“...behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it...” Revelation 3:8

Marco Antonio begged me to meet him at a “Christian” drug rehab center where he has been hanging out. He told me that María, a 20-year-old inmate, really needed to talk with me. I conjured up all kinds of ideas in my imagination about what/who I would encounter in an environment totally foreign to any previous experience of mine. I decided that God would want me to ignore any of those preconceived notions, and prepare to meet María with Jesus’ lenses of “eternal perspective” in place. When I got to this “home” on the “other side of the tracks,” Marco Antonio was outside waiting for me. He met me with these words: “Everyone is waiting inside to hear what you have come to share.” …open doors…open doors…open doors… “Uh, Marco Antonio, who is ‘everyone’?” “Well, everyone who is committed here.” “Wait, what about María?” We waited for the door keeper to give clearance and unlock the big metal barrier for us. We passed through the entryway, and I felt my heart cringe at the sound of the dead bolt behind us.

The stuffy, fetid, ramshackle room, with one light bulb hanging from its cable and one deformed ceiling fan, had no windows or other way out. It was full of 40 or 50 men, heads shaven, sitting on assorted grimy, plastic chairs waiting to “hear.” The only two young ladies were sitting in the back row of the room; neither one was María. The leader of the group home conveyed me into an adjoining open-doored, office-like room to pray before I spoke to the “family.” That room was connected by a chiseled-arch opening to another room entirely lined with about 25 well-worn blankets spread on the floor, obviously the beds of half the “family.” I felt like crying. How inconceivably hideous their lives must have been to make them willing to commit to being locked into this unbelievably miserable place. Then, to the “family,” Marco introduced me as the wife of the man who shared the love of Jesus with him when he was a desperate drug addict, and no one else in the world cared. Just then, María and her friend, Rubí, walked in from kitchen duty. They took seats in the back of the room with the other girls.

I told the “family” that I had come prepared to meet María; I wanted to be her friend; but more than anything I wanted her to meet my very best Friend. I admitted to them that my being there must seem pretty ridiculous to them; they must be thinking, “This lady hasn’t got a clue about us.” I told them that they were entirely right, there are LOTS of things I have no clue about, but my best Friend knows everything about them, and everything about me, and He loves us anyway. He wants to forgive and forget every bad thing in our past. He loves us so much that He gave His life to prove it and to pay the price none of us can afford that we may be accepted into His family. He alone can give us the power or authority to first, become children of God, and then power to overcome the temptations that fill this world.

Then, out of my Huichol bag, I took a little Wordless Book bracelet that I had brought along to give to María. I kept thinking about the irony of a 56 year-old lady, who “hasn’t got a clue,” taking a ridiculous little 5-beaded bracelet out of her Huichol bag to share the “Good News” with 40 or 50 guys who have been to the gates of hell and back time, time and again. God does choose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. They listened like a classroom full of Sunday school boys to every word as I shared Revelation 21:21 and the golden bead representing the golden street in Heaven where there is no sadness, no death, no illness, no addiction, no hatred, no suffering, but where God is – God who made us and loves us and who wants us to belong to His family. Then they heard the bad news from Romans 3:23 and 6:23 about the black bead that symbolizes the sin that keeps every one of us from a perfect relationship with God who created us and loves us. Next we talked about the red bead that corresponds to the very “Good News” that in spite of our hopelessness and sin, God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to shed His red blood on the Cross and die to pay the price of our debt, offering us the GIFT of abundant and eternal life with Him, our Father. I invited María to come to the front with me, and I told her that I loved her and wanted to be her friend. I wanted to give her this special bracelet. At first she was afraid to take it, never looking me in the eyes, but when she finally reached out and took the bracelet, the guys started clapping. I could hardly believe how responsive they were to something so simple. Then we compared María’s gift to God’s gift. She didn’t deserve it, she didn’t have to work for it, and she didn’t have to pay for it. She received it because I gave it to her; and that’s how God’s gift works. Nothing we do can keep God from loving us, and nothing we do can earn His gift. He has paid the price; we just receive it. Next, we talked about the white bead on María’s bracelet that stands for the clean hearts of those who have believed. No matter how bad we have been or how hard our life has been Jesus has paid the price and promises to wash our hearts clean and become our Lord and Savior, if by faith, we believe. We can start over with a totally clean heart. I asked if anyone of them would like to trust Him and receive His gift right now. We prayed together, every one of them repeating aloud after my words. I have no idea how many or if any of them sincerely joined the “family.” I’m not the judge; but I do know that everyone of them heard that God loves them and that He has made a way, the only way, for them to receive forgiveness and to become sons of His. After we prayed, I told them I wasn’t as naïve as I looked; I know how unbearably impossible it is to resist the temptations on the “outside” or even on the “inside.” But God promises to be our Father, and He will never leave our sides. That’s where the little green bead comes in. It typifies growing things that are examples of what newborn babies in God’s “family” are to do as they talk to God, listen as God talks to them through His Word, and as they talk to others, learning and telling the truth about Jesus.

