The Summer Sizzle

We do not really have it all that bad for climate here in Magdalena.  It is 105 today with 30% humidity outside with 62% in the house but only 85 degrees.  Back on the fourth of July we had the opportunity to be back in Bullhead City, Arizona and I think it was 126 degrees that day!  I was also recently in Fargo, North Dakota to pick up Abigail and they were "suffering" with some high 80 degree days,  Thank you Pastor Scheving for the lake invitation but us high heat desert dwellers don't take to water till it warms up.

Father's Day:

The first few pictures below show our men receiving their Father's Day gift:  a small LED flashlight.  Of course the gift was significant of the light that our father's need to be to their families and it was meant to be a helpful gift as well.  From left to right are Juan, yours truly, Alonso, Mario, Eduardo, Jesus and German.  Not shown of course are a few men that are not fathers.

Soccer Fellowships:

I used to "joke" in Bullhead City about our people and men specifically being involved in "force fellowship".  I would have work days or invite some of our men along for some other activity more to "force" our people to learn to fellowship with each other rather than just at church times.  Fellowship is essential for the growth and unity of a work.  Well here the shoe is one the other foot.  Our people have gotten together and are "forcing" their pastor to join in on their fellowships!  There is a municipal soccer field here in town that we found is usually vacant after our evening service.  After our evening services then we dismiss and regroup down at the soccer field until well after dark.  The ladies pack a picnic and everyone enjoys as the evening cools down and the opportunity to fellowship as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Guadalupe:

About two months ago while in town on a Saturday I was called across the street by a stranger who obviously was homeless and looking for some help.  I met Lupe (Guadalupe).  Lupe is originally from another state and was abandoned here in Magdalena.  To make matters really hard for him Lupe is disabled.  He had polio as a boy and has no strength in his legs.  Someone he manages to walk on crutches.  Anyway we invited him to services and invited him to lunch and helped him to a small degree.  The following week he "disappeared".  Two weeks ago Lupe calls and ask if he could have a ride to church.  Ends up that the police had arrested him twice as a vagrant (all his worldly goods including my phone number was taken from him) and then he was hospitalized for about a month due to his diabetes.  By the grace of God and a gospel tract Lupe had made a personal decision to accept Christ as Saviour in the meantime.  Lupe now lives on the porch of the building in the last picture.  It is amazing to me how God is taking care of him.  Yes, he is "homeless" but God has provided quite a bubble of help around him and Lupe is very aware that it is God that has sent these friends to help him.  He is actually an automatic transmission technician and today he started working for another contact that I have to open a transmission shop.  My hope would be that it is mutually beneficial financially to both parties but it will give Lupe a "home", some income and I hope that through his witness the Lord will bring the other contact to salvation. 

At the least surely you and I can be grateful for the health, the home and the help that God has given us in life!

Today is also the start of our summer youth camp.  We will catch up with you all on the flip side!

Desert beauty on our front window sill

Father's Day 2013

Soccer Fellowship

Lupe's "home"

Happy Anniversary (June 22nd)

May God continue to bless you as you have been a blessing to others.

BAPTISMS: May 26th

We have been teaching on the need to follow the Lord in this first step of  faith for quite awhile.  We have also been working on securing our own baptismal pool.  God blessed when I spied one sitting in a back yard and persisted until an answer was given as to its availability with a decent price of about $250.00 U.S.  Crossroad Baptist Church helped us purchase it and with a little work and preparation it was put back into service for the Lord.

We have planned a special day for each final Sunday of the month for the summer and although we had to be out of town the week previous we were able to plan to have a baptism service for that same Sunday.  We had seven that had voluntarily stepped forward for baptism and four of those were able to follow through.  The other three will now be able to follow through within a few hours notice - just enough time to fill up the baptistery.

The four baptized were Jesus and his wife Francisca, Marisol and Alonso.  Alonso's wife was all ready saved and baptized and Marisol's husband is also saved but needs to take this personal step in his faith as well.  I stress the importance, teach on the why and plead with each to take this step but leave the drawing to the Holy Spirit.  God is at work and we gratefully praise Him!

Preparing the baptistry to be used

AM service

Fellowship dinner

Marisol

Alonso

Considering Tasmania

In our recent trip down under we were able to take the opportunity to specifically visit Tasmania.  For those who may be a little rusty on their geography, Tasmania is an island state of Australia 150 miles south of the main part of the country across Bass Strait.  Named for Dutch explorer Able Tasman who first sighted the island on November 24, 1642.  Tasmania has a land size equivalent to West Virginia and a population of over 500,000  Their summer (December to February) average will range between 70 to 75 degrees while winter (June to August) will vary between 37 to 54 degrees.  Annual rainfall will be between 26" to 106" depending on location.

Tasmania was settled as a British penal colony in 1804.

The largest city and state capital is Hobart with a population of 211,656 followed by the city of Launceston with 106,153 and then the city of Devonport with a population of 25,551.  Thirty-four percent of the population of Tasmania claim the major part of their income as welfare.

