MexicoMinistry: Mellberg's Missionary Update

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

November/December 2011

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. Psalm 86:11

Refugio and Nicolasa - La Bendición

The end of October marked the 5-year anniversary of the "new birth" of the first 36 Huichols from José Lopez' natal village of Guásima del Caimán. All of the believers of that village made a collective decision to relocate at a place on the outskirts of the town of Puga, about 30 minutes’ drive from Tepic. They named their new village “La Bendición” (The Blessing) and dedicated their village and themselves to follow Kakaɨyari, the one true God who saved them from the darkness of their sin and brought them to the Light of salvation. They held a big corn-sharing festival in honor of the anniversary. The brothers and sisters have been so exemplary in their Christian walk that unbelievers from villages scattered throughout the Sierra Madre have come to hear for themselves the “reason for the hope that is in them.” In spite of major hardship and persecution, they have remained faithful, and their pastor, Refugio, absorbing all the Bible teaching he can get, is a loving, sacrificial leader of his little flock of more than 30 families.

Román, Hilario, Venancio – Huichol MTTs

The 7 Huichol mother-tongue-translators (MTTs) involved in the Old Testament project agreed months ago to meet together the first week of November in the village of Zapote to work on polishing the draft of 1 Samuel. Hilario from Los Aires, a 6-hour hike, 10-hour rural bus ride, 1-hour local bus ride, 40-minute boat ride and an additional 40-minute hike from the host village, had said he would probably have to sit out on this one as his wife, Angelina, was due to deliver their 6th child any day. Angelina insisted that this OT project is so important to her that Hilario should participate in the workshop, affirming that if she should happen to go into labor, she could handle it herself this time. Angelina's determination that Hilario leave to take part in the workshop did not mean she just was giving up her errands assistant (“Honey, run and get me a diaper”...”Bring me a drink”... “Check on the other 5 kids”, etc.). Hilario is the "midwife"; he has assisted in the births of all of their children in their humble adobe home worlds away from the nearest clinic. She meant she was willing to handle that by herself this time. The divinely appointed time for the arrival of the strong, healthy man-child, Manasés (Manasseh, as in Joseph’s son from the recently polished Old Testament book of Genesis), just happened to be November 6, 5 days before Hilario’s return to his village home.

Manasés

Two weeks later, little Manasés began to have trouble breathing; within 3 days, he had completely stopped nursing. Some of the villagers suggested Hilario set out on foot for help from the nearest clinic, hours away, but Hilario knew the baby would never survive the trip. He and Angelina prayed asking for a miracle and committing baby Manasés to Kakaɨyari. The following morning, UIM pilot, David Wolf, “just happened” to arrive at the airstrip 40-minutes’ hike from Hilario’s house for a pre-arranged meeting of the Huichol Bible students from Hiliario’s isolated village with the Mexico director of the study program. David was able to airlift Hilario, Angelina and the gravely ill baby Manasés to Tepic where he was admitted, nearly unconscious, to the pediatric ICU of a local hospital. Details way too numerous to share were expedited, Kakaɨyari saw fit to spare the life of the 20-day old baby, and 10 days later he was discharged to return to his village.

Angelina and Manasés

When I dropped Hilario and Angelina off at the rural transport bus station for their long, strenuous return home with their now month-old, miracle baby, Hilario shared with me that as both Moses and Joshua in the recently translated Old Testament stories had directed the children of Israel as they were about to enter the Land of Promise, he would see to it that Manasés never forgets God’s provision for his life.

And speaking of the Huichol Old Testament translation project, praise God that 96% is now in at least 1^st-draft form! There is still much work to accomplish in reviewing, revising, community checking, etc.; and there are many details such as translator transportation and safety, finances, insight, orthography transition, and availability of adequate back-translators for which to continue praying. Of particular encouragement is that at the celebration last month of the 9^th year anniversary of the founding of the village church at Zapote, 3 key Huichol pastors put to use some of the now-translated Old Testament passages as their texts. Manuel taught from Deuteronomy about Moses as he lead the Children of Israel up to the Promised land and his admonition that they remember and remind the future generation from where the one true God had brought them. Joaquín applied the words of the son of Hannah, “Speak, Lord…Here am I,” a valuable lesson from the recently polished 1 Samuel passage. And Refugio finished with a message from Isaiah 5 telling how God, because of His love, had provided for His chosen people a beautiful vineyard which they failed to utilize and consequently experienced God’s judgment for their lack of faith and productivity. He admonished, “We must listen to God’s warning and follow through with His instructions.”