My imagined idea of what a Tepic drug rehab center is like is forever changed. Never again will I be able to gloss over a request for prayer for someone who is in one. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get permission to start a weekly discipleship class in this “home,” one home of many. …open doors…

...let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith... Hebrews 12:1, 2

The month of July began with camp for the junior high and high school kids from the IBBTepic (Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic) and their invited friends. The camp theme, “Press On” served well to remind the students and leaders that the most important race of all, the race of life, includes all of the elements of an athletic race: the starting line and the finish line, grueling practice, discipline and regulations, obstacles and hindrances, competition, drop-outs, winners, losers, defeats and victories. We were reminded that in order to “win” and experience victory at the finish line in the race of life, we must be on the right “team,” we must adhere to certain fundamental procedures, and we must follow the example of Jesus, the perfect trainer, the author and finisher, who overcame all obstacles in His life and achieved the glorious victory of Heaven.

North Village Baptist (NVBC), my sending church, is earnestly involved in training and equipping all of its members to be effective in “Crossing Streets, Crossing Cultures and Crossing the World” to share God’s love and light. One of NVBC’s objectives is to establish a greater grassroots personal relationship with believers around the world by adopting and networking with specific sister churches that can mutually and effectively join efforts in fulfilling the Great Commission, and I was invited to go along as a representative of NVBC and IBBTepic on a two-week mission trip to Llanfairfechan, Wales, in July. When Kirt was promoted to heaven, I told the Lord that I would walk through any door He opened. He opened the door; I walked through it. Click here to read some personal highlights of this unforgettable trip, and click here to watch the corresponding slideshow.

Along with 6 people from his church, Ramiro Martínez, a missionary from El Salvador to Mexico City, came to Tepic to continue the excellent series he began last year from Daniel, reminding us that mediocrity is never acceptable in the service of the King and to follow Daniel’s lifelong example of “knowing God well, being strong, and doing exploits.” His wife, Claudia, a dentist, offered dental hygiene instruction in side trips to the Huichol villages of Zapote de Picachos and La Bendición.

Erén, pastor Martín’s wife, prepared an upbeat object lesson about the ruinous effects of sin using “Little Sarah Molar” who ignored the infection that had invaded her body and soon found herself overrun by a giant cavity too big to rescue.

Several of the Tepic church young people took advantage of the trip to plant fruit trees and to finish up “Project Bathrooms” on the church property at La Bendición.
















Huichol translators Hilario from Los Aires and Román from La Quemada are using solar-powered basic computers in their respective remote mountain villages, and they both have come to town in the past 2 weeks to check in with data from their Huichol Old Testament (OT) translation jobs. When I make backup copies of their work to a thumb drive to forward it to Dr. Joe Grimes for safekeeping in the main repository we always chuckle at Joe’s comment that we are putting on our “belt AND suspenders, just in case.” Unfortunately, Román checked in with a major devastating virus that a “well-intentioned dragon” with a music file inserted in his laptop. Thankfully, we were able to retrieve all of his translated files, but his laptop is tweaked. What are the odds that a guy could snag such a malicious virus in a solar-powered computer in a remote village that doesn’t even have electricity? Apparently they’re pretty great, and Román had to return to his village without his “baby Nunusi.” He’ll be back in a couple of weeks after we get the problem resolved. Both terms, “virus repair job” and “return to Tepic” sound deceptively easy.

Right after Hilario got to town for his back up, he took off from Tepic for the nearest village, La Bendición, to share this unrevised 1st draft of 1 Kings (no printout - straight from his solar-powered laptop) with the brothers there. Then he accompanied an entourage of brothers to San Fernando with the “hot-off-the-press ‘good news.’” (It was their idea, not mine.) Just before he left for La Bendición we were talking about “his” text a little. Among his comments, he revealed, “We have noticed that one king after another ‘disobeyed God and committed the same sins their fathers had committed.’ Why didn’t God punish them immediately?” I LOVE these “Aha!” moments! It’s grace, my friend, Hilario, grace! ...even in the OLD Testament! :) ...and at great risk of being misunderstood completely, I responded to him, his eyes welling up with tears, with (Ugh! Spare me the shame!) a rhetorical question... “And aren’t WE grateful for that grace?!”

