Back in May we wrote about being hooked up with an expat group in a little town called, San Miguel de Allende. Here’s what has happened since:
A curious group of about twenty persons attended that first service in English. Among them, the owner of the chapel, Don Pablo, came with his sister and her husband. They were deeply moved to be worshiping in their family chapel, to the point that Don Pablo asked us to also offer a service in Spanish for his many employees. Oh yes! What joy! 
Two weeks later we had an English service with about twelve, and a Spanish service with almost thirty! Every month since May, we have returned to celebrate the Eucharist and bring the Gospel to both beautiful groups.
But is it a “church” yet?
It takes a lot of commitment from everyone to start a church. We knew we needed to have weekly Sunday services, but even the once-a-month rent for the chapel was more than the group could support. And where would we have Bible Study, or children’s church? San Miguel is expensive! How will God do this? Nonetheless, we saw that God had given Roger favor among both groups, and we love the community they are forming. But where, how, could things go forward? Was there no room at the Inns of San Miguel?
“God, what are you doing?” was our daily prayer while we continued to work in supply and support ministry, now working in three different states in Mexico every month.
By November we were perplexed and tired. We stepped back from all other services, thinking to get quiet. Instead, we decided to seek that quiet in San Miguel for a couple of weeks– long enough to really know the people involved. We needed clarity. We were exploring ways to overcome the practical hurdles and expenses of a full-time church, knowing it would change our lives radically to uproot from Aguascalientes, to serve in one place after seven years of circuit-riding.
While we were in San Miguel for Thanksgiving, Roger arranged a meeting with Don Pablo, ready to negotiate the possibility of weekly rental of the chapel. That was the first hurdle for the group. But Don Pablo surprised him with the generous suggestion that the group should consider his family chapel their home. For free. Any days or times. Extra garden space for the kids. Whatever. Free.
We were stunned into a quiet ride back to our AirBnB, our hearts full of wonder. The next day we procured a rental contract on a little casa for us in San Miguel starting in January. The adventure begins!
But first, we flew home for Christmas. We’d downsized and packed for the move while staring at the higher cost of living, the cost of the interstate move, the unknowns, and—none of it mattered! We see that God was already providing for what is obviously a church being born, by His will, in the fullness of time. We are merely His little donkey carrying the Light.
Like some anxious midwife, I immediately bought liturgical fabrics for the altar. Others had already stepped up and donated candlesticks, a podium, and a small sound system. My keyboard will now fill the little chapel with praise. Someone always brings flowers. Everyone brings something for the coffee/snack time between services so that expats and locals have time to meet each other. It’s beautiful to watch, and really, we had little to do with it except a plodding obedience. I think we got our answer: Yes. It’s a church!
We moved to San Miguel de Allende on January 14th. On the 28th, Bishop Steven Tighe and his diocesan staff joined us for a consecration of the Chapel of St. Mary and Joseph and confirmed Roger as the rector. On February 1st, we had our first official Sunday service.