May we join with our Huichol brothers in sincerely asking Kakaɨyari to “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” Psalm 86:11

2011-11-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

September/October 2011

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

Jesus set the example. These past 2 months have been filled with answers to the question, “What would Jesus do?” The following are some highlights of brothers and sisters you have prayed for who are doing their best to follow His steps:

Since the property adjacent to IBBM-Tepic that “houses” the horse trough we have been using for a baptistery during the past decade has been sold, we asked ourselves, “Carmen, José Luis, Rafael and David are ready to obey and follow their Savior’s steps in baptism; what would Jesus do?” I guess He would have inflated a borrowed swimming pool and filled it in my front yard, which is across the street from the Tepic church, and turned it into a church-wide celebration complete with accompaniment by a violin quartet of budding young church musicians. The kids enjoyed the happiest swimming party ever afterwards.

It did not make sense, humanly speaking, for the Tepic church, IBBM, to add one more task to the already endless list of “things to do” in our “own back yard.” It was not reasonable to invest funds we didn’t really have. It was not logical to get involved in another mission project on the other side of the world, and to reach out to a people we’ve never met; but that’s what Jesus did, and pastor Martín, sponsored by an army of brothers and sisters locally and more than 100 prayer partners from around the world (Thank you!), chose to follow His steps, along with 3 other Latino pastors who traveled to Madrid first, and then Morocco on a short-term mission trip. Martín’s goal was to investigate possibilities for IBBM-Tepic in helping to fulfill the Commission to make disciples of Jesus Christ in all the world.

Martín returned to Tepic, exhausted, but invigorated with a renewed “cosmovisión” reporting that in Madrid over 90% of evangelical church members are Latinos, not from Spain. That was a concept he certainly never expected. Along with his 3 friends, he participated in “Kilometer Zero” preaching and evangelizing in a large central park. After a week of orientation and ministry they left for Morocco; a beautiful country...but with great need for the Truth. Martin was moved by the abundance of people and their religiosity but with obvious emptiness in their hearts. Ministry in Morocco requires constant secrecy, conversation in “code,” and the use of symbols. He returned grateful for the freedom we have in Mexico to meet together and share the truth openly, and he determined to follow His steps so that IBBM will have a greater part in reaching the lost beyond our borders who are lacking that blessing and have never heard.

To God be the Glory – The Purpose for Our Church and My Life was the title of the message Pastor McKeown preached to an overflow crowd at the 20^th anniversary celebration of the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Misericordia-Tepic. Pastor Phil has proven by his example that the answer to, “What would Jesus do?” is not always the easiest or most convenient, but to follow in His steps is right. This is the 6^th consecutive year that he has left his own flock and our sending church, North Village Baptist, for Tepic to fulfill the commitment he made at Kirt’s funeral to pastors Martín, Nacho and José Luis to stand with them and be present every year (barring divine intervention) at our annual commemoration. It’s not easy for him to leave his obligations in Phoenix, travel in Mexico is expensive and not all that advisable right now, and he despises Mexican food (I know, no one else can believe that either!). His message was appropriate for the year’s theme, but his actions in Tepic consistently speak louder than his words. Steve Evers, director of In Touch Mission International, is becoming a familiar face with an always encouraging message in Tepic, too. Thank you both, for your active answer to, “What would Jesus do?”

Seven men (Érika stood in for her dad, Sebastián, who was out of town.) who have passed the test of biblical leadership and have committed to follow in His steps at IBBM-Tepic, received special recognition this year.

Lots of people are participating in following in His steps that makes these IBBM-Tepic highlights possible.