Since the last official 2-week workshop, the translation team has finished translating and drafting 1 Kings, 2 Samuel, Joshua, Judges, Nehemiah, Daniel, Hosea and Joel, and Zechariah. They have revised part of Judges and Zechariah. Community testing of Zechariah is now underway. Numbers, 1 Samuel, and Jeremiah are currently being drafted. The team is making great progress, but the enemy has seen to it that progress will not be made without hindrances. Dr. Grimes has another expression that sums up the multitude of technical obstacles we’ve had to hurdle lately: “Sometimes there’s a spiritual side to viruses and other impediments.” Please pray with us about both.

We will run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...

You may see a collection of sets of pictures of activities from the months of July-August 2009 here.


Quick Reference – September-October prayer requests:
• 1st day of OANSA/AWANA in Tepic and Zapote de Picachos – Saturday, September 5
• 19th Anniversary Sunday celebration – IBBTepic
• Huichol OT translation project – physical and spiritual protection of translators and linguist consultants, village work, computer problems
• Next big 2-week Huichol OT workshop - November

Wales is a land of history, legends, castles, water, magnificent lush greenery and gorgeous flowers. She has also been called “the land of revivals,” deriving her reputation from some 15 major revivals that took place during the 19th and early 20th Centuries. The most recent in 1904, called the “Great Welsh Revival,” brought curious spectators and participants from around the world. In spite of her magnificent beauty and splendid history, most of her people today walk in darkness and are in great need of the Savior.



Llanfairfechan, Wales, is the quaint, seaside town along the coast of the Irish Sea in which the Libanus Baptist Church is located. Missionaries Kim and Kevin Davis and the Libanus Baptist Church were the focus of the North Village Baptist Church’s Crossing the World mission team effort for 2009. See the NVBC Crossing the World-Wales slideshow here.



In the weeks prior to leaving Tepic for Wales I found myself on multiple occasions asking, “Why on earth did I commit to this effort? It certainly isn’t that I don’t have plenty to keep me occupied in Tepic! Oh, yes, ... the promise … the “open door”...OK, God, I was invited, You opened the door, I walk through, so…the outcome is up to You.” Again, He reminds me in Jeremiah 33:3 if I call on Him, He answers me and shows me great and mighty things that I couldn’t have imagined, ever...not even in my wildest dreams...

First things first -- He showed me the theme for the first devotional I was asked to prepare for the team – the “great and mighty" theme He used from Day One of the trip – Eternal Perspective. In fact, He continues to use the Eternal Perspective theme as ripples radiate, extend and ebb out from that original point of impact. May we never forget His lesson to see every situation and every person with whom we come in contact through His incomparable lenses of Eternal Perspective.

Every Situation – Eternal Perspective

• Emergency evacuation of British Airways flight #288 just before take-off at Phoenix Sky Harbor
• Tweaked agenda - missing the 1st scheduled day and Sunday service in Wales
• Strenuous effort in preparation of materials, hauling them in enormous suitcases up and down way too many flights of stairs and on the underground in London
• Scraping, sanding, priming and painting installations at Libanus Baptist Church – Llanfairfechan, Wales
• Ladies’ tea
• Men’s fellowship
• Holiday Bible Club
• The beauty of Wales, the mountainside, the Irish Sea, the food, flowers, fun and friends
• The “FAMILY”

The mission trip to Wales was not about any of the isolated circumstances or opportunities, but about seeing God’s FAMILY through His indispensable lenses of Eternal Perspective.

From the moment I shared that I had accepted the invitation to walk through the “open door” and travel across the Atlantic, 5352 miles (8613 kilometers) from home, with a short-term mission team to Wales, pastors Martín, Nacho, and José Luis and the brothers and sisters in Mexico began to pray for the venture. How “great and mighty” is the concept that the very people, people whom at that time we had never met, who certainly didn’t know Jesus personally, and some of whom weren’t even born yet, people to whom Kirt and I had been commissioned from the platform of NVBC, our sending church (formerly Alice Avenue Baptist), would be praying for and commissioning me some 30+ years later, from the platform of their little church to go on a mission endeavor to Wales?!?! Martín, Nacho and José Luis, sending out the missionary that was sent to them...now, that’s a “great and mighty, unimaginable” thing!

