May/June 2003
Thanks so much to you who have been praying along with us as we have searched and waited for the right building to come along. Guess what? God has opened the door for us to be able to rent a building close to the Centro of Zacatecas, and it is nearby the main campus of the University of Zacatecas. The rent is $6000 pesos a month or about $600 US dollars. We invite you to help sponsor this expense for us for one or two years. We know that eventually we will outgrow this building, but we will retain it as office facilities and open part of it as a coffee house outreach to the university students.
July 20th is our target date to hold our first public meeting. Up to this point, whenever anyone accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we could not tell them where our church services were held. Now, glory to God, we can tell them that we meet at 11:00 am and that our church building is located on Avenida Ramon Lopez Velarde #305-C, up the street from the University of Zacatecas as you head towards the Centro.
We have hosted three different groups in the month of June. They were the Lake Charles Vineyard Christian Fellowship,
Stonebriar Community Church, and the Chattanooga Vineyard Christian Fellowship. During the outreaches that were done, we
saw the Lord minister healing to several people, and many others came forward to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Food despensas were made at the Zacatecas City Dump or the Basurero Municipal on two separate occasions. When the Lake
Charles VCF gave out despensas at the city dump, we met up with a boy named Humberto. Humberto did not know how old he was,
and he has been living at the dump as far back as he can remember. He has no parents that he knows and claims that he is 5
years old. But we think he is more like 10 to 12 years of age. He can barely talk because he has no schooling. Our son-in-law,
Tim, and others from the Lake Charles VCF prayed with Humberto to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Two weeks later, we saw
Humberto again when the Chattanooga VCF gave out food despensas at the dump. He was very excited to see us, his friends, once
again. Among the team from Chattanooga was Stephen Graham, a dentist, who pulled at least four teeth, free of charge, from
several dental candidates that were scavenging the city trash. It was Stephen's way of blessing those in need.
We planned an evening event at Parque Arroyo de la Plata across from Sam's Club, but the weather was not very cooperative.
Nevertheless, good came out of it. The La Vina Worship Team was able to play a few worship songs prior to the rains, and the
message in song grasped Monica's attention. Debbie began talking with her, and Monica was invited to attend the homegroup
meeting to be held at our house the following day. Pastor Kelly Vigo of the Lake Charles VCF shared the Word with our
homegroup, and during the ministry time, Kathy and I prayed with Monica as she received Jesus into her heart. Monica is a student
at the University, but her home town is Miguel Auza, which is about 130 miles away. The following week Monica returned to attend
homegroup and was very excited and proud to carry her new Bible. Since the semester was coming to a close, we prayed over
Monica as she prepared to go home. She told us she would see us again when the next semester began in August. We saw her again
the following week. She shared with the homegroup that she could just not stay away and had a hunger to know more of God's Word.
She asked us to pray for her mom and dad, that they too would come to know Jesus. It is wonderful to see the joy in the life
of a new believer!
I might be a little biased, but I believe that my wife looks wondeful at 50. I thank God for His selection of a helpmate for me.
Until the next update, we pray God's best for you and your family.
Current snail mail address:
Apartado Postal 3-74
Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98064
Mexico
THANKS YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT.