Random Ramblings

Peggy and the girls are currently in Ohio visiting with our older three, with the grandparents and other relatives and friends. We had had Izabell, our granddaughter, visiting with us and the girls took her home. Izabell was a joy and a blessing to have in the house and ministry.

When the ladies arrived home it seems they all found themselves a little ill. Evidently we had found someplace that served us Hepatitis A. Izabell was hardest hit and ended up in the hospital where they put her through a plethora of test. Come to find out it appears that she was born with possible serious kidney problems. She is to undergo more test this week as a first step of examination. We wait on the Lord to see what the prognosis is and appreciate your prayer on her and our behalf.

Contrary to all opinions otherwise I have been able to live on my own here in Mexico without my family! (Not that it is the best life ..) God has blessed in the work and it is exciting to see how God is working in His work here. We have several lost that have been faithful in attendance for the past few weeks and continue to pray for their salvation. Yesterday in San Ignacio we had 4 first time visitors. One visitor, a lady feared in the town as being demon possessed, heard a plain presentation of the gospel of Christ. I will be visiting her in her house this week: "this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting" Mark 9:29 Please pray with me for this specific need.

After our evening service here in Magdalena and making the route to take those in the van home, I located a man I had met earlier and stopped by to visit him. He and his wife, their six children under four years of age, another lady and a teenager all live in a cardboard house about 14 by 16 feet. Their area has no running water and no electricity. Another opportunity for the gospel of Christ!

I thank you for allowing us to be here in the service of the King.

Chiles Rellenos Con Camarones

Those who know me best will find this the most difficult to believe. This was a meal that I (Steven Harris) prepared and cooked. We have a friend who is a widower and it was his birthday. I had invited him to a birthday supper and had asked him what he wanted. The joke was on me though because he facetiously said "frijoles rellenos con camarones" of course I heard chiles rellenos and went searching for a recipe. The meal turned out very well so I will share it with you.

Buen Provecho!

Chiles Rellenos con Camarones (shrimp):

4 poblano chiles (roasted)
1 red bell pepper (roasted)
3/4 pound deveined shell-on fresh shrimp
4 ounces shredded Montery Jack cheese
w ounces shredded fontina cheese
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
3 tablespoons diced white onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
w tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 quart vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup medium blue cornmeal

# 1 - Roast Chiles (after roasting, pull off skin, slit to remove seeds, leaving stem end intact)
# 2 - Roast Peppers (after roasting, seed and dice)
# 3 - Grill or dry-roast shrimp (shell and chop into large pieces)
# 4 - In mixing bowl mix bell pepper, shrimp, cheese, corn, onion, marjoram and cilantro, Mix well
# 5 - Stuff poblano chiles with shrimp mixture; press gently to seal
# 6 - Heat oil to 375 degrees in a deep heavy-bottomed pan. Dip stuffed chiles in beaten egg; dredge in cornmeal. Deep fry until exterior is dark blue (4 to 5 minutes). To reduce fat calories -bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees instead of frying

"A Good Thing"

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour with the LORD." Proverbs 18:22
Today we have had the opportunity to celebrate a Happy Birthday to Peggy. I thank God for my wife and I thank her for joyfully sharing life and ministry with me. Twenty-five years of marriage, six children, one grand child, twenty-three years of ministry and she has simply grown more beautiful through it all.
so - "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to Peggy from your grateful husband and children.

"P.S"
"Puppy Supplement" Well Caramela is back. Our neighbor ask us how the puppy was and I told him the story. He in turn confronted the man who sold her to us. Evidently it was his dog and the lady who came by to claim her was lying! He in turn confronted the lady and returned our dog to us. I would still take that Rhodesian Ridge back though.

"Dog Gone"- but what does that mean?

