Spanish Mission Team
Week 2 Update
June 9
The team met Jonathan Latham in a morning session. He talked to us about his experiences in Africa, including learning the Fang language, eating the local delicacies (monkey, porcupine, snake — yummy!) and sharing his house with everyone. The Lord has moved the Lathams to the ministry at UCLA in Monterrey. Jonathan will be teaching classes on missions and hopes to inspire the students to be obedient to the Great Commission.
The team went out to Los Bosques de San Pedro and invited the community to come to the children’s/youth rally that evening. The team was also able to distribute copies of John and Romans and share the gospel with those who would listen.
At the rally, the children and youth participated in activities such as big-ball soccer, tug of war and tube tug. The team sang, had a skit, taught a Bible verse, gave testimonies and shared a Bible story with the group.
June 10
In the evening we held our second rally at Los Bosques. We had a good group once again. The Lord blessed our efforts, and the pastor of the mission was able to make some great contacts with some of the young people in his community. Jeremy Patterson stayed back and had the privilege of preaching at Iglesia Bautista Genesaret.
June 11
Every week we like to take the team on a sightseeing tour of the area. Today we went out to Las Grutas de Garcia. These are some amazing caves that are about an hour and a half from Monterrey. We were also able to visit downtown Monterrey. We ended our day with a relaxing cookout at the pastor’s quinta.
June 12
The team headed out for Las Cruces, N.M., at 6:30 a.m. The trip was going quite smoothly when van 340 seemingly got a flat tire. The other two vans radioed back to van 340 and told them to meet up with them at the next gas station. An hour later vans 338 and 339 pulled in to the next available gas station. After communicating with van 340, it became apparent that they did not have tire problems at all; their axle had melted! The Lord’s protection was quite evident throughout the whole ordeal.
Van 340 was towed to the nearest Dodge dealership where it could be fixed. Unfortunately, they were missing one part to get the van fixed, and this group had to stay in Kerrville, Texas, from Thursday evening until Monday morning. The Lord provided them with a place to stay, taught them lessons on patience and flexibility, and gave them a church to attend on Father’s Day. This part of the team saw God’s provision of Christian help. A truck driver named Rafaelito stopped to help them. He prayed with them and was of immense help. He even called the next day to check on how everything was going. God appoints His people to be in the right place at the right time!
June 13
Because of the separation from van 340, some of the girls in vans 338 and 339 were left without their suitcases along with the accompanying clothing and toothbrushes. Mrs. Saldivar took them and some of the guys out for a shopping trip before we left for Mexico. The Lord gave us a smooth trip from Las Cruces, N.M., to Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
June 14
The students went out in the morning and distributed 1,100 tracts in 30 minutes in a busy part of town. In the evening the team enjoyed some steak tacos in support of a group of young people raising funds to go to a Christian camp. That evening the team went out to Cerro del la Campana (Hill of the Bell or Bell Hill). It is a peak that rises above the city and provides a 360-degree view of the city. It is an impressive sight to see in the evening.
The latest news from the team stuck in Kerrville, Texas, was that they were enjoying the extra time to relax and practice their Bible stories. They should be reenergized when they finally make it to Hermosillo.
Lessons from week 2
Count it all joy when you fall into different types of trials, knowing that the trying of your faith produces endurance (Dr. Saldivar version). The Lord has been developing our endurance. It has been a joy to see Him provide relief from the tests after they’ve had their work of producing endurance and maturing. The flat tire of van 339 was quickly fixed at a reasonable price. The melted axle of van 340 was eventually fixed, and it gave that part of the team the opportunity to see the Lord at work on their behalf. The team can wholeheartedly testify — God makes no mistakes!