Visited Adolfo Today in Juarez for a Hambergesa

Kids Get Sick and No Jail Ministry Today

Well the plan was for jail ministry today but that is not what happened.  Instead Pastor Julio informed me that two of his boys were really sick last night and he needed to take them in for shots.  Nothing too serious but it cancelled our plans.

Near by the hospital I noticed thick black smoke in the air while sitting in the car while Pastor Julio and his wife and boys were in the clinic.  I decided to go check it out.  Video will follow.

Good Day To Prepare For Days Ahead

Tomorrow we will visit the prisoners in the local Juarez Jail that I have been going to with a group of Christians from another church here.

Did some laundry this morning and had some free time to myself to prepare messages and lessons in the days ahead.

Yesterday I taught our third class in Pentateuch.  It was good once it got started which was 1/2 hour later than the official start time of 11:00 AM.  For some reason the people here are not too concerned about official start times when it comes to Bible classes in church.  They do make sure they are relatively on time for the official start of the service however.  I'm praying about this situation but only 4 more weeks to go here in Juarez before heading back to hometown Buffalo via South and North Carolina where I have friends that have supported me in past missions to Mexico.

This time will be different however since I am not heading to Mexico but rather heading back home.  I still may speak in a couple of churches in the Carolinas and tell them about this latest mission here to Juarez that is coming to a conclusion soon.  Still more to do here while I'm here and always open to what God wants to do next here.  Making yourself available is the first step toward being used by Him.  Here I am Lord.

What's next Lord, I'm available?

Handing Out Gospel Tracts at The Foot of The Bridge Into Juarez

Yesterday after a walk back into the USA at El Paso I ran into Robert again, a man I first made contact with over a month ago.  He was handing out gospel tracts again as he was the first time I met him to everyone that was walking toward Juarez over this bridge.

We exchanged greetings and were glad to see each other again then he asked if I needed more tracts.  Since last time I was able to contact the same ministry that supplies him with tracts and they sent me a case of 300.  The only problem was that I was sure that I had requested Spanish versions of the tracts but I was sent English versions.

Robert was able to supply me with about 150 Spanish versions which he was handing out to everyone who walked passed him as he prayed a blessing over each of their lives at the same time.  Here's a man who is serious about witnessing for the Lord.  I will use the tracts that he was able to give me in future visits to the local Juarez Jail that we have been going to for the last 6 weeks.  Looking forward to our next visit this coming Tuesday morning.

Wednesday in El Paso

Connected with my friend Mario this morning who helped me with copies of class outlines that I made for our Pentateuch class on Sunday.  Looking forward to working with Mario on future projects here.

6th Visit to Juarez Jail Today

Had another opportunity to visit the Juarez Jail this morning with the same group of Juarez Christians that I have been going with the past 6 weeks.  We are welcomed each time and each time that we have the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ is a very special moment of time not only for the prisoners but for us as well.  More decisions for Christ were made today.  The Holy Spirit was there with us as we shared the good news with about a dozen prisoners.

Monday Morning Refections

Taught our 2nd class in our series on the Pentateuch yesterday morning in church.  This class proved to be a challenge for time to cover all the material I had prepared for teaching Chapters 12-28. Time ran out with still more teaching left to be done so I will have to take care of unfinished business at the beginning of next weeks lesson.

Experiencing a problem with having to teach while competing with a chorus of crying babies, not my students but their kids that they bring with them who can't seem to settle down while the teaching is taking place causing me to preach (in a louder voice) as opposed to talking normally in a teaching voice mode.  Hopefully next week things will go better in this department.

Last night was a great night at La Mision, the church of Juventud con Vision, the children's home that I visit here in Juarez.  I was given the opportunity to preach that evenings message which I did from 2 Chronicles Chapter 20 - the story of King Jehoshaphats great victory over the Ammonites and Moabites.  Great lessons there for us to transition from relying on our own strength and abilities to trusting completely in our Lord to fight the battle that is not ours but His.  Read Chapter 20: 1-30 and be blessed;

                                                        La Mision - Juarez, Mexico

2 Chronicles 20:1-30

New International Version (NIV)

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

 ¹ After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites^[a] came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.

 ² Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom,^[b] from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 

³ Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 

⁴ The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 

⁶ and said:

   “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 

⁷ Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

⁸ They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 

⁹ ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

¹⁰ “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 

¹¹ See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 

¹² Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

¹³ All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.

¹⁴ Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

¹⁵ He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

¹⁶Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. ¹⁹ Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

²⁰ Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 

²¹ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his^[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

   “Give thanks to the LORD,
   for his love endures forever.”

