Friday, October 31, 2008
Lazaro Cardenas Group Photo
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Final Fotos......the Trip Over the Mountains to Lazaro Cardenas and the Rest of the Group
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
I.B. Altamira, Altamirano, Guerrero, Mexico
It's been a great 5 days. We leave with the knowledge that a new Baptist church exists in Mexico - because God stirred in the hearts of a bunch of people and called them to His purpose. It's abundantly clear to me that God works in that manner. When a large group of people feel the Lord stirring inside them and moving them to action, we can feel confident that it's a movement of God thru the Holy Spirit. I am happy to be part of this group because we leave here incredibly blessed. I hope to be here next year to continue what's been started. Oh by the way, this new church is called Altamira Baptist Church or in Spanish Iglesia Bautista Altamira.
We should get back to Lazaro Cardenas tomorrow evening where we'll participate in the final service of the campaign. Then we get up on Friday morning, pack, and head to the airport after stopping at the seminary for lunch. I'm not ready to go home yet. Like being on vacation, it's hard to leave it all behind.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Last Day in Altamirano
Pictures from the Roof of the Church in Coyuca
Prayer-Walking in the City
Here's a short video of us prayer walking in downtown Altamirano. It's a busy place around lunch time. The instructions were to walk praying silently - no big task for John Garrett ! I can't believe I finally got a video to upload - Gloria a Dios
Frankly......
God's Secret Truth
Monday, October 20, 2008
The first Evangelistic Service at the House Church
We had the first service in Altamirano on Sunday night. We sent out teams inviting people of the neighborhood to the service. Brother Noah, the clown, did a little clown show for the children while we were out witnessing. Pastor Wilbert Martinez preached and we saw 6 professions of faith. It was uplifting and affirming. The pictures show the ladie’s yard where we had the service and the clown show. There’s a picture of Pastor Wilbert bringing a message in the darkness. It was very rewarding to see some fruit already.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
And so we begin.......................
Sunday Morning in Coyuca de Catatlan
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Thru the Mountains to Altamirano
Happy to Be Here ! finally.............
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Why Church Planting is Important
We are honored this week to have the opportunity to work with four experienced church planters - the four young ladies in the second photo. All are graduates of the seminary and one graduated from medical school also. They all are working in little churches that the Guerrero Convention has planted in the past few years. Three of them work with indigenous tribes in the mountainous interior of the state - the lady in pink on the far left is actually working on translating the Bible into one of the many native languages. The ladies in the colorful native dress are from the unreached people group that they are working with. I am not easily impressed (as many of you know) but I am in awe of these young church planters. Their committment is amazing.
The other day, I was looking at an International Mission Board map of unreached people groups and right there in Guerrero Mexico we find the only ones in North America. You don't have to go Africa or Asia to find lost people that have never heard about Jesus. In fact, there are still a lot of Mexican native languages that don't have their own translation of the Bible yet.
So, this week, if you have an opportunity to pray, remember these young ladies. We're gonna spend 7 days working in a strange place but they do it all day, every day 24/7. We leave for Mexico in 12 1/2 hours. My next post to this Blog will be from there.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Church at Coyuca de Catatlan
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The People of Altimirano
Monday, October 13, 2008
We're Headed Back to Altamirano to Plant a Church !
This is the first post of what I hope will be a bunch. We'll arrive there on October 18 in the afternoon. As always, we appreciate your prayers. This week I'm praying for safe travel - there's been a lot of 'narcotraficante' activity and unrest in the area where we're headed. I'm also praying that this first attempt at an official church plant by the Guerrero Convention with the help of an Oklahoma church will be just the first of many. Pray that the Lord is already preparing the way ahead of us - He has stirred within the hearts of the church-planters that this is the place. Pray that the ground is easy to plow there. Pray that we might all see and be encouraged by the power of the Gospel. Pray that when we leave, a fledging house church will exist.
I'm already rejoicing at how God has been working this week in my life. I was unsure until very recently that I would be even able to go. The Lord made it financially possible - in a large part thru my stepfather's paying for my travel expenses. Thanks Neal. God revealed his participation in this project in many other ways as well.
So, the plan is to update this page everyday - with a blog and photos as well to allow everyone to watch our progress as we head off on another of God's great adventures.