Friday, February 7, 2014

Herrin Update - February 2014

Dear Family, Friends, and Partners in Ministry,

Wow! God is good…and life moves along here on the “Edge.” We hope that 2013 was a good year for you and that 2014 will be even better! After a while, it’s time for us to catch up with you on life, so let’s do it!

After a season away, Jon is back in the ministry!  In September 2013, Jon realized that it was time…time to once again be about the call that God had placed on him, time to step back into the life that the Church prepared him for and ordained him to.  In December, the District Superintendent of the Rio Grande Conference (the Spanish-language conference) called Jon in and asked him to assume duties as the pastor of the First UMC of Rio Grande City, a church that had lost their pastor two months before. Of course, Jon jumped at the opportunity, and the congregation is very pleased to have the Herrins on board.

   



Rio Grande City is about 50 miles from our home in McAllen. Jon continues to work full-time at South Texas College and serves Rio First as a part-time pastor. The church as two Sunday services—one in Spanish (9am) and one in English (11am)—and sponsors a mission (La Capilla de la Fe) on the east side of the town that enjoys a worship and Bible-study time on Thursday evenings. Please pray that God will continue to strengthen the congregation and guide us as we serve there.

Jeanne continues to teach ESL for South Texas College where she is able to help immigrants and visitors learn English.  She has had students from Mexico, Cuba, Japan and Korea in the last few months…so she is touching FOUR countries without even leaving ours!




The J.A.M!
What?  Who is that fellow in the picture of our family above?  Oh…you didn’t hear??  “SHE SAID YES!!”—that was the headline on Facebook when our daughter, Jesse Elizabeth, got engaged to Edgar Rodriquez Tiburcio.  Yes, on Saturday, Dec. 14, we were all able to be in Monterrey, Mexico, for ‘el pedido de mano’—the ‘asking for the hand (as in marriage).’  Jesse was clueless that it was going to happen, so it was a joyful moment when all of Edgar’s family, all of Jesse and Edgar’s friends, and all of our family showed up for this occasion.  Jesse and Edgar met in high school in 2008…and have been best-friends since.  Both of them will be graduating from college this year…and their plans are to live and work in Monterrey, Mexico—closer to us than San Marcos, TX!

 

 Jesse and Edgar…happy couple!

 We are so happy for these two amazing people.  Edgar is a worker in the church in Monterrey…a good student and a hard-working young man.  Jesse, of course, is a bright, capable, hard-working young lady.  The two of them together will be a formidable force.  We look forward to their wedding in Monterrey in December 2014!



Megan continues her studies in the Nursing Program at South Texas College.  She is in her THIRD of four semesters and will be graduating in December 2014 with her Associates Degree in Nursing.  She plans to move to Houston, TX, or Corpus Christi, TX, to both work and finish her BSN degree. Oh…and she was able to save her money from work over the last year and purchase a car!  Go, Megan!
Finally, Andrew is doing very well in school. He is in the second semester of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at his school.  He is one of the top five students in the junior class…and he is beginning to look at universities to see where he wants to study computer programming and/or mathematics—his two great interests. In a few weeks, he and his class will be sponsoring a “For the Kids” event to raise money and awareness for children’s cancer issues. Part of his donation will be his hair—to ‘Locks of Love.’ He continues to make us so proud through his spirit of giving and his willingness to help others.

 



…And that’s all the news from the Herrins! We have some out-of-country mission opportunities this summer, and we ask that you pray that those might unfold and work out as God wills. Pray for us, too, as our children grow and spread their wings—though we are so happy for them, we know that letting go will be hard.

Jon continues to write—check out his thoughts and ponderings on our blog: Life on the Edge.

Follow us on Facebook…Twitter…our Blogs.  And, do drop us a note—mail or e-mail!  We always enjoy hearing from you…and we’ll always respond to your notes.

We hope you all enjoyed a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year—whether it was a time of travels, work, or rest…or a combination!  We thank you for your prayers and your friendship through the years. 

With great thanksgiving….

     Jesse, Megan and Andrew (The J.A.M.!)