Our dog Bonnie has been checking out the new tile that Jose put down on the front porch. This broken tile design reminds me of a crazy quilt pattern. It is a great way to use your leftover pieces.

We hope you are enjoying your summer. Our weather has changed from extremely dry to extremely wet! There was no in-between. The life-giving rainwater produced an amazing transformation on the terrain here. The vegetation changed from dead or dying to living and thriving! This reminds me of the story of the woman at the well in John chapter 4. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “I am the Living Water anyone who drinks of Me will have eternal life”. Jesus has the power to take us from death to life eternal, and that is an amazing transformation!

Life has been rather routine here for the past month. Our soil is a sticky clay mixture. The big challenge has been trying to get the property mowed without getting stuck in the mud! Also, in the constant high humidity, it is a challenge to keep mold out of the house and to get the laundry dry!  

The Ladies’ Bible study group has started up again after taking a short summer break. We are now meeting on Monday nights and I really enjoy studying the Word with this small group of ladies from various backgrounds. Our discussions are lively and interesting. The men’s prayer breakfast attendance is back up. It is so encouraging to see this band of praying men grow in their prayer lives and friendships.

One of our prayer requests is for others to help with work here. Over the past few months, there have been two men that we have hired part-time. Both of them love The Lord, but they come from very different backgrounds. Like many middle-aged men here, over the years they have worked at various jobs, gaining knowledge and experience in different fields. Peter Enns has been a farmer and is an excellent mechanic. He is married and has three children. They were chased out of Mexico by the cartel and they recently moved to the nearby town of Spanish Lookout. Jose Medina who is skilled in bodywork, welding, carpentry, and fishing, and is a chef of Belizean cuisine! Jose stays with us during the week. He has a number of family members all over Belize including his mother, siblings, his seven grown children, and grandchildren that he enjoys visiting and helps them out when needed. He really enjoys going to church with us.

My new right hip is doing great! As I was already aware, the left one is bad too and I’m having increasing pain. I have an appointment with my orthopedic doctor at the end of September to check on my progress and decide what is next.

Here are some prayer requests for this month.

• Praise for our continued good health & prayer for wisdom as I meet with my orthopedic doctor.
• Pray for wisdom as we interact with the different cultures around us.
• Praying for two young interns to train under Jose and Peter.
• Continued prayer regarding making plans for the future shipments from Pennsylvania.
• Praise that Henry Thiesen has completed his cancer treatment in Mexico. Now they are back home where they will wait and pray for good results from the treatment.

We appreciate all of you very much. It is always a joy to hear from you too. If you have prayer requests please send them to us so that we can join you in prayer. 

Blessings Nancy & Andy Merrick