April was full of amazing weather and hard working people!
Blessings abound!!

MCA Team…These folks did a round of painting and other small work projects and then we had fun! They always bring so many wonderful things for us all. The clothing and gifts were all perfect and then they took the orphans shoe shopping and everyone got new shoes, too. Plus…pizza, parks, playgrounds, tacos and burgers. A great Easter week for everyone! Thanks to all who helped these young people make this trip. I listened to their testimonies and weeks end and am so blessed to hear all the things that God taught them while they were with us. PTL

Swine Flu Update…So many of my faithful prayer warriors have asked about the flu scare recently. That is just what is was…a scare. I cannot believe what the media can do these days! No one can assure anyone of their personal safety. We never know what the next day will bring. I have learned though, that we are only as safe as we are obedient. In other words, go in faith or stay in faith…knowing that is what God wants you to do. So, please continue to hold us up in prayer. For our safety, yes, but more than, pray that we will be obedient to God’s direction day by day.

Hechos…Plans are continuing for our summer outreach, July 13-22. We should have about 40 American teens and the same number of Mexicans who will be challenged and encouraged for the first 5 days of a mission conference. Then they will all spend 5 days on the streets working with local churches evangelizing their neighborhood. Everyone is a missionary! I love it! Please pray for those who will attend and the folks they will be reaching., as well as all who are/will be working so hard to make it all happen!

It is a continual joy and privilege to be in partnership with each of you…
serving the Lord together!
Our love to you all,
Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey, Ryan, Molly, Max and Sofie

Spring has sprung here in Zacatecas.

Read on and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

MCA Work Team…

We have had nicer weather this month than we often get in our summer. It was perfect for our team from MCA in Minneapolis. They took the casa kids out to the “la quemada” (where pre-Aztec ruins are being excavated… 30 minutes west of us) and spent the day flying kites, climbing and picnicking. One of the boys said later “it was my best day ever!”

They also got a lot of work done. They prepped and painted the room we want to use for a kitchen at the church and beautified the orphanage living room and bathrooms. What a blessing and encouragement these young people are to all of us!

Casa Hogar…

God is faithful, as always, and we have our three new little girls. They are from a Huichol village and are so tiny and darling! Sofia is two, Sarai is three and the oldest, Yesica is just four. (if you are on facebook, check out their photos!)

Some of you all have been praying with us for these precious girls to arrive. The girls at the casa have totally taken them under their wings. It is so cute to watch them be “little mommies’ to them all. I thought that America (4) might be jealous but she acts like a big sister to them, too! We have been told there are two more children coming. We’ll see what God brings.

My Travels…

This month Lauren and I will head down to the schools in Honduras, then Guatemala and finally in El Salvador. Please pray for God to use us and prepare the hearts of the students and staff of each school. These kids are being prepared to take their rightful place in God’s plan for missionaries to the world and leaders in Latin America.

Africa…

The trip to Guinea Bissau has been postponed until September. I was not even able to get some of the inoculations for Africa here in Zacatecas and my board was not in total agreement about me making the trip.  We’ll see how God leads in the fall!

We are still trying to fill a container with used instruments and anything else that a school might need. Please let me know if you have anything you can donate. It is difficult to impossible to buy most things we need in that country. You can send them down to us in Houston. I know that God will honor your gifts! Send to:

CanZion

      Att: Esteban Vazquez

914 W. Greens Road

      Houston, TX 77067

      Phone: 281-873-5080

Your faithful prayers and unending support is amazing! What a tremendous gift you are to us! As you pray for us here in Mexico, so we too pray for you there in the USA. God has a plan! Our love to

 you all,

     Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey, Ryan, Molly, Max and Sofie

We had a very busy and wonderful July. Thank you for prayerfully joining us down here!

Terremoto…
July means “Terremoto” to those involved in our ministry, whether in prayer or in person! We tried something new this year and had the teams working in specific areas of the city instead of downtown doing their ministry. It was a huge success! We had 23 kids that came from LWCC and then mixed with the Mexican kids to form two teams. The first team worked, literally, cleaning the streets and entertaining the kids…in an area where we have 4 families already. Heather ran that team with Brandon Lyles and they made so many wonderful contacts. Several of them have already been to church. Horacio and April Freeman’s team went to a totally un-reached part of town. So new they just got electricity last month! The people there were so receptive as the team cleaned their muddy streets and played with their children. They brought some form of food and drink every day, too. We have an open door there now, as the “neighborhood president” told Horacio. Many of those kids are in VBS this week. PTL!

Baby Update…
Katy is feeling great and very pregnant. Little “Sofia” is ready and waiting to be born. Our little Max will be nine months old on the 12 of August. Maybe she wants to share the date???

