Email Troubles

Earlier this week there were some issues regarding our email. The issue seems to be resolved now. Our email has not changed and it should be working now.

EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING!

I write a weekly update for our home church which our son Ezra reads before the church during their mid-week service each Thursday. To do so I keep a diary here and although the reports are a little long - they are actually condensed versions of what I keep here. I attempt to be completely honest in my perspective of the work and be neither all flowery nor alarmist.

Still, almost each contain the comment for our services "Great Services". That is the simple truth. I strive to be an optimist but must admit to leaning pessimistically. I say that to say that I am not just saying that we have great services to bolster some idea but it is the simple truth. Yes, I have been in services that were not great but after all these years in church planting the majority of any not so great a service that I have been in were in dying churches not in churches being born. I have been blessed.

So, we have great services! Our people come excited, listen attentively and hang around after services. God has allowed us to rent a building that has some elbow room and the kids and the men love to play indoor soccer after the service. This keeps everyone inside where the only safety concern is from a soccer standpoint. The ladies fellowship and the older men (that now includes me) watch and talk. It is not uncommon to have one of our closer families ask to ride the whole route so that they can be dropped off last and enjoy the fellowship just a little longer. Yes, excitement is building!

--------------- o ------------------


Anna loves avocados. This was her expression when opening this one. Mostly seed and very little flesh. I bought three for her that day

Recent Visitors

It was our privilege this week to have Pastor Don Randall and Darrell Kuhn visit us from the Mohave Baptist Church  in Bullhead City, Arizona.  You will no doubt recognize that name as the church that God allowed us to start prior to coming to Mexico as missionaries.

Kristy McKinley (the brains behind this blog) had contacted me last month about a van for sale in her neighborhood there in the Bullhead City area and although we did not purchase that van I did find another one for sale in the area and purchased it for a national missionary here in Sonora. Pastor Randall volunteered to transport it to the border for us and we will get it on down to the missionary.
Pastor Randall and Brother Darrell Kuhn spent Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and a few early hours on Thursday with us before returning to Bullhead City. We had a blessed time together and they were an encouragement to us. We were able to maintain my normal soul winning and incorporate sight seeing around the town and a few other activities into each day. On Wednesday we had a fellowship after our normal service and our people were able to get to know our visitors as much as the language barrier would allow.

It is hard to explain in each blog update but what God is at work doing here in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora, Mexico is simply amazing! Thank you for your prayers for us.

 

The Anatomy of a Trip - Part Two

So, we arrived in Ohio on a Monday evening just in time to go by the Motor Vehicle Department to renew our expired driver's licenses. From there we met up with the whole family for supper at Peggy's parents house. I spent the next few days helping with automotive repairs and visiting my parents while Peggy occupied herself with wedding preparations.

Thursday I had the privilege of preaching at Cozaddale Baptist Temple, Friday we had the rehearsal supper, Saturday the wedding and on Sunday morning we were with a supporting church in southern Ohio and on Sunday evening with another in central Ohio. On Monday I was in the dentist chair and on Tuesday on the plane returning to Mexico while the family stayed in Ohio to spend time with the rest of the family.

Here in Mexico I made good use of my "alone" time and began a campaign to sow the seed that I mentioned earlier. It is amazing how quickly time flies when one is occupied and soon enough (three weeks later) it was time to return by plane to Ohio to pick up the family.



The Anatomy of a Trip - Part One

Our oldest son Simon recently made his trip down the altar and we made a trip back to Ohio to be part of his big day. Over the next few weeks I will update our travels to and back from Ohio and fill in the details of our travels as well as what was happening here in Magdalena at that time.

In order to give Peggy and the girls time to prepare for Simon's wedding as well as an extended stay in Ohio to visit with Sarah, Izabell and Ezra as well as other family and our church, we loaded the Toyota for the event and headed north and east.


On our way back to Ohio we were blessed to stop and visit with the Albrecht Family who have been close friends since our Bullhead City days together. They are members of one of our supporting churches, Mt. Zion Baptist Church and Pastor Thomas Smith. A dear former missionary in that church, Barb Walker, graciously extended to us the use of her cabin for our few days stay.

Our stay in the St. Clair area was a great respite from the stress of living here in "drug alley" as well a refreshing stay in the middle of our travels to Ohio. Thank you Pastor Smith and the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, thank you Albrecht family, and thank you Sister Barb Walker.


Just by looking at these "cabin" pictures you will know that we were experiencing a little bit of "heaven" on earth!

Sowing, Sowing, Sowing

Someday when all the world is won to Christ and every Christian is right with God, I want to be a farmer. Okay, so my current calling is quite secure but I love the farm. The reality is that I am a farmer. It is my seed that differs from most farmers. I am a sower of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God.

Look at the seed I have stored in my barn to sow! Isn't it beautiful? Our home church has designed these John and Romans for my specific field. Wow, I just think this seed is so neat! We received our shipment in mid November and have been busy sowing in fields that we have been preparing for seed. My pastor has assured me that more seed can be sent as soon as I run out of what I have so I have been busy sowing, sowing, sowing. My confidence is in the seed and the omnipotence of God to send the rain and Son that is needed for it to grow. There will come a harvest - after all that is the hope of every farmer. That and we just love the farm.

By the way, take a look at just a sample of the crop that this precious seed produces! Isn't that just the prettiest thing you have ever seen? Man - I love this life!

Our Seed



                   

A New Crop Starting to Sprout!

A Former Crop Maturing!

 

 

Work For The Night Is Coming

One of our supporting churches asked us recently to send some sunset pictures of our area here in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora, Mexico. The sun sets opposite of any good location to get a sunset picture over our town but I was able to take a few that give an interesting contrast. The Mexico soul enters a Christ-less eternity in the shadow of many "church" steeples.

Religion is still a hopeless choice. Salvation is in a personal relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ.

We also took a few new family pictures as the one we have been using is over a year old. Go figure - I have aged! The contrast is worse because it seems that my family is still ever so young.