Romy, my friend from the Tepic church, assured me she would be praying for the outreach, especially for the children’s Holiday Bible Club. I shared with Romy that the ladies of the team were preparing to teach the significance of the five colors of the Wordless Book: 1. the golden page representing the golden street in Heaven where God is; 2. the black page that symbolizes the sin that keeps us from a perfect relationship with God who created us and loves us; 3. the red page that corresponds to the very “Good News” that in spite of our sin, God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to shed His blood on the Cross and die to pay the price of our debt; 4. the white page that stands for the clean hearts of those who have believed, asking for forgiveness of their sin and for Jesus to be their Lord; and lastly, 5. the green page that typifies growing things that are examples of what newborn babies in God’s family are to do as they talk to God, listen as God talks to them through His Word, and as they talk to others, telling them the truth about Jesus. She said, “Here in Tepic, you always use props to exaggerate your points, and I want to have a part in helping you teach about the priceless place in Heaven that God is preparing for His FAMILY. I will make you a ‘golden tunic’ to wear for your day.”

Also before I left Mexico for Phoenix for the flight to the United Kingdom, several Huichols like Manuel, José, and Emilia told me that they would be praying for me and our team. They admitted that on this side of Heaven, it was most unlikely that they would ever meet the brothers and sisters of the FAMILY in Wales, but they wanted me to be sure to tell them that they love them and they are glad they are part of our big FAMILY...they would be happy to meet them in Heaven. I took 18 beaded bracelets, hand-made by Huichol ladies, to give away as God directed. How “great and mighty” and unimaginable is it that exactly 18 ladies attended the Thursday evening Ladies’ tea at which I was invited to speak! I should have taken 40 bracelets!

Every single victory God has ever provided in the ministries in which I have been privileged to participate in Tepic, or anywhere else in the world, has been the result of first, God’s perfect design, and second, the collaboration of a host of vital, enthusiastic, and committed teammates. This short-term mission venture to Wales was no exception. Some very good friends gave generously so I could have the privilege of going. Virginia joyfully cut out each rectangle of fake fur in the 5 colors of the pages of the Wordless Book that we used for the glove craft. 91-year-old Dorothy made 100 bookmarks featuring the 5 colors to give to the children who came to the Holiday Bible Club for them to use as tools to share the “Good News” with their friends and family members. Tony, Esther and Becky pledged to be my official prayer partners everyday during the mission trip to Wales. That is exactly how “Family” functions.

The fact that Finley, Naomi, Hannah, Erica, Trai, Jessica, Sophie, and Kes prayed on the last day of the Holiday Bible Club to ask for forgiveness of their sin and accept the free gift of a relationship with our Creator and everlasting life that Jesus shed His blood to offer, the fact that we were present to witness the birth of our new little brother and sisters into the “Family” is not because of our faithful prayers, or because someone was willing to give and send, or because of our hard work, or even because we went. But because some prayed, gave, worked and went, we were marvelously privileged to participate in God’s plan for bringing them into His Family.

Speaking of “great and mighty,” “unimaginable” occurrences, what is the earthly probability that a practical lady named Debbie, whose life’s goal once-upon-a-time was to become a sensible school teacher, would find herself extracted from her now-familiar tropical surroundings (also pretty unimaginable), with two very good friends, sipping tea in a quaint little tea room next to Conwy Castle overlooking the coast of the frigid Irish Sea? Before we ever left for Wales, Barbie and I had prayed for our friend Kim asking God to give us the opportunity to share a special time with her alone, to pray with and for her, and to assure her that we understand the trials and concerns that often arise in ministry, in families and in missions. No strings attached, we committed to be her true friends.

And, how likely is it that I would “just happen” to run into Olive Howard? After finishing up in Llanfarifechan, we arrived back in London with one day left before returning to Phoenix. We were invited to visit the Family Night outreach that the Upney Baptist Church in conjunction with Christian young people from all over the United Kingdom had organized for their Holiday Bible Club children who are from many distinct cultural backgrounds. We NVBC volunteers offered to help Upney volunteers, Olive and Hazel, clean up the kitchen so the youth workers could get their stations set up for the program that afternoon. What is the likelihood that volunteers Olive from London, and I, from Mexico, would discover we have a mutual friend? Olive Howard was a Bible translation student of Dr. Joe Grimes in the 1980s after he finished the Huichol New Testament project, and before she left for Africa to work on a New Testament translation in one of the Gbaya languages. That’s “OUR” beloved Dr. Joe Grimes, who worked 50 years ago to complete the Huichol New Testament translation and who is still working on the current Huichol Old Testament translation project. Olive was ecstatic to hear of her old friend, and to inform me that in 2 weeks, they would be beginning the distribution of Mp3 players with the audio version of “her” language! What are the chances I from Mexico, would run into Olive from Africa in the Upney Holiday Family Night celebration in London!?!?!? That’s another “great and mighty, unimaginable” thing!