Falling Down…
I know a lot of you heard through emails and prayer chains that I hit my head during Terremoto and am still recovering. I thank God for Sunday Burquest who found me unconscious. It was so comforting to “come to” hearing her storm the heavens on my behalf!  The doctors did a CAT scan and x-rays and declared that I had a severe concussion. My neck seems to be the most problematic as it was broken in the first accident 20 years ago now.  But, I will heal. I am doing so much better already. Thank you all for your prayers! One really neat thing… An old friend from CA called her son at camp to ask what happened that night. She said God woke her up to pray at the exact hour I was lying on the floor. Wow…she said it had never happened to her before. So if God wakes you up to pray for someone, please do!

Onward…
August started out plenty busy, too, with Emiliano here for 10 days (you might remember that he did an 18 month internship here before) and Heather’s twin younger sisters. VBS is this week (88 kids today!) and then Heather and I head to the border. I need to renew my car papers, visit Suzanne up in Gatesville and then be with her husband, Minot, while he has surgery in San Antonio. We will get back just in time to welcome Jojo Brown, from MN, who will do a 3 month “tour” with us. Heather leaves at the end of the month. She heads to a 10/40 window/tribal training school in Oaxaca, MX. We will miss her so much but always pray that God would take these young people that spend time here and use them where He chooses. We bless her as she goes.
We never stop praising God for all that He gives us through you!

Our love to you all,
Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey, Ryan, Molly and Max

Our cup overflows!!
What rich blessings God gives us through you all…read on and see!

Texas Team…
Incredible! They hit town in dribbles and spurts. Just about every vehicle they had broke down or over heated on the way from San Antonio so the first group arrived 5 hours late. (1:30 am!) those poor people! The next shift did not get in until 3:00 am and then…one more vehicle broke down on the way up the mountain and they had to rent a 3 ton truck to get them up there! But, not one complaint from any of them. And, it was hot! 105 some days! Still, the 4 buildings are beautiful and totally finished. God helped them all, they said. Pastor Shawn told us afterwards that he felt like he was walking out the book of Acts as he watched the people in Noe’s village come to the Lord, and begin to lay hands on each other and pray!  Miraculous stuff up there! God is so good!

The team here was an equal blessing as they did the prisons (40 salvations at the men’s prison on family day), hospital and worked with the casa and church kids, too. Thank you all for praying!

“New” Van!…
My daughter Anissa and her girls drove the new/used minivan down to us with the help of our new friend, Linda. We will be able to legalize it soon. God is so faithful! Heather is already hauling the casa kids all over town with it! We are grateful to those who helped us buy it. SGT missions gave toward it and some folks from JP, too. This enabled us to pay it off and have some funds to pay for driving it down. PTL!

More Blessings…
Last week Scott Forsmith and his family arrived from NY. He has been doing a marriage and family conference and also individual counseling. What a blessing they all are! Horacio and Katy are so grateful for their help with our church family and we are enjoying them so very much. Many many thanks to those who helped send them!

Terremoto…
It starts on the 11th for me. We are trying a new format this year. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what God does with these young people and in the towns where they will work. I am so happy to have a big group coming down from LWCC in MN. We surely would appreciate your prayers.

More Praises & Prayers…
Katy is due mid July so we ask prayer for a safe and healthy delivery. Huge answer to prayer…God is sending not one but two interns down this fall. Katy will have help with teaching and extra help with the casa kids and for me, too! PTL!

Please keep praying for Suzanne and Jeremy…the hearing did not go the way we’d hoped but we believe that God is changing hearts anyway! All the Glory will be to the Lord!
We appreciate your faithful support and love so very much!
Our love to you all,
Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey, Ryan, Molly and Max

Summers are so busy…and so blessed!
Join us in praying and rejoicing, won’t you!

Baby Dedications…
What a day! We dedicated 14 children, 8 of whom had been born in the past 6 months! We are growing as a church, and, from the inside out, too! Included were our precious little Max  along with his cousin, Maki Jane, Gustavo’s baby. Please pray for our church family to have continued boldness in declaring His love.

Baptism…
Our annual church picnic/baptism was the 25th of May. Horacio baptized about 15 new believers and the entire day was a rousing success. PTL!

La Sierra…
We have a team from San Antonio coming on the 20th. More than 60 of them are going up to build houses for Noe and Maritiza. (where Heather worked last fall).  They will build two small houses and hook them together for the family, build one for the church and one for the local clinic. What a blessing! Our church is sending up a cook team ahead of time and about 10 more to help build. What a testimony to that whole area! About 15 of the S.A. team will stay here and help at the casa, prison, etc. Please pray for safety for all and lots of opportunities to share the Lord.

CanZion Institutes…
What a blessed time we had in Sacramento for our annual “Xtreme Week”. We are doing these in all four regions now as none of the directors can get to all the schools each year anymore.  We had students from the four schools in CA, Washington, DC, Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC, Mc Allen, TX, Tampa, FL, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, too! About 350 were able to attend for games and competition, and for wonderful teachings and concerts. We all got to be a part of a recording, too. Fun!

