Padilla Family

Dear family and friends,

As always, we want to begin our letter by thanking you for all of your prayers, love, and encouragement to us.  We are so thankful for the strong spiritual foundation that we have here, the body of Christ that continues to hold us up with prayer and loving arms around us.  We are sorry for the delay in our newsletter being sent out this month.  It has been quite a busy month for us, as we all adjust to the change in our schedule with Lynn working full time.  We also have some exciting news to report about a home that we have found to rent.  And finally, Eddie has been dealing with another cyst (the same kind he had about 10 months ago in Morocco).  Thank you for your patience and we hope this letter can help you catch up with our lives and know better how to continue praying.

KEEP PRAYING FOR MOROCCO: Thank you for all of your continued prayers for the children and workers in Morocco, and for all of the other families that were deported.  We do not get a lot of news about the children, which is difficult.  For those of you that have prayed for little “Simo” who has cerebral palsy, we did find out that he is in a facility for handicapped children in Casablanca.  While it is good to know where he is, we are all still concerned about the quality of care that he is receiving.  We did get some email in early August from one of our friends there, and it was really nice to hear from her.  She said that she misses us a lot and hopes to see us again some day.  The court case that was presented in Morocco is on hold for the summer.  We continue to pray for our boys and our friends that we had to leave.  Maggie and Ezra still mention them often.

A NEW HOME: Thank you to all of you that have prayed with us about finding a home to move to here in Colorado.  We met some friends through the missions prayer group here at CC Aurora, and they have agreed to rent their home to us as they move to their new home in West Virginia.  We are very excited about this house.  It is in Aurora, about 1 mile from Lynn’s work and about 2 miles from the church.  We know a few friends that live close by as well.  It has two large bedrooms, a den with a fireplace and sliding glass doors to a nice patio and backyard, and a partially finished basement with a lot of potential to be developed.  The other praise report with the house is the amazing response from many people at CC Aurora that are donating furniture, kitchen items, cleaning items, and everything else that we need to start a new home.   We are overwhelmed with the love and generosity that we have been shown.  We will officially be moving in the weekend of August 21^st.  Please pray for a smooth transition as we move, especially for the kids as it will be a big change for them not seeing grandma and grandpa every day.      

LYNN’S NEW JOB: Thank you also for all of your prayers for Lynn as she started her new job on July 26^th.  It has been a big

change for all of us, but we are thankful for God’s provision for us.  The Aurora Public School district is much bigger than her previous district in Paramount, CA.  But so far she is very pleased with her assignment and all of the people that are helping her to feel welcome.  A really neat thing that happened is that one of the new teachers at her school is a friend from CC Aurora that wrote to us and started praying for us from the first week that we arrived here in the States.  She and Lynn did not realize that they were at the same school until the end of the first week.  So God has blessed her with a sister in Christ, right in the same school.  Please pray for her to learn all of the things that are different in this district, and to be a witness for Christ in all that she does.

DECISION ABOUT KINDERGARTEN: While we were waiting for news to see if Maggie could be enrolled at the same school where Lynn is working, we prayed a lot about continuing with home school and decided that was what God was leading us to do.  Lynn joined a women’s Bible study and was blessed to have a leader who has homeschooled all 7 of her kids for 16 years.  She has been a great resource and encouragement to us.  Please pray for us to be able to get all of the curriculum and materials that we need, and for wisdom, patience, and discipline.

A NOTE TO OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS: It looks as though we will be “closing up the books” with Saving Grace World Missions at the end of September.  We cannot even begin to thank each of you that have not only prayed for us, but have financially supported us over the last 4 years.  And we want to especially thank you for all of your support during this time of transition, after we found ourselves unexpectedly coming back to the States.  May God bless you abundantly for your faithful giving that has sustained us all of these years.

PRAISE AND PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Prayers for Morocco: Please continue to pray for our boys Samir and Mouhcine, and for all of the other children form the Village of Hope.  Pray also for the workers that are taking care of them, and for the other families that were deported.  Pray for the court case in Morocco that is on hold right now.
• Health: Please pray for Eddie as he has been dealing with another cyst like that one he had removed in Morocco.  Pray for healing and relief from the pain he has been in.
• New home: Praise God for John and Monica, who have prayed for us and offered their home to us for rent.  Pray for them as they start a new life in West Virginia.  Pray for a good transition for us, as we start a new home for our family.
• Lynn’s job: Praise God for her sister in Christ, Autumn.  Pray for Lynn to learn all of the new procedures for special education and for good relationships with her students and teachers.
• Home school: Praise God for good support in home school through CC Aurora.  Pray for us to get the materials that we need and for Eddie as he takes on this new role!
• Wisdom for decisions: Please continue to pray for us to have God’s wisdom in all of the decisions that we make.  We are still praying about an evening job for Eddie, and about a new and/or second car.
• Spiritual foundation: Pray for our home and marriage to be firmly established on the Word of God and in prayer.