Dog Gone" - but what does that mean?
Ever since Ezra had his four wheeler stolen we have toyed with the idea of getting a dog. Our neighbors keep telling us that we need a dog. Our landlord had a dog when he lived here, a Golden Retriever named Lester. Lester was a kind dog and loved to be petted through the fence but evidently none of our neighbors ever discovered that and speak of that big mean dog that the landlord owned.
We have actually looked on line in Tucson and considered the shelters for a dog but decided that if we got a dog we wanted a puppy to grow with us. I found a beautiful red Doberman but I do not have a thousand dollars to spend on a dog and I do not think I would even if I had everything else paid for and I all ready supported every missionary I know.
Enter "Solo Vino" or Hobo in English. One day we woke up to Solo Vino who had made his way into our yard. Solo Vino was a wiry mix, malnourished enough to fit through the fence. He also had a very severe case of flea rash or the mange. I took pity on him and gave him a bath with Dawn to help him out and Peggy began feeding him. We were not really sure he was the dog for us but never mind his stay was short-lived and he was gone.
Last Thursday a guy stops by the house and asked if I was interested in buying a dog. Not really I answered but he wanted to bring his dog by anyway. Enter Caramela (an adaptation of Caramel in Spanish) a cute cocker spaniel. The price was right ($250.00 pesos - about $23.00 dollars) - he said he needed money for food. My first thought was that the dog is stolen so I told him we would take a day to think about it. Well, the next day, Friday, I went by his house and found him and his family living in a cardboard shack, so I bought the poor little dog and gave him a little bit extra to help feed his family.
Saturday morning I washed Caramela and pulled out the ticks. She promptly initiated about every rug in the house but by the end of the day had learned to sit and stayed next to my chair. While we were entertaining some quest a family stopped by to inquire about Caramela who was on the front porch. Turns out Caramela is really Princess who was stolen from a family who lived a couple blocks down the road. It was evident their kids knew Princess and that Princess knew them.
Now today we have had two other dogs brought by the house "for sale". So "DOG GONE" but what does that mean? It means that people in our area know all of our business! It means that people are watching us and that they know why we are here, what we are doing and that they are watching to see what our reactions to these incidents in life are. So while we are not seeing them come to church services they are watching to see if Christ is in us. "Dog gone" - but isn't that the cat's meow.
Still looking for a dog though. Anyone have a Rhodesian Ridge-back needing a good home?

My testimony

I was privileged to be born to missionary parents in the country of the Central African Republic. Our normal routine was to live four years on the field and take a one year furlough in the U.S., so for the first fourteen years of my life I spent the majority of it growing up in the Central African Republic. I grew up speaking both English and the national language of the country - Songo.
It was there in the Central African Republic that I also realized that it was not just the African who was eternally lost but the missionary child as well and I repented of my sin and accepted Christ as my Saviour. Shortly after my salvation I recognized and submitted to God's call upon my life to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Beginning the third grade I attended a missionary boarding school which was two days away from the village where my parents lived. We were there for the whole school year with a short CHRISTmas vacation. I came to the U.S. to finish high school while my parents returned to Africa.
After high school I went on to two separate colleges and graduated from the Fellowship Baptist College in May of 1985. Upon graduation I served as an assistant to my pastor and church in Goshen, Ohio and then was able to return to Africa with my father for a three month term to help in his ministry there. In March of 1986 I was ordained and commissioned by the authority of the Cozaddale Baptist Temple as their missionary.
During my college years I married the one who God had for me, Peggy. God had allowed us to meet there at Cozaddale Baptist Temple. Peggy was part of our youth group and had a clear and good testimony with my pastor and our youth director. We were married in June of 1984. Through the years God has given us a tremendous family (six children), wonderful opportunities of ministry, and a great love for one another.
Missionary life began in New Zealand. Peggy and I thought that New Zealand would be the only country we would ever serve in. It was there we planned to live, to raise our family and to give our life for the Lord Jesus Christ. Just two short years latter through the illness and death of our daughter Bethany we were back in the U.S. Although it was our hope to return to New Zealand God placed us in Bullhead City, Arizona to serve Him. The youth and fervency of our lives were given to God to start the Mohave Baptist Church. What a tremendous time those years were for us as we saw God do what many said were impossible. Thank you God and thank you members of the Mohave Baptist Church!
In November of 2003 God moved us again allowing us to return to foreign missionary service. Although we spoke no Spanish God moved us to Mexico. After a short furlough back in Ohio with our home church we began co-labouring with the Nelson Dorr family in the city of Navajoa, Sonora, Mexico. Visit their ministry at http://www.providencebaptistministries.com/ to get an idea of our first years in Mexico.
We are now in the process of beginning anew. Pray for us as we seek God's will for that exact location. Currently we are looking at the town of Magdalena de Kino.
For the salvation of souls,
Steven Harris

My Corner

This is my corner, where I hope to keep you updated on our work in Mexico.