But, the best was the new emphasis on foreign missions. God is so faithful! We have the team set up to go to Guinea Bissau in November and we will open in Mozambique, also. One of our students took her first “scouting trip” to India. She worked with a church in Calcutta with an Argentinean pastor and they want a school there! So onward and upward!! (I am so excited!!) Please keep praying for all of us. The enemy hates this idea of reaching the ‘”ends of the earth”, but, we know it is God’s mandate!

Terremoto…
Plans are in motion for a great week. Please pray! Katy is due on the 16th, right in the middle of camp! We will miss having their terrific help this year but are believing God for a perfect baby girl and no complications!
He is Mighty, Magnificent…Our Wonderful Lord! May this truth make your hearts jump for joy!

Our love to you all,
Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey, Ryan, Molly and Max

Happy spring!  Zacatecas is in full bloom summer right now! I returned from the trip to find my basil half grown and my tomatoes and cukes well on their way, too. Watching what God does with a seed (and my grandkids) is amazing to me!

Travels…
The SGT conference in New York was great, as always! The FCA conference was held in Mpls. this year and it, too, was such a wonderful time of fellowship and teaching. God always uses these meetings to “refuel” those of us who work on foreign fields. PTL!

Casa Hogar…
Our new family of four children did not stay long. Their mother said she just missed them too much and would take a lesser paying job in order to stay together. Thank the Lord for that! They were great kids. Now, we are looking forward to see who else God has planned to join our Zacatecas family!

Roca Eterna Church…
The next baptism is planned for May 25. We have quite a few new families so it will be a blessing for everyone. Horacio and Katy plan the church picnic to coincide with the baptisms as there is a small pool at the ranch they rent for the events. Everyone looks forward to this special day. Our family in Christ is growing! Thank you for your prayers!

CanZion Institutes…
We have our next big regional “Extreme Week” in Sacramento this month. It is a “coming together” of the students – as many as can make it – from all over the U.S. We have some great ministers and singers scheduled to be with us and Marcos Witt always spends at least a day with the students. Please pray for travel safety for all involved. Some of the other regions (So America, Central America) will be doing missions trips this year instead of conferences. Praise God for such progress!!

Katy and Horacio…
Well, the doc now tells us Katy is going to have a girl. She and baby Max will be 8 months apart. Fun! We are still asking God to supply a teacher for this next year so do, please, pray with us.

Heather…
With our blessing, she will be leaving for a 10/40 missions training school in the fall. We will miss her but believe that God has some very exciting things for her
future. Please continue to hold Heather up in prayer as she walks and works out the rest of her time here with us.
We praise Him not only for what He does do, but what He can do!

Our love to you all,
Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey, Ryan, Molly and Max

Greetings from Zacatecas!
We are thanking God for all He accomplished here this month. We have great praises to report to you all!

Roca Eterna…
We were involved with our church missions conference during the first few days of March. It was so amazing to see how God worked on the hearts of our congregation. We raised over $1,600 dollars for our missionaries in Turkey, China, the mountains in Mexico and for local missions. That is more incredible when you realize that the minimum wage here is less than $5 dollars a day. God’s provision does not depend on the local economy, PTL!

Zacatecas…
The second weekend in March Heather and I went to Petetlan, Guerrero, where I was privileged to speak at a women’s conference.  It was so encouraging for us both to be with the Snyder family who have worked in that area for many years. They are part of the FCA, too, and it really blessed us to see how God has used them there. I spoke at the first church they founded on Sunday morning and then at their current church plant on Sunday evening.  I loved it. It is right on the pacific coast so we even got to spend a day a the beach. (Yes, life is tough on the missions field…ha!)

Easter Team…
The MCA team arrived on the 15th and did their “magic” for the next week. This team got so much done that we had to find things to keep them busy the last day! They painted the entire orphanage, upstairs and down, painted an entire high school exterior, finished painting my back patio and cleaned the church windows! Besides all that they took the orphans out each night to do something special. No wonder they are so loved?!? They are such great kids. Just to listen to them pray made me weep. We are so grateful to Anissa and the other leaders who work so hard to make this trip possible.

Travel Plans…
In April we will be doing some more traveling. First to NY for the SGT missions conference, which is always such a time of refreshing and encouragement for me. From there we head on to Minnesota for the FCA conference. Someone gave me a gift that made this trip possible and I am so grateful.  This trip will be short but I am looking forward to seeing many friends and loved ones. It is time for a few more medical exams for me so I would certainly appreciate your prayers as well.

Special Prayer Request…
April may be a crucial month for Suzanne.  Please pray! The appeals court normally responds within 6 months of the oral argument and that date falls this month. Negotiating for contact with Jeremy is ongoing this month also. We know that God has His plan to get Glory in this situation.

