Ministry Marathon. Part Four of Four

This past Thursday through Sunday it was our privilege to be in Hermosillo and Miquel Aleman for several services. Mexican missionary Alfredo Ortiz had invited me to preach a Faith Promise Mission's Conference for his mission work and his pastor, John Perez wanted to take advantage of my time and have me both teach in the Bible Institute and preach both free evenings (Thursday and Friday) as well as preach on Sunday evening.

I was able to teach six classes, preach once on Thursday evening, and once on Friday evening in Hermosillo. In Miquel Aleman I was able to preach once on Saturday night and then again on Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon. We then return to Hermosillo that evening in time to preach the evening service with an emphasis on missions. It was a full but blessed time.

What an opportunity! What a privilege! What a great time! What a joy! Thank you for allowing us to do this.

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.

All Things Continue.

Sometimes saying that "all things continue as they were" (2 Peter 3:4) may sound like a bad report but such is not the case. It is a good thing. God is at work and although His seeming lack of hurry may at times amaze us, in due time we will realize that He was at work the whole time and "all things continue". We continue to witness door to door, in the city center, on the streets, to each new encounter, to each "old" encounter and in general wherever God gives us the opportunity from day to day. They listen, they take the gospel literature, some even ask a few questions but God gives the increase. Pray with us for that increase!

A continual joy is to see how those who have been saved continue to grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. What have you learned recently from God's Word? It is exciting to see our folks hunger after the Word of God! Last Sunday night we had another fellowship and it was such a sweet time. The weather was cold so the ladies huddled around the wood stove and the men around a space heater. No one was anxious to go home.

Thank you for having a part in the work of the ministry here in Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico.

New Work

Today we held our first service as a start of our second work here in Northern Sonora. San Ignacio is a small village outside of Magdalena about twenty minutes to the west. For our first service we had fifteen in attendance. The five in the family (no greater honor than your own family happily serving together), four of our work here in Magdalena (a great blessing to see our people's interest in reaching out at such a young age spiritually), and six first time visitors (four men and two children).

Thursday a pastor from Nogales came by the house and asked if we would be interested in having the use of an abandoned church building to hold services rent free. Two years ago when we first came to Magdalena we had heard about this building and had tried to contact him in order to at least park our trailer there while settling in but were not able to get anywhere with him. Now two years later God has "put it all in our lap" so to speak. We now start services here in Magdalena at 10 AM, hold services in San Ignacio at 3 PM, and return for our evening service here in Magdalena at 5 PM. It cuts it all close and makes for a very busy day but we are excited to give God this opportunity to raise up another work for His honor and glory.

There have been some "issues" west of town so as always we do commit our safety unto the Lord and cherish your prayer for us and for God's blessing on both ministries. Thank you for praying.

Princess Izabell

Princess Izabell has been visiting at Grammy and Granddaddy's house. It has been a wonderful time for all! Izabell had her third birthday which we shared with the Zamarron family while we were in Navojoa. She wanted a Dora the Explorer cake and had a Dora pinata to go with it. The Zamarron family also bought her the beautiful dress in these photos, she was so adorable in it. Most of the time she was oblivious to everything going on around her choosing rather to twirl and spin as everyone know all princesses do. As Pastor Ismael put it, "It is so fulfilling to see someone so grateful, so completely happy and so fully content with their birthday party".

As missionaries we do miss out on a lot of the day to day and normal experiences in our adult children's and grandchild's life but we are so thankful that God has allowed us to have these precious moments with our princess.

Another Quinceanera

This past week we traveled down to Navojoa for two birthday parties and to visit Pastor Ismael and his family. The first birthday party was for our granddaughter Izabell who turned three on the 13th. My how time flies - two years ago we made the same trip for her first birthday!

The second birthday party was the quinceanera for Pastor Ismael's niece and Abigail's good friend, Belem. I had driven the family down on Thursday and then rode a bus back on Saturday to be here in Magdalena on Sunday. After services on Sunday night I returned via bus and we all came home on yesterday.

Anyway, as you can see from the pictures all went well, Belem was very pretty in her orange gown and it was an exciting and happy time for her family. These are very formal fiesta's and taken seriously by Christian young people as a vow of purity till marriage. Our family had a good time and enjoyed being included in all the activities.

CHRISTmas Fellowship

This was our first opportunity in this new work to have a CHRISTmas Fellowship with the families that God has given us. It was well attended by our people and Peggy had some help in preparing the meal. Peggy had prepared a turkey and all the 'fix-ens' and Anna Orosco prepared the normal Mexican fare of tamales. Everything was very good.

Pastor Ismael Zamarron and his family (nine in all) drove up for Navojoa to spend part of the holiday with us as a family and made it in time for the service as well. After a great meal and some fellowship and playing some games with the smaller children we sat down for some singing and a message from the Word of God.