²² As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 

²³ The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

²⁴ When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 

²⁵ So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing^[d] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 

²⁶ On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah^[e] to this day.

²⁷ Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 

²⁸ They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lyres and trumpets.

²⁹ The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 

³⁰ And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Book of Romans Class Concludes

Yesterday I made my way into El Paso early in the morning to teach another driver safety course of AARP.

Yesterday evening back in Juarez we presented the 10th and final teaching dvd on the Book of Romans to our faithful students at the Betesda Church in Juarez.  More info later....

Praying For Some New Changes at Our Church Here in Juarez

                                Recently installing our Cross

We have started to pray about some things that will improve the look and feel of our little church here in Juarez.

The white cross that we recently installed is a great addition to our church building.  Now people in this community will have a daily reminder that not only is this building at the end of the road here a church but this cross is a daily reminder of what Christ did for us.  He is no longer on that cross.  He has risen and now sits at the right hand of the Father, forever interceding for us.

Our new goal is to "light" this cross with a string of white lights like the kind you see at Christmas time.  Each Wednesday evening when we have our mid week service in the evening we plan on having the cross lit.  With an illuminated cross and the singing that can be heard as we praise and worship God in this community our presence will be undeniable and hopefully draw others to the truth found in the gospel of Christ.

Another goal we have is to finally install a a brand new stone tile floor to cover the bare concrete that has been our floor since this church was first built about five years ago.  The cost for installing this floor has been prohibitive all these years as church finances have never been high.  The people that this church serves are low income people and whatever  money comes in through tithes and offerings barely makes the necessities of the church building possible.  The idea of the floor has been a luxury that the people have never been able to afford.  We are believing that the time for this to change has come and now we are actively praying and proclaiming that we will soon have a new floor for the people who pray and worship God here to enjoy.

We also are in need of more folding metal or cloth padded chairs for our growing congregation.  Their have been times recently when people have had to stand due to no place to sit down.

If you are reading this and are in a position to help in some way for our current dreams for our place of  worship to come true, contact us and share what God has spoken to you about to help us with.

Re-inspired Today by Wine to Water - a book by Doc Hendley

Just finished reading a brand new book this morning that caught my eye at the El paso Library last week.  It's the story of a former young bartender who caught the vision for doing something to help the world's over one billion people who do not have access to clean drinking water. He took it upen himself to do something about it by first holding fund raisers starting with his bar friends and the people he already new eventually approached an organization that was already doing a lot in world relief - Samaritan's Purse.  

Not knowing what else to do with the $14,000 he raised himself he began to talk to a director at SP who after listening to his story encouraged him to hold on to the money, join up with SP and be willing to go into the field to see first hand the conditions he had only heard about.  Doc Hendley ( the 25 year old biker/bartender) did just that and was sent to a country in Africa called Darfur which I am sure you have heard about.

It's an exciting story that I don't want to give away the ending to .  Search it out for yourself if you want to be inspired as I was, to do something with what God has already given you.

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/wine_to_water.html

http://winetowater.org

Valentines Day Today in Juarez

Visited more prisoners again (5th week in a row) in Juarez Jail today on Valentines Day 02-14-12.  More decisions for Christ.

Sunday in Juarez

Today with Pastor Julio's help I was able to teach my first class of Pentateuch at the church here in Juarez.  We had a good turn out and everything went well.  Taught the first elven chapters of the Book of Genesis and touched on the highlights;  Creation, The Fall of Man, Cain and Able, Noah and the Flood and The Tower of Babel.  Looking forward to picking it up from here next week as we begin to talk about Abraham and his descendants.

Saturday in The Juarez Library

         New Walkway From Juarez to El Paso Being Constructed

I'm in the Juarez library this morning preparing to teach my first class in a series on the Pentateuch beginning tomorrow morning for one hour at Pastor Julio's church before the service starts.  We will go for the next 7 weeks covering the first five books of our Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

Yesterday was a busy day.  Didn't have time for internet.  Left my house at 5:30 AM after lighting the candles in my dark home and shaving to candlelight while watching my breath vapor with my exhales.  It was cold and then a cold shower to really wake me up.  Then out the door and down the dusty trail to the bus that took me to downtown Juarez where I crossed the border bridge into El Paso, still dark outside.

My reason for going to El Paso that early in the morning was to teach my 2nd AARP Safe Driver's Course which began at 9:00 AM on the other side of El Paso.  I had to connect with two buses to get there and I made it on time.  We had 4 students out of the 6 that showed up and I taught the class for the next 4 hours.

