Great News! Last week our teammate Scott received a call from the owner of one of the cafés that we had been looking at. We spent the week working out the details of buying the business from her, and on Saturday we received the keys. Immediately we began to give it a facelift. In the original place that we were going to put the café we had a shell of a building that we would have had to renovate to transform it into a café. However, our current location was previously a café which helps us immensely because there is much less that we have to do as far as construction. It is approximately the same size of the original location that we had. It receives a ton of natural light with two huge front windows, and it has a large terrace that we can put tables and chairs on in the summer. It is also literally a block from the Cathedral, which is basically the center-most point of the city. So, we are working as hard as we can to open for next week which is Semana Santa (Holy Week). We have been painting and changing things that we did not like about the old place and placing orders for drinks, coffees, pastries etc… Since this past Saturday we have been busy from morning to night setting things up. Please praise the Lord with us for his faithfulness! Also, please continue to pray for us as we learn how run this café. Please pray for our families as we attempt to balance our schedules. Please pray that God will grant us unique insight for ways to share his love and truth. Please pray that God will bless our witness as we have a more visible presence in the community. In Him, Matthew and Lori 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [1] 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the LORD , you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. 8 "For I, the LORD , love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." 10 I delight greatly in the LORD ; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61