Shipment held up in Customs --Pray!!

It is Sunday afternoon, two days before we arrive in Mexico City, and I'm sitting in Texas visiting Christine's family and friends. About 8 days ago I was told our shipment of belongings was going to clear customs at the Texas/Mexico border. Well as of yesterday 1pm it is still held up. We are praying and if you think about it, please pray that it clears early Monday morning and then makes a quick trip down to our house. We would love to unpack those belongings on Wednesday and call our new home a home.

Thanks.
Categories: Prayer, MexicoCity, Family

Please Pray

Please Pray:

• That we will be rested in the Lord and be responsive to the Holy Spirit.
• That our possessions arrive safely in Mexico City next Tuesday, August 1st.
• That we will stay healthy and safe during our flights and travel down to Mexico City.
• That God will guide us to the right people and contacts.
• That God will use this time to draw our family closer to each other and to God.
  

Praise God for:

• Mexican Visas, a home, car, bank, friends in Mexico City.
• The supernatural work in Long Beach in healing people and touching their lives.
• Calling us to a great vision of giving every person a chance to experience God through community in Mexico City.

Categories: LongBeach, MexicoCity, Prayer, Newsletters, God, Family

Mexico City -- For Real!!

Two weeks ago we visited Mexico City to look for housing, a car, open up bank accounts, find phones and a whole lot more. This was Christine's first visit to Mexico City. Yes, we decided long ago to move to Mexico City even before Christine made a visit.

God provided so much during our 7 day visit. We were blessed to have Irma, a real estate agent, take us to 20 homes, banks, phone companies and car shopping. In the 10 hours per day that we spent with her God found us a Honda van, a wonderful home and bank account. Praise God!!!

This coming Tuesday we are taking the kids down and starting this 3 year adventure of trusting God to provide every person in every nook and cranny in Mexico City a Biblical Christ centered community.

We believe God is already moving supernaturally in Mexico City. Thank you for joining us financially and prayerfully in our ministry to each and every person in the city. We know that without your partnership and the power of God our work is in vain.

Categories: Prayer, Newsletters, God, MexicoCity, Family

Long Beach Transformation Has Begun

These past two months we have been following a vision the Lord gave to us to teach, train and encourage college students to plant spiritual movements all over Long Beach, CA. On May 27, 32 students arrived eager to see God move in their lives and around them. We sent the students out into the city to work, live, and connect with the people of Long Beach. Our prayer was to see God raise up among the people of Long Beach leaders of new spiritual communities, new Bible study leaders and new churches.

The faith steps were not easy but we learned a ton about our sin, our fears and the power of God.

The first week 3 students and a staff gal, Brandon, Brian, Chelsea and Tawnny adopted the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender community center as a place to serve and love and to beseech God to move.

They participated in pool parties and some pretty sensitive discussions. During all their interactions our students prayed that God would break hearts and minister to the people.
Initially Dawn, the operations manager, was shocked that Campus Crusade would want to serve in her community center. Three weeks ago Brandon and Tawnny initiated with Dawn, to talk and go out for ice cream. Dawn was too busy but still wanted to talk. They showed up at the center and the doors were locked but Dawn let them in. Dawn shared her pressures in life, hurts and then she started crying.

Our students were praying that God would do a miracle and then they shared the Gospel and Dawn expressed a deep desire to know Jesus. That night in the middle of the center she prayed to receive Jesus.

Since then Chelsea has continued to serve, love and interact with Dawn. Dawn has many hurts, fears and questions that have yet to be healed and answered by God. Please pray for her to trust God’s love.

Hurts, fears, loneliness and doubts are experienced by many of the people we interact with. We know that God desires to transform Long Beach.

Please continue to pray that God will use our students to plant spiritual movements and to share his love with others.
Categories: God, Family, Prayer, LongBeach, Newsletters

Sold It!

For those of you that are following we have been selling things like crazy these past few months. Today and yesterday I believe the last things we have that are not going to Mexico City SOLD. My parents' neighbors had a garage sale here in California so we placed our 99 suburban on the street with a for sale sign on it. Within an hour someone came by and mentioned they wanted to buy it. The price we sold the Sub was well over what I expected. Wow. God is good.

Then since we sold the Suburban we didn't have any way to bring out Thule cargo box back to Colorado. We're renting a mini van without racks. So yesterday I posted my Thule box on Craigslist.org and this morning a guy called me and wanted to buy it today. Another miracle.

God has been so good to us in ways that we don't deserve. All of these crazy little things, although not huge when it comes to the Kingdom of God, have confirmed to Christine and I that God is definitely sending us to Mexico City.

Only 2 weeks from this Tues and we'll be landing in Mexico City with the kids.

Categories: Family, Prayer, God

Recent family shots

Check out Van Diest Photos for some recent shots of our family.












Categories: Family, Photos

Pictures of our new world

Not sure why blogger won't let me put more pictures in my last post. So I will do it here.

Our house



















Our new van.














Categories: MexicoCity, God, Family

Our Time in Mexico City is going, gone fast.

The first day was a lesson in Mexico. We arrived, eager and excited, to look at as many homes as possible on Sunday. Earlier that week we sent an email to our real estate agent, Irma, about meeting at 8:30 am. Well after waiting 45 minutes we called her and our email never went through. She quickly scrambled up some properties and 90 minutes later picked us up. We started looking at apartments downtown that were small and expensive. I was quickly dejected as I sent her a list of 30 houses (listed on the web) that I was interested. That list never made it to her. That day we talked about our desires, needs for the kids and our ministry and she quickly adjusted. We visited about 3 other homes/condos and called it a day. I was dejected.