2011-09-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

July/August 2011

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

These past 2 months have flown by reinforcing the biblical concept of the brevity of life and the value of numbering our days, applying our hearts unto wisdom. The following are some highlights:

Pastor Martin, Erén and I travelled to Monterrey, Mexico, to attend Marisol’s graduation from UCLA (Universidad Cristiana Las Americas). For the past 4 years, Marisol has been the recipient of the Kirt Mellberg Memorial Scholarship. 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. Marisol moved to Tepic nine years ago with her mother and 2 older brothers. Her father had just been murdered mafia-style in the state north of ours in a drug-related vendetta, and her mother determined to leave that region so her children would not be further entangled in the lifestyle. Marisol, a tiny 12-year-old girl who in her short lifetime had been exposed to way too many of the world’s activities and snares, was invited to AWANA club at the Tepic church, and soon gave her heart to Jesus. She was faithful to attend church and obedient in memorizing and applying God’s Word. She became a prized AWANA club leader and a Sunday school preschool teacher. In addition, Kirt challenged her to use her musical abilities to learn to play the violin, and she is now an accomplished church violinist. When Marisol graduated high school, she felt God was leading her to attend a Christian college in Monterrey, Mexico. That was made possible partially by funds from the scholarship offered in Kirt’s memory. With much discipline Marisol has numbered her days and applied her heart unto wisdom and earned her degree in elementary education and music. What could be more fulfilling than to attend the graduation of one of Kirt’s little people? Marisol is now teaching in church and in a Christian grade school in Monterrey. It is a beautiful city, but not a nice place to live…LOTS of unrest and violence.

The 2011-2012 recipient of the Kirt Mellberg Memorial Scholarship is Drew Davis, son of Kevin and Kim Davis, missionaries in Llanfairfechan, Wales. He is attending Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO. Please pray with me that Drew will dedicate each day to applying his heart unto wisdom as he also prepares for Christian service. For more information on the scholarship see the May 1, 2006 archived post at: www.mexicoministry.com

Jacob, Kiki and Elianna welcomed baby David Owen into our family on August 6. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 1 oz., 20 inches long. He’s another healthy blessing from heaven and has already brought immeasurable joy to our family. I pray that as the days fly by, Jacob and Kiki will apply their hearts unto wisdom as humble stewards, not anxious owners, in shepherding the heart of this beautiful gift from our Father. That’s 7 Mellberg grandkids now!
Pastor Martín knows first-hand the eternal value of world missions. As a boy, he made the choice to follow Jesus. For a long time he says he has dreamed of one day traveling to another part of the world to see for himself in what way he and the IBBM-Tepic church can expand our vision in fulfilling the mandate to go beyond. He has prepared himself with sound doctrine, he has been obedient to his call, and he has been faithful; now God has opened a door for him to travel, leaving September 5, to Madrid, Spain, where he will join with 4 other Latino pastors for Phase 2 to Morocco in northwest Africa where they will make contact with the Jebala. The trip is designed to involve Latino pastors and churches in participating personally in the Commission to make disciples of Jesus Christ in all the world. Martín has much valuable experience having worked diligently, hand-in-hand with our Huichol brothers.

Very few of the Jebala of Morocco have heard a clear presentation of the Gospel; they don’t have the Bible in their native language. Even among the very few who have heard, a profession of faith in Jesus may cost them their families, honor, jobs, and sometimes their lives. Evangelization among them will be challenging due to the nature of the Arabs' lifestyle and belief system. Prayer remains key to seeing them reached. Martín is asking for 100 prayer partners who will commit to pray every day of his mission trip from September 5-25 for his safety, vision, wisdom, faithfulness, and his family back home in Tepic. If you would like to be one of his prayer partners, please notify me at debbiemellberg@gmail.com and I will relay the good news to him.

Honestly, it does not make sense, humanly speaking, for the Tepic church, IBBM, to add one more task to the already endless list of “things to do” in our “own back yard”. It’s not reasonable to invest funds we don’t really have given the austerity mode we are already in with the current property project, existing church operating expenses, and constant Huichol ministries. It’s not logical to get involved in a mission project on the other side of the world, and to reach out to a people we’ve never met; but it’s right, and it’s a divine mandate that the Church be about numbering our days, and apply our hearts unto wisdom as we go about fulfilling the Great Commission as He leads. This “answer to the Divine call” reminds me of one made some 35 years ago, illogical, costly, and not reasonable, but right, when Kirt and I left for Mexico asking God for one biblical, autonomous, indigenous Mexican church that would ultimately take on the responsibility of propagating itself for God’s glory. This is not and has never been something we’ve done alone, but instead with an entire army of collaborators who have prayed, given and sent. I thank you for your faithfulness, Martín and IBBM thank you for your faithfulness, and the Jebala of Morocco will thank you.