Jesus with his unique lenses of Eternal Perspective in place went about His work reaching out with great compassion to people He found in their every-day surroundings, people who bathed in God’s grace, had great potential for the FAMILY.

The Sunday after we returned, the Wales team members gave our mission trip reports at NVBC. Esther said “We have discovered ... that missionaries are just regular people who allow God to use them anywhere.” Jon said, “It’s all stuff we can do right here at home.” A young lady named Adrianna, for whom we’ve been praying, in the Phoenix congregation, agreed to let me review our Wordless Book glove with her, and she made the wise choice to join the “FAMILY,” as well. Isn’t that just how God works!?!?! He continues to use the Eternal Perspective theme as ripples radiate, extend and ebb out from that original point of impact. May we never forget His lesson to see every situation and every person with whom we come in contact through His incomparable lenses of Eternal Perspective.

Oh, and one more thing, speaking of FAMILY, I got to visit with “Prince” Anders and his 3 little ladies-in-waiting (Elianna, Mara and Brianna) in their princess T-shirts that “Grandma from Mexico” brought back for them from the United Kingdom. What a “great and mighty, unimaginable” delight!

May/June 2009

“...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required...” Luke 12:48

Our Huichol brothers and sisters seem to have a hold on Jesus’ instruction. On May 5, 28 of them, to whom much has been given, from the villages of Zapote de Picachos, La Bendición, Loma Alta and Carlos a la Torre left before dawn for a 1-week evangelism/encouragement/discipleship circuit to the more remote mountain villages of La Quemada and Los Aires with just that thought in mind. They said, “We are close where we can hear ‘the teaching’ and fellowship, but our brothers who live far from here don’t have that privilege. We want to make the trip to their villages to share what we have learned.” It sounds easy, but it required long hours by boat, on rural transport, then on foot, as well as the sacrifice of a week of work to make it happen. We are thankful for special offerings from the Mellberg Memorial Fund that were used to underwrite the transportation expense for all 28. We have been given much...

Zayra had no idea until her name was called that we leaders voted her to be this year's OANSA “Nobel Prize” winner for her faithfulness and her Christ-like spirit. Her life is not easy. Since she was a Cubbie she has been coming, in the back of a pickup that was donated to the Tepic church 5 years ago, to the Saturday afternoon club meetings from a neighborhood on the "other" side of town.
We have been given much...

Zayra brought her two little brothers, Daniel and Luis, and her mom, Lupe, who have come to Jesus and now, to church on Sundays. Her dad, Luis, came for the first time on Father’s Day. This year, Zayra finished memorizing her final OANSA manual and is ready to graduate to "leader-in-training." She'll make a GREAT leader. Please continue to pray with me that the enemy will be ineffective in his constant attempts to destroy, that the hard-working OANSA leaders will remain healthy and committed to serve joyfully, and that God’s Word will continue to penetrate the hearts of the children and their parents.







Mother’s Day, baptisms, and Father’s Day are three additional highlights of the months of May and June in the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Misericordia de Tepic. We have been given much...


In spite of the fact that the decision was made by the project leaders to postpone the 8th Huichol Old Testament Translation Workshop due to the H1N1 Flu threat, the mother-tongue translators (MTTs) made the choice, before the rainy season began, to rendezvous anyway in Tepic, even without the consultants, to advance as a team on polishing their drafts. And in spite of the fact that postponing the workshop was the wise thing to do, that the Huichol MTTs made the joint decision to persevere on their own is significant. It shows that they are responsibly “taking ownership” of the task; they are not doing it just because someone tells them to. They said their “good-byes” at the Mellberg Hacienda on June 6 with enough translation assignments to keep them very busy in their respective villages during the rainy season, with their portable laptops to be operated by solar power or gas generators, and with plans to reunite in November after the corn harvest. We have been given much...

