"and truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out," Hebrews 11:15a

Last year we were privilege to meet Pastor Ruben Garcia (Cornerstone Baptist Church) due to a beginning relationship between his daughter Hannah and our son Ezra.  As most of you no doubt know, God has seen fit to continue to bless Hannah and Ezra's relationship and the wedding is set for June 10th.

In a desire to get the families together, to be a blessing to Peggy, Anna and I and to increase the missionary vision of Cornerstone Baptist Church, Pastor Garcia invited us to their mission's conference.  It was our pleasure to be able to meet Sister Garcia and Hannah's church family, to be able to challenge Cornerstone Baptist Church in their mission's endeavor, and to enjoy the beauty that is northern Idaho. 

Having lived for the past twenty-three years in the desert it is hard to fathom that such green and luscious places exist and that some people actually get to live there!  No doubt it is a great personal sacrifice on their part but here's being grateful for those who make such sacrifice.  I jest - of course we visited in late spring not in the middle of winter.

Thank you Pastor and Sister Garcia and Cornerstone Baptist Church for being so gracious to invite us and to give us such a wonderful week.

 Cornerstone Baptist Church

 Hannah & Ezra

Trail around Tubbs Hill

 Anna at Lake Coeur d'Alene

 Hannah & Ezra - Lake Coeur d'Alene 

"And let them Pray"..

They (the Jewish elders) besought Him (Jesus) instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:"  Luke 7:4  In the context of this verse a man has asked Christ to come and heal his dear servant.  The Jews in turn besought Christ to heal this man's servant because he was worthy.

My younger brother, Dr. Philip Harris MD, was recently diagnosed with Stage IV prostrate cancer.  The cancer had already metastasized to the sacrum, to multiple locations in the liver and the right side of the lung.  His doctor's have told him that it is incurable and have given him a very low percentage of life expectancy.  That is the human diagnosis.

Philip has taken a very strong interest in the ministry that God has given us here in Mexico and has greatly increased our financial resources for the past ten years.  He is indeed "worthy for whom He should do this." 

Do you know how to reach God in prayer?  Will you pray?  Knowing that "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." I am simply asking you to pray for my brother, Dr. Philip Harris, and that should it be according to the good hand of his God upon him, we are asking that God would work a present day miracle in his health.  Philip is a true born again child of God and is not fearful of death but he also has a great desire to continue living and has a strong testimony of living for God and seeking those things that are above.

We appreciate your prayers on his behalf.  Thank you.

A Moving Experience

Well it was an unplanned trip but the end of January found us traveling back again to Ohio.  My parents have been living independently and away from any family and the other siblings but the time had come when a little bit of help was needed.  A call from Mom made it obvious that that help was needed and that time had come.  My younger brother made all the plans needed to move Dad and Mom to live independently closer to him and my help was needed to help Mom and Dad sort through their household, pack and move out of their house in Ohio and on up to Michigan.  

We covered over six thousand miles in the two Sundays we were gone from the work here in Magdalena.  “By the good hand of our God upon us” we covered the distance without incident (there was that close call – an avoided head on – in Sunbury, Ohio) and accomplished the work needed.  We were also able to enjoy a few days between runs visiting our children, our grandchildren, Peggy's parents and our home church.

Through it all the work here in Magdalena is enjoying the blessing of God and is growing.  Our unavoidable absence has been a help to our people to learn to help out a bit more and to see that it is the Lord Jesus Christ that builds His church.

Thank you for your prayers and for checking in.

"A Sower Went Forth to Sow"

I don't remember how the subject came up but Anna asked one day what was my favorite day.  She said that she was pretty sure that I would answer Saturday.  She was right.  Saturday is my favorite day.  Why?  I love to go on Saturday visitation with our people.  Yesterday (Saturday) I was able to go twice.  Once in the morning with the whole church and then out a second time with one of our men in the afternoon.  He had asked if we had ever visited a notoriously bad part of town and I told him yes but it had been awhile and if he would like to go we could visit the area again that afternoon.  God blessed the afternoon together and we were met with a good reception at many houses.  Our part is to faithfully sow the seed of the Word of God.

 

This past year we have been given the opportunity to warehouse boxes of Gospel literature that is distributed here in Sonora, Mexico.  I believe that something to the tune of 700,000 booklets of John and Romans have passed through our building!  The credit goes to other U.S. pastors and missionaries but we do rejoice in having a small part.  This year along with the John/Romans we are scheduled to help distribute some 15,000 copies of the New Testament and another 25,000 copies of the whole Bible!  My only criteria when asked to use our facilities to warehouse the material was that it could not stay - it all needed to continue it's journey south. 

 

Today (Sunday) we had one of our many fellowships with our people.  What a sweet spirit our people have!  We also enjoyed the presence of two first time visitors.  One as a direct result of our visitation time yesterday.  In the pictures below you will also see the many stacks of boxes currently on hand awaiting a trip south in February.

 

Thanks for praying.

