Almost ready to leave, but we have to pack!

We have just a few more days before we leave, and do much to do. I try not to stress. Tomorrow they come for the modem and router for the Internet so I have to get this done tonight.

We have been spending time with our children and our grandchildren. We have also been enjoying the adventure of joining a new church.

Some of you may know that our youngest son, Micah, co founded a church called The Gathering about 8 years ago. The Gathering is located in downtown Mount Vernon. Their building is a beautiful old stone structure with stained glass windows.

Joshua, our oldest, has just taken the position of Senior Pastor of the Gathering, where Micah has been Worship Pastor for several years. It is exciting to have them working together in this way. It has always been difficult having our sons serving at two different churches, especially when Micah was preaching at the Gathering. Now we all attend the same church!

We are already enjoying new relationships. The Gathering started as a ministry to what has been called "the post-moderns" or others call "Gen-X". So we have a lot of young families, interspersed with grandmas and grandpas like us. We have always believed in multi-generational worship and ministry, so we are very happy to be there.


Already Josh has preached four sermons, and it appears to me that he is finding a place where he can express who God is calling him to be. There will be many challenges as he grows into this position, and we are all so very grateful for the years of experience and learning he has had at His Place Community Church. Pastor Bruce Wersen has been very supportive in Josh's move in many ways.

The church council meeting was held and our membership was approved, as was the Gathering's willingness to send us out as missionaries. They will also be able to give tax-deductible receipts for support sent to us.

Thursday is our home group night and we will be having a Mexican dinner (Tortilla Soup and quesadillas). I am very excited that we have a group of people excited about our ministry, and eager to learn about what we are doing and ready to hold us up in prayer.

As we prepare to leave, I need to wrap Christmas gifts and birthday presents that will be left behind to be given during our SIX MONTH ABSENCE! We have three little granddaughters here in Mount Vernon. Josh and Marilyn have Grace (4 1/2) and Sarah (almost 3), plus Laura (16, who is Marilyn's sister, and lives with them). Micah and Amanda have little Kaityn Rose, who just turned one year old.

You can imagine how difficult it is to leave the babies, knowing that we will miss 6 months of their growing. It helps a little realizing that we have survived much of the growing years of our daughter Faith's children. God has been gracious in binding our hearts to our grandchildren, and theirs to us. And, well, as always with grandchildren, it is about being grateful for the times you have together, making the most of those times, and trying to be ever-present in their lives with pictures letters, telephone calls, and prayer.


It is an issue of faith, and obedience. And the Lord has really been faithful in caring for our children and their families. And so we continue to trust. (Oh, by the way, I was whining a little to the Lord this summer about missing Christmas, birthdays, Easter, etc, with the kids. He kind of spoke to my heart and said,"aren't you glad you get to spend 6 months with them every year." That shut me up fast!) A grateful heart does not complain as it knows that all things are gifts!
Oops, something is missing here....there are the other grandchildren in Mexico! I will have more to tell you about Jay and Faith's ministry, and their plans to move up into the mountains to live among the Cora, but right now I just want to show you my babies!

There are Elisabeth (10 years) and Isaiah (12 years) when they came to stay the night with Grandma and Grandpa. And below is the baby, Malachi. We call him Kai (born July 2nd). It is our hope to meet with them in Phoenix around the 13th and drive back down to where they live in Cofradia, Nayarit Mexico. From there we head south.

As we close we want to ask for your prayers. Because we do not drive through the night, it takes us seven days to drive to Mision Victoria on the coast of Oaxaca. We plan to spend a couple nights in the historic old city of Morelia, Michoacan this year, and hopefully see Lake Patzacuaro. Please pray for our safety, and that our Toyota SR5 4x4 will have no problems.

Also in your prayers remember our health. I have been battling plantar fasciitis in my right foot and am finally experiencing a decrease in pain. Still, I haven't gone more than a day without some pain. I would really like to be free of that, so I am praying that the Lord would heal it. thank you Herm for the use of your ultrasound machine, and Connie for the massage demonstrations....and I am doing my exercises regularly.

We are speaking Spanish to each other often. I am reading the scriptures in Spanish. Going back to the Spanish speaking world is always a challenge. People ask if we are fluent. Oh, gosh no! I am functional, but still have so much to learn.