After busing it back to El Paso I made it to the Post Office and mailed the required reports and money collected from the course to the home office.

Later yesterday evening Pastor Julio  and I made our way to his church to host the final class of The Book of Romans Series that we have been doing but unfortunately not enough folk showed up and we were a little late in showing up ourselves due to a late start from our home.  We will be re-scheduling the class for another day this coming week.  Looking forward to teaching Pentateuch tomorrow morning in church.

     Rio Norte Retirement Center in El Paso, TX where I came this morning to teach a safe driving course.

Two Juarez Police Officers Killed This Morning Close to Our Homes

Two Juarez Police officers said good-bye to their wives and families before going to work this morning for the last time.  They were both killed in a drive by shooting while in their vehicle like the ones you see pictured above.  I took this photo this morning close to the seen of the shooting.

Pastor Julio and our friend next door named Mandy were in their kitchen early this morning reading the Word of God and praying when they both heard automatic weapon fire and immediately both hit the floor for cover.  I was next door.  It wasn't long before the news  was on the TV with film coverage of scenes around our neighborhood, the vicinity of this crime.  No word yet if anyone was apprehended.

New Doors of Ministry Opportunity

Across the road here in another community in Juarez, is the a church called 

The Doors of Heaven that I have been invited to speak in next month.

Yesterday I was pleased to accept a speaking invitation at another church here in Juarez on March 7th.  The invitation came from a Pastor Havier who leads the jail ministry that God has connected me with.  I'm looking forward to that opportunity a month from now.

In the mean time I still have things on my plate so to speak that keep me active in God's current assignment for me here in Juarez.  This coming Friday I will be hosting my 10th and final class in the Book of Romans at Pastor Julio's church concluding a series of bi-lingual teaching classes that some of his people really appreciated.  Perhaps I will have another opportunity to host this teaching series in another church in the near future.

But as one thing comes to an end another is about to begin.  This coming Sunday I will be personally teaching a course on the Pentateuch each Sunday morning before the regular service begins in Pastor Julio's church.  I only have 7 Sundays left for this mission so I will only be able to highlight certain important people and events from the first five books of our Bible.  

This Sunday I will be concentrating on the Book of Genesis as I talk about Creation, The Fall of Man, Cain & Able and Seth and Noah and The Flood and concluding this first weeks teaching with God's lesson to us on the Tower of Babel.  I'm looking forward to teaching with Pastor Julio as he interprets into Spanish everything the Lord will have me say concerning these topics.

Fourth Week at Juarez Jail

Sharing the Good News In A Juarez Jail

We made in back in to the Juarez jail that I have gone three times before.  Another blessed time in the Lord as prisoners gave their hearts to the Lord.  Holy Spirit somehow makes it happen each time we share God's word and offer the invitation.  We are getting set to visit another jail in the near future as per the invitation extended to us last week by the head of jails here in Juarez.

Baby Dedications and Birthday Party on Sunday

Saturday Morning Visit to El Paso

Never ceases to amaze me what some people are into and still calling themselves Christians; going to bars and nightclubs, drinking, smoking, playing with tarot cards and other demonic distractions like horoscopes.  When you challenge them for their faith they attack you and they always seem to think they are right and you who stay away from these things are wrong.  I've come to the conclusion that their are a lot of people just plain fooling themselves and refusing to come to Christ on His terms not their own.

Well I guess they will always be there, that crowd.  I am looking for fellowship with true believers who understand biblical spirituality, not something they have invented all their own to satisfy themselves instead of a God who loves them.

We had a great class in Romans last night in the church here in Juarez.  The regular group showed up and we had the opportunity once again to watch and listen to the teaching of Rev. Paul Johannson in Class #9 of the 10 week bi-lingual series on Romans that we have been doing.  We were taught about Chapter 12 in Romans, the chapter you go to see how to live out this Christian life in this present ungodly world.  I'll return to this paragraph later today and add some highlights from his teaching for your edification.

Back in El Paso today for what I believe is a Divine appointment with some friends of mine from Carlsbad, NM who are traveling here for a funeral of one of their friends.  Hoping to get a chance to fellowship with them for a while before crossing back over into Juarez.  Their was a cold chill in the air this morning.  A few minutes after leaving my casa I almost turned around to go back and get my jacket but I listened to the voice in my mind that said it will warm up later.  Hope I listened to the right voice.  Found out once or twice that I can be wrong once in a while.  What a revelation.