So, what a surprise when Hilario arrived on my front porch two weeks later on Father’s Day after traveling 26+ hours from Los Aires (The trip usually takes him 13-15 hours, but the rains have started!). After arriving in his village, his little laptop, “Nunusi,” showed no data when he opened it up to input his new translation text, and he tried repeatedly to power down and up again, but to no avail. He said he couldn’t imagine not being able to do computer work for the next 4 ½ months (21st Century computer dependence has made its way even to a remote mountain village!), so he made the decision to head back to Tepic for help before the roads became impassible. We “Skyped” programmer John who remotely, before our very eyes, reinstalled the Spanish version of 1 & 2 Kings in the Our Word program. Hilario stayed over for a couple of days just to make sure he didn’t run into the same snag again before heading back to Los Aires. Oh, did I mention that as he was hiking to the bus stop in the village of Jesús María to catch the rural transport to Tepic, he tripped on some nasty rocks and really messed up his big toe? He didn’t bother to tell me until the second day when infection set in. We soaked it while he worked, scrubbed it mercilessly, treated it with antibiotics, and he left limping, with laptop in hand for the trek back home.

We have been given much -- abundant measures of time, talents, resources and opportunities -- and much shall be required.

You may see a collection of sets of pictures from the months of May-June 2009 here.

Quick Reference – July-August prayer requests:

• Huichol OT translation project – village work, no computer failures
• Huichol NT – continued MegaVoice Mp3 player distribution to villages
• Youth camp put on by the leaders of the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic – July 19
• Preparation for coming year of OANSA

March/April 2009

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Yesterday, May 1, was Labor Day in Mexico, and it was a perfect opportunity to reflect on the past 2 months that have fulfilled every biblical aspect of the term: labor was designed by the Creator; we are co-workers with Him by His grace through faith; the jobs He gives are distinguished by love and sacrifice, done with much prayer, and often disrupted by the enemy. And finally, rewards are plentiful for jobs well done.

On March 23, we commemorated 4 years since Kirt’s physical labor on earth came to an end, and he was promoted to Heaven. We remembered the contagion of his curiosity, energy, resourcefulness and excitement as he labored to help unfold the limitless possibilities that lay before us. He proved with his life that no dream was beyond reach if we were willing to trust God and work for it. He taught us the value of determination and hard work by his unforgettable example; and he has now, personally, experienced the truth that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pastor Gregg Cantelmo and 6 members of his church came on a short-term “labor of love and sacrifice” trip to Tepic. Pastor Gregg did an excellent job teaching a series on The Beatitudes, and Tim did an excellent job serving as interpreter for him. See pictures here.

That our Father has a task for every member of His church is clear in the jobs He has given Emilia. At last, the all-male team of Huichol Old Testament translators agreed at the 7th translation workshop last month that “just maybe” God could use a “girl” to help out with the translation job. Emilia, a well-prepared, single young lady from the village of Zapote, has taken her God-given ministerial opportunities very seriously. She translates materials from Spanish to Huichol as she teaches 3 ladies' classes, the young people, and 2 children's classes a week in the village; and she loves it, but it comes with a measure of difficulty. She is a Huichol woman, and in the unspoken but obvious opinion of the men of the village, "she is working way out of character for her category." Emilia is a first for them. The Huichol pastors in charge of selecting the translation team have come to realize that the Bible is full of all kinds of women who served in support capacities, and Emilia is just like that. She's a willing and valuable co-laborer.

Easter week was filled with rewards for the well-done labor of evangelism and discipleship in baptismal services held in 2 Huichol villages, Loma Alta and La Bendición. The Tepic church will be baptizing several new believers on May 17. Please pray for continued growth and perseverance.

After praying and assessing details of the H1N1 (Swine) Flu issue, we came to a consensus that holding the 8th Huichol Old Testament translation workshop, due to begin in 2 weeks, involved, as Dr. Grimes said, “higher than normal risks in bringing people into a crowded city, partly on public transportation, to spend two weeks in face to face contact... So better to wait.” The next 2-week workshop is now scheduled for after the rainy season and after the corn harvest, in late November. Please pray that key people in the project, with little resistance to any of the bugs of civilization, will be kept safe and that this labor will not be disrupted by the enemy as the translators continue their work in their respective villages.