• 

  Summer fun!

Dear family and friends,

Thank you for all of your faithful prayers for us and for the children and staff of the Village of Hope.  We have now been here in Colorado for a little over three months, and so many of you have continued to pray diligently for us and for the whole situation.  We are reminded of a verse from Acts 12:5 that says: “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (emphasis ours).  Thank you also for your continued financial support that has kept us going.  We have so much to be thankful for.  God has used you all in mighty ways in our lives.  June was an extremely busy month for us, with the biggest event being our trip to Washington DC to testify at a congressional hearing regarding our deportation from Morocco.  We also had three celebrations:  Maggie’s and Ezra’s birthdays, and Lynn’s grandma’s homecoming to heaven.

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING:  Many of you were praying for us before, during, and after this trip to our nation’s capitol, and you received the update letter that we sent out when we got back.  In short, our goal was that the American government would hear the truth about what is happening in Morocco, and we believe that was accomplished.  The five Republican congressmen who heard our testimony started off concerned, and ended up deeply disturbed about what they heard.  We want to say a big thank you to Mark and Helen, our friends in Maryland who housed us and took care of Maggie and Ezra the day of the hearing.  Since the hearing, we have received news that 10 more Americans who had received deportation orders had the orders reversed.  This is good news!

BIRTHDAYS:  While we were gone we celebrated both Maggie’s and Ezra’s birthdays with special friends.  Thank you to our friends who helped us with these celebrations.  Maggie is 5 now and Ezra is 3.  Grandma and Grandpa also wanted to celebrate with them when we returned, so they were happy to have more than one chance to blow out candles and open presents.  We thank God for our beautiful children.  Almost every night they pray by themselves for their brothers Samir and Mouhcine.  Many times they still cry when they remember them.  Ezra also prays for “the police who kicked us out.”

LYNN’S GRANDMA:  Many of you have been praying for Lynn’s grandma, as her health had been slowly declining especially at the beginning of this year.  On May 31^st she suffered a stroke and became unconscious, and on June 1^st she left us to go forever with her Savior, Jesus Christ.  It was a special time for Lynn.  She didn’t think she would get to see her again, but our coming home to the States turned out to be a blessing in this case.  Lynn was able to share a special moment with her grandma on the Saturday before she died.  She had an incredible sense of peace and said that it was a “day of rejoicing.”  That was the last time Lynn spoke with her and she knew that God had prepared her to come home to Him.

UPCOMING PLANS:  Please keep us in prayer as we approach the end of July.  Lynn will be starting her job as a Speech-Language Pathologist for the Aurora school district on July 26^th, with 7 days of orientation before school begins on August 4^th.  Please pray for her as she starts in a new district after 10 years in Paramount, CA and 4 years out of the profession.  There will be a lot of learning, reading, training, and adjustment to this kind of work in a new place.  Thankfully, her assignment is only at one school.  Please pray also for where Maggie will go to kindergarten.  We are praying that she will be able to attend the school where Lynn works, but we will not know if there is a sure spot for her until school starts.  Please pray also for us as we look for housing in Aurora.  We need to be closer to Lynn’s job and it would be wonderful to be closer to our fellowship, CC Aurora.  And last, please keep praying for Eddie’s health as he is receiving good treatment from a new doctor, and for a job as he continues to apply and interview.

NEWS — DEARBORN MICHIGAN:  We heard some interesting news this week about something incredible that happened right here in our own country regarding religious freedom.  You may also have heard about this.  There was an Arab festival in Dearborn, and some Christians were walking around, trying to engage in conversations with people and ask questions.  They were harassed by the security and some of them were arrested.  Especially as we celebrate the 4^th of July this year, we need to be thankful for all of the freedoms that we enjoy here, and we need to pray for our country.