After stopping off at the Superette down the hill to buy a small coke to get change for the bus I rode the bus in to downtown Juarez to the foot of the border bridge and crossed over without much problem this Saturday morning.  I'll report here later and let you know how things went....

Photo Above: The Main Branch of the El Paso Library System.  One of my favorite stops on my visits to El Paso, Texas

Border Crossings

Here's what it looked like crossing the border into USA from Juarez, Mexico this morning.  Had about a twenty minute wait as both the US Citizen line on the left and the Mexican Citizen line on the right inched their way forward toward the US Border Customs building.

                          
I've crossed the border into El Paso again early this morning after waiting in a slow moving line on the bridge.  After about a half an hour my place in line finally made it into the border crossing inspection building and I was asked once again like they always do; "What was your purpose for visiting Mexico?" to which I replay, "I was visiting a children's home and a pastor and his family."  To which they reply, "what are you bringing into USA?"  To which I reply, "not much, my computer, camera and some library material."

Depending on which agent I get to stand in front of the conversation usually ends here and I'm given back my passport and given permission to keep walking in the direction of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."  Once in a while though the questioning persists until they get it out of me that I am a missionary here on business for the Lord.  That ends the conversation and they let me pass. For some reason they have nothing more to say after they here those words. 

Rev. Paul Johansson teaching the Book of Romans via 10 week bi-lingual video teaching course that we have been hosting here at Pastor Julio's church in Juarez, Mexico

Well, it's off to Mac Donalds for a sausage Mac muffin and then to the Post Office.  Tonight is class #9 of the bi-lingual video teaching series on the Book of Romans I am hosting at Pastor Julio's church in Juarez.  I have a few hours here in El Paso before crossing back over for that.

At The Library In Juarez

                                       The Library in the community known as Zapata where
                                                       I live in the city of Juarez, Mexico

This morning I took a slow walk from my casa about a mile to the library in Zapata, a community here in Juarez close to where I live.  I will have a photo of this shortly.  Here at the Spanish speaking library I have made two friends who keep the doors open two different times of the day.  Their names are Marteen and Rammiro.  Both of them speak enough english to communicate with me.  Although I cannot check out books they do allow me to be here and read and use my own computer (not their's which they have 4 of and others use them).  Well it's time to visit Juventud con Vision Children's Home. I'm on my way.

           
                  Juventud con Vision Children's Home here in Juarez.  A photo I took on a previous mission here.  It's the building on the right, home for my long time young friends who still live there; Damaris, Diana, Aleejandro, Aaron, and a new young person named Adrian.  I visit here usually a couple times per week, taking the time to fellowship and see what's new in their lives.

A few hours later:

I just returned from my visit to Juventud con Vision to spend some time with the kids I know there and see what is new with them.  Spent some time talking with sister Patti who runs things there during the day time and found out from her that Saturday will be here last day.  With a little sadness she confided that working there as enjoyable as it has been was taking time away from her husband and family.  I know she will be missed by the kids there but she has promised to return from time to time to her new extended family at Juventud.  

My favorite little tortilla shop, freshly made and baked in the store.

While I was there I was treated to a couple of burritos made with freshly baked tortillas still warm in the plastic bag that I bought from a local tortilla store, a small tortilla making facility.  Here's a photo of the place.  A small package of about a dozen large soft tortillas costs 10 pesos ( about 75 cents).

Yesterday I decided to walk across the border bridge back into El Paso to check my mail at the Post Office and to visit the El Paso Library.  I received my first $30.00 check in the mail from the Driver Safety Course that I taught a week ago.  I am scheduled to teach two more or these courses this month of February and two more in March.  This is my only source of income at the moment besides waiting on God to provide missionary support from those who I am in fellowship with who believe in providing missionary support for what I am doing here in Juarez.

Their have been a few who have done this for me since arriving in Juarez 3 1/2 months ago but I haven't received anything in 6 weeks now except a small timely gift from a new friend of mine in El Paso.  Thank you again brother for your generous and gracious spiritual gift.

And thank you mission friends and partners; Ray Smith, Ray Knutsen, Alex Klochko, Alan Duitsman, Lucille Mingarelli, and Hiram Texidor, who have made these last 3 1/2 months possible for me, I couldn't be doing what God has me doing here without your faith, prayers and previous support for me here.  Eight more weeks remain for me here before returning to hometown Buffalo to re-connect with family and friends.

Yesterday's Message in Juarez Jail - Continued from previous post

With the help of Pastor Julio translating into Spanish for me so the men in the jail cell could understand what this gringo was talking to them about, we read two passages of Scripture to them John 1:1-5 and Psalm 46.  (in previous post).

