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We arrived safely Saturday night after a mostly uneventful trip. This is remarkable considering the normal level of adventure in our lives since we came to Mexico. Our time in the States was very enjoyable save for a couple of bumps. We loved seeing as many family members and friends as we did. We really wanted to see more people and spend more time with those we saw. As good as it is to visit, it seems to take a few days to get over a little homesickness when we return here.

One bit of excitement was having our car towed from in front of daughter Camille's apartment. There were no signs or markings. After the shock of finding our car missing, a night on Camille's livingroom floor, a trip in the morning from Woodstock to Crystal Lake and $150, we got the car back. It was supposed to be $200, but the guy gave us a break on the 10 hours of "storage fee".

It caused me to miss my one opportunity to spend the early Saturday morning hours with my friends at the Rockford First men's prayer group. I was looking forward to coffee and a long john too! It did result in a big blessing as the guys spontaneously reached into their pockets. They blessed us with more than double our loss for the towing. God is good!! (I'd rather have had the fellowship)

We are ready to hit the ground running. Our full schedule resumes immediately beginning with preaching at Pastor Solomón's church tonight. We'll see what the rest of the week brings. We have prospects for 3-5 new students.

We have found that teaching English is a very effective way to reach people and to build relationships with them. This leads to many opportunities to share the Gospel. For a number of reasons, we don't charge for the classes. In some ways, it feels as though we have accomplished nothing in the nine months we've been here. But as we look back, we can see that we have had a huge positive impact on a significant number of people.

We would like to continue, but we need to ask for your help. We came to Mexico on faith with a small amount of savings and a monthly pension I receive from my days as a police officer. As I write this, we are about 3-4 months from depleting our savings. When the money runs out, we will have to return home. Although I really want to remain here, we are both very willing to return to the States if that is God's will. We were and we are trusting God to supply our need either way. Please consider prayerfully and carefully whether you might be able to help us with a one-time gift or regular monthly support. We need to raise about $600 per month.  We are very thankful to those who have been generous to help us get this far.

BLOG COMMENT POSTS   Serveral people have told me that they posted comments to the blog. Unfortunately, we have not seen most of them. I checked the settings and confirmed that anybody is allowed to post a comment. I believe the problem is a checkbox which is under the comment box. It says "Select Profile" You must answer this box for the comment to appear. You may select either "Anonymous" or "Name/URL". Just type your name in the box. It will attach your name to the comment and we will know who posted it. It was disappointing to learn that we haven't seen some of your comments. It is very encouraging to us to know that you are taking an interest in our activities.

TRUE CONFESSIONS

Normally, we try to keep this on a lighter tone and try to give a small taste of what we are experiencing. We do not want to share a lot of the nitty gritty of ministry because those things are very personal to the people involved. We want to respect their privacy. However, sometimes I feel the need to share a bit of the personal side of life away from home. This one is a bit of confession and hopefully, encouragement.

The past week was my most difficult in Huatulco to date. Monday and Tuesday were holidays for the celebration of Los Dias de los Muertos. (Day(s) of the Dead) It is a huge holiday commemorating the dead. Sacrifices consisting of the favorite foods, treats, and alcohol of the dead relative are placed on an altar with many flowers and candles to guide and welcome them. There are many rituals and traditions dating back thousands of years. It is generally taken very seriously.

Because of the celebrations, most of my English students had cancelled for the week or just did not call or show up. To be fair, this is the common custom in Mexico. Rarely will you receive a call that someone will be very late or not coming at all. Normally, we take it in stride, but this week it frustrated me. I wasted a lot of time waiting. Monday was mostly a wash except for a very pleasant evening with a young couple from down the street.

Tuesday, I arrived on time for the usual pre-class breakfast at the Red Cross. The doctor, Carmen, met me at the front desk and explained that she was the only one there so she would not be able to be in class. Bummer! I was hungry too. The hotel union was cancelled, so I headed home. I already knew in advance that my Wednesday, in-town classes were cancelled. Add to the list a string of drops, spills, breaks, and mishaps and by evening, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Even watching one of my favorite movies, Music Man (Shirley Jones version) didn’t help.

I woke up Wednesday with a bad attitude. I didn’t even shower, shave, or brush my teeth. Pity party doesn’t begin to describe it. My motivation meter was below zero. However, I managed to think just about every negative thought you could imagine. We don’t belong here. We are wasting our time and money being here. We’re not making any difference. I’m not capable or qualified to be doing this. It was an ugly day during which I stayed home (isolated) stirring the pot with both hands. I am glad I neither had any food in the house (by choice) nor felt like going out and facing people. I might have tried to eat myself to happiness. As I write about it now, it doesn’t seem real. I have a good friend here who will scold me when he reads this. I deserve it. The last thing an person in a pity party should do (and the first thing he does) is isolate.

Thursday looked to be more of the same. Fortunately, my daily reading of the Proverbs gave me a sharp wrap on the knuckles. Prov 3:5-6 is my life-guidance, foundational passage. “Trust in the Lord...” Oswald Chambers challenged me even further. In retrospect, I know that it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me when the thought entered my head that I needed to visit a man I haven’t seen in a while. I really didn’t want to go, but I knew I needed to be obedient. I argued with myself to turn back all of the way there.

He is a long-time addict who struggles to stay clean. He has accepted Christ, but guilt and condemnation are still his constant companions. He revealed that he had recently relapsed. He had stopped, but he was still beside himself with shame. As I ministered to him, a boulder dropped out of the sky and landed on my head. I suddenly and clearly realized that, although I was counseling him about his situation, God was counseling me about mine. I have no doubt that God wanted to use me to minister to this man, but He also was using my obedience to minister to me. If I had stayed home….??  God is in control, but He works through our submission.

Friday morning began with a fresh attitude. I had a class at the Red Cross with the doctor. I was able to share more of my personal testimony with her. Afterwards, I went to the town square park to read my Bible. Two young men stopped to talk. They were Jehovah’s Witnesses. One of them was born into it. Normally, they are nearly impossible to reason with. Their training prepares them for virtually every argument using the Bible. However, we had an excellent conversation about the organization. At different points, I felt that he was being touched, that his armor was being pierced. When we finished, he thanked me and said with a sincere tone that I had given him some things to think about. If I had stayed home…??

On the way home, I stopped by another friend with whom I’ve been sharing. We had a good conversation and he seemed encouraged. He was giving me a ride part way to my next destination as he was picking up his mother-in-law from the hospital. She is very ill. I got to lay hands on her and pray. As I was leaving, I saw a young couple with a very young baby. I felt the urge to pray for the child. I asked permission and did so. As I turned to leave, I felt an overwhelming sense of God’s love. If I had stayed home…??

On Saturday, I got to continue ministry to a young man who is struggling with drugs, alcohol, and violence. He is searching for something to fill his emptiness. Tonight, I am privileged to preach in one of the churches. I am thanking God that He got in the boat and calmed the storm. I had started to sink because I took my eyes off of the One who is my source.

I am looking forward to seeing family and many friends next week.