OUT OF RETIREMENT

This past week we had to call our 99 GMC van out of retirement for a trip to Navojoa for a wedding. Although the GMC is our main use vehicle here in Magdalena we retired her from long trips as she has become less than dependable on long efforts. True to form we had gone less than an hour when she began to complain. Thankfully she endured to the end and took us there and brought us back although at one point we were traveling at the break neck speed of 35 MPH!

We traveled the eight hours down and eight back with two of the families of our work. What a tremendous blessing it was to be able to travel with them and enjoy the few days of fellowship. This is the first for both families to see and experience other churches of like precious faith. We gave them a self guided tour of our former labor in Navojoa, they saw their first christian wedding and enjoyed being part of the christian reception that followed. Now they too want to have their own christian wedding!

We had fourteen in our twelve passenger van on the way down but if we thought we were full going we were sardines returning! We added a washing machine, two sacks of 120 pounds of potatoes and all of the brides presents and suitcases. Space was at a premium!
We also took them out on Friday to an excursion to the colonial town of Alamos. They have added stairs to their lookout point since our last visit some four or five years ago. 474 to be exact. We drove everyone to the top but the youth wanted to go down the stairs and back up. Not to be left out (actually to keep an eye on the younguns) I exercise my legs and lungs. Maybe I need to be retired like the GMC from such strenuous efforts!

Doing Good

In 1 Peter 2:21 we are given our marching orders as Christians "that ye should follow His steps:" and in Acts10:38 we find those daily steps are that Christ "went about doing good,".

Really a simple formula that somehow seems to get lost in the life of most believers. Interacting in lives makes a difference and it is our goal to make that an eternal difference.

We continue to see God bless and our group slowly grow. All the while we stay active in reaching out to more and helping build those who have been saved.

I am currently building a classroom division for Peggy's Sunday morning and Abigail's Sunday evening class.

A few months ago Juan's truck gave up. What started as a small problem ended up a major issue. To say that every "mechanic" he met was dishonest and incompetent would be to put it mildly. He asked for my help and thankfully we were able to get his motor back together and running better than ever. Juan is a good man and a very real part of the work here.
The activity is our normal after service "fellowship". The above 40 crowd enjoys talking while the under 40 crowd enjoys activity.

"ANIMO" - Activity and Application

"Animo" means encouragement or to take courage. We recently had a visiting Mexican preacher with us and his comment about what stood out about the work was the "animo" that our people had both for the Lord and towards one another. I don't know if I could have asked for a better compliment!

Although I am not and have never been a "youth pastor", God has given us a good quantity and quality of youth. We have found it necessary to encourage them as they grow with their families in the things of the Lord. To this end we plan sporadic activities that are designed around an application of God's Truth. Of course we fill them with sumptuous snacks, we reward the games with simple sweets and then we focus on scriptural study.

Here are a few pictures of the last youth activity. We used our Juan Y Romanos as our study to both teach those who are saved how to share the plan of salvation with their friends and to share that plan with their friends that came to the activity.

Preparing for the Bible Study





It's a Sack You Jump In It





Not As Easy As It Looked!



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!

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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.