting my
parents in Carthage, we will have to go all the way to Colorado. It is a little
further away, but Colorado is very special to Tiffany and me, as this is where
we celebrated our honeymoon… hopefully we will be able to go back to the small
cabin in the mountains where we stayed… we’ll see. Wreck Update
So you all know… the children who
were involved in the van wreck back a few months ago, they are all recovering
nicely. It is such a blessing to see how grateful they are to still be alive.
Please continue to keep all the children in your prayers, as the events of
their past, and cultural pressures continue to haunt and tempt them. This is a
difficult ministry at times; yet a beautiful and blessed ministry as well... Chilapa Mission
Tiffany and I were blessed to be
able to participate in the Chilapa Medical Mission together in the month of
February! We had such a good time, and we are both learning to give injections!
Well, it is such a blessing to be able to work along side my wife in ministry…
There are not many positions that would allow that sort of thing. Thank you
God! Let Us Know If You Want Us To Come Visit Your Church, Camps, or VBS
I had better leave you now, and I
will write more at a later date! Keep on serving Jesus, and never look back! We
hope to see you all very soon, if the Lord permits. If, by any chance, your
church, camps, or VBS would like to sponsor us as your missionaries this
summer, representing Niños de Mexico, please let us know ASAP! Our summer is
filling up fast! God be with you all! We love you all! Matthew, Tiffany, April, and
Matthias Carmichael | | |
| These have been a crazy past few weeks, in the sense that they have passed rather quickly. It seems as if August just got here, and now we are approaching Christmas in the month of December! The Lord is good, and He has been keeping us busy… a "good" busy, yet our family is more than ready to pack our bags, head for the airport, and meet our families in Missouri to celebrate the holidays together. No one on either side has ever met Matthias, and some have yet to see him via Internet. It will be a good Christmas, yes… very good.
School days will be over soon… Not only are the children ready, but so am I. We have had a few three-day weekends, but for the most part we have been going strong since school started September 4th of this year. We are more than ready for a break! Thank the Lord its coming quickly!
We celebrated Thanksgiving Day together as one BIG Niños de Mexico Family. There were over 100 invites, and we ate a traditional dinner with hot salsa included for our Mexican family members. It was quite the day with over 10 large smoked turkeys and many mouthwatering sweets to eat. The children were not, however, all that crazy about American food, but that just left more for us.
My class of 18 children, my secretary, Betty, and I have been spending the past few weeks decorating our class room for Christmas. The children love it! We waited and waited to put up the tree, and when the day finally arrived, the only tree we could find was a 1930’s artificial Christmas tree… you know the kind… the one with the wooden stick, little wholes, and about 100 tree branches to fit into those "little" wholes. When it was all said and done, it ended up looking worse… don’t tell the kids this… than the “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” tree… you know the one. Yet, the children couldn't be happier!
We are preparing for our end of semester Christmas party. I am in charge of leading the school in a few Christmas Songs… We’ll see how that goes. Anyway, my students have been preparing to sing “Noche de Paz (Silent Night)” and “Solo de Jesus la Sangre (Nothing but the Blood of Jesus).” I am so proud of the little guys; I could jump up and down! They each sing so beautifully… but when you put them all together, you can’t help but want to do solo tryouts instead… Let’s just say they haven’t yet grasped the idea of a “choir” singing together as one voice. I do love the little ones.
Speaking of being proud… so far, each of my students has memorized 1 Corinthians 13 and John 3… Not only have they memorized them, but they can stand in front of everyone and quote them by memory word for word! I am telling you what; it blesses my soul to hear the Word of God from the lips of little children. There is one little boy, Moises, who is only eight, but he is always so excited to say his verses… the only problem is, he sometimes switches words, phrases, and meanings around… ok, a lot of the time, which makes Nicodemus appear to be the "Light" and Jesus doesn’t "understand" anything as a teacher of the law… read John 3 if you don’t get it. Oh, and according to Moises’ version of 1 Corinthians 13, love does not rejoice in the truth and isn’t very patient. Oh well, we always get a good laugh out of it.
Matthias is growing super strong, and his lungs even stronger! All that praying that God might strengthen his lungs after having breathing problems at birth has truly been heard. So, for all of you who are "still" praying for his lungs, please stop now. Rather, pray that he might start sleeping through the night instead... His cry is just so loud! No, really, he and April are both a blessing and a joy!
Speaking of April… she wrote her very own song the other day. She picked up an old plastic cream container with its lid still on, began to pat out a rhythm and sing, “paaapá, paaapá, paaapá.” I believe it may have been her very own rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy.” I'm not too sure about that.
Tiffany has been running around the house like a mad woman trying to keep April occupied, Matthias happy, and the house clean. Besides all that, she works on ministry as a translator for the HUGS program here at Niños de Mexico, or the child sponsorship program. She also works alongside me as a substitute house parent once a week. So, as you can imagine, she is ready for a Christmas break and a little help from the family.
I myself am a little exhausted, but my spirit is high in the Lord! I too am ready for a break, yet eager to get back to serving Him in Mexico.
Tiffany and I just want to thank you for all your prayers, love, and support! God be with you this Christmas Season, and may you all have a Happy New Year!
Love in Christ Jesus,
The Carmichael Family: Matthew, Tiffany, April, and Matthias | | |
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