PRAISE AND PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Children at VOH:  Please keep praying for all of the 33 children from the Village of Hope.  One girl has returned to an institution in another city, and little Simo with cerebral palsy is at a handicapped center in another city.
• Workers from VOH:  Pray for the local workers that lost their jobs when we left.  Pray for them to reach out to God and for His provision for them and their families.
• Workers that are caring for the children:  Pray for the workers that are still at VOH taking care of the children.  They are doing their best to help the children through this difficult separation.
• VOH staff:  Please pray for all of the families that had to leave VOH and return to their home countries.  Pray for God’s wisdom and leading in how to respond to this situation.
• Housing:  Pray for God’s leading for housing in Aurora.
• Eddie:  Pray for God’s will for him regarding a job, and for discipline with the health care that he is getting for diabetes.
• Lynn:  Pray for wisdom and strength as she starts a new job on July 26.
• Maggie:  Pray for her heart to be comforted, and for God’s will about where she will attend kindergarten.
• Ezra:  Pray for his heart to be comforted also, and for wisdom regarding child care for him if and when the time comes that we would need that.
• Marriage:  Pray for good communication, wisdom, and prayer time together.
• Spiritual foundation:  please pray for our home to be firmly established in the Word and in prayer.

PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN IN MOROCCO:  The following is a prayer for the children of the Village of Hope that was sent to us by a prayer warrior friend.  We really liked it and wanted to send it along to you, to help us all be praying for the precious children that we had to leave behind.  Thanks for your prayers!

The following writing is impressions I received during my prayer time regarding the kids that were left behind in Morocco when Christian believers were deported after receiving 24 hour notice.

Moses grew up in the Egyptian system, but God allowed him to be the deliverer of a nation at His appointed time. Moses was a leader, deliverer, judge and mouthpiece for God.

O little ones who are left behind I declare over you today that God is your Father. He will preserve you. He will reveal Himself to you. God is your Portion forever. He has a plan and a purpose for you. You shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. I pray for God’s seal upon your hearts and minds. You will be wholly His – devoted unto God. On your foreheads will be written HOLINESS TO THE LORD. You are God’s set-apart ones. You are separated from the peoples serving other gods; it will be known you are God’s possession. He rages over you with jealousy and passionate love. He is fighting every battle for you. You are NOT alone. Your names are inscribed in the palm of God’s hand. He is mindful of you. Children of Morocco, hear the word of the Lord. He is your Rock, your Fortress, Deliverer, your GOD, your Strength, your Shield, Horn of your Salvation, your Fortress. When the pangs of death surround you and you are afraid, call upon the name of the Lord. God will hear you, your cry will be heard in His ears. The earth will shake and tremble as God pursues your enemies. He will answer with hailstones and coals of fire. For He is the Mighty One, God the Lord. He shall come and fight one your behalf. He will not be silent; He shall devour your enemies with fire.

When you look to the skies, you will see signs that are hidden to the unbeliever and the ignorant. The Lord your Maker will speak to you. You will hear His voice. The word of the Lord is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. You will be the arrows in God’s quiver. You shall speak against the enemy in the gates of Morocco. God has ordained strength out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants. You will silence the enemy and the avenger. O little ones, as you cry out – GOD WILL HEAR. Lift up your voice and CRY! DO NOT be silent. Speak out! Let the gates of Fes shake as you lift your voice! Casablanca will tremble at the sight of God – girded with His sword and fighting on behalf of the little ones. Meknes will bow. I speak forth SURRENDER… Every thought  standing against the knowledge of God, you will bow. Every statue of gods and man will tumble in Morocco. It will fall. I see the strong man in every city fall as the children cry out to God. Babylon (the system on Babylon in this world) is falling. There is a fall of idols, ideologies, theories, beliefs in Morocco. The heavens are rumbling, the clouds are rolled away. O people of God cry out, cry out, cry out… The terror of God is upon this nation. Behold, Jesus is coming. The Great I am is coming. Look up and see! Tremble at the sight of God. Tremble at His word and seek Him while He can still be found.

HE IS COMING…

Dear family and friends,

Thank you, dear praying friends, for continuing to lift up in prayer our family, the VOH children, and all of the other VOH families.  Although we feel that in many ways we are getting settled here in Colorado, we still really appreciate and need all of your prayers and encouragement.  Many of you have said that you are praying daily for us and for the children in Morocco, and we are so grateful for your faithfulness.  This month is a busy birthday month for us.  Lynn’s birthday is June 6, Maggie will be 5 on June 16, and Ezra will be 3 on June 20.  It will be nice for the kids to celebrate their birthdays with grandma and grandpa.  Here are some updates on things going on; hopefully this newsletter will give you direction in your prayers.

