Here in Texas
We’re in Texas for a few days, representing CAM International of Canada at a conference at Rio Grande Bible Institute. We would love to see some of the students here take some time to serve with us in Mexico.
Thanks for your prayers!
Prayer and Praise
Land for the Church? Let’s do it!
Many of you know about the land we’re hoping to buy as a church here in Ixtapaluca. I wanted to explain things in a little more detail, so that’s what the video below does.
Update: I have discovered there actually are one or two things to be fixed in the original video! The numbers were accurate, as I said in my original post (though estimates), but I’ll be making some corrections. If you’re on our support team and would like to see the new & improved version, let me know and I’ll try to make sure you see it when it’s done! 🙂 Update to the Update: The video is done – if you’re on our Support Team, let us know if you would like to see it and all the latest information about the project.
Meanwhile, for more information, be sure to bookmark the Ixtapaluca Project page.
Closing Program December 2012 (video)
Below are a few clips from the closing program for the Centro Cultural Tiempo de Vivir (Time to Live Cultural Centre) this past Friday.
The program went well and we had a very good turnout. You’ll see some of the art that was on display before the program, and then some of the program itself. A good portion of the program was presentations by students, and handing out certificates.
Although we had a good crowd, we were disappointed that more people didn’t come to receive the wheelchairs. I think we presented three chairs, when we were planning to give out twenty. However, the chairs will be given out in separate presentations this week.
All in all a good program Рa lot of people worked hard to make it happen, there was great participation from many more in the program, and a great devotional by guest Antonio Mu̱oz.
Thanks to all who were praying!
It’s starting!
Thanks to all those who are praying for our closing program in Jesús MarÃa tonight. Here’s one of the songs we’ll be singing tonight to start off the program (we’re singing the Spanish version, of course!)…
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
OÃd un son en alta esfera
“En los cielos gloria a Dios!
¡Al mortal paz en la tierra!”
Canta la celeste voz
Con los cielos alabemos
Al eterno Rey cantemos
A Jesús que es nuestro bien
Con el coro de Belén
Canta la celeste voz
“¡En los cielos gloria a Dios!”
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
El Señor de los señores
El Ungido celestial
Por salvar a pecadores
Toma forma corporal
¡Gloria al Verbo encarnado
En humanidad velado!
Gloria a nuestro Redentor
A Jesús Rey y Señor¡
Canta la celeste voz
“¡En los cielos gloria a Dios!”
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
PrÃncipe de paz eterna
Gloria a ti, Señor Jesús
Con tu vida y con tu muerte
Nos ofreces vida y luz
Has tu majestad dejado
A buscarnos te has dignado
Para darnos el vivir
En la cruz fuiste a morir
Canta la celeste voz
“¡En los cielos gloria a Dios!”
Tomorrow Night – Closing Program!
The other night I was driving down from Jesús MarÃa after our Bible study. It was dark, and as I wound down the road I noticed that a van was following behind me.
 |
The strange things was that the van’s headlights were going off, then on. Off, then on. What was the driver trying to tell me?
I looked around – yes, my lights were on. No, there were no doors open. Blink, blink – on and off went the van’s lights.
There was a slow car in front of me. Could it be that the van was trying to signal him? Maybe they had been travelling together, and the van was trying to tell the car driver that he was no longer driving directly behind him.
But the van made no move to pass, and the car just kept going.
On went the van’s headlights behind me. Off. On. Off. On.
Finally I realized what was going on.
Whether by mistake or on purpose, the van’s headlights had been hooked up to the brakes.
That’s right, every time the van braked, the headlights went on. When he eased off the brakes, they went off. What kind of a message is that?!
The things you see!
Tomorrow evening we’re holding our regular closing of classes program at the community centre. We’ve done a lot of different things in past years, but this event is going to be a big one. There will be awards and gifts, students showing what they’ve learned, special music, an art show, wheelchair presentations, and even a special speaker. The speaker, pastor Antonio Muñoz, will be presenting the Gospel to many people who probably have never heard it.
Please do pray for our closing program tomorrow evening – pray that our message will be clear! No mixed signals – no headlights off in the dark – a clear presentation of God’s love and truth.
I’ll let you know how it goes!
Nathanael – 6 years later
This time of year I always have a time of thanksgiving, thanking God for bringing us to Mexico. It was in November 2006 that we first arrived. On our way from the US/MX border to a conference, we were staying in San Juan del RÃo in the state of Querétaro with our friends the McManuses.
Here, two days after we came to Mexico, I finally took a few pictures. Here’s one of the first I took, in the McManus’ neighbourhood:
So a few weeks ago we went to visit the McManus family again. And I decided to get a picture of Nathanael on the same tree (yes, I’m pretty sure it’s the same tree – but you’ll notice a lot of changes if you look closely). So here’s Nathanael, 6 years later:
Yes, a lot of changes in 6 years – and not just with Nathanael!
As Psalm 102 says of God,
and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
but You are the same,
and your years have no end.
Psalm 10:25-27