WATER BAPTISMS AND DINNER AT THE CHURCH

May 16th we finished our current project at the church in Nuevo Progreso for the season. It was a day of celebration, a special dinner and the initiation of the new baptismal font. We’ll go back to Mexico in November when we plan to work on the auditorium roof. Until then, the congregation plans to conduct campañas (revivals), events for children and combined services with other churches in the area. There is a good spirit of cooperation between churches, regardless of denomination, in and around Nuevo Progreso.


Thirteen year old Nahum is baptized in water.

Eleven year old Dana and thirteen year old Nahum were the first to be baptized in water in the new pool. Dana was very emotional when she came up out of the water after professing her faith in Jesus Christ. Nahum had a huge smile on his face. They both seemed to realize the significance of the experience; that they’d taken the next step in their walk with the Lord.

They prepared a special dinner for us on our last day at the church.

Miriam made arrangements to serve one of our favorite dishes in Mexico - stuffed pablano peppers! She and two other ladies dished up plates of Spanish rice and lettuce and tomato salad alongside the deep fried stuffed peppers. This time big bottles of ice cold Pepsi graced the table. We ate at the new tables made last spring by Walter LeGette. The tables have been a giant blessing since they are being used in many different ways for various events.


After dinner we discussed the planting of trees, plants and flowers around the church. There are two women in the congregation who seem to be especially blessed as gardeners; and they are faithful to cultivate and water what they have planted. The environmental protection agency of Mexico called COMAPA stated in the past that they would donate palm trees and other greenery to the site. This would be a blessing to all the surrounding colonias. Lloyd enjoys saving and planting seeds from various fruit trees and other plants. There is a six foot avocado tree he started from a seed that's waiting to be set in the ground at the church. It will be interesting to see how these plants fare during the harsh hot and dry weather in that area June through October.

These two women show off their lush trees and plants.

Before leaving Nuevo Progreso, Gerardo and Miriam took us to see the successful gardens of the two ladies. There is a grapefruit tree that is loaded with fruit that will ripen in the fall. We saw peach trees, banana trees, lemon and lime trees, apple trees, avocado trees, peppers, tomatoes, herbs and many other interesting and exotic fruits. All of this was crowded into a small space where one plant shaded another, creating a cool damp atmosphere. Wouldn’t it be good to produce spiritual fruit at our church and also have a supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to share with the neighbors!

Pastor Gerardo and his wife Miriam

Pastor Gerardo and Miriam are doing a great job pastoring the church in Nuevo Progreso. They are busy raising their four children: Gerson, Nahum, Dana and Esly, who all rank high in their schools, in fact Dana's grades placed her #1 in her class. This family is gaining a reputation for being quiet but compassionate, talented but humble. The greatest thing about this family is that they share our vision for the work in Nuevo Progreso. And although they are deeply rooted in the Church of God of Mexico and they promote and teach their doctrines, they willingly work and share with other churches in the area with the goal of spreading the gospel and seeing people saved.


"And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." Psalm 90:17 KJV

TO YOU FROM PASTOR GERARDO

Pastor Gerardo Estrada with his wife Miriam

(English translation below)

Hermanos:
Es para nosotros un placer saludarles en el amor de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, confiamos de que las promesas de Dios les favorecen y sus bendiciones son permanentes y abundantes a sus vidas.

El propósito de esta carta después de saludarles, es para agradecerles su generosidad a favor de este ministerio que gracias a Dios hoy podemos declarar que Dios esta apoyando su propia obra, que dia a dia avanza con pasos firmes; que gracias al respaldo de su Espiritu Santo, hoy podemos ver frutos de ese esfuerzo donde ustedes son y han sido personas muy importantes y valiosas para el desarrollo y avance de este proyecto. Dios acertó al enviar a sus siervos los misioneros Lloyd y Joyce Heiney a este lugar de Nuevo Progreso Tamaulipas, México, Dios conoce plenamente sus corazones apasionados por su obra dedicados y ocupados en el avance de su reino, que a pesar de los problemas, han permanecido firmes en el proyecto divino; donde sus vidas y ministerio de nuestros hermanos han sido para nosotros de inspiración y motivación. Que a pesar de toda firmeza.

Sin mas nos despedimos deseándoles que todo lo que emprendan Dios los apruebe y les bendiga, aunque no les conocemos queremos decirles que les amamos, porque el amor de Dios gobierna en nuestros corazones.

Con amorPastor Gerardo Estrada, Miriam, Gerson, Nahum, Dana y Esly


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Brothers:

It is for us a pleasure to greet you in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are confident that God's promises favor you, and His blessings are permanent and abundant in your lives.

The purpose of this letter is to thank you for your generosity in favour of this ministry which thankfully today we declare that God is blessing. Every day moves forward with firm steps. Thanks to the support of His Holy Spirit, today we can see fruits of that effort; and you have been very important and valuable people to the development and progress of this project. God sent his servants Lloyd and Joyce Heiney, missionaries, here to Nuevo Progreso Tamaulipas, Mexico. He fully meets their hearts' passion for they are dedicated and engaged in the advancement of His Kingdom. Despite the problems, they have remained firm in the divine project; and their lives and ministry to our brothers have been for us inspiration and motivation.

Although we do not know you, we want to tell you that we love you, because the love of God rules in our hearts. So we say goodbye, desiring that God will adopt you and bless you.

