Ross Family October 2011 Update

Dear Friends,

September seems to have passed in a hurry.  Maybe that is because Alas is doing so much flying. Just yesterday Mike did an emergency flight to bring a woman pregnant with twins and suffering from preeclampsia into the hospital in Oaxaca. Please pray that every contact we have with patients would be a blessing to them and an example of Christian love.

Mike hopes to renew his pilot's license next week. We believe he has completed all the requirements except his medical that he takes on Monday. Tuesday he will travel to Vera Cruz to present his paperwork. Please pray that it will all be in order and they will grant the license immediately.

Bruce & Wendy DeVries continue to struggle with visas for their two youngest daughters. Anna was adopted in Venezuela and Emmalee was also born there. Please pray that they would be able to obtain the proper documents from Washington without further delay.

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our 5th grandchild this month. Joan is scheduled to leave Oaxaca on Oct. 31st for a two-week visit. Please pray for Andy during these last few weeks, a safe delivery for the baby (a girl) and a good trip for Joan.

Once again, we cannot find words adequate to express our gratitude for your constant support and prayers.

In Him,

Mike & Joan

Ross Family October 2011 Prayer Requests

Praise that Mike has made good progress toward renewing his Mexican pilot license. Pray that the new license will be issued on time.

Praise that six month permits were received for our airstrips. Pray that the government authorities will be moved to act on the paper work we have submitted and issue permanent permits soon.

Pray for the safe arrival of our new Granddaughter due in late October to Ben and Andy.

Praise that we were able to get a 30% discount when we purchased the motorbikes for the Pastors in Amoltepec with the Parkside VBS offerings. Pray that these motorbikes will enable the Pastors to extend their outreach into new communities which need to hear the Good News.

Two churches in Edgar’s home town which is an 8 hours bus ride from Oaxaca are asking us to start an ESI group there. Please pray for wisdom and God’s direction in starting this new group.

Ross September News

Dear Partners,

Thank you for your prayers! We are back in Oaxaca and settling into our responsibilities. It was hard to leave family and friends behind but it's good to be back working with our MAF team. We also enjoy the opportunity to worship again with our Mexican brothers and sisters in our church.

We were able to get our visas renewed this month. Mike has done some flying and some training with Bruce. We are finally able to do regular flights to our mountain airstrips again. Last Friday we were given a six-month permit. We also received word at the same time that all the paperwork we have submitted for airstrip permits has been lost in the system so we are scrambling to get it all redone as soon as possible.

Along with normal flying Mike will be working in September to renew his Mexican pilot license. This process is quite complicated and the laws have changed recently so no one is sure what needs to be done. It will involve three separate trips outside the State of Oaxaca to comply with all the requirements. Your prayers would be appreciated for wisdom and success.

Ross Family August 2011 Prayer Requests

We are thankful for God's provision to be back in Mexico. Pray for safety in our flight and maintenance operations. Pray for wisdom in using the resources God has given us to extend His Kingdom in Oaxaca. Pray that the government permits for our airstrips would be issued soon so that we may be able to use the airplane as a tool to reach those in need.

Pray that as Mike & Joan settle back into Oaxaca that it would not become routine but each day would be a new opportunity to share God's love with people who need to know him. Pray for Mike as he leads Edgar and Neri in a Hebrews study that they will all grow together in God's grace.

Blessings,

Mike

Ross Oaxaca Arrival

Dear Friends,

Mike & I just wanted to bring you up-to-date on our travels. Sunday, July 24th, we flew to Nampa, Idaho for a three-day seminar at headquarters. We enjoyed being able to renew acquaintances with MAF friends we have known for many years.

Thursday, July 28th, we flew to Oaxaca, Mexico. We are thrilled to be back here again even though it was very difficult to say "goodbye" to our kids and grandkids. We will spend the next couple of days settling back into our house and unpacking the stuff we packed up last fall. Mike will return to flying on Monday.

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement during the time we were in the U.S.

Love in Him,

Mike & Joan

Ross Family July 2011 Prayer Requests

Praise God for time in the U.S. with family and friends. Please pray for Mike and Joan as they wrap up their time in the U.S. and fly back to Mexico on July 28th. Pray for wisdom as they deal with many details involved in their transition back to Oaxaca.

Pray for safety as they travel through Idaho on their way to Mexico for special security training. Paperwork has progressed well for Bruce's pilot license. Pray that Bruce's license will be issued soon. Pray that the permanent permits for our airstrips would also be issued soon. Pray for safety in our flight operations during the rainy season.

Pray for open doors to share the Gospel in the mountain communities of Amoltepec. Pray that our team in Oaxaca would keep focused on ministering to the unseen spiritual needs of the people we serve while caring for their more obvious physical needs.

Ross June Happenings 2011

Dear Friends,

I'm sorry we didn't get you an update in May. It seems harder to do when we're in two different places.

Mike had a good trip to Oaxaca. He flew almost 40 hours checked, out Bruce on the airstrips and gave Juan Carlos a bit of a break. He returned to Cleveland via Dallas where he met up with his folks and drove them in their motor home to Cleveland. They will stay in Mike's sister's driveway until October.

May also consisted of lots of traveling together. We attended a family reunion with Joan's family, enjoyed family vacation in the Outer Banks and wrapped it all up with a visit with several supporters in Atlanta.

Ross Family June 2011 Prayer Requests

Mike is thankful for a successful trip to Oaxaca.  Please pray for our Mexico team in our absence.  

Pray for safety in the flight operations.  We are thankful that Bruce has made good progress toward getting his Mexican pilot license. Pray that he would get his license soon.  The six month temporary airstrip permits have expired and we are back to doing only emergency flights.

Pray that permanent permits will be issued for our airstrips soon so that we can continue to serve the needs of isolated communities.  Pray that we can make the necessary adjustments to our operation as the US dollar devalues against the Mexican Peso.

Ross April Tidings 2011

Dear Friends,

March was a busy month. We visited with several supporters and visited a couple of our supporting churches. We are pleased to see that our monthly support is slowing growing. We also had good grandkid time in March. Hayley was on Spring Break this week so both girls spent the night on Tuesday for a "pajama party" and then we went to the indoor amusement park yesterday. What fun we had on all the rides but we're certainly worn out today.

Last week Alex & Rylan's daycare was closed on Friday so we enjoyed them for the day. Alex had earned enough stars for a trip to Build A Bear so we got to participate in that. After making our animals we headed to the nearest McDonald's with a play place and burnt off some of his energy. Rylan loved the little slide so everyone was happy.

Ross April 2011 Prayer Update

We are very grateful for time with friends and family here in the US. Please pray for safety as we travel and for the ability to effectively communicate the work of Mission Aviation Fellowship in Mexico as we meet with churches and supporters. Pray for Mike as he travels to Oaxaca on April 13th for a three week trip to give the only pilot there some vacation time.

Pray for wisdom and safety as Mike trains a new pilot to use their mountain airstrips. Pray for the nine Equipping Servants Internship groups meeting in Oaxaca. Pray for wisdom and encouragement for pastors Edgar and Neri as they lead their groups. Pray especially for the three groups that are meeting in prisons. Pray for favor in the eyes of the prison wardens and stability in volatile situations so that these groups might continue to meet unhindered. Give thanks that Neri has found a place for his ESI groups to meet each week.