CALM IN THE STORM

Pastor Gerardo's car in Nuevo Progreso.

Sunday night it seemed like we lived the sermon Pastor Gerardo had just preached from Mark 4:38 & 39.  The disciples were in a boat with Jesus in a storm. Gerardo kept emphasizing that if Jesus is in the boat with us, there’s no need to fear. He’s always in control.

As soon as we arrived at the church that night in Nuevo Progreso, Miriam, Dana and Gerson came in exhausted from walking. They had run out of gas several blocks from home. Church started a little late and there weren’t many there. But the sermon was very encouraging.

After church and a time of visiting, we took Gerardo to get gas for his car. We went to the car to get his gas can and then went straight to the only gas station in town.  On the way back, it wasn’t until we got near some houses that Gerardo noticed it looked really dark.  The lights were evidently off all over town.   We’d just been to the station and when we had left the church all the lights were still on. Now there was no power in Nuevo Progreso. Then in the darkness of the Jeep we heard Gerardo say “God is good.”  We had gotten the much needed gas moments before the station was blacked out!  And earlier the lights had been on until church had been dismissed! Then we heard him say, “God is in control.”

Pastor Gerardo and family after church on a Sunday night.

Only car headlights and people with flashlights could be seen as we followed Gerardo back to the church. Miriam and the kids were huddled in the doorway waiting for him. Miriam told us they heard the power was out all over the area, including the enormous city of Reynosa 25 miles away.

When we pulled away from the church in the darkness, a huge flash of lightning lit up the sky, but there was no thunder. Gerardo had just preached about a sudden storm described in the 4th chapter of Mark. Driving back to the border through dark streets we wondered if the bridge would be closed because the power was out. It was a relief to see lights inside the toll booth. The officers at the bridge had no idea why lights were out, but they said a big storm was headed our way.

Setting sun in Weslaco. Everything was calm and dry.

When we got to our home in Weslaco, everything was quiet and dry. Any storms in the area had faded away, but the evening news told us what had happened.  Strong winds had hit Laredo, Texas which is about 160 miles west on the border. Power had been cut off in that city and many others, including Reynosa.  Huge trucks were turned over and the international bridge at Laredo was closed due to heavy damage. The news confirmed that electricity was out all along the northern part of the state in Mexico and that included Nuevo Progreso.

The next morning we saw there had been a soft gentle rain during the night. Our area really needed the rain, but we were glad we didn’t have the strong storms.  Electricity was out for almost 24 hours in Nuevo Progreso.

UPDATE TO THE ABOVE:

Three people accepted Jesus as Savior under Pastor Gerardo's ministry during the recent drama and chaos in Nuevo Progreso.

“Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?”  Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.  Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don’t you have any faith?”   
Mark 4:38 & 39 CEV