The day before the H1N1 (Swine) Flu propaganda hit the press, we held the annual OANSA/AWANA Kid’s Day celebration at the Tepic church with 100 kids who played organized games, hit piñatas, ate delicious goodies, took home a bagful of surprises, and best of all, heard the story of Every Kid’s Very BEST Friend. See digital pictures here. Please pray for wisdom regarding the holding of further public church meetings during the next few weeks.

Marisol Rojo, this year’s recipient of the 3rd annual Kirt Mellberg Memorial Scholarship, was home for Easter. She is studying elementary education and music at a Bible college in Monterey, Mexico. Her attitude is uplifting, and the knowledge and wisdom she has gained thus far as a result of this opportunity that was made possible by the scholarship has been a very worthwhile investment. When she returned to classes, she sent me a letter with the following encouraging words, “During this past semester, in addition to violin and orchestra, I especially enjoyed my class on Corinthians. It made me think a lot about Martín, and you and Kirt…and God’s purpose for me in this life. …I have had many opportunities for evangelism and teaching,…and God has provided for my needs in ways I never expected.”

The scholarship fund, donated by interested sponsors, is a living investment awarded in Kirt’s memory for the purpose of recognizing and encouraging students who have distinguished themselves as leaders, who exemplify the servant qualities of our Lord Jesus Christ, and who are actively preparing themselves for ministry in missions or in a local church. A big “THANK YOU” to all who have had a part in this labor of love and sacrifice. Any student interested in applying can find the criteria and application materials here.

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4

Quick Reference – May-June Prayer Requests:

· H1N1 (Swine) Flu – potential pandemic
· Huichol OT translation project – 8th workshop after harvest in November
· Huichol NT - MegaVoice Mp3 player distribution to Huichol villages
· Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic – baptisms on May 17
· OANSA children’s Bible clubs

January/February 2009

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. I Thessalonians 5:24

He said it! He did it! The past two months, again, prove it. During the month of February, I was invited to participate in missions conferences and give presentations in four churches. In each opportunity to share, I was impressed with God’s faithfulness in doing as He promised. In every circumstance in which He opens a door, He also accomplishes the task.

We still don’t understand why, but after 14 years of jumping through bureaucratic hoops, at long last, the first week of January we received the news that the official, legal registration of the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic (IBBT) is complete. Along with the registration, we now have the legal right to display a sign. We were forced to accept the word “misericordia” (which means mercy) in our church name; but the longer we have it, the more we love it. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100:5 A lot has happened since that Sunday, 17 years ago, when the first service held in our living room marked the birth of a baby church; but the truth is -- He said it! He did it!

Thirteen-year-old Luis Armando was invited to IBBT when the church was still in its infant stage. Luis, full of hostility, pain, and scars from a very dysfunctional home came sporting a gigantic chip on his shoulder, spiked hair, enormous sagging pants, a tormented wanna-be gangster expression, and a heart begging to be loved. Kirt met him at the door with arms spread wide waiting to give him the last thing he wanted to be caught accepting and the first hug he remembers ever receiving. When he heard of a Father who really loves him and who was willing to forgive him for anything and everything, he couldn’t resist asking Him for forgiveness for his sins and for a place in His family. Luis gave his life to Jesus and began the systematic process of “becoming new.” In spite of many difficult tests in Luis’s life, he has remained faithful. He’s a fine leader and an extraordinary Bible teacher. After passing the “test of time,” on February 1, pastors José Luis, Nacho and Martín handed off to Luis the official ministerial baton of youth director of IBBT. It seems like just yesterday that Kirt passed their respective batons to José Luis, Nacho and Martín. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. He said it! He did it!

Every one of these victories is cause for great rejoicing, but that in no way minimizes the reality that each task to which God has called has been met along the way with multiple attacks from the adversary in the process of completion. The Huichol Old Testament translation project is no exception. As the mother-tongue translators and the linguist consultants completed the 6th Huichol OT translation workshop, the importance of the project was made more obvious than ever by the severity and relentlessness of the attacks. In spite of great physical, economic, and spiritual hardships, the team members, like the prophet Isaiah, have their faces set like a flint for the task at hand. Joshua, Zechariah, 1 Kings, and part of Exodus, all in various stages of revision, have been added to the Huichol collection. A second miniature solar-powered computer was donated to the project, and that will help expedite data entry in the village of Los Aires. The 7th 2-week workshop is scheduled to begin March 23. He said it! He will do it!

