Entertaining Angels

On our way home from Del Rio Thursday evening, we saw a man sitting on the side of the highway, with a bike and I thought he was broke down so we stopped to give him a ride. He had just fixed his flat tire and was on his way to the southern part of Coahuila. We loaded him up in the pickup and while we drove we talked. He is from Honduras, Central America, near the border, and has been travelling for two years, all over Mexico. He’s even been to the US, but just across the border in El Paso. One of 7 children, his parents are still living in Honduras. He said he has no wife or children but loves travelling everywhere. His big feed sacks full of aluminum cans he had collected were light work as we loaded them into the bed of the pickup, and I noticed he had an extra pair of tennis shoes with him. All of his worldly belongings were on his bike, which he had purchased in San Luis Potosi. We talked about the Lord and I asked him if he knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He said he did, and had been raised in a Christian home. He also said he had studied with Jehova’s Witnesses and Mormons. We encouraged him to read the Word and to keep his eyes on Jesus, as we know He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and nobody comes to the Father except through Him. We prayed with him before we left him on the side of the road in San Carlos, at our turnoff, and gave him some money to get a meal or two. Then we said goodbye. Please pray for Rogelio, the young man from Honduras.

Misunderstandings

The first picture is of the Borrego Famoso.The second is of Blas and little Alexis. The last picture is of all the sheep that Blas has in his yard now.



I guess everyone has them. Those times when you realized you’ve completely misunderstood what someone said. It happens, and I guess I’ve had my fair share of them.

My latest was about Blas’ sheep. He has told me that we were going to pick up his “Borrego” and something about babies, so I guess I “assumed” he meant the sheep was pregnant. When we went to pick up the sheep the other day, I mentioned its delicate condition and he laughed, saying it was a male sheep, not a pregnant female. The misunderstanding was that this sheep (male) was to help his sheep (female) have babies. Soooooooo….. a slight misunderstanding. Hardly a problem. But to me, it’s important because I don’t want to have misunderstandings as we minister here in Mexico.
The funny ending to that story is that the sheep was loaned out to another man who needed his skills to impregnate his ewe also. So Blas’ ewe has to wait.
We’ve had much more challenging misunderstandings, even earlier this year when the group came for the VBS.
A little girl, Paula takes care of her, came with her beautiful rainbow piñata to the class, and the group naturally thought she had brought it to be broken. So they had the kids break it, and the little girl went home heartbroken. Then some of the group decided we need to buy her another piñata to replace the one she broke, because obviously she just brought it to show us and not to break.
I felt there was a misunderstanding there, and asked Paula, only to find out that yes, in fact, the mother of the girl had sent the piñata to be broken by the group. The little girl never likes piñatas to be broken so she was heartbroken. Her mother said she will keep her piñata every year and never break it. We all had a laugh on that one.

Once, when I first moved to Zapata, BCN Mexico I was invited to a party. I told the woman yes, I’d come and when I arrived a week or so later at the event, the mother of the child asked if I had brought the cake. I said what cake? She said I had agreed to bring the cake for the party. At that time, I frequently said, “Si” when I didn’t understand something. That was the last time, however, and gratefully, some Mexican parties last for many hours and I was able to go home, bake a cake, decorate it and bring it to the party in time for the presentation of the cake to the guests….what a lesson I learned from that misunderstanding. Never say “Si” unless you know what you’re agreeing to.

Another Milestone…

Today has been two weeks since we arrived in Tepeyac. Sorry for that little tidbit but as we were winding things down in the states, I kept finding myself saying, “this is my last time to do this,” or “this is my last time to do that.” I guess I’m still counting, but now it’s up, not down. Two weeks in paradise…well, our little corner of paradise, anyway.

This week has gone by so quickly, and we enjoyed a wonderful time at Lupita’s Wednesday evening for Bible Study. Lupita is feeling better but still sore from her fall.

After that study, we joined a new neighbor we met named Sandra. She told us about a study in Palmira that Felipa and Hilda attend. As it turns out, about 25 people crowded into the home of a sister named Raquel, and we had a wonderful time of study, testimonies and worship. It was sweet and Bill and I both enjoyed it very much. I translated for Bill and he really enjoyed the testimony of one man in particular named Pedro. He was an alcoholic for many years, and three years ago the Lord came into his life and he hasn’t had a drink or gone to a dance since that day. He loves his wife and his children and grandchildren, and is a different man now. He reads the Word and prays daily. What a powerful testimony. I translated to Bill quietly with tears streaming down my cheeks as I listened to this man who said he thought he was a Man’s man, but now he knows what a real man is, a Godly man seeking Christ daily. Powerful stuff!

Felipa invited us to an Outreach at the upcoming Cabalgata on November 26th. It’s a rodeo that’s happening near Acuna, and the little church of Palmira and a network of other saints will be witnessing and handing out 1,000 tracts, inviting them to a church service in San Carlos. It’s completely evangelistic and their group will have floats, horses, marching musicians, etc. going from the rodeo grounds to San Carlos. They have asked us to help and we are looking forward to it. May God be glorified in this outreach with many new souls for Christ!

Thursday we went up to Del Rio to send out the mail and pick some up, and to get the cold top for the roof as we’re supposed to have rain this weekend here. We also bought a hoe for the weeds and another toilet seat for the other outhouse. Bill was in dire need of a haircut and we went to a little shop on the main drag in Del Rio. He looks like a brand new hombre!

I have lots to get ready for art class and the first Spanish class on Saturday here at the church. Hopefully, we’ll have a good turnout and can teach the students some English Bible verses for memorization. Blas and Lupita loaned me an illustrated Bible in Spanish that will be helpful for the children and the adults.

This morning as Bill and I were having our oatmeal for breakfast with a cup of hot tea, I remembered a story I read once about a sweet little woman who saved all of her used tea bags to send to the missionaries. I think of that often when I squeeze the last bit of tea out of the bag…Thank you, Lord, I am drinking my not tea, using new tea bags here on the mission field in Tepeyac!

We have so much to be thankful for here in Mexico. God has given us grace and favor with the residents here and we are looking forward to what God is going to do in the future. Thank you for your prayers for us. We need them and are so grateful for your love for us.

Since I can’t get on email very often, if you want to write us a snail-mail letter, we’d love to hear from you. I will try to answer every letter, but just give us time because we aren’t able to go to the post office like when we lived in Texas… but I will answer your letters! Our mailing address is P.O. Box 420216, Del Rio, Texas 78842
Blessings in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our only hope of glory!
Toni, Bill and the bad dogs