THE SANTIAGOS Spring 2024

27 March 2024

Dear all,

Sorry that our regular autumn newsletter got lost in the busyness of this 2023-24 academic year. We had intended to send it out in December 2023, but it seems we will barely make it in time for Easter 2024!

Happy Easter!

With both the children and the church growing fast, we are finding the demands on our time more challenging than ever before. We are working on making the necessary adjustments so we can keep up with our responsibilities (including keeping you well informed), but for the moment we’ll try our best to update you on what has been going on without overwhelming you! Beginning with:

The Family

You may remember that Laila is now studying at a music school in the city centre and traveling by bus Monday through Thursday to attend classes. Our worries about her safety have lessened somewhat as we get used to her being gone. As long as she is back while it is still light we feel ok. We usually take her and collect her from the bus terminal, about 10min drive from the house by car and she shares her location via WhatsApp while she travels.

Laila is greatly enjoying her independence and her new circle of friends. As well as studying the history and the theory of music, she has discovered her love of singing and last week she performed Mozart’s Coronation Mass in C major with her choir, which sounded wonderful! (Listen here) We are very grateful that she is motivated and happy after the emotional lows of 2021-2022.

Her music school —part of the state university system BUAP— is in one of the most beautiful parts of the city and fairly close to the Arts Faculty, where Laila joins an IFES (Compa) Bible study group, which she even helps lead every other week together with her friend Ana under the supervision of Susi, the Compa staff member for Puebla city.

As well as her music studies Laila has to finish her bachillerato (high school), but she is doing this online. To help her stay on track and to avoid tension at home, we have enlisted the help of Ximena —a newly graduated young woman from church— who is proving to be a very encouraging influence. Laila’s friend Luna (who lives 5min down the road) also joins them twice a week for tutorials. On Fridays Laila and Luna catch the bus together to attend another Compa Bible study for high school students which is held at the Ekklesia church house. It’s been wonderful to see Luna’s growing interest in learning about Jesus. She has actually signed up to attend the regional Compa Bible camp with Laila just a few days before Easter. Please pray for Luna and her family who we have known for a long time and who are close friends. May the Lord reveal himself to them.

At the end of February Laila took part in a dramatization of the Gospel of Mark with other students that attend Compa Bible studies across the city. It was especially exciting that they were given permission to do a show in the BUAP university’s Faculty of Arts courtyard on Monday 4 March. There were a number of arts students who listened and asked questions at the end. We pray some of them will be able to follow up and respond to the Gospel as a result.

Moti (Timoteo) and Agus continue to study at home using the secondary homeschool platform/community that Laila used before them. It is not a perfect system, but on the whole it serves its purpose, and it encourages independent research and critical thinking, which we like. It is not, however, completely free of the noxious cultural influences of our moment —namely gender ideology. In a way our situation is not that different to what parents in other parts of the world have to contend with, but we are definitely less oppressed by the system and have more freedom to make decisions —one of the ironically positive side-effects of a hugely underfunded and largely incompetent Mexican education department.

"our situation is not that different to what parents in other parts of the world have to contend with..."

Whatever the lacks may be, Timoteo continues to do well at all things academic. Next school year he will have to learn better time management and develop his social skills as he is set to attend an ‘in person’ high school. He has passed the preliminary selection process for a school (also part of the BUAP state university system) where, if finally accepted, he will be able to study under the International Baccalaureate system. It is the best state option available to us in Puebla, and it required an effort both on Moti's part and ours. He had to go through a very competitive exam and interview process; Rebeca had to make an emergency day-trip to San Antonio, Texas, to collect a school certificate which was needed for the selection process.

Moti continues to study piano with the same teacher, who regularly encourages him to enter music competitions. He is also learning German this year and making quick progress. In fact, there really isn’t much that Timoteo won’t excel at if he sets his mind to it. We’re praying for the right opportunities for him, but also for friends and that he may enjoy what he does.

