FLYING SOLO

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Thursday of this past week, Donna headed out of Mexico for visits with daughters Amy, Kate and Angela. As I write this on Sunday night, I’ve been on my own for 3 days. I’ll be cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking on my own until November 12^th when I’ll be returning for a two-week visit. Until then, I am without my teaching helper, schedule keeper, fashion advisor, accountability partner, and friend. I am missing the nightly Backgammon games for who has to get the coffee pot ready for tomorrow. Did I mention that she also makes sure we have good stuff to eat?  

 

The weekend is less structured than the rest of the week which normally has a pretty full slate. Saturday is usually unscheduled. We had to change rest day from Friday. I got to slip off to one of my favorite snorkel beaches. Usually, lots of people are there so I am not swimming alone. Safety first! I got to spend about three hours in the water. I am still overwhelmed by the thousands upon thousands of six-inch, big-eyed silver fish that were there. There was also a large variety of brightly colored fish and other unusual creatures. The incredible variety and spectacular beauty of it all is for me a major “Wow God!” experience.

 

During one of my swim breaks, I had my Bible out and was working on my message for Pastor Salomón’s church next Sunday night. One of the waiters from the beachfront restaurant I was sitting in approached and asked if my book was a Bible. He asked if I would please talk with him a little while. Since he spoke decent English, we were able to have a good conversation. He told me that he feels that his life is without meaning. He said he was looking for something to fill the emptiness but doesn’t know what it is or how to find it. He related to me that every time he thinks he knows what he needs, he reaches after it but falls on his face. He grabs it, but when he opens his hand, it is empty. He said he is tired. I was able to share the Gospel with him. He asked if I could help him get a Bible.

Another chance encounter we had was with an alcoholic man in a wheelchair. He had gotten saved, been dry (he said) for almost a year and was regularly attending church. We saw him on the street a few days later. He had relapsed. I saw him again a few days ago and chased him down. We talked for a while. He told me a story I had heard a hundred times at the Rockford Rescue Mission. He said that he didn’t understand what had happened. He asked if I could help him sort it out. He said he would make a regular time to meet. I’ll have to be intentional about finding him because he’s still out there.(drinking) He showed me his sleeping spot (he’s homeless) and I know a couple of his routines. I looked for him on the way back from church tonight, but he wasn’t “home” yet.

I met the pastor of a recovery ministry/house a little way from here. I’ll be going out there to spend some time checking it out while Donna is in the States. There is a lot of alcoholism in Huatulco.

There are still a lot of unexpected surprise (is that redundant?) opportunities to minister here. I guess it’s not really surprising any longer. We have come to expect the unexpected. We still want to connect with the Christian foreigners as they begin to return this month. I am seeing some glimmers of opportunity. God is in control!!! He is taking us in His direction.