That night I took Christine down to the Zocolo, where the night before there were over 100,000 protesters. The election here reminds us of 2000 in Florida. Our time in the Zocolo was cool. We bought a native style tostada in the plaza and took in the sites and sounds. We walked down to the tallest building in Mexico City, Torre LatinoAmerica, and went up to the 42 floor to look out over the city. This was my first time during the day. The size of the city still blows me away. Later that night I took Christine to a cool restaurant, Cafe Tacuba, that has wonderful mariachi music.

The next morning, Monday, we woke up to a call from Irma and she had researched the night before 14 homes. We were pretty excited. The day was full and we saw some beautiful homes and townhomes and by the end of the day were completely overwhelmed. But in all that we narrowed our choices down to three homes, named by their streets; Periban, Pireneos, and Morro. All three were huge and amazingly priced. We prayed the Lord would make it clear as to what was best. We were looking for something super safe for the kids, a place to entertain and love on our team and a place to have a mini office. All would work with some pluses and minuses.

Tues morning we visited 2 more homes and then revisited our three favorites. We really felt after much prayer, talking with Irma and each other that we wanted to see what the prices could be for Periban and Morro. The owners came back with the prices we were looking for so we decided to go with Periban. It is on a closed street with a street guard. Actually the 2nd guard you must pass to get to our house. It is beautiful and we can't wait for many of you to visit. Last night we signed the lease after much conversation and working on the lease. All is well and we will move in on Aug 1st, pending our stuff arriving from Denver and across the border. You can pray that all goes well with that.

In the midst of all that house shopping we researched a gym, looked at mini vans, fridges, washer and dryers, and microwaves, 3 cell phone companies and 3 banks. All which seemed impossible to acquire. The gym had a $1,600 sign up fee and $400 per month membership. We quickly decided fatness is better for that price. The cell phone companies and banks all required proof of residency which we didn't have. The cell phone company also required a Mexican Credit card. Also, which we didn't have. God came through on the bank. A friend of Irma's, Juan Carlos, hooked us up with some paper work and we got an account which immediately I called my dad and he wired some money from our bank account in the U.S. It cut into his golf plans. Sorry dad and super thanks!!! We also learned we already have a phone number in our house in Mexico. Amazing.

The reason we needed the money wired over so quickly is that we found an awesome deal on a 2002 Honda Odyssey mini van. It was in perfect condition with 25,000 miles. The price was also $5,000 less the blue book in the states. A miracle again. Last night I couldn't fall asleep because I was worrying about things that were out of my control. If the van was to be ours the wire transfer would show up this morning. A task that usually takes 2-5 days. This morning I logged onto my Mexican bank account and bam! The money arrived. God is good. Today we're going to pick up the van and drop it off at Juan Carlos' house.

All in all I'm learning a ton about worry, stress and getting all worked up about things that are completely out of my control. Much of this week would have not happened without God providing Irma. We have spent three 12 hour plus days with her. Driving, talking, researching and calling. She is a gift from God and an amazing servant. I contacted her a few months ago via Scott Beck (Boulder, CO), who owns a company here called Waldos. His secretary got me in touch with a sweet gal, Alma, who in turn passed me onto Irma. She won't take payment for all she has done and we are super grateful.

Today is a day of wrapping up contracts, parking the van, taking Christine to Polanco and praise God for all that He has done. Yesterday I was reminded about all that God is calling us to do when I talked with the old National Director of Mexico and new friend, Agustin. He recently left that position to focus on reaching his city and see God transform Cuernavaca. We talked and encouraged each other. He believes God is going to do something amazing in Mexico. I believe he has already started. We excited to respond to His power working here.

We miss our kids and can't wait to share with them the new adventures to come in Mexico City. Friday we fly home really early and arrive in Los Angeles. A few days resting and connecting with family and then off to Colorado for 8 days. Then Texas to visit Christine family and friends and to celebrate her mom's 60th birthday party. You can be praying for her mom. She has cancer pretty bad.

Categories: Prayer, MexicoCity, Family, God

We arrived in Mexico City

Last night we arrived in Mexico City after wrapping things up in Long Beach and taking our staff up to San Luis Obispo (heaven on earth in the Central Coast of California). We arrived back from San Luis at noon on Friday and then headed with the kids to the Mexican Consulate. This was our 2nd visit that week. We called earlier and confirmed all we needed for our working visas was ready. We arrived and after 3 hours of filling out paper work the gentleman said we were not getting the visas. Then my head almost exploded. To God's glory we had internet and phone numbers of those in Mexico City who worked on our applications. Illiana our lawyer in Mexico called the Consulate in Santa Ana and cleared things up. 2 1/2 hours later, exhausted kids we dragged ourselves to my parents place for dinner, packing and straight to bed.

Saturday morning we packed and Christine and I flew down to Mexico City to look for a place to live, buy a car, get cell phones, etc. Last night we avoided the Zocolo (downtown) because of protests. Read more at López Obrador urges supporters on Today we are heading out with Irma our real estate agent here in Mexico to hopefully visit in a traffic protest free Sunday about 20 homes. You can pray that the Lord shows us exactly what we need.

Categories: MexicoCity, Prayer