Agus has stepped up his act for secondary school and is managing to stay on top of the work. He enjoys interacting with his ‘classmates' online, and is looking forward to meeting some of them in person at a school camp in May. Above all, Agus is a social creature. He joined a basketball team in October and now attends practice three times a week. Trying to fit in within a large group of about twenty teenagers is not that easy —partly because he is the youngest and partly because he does not yet posses the basketball skills necessary— but he is not giving up and that is to his credit. He’s only twelve, but he is definitely an adolescent now. At the end of 2023 he decided it was time to ‘graduate’ from the church’s children’s group and sit in for Fabian’s Bible expositions on Sundays. A few months ago we would not have believed him able to listen for a whole hour whilst sitting still, but he has proved us wrong.

Our lovely dog, Kofi, had an unfortunate accident in August and hurt her front right leg. There were no fractures, but her ligament was affected and whenever she makes an effort and runs too much she starts limping again. We don’t know if there is a solution, but given how expensive it is to even consider an operation we are waiting to see if it mends on its own. In the meantime she’s been putting on weight because she can’t exercise as much as she used to.

For us parents this school year has proved challenging because we have more activities and more comings and goings driving the children around (though we are slowly teaching them to become more independent). Our own work commitments and the use of a single car at times stretches our time to the limit. We are grateful that Max, our next door neighbour and brother in Christ, often lends us his car for short drives to the bus station and back when activities overlap. Our plan is to get at least another bicycle (only Rebeca has one) to use when we have activities within Cholula —for example for Agus’ basketball training— but anything further afield in Puebla requires faster transport.

In fact, we are at a point where we need to purchase a newer car, as the one we have has not passed the various tests even after repairs. Though we are not forbidden to use it as it is we do run the risk of being fined, so we have been putting aside some money from what you have generously given to purchase a newer SUV (perhaps a 5 or 6 year-old car). An SUV is a must in a country full of unannounced speed bumps and potholes. We estimate we have about half of what we need, and will continue to save up until we can make the change. Do let us know if you would like to help with this need.

Please continue to pray for us as we get used to a busier schedule both with the family and with church and other work (as you will shortly read about). At the beginning of the academic year we were hoping the children would be able to pull their weight with housework more, but the reality is that they also struggle to find time during the week as the demands of their academic work increase. They can only really help on Saturdays. Fabián’s busier schedule from March onward will also make it harder for him to do the housework he currently does (all the laundry!). We would like to pay someone to come help us two mornings a week so we can stay on top of things. Do pray that our monthly budget will stretch that far.

We are very grateful to the Lord for the work he allows us to do —there are very few with the privilege of working in ministry full-time here in Mexico— but we are mindful that we need to manage our time better and find moments for rest. Please pray that we will be able to schedule time off as this is definitely ‘our Achilles’ heel’. Tiredness can very quickly change our perspective from one of gratefulness to one of resentment or grumbling, and we don’t want that to become commonplace.

Ekklesia

Over the last few months a number of new people have joined the congregation and we regularly have 40 people attending Sunday services. The demographics of the congregation has noticeably changed from our first years, when the great majority of people in Ekklesia were students or young professionals. Though we still have a handful of university students and quite a few single people in their 20s and 30s, the congregation now includes some older couples in their 40s-60s, a handful of young married couples, a few teenagers (including ours) and 5 children attending weekly. Rebeca likes to boast that in Ekklesia we have the most knowledgeable children on the book of Revelation, since they studied exactly the same passages as the grown-ups while we were going through our series on Revelation (see some photos of their work here).

The Revelation teaching series, which Fabián taught, took up most of 2023, with breaks for Easter and our summer series on King David. We learned a great deal during that time and some church members who had expressed their ‘fear’ of the Apocalypse of John were very encouraged in the end after coming to understand the purpose and themes of the book. We now record all the weekly Bible expositions by Fabián, so you can watch the series here. In fact, you may remember that Fabián’s PhD dissertation was on Revelation, and that it was published by Langham Monographs in 2020 (still available here).

We began 2024 with a new series on Abraham and Sarah (Génesis 11-25) entitled ‘To Walk with Faith in The LORD’ which we will finish just in time for the summer.

Throughout the year we have held special events, such as a talent show in October to raise funds for Compa, a carol service in December for Christmas, and a student outreach event in February. Though some guests came to these events, the majority of those who have joined the congregation recently have done so via the personal invitation or recommendation of a trusted friend. The best evangelism, we find, is always relational.

