Ten years ago today I was in the midst of my new series “Where did the Bible come from?”, which eventually became a seminar which I have shared in Canada and elsewhere in Mexico as well.
Here I am with a replica of P52, a papyrus with part of the Gospel of John, dated from the early second century. Shari and I were able to see it in person back in 2011. As you can see, my t-shirt also fits the theme, with other fragments from the second century. This seminar is so much fun – I hope I can do it again!
On Saturday four of us left Ixtapaluca at about 5am to attend a meeting of Bible church leaders from the area. I believe about 8 or 9 churches were represented (with three people attending via Zoom, due to a car breakdown and other circumstances).
It was encouraging to spend time together, although concerning at times to hear some of the things that people are going through. These are challenging times, and it’s good to come together as believers and look to the Lord.
We planned – or, I should say, started planning quite a few events for the coming year, including a youth event, a men’s retreat, and a joint service. Everyone is anxious to get together after having fewer activities over the past few years.
In other news, our coworkers Rod and David went to the state of Oaxaca to serve there and see what the Lord is doing. There’s a possibility of sending a team or two there in the future, whether from our area here in Mexico or (and?) from a team from outside the country. I won’t give everything away – there’s more information and a video at Rod’s blog – be sure to check out Reaching an Unreached Ethnic Group.
We’re encouraged to see what God is doing here at home as well. Here’s a recent picture from a Sunday morning, although there were quite a few who weren’t there that day. Nathanael used his growing skills as a photographer (Photography is one of his courses this year) to take the shot (with a timer, obviously!). Just click the image for a higher-resolution version in our photo gallery.
8 January 2023
Thanks to so many of you who also are working with us to reach Mexico!
I’m coming prepared now, somewhat, every Sunday, to discover what last-minute issues we have right before the service.
Yesterday it was mainly a laptop which decided it was time to update itself. It was the laptop we use for PowerPoints. And this Sunday I happened to be using a PowerPoint for my sermon. With the service starting at 11am, I think it was just about 11am when the laptop finally allowed me to check my presentation. 🙂
For the second year in a row we recognized Biblical Sexuality Sermon Sunday, and I preached on 1 Timothy 1:8-11 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, touching on a few other passages as well. We ended with 7 things that these texts give us “hope” for through Christ.
A woman from our church also shared about some of the challenges that our children are dealing with, from interactions with other friends and families and at school.
Even during the service, the unexpected should really be expected. Just as I was starting to preach, loud static suddenly woke us all up – we really need to upgrade our sound system. Thankfully that was fixed quickly (thanks, Ezequiel!).
But during the coffee break, the tent at the front caught the wind and blew over completely! Amazingly it didn’t hit anyone or knock anything over. The keyboard stand did tip, but the keyboard itself landed nicely on the chair behind it.
So for another glimpse into our Sunday mornings, here’s a brief video of the “rebuilding of the tent” (makes me think of Acts 15:16)…
A drive of an hour and a half can mean a significant change of altitude around here, and so a significant change of climate. It seems funny to see everyone bundled up, ready to leave Ixtapaluca (I could see my breath), only to end up swimming at a waterpark…
(click image for larger version)
So we drove to the state of Morelos, and gradually started to thaw out. We met together in an amphitheatre in the forest and sang some Christmas carols…
David led the service, and Rod shared some biblical truths about baptism…
And then the three baptismal candidates gave their testimonies.
What an encouragement to hear how God has been working in their lives!
Finally, we went down to the river. Here’s a video of the baptisms – for reasons which will be clear, it’s hard to hear what’s being said. But you’ll get the idea!
After that, we enjoyed some delicious food and some wonderful fellowship and some walking and swimming (and sleeping!) as people desired, before heading back as night began to fall.
Thanks to everyone who was praying! Your prayers are not taken for granted. There were some challenging issues in the congregations – such as a fall, sickness, an accident – which could have caused problems. But God was good. Please continue to pray for those three teens who were baptized, and their families.
For more detailed information, with more videos and photos, check out Rod’s blog Mexico Matters!
Ten years ago today (2012) we were having a closing program for the community centre. Part of the program was to give out some wheelchairs to people who had been identified as having a special need.
These are the “old style” wheelchairs provided by another mission. The new ones are a lot better and more sophisticated. But for someone who had no access to any chair, these were a good start!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! Many of you are probably feeling like you’re well into the Christmas season as well.
Our December began – well, with a heartbreaking loss by Canada at the World Cup… just after Mexico was eliminated. *sigh*
But on the bright side, it also began with a visit from our friends Greg and Shelli! A rare pleasure indeed. 🙂
We also started listening to some devotions for Advent as a family – it’s not too late to start, if you’d like to join us! The book is called The Dawn of Redeeming Grace: Daily Devotions for Advent, and we’re listening to the audiobook version. We’ve already had some great times to learn about and meditate on the coming of our Saviour this year.
If you’re praying for the ministry here, there are some neat things coming up!
This coming Sunday driving about an hour or so out of town to a water park, where we’ll be having a baptism service. One or two people will be baptized, as far as I know. Please pray for them, their families, and for the church, during this special time together.
The following Sunday I’ll be preaching a Christmas sermon, from a fascinating section of Jesus’ family tree. So I would appreciate prayer as I prepare for that. And after that we have more special services in December, fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters.
As we enter into the holiday season, it’s a wonderful time for believers here. But it’s also a challenge, as so many spend time with unbelieving family and friends. Please pray for our witness during these days.
Nathanael has a lot of heavy schoolwork right now, so you can pray for him as well, as he tries to get done in order to have some time off.
And, as many of you know, we’re looking forward to having Hannah here for a few days over the holidays! So a very special Christmas indeed. They’re all special, of course. 🙂
There are about a million other things going on, but I’ll leave it at that for now! Thanks for your prayers.
May Christ be glorified this month, and into 2023!