  

A Little Time With Family

Peggy and Anna flew back to Ohio at the first of November to be with Sarah and her family awaiting the arrival of Sarah's second child and our fourth grandchild.  As I am sure in normal fashion as a grandmother, Peggy was a bit afraid that she would arrive late but Emmyt took his time and came when he was good and ready arriving on Sunday November 15th.  I was scheduled to fly back on November 20th but ended up driving a 1971 VW Bug from Tucson to Goshen for my father-in-law.  Yes, a man of my stature does fit in a Bug.

 

The trip in the forty-four year old original car was uneventful.  It was a blessing to be back in Ohio for a week , to be able to meet my two grandson's I yet to meet, to and spend time with all of the family.   We spent Thanks Giving with Peggy's folks and all of our children and then celebrated an early Christmas with our children and grandchildren.  It was a working vacation as there were several things to do for the family but we enjoyed the time together.  I was also able to visit my parents twice. 

 

On our way home we were able to stop on Wednesday night and visit with Pastor Ed Bragg and Lafayette Bible Baptist Church.  They have been faithful supporters and like most of our churches have not seen us for a literal decade.  Thank you Pastor Bragg and Lafayette Bible Baptist Church for so graciously receiving us!

 

We were home for a Sunday and then back out to Mohave Baptist Church for their mission's conference for the week.  It is always great to be back with Mohave Baptist Church and we praise God for His goodness on the work there.

 

We are now back in Magdalena rejoicing in the work of the Lord.  Thank you for your faithful prayer on our behalf.

Transportation to Ohio

  Enjoying a sunny Thanksgiving in Ohio

 Anna with Emmyt

 Pastor Norwood at Mohave Baptist Church

 Rat Rod?  or normal Mexican truck

A Month of Visitors and Visiting

 Visitors:

This past couple of weeks we have been blessed with several visitors.  The first picture is of Pastor Bragg and  Sister Bragg from Missouri along with Pastor Schwer amd Sister Schwer from Mesa, Arizona.  It has been our privilege to know the Schwer's for about a year.  They were traveling through our area with the Bragg's on their way farther south.  We have known the Bragg's since Pastor Bragg was our high school principle.  We were able to have a special service night and enjoyed their visit.

The second picture is of Missionary Wilbur Gutierra and his family who are missionaries in Chiapas, Mexico.  Brother Wilbur is part of an indigenous Mexican group and it is his desire to enter among his own people to preach the gospel.  Currently it is illegal to either hand out gospel literature or preach among his own people.

The third picture is of the many visitors that our town host for an annual Catholic fiesta.  It is normal to have over fifty thousand visitors over the space of three weeks which gives us the opportunity to visit many Mexican states without leaving our own town.  It is an opportunity to place the gospel in the hands and ears of even some of those referred to above!

Visiting:

We were also able to go visiting.  Anna has been saving for a few years to go visit Mickey and some of his friends.  Picture number four gives proof that we made it.  She also enjoyed meeting Mini, Pluto, Goofy, quite a few princesses, Tigger, as well as many others.  We also enjoyed a few rides. Thankfully God even sent along a friend - thank you Valerie - so that Peggy and I did not have to ride all the rides.

We also were able to meet up with our friends, the Kibbey Family, to enjoy a day visiting the giant Sequoias in the Sequoia National Forest.  (Picture number five)

Our thanks to Lighthouse Baptist Church and Iglesia Bautista El Faro for the invitation to preach while we were in southern California.  Our thanks to Pastor & Sister Nilton Escalona for allowing their daughter Valerie to accompany us to Disneyland.  Valerie was a great friend for Anna and a true help as a tour guide.

CAN GOD BLESS MY HOME?

A couple of weeks ago while out on door to door visitation I came across the sign in the picture below.  "Dios Bendiga Nuestro Hogar"  which translated means "God Bless Our Home".  Those are actually quite popular to see and are on allot of homes if not most homes here in Magdalena.  But - can God bless our home?  The second picture below is of the yard of that very same house.  As you can plainly see, the yard is literally littered with empty beer cans and cigarette butts.  What might not be as visible in the picture is the traces of drug abuse that was also prevalent.  Really!  Can God bless my home?

For most "christians" in this world their religion is nothing more than a superstition and their god a genie that they can call on from time to time and ignore most of the time.  Truthfully, God's blessings are conditional.  "If my people .."  We are here in Magdalena because of precisely this false concept of Who God really is and what true Biblical Christianity really is.  By the way, what God do you look to for blessing?

AN EYE FOR THE LATEST AND GREATEST!

We recently had an opportunity to visit an old mining town east of Phoenix with Pastor and Sister Schwer.  Of course Anna was attracted to the latest and greatest to be had in life.  Quite evidently her dad's ambitions have rubbed off on her as she loved the 35 Ford and the big bathtub!  Honestly, anyone know where I can find either of these that are for sale? :)

All is well here in Magdalena.  Please continue to pray for us that we may know the power of God on our lives.  The purpose of the power of God is to win souls.  Alonzo and Marcos are two such proofs of the power of God that we accredit to your prayer for us.