For the last four years I have been attempting to locate any Independent Baptist in Tasmania.  There is a history of many who have been there but I have only been able to locate one claiming to be an Independent Baptist Church - Faith Baptist Church and Pastor Brutus Balan in Hobart.  God gave us the privilege to meet up with Pastor Balan and most of his folks at his house on a Wednesday night while we were there and he confirmed that to his knowledge they are the only Independent Baptist Church on the whole of the island.  500,000 souls and only one Independent Baptist Church! 

Without a doubt there is a GREAT spiritual need in Tasmania.

Devonport

Port Arthur

Abandon Anglican Building

Along the East Coast

Country Anglican building

 

Historic Female Penal Site

MEANWHILE - Back on the Field

I still have some more updates scheduled for our trip to Australia but I need to also update what is happening here on the field as well.  God has been and is at work and we can only rejoice in His goodness upon us.

A ROUGH FLOOR

Our building has a very uneven and very rough cement floor.  It is hard to keep the dust in the building at minimum because the floor is so bad.  The problem with tiling the floor is that it also very uneven.  Within twelve feet it will drop over and inch and a half but then the next twelve feet will change that much more in various ways.  Actually the best answer would be to break up the floor and pour a new one.  The problem is that we only rent the building.  So ... I have decided and begun to attempt to lay tile.  It is a job that has proven to be tasking.

THE REAL FOCUS

Buildings though while necessary are temporal and not our focus.  The focus is the individual soul.  God has been blessing.  We have had two special days recently.  The first was "Children's Day" which is celebrated nationally here in Mexico and the second was "Mother's Day".  Children's Day was celebrated with a fiesta, pinata, candy, ice cream and cake.  Mother's Day was celebrated with a special gift to all our mothers in attendance and we also had two cakes.  One for those who were not mothers and a second special one for mothers only.

The highlight of the day though was that we had a high attendance of thirty-nine and seven who made a public decision to follow the Lord in believer's baptism.  Those decisions have been a long time in coming and we thank God that the Holy Spirit has worked in the lives of our people to make this personal decision.  We are excited about all that God is doing in our midst and look for even greater progress to report in the months to come.

One Unlevel Floor

The Local Sand Store-The River Bed

                                       

Finally a few tile laid

Day of the kids

Mother's Day

      

Mother's Day Fellowship

West Wyalong, NSW - Gateway Baptist Church (mission)

 After leaving Canberra we had the wonderful privilege to be with the Gateway Baptist Church in West Wyalong, NSW.  Gateway Baptist Church is a mission work of the Sherwood Hills Baptist Church in Campeltown.  The work was started many years ago from contacts made on an "outback circuit ministry" that Sherwood Hills Baptist Church sponsored to reach out into smaller communities.  I am not dogmatic on all of my dates and facts but the just of it all is that not too long after it's inception the work was abandoned by the missionary in charge.  Sherwood Hills Baptist Church has poured a lot of time, effort and finances into the continuation of the work sending one of their pastors or laymen to West Wyalong three of four Sundays a month.  With the advent of live streaming the work has been strengthened as every service of Sherwood Hills Baptist Church can be broadcast.


Anyway, it was our privilege to be invited to spend a Sunday morning with these dear folks.  Brother Steve Thomas who was our tour guide for Sydney also became our guide to West Wyalong.  He picked us up in Canberra and drove us out to West Wyalong where we spent the night, enjoyed the morning with the work and then drove us back to Sydney for the evening service.

There is a GREAT need for help here.  I have been praying for several years and will continue to do so with an even greater burden that God would send His man to continue the work that has been given a basic start there in West Wyalong.  I would go tomorrow but I am a little busy here where I am at.  Surely there is someone that is free to go - Gateway Baptist Church is a great opportunity.

Gateway Baptist Church (mission) West Wyalong, NSW

The Families of Gateway Baptist Church

Sunday March 24th AM at Gateway Baptist Church

Sunday March 24th AM at Gateway Baptist Church

Fellowship after the morning service

CANBERRA

The main purpose for our recent travel to Australia was due to the invitation of Pastor Ian Stevens and the Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church to preach for their annual mission's conference.  What a privilege and blessing for us!  We found Pastor and Sister Stevens and each member of the church to be most gracious hosts.  God truly blessed each aspect of this center part of our trip with each service and with the whole stay.

We were also able to see a few of the sights of Canberra as well.  We toured the Canberra History Museum, as well as the War Museum.  Pastor Stevens also took us to several look out points where we were able to get a overview of the whole area.  Of course Canberra is the capital of Australia and we were able to tour the capital buildings.

Our thanks to Pastor Stevens sons for their hospitality towards Ezra.  These young men are brilliant examples of godly young men and their potential for the Saviour is unlimited.  They take an active part in serving the Lord Jesus Christ and were an encouragement to both Peggy, Ezra and I. 

We did not lack in any way during our stay.  We ate well.  The meals at home, at church and in various restaurants were tremendous.  The lamb was amazing!  We were also given some terrific gifts which will be timeless treasures and memories of God's goodness in Pastor Stevens and Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church invitation to us.

And we finally did see Kangaroos in Canberra. 

 Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church

 The Down Under Egg Toss Championship

Enjoying the lamb!

 Visiting the War Museum

Kangaroos