Our weekly church activities include the mid-week prayer meeting on Zoom —with a handful of very faithful attendees�� and the women’s group on Thursday mornings. More than half of the women who join us for the group come from other churches or don’t yet attend a church. We record our Bible studies to share as podcasts with a wider audience (listen here). It is a great encouragement to take time out to read Scripture together, and to listen and pray for one another. It feels like a pressure valve that lets out a little steam so we can carry on with the demands of the week…

Sunday, of course, is the day when most of the church comes together. The growth in numbers has been especially noticeable since we moved the main meeting to the morning back in May 2023. Despite some people moving on or returning to their place of origin, the congregation is now considerably larger. The next baptism service will take place on Pentecost Sunday with Max, Ximena and Elizabeth (a mum of three who has joined us recently) set to be baptised. Others may join them also, but we will know exactly who after we run the baptism preparation sessions in late April.

(See some more Ekklesia photos here)

"Despite some people moving on or returning to their place of origin, the congregation is now considerably larger..."

All the young people who took the marriage preparation course last year are now married. Richie and Keila were the last ones to tie the knot at the end of January, which was a lovely occasion for the church. Since their jobs are in Puebla they remain part of our community, but Benjamin and Erika moved to Oaxaca in January hoping for work opportunities in the arts (they studied filmmaking), thus leaving the leadership team. The leadership is now made up of just four of us: Fabián, Rebeca, Karla and Vania. We are genuinely grateful for the team, but we are praying for more coworkers committed to serving within the church. May the Lord show us if these are to be found among those who recently joined the congregation.

One of the challenges for the church in the next few months will be finding a larger space to meet in, or adapting the one we use now. In an ideal world we would like to rent the house next door, which belongs to the same landlord and has what we lack: a larger meeting room (with an independent apartment above) and a nice garden for the children to run around in. The teenagers also would appreciate having their own room for a parallel Bible teaching session more suited for them. The idea would be to keep the space we have, which is very welcoming and well placed geographically, and rent the next door property too.

The practical tasks needed to serve our growing congregation, together with the admin requirements of the non-profit organisation we set up in August 2020, mean our workload on top of our teaching and pastoral work is considerable. We are praying that we’ll soon be able to enlist the help of a person for admin and/or audiovisual/social media support. As a registered A.C. (Asociación Civil) we are elegible to receive students for work placement from the local university —a sort of compulsory volunteering service (!!!). This would be a good option since, for the moment, church giving only covers the cost of renting the house and paying for bills. We will, however, have to encourage generosity among members in the next few months in order to rent a bigger space or make the adjustments our current one may require.

Other contexts

A few months ago Fabián was approached to teach a course for Calvin Theological Seminary who have launched an online masters in leadership formation for Spanish speakers (see here). The course, which began the first week of March and is entitled Analytical Skills, includes segments on Biblical Studies, Theology and Philosophy and is fairly demanding. For the duration of the 8-week course Fabián must upload two video lectures each week, lead a three-hour interactive seminar-style session on Monday evenings, and be available for two 90min tutorial ‘Zoom drop-ins’ on Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings. Though we are grateful for the additional income, the pay still does not reflect just how much work Fabián puts in to prepare the content and mark the work after the course is finished. He’s doing this whilst maintaining his teaching at Ekklesia, so there have been many late nights in the past few weeks. However, Fabián greatly enjoys the interaction with the forty or so students that are taking the course, and we expect the teaching the second time around to be less demanding, since much of the material will be ready. Please pray for Fabián, that he’ll be able to bear the workload, especially for this first group of students.

"Fabián greatly enjoys the interaction with the forty or so students that are taking the course..."

Our collaboration with Compa (IFES México) continues. This time Fabián had to turn down an invitation to teach at the regional student camp due to his commitment at Calvin, but Rebeca contributed to a forum on sexuality and relationships with a brief address and with answers to questions from students. The camp took place from 24 to 27 march, just ahead of Easter.

Ekklesia has been great at supporting Compa as a church in many practical ways recently. From allowing students the use of the church house for Bible studies —and other activities— to raising funds for the regional camp and staff members’ salaries. And of course many of our younger church members benefit greatly form the association with Compa and the encouragement that comes from joining with other young people who love the Lord.