As we do every year, we work in Mexico without income. This is strange to many of my friends at work in the states. It is a choice we have made. We try to reduce our expenses and Eddie works at the stock market to make up what we need to live when I am not working for pay. We pay a monthly room and board at Mision Victoria, and the ministry pays for our fuel when we make the outreach trips into the mountains. If you would like more information on our finances please let us know.

Well, we still have to pack our clothes, collection of toiletries and vitamins. We have to winterize the 5th wheel, our "cabin" where we have been living. The truck is scheduled for a checkup on Friday. We have been meeting with friends. This last weekend my girlfriends (Diane, Connie and Carol) and I had our annual retreat, which we agreed to do twice a year from now on.

Yesterday we went to the Mexican Consulate for 180 day visas. We met Connie and Lynn Erickson at Pike Street in Seattle for Cioppino at the Pink Door. We celebrate Eddie's and Josh's birthday on Sunday, and then we are off.

Please remember to pray and write to us. Our email address is lvlvwhitewater@hotmail.com

Love Eddie and Leeann Kelley

Welcome to our new HeartsforMexico Blog!

Learning how build a blog is challenging, I am not sure I have it yet, but I thought you might enjoy my newsletters even more if it was illustrated. Be warned this is not a newsletter, but rather a TEST to see how well I can pull this off.

As Eddie and I prepare to return to Mexico, and the coast of Oaxaca, we are daily made ready by the cold and the rain, which has only let up for one day or two. When the sun does come out it displays falls colors. Yellow maples play peekaboo through the evergreens, and orange, red and burgundy leaves grace the roads and sidewalks as I drive to work. The other day there was a spectacular rainbow!

Although it is not difficult to go south in such dreary weather, still, leaving our children here is hard. It helps thinking about what we are going to, and to think about the work we have done and the things we have accomplished while serving in Oaxaca. It helps us to look forward to the people we left behind last spring. I have been looking at their pictures, writing them letters, and even begun to make special packing lists for foods that we can't get in Puerto Escondido.


Last year we lived in the room downstairs and to the right of the entrance of the Clinica Corban. When we left last year our bedroom became the new dental clinic. We are uncertain where we will be living this year. We pray for air-conditioning and a private bath! And maybe to be in the same building with Angie and Berna (see below).

I have started to think about some of our regular patients. This sweet old couple, Doña Teresa and Don Miguel seem to be alone in the world. They show up every couple months. They have no children around to care for them, and neighbors give them food, a fish here, some eggs there. Whenever they arrive I have the privilege of putting together a care package with whatever I can find in our pantry, usually rice, oil, beans, salt, cheese if we have any, and some sugar. I also make them some food to eat on the spot as they usually haven't eaten that day. Laura always gives them an offering of money. We examine them and give them vitamins, and something for whatever physical complaints they have. And of course, we pray with them.

Last year on our way up to El Mosco we found Celica laying on the floor of her little house. Her head was covered with her shawl in misery, her foot was gangrenous and black, and she hadn't been able to eat because of the smell. Dr. Angelica, Laura and I treated her, and then the next day Eddie and Angelica's husband Dan drove back down the mountain and took her to the hospital. A few weeks later we picked her up from the hospital, and we worked with her for weeks providing a wheelchair and walker.

This is my favorite picture of Laura. Laura came to Roca Blanca about 15 years ago, when Duane and Sue Kershner started the ministry at Mision Victoria. Laura is an amazing leader, with a loyal following. No one works as hard as Laura. She lives upstairs in the clinic, and everyone in town comes to her, day or night for help. Last year when we were living at the clinic we tried to intercept some of her visitors to lighten her load. This coming April we are anticipating a thrilling event. Laura is getting married! His name is David Nelson, a missionary who has been involved with Mision Victoria for a number of years. David and Laura plan to make their home at the base as she continues her clinic work, and David enhances the ministry of the base and worship school with his many talents and skills.

