CHURCH SERVICE IN MEXICO

Miriam teaches Sunday School outside using the new tables and benches for her students.

While most North Americans sat in climate controlled comfortable churches, we sat on wooden benches in the unfinished auditorium with no roof for shade. Fine gravel made a hard surface for a floor. Winds whipped us, but that kept us from suffering from the noonday heat.

Lloyd had a message for the church. This picture shows him standing between Melo and Mario who were going to interpret his words for the small congregation. It was going to be interesting since we didn't know how much interpreting the men had done. First there were several songs, Miriam read the 37th Psalm, they prayed for the sick and then took an offering. Then Lloyd spoke about the need for churches to be revived using the scriptures about water wells. Abraham dug wells which were later filled in with dirt by enemy nations. Isaac came along years later and re-dug the wells, cleaning them out and finding fresh water. It was hard work and it caused trouble, but it was worth the effort.

Lloyd mentioned the church's problems concerning the black water north of us and how the enemy has tried to defeat us. He read the verses about the woman at the well and how she was promised living water so she would never thirst again.

After his message, Lloyd invited people forward to pray for each other. There was special prayer for those who need jobs right now. Apolinar came forward to be prayed for because he really needs a job.

Nayeli's husband Mario joined Melo to help interpret the message. It turned out to be a challenge for both of them but they did a good job and both seemed to enjoy the experience.

ADULT EDUCATION AND THE CHURCH

Pastor Gerardo and Miriam have the unique opportunity to work with the Mexican government along with some other teachers to further adult education in Nuevo Progreso. This is something they did in another state before coming to pastor our church. They are in charge of signing up adults in their area who want to learn to read and write, teaching them, testing them and finally certifying them. And much of this will happen in our church!
Gerardo and Miriam are excited about this new project, seeing it as a chance to meet new people. Having the newly built tables and benches will be a great help in the classes even if they were built with children in mind. There will be up to 10 adults in each class and they will meet to study together once a week.
In addition to reading, writing and mathematics, the people will have lessons in history and social studies. There are other subjects such as how to have non violent homes, how to raise children to be responsible adults, how to care for the land and how to avoid drug addictions.
The Mexican government is not only promoting literacy among adults, but is addressing many of their most basic problems. It's not a church based program, but Gerardo and Miriam will have the freedom to use God's word. We are very pleased that our church can be used in this worthwhile program.

BIRTHDAY FUN!

The wind whipped us as we sat under the big shade tree in Marcelino's yard. Things that weren't held down blew away, but the wind kept us from feeling the extreme heat. Marcelino grilled chicken while we visited and the kids played. It was Belen's fourth birthday. Belen is Marcelino's granddaughter, a shy little girl with dimples who is always smiling and happy.

When the chicken was charred and steaming, the women served dishes of macaroni, mashed potatoes and lettuce salad. Then there was a white layer cake covered with diced peaches accompanied by vanilla strawberry ice cream and after that a watermelon! Nothing was too much for this special little girl!

Belen grinned when everyone sang the Mexican happy birthday song. Then she attacked her large pinata until she opened up the bottom of the Cinderella figure. But she was premature in her sneaky attack on the pinata. The candy was still hidden in the kitchen. Later Belen's mother tossed the treats into the crowd of children and everyone was happy.

One Mexican birthday tradition is to push the celebrant's face into their birthday cake when they least expect it. Jaime made sure Belen didn't miss out on this fun experience. By the look on her face in the picture, Belen didn't consider it a pleasure.

APPARITION SEEN AT THE CHURCH

Pastor Gerardo said one morning they were getting ready to take the kids to school and it was still dark outside. Nahum ran outside to be first to get in the car; and seeing it was locked he looked inside and saw the form of a man with his hands on the steering wheel. It was ugly and angry looking. Nahum screamed and ran back in the house saying he had seen santa muerte, the spirit of death.

Gerardo ran outside and looked into the car. By that time the form had shifted into the back seat and he looked into a face with enormous white eyes. Strong fear came over him when he realized that this was something supernatural.

Somehow Gerardo got the boldness to command the thing to leave. When he said the name of Jesus, it completely disappeared.

The whole family gathered close together after that to pray. Gerardo said there have been no other such sightings at the church and everything is peaceful and quiet.

We realize that our church is being built on ground that has never before been claimed for the Lord. There are probably ancient demonic beings that have never been challenged and they don't want to leave their space. Since we began to plant this church we have had heavy opposition, but we know that God is greater than the enemy. He has given us victory.

Twelve year old Nahum is shown in the picture standing by his father Gerardo at the church in Nuevo Progreso.

MIRIAM STANDS HER GROUND!

The church property has always been a short cut from one colonia to another, eliminating a lot of rough roads. Last week three expensive pickup trucks drove up to the church wanting to drive through, but Gerardo and Miriam's car was blocking the way. The lead driver honked and honked and when he didn't get results, he got out and knocked on the church door. Miriam opened the door and the man told her to move their car so he could drive through to the other side. Miriam said NO! He could not drive the narrow trail into the neighboring colonia because he would be driving over their water lines and possibly cutting them. The man said, "Excuse me, I didn't know." And he and the others backed out and drove all the way around to the other side.
Gerardo said gang members drive these expensive trucks and are easy to spot because they are very demanding and pushy. Miriam showed a lot of courage standing her ground and the men were polite as they backed away. We have discussed putting up chains or gates at the north and south entrances to the church. We also plan to display notices that this is church property and not a public road. A dusk to dawn light was given to the church and it would be good to have this installed quickly.

CAMPANA - CAMP MEETING & EASTER

April 19, 20 and 21 an evangelist is coming from Matamoros to hold camp meeting at the church in Nuevo Progreso. A car with a loud speaker will go around town announcing that there will be music, preaching and prayer for the sick. They are proclaiming miracles at the campana! Jorge Leal, the district supervisor from the Church of God in Reynosa is providing a large lighting system since there is not yet electricity in the unfinished auditorium. Let's pray for souls to be saved and people healed at the camp meeting.

According to tradition, the church in Nuevo Progreso will meet at sunrise April 8 to celebrate the day of Resurrection. This 6:00 am service will be the only service of the day, the rest of the day being set aside for family gatherings.

Work continues slowly on the auditorium walls of the church in Nuevo Progreso.

DRUG & ALCOHOL REHABILITATION CENTER

Many years we visited the rehab center on the highway outside Rio Bravo in Mexico. With as many as 100 young people there at a time, their success rate was good. Government funded, the center was religion based and Bible scripture decorated inside walls. A cross was painted on the logo outside the gates. We took gallon cans of vegetables to the rehab center plus other large food items. Once we showed the Jesus Film and gave out New Testaments. So we were surprised to drive up to the gate and see that it was abandoned.

Because of violence on the highways, we had not driven outside Nuevo Progreso for a year. But since we had so many large containers of food, we decided to drive 15 miles to the center. Before we reached the entrance we could see the weeds growing up on the lane and the broken windows. The chainlink fence was there, but the place was deserted. We later learned they moved to Reynosa one year ago.

It's reported that gangs made targets of rehab centers all over Mexico. They harassed and bullied the isolated institutions until they were forced to move or close. The rehab center in Rio Bravo is another victim of the violence in Mexico.

The picture shows me (Joyce) with two young women being treated at the rehab center the last time we ministered there.