March/April 2020 The Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:10-11

March/April 2020

The Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.  Psalm 29:10-11

The pressure of these trying times that are bigger than we can handle, higher than we can reach, and heavier than we can carry underscores how very much we are dependent on the Sovereign King Who offers life, strength, peace, a future, and a hope that no pandemic or loss on earth can touch. This past couple of months have been filled with evidence of God’s power and peace in His Kingdom in the midst of worldwide turmoil.

All of our friends in Mexico are very concerned about the coronavirus. The reality is that as the virus spreads, hospitals are nearly helpless with extremely limited staff and supplies, and many of Mexico’s citizens live day to day. That is and will continue to be quite a challenge as well as an opportunity to live out the purpose for the church. Lockdown brings significant implications that direct our confidence to the Trustworthy One more than ever and offers enhanced opportunities to share His provision and the Truth with those who are struggling. At church, though at first, many didn’t believe the threat was urgent, in compliance with civil authorities, we canceled group meetings. A few of the high school and college kids got their heads together and modified the equipment we had used for the audio recording project of the Huichol Bible, and they figured out how to customize it for live streaming Sunday services…VERY resourceful and very useful! We canceled the Huichol youth camp that was planned for Easter week, as well. That makes EVERYBODY sad. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

As most probably already have read, little David, my grandson who has had cancer for seven years, was scheduled to receive a bone marrow transplant in Seattle last month. I had offered to make happen whatever was necessary to come to the States and help out with their family while he was hospitalized. The amazing team of workers, musicians, and teachers in Tepic, not knowing what was ahead, were more than willing to carry the extra load that my absence would produce in order to make it possible. I got a message from the US Consulate that the border would be closing, and I would need to leave soon if I planned to go. Because of the risk to his highly compromised immune systems, it was necessary for me to be quarantined in the US for 14 days before heading to Seattle. Meanwhile, David’s cancer relapsed for the 4^th time, so the transplant was called off. Instead of the transplant, David underwent another CAR-T infusion and has just returned home from the hospital. Please pray for wisdom regarding the next step in David’s treatment. We know that everything God allows is good, and the Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. 

As for the Huichol Bible project…God miraculously provided for the astronomical cost of the printing and binding of the Huichol Bible. Miraculously! The project has arrived in South Korea, and assuming there are no further obstacles, the job should be completed by the end of June, with shipping in July, and arrival in Mexico in August. Just last week, Pastor Manuel from the village of Zapote de Picachos made a “socially-distanced” trek down the mountain, up-river, and to Tepic to deliver an offering that the brothers and sisters from his church collected to help subsidize the cost of Huichol Bibles for those who can’t afford them when they do arrive. To say they are anxious for the day, at long last, that they will have God’s Word in their heart language is a major understatement. We’re tentatively planning the dedication service for October. A lot of factors have to dovetail for that to happen, but here’s hoping. Meanwhile, the audio technician continues to work on the recordings, and he’s uploading them to Scriptureearth.org, making them available for download to cell phones and other devices. The Lord is enthroned as King forever.

In addition, the church at Zapote is gathering a special offering to add to gifts that have been given toward Project Classrooms – IBBM-Tepic. Phase 1 of that construction project is going on at the church right now, even with the lockdown. It’s a mega project for us, and we stand amazed that so far, everything is in its place when we need it. The digging is done, rebar is in place, and the team “poured” the foundation last Saturday. They’re using a cement mixer that a construction “contractor” offered me way below market value a couple of days before I left Tepic. We just “happened” to have funds from a special offering for the purchase. And now, it’s in operation! Here we go again with God’s unexpected, but perfect provision! The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.  Don’t miss Jonatán García’s video update of the project.

I’m thankful for online connection with people I love, and I’m thankful for God’s sovereign open and closed doors. Mostly, I’m thankful that the One Who gave His crucified and resurrected Son for my grandson, our friends in Mexico, my friends and family in the US, and for me, is in charge.

The Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.  Psalm 29:10-11

-->See some March/April 2020 Tepic activities here.