Thank you

We are so grateful for your interest, for reading our long newsletter, for praying for us over the years and for supporting us in ministry. In fact, this summer 2024 marks ten years since coming to Mexico as a family! We are thankful to see our children growing, our church thriving, our ministry being consolidated —even while our bodies get older!— but above all we give thanks that the Lord helped us stay the course and gave us the grace of perseverance so we can now savour his goodness by seeing some of the fruits of our labour.

Please take some time to pray for us and give thanks with us if you can.

With love,

Fabián, Rebeca, Laila, Timoteo & agustín

Prayer Points

• Thankful for Laila’s personal development and her participation in Bible studies and ministry.
• For Luna, Laila’s friend, and her entire family. That the Lord will reveal himself to them.
• For Moti as he prepares to attend high school next academic year. For him to grow in confidence and to enjoy the opportunities that the Lord gives him.
• For Agus, that he will continue to do well in school and learn to take on the responsibilities that are his.
• For a newer car that will be right for our needs.
• That we’ll be able to get some help with housework during term-time.
• For restful moments for Fabián and Rebeca and more work-life balance in general.
• Thankful for the growth in the church, especially for those preparing for baptism on 19 May.
• Thankful for the teenagers and children in the congregation. That we may teach them well.
• For Benja and Eri, as they settle in Oaxaca. May the Lord provide them with the work they need and that they may be able to put their artistic gifts to good use for the glory of God.
• For Keila and Richie. May the Lord bless their life together and help them make decisions that honour Him.
• Thankful for the Bible series on Revelation and all that we learned.
• For the support we need for several admin and audiovisual tasks at church.
• For the extra space that we need as a growing church.
• That the Lord will give us coworkers willing to serve in the church and with a long-term vision for Ekklesia.
• For wisdom and good time management for Fabián in these two months teaching ‘Analytical Skills’ at Calvin Theological Seminary.
• For resources so that the Casa Turannos charity can grow in whatever way the Lord wants.
• For the electoral campaigns in Mexico. Please pray for fair elections and for protection for the candidates, especially in areas controlled by organised crime.
• For the shortage of water that the country is experiencing. That the authorities will implement good water management policies for the good of the people.

A Newer Car

We’re saving for a newer car because our current one is ready to be put out to pasture. A secondhand 5 year-old SUV costs in the region of £15,000 with financing, so we think we could get one for £12,000 or so if we pay for it in one single installment. So far we have saved £7,500. If you want to help with this need please let us know. You can donate via Links to our one-off gifts account using reference 3297.

Gloria

With the help of some of you we have been able to provide care for Tomás and Gloria since 2018. Tomás died of pneumonia in November 2023 at the ripe old age of 95, and now we have only Gloria (93) to look after. She is doing well living with Edith and her family, but we still need resources to make sure we can cover the cost of food, medicines and nappies for her. It costs around £250 per month to make sure Gloria has all she needs. Would you like to help?

You can donate via Links to our Mexican charity account (Casa Turannos) using reference 3197.

The Future of Casa Turannos

We set up the Casa Turannos charity here in Mexico in the summer of 2020 to help us provide the financial structure for much of the work we do through Ekklesia. However, since the beginning it was also our hope that it would become a vehicle for doing good further a-field. In the past we have wanted to channel support for pastors or for students studying theology, to collect donations for medical emergencies or natural disaster relief, but we have had to use alternative routes because we have to pay tax on everything that comes into the Casa Turannos account. Because we have done some work for the good of others —like supporting Gloria, for example— we can apply for tax-exempt status as a charity, but we must first change one clause in our constitution documents, which is not cheap. We have already set some funds aside for this, but we still need some extra (£500 approx.). We dream that if we can obtain the tax-exempt status we’d also be able to facilitate the efforts of other believers we know who are working on very worthwhile projects for the glory of God and for the good of others. Please pray for this objective and, if you want to give towards it becoming a reality, let us know.

You can donate via Links to Casa Turannos using reference 3197.

Spring Newsletter - 27 March 2024