With love,
Pastor Gerardo Estrada, Miriam, Gerson, Nahum, Dana and Esly



JOSÉ SANTOS REYES



JOSÉ SANTOS REYES


Storm clouds darkened the afternoon sky, news alerts warned of tornados nearby but it didn't have any effect on our little group praying for José. Pastor Gerardo asked him if he was a Christian and he didn't  seem too sure. Lloyd and I sat in the shade with Marcelino, Apolinar and José while Gerardo explained the simple story of salvation. José had been ill and we were going to pray for his complete healing, but Gerardo told him the healing of his soul was more important than the healing of his body.

The storm didn't materialize. There wasn't a drop of rain, only the distant rumble of thunder while we prayed. José wiped tears from his eyes when he agreed he needed to repent and be saved. He repeated a prayer accepting Christ as his savior and then we prayed that he'd be healed.

"AN ANGEL TROUBLED THE WATERS"

"There is in Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda. John 5:2

Years ago we named our church in Nuevo Progreso Bethesda which means pool of healing, place of mercy and kindness. The Bible says that at a certain season an angel troubled the waters of the pool and people were healed.
One project we worked on before leaving Mexico this season was a baptismal pool inside the church auditorium. We felt an urgency to complete the project so people newly saved can be baptized in water.
Bethesda now seems an appropriate and prophetic name for the work in Nuevo Progreso since we continue to receive reports that people are being healed. The baptismal pool at the church will be one of the few such facilities in the area. Is there an angel troubling the waters at the church in Nuevo Progreso?

This is a picture of the baptismal pool at one point during construction.  It will be finished before the rest of the building is completed so new believers can be baptized.

VERONICA

As we drove near the bus station in Nuevo Progreso, we saw a little group of people sitting on the curb.  There were two older women wrapped in blankets despite the heat; along with two young women and three babies. Lloyd pulled over to the curb and I got out to ask them where they lived. Immediately one of the older women held out her hands and asked for food. We handed them bags of food while I asked one of the young women whose name was Veronica where they live.  She replied that they have no home. "Where do you go at night?" I asked, and she said, "here and there, wherever we can find shelter." She then told us they are from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. They left Oaxaca because of severe flooding and the very poor economy.

It hurt us to think of this whole family on the move during the day without a place of shelter. They have no place to cook their food, no beds and no roof over their heads.  Veronica said her man sells hand woven bags in the market area, but most of the tourists are gone and he doesn't sell many.  Meanwhile they walk up and down the side street and the little money they have is spent on food that doesn't require cooking.

We urged Veronica to talk with Pastor Gerardo and Miriam about their problem. Immediately she said they had talked with three pastors already who weren't interested in helping them.  There's a possibility our church could help them in some way. Mainly now they need prayer and encouragement, they need to hear about Jesus and the story of salvation. They need hope. The women were happy to receive the scripture booklets we gave them along with our promise to pray for their needs. Please remember Veronica and her family and the many others who are homeless and hungry in Mexico.

This is Nachita, another street person from Nuevo Progreso.  She walks the streets every day begging for food.  Her home is a long distance from town, so she loves for us to take her back to her house in our Jeep.

JOSÉ AND MAGDALENA

Magdalena and her daughter in front of their young pomegranate trees.

A woman waved at us from her doorway when we drove into Colonia Jardin. She seemed to know us but we couldn't remember stopping at her house. We  promised ourselves we'd go back that way on our way home. Later in the day we drove through the narrow opening in the fence and up to the front of the dwelling. The same woman came outside with a look of recognition and a on her face.
Finally we remembered we had stopped to give food to a couple one day near the church. They had a wheelbarrow and were searching for firewood. Now we were evidently old friends. They introduced themselves as Magdalena and José with their children and grandchildren. All the family members live in separate little structures within the same fenced area. Lloyd noticed immediately that they had started a garden and I noticed a straight line of holes about a foot deep crossing the yard. The holes looked like they were for fence posts, but we learned they were for planting fruit trees, specifically pomegranate trees! One mature tree that was more like a large bush was already filled with small green fruit. They also had lemon and lime trees and other unusual plants on their property.

Lloyd told José that he would bring vegetable seeds for their garden and also he would bring some fruit tree seedlings he had started in pots.  Now we'll want to keep visiting them to see how their garden grows.

WHAT'S' IN A NAME?

In Mexico parents usually name their children something with significant meaning, mostly Bible names or names of Catholic saints.  Pastor Gerardo and Miriam gave much thought to what they named their four children when they were born, and their names have a lot of significance.  Also, the names 'Gerardo and Miriam' have interesting meanings.  All of their names seem fitting for today.
The name Gerardo is from Genesis 26.  Abraham and Isaac both traveled to the land of Gerar where God took care of them.  Abraham dug wells there and later Isaac cleaned out those wells and found fresh water.  The name literally means "a man who is good with a sword."  Miriam, the sister of Moses, means "the vine of God."  Miriam's second name is Carmen meaning cultivator.  Together they mean "one who cultivates the vine of God."  Gerson, their oldest son is named after the son of Levi.  His name means alien or stranger in a foreign land.  Nahum means "one who brings comfort."  His second name is Napthali meaning warrior.  Dana, from the book of Judges means "servant of the Lord."  Esly means "serious, and directed by God."
Taken all together they say: "A man good with a sword and his wife who cultivates the vine, are pastors of the church in Nuevo Progreso. Their children will be strangers in a foreign land, will not only bring comfort, but will be warriors. They will serve the Lord and be directed by Him."

Lloyd stood beside Gerson to show how tall he has grown.  He is 14 years old and is already taller than his parents!