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Febrero loco y Marzo mas poco. Roughly translated, "February is crazy and March even more." It holds true here in Monterrey where one day it's 50 degrees and the next it's 100. Electric blankets to air conditioners, and it has caused many to become sick with a flu. Thankfully, we haven't.

I am regaining use of my two fingers on my left hand. The surgery was quick, and I hope to return to full use soon. I can type fifty words per minute with the use of all my digits; without one of them, I'm reduced to hunt and peck because the rest are forced to cover for the missing one. There is a lesson in this for all church members. No matter how insignificant your position may be to you in the Church, it's invaluable to the others.

Since taking the interim pastorate at Grace Baptist Church, I have been very busy with government paper work. There were five years of backlog in reports, finances and missions. We're now up to date on most all of the paperwork, and Mexico thrives on paperwork almost as much as our military.

Our missions program is back on track with four missionaries being supported out of the mission fund as a result of our faith promise conference last October.

The Bible Seminary is continuing on course with five students. One is already in full-time pastorate and another, Luis Rey Garcia, is now my associate pastor. He has a lot of potential and has a lot of youthful zeal.

He has been instrumental in getting our youth group back on track. We have seven new youth in our group and have started a youth choir. He also heads up the mission work at Bosques del Sol on the outskirts of Guadalupe. He has about 35 children and 6 adults attending the mission. He is helped by another student, Gabriela Cavazos, who teaches the children.

Bro. Feliciano Miranda is doing well in the San Rafael area. Ministry in the ranches is hard work, people are scattered around in small villages and mostly closed to outsiders. He evangelizes in at least three different villages a week. He lives in the village of Hediondilla and is currently building an indigenous church there. He also pastors the Church at Providencia, another village 10 miles away. There are baptisms scheduled for the summer when the water is warm enough.

Here at Grace, we are continuing to see growth both numerically and spiritually. We continue to evangelize in and around the area and are branching out to include neighborhoods that we have not reached before. Even after almost twenty years on the field, I am still surprised at the overall lack of knowledge of the very basic concepts of grace, and the salvation that God has extended to us through Jesus Christ. The work here in Mexico will never be done, and it will be continued as long as we have dedicated young men and women who will give their life in the service of the Gospel.

CINDY'S CORNER
     

The wonderful world of technology has diminished the great gulf of long distance for the foreign missionary. I stand amazed at the things we get to do with the simple touch of a button. Thirty years ago, to make a call to the States from Africa, you had to stand in a hot, fly infested, smelly, smoky 'hogar' cigarettes, noisy post office all day waiting for an overseas line to open. (Eat a light breakfast when you go.) When your party answered, you had to scream at the top of your lungs to be heard on the other end. Twenty years ago, from Mexico your calls sounded like a tin can conversation like you had when you were kids at the astronomical cost of a dollar per minute. Ten years ago, when Internet reached our neck of the woods, it was email. We thought we had arrived into the 21st century. It couldn't get any better. But today, it's unlimited calls, video calls, text messaging and bluetooth. On every street corner there is a cyber cafe. In every house there is a computer. On every belt or purse there is a cell phone. People want instant communication. They want their loved ones to be able to reach them at the touch of a button. They want accessibility. The great gulf between the missionary and his loved ones has lessened. There is another great gulf that many Christians struggle to span, prayer. At the breath of a word on a saints lips the Lord is listening. In the quietness of prayer and in His Word He speaks. Prayer is as simple as the touch of a button but many find it difficult to pray. I realized something the other day. If prayer were personified, would it have to stand in line all day to wait for communication lines to open? Would the conversation be a "tin can" conversation? Is it on your speed dial?

In spite of all the accomplishments of technology, the prayer line can't be beat for access speed, reliability, and constant connectivity. It has been the missionaries only faithful connection throughout the centuries. And it has been mine all these years on the field.

In His Service

Bro. Mike & Cindy

missionsinmexico.org (personal information)
sbimexico.org (Bible School website)