May we number our days… and apply our hearts unto wisdom.

2011-07-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

May/June 2011

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” 2 Corinthians 9:8

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it is..." No such thing as Mission Impossible; God’s all- sufficient grace has proven to be always more than enough for every good work.

15^th Huichol Old Testament translation Workshop - Mother-tongue-translators (MTTs), diligently committed to the project, have worked in their respective remote mountain villages to finish nearly 90% of the Huichol Old Testament in first-draft form. They all faithfully attend workshops in Tepic along with the trained linguist consultants for the purpose of team-checking the drafts. 10 % has been printed for community testing. A back-translation, consultant check and final proofreading are still necessary steps before publication. The team has a long way to go before this virtually impossible job is done. They met in Tepic the first 2 weeks of May to continue reviewing God’s work in history through the Genesis patriarchs and begin reviewing Job. The task is formidable, but there’s no such thing as a Mission Impossible.

José Lopez returns to the Sierra Madre – June 3 was a day of practically impossible historic significance! José López finished a week of teaching Theology Education by Extension (ETE) to students in the remote village of Los Aires. Remember…we prayed after his excruciating surgery last year for his leg to heal for this very purpose? UIM pilot, David Wolf, airlifted him to the Tierra Blanca strip; José hiked 45 minutes to Los Aires, then we picked him up at Tierra Blanca a week later. Though we had our doubts that José would ever again return to the Sierra Madre villages, there is no such thing as a Mission Impossible.

Discipleship trip to Mojarras - Román, an MTT, and 9 other Huichol believers from La Quemada followed their nearly impossible Divine calling to hike 6 hours with musical instruments in hand to the village of Mojarras (They got lost on the way which added another hour to the trek.) for the purpose of fellowshipping, teaching and encouraging in their Christian walk, the brothers and sisters of that very remote village. (The young people who came to the seemingly impossible first ever Huichol camp in Tepic in April returned to their villages with a spark that has reignited the thirst for God’s Word.) Emilia, another MTT (another impossible feat… for a Huichol woman), discipled several of them in her recent “mission” trip to Los Aires.

Just before Román left Mojarras to return home to La Quemada, one of the brothers who had been happily photographing events of the “fellowship meeting” with his newly-purchased, second-hand digital camera, agreed to pass the pictures from the memory card of his camera to Román’s OT translation laptop, Maricuxi. (I sure would have loved to have seen those pix!) Of course, Román was incredulous and horrified when the alarms sounded that an invading virus was detected…from a CAMERA memory card, no less. Another valuable cyber lesson learned, but alas, too late. This was a very costly and time-consuming setback, but thanks to Kaspersky, Panda, Wycliffe tech support and mostly God’s all-sufficient grace in all things, it was not a Mission Impossible.

IBBM-Tepic Baptisms - Ten new believers from the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Misericordia – Tepic (IBBM) gladly identified themselves publically as followers of Christ. We planned an all-day church-wide outing to a campground near Tepic to celebrate with them their determination to place their faith in the All-sufficient One who promises to fulfill in them this Mission Impossible.

IBBM-Tepic OANSA - The Tepic OANSA (AWANA) Club observed the end of the 2010-2011 term with the annual visit from Sparky on Awards Day. The kids were excited to receive the medals they have been working hard to earn all year long; and we leaders are elated to know that each award represents the hiding of God’s Word in the tender hearts of the children with whom we have been working. Then we exerted one last effort for the year to prepare the OANSA Fair on the following Saturday afternoon when each clubber got to spend his or her hard-earned OANSA pesos on games, prizes, ice cream, cotton candy and other treats.

Four exemplary clubbers have fulfilled all the requirements for becoming brand new leaders-in-training. All 4 started out as Cubbies and have completed all of the OANSA manuals. They are now working to complete a 16-week discipleship class and a year of internship hoping to achieve the privilege of serving in the OANSA club as official club leaders at the end of next year! Developing future church leadership is a Mission Impossible, humanly speaking; no such thing for the Supreme Commander… There’s always more than enough grace for every good work.