For the second time (Who knows why?), we were selected by the Samaritan’s Purse organization to be the recipients of 500 gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child. One thing everyone knows is that very little passes through the border at Christmastime, so our boxes didn’t arrive until February. We organized three big evangelistic outreaches, two in the Huichol villages of Zapote de Picachos and La Bendición, and one in Tepic. Five hundred children received personal invitations, lovingly-packed gift boxes, and best of all, the opportunity to listen to the true story of the greatest gift of all, forgiveness of sins and a permanent place in God’s family. Only time will tell how many of those little children are the Martíns, Nachos and Luis’s of the next generation, but one thing is sure, He said it! He will do it!

Along with Ben and Karley, on February 18, our family gratefully welcomed their fearfully and wonderfully made little daughter, Brianna Lynn, into our arms and hearts. That’s grandbaby #4, if anyone’s counting! We pray with them that as they instruct, guide and set an example for her, she will accept the everlasting mercy and truth that endures to all generations and that He that began a good work in her will indeed perform it. He said it! He will do it!

Quick Reference – March-April Prayer Requests:


Huichol OT translation project – 7th workshop
Huichol NT - MegaVoice Mp3 player distribution to Huichol villages
Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic – increased vision and continued faithfulness
OANSA children’s Bible clubs

November/December 2008

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens... What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?...
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Psalm 8

Management consultants call it MBO—Management By Objective; God would call it POHG—the Praise Of His Glory (Eph. 1:12). This prayer update is all about celebrating the many ways that God’s plan has run by that single objective of bringing glory to Himself in the works in Tepic and the surrounding villages during these past two months.

The village church in Zapote de Picachos celebrated its 5th anniversary the first week in November. The little chapel, built in love and with great sacrifice, is to the very center of their village as our Savior is to their hearts. A true relationship with Jesus IS the center of their lives. Ten new believers were baptized during the 3-day celebration.

At the end of the festivities the brothers of the village along with some from the village of La Bendición who came to join in the commemoration decided to combine efforts to clear a large plot of land to plant a community corn crop so that next year they will have plenty for feeding their families and enough to share. During the arduous task, one of the men up the hill felled a tree which tumbled down on top of another brother, Vicente, breaking his back and right foot. For two months the brothers, and a few of their American brothers, have given sacrificially of their time, labor and resources to get Vicente the very expensive medical care necessary to begin the healing process, and as Vicente is beginning therapy and learning to walk again our Father’s objective of bringing glory to Himself (POHG) is functioning perfectly. You may read more details about Vicente and the Huichol “good Samaritans” here.

The month of December was filled with motives for the POHG, as well. There were nearly 100 children at this year’s OANSA (Awana) Christmas party at the Tepic church. Every child received lots of love, a chance to play organized games and break piñatas, a plateful of delicious food, a bagful of fruit and candy, and best of all, the opportunity to listen to the true story of Christmas and receive the greatest gift of all, forgiveness of sins and a permanent place in God’s family.

Caleb surprised us all when he announced that he had transposed the Christmas song he had learned on his flutophone/recorder to his new sax, and he was selected by his teacher to play along with his singing classmates in their performance in the grade school Christmas program! Caleb loves his saxophone; he is thankful that God provided it for him; and he did a fine job of playing his instrument for the POHG.




Luis Armando has taken on the task of teaching six junior high boys from the Tepic church to play the guitar. They meet every Tuesday evening at his house and every Sunday after church to study. They played their first ensemble arrangement in church for the POHG.


Thirty-three years ago this December, as Kirt and I entered Mexico for the first time as missionaries, neither of us realized what all God had in store for us. We knew no one in Tepic, we weren’t invited, and we soon found out that the message we came to share was not really wanted by most. Nevertheless, we prayed that God would make it possible for us, together with those vital partners who sacrificed to help send us, to help lead those whom He placed in our path to Him and plant and establish one biblical, autonomous Mexican church for His glory. Neither of us imagined the course along which God would lead us in order to make that prayer a reality. As Pastor Martín, gave the final invitation to over 200 people in attendance at the annual community Christmas celebration the Sunday evening before Christmas in the Tepic church, it occurred to me that he was wearing a dress suit that had been Kirt’s, he is fruit of the seed that was sown, and he is concrete evidence of many answers to those prayers, many more than we expected, as we all celebrate God’s single objective of bringing glory to Himself – the Praise Of His Glory (POHG).

Quick Reference – January-February Prayer Requests:

• Huichol OT translation project – 6th workshop January 23 through February 7
• Huichol NT - MegaVoice Mp3 player continued distribution to Huichol villages
• Tepic Church – OANSA children’s Bible Club