Vive La Visión-Madness In December

I know that this is a rather long blog this time, but please take the time to read the part in particular about the new president and his difficult job.

Greetings from Mexico City. This place has gone crazy. People are wild in the stores and on the streets. We tried to go to Sam's on Saturday, and the line to get in the parking lot was horrific. So we opted for another store. Saturday night was our annual Posada. We were blessed with lots of visitors. We enjoyed Ponche (a hot drink made from lots of different fruits) and the usual Piñata.


Life In the City
We have a new president, Felipe Calderon, but his taking of office has not been without problems. The excerpts below were taken from El Universal (a local newspaper) from the December 1st issue.
"Felipe Calderón takes office Friday as one of Mexico´s weakest presidents, hemmed in by ruthless drug lords, industry monopolists, tax cheats and a bare-knuckled left-leaning opposition movement that threatens to block his every move.
Calderón´s only chance of fixing the shopping list of social and economic ills plaguing Mexico is with a cooperative, well-managed Congress. . .
Before Fox, presidents cut their political deals behind closed doors before even taking office. In public, they were the nation´s undisputed leader.
But Mexico´s emerging democracy is fragmented among three major parties and special interests such as traffickers, industrialists, unions and leftists. Proposed reforms can be easily derailed by any of them. Leading the country will require a masterful politician, say analysts, and Calderón has yet to show that kind of skill. . .
The new president has set three main goals: create jobs and reduce crime and poverty. Achieving them would be difficult under the best of circumstances, starting with the war over drug smuggling routes along the U.S.-Mexico border that has spread nationwide.
'There have been 2,000 deaths this year in a drug war, and because of that there are parts of the country that you can´t even enter,' said Daniel Lund, a Mexico City-based pollster and political consultant.
The fight against narco-traffickers will require years, lives and a lot of money, said Calderón, 'but it´s a battle that we will win.' Others are not so sure. The enormous sums generated by illegal drugs have compromised Mexican law enforcement, from street cops to elite special forces, judges and generals.
One of Calderón´s first big-ticket proposals will be to simplify the tax code and lower rates to prompt Mexicans to pay. Rampant tax evasion and lax enforcement has left the government dependent on oil revenues to keep the country afloat.
Another Herculean task for Calderón will be dealing with Mexico´s billionaires, whose net worth equals an estimated 6 percent of the nation´s GDP. A handful of families, for example, control most of the country´s telecommunications, beverage sales and construction materials.
Market inefficiencies from this lack of competition are costing Mexico jobs and money, say experts, and deepening the divide between a tiny rich minority and the estimated 50 million people living in poverty.
But Calderón kept mum earlier this year when Congress approved a controversial overhaul of broadcasting laws that will be a windfall to two families who own 94 percent of Mexico´s TV stations."

The reason that I have included this article is so that you will earnestly pray for this country.

Church News
October the 31st Alejandro Videgaray was baptized. He has been a part of the group that meets in Jacob and Amanda Henderson's home. Alejandro is the one in the red shirt.



Also in October, Juan Pablo, our personal doctor, brought flu shots to the Benito Juárez congregation. Most people had a slight cold after the injection. Juan Pablo's work in the clinic along with Pedro Marin continues to serve the public.

Leadership/Mentoring/Multiplication
On October the 28th, the 3rd meeting with leadership from various congregations (Mexico City and Cuernavaca) took place. As reported before, the purpose of these reunions is to discuss the development of a new leadership training system. The first time together the focus was on the need for a leadership system. The second meeting we devoted to the "how to's" and the tools that are at our disposal for developing the system. Our third time together the focus was on the life and ministry of Jesus; he being the master mentor and leadership trainer. Please keep this endeavor in your prayers. The next meeting is scheduled for January 20, 2007.

Small Group News
The small group communities continue to do well except for the one here in the Pink House. The Henderson's group is blessed with fruit and a new brother. Vero's group is doing well also. They continue to have steady members who are showing more and more interest in knowing Jesus. Outside of her apartment is one of the "Santa de La Muerte" icons that I reported on the last time. She lives in a difficult area. The group that Juan Pablo and the Grays work with is still intact and showing some positive growth. The group that meets in Ecatepec has also been struggling as of late. This business of being involved in people's lives is sometimes very hard. I have just been wondering why they don't want to know about Jesus. He is so good for us.

Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico
In November Billy was scheduled to do a Boot Camp Training Seminar in Monclova, Coahuila Mexico, but he was unable to make it. He, therefore, enlisted Jacob Henderson and Lalo Rocha to do it for him. We have had heard good things about the work these two did. When you know that you have multiplied yourself and others can carry on what you have taught them to do, you realize that all the hard work has been worth it.

Prayer Requests
Please pray for the following:

• The leadership of our new president, Felipe Calderón
• That we all live in the presence, power, and purpose of Jesus
• The spiritual growth of the Benito Juárez congregation
• The growth and multiplication of the small groups
• The protection of our family and friends from the evilness that is so prevalent
• Peace in the Middle East

Family

God continues to bless our family. For those of you that don't know we are expecting another addition to the clan. Amanda is pregnant, and this child is due in June. Adah is excited to be a big sissy. Little Billy is beginning to walk. He will be one in February. Madison will be 8 in January and is into gymnastics at the present. Our Landon is a joy. He loves to wrestle, or as we call it "rough up."

This is us with the kids in Lubbock, and in the other photo Adah is drawing. She has gone to her right brain and doesn't know we are in the room.

Blessings to you and may your lives be richly blessed in 2007.
Billy and Belinda Moore