PREPARING FOR CELEBRATIONS!

Cynthia, Javier and Esteban with their gift bags.

Our trip to Nuevo Progreso Tuesday was for several purposes, to visit friends, to firm up plans for our annual Christmas party and to make a stop to give a Christmas gift to the soldiers standing guard at the international bridge.

It felt like Christmas since it was colder than usual and slightly overcast.  There weren’t many tourists in the streets and traffic on the bridge was light.  Lloyd pulled into the open area near the customs lane where the military has their temporary headquarters.  One soldier standing guard with a rifle went to get the officer in charge at Lloyd’s request.  We presented that officer with a large mesh bag of mixed nuts in the shells to be shared with all those stationed in Nuevo Progreso.  It’s our way of saying thank you and Merry Christmas to the young men who keep watch over the town.

Then we stopped at Apolinar’s house to see how they had been getting along.  This was our first visit with them this winter, so it was good to see how much their kids had grown and how well they are. We had Christmas treat bags for Esteban, Javier and Cynthia containing candy, small toys and picture books.  The Christmas books with pop-up pages depicting the Nativity Scene seemed the biggest attraction.

Javier was delighted to see us and he enjoyed his bag of treats.

Apolinar was working in a nearby neighborhood.  He seems to be doing very well since the terrible accident several years ago when he was almost electrocuted.  He had severe burns over most of his body and was in a coma for three weeks.  It was many months before he could use his hands again because of scar tissue and burns.  Now he can once again support his family either by working in construction or by selling food to the numerous trucks that drive through Nuevo Progreso.

Cynthia was fascinated with her Christmas picture book and with her candy cane.

Carla had a cold and the kids all had sniffles.  It was a good thing we had thought to bring them cold medicines including Vicks vapor rub.  The weather has been cold and wet, temperatures are up and down.  Cold medicines are much appreciated by families with small children and Carla especially likes to use the chest rubs.  She says they are safer   for children than strong liquid medicines.

There were even treats for the family dogs!  We always carry a container of dog food in the Jeep so we can feed the dogs we encounter in our travels.  Most of them run loose and are very thin.

We had lunch with Pastor Gerardo and Miriam at the church.  It was a good time to catch up on recent news and plan future events.

Two mounds of caliche and fill material still stood beside the church.  It's a big job to spread this heavy material, but it creates a firm solid surface after a time.

Six truck loads of caliche, Mexican gravel, have already been delivered and dumped in the church yard.  Four loads have been spread out over the driveway where recent rains had made deep ruts and mud.  Pastor Gerardo and his son Nahum have done most of the work to spread the caliche.  Yesterday one of their neighbors named Angel stopped by to lend a hand.  We plan to order many more loads of caliche in order to build up the ground and prevent future flooding when it rains.

Pastor Gerardo told us about a sad situation in Nuevo Progreso involving many of the local churches and pastors and the ministerial alliance.   A popular evangelist from the United States claiming to be a prophet is preaching in many of the churches, causing problems.  Many of his prophecies were that certain people would soon die and he told Gerardo that he was one who wouldn’t live much longer.  It’s a ministry of fear.  Gerardo said he was alerted by the Holy Spirit that much of what was being preached and proclaimed by the “prophet” did not agree with the Bible.  Also there was a big emphasis on money in the services which was alarming.  Gerardo decided he and his family did not want to participate in the group meetings.  He quietly made it known he disagreed with what was being presented as being prophetic.


Please pray with us about this serious situation in Nuevo Progreso.  Almost all the other churches in town seem to be attracted to this prophetic ministry and they are caught up in the excitement and entertainment presented.  But when the excitement wears off and the errors are more evident, there will be disappointed and disillusioned people who will not understand all that happened.  Pastor Gerardo and Miriam will then be like a lighthouse in the darkness - constant and steady - always leading people in the right way.

"I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart and tell about the wonders
    you have worked."  Psalm 9:1 (CEV)