Winter 2011: We are OVERWHELMED!

The New word for 2011 is "OVERWHELMED"

OVERWHELMED: [oh-ver-hwelm-d] to load, heap, treat, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything.

"'God, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I'm going looking for them. As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I'm going after my sheep. I'll rescue them from all the places they've been scattered to in the storms. I'll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. I'll feed them on the mountains of Israel, along the streams, among their own people. I'll lead them into lush pasture so they can roam the mountain pastures of Israel, graze at leisure, feed in the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. I'll go after the lost, I'll collect the strays, I'll doctor the injured, I'll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they're not exploited. Ezekiel 34:16-18 (The Message)

We are fully aware that the context of the above passage has to do with the nation of Israel. However, we also cannot ignore that our life experiences this year correlates with the sheep experience with the Shepherd.

We have seen the shepherd rescue us from storms, fed us and bring us into lush pasture. He gave us rest, doctored the injured and built us up when we were weak. This verse exemplifies last year. We are OVERWHELMED by God our Great Shepherd.

We are OVERWHELMED by the lessons we learned this year:

1. God is our Great Master and Shepherd
2. God continues to seek us and pursue us even when we lack faith
3. God rescues us
4. God feeds us
5. God gives us peace
6. God leads us
7. God gives us rest
8. God restores our health
9. God builds us up when we are weak
10. God doesn’t want us to be exploited

Furlough:
We were OVERWHELMED during our Christmas furlough. We started with a much needed week of R&R at LinkCare in Fresno. This is a retreat center for missionaries and pastors. This was a wonderful gift from our dear friends Pat and Michelle Evans and New Harvest Church. We started our Christmas Furlough refreshed and redirected.


We traveled up to the Bay Area and spent an early Christmas with Jeff's mother, sister and niece. What a wonderful time with Family!Thereafter we hit the road to Oregon and spent a wonderful Christmas with Hannah and Tim and Ineke's sister and brother-in-law in Portland. We especially enjoyed hearing Hannah and Tim lead worship at Imago Dei....*sigh*....we sure miss our kids! Our biggest joy was seeing our children serving the Lord.
We jumped in the car again and headed to Reno to visit Ineke's mother and many dear friends. We were spoiled by Ineke's mother with many favorite dutch foods! We were also able to share with many groups in both Reno and the Bay Area about all the amazing things that is going on through Agua Viva Ministries.
We returned to Mexico for a few weeks and then went back up to Oregon for a medical mission's conference. Then up to Seattle for another open house and reconnected with many old friends.
Our whirlwind tour is over and we are very happy to be back in Mexico (and in our own bed). Our furlough was bitter-sweet. We were OVERWHELMED by everyone's generosity, compassion and accommodations for our family! Thank you Trudy and John, Pat and Michelle, Brian and Andrea, Mike and Anita, Frank and Jeannette, Greg and Nancy, Russ and Sally and Wendy for opening your homes to our family! Thank you all for coming to our open houses in Reno, the Bay Area and in Seattle! We are overwhelmed with many new supporters. MUCHAS GRACIAS! We however, were sad to say goodbye to our family and friends once again.
Spring is in the air!
The hills surrounding Rancho Agua Viva are a beautiful emerald green, the wildflowers are beginning to bloom and we are gearing up for a crazy-busy spring and summer of American guest missionaries coming to serve in the Ensenada area. We are settling back into our routine of visiting pastors, assessing community needs, corresponding with group leaders, getting construction estimates, taking lots of pictures, getting our translators and group coordinators lined up and the Agua Viva staff is sprucing up the camp.

Next week we will host 45 FNP students and doctors from Concordia University in Michigan (can you see Ineke smiling?). We will have 4 large medical clinics, health classes and counseling in the agricultural areas where health care is rare.
We are planning on having a 5 week "spring break" where many churches and youth groups are coming to serve with VBS (children's programs), medical clinics, women's programs, building a church, prep-work for construction of a woman's half-way house after prison, sports clinics and construction projects at the ranch. We are OVERWHELMED that we get to be here in Mexico and do what we do! We are ready for the fun to begin!!!

So....What is happening with Hannah and Tim?

Hannah: I am soaking up the freedom of being a college grad. I am filling my time scooping delicious gelato in the Pearl district of downtown Portland to make rent. I'm also enjoying my role at Imago Dei Community as the new Worship and Arts intern. I'm playing and leading lots of music, investing in the community and learning great leadership skills.Follow Hannah's BLOG for details on her Cambodia mission trip: http://bananaflavor.wordpress.com/

Tim: I have been doing quite well in the last several months (despite getting sick and having lots of homework). Like before, I have been very involved in my church with music and now I'm going to be playing for the college group as well. I'm hoping to work in Alaska this summer; but that's only if I get a job. So keep that in your prayers. Thanks a million, Tim

Prayer Requests:

*Health, endurance and focus

*studies at Multnomah University for Tim

*Hannah's internship at Imago Dei

*Job for Tim for the summer

*Glavor finances

*Continue to be OVERWHELMED by the Lord.

Fall Newsletter 2010: We serve and EXTRAVAGANT God!