Then I began to share from my heart about this present world we live in, being in darkness,  just as it was in the gospel writer John's day.  I told them that we were not here to talk to them about religion, we were here to tell them about God's love for them.  

How He loved them so much that he not only sent us to them today but that over 2,000 years ago He sent His very own Son Jesus who was and is the light of the world.  I invited them to focus of the highlighted verse in the Psalm that we had read to them..."to be still and know that I am God."  

I asked them to do just that, to be still for a moment, to look inside their hearts and look back over their lives and how they had lived them to have brought them to this moment in their lives.  

I told them that God does not want to be against them but their sins along with everyone elses who ever lived,  is what separates them from Him now.  


I told them that God wanted more for them than sitting behind these bars, that He had a personal plan for each one of them and they didn't have to continue walking in darkness not knowing what it was.

I continued talking and sharing and pointing to Jesus Christ as the answer to all of life's questions that they were looking for and then proceeded to offer them a way out of darkness by personally inviting Christ into their lives to forgive them of their sins, to move away the darkness and to bring light and hope into their lives.

They began to respond by raising their hands and in that moment I noticed an authoritative looking Mexican gentleman dressed in black making his way toward us on our side of the bars. 

At first I was concerned that his presence would somehow stifle what the Holy Spirit was doing in that moment but I continued without stopping to see who he was or what his
desire was.  He paused and began listening and watching what we were doing and as the scene began to settle in with members of our team individually praying for the prisoners who responded to the message I was able to join him in the conversation he was already having with Pastor Julio's other pastor friend.

He lit up as I approached and began to retell me what he had already told my two friends, that he was thrilled at what he was seeing and began to share with me who he was and the position that he held of being the director of all of the jails in Juarez and that he was very pleased in what we were doing and extended with more thanks to us the open door opportunity of visiting his other facilities with his blessings whenever we wished.

I was thrilled, to say the least, not only that we had met with his approval but also the genuine friendship and hospitality that he was now demonstrating to us, especially me, a gringo visitor from the States, not to mention the favor of God in the invitation that had just been extended to us.  He was more than willing to pose with us for a few photos.  We have made an important friend here in the Jail ministry of Juarez.

Feeling a little bolder in that moment than when I was wondering if he was approaching us to shut us down, I offered him the opportunity of personally praying for him in his position which he gladly accepted.  Soon myself and my two pastor friends and brother Marcos were laying hands on his shoulders as I commenced to pray blessings over his life while Pastor Julio interpreted all that the Holy Spirit was saying through me in that moment.

As we left the Jail facility we bumped into him again and he smiled and thanked us all again.  What a great morning and way to spend my 61st birthday.

But the day wasn't over yet.  Later that afternoon we went and worked cleaning up at Pastor Julio's church and stacking lumber that was used to build a roof for his young people's room a couple of months ago for the man who lent the material to us.  He was to pick it up later in the afternoon.

Instead of the man, brother Alfredo is his name, coming by to personally pick it up himself he sent another gentleman with a pick-up truck, someone that Pastor Julio knew.  Pastor Julio also knew that this man was not yet a Christian a fact which he reminded me of as we were loading the lumber onto his truck.

I searched my mind and spirit for what to do and say and how to begin saying it and felt led by God to just begin to share what we had been up to that morning at the jail cell.  It was awesome the way God brought the words to my mouth to speak as I took the opportunity to share with this man God's desire for fellowship with us; first through relationship made possible by accepting Christ as Lord and Savior and then through ongoing fellowship with other believers by regularly meeting in a place like Pastor Julio's church.

It was not easy to keep him focused but in spite of all the distractions, God found a way to bring us to a point where he tearfully accepted our invitation to pray the sinners prayer, which he did as Pastor Julio gave him the words to say as I handed that honor over to him.  I prayed in English as Pastor Julio gave him the words to say in his native Spanish language.  


Another awesome salvation in the same day!

Later that evening we had an official birthday party for me with 6 candles on the cake and one big one in the center except the 6 around the top of the cake were not candles, they were the next best thing since the local store near our homes did not have any.  We used matches instead!  Six matches positioned around the top of the top of the cake and one real candle in the middle that they happened to have on hand.  Happy Birthday was sung in Spanish and we each had a piece of chocolate cake.  A perfect ending to a great day.

Here was my cake...it was good while it lasted. Notice the matches for candles.  We make due down here in Juarez.