"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.

Summer Travel & Slipping Technology

My apology for the long delay in any blog update.  There are several factors involved but the main two have been some summer travels compounded with some slipping technology.  Our home church in Ohio has sent another missionary to Gunnison, Colorado and they had planned a mission's trip to help our missionaries there with some feet on the ground.  It has been our plan to participate with the efforts and as such we took a trip to Colorado as well.  God blessed us with a good trip and an enjoyable time in Gunnison with the group from our home church and our fellow missionaries.

While we were travelling we took the opportunity to extend our travels and were able to be with three supporting churches: Mesa Baptist in New Mexico, Peak View Baptist in Colorado and Fargo Baptist in North Dakota.  After returning to Arizona we were also able to visit Mohave Baptist Church for the annual 4th of July picnic and stay for Sunday the 5th.  Between those two trips Peggy and Anna were also back in Ohio so that Anna could enjoy time with her friends at our home church in their youth camp.  Needless to say, the whole family is still recovering from so many miles.

Meanwhile we have stayed busy here in Magdalena.  We have just finished our summer youth camp and although the total number at the youth camp was down, our number of young people attending was up.  It was a blessing to again see God challenge the lives of our young people and we pray that the renewed zeal will be a permanent part of the rest of the year.

The farther delay problem is that of some slipping technology.  It seems that my trusty pocket camera has decided to retire.  It began giving me a few issues with focusing but would eventually take the shot.  However when I have now tried to download the pictures they come out completely black.  Anyway, here a few pictures that I can attach.  We will check into replacing the camera on our next trip out. 

 Cozad, Nebraska - as in Cozaddale Baptist Temple

 Lunch in Gunnison, Colorado with Cozaddale Baptist Temple Mission Trip group

 Preaching for the Blue Mesa Baptist Church (mission)

  Enjoying some fellowship at the Pavilion 

Training the Next Generation

We are blessed to have a young couple in our work who are serious about the things of the Lord.  Martin and Imelda are involved in several aspects of the ministry and are also our youth leaders.  We have a special youth activity every month which Martin and Imelda take full responsibility for.  These pictures are from the "Foot Long Hot Dog Night".  All of our teenage young folks come out and Martin has been able to get a few unchurched young men to come as well.  I am so thankful that God has raised up this help in the work of the ministry here.  What a blessing to be able to confidently "commit to faithful men

 Martin Teaching

 Youth Listening

 What's App.?

  Enjoying a Foot Long Hot Dog!

Game Time

The Mafia Has Moved: Next Door

As the first two pictures of this update show we have had an abandoned unfinished house behind us every since we have lived here.  Between us and the house is the wall that is our bedroom wall.  A block wall with no insulation.  About a month ago work began on the house and they have basically finished the house.  Last night (Saturday) we found out who are new neighbors are.  No, I did not actually meet them but their M.O. (their mode of operation) stated loud and clearly to the neighborhood who they are.  The local Mafia. 

 

At nine o'clock at night the extremely loud music began with the speakers pointed less than ten feet from what is our bedroom wall.  The extreme "music" lasted till seven this morning and finally all went quiet.  When I looked over the wall this morning only the remnants of their bonfire and the yard littered with their beer cans and trash was all that remained.  This is their way of challenging anyone in the neighborhood to their authority.  Of course no police dared show up and the only thing for the neighborhood to do is stay enclosed inside.  How this affects where we currently rent only the Lord knows - He has everything in control.

 

On a much better note, we have had a tremendous day today despite the lack of sleep.  Both our morning and evening services have gone very well.  Our people continue to grow and arrive each service with a true spiritual hunger.  We have had a man wasted by drugs attending for over a month and it is obvious that God is working in His life.  Pray with us for his salvation.

 

At the end of our morning service this morning a man I know drove by selling pizza's so we bought three and invited everyone to stay for an impromptu pizza party.  Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to stay and fellowship as well as the pizza.  Tonight after service the man mentioned above asked, "Pastor can you invite me to come to your house after church to eat?"  I kindly accepted his offer but instead took him out to a local taco stand and then he went next door to buy himself ice cream for dessert and I paid.

 

Keep us in your prayers!

Over the back wall

 Our bedroom wall between us

 A Growing Stack of Literature 

  Pizza Party!