THE CHILDREN:  We were happy to get an email in May from one of our friends in Morocco that helps to take care of our boys,

Samir and Mouhcine.  She said that the boys are healthy and growing, but they miss mom and dad.  Our vehicle is still parked there on the site and Samir asks about us every time he sees it.  She also told us a funny story that made us laugh and cry at the same time.  She said that Samir wakes up first in the house and then wakes everyone else up by calling their names.  This is so typical of him!  It made us smile but miss him all the more.  We do not know a lot of information about the children except that they are still together on site being taken care of by Moroccan workers.  Our prayer is that they will not be moved to other locations, but that they can stay together and that we could continue to support them in whatever ways we can.

OUR FAMILY:  Many things are moving forward for us here in Colorado.  Eddie has had a couple of interviews and one job offer, but he is still applying for jobs and praying for the Lord to open the doors for the right one.  He has also started treatments for his diabetes with a doctor here that is really trying to help him make goals for his health and reach them.  Lynn has accepted a job as a speech-language pathologist with the Aurora Public Schools for this coming school year.  The people in this district have been very helpful and her assignment will be at just one school.  We have applied for open enrollment for Maggie to attend kindergarten at the same school where Lynn will be working.  All of this news is good and exciting, but we need a lot of prayer as we still cannot believe that we are starting over with everything.  Please pray for wisdom, perseverance to learn, transportation, and a good adjustment to everything especially for Maggie and Ezra.

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING:  Many of you have read the news through email that we have been invited to participate in a congressional hearing on June 17 regarding all of the Americans that have been deported from Morocco this year.  We really need your prayers for all the details of travelling, and for God’s wisdom as we share our testimony.  We have 5-7 minutes to share, but we also have to submit a written document that all of the panel will read beforehand.  We do not know what results can come from this hearing, but we are grateful for those that are speaking out about what is happening in Morocco and for a chance to participate in it.

FINANCES/SUPPORT:  Thank you again to all of you that have continued to send in support for us during this time of transition.  We have food on the table and all of our needs met because of your generosity and faithfulness.  We are still receiving support through Saving Grace World Missions until we have enough income coming in to sustain our needs.

QUICK UPDATE ON MAGGIE AND EZRA:  As Maggie and Ezra celebrate their birthdays this month, we wanted to give you a little update specifically on them.  They are both doing a little better with their transition here.  Last month they went to a movie in the theater for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it!  They still talk a lot about Samir and Mouhcine and their friends in Morocco.  The other day Lynn overheard Ezra praying by himself.  He said, “Lord Jesus, I pray for Samir and Mouhcine, and the police that kicked us out, that we can’t go back.”  Whenever someone asks Maggie about her brother Ezra, she always adds that she has two brothers that aren’t here with us right now, and she says their names.  Maggie is really growing up and learning a lot.  Kindergarten will be a big transition for her after leaving her class and her teacher in Morocco, but we feel she is ready and will enjoy going to school.  She loves princess dresses, dolls, books, and movies.  Ezra just talks our ears off and has a truck or car in is hand 24 hours a day.  He now wants to know the make of all the vehicles that he sees.  He is having a lot of success with toilet training and we are happy about that.  Everyday we think of our boys in Morocco and miss them, but we know that God has also given us these two beautiful children that need our attention and love, training and guidance.  We are so thankful for them both; they are a blessing from God in our lives.

PRAISE AND PRAYER REQUESTS:

* Children at VOH:  Please keep all of the 33 precious children of the Village of Hope in your prayers.  Pray for healing for their hearts and God’s hand of comfort to be upon them.

* Workers at VOH:  Pray for the local workers that are taking care of the children, that they will be strengthened and comforted by God and able to care lovingly for the children.

* VOH Staff:  Please pray for all of the families that had to leave VOH and return to their home countries.  Pray for God’s wisdom and leading in how to respond to this situation.

* Congressional Hearing:  Please pray for our travel plans to Washington, D.C., wisdom in knowing what to share, and for God to be glorified in everything.

* Maggie and Ezra:  Thank you for your prayers for them, as they continue to adjust to our new life here in Colorado.  Please pray for wisdom in our decisions about where Maggie will go to kindergarten and child care options for Ezra.

* Lynn’s job:  Please pray for Lynn as she prepares to start work in a new district on July 26.  Pray for her to get to know people quickly and develop good relationships.  Pray for her to learn what is new in the field and be able to readjust to working full time.

* Eddie:  Pray for God to open the doors for the right job for him, and pray for diligence and success with his health treatments.

* Marriage:  Please continue to pray for our marriage as we deal with many decisions and emotions and transitions.

* Parenting:  pray for wisdom in parenting and in home school, and that God would teach us and strengthen us to lead our children spiritually.

* Spiritual foundation:  Please pray for our home to be firmly established in the Word and in prayer.

Eddie, Lynn, Maggie, and Ezra