Angie and Berna are some of our closest friends in Mexico. Eddie had the privilege of walking Angie on to the beach during their Mexican wedding last January (we had to miss their American wedding in September). Angie is an R.N. who first came to the base to work with Laura. Berna is one of the first students of the Bible school, and has been very involved in Mision Victoria for years. Together Angie and Berna have been working side by side with Duane and Sue in the promotion of the ministry. Berna is also our computer guru. Together they bring us much comfort as we are so far from our own children. Angie's laughter give me life!

Here are our doctors! Dr. Angelica has been with the clinic for many years, she and her husband Dan now have a son, Jacob. Drs. MaryKay and Dave made their first trip to Oaxaca with Laura's fiance in 2003, and have come every year since. This year they expect to arrive in January and stay until after the wedding. Together they have extended the reach of our ministry to the indigenous. They keep me busy! Dr. Eder joined the clinic staff last year and since Angelica has been away with her pregnancy and new family he has been busy tending to the patients that come to the base clinic and also serving on the outreaches. This year he has been joined by Jossy our new dentist. On the left we are with Rosibel, our amputation patient from the last surgical campaign. On the right, Eder is with a little Mixteco girl from an outreach to Yucuya'a. Oh, by the way, Eder is getting married in December, to Paulina (pics later).

Here is Lupe, Laura's adopted daughter. A nurse, she is my I.V. expert. Here we are up in Xine-yuba, Eddie serving as an I.V. pole. Lupe has had a hard year. Suffering from rheumatic fever as a child she sustained severe valve damage in her heart. A couple years ago she had a stroke due to the her heart defects, and the need for surgery became critical. But with all the issues of raising the money and getting an available bed at Mexico City's heart institute, plus Lupe's worsening condition, surgery wasn't performed until this last August. She is still recovering at home in Oaxaca.

Cleft lip patient Ariceli, post surgery, with her sister Esmerelda. They stayed with their mother and baby sister on the floor of our dining room at the clinic during Ariceli's week recovery. Their mother only spoke Chatino, so Esmerelda translated for us to Spanish. Our surgical campaign was performed by Dr. Chili Robinson, who is flown down by Dr. Terry Elders both from Texas. This year we got to use a new surgical facility outside of Puerto Escondido thanks to local doctors' participation and interest.

Mixteco children at village outreach to Atoyac

In years past when we arrived in El Mosco we were greeted with suspicious stares. Last year it was all smiles and laughter. Here ORU nursing student Heather is with the twins, Alisha and Victoria, and (I think) Norma. The twins' family live at the entrance of the mission clinic in El Mosco. The property was given to us by Brother Primo, the first Christian in the region. To reach the site, we have to have access through our neighbor's land, and that has never made them too happy. However, this last year Rufina, the mother of twins got very sick. The pastor of the church at the mission and his wife, both Roca Blanca graduates cared for Rufina. She was even brought to Roca Blanca where Lupe cared for her.

Here is Rufina with two other daughters. Rufina has now committed her life to the Lord and was baptised. This last year during one of our stays up at the El Mosco mission Rufina's husband invited us all over to their home for pozole.

Susie and her grandma Francisca. Primo, Francisca and there children live on the hill just above our clinic in El Mosco. Their properties have several fish ponds, gardens and now some rabbit hutches. Pastor Miguel, Susie's daddy, ministers to the growing church, and helps provide medical care. This little hill where they live is truly shining in the darkness, but the light is growing, with such as Rufina and her family.

This picture, taken of me in an adobe home where we were holding a clinic reminds me that there is much to do, that it is hard work, and that, as always we need the Lord's strength to do what He has called us to do.

This picture taken in Yucuya'a among the desperate and malnourished,

reminds me why we go.

Please pray for us as we make our preparations. Pray for our finances, our car, our health and all the details that raise their heads and add pressure.

Eddie and Leeann Kelley

P.S. Just added this You Tube video. This is one of my very favorite songs. I will add it to my next blog, since most of you won't be returning to this site, but I am still learning.

Did you feel the mountains tremble? That was the title of one of our newsletters from Oaxaca last year. Last year there was recognizeable opposition of the darkness to our presence in the mountains around Ixtayutla, as we have discribed to you the growing presence of Christ's light in the region. My favorite part of this song says, "did you feel the darkness tremble when all the saints joined in one song....?" Pray that we all stand in unity against the darkness, that we be wise, and full of Christ's love and power.