Thank you for praying!
God is for us…and He is only good. May these powerful truths soak into your hearts.

Our love to you all,
Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey, Ryan, Molly and Max

Happy Easter! It comes early this year! I love celebrating Easter. It is more important than Christmas to most Catholics here so it is a very big deal. A time for each of us to remember what Jesus really did  for us so long ago on that hill of Golgotha.

Easter Team…
The kids from MCA in MN will be with us again for “Holy Week”. We all look forward to having them. They are such a big help with the casa kids during their vacation and also do lots of extra work projects that we never seem to find the time for anymore. Please pray that the Lord work in them and through them again this year. They will be doing some service  projects that are such a testimony to the folks in this city.

Roca Eterna…
The yearly missions conference for Horacio and Katy’s church was the first weekend in March. What a wonderful time we had! Pastor Rich Collingridge, the missions pastor from the NY church was the main speaker. Pastor Rich spoke on Saturday night on the mandates of missions and then we had our International dinner. What a feast! Our church people had made food from 16 different countries! Sunday am, Pastor Rich concluded with a call to the altar for those who felt called to go and to those who would commit to help them go. Such a wonderful response! God is so good!  The church raised over $1,400 dollars a month for their missionaries in Turkey, China, a tribe in Mexico and the casa hogar moms. That evening we concluded with a concert and testimony by one of Mexico’s first Christian recording artists, Juan Romero. A great weekend!

Zacatecas…
Katy is doing well with this pregnancy…even with Max nearly 5 months old, already. (What a little doll he is!) We continue to ask the Lord to supply a teacher for Katy and Horacio’s children for this next fall. Please pray with us. We also need prayer for the young couple that had hoped to already be moved down here to help us out in the ministry. Geno and Krista have been unable to sell their house and it is the “fleece” they are looking to for the go-ahead from the Lord to move on down. They need to make a decision by April. Please pray for them.

Travel Prayers…
Heather and I will be in Petetlan, near Zihuatenjeo,  for a women’s conference (March 6-8) I’d surely appreciate your prayers as I will be speaking 4 times in two days…some kind of record for me, I am sure! I just want to be used by the Lord to bless these women.

More Prayer Requests…
There are several steps we could take as a church this next fall including, but not limited to;
**opening a day care center
**starting a missions school
**opening a prayer room (for daily use)
We need the wisdom of the Lord regarding all of these and if the Lord leads we need the right people to help with them. Pray, please.

Thank you for praying for us! Your prayers and support are what keep us going. As you are praying for us, so we pray for each of you.

Our love to you all,
Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey, Ryan, Molly and Max

Greetings from wonderful Zacatecas! Once again we are rejoicing over all that God is doing in and through us this month!

Work Teams…
January was a fun month for everyone as the MCA team was here. They worked all morning (painting,
repairing things, cleaning) and then took the kids from the orphanage every afternoon to do something entertaining and give the “moms” there a rest, too. They brought a lot of clothing and goodies for the kids again this year. It was great to have former “chaperons” come back again this year along with a wonderful new couple, too. They got so much done and were such a blessing! Steve McIntosh preached on Wednesday night and our church loved it.

The JP team arrived on the 1st of February and have completed some projects that the other group started. They also gave Horacio and Katy’s house a make over. They brought clothing and gifts for a big birthday party, where each child is singled out for a special gift from his or her sponsor!! They did an outreach at the local hospital (they made and gave away 100 sandwiches and as many apples) opening doors for prayer by offering food first. They prayed with so many people! God is good! Janine Bear spoke on Sunday and Wednesday that week and really challenged the folks in their walk of faith.

Kathy Worre…
We are all rejoicing with the news that my sister, Kathy, is no longer on the kidney transplant list! Her kidney function miraculously improved dramatically and the docs say there is no reason. But, we know, personally, THE REASON! Thank you, Jesus, for answered prayer on her behalf.

Roca Eterna…
We are all looking forward to our own church’s missions conference at the end of this month. Rich Collingridge, from SGT in NY, will be the featured speaker, and we will have a group of “Huichol”  Indians singing and playing on one of the nights. (This is the same tribe of people that Heather worked with in the mountains…but from a different area that has been evangelized for a lot longer.)

Teacher Wanted…
Katy is still praying for a teacher to help her with her own children. Now, with Max needing more attention at 3 months and she being 4 months pregnant, we are believing God will send someone who wants to help out in this way. Please pray with us about this need.

Suzanne’s Update…
Heather and I may get to spend a weekend visiting Suzanne this month when we take my car to the border for papers. Please continue to hold her up in prayer.

We thank each of you for your faithful prayers, love and support. We praise God for you!
Lee Anne, Katy, Horacio, Kasey Lee, Ryan, Molly and Max