Dear friends,
As we previously wrote, we have made the difficult decision to transition out of Monterrey this summer. Over the past month, we have been considering other parts of Mexico where we could continue to serve with Covenant World Mission and the Covenant Church of Mexico. And this past weekend, we decided that around the first of August we will be moving to Oaxaca in southern Mexico!
We were blessed to be able to visit Oaxaca as a family last week and meet with the leadership group of the Covenant church in what is know as the South District, as well as with our missionary colleagues. While there is still a lot to define in terms of what our specific role will be, we are excited by the possibilities we discussed during our trip.
For now, we are still in Monterrey as the boys finish up school this week, and then we will attend our all-Mexico missionary staff retreat in early July. That will give us the rest of July to finish packing and say our good-byes before moving in August.
We thank you for your prayers for us throughout this process. Even though it hasn’t been an easy time, we sense God’s peace and leading in our decision to finish the remaining 2 to 3 years of our current term in Oaxaca, which has been far less affected by the narco-violence that has changed life for so many in Northern Mexico.
We continue to ask for your prayers for our family during this transition time, for the ministry of the Foundation and for peace in Mexico. We hope to share some of the exciting stories of how God has been at work through the Foundation during these next months as we say goodbye to what has been our home for the last six years.
Que Dios bendiga este movimiento de la familia y del ministerio de los Clauson. Sentiremos que estamos un poco más cerca de ustedes en Centroamérica.
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Obviously, Oaxaca is very near and dear to our hearts. So glad you are going there to serve. There are challenges, as you know full well, be we also have wonderful memories of that place and the people there. I am sure there are other schooling options that you might consider, but humble as it is, OCS was a great experience for us and our kids (and they both ended up going on to be National Merit Scholars…). God bless and guide you in your on-going discussions and plans for that big transition, “desde el Norte al Sur!”
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Nils & Erika
We have been concerned for your family as we listen to all the violence in Monterrey and have been praying that God will protect you and give you strength. We will continue to pray and ask that God continues to Bless your ministry in Monterrey as you leave and then in Oaxaca as you start a new ministry there.
Bill & Merideth
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Bill and Merideth,
Thank you so much for your prayers. We have definitely felt the prayers of so many over these past few months. Only one more month left here and then we move on to Oaxaca! Although we are sad to be leaving, we are also excited about what God has in store for us in Oaxaca. Blessings to your family.
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Dennis, Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. We will be living in Kristen Carlsgard and then later the Puckhaber’s house! We’ve decided to have the boys at Colegio Montesorri, at least for the next couple of years. It is only one block from Chedraui across the periferico, so we’ll be able to walk. We’d love to hear your ideas for fun family outings! Blessings to you all!
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Muchas gracias, Joel. Ojalá que nos podamos ver en Nicaragua o Oaxaca, or somewhere in between… 🙂
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