2011-05-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

March/April 2011

“and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints…‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” Revelation 19:7b-9a

Fresh in mind, weddings are the perfect symbol for giving us a glimpse of the joyousness of Jesus’ return, as well as a reminder of how that future event impacts our present.

…and speaking of the righteous deeds of the saints, never did I imagine that mentioning the status of the Tepic “property project” in my last bi-monthly update would bring about such an entourage of friends who would promise to pray and have a tangible part in helping their Tepic brothers and sisters in reaching this admirable goal. Amazingly, we are ahead of schedule with the plan to pay off the church property, and the helpful nudge from friends all over the world, literally, has added an incredibly encouraging incentive to keep up the good work. Thank you!

…and speaking of those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, these past 2 months have been filled with activities focusing on the objective of getting RSVPs in order for attendance at that Royal Celebration of celebrations. The Tepic OANSA (AWANA) club celebrated its 16^th birthday last month. Kids have been added to the “family,” discipled, and placed in the King’s service as a direct result of the OANSA program.

Some of those “kids,” who are now young adults in the Tepic church, planned, prepared and carried out our very first camp ever for Huichol young people. Not only did they dream up the idea, they invested their Spring break in fulfilling the responsibilities for serving 80 Huichol young people who came to Tepic from 5 Huichol mountain villages. As a result, at least 13 Huichols who heard the Good News, placed their faith in the Lamb, and will be included at His Marriage Supper.

Also, baptisms were held on Easter Sunday in at least three different Huichol churches: 32 new believers were baptized in Zapote, 27 in La Bendición, and 13 in Loma Alta. In addition, Huichol teachers, Hilario and Román, traveled from their respective mountain villages of Los Aires and La Quemada first by United Indian Mission (UIM) airlift with pilot, David Wolf, then 4 hours on foot from the nearest airstrip to the most remote of the Huichol villages in our state to teach the subsequent segment of UIM extension seminary material for a week to 11 followers of Christ at Codorniz. For the next two weeks, Hilario and Román, along with the other 5 mother-tongue translators and 2 Wycliffe linguists, will be back in Tepic for the 15^th Huichol Old Testament translation workshop to continue preparing essential materials documenting in their heart-language the prophesied festivities at the Marriage Supper.

…and speaking of the Bride who has made herself ready, on April 10, our family witnessed the joyous wedding of the last of the single Mellberg kids as Tim and Heidi vowed to follow Christ’s example, sacrificially loving each other for life. I had already planned that as Heidi’s mother rose to give the cue for the rest of us to stand in honor of the entrance of the bride, and all eyes turned toward the father and his radiant daughter as they approached the altar, I would turn for a split second to drink in the look on Tim’s face as he glimpsed for the first time that day, the bride, who had made herself ready for him. I was not disappointed; I pray that this rapturous moment will linger as a graphic reminder to be about the task of being clothed with bright and pure fine linen--righteous deeds, for Jesus’ return, the ultimate pageant, which could be any day.

…and speaking of the frosting on the cake, J Jeremy and Jessica presented the Mellberg family with my 6^th grandbaby on March 6. Anders Kirt (5) and Mara Kate (2) got a new little sister, Tenley Hannah, and she’s a healthy blessing from heaven. We thank God for her safe arrival. May all of these grandbabies follow Jesus’ example and “grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man” as they learn from our example the importance of being present at and prepared for the most extravagant wedding of all.

2011-03-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

January/February 2011

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. -- Psalm 37:5

OANSA manual time

Thank you so much for your continued interest and prayers regarding this amazing ministry. It is immensely motivating to have special friends back “home” who are praying and who also work and sacrifice to be an encouragement to us on the field.

If you’ve been keeping up with the information on the auction of the property adjacent to the Tepic church, you know there has been no end to the drama and insecurity involved. Not only was the property assessed with an exorbitant minimum bid value, but also it was riveted with illegal schemes devised by ambassadors of “the enemy.” The bottom line is that the IBBM-Tepic church leaders opted to be grateful for what God has already provided us and use it to the max. Just after that unanimous decision was made, we were confronted with a very big surprise we never imagined.

