Wednesday, February 24, 2016

EDGAR



There was an interesting visitor at the church in Nuevo Progreso last week.  He stood and told his story and won the hearts of everyone there.  Edgar had just been released from prison and had a remarkable story to tell.

Edgar had been a member of Mexico's drug cartel and had been arrested and sent to prison in Sonora, Mexico.  He was sentenced to eight years behind bars.  While serving that time, Edgar was visited by Rafael Jiminez, a Church of God pastor with a prison ministry; and he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.  Remarkably changed, he began praying for a miracle, "Lord please shorten my sentence!"  Edgar's sentence was soon shortened to  3½ years and he was released a short time later.

Edgar told Pastor Jiminez that he believed God had called him to preach and share his testimony, but first he wanted to go home to Matamoros to see his family.  Wanting to see him established in a church, Pastor Jiminez told him the nearest Church of God to Matamoros is Betesda in Nuevo Progrso, and he sent him there by bus.

After the service when it was too late for Edgar to take the bus to Matamoros, Pastor Gerardo and his wife Miriam decided to drive him 25 miles to the huge city where Edgar's family lives.  During their time together, Edgar shared that he would like to return to Sonora and attend Bible School before launching out into ministry.  They talked about how there are established churches in Reynosa and Rio Bravo, but there is no Church of God presence in the ancient city of Matamoros.  Now Edgar has a strong desire to begin a work there.

We need to pray for Edgar who was rescued from the clutches of the cartel and a life of crime.  His strong testimony will influence other young people to give their lives to the Lord.  Pastor Gerardo said he is honored to be included in this ongoing story, and hopes to be an encouragement to the new convert.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

PERSECUTION IN MEXICO

Lloyd took this picture on one of his trips into Mexico with Spanish Bibles.
When we think of the persecution of Christians, we seldom think of Mexico.  But there is a long history of such activities all throughout the country south of the border.  For various reasons, many Christians have found it difficult to worship openly even in the most unexpected places.  A missionary who recently returned from a short trip into San Luis Potosi related this amazing incident:

An isolated church high in the mountains of central Mexico was harrassed by groups of people who did not want the influence of the church in their area.  They burned down the homes of the Christians and did other things to discourage church services, but worship continued.  Finally the son of one of the members of the church was kidnapped and a stern warning was sent back to the humble little group.  "Close the church and stop your meetings and we will return your son."

Members of the church immediately went into urgent prayer for the return of this young man, but they were not willing to agree to the kidnappers' terms.  The very next day their prayers were answered and they saw the victim as he made his way back home.  He said he had been set free!

When he asked his captors why they were letting him go, they said it was because they were very afraid.  During the night they had seen great balls of fire coming down out of the sky and they had been terrified.  The leader of the group said they knew that the God of the Christians was very strong and powerful, and they had to let him go.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."  Hebrews 12:1

Sunday, February 7, 2016

LAUGHING IN SPANISH!

A serious moment during the game with flash cards.
Laughter sounds the same in any language!  Laughter brings us together with a common bond!  And there's nothing better to bring on laughter than trying to learn together to speak a foreign language!

Lloyd and I enjoy teaching English at the church in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico.  And at the same time we are learning more Spanish and having more confidence with the different pronunciations of that language.  We make up lessons involving simple exercises such as matching words, filling in the blanks and finishing short sentences. At the end of each lesson we bring out the colorful "flash cards," a picture on one side and the appropriate English word on the other.

These flash cards represent many different things, from animals to people, food items and articles of clothing.  Most are basic words that might be used in everyday life.

Lloyd and I have created a game out of the flash cards, one that involves a prize for the person who wins.  Even though the prizes are small, the game creates quite an atmosphere of fun and excitement.  Everyone looks forward to the flash card game.

Some of the pictures are amusing to all of us.  Some are more serious and enlightening.  But there is one card that always causes quite a reaction when it turns up on the table.  It's the picture of an unusual ostrich and it looks as if it's smiling!

Everyone likes to draw this card because it makes us all laugh!
The ostrich card always brings laughter from everyone!  This amazing photograph sends everyone into spasms of giggles and funny remarks.  It's a moment we all enjoy.

Nothing brings people together quite like laughter.  And laughter sounds amazingly the same in any language.

"Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them."  Psalm 126:2