What word can sum up 2010 so far?

“EXTRAVAGANT” Webster defines as: “exceeding the limits of reason or necessity or to lavish”.
We serve an EXTRAVAGANT God who works in extravagant ways! Not only within our work here through Agua Viva Ministries in Mexico, but in our personal lives as well.

Wow! What a year! It is hard to believe that last year at this time we were bemoaning meager numbers of short-term missionary guests, Swine flu and border violence issues.

This year we are happy to report a substantial increase of US and Canadian guests and more importantly, a record number of Mexican nationals who were served and heard the Gospel (over an estimated 6,300)!
Churches, pastors, children and adults were served, equipped, fed, encouraged and trained. Houses were built, churches repaired and we had a record number of medical, dental and optometry clinics throughout the area.

“EXTRAVAGANT” is a word we can use to express God’s mercy on the Glavor family as we have watched Jeff’s health this year, how our children are growing up serving the Lord and how our needs have been met in miraculous and undeserved ways.
Despite seeing the Lord’s extravagance this year; we are compelled to inform you, our friends of our significant decrease in our donor giving due to the US economy.
Please pray for us as we are planning to spend our Christmas furlough hoping to raise our donor base so that we can remain on the mission field. We plan to re-assess in January. We will report back to you our status once we meet that crossroad.

We believe in an EXTRAVAGANT God and we will go anywhere He leads us! We hope He keeps us here in Mexico!

MUCHAS GRACIAS for your “EXTRAVAGANT” friendships, prayers, encouragement and financial support. We love and miss you MUCHO!

Jeff’s wild roller coaster ride

I, (Ineke) have never, ever liked roller coasters! They are unpredictable, they are scary, they jerk me around and they make me sick to my stomach! Needless to say, I hurled a few cookies this year!

Since November 2009 , Jeff has been diagnosed with having a stroke, seizure disorder and Multiple Sclerosis. In the heat of the summer ministry season, Jeff was told not to drive and not to work. The rollercoaster ride began...

I watched as Jeff struggled to formulate words (never has been a problem before).

I observed him become tentative in performing his usual tasks because of lack of coordination, weakness, numbness, memory loss and fatigue.

I watched as he became frustrated and fought depression because he desperately wanted to work and contribute.

We were given mixed diagnoses from doctors in Mexico. We needed factual, medical direction.We were wondering if we could stay on the mission field. Our hearts were breaking at the thought of having to leave Mexico. We needed to hear God’s clear voice and direction.

Through a series of unexpected and God-planned events, we ended up at the Mayo Clinic Neurology Department in Phoenix Arizona with a handful of Mexican MRI’s, EEGs, CT scans, echocardiograms, labs and botched spinal tap results.

Mayo Clinic ran every test over again, (and more) since the Mexican tests were sub-standard. Bottom line...Jeff does not have MS nor a seizure disorder. Jeff’s symptoms are residual to the stroke he had last November. He is allowed to work as his energy directs and he is allowed to drive again. We plan to stay in Mexico to serve!

We, as a family may have wobbled a bit (ok, a lot) on the roller coaster. Yet, we believe in a living God who always seems to steer us back into the center. Please continue to pray for direction for Jeff’s changing job description here at AVM.

Thank you all for you love a

Ineke

It has been quite a year! Besides watching the health saga with Jeff, this year has been extremely busy with programming groups.

I have enjoyed the increased number of medical, dental and optometry clinics. I am especially pleased with the streamlined protocols and improved functioning of the clinics. Even the Mexican national churches have stepped up and are more involved with triage and man the prayer and counseling stations at each of our clinics.

We have been at AVM for over 3 years, I look forward to the returning US (and Canadian) groups coming each year and the friendships that have developed as we serve together.

A personal highlight for me was seeing Hannah and Tim in Oregon. My heart was happy to spend a little time with them. It also was wonderful having Tim here for the summer!

I am so very happy with my new program assistant, Liz Stevahn! She has really helped lessen the workload. What a tremendous blessing she has been!

Hannah

I 'm in my last semester of undergrad and officially graduate from Multnomah University December 2010! I'm one of the rotating music leaders at Imago Dei Community (I just got my own copy of keys to the church!). I continue to play and write music often.

In December, I am hoping to go on a mission trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. My church in Portland is partnered with communities within each country and has asked us to come with a music and worship focus. As one of the music leaders, as well as my cross cultural experience and passion for missions, I have been specifically asked to come on the trip. Pray for the process of the trip and all that it takes to pull that together. Also, it takes place my last two weeks of school meaning I have to have everything done two weeks early.

Pray that I am on top of school this semester. I am in great need of a job, please pray that God provides a means of income that is flexible with my school and Vietnam/Cambodia schedule.

Tim

I’m so glad to be sharing about my life with you all once more. I am currently at Multnomah University and I’m loving all that I am doing. I've played drums at my church several times and I'm getting involved as much as possible. I've missed Mexico and Reno lately, but I’m content here. I hope you all are doing well! Love, Tim

We Pray that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!
Stay tuned for our Christmas Blog!
We love and miss you all!