Property donated

"Take that Mountain" Sunday

The property on which the existing buildings are built was “perpetually loaned” years ago to the church for as long as it is used for the church. Due to some very unexpected hardships in the extended family of the person to whom the church property actually belongs, she felt she had no other option but to sell the land. The church members agreed to buy it from her for “fair-market value.” That officially-assessed value for the property alone, turned out to be over $300,000 dollars! That’s crazy! The owner agreed to sell it to us for $75,000 if we could make an immediate down-payment of $20,000, the amount she needed without delay, then pay off the rest as God provides. What a coincidence that $20,000 is the exact amount we had accumulated in the fund over the past 15 years while asking God for the “property.” Working toward paying off the balance due has brought about great unity, accountability and team spirit among the brothers and sisters of the church.

1st anniversary after property donation

Some have offered to work extra hours; others have begun making tacos, enchiladas and pozole to sell; others have agreed to do without certain “luxuries”; others are selling possessions they can do without; the children’s classes are taking up special offerings every week; even our Huichol brothers and sisters are working above and beyond in order to be able to contribute to the project. Absolutely everyone in the church is participating at some level to take responsibility and make this church “ours,” and we are more grateful than ever for our Father’s omniscient wisdom and provision. It’s not the “property” we thought we needed, but it’s the property God knew all along we definitely needed! …and He shall bring it to pass…

Again, I am eternally grateful to our Father for such loving and caring friends. Thank you for praying and sharing in this work.

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. -- Psalm 37:5

2011-01-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

November/December 2010

Thus saith the LORD...Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? -- Isaiah 43:16-19

“...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 year 2010 is over. In spite of many humanly insurmountable obstacles, amazing triumphs and unexpected blessings, we must not dwell on yesterday. Tomorrow brings new opportunity for running with patience the race that is set before us, placing our faith in Jesus as Lord, and looking unto Him who is the Author and Finisher of that faith. God has already premeditated the future and has promised to provide for us in the carrying out of His omniscient plan. This is grounds, the only grounds, for a happy new year!

The 13th 2-week Huichol Old Testament translation workshop that started the end of November was an exercise in perseverance and running with patience in the truest sense of the phrase. The technical equipment acted up like never before. Dr. Grimes, Joe, spent more than half the workshop trying to repair the unexplainable damage to the satellite setup and networking the translators’ laptops. One of the project consultants was unable to attend due to illness. Joe’s wife, Barbara, fell and broke her right humerus just above the elbow during the workshop. Her reconstructive surgery had to be postponed until after the workshop when Joe, who celebrated his 82^nd birthday on the last day of the workshop, was available to help her with the burden of post-op trauma. Despite lots of negatives, Joe and Barbara’s son, Chuck, who along with his wife, Barbara, is also a translation consultant in Australia and Indonesia and 2 of their adult sons joined us for the last week of the workshop. Chuck was an amazing encouragement to the Huichol mother-tongue translators as he shared similar experiences in getting God’s Word into the heart languages of people from the other side of the world. He presented José Lopez, the chief Huichol pastor, with a hand-woven token gift from the people of Timor. Even with the excessive hindrances the translators were able to return to their mountain villages with the revised draft in hand of the complete book of Judges for community review.

Following the translation workshop, pastors Manuel (Zapote) and Refugio (La Bendición) were airlifted to the village of La Quemada where they continued teaching students from the neighboring village of Los Aires who joined in with those students from the host village in the subsequent segment of extension seminary courses provided by United Indian Mission (UIM). In all, there are sixty-nine Huichol believers who are currently enrolled and running with patience in their commitment to indigenous seminary-level Bible study.

Running with patience, the foundation has been placed, indigenous leadership has been trained, and the OANSA (AWANA) club in the Huichol village of La Bendición officially began in November. The teachers are not Americans or Mexicans but Huichols who are members of this church that has only been in existence for 5 years. This is the second daughter-club that has been produced by the Tepic OANSA club, and it has already brought eternal results.

The script, directing, props, acting, music, invitations, serving, and whole-hearted team participation in Peace and Good Will Toward Men, the theme of this year’s Christmas celebration in IBBM - Tepic, was nothing short of amazing. The outcome proves that running with patience is God’s condition for rewarding His servants with true peace and good will and ultimately bringing glory to Himself.

Both, “the former things” and “the new thing” that will spring forth this new year, devised by the Author and Finisher of our faith, are evidence of the essential participation of a great multitude of participants in fulfilling the task. Thank you for your vital prayers and direct involvement.

2010-12-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

JESUS, our rescuer, descended and re-ascended as God’s unspeakable gift to His creation. C.S. Lewis narrates the divine giving extravaganza of the very first Christmas: He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity...down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him...[like a] diver...into the death-like region of ooze and slime and old decay; then up again, back to colour and light...holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing that he went down to recover. May we never ignore the price He paid so that we might celebrate His birth. Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

In addition to this inexplicable evidence of His love and grace, the greatest gift of all, God has presented me with a growing family that loves and serves Him with their lives. How can I possibly be so blessed? Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Ben graduated in May, adding an RN to his CIS degree and works at Banner Children’s Hospital. Karley is an accounting assistant at Maricopa Community Colleges and a wonderful mom to little Brianna Lynn who will be 2-years old in February and welcomed her little brother, Kaleb Benjamin, into the family on July 12.

Jeremy is still enjoying his job as a Phoenix firefighter, and Jessica is an ICU nurse at Scottsdale Healthcare. Anders Kirt is now 5 years old, and his little sister, Mara Kate turned 2 in September. They will be adding a new little sister to the family in March.

Jacob is well into his studies to become a nurse anesthetist. Kiki has set aside her employment at Arizona Heart Hospital to be a full-time as mommy to 2-year-old Elianna Joel and to be available to relocate with Jacob for his progression of 3-month, out-of-state clinical rotation assignments. Eli just found out that she will be the "big sister" of the family this coming August.

Tim is working as a realtor and as a Patient Care Technician at Arizona Heart Hospital while he awaits the continuation of the bilingual nursing program into which he was accepted. We agree with Proverbs 18:22, that he has found a “good thing” named Heidi. They will be married in April.

The gift of our descending ascending Savior cost Him everything; the gift He freely offers, our only hope, is not for sale. But its wonder compels us to contemplate that “The real question is not what we are to make of Christ, but what is He to make of us.” (C.S. Lewis). Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

2010-10-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

September/October 2010

“Rooted and built up in him... stablished in the faith... abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7

It’s been a long time coming, and the process was much more demanding than any of us ever imagined, but Pastor José López’ surgery to fracture, straighten and reset his leg has been, so far, an infection and clot-free success. Those of you for whom I have e-mail addresses have received a variety of sequels to the last prayer update. If you missed out you can follow the procedure and other mini-updates on previous posts on thisand in a “Memory Album” I’m making for José. In essence, his operation is healing miraculously, and he is on his way to recovery. Please continue to pray that soon he will be back at his jobs of Old Testament translation, teaching, and spreading the Gospel of Peace to every remote corner of the Sierra Madre Mountains.

The Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Misericordia – Tepic celebrated our 19th anniversary the first week of October. It was a whirlwind of edifying activity as pastors, Phil McKeown, Steve Evers and Brent Armstrong along with 3 laymen from the Tucson Baptist Temple and UIM pilot, Dave Wolf with his wife, Olivia, visited. The theme we adopted for this year is “Prosigo la Meta” (I Press Toward the Mark) with emphasis on the mark not on I press. As a church, in addition to some incredible answers to prayer, we have had to deal with some very unexpected and rather discouraging attacks from the enemy. The theme is very appropriate for the circumstances as we are admonished to forget the things that are behind, and reach forth for the prize of our Savior’s high calling. All three visiting pastors brought excellent messages of encouragement for their Tepic extended family. In addition to the Tepic church activities, we made trips that also served to build and encourage our Huichol brothers and sisters in their remote mountain communities. Check out the activities here.

Román is one of the key mother-tongue-translators (MTTs) working on the Huichol Old Testament translation project. He lives with his family in the mountain village of La Quemada. The unbelievers in his village, who are enslaved to their traditional religion and the worship of some 150 gods, are constantly looking for ways to aggravate and persecute their Christian neighbors. Román sent his 7-year-old son, Elías (Elijah) to bring back home the family burro that had been tethered to a tree outside the village. One of the villagers purposely spooked the burro that took off running with his rope wrapped around Elías’s leg, dragging Elías behind. Fortunately, Elías has no broken bones and is recovering from his injuries. At his young age, Elías knows firsthand, the true meaning of suffering persecution; Román knows the true meaning of the Psalms he has just finished drafting in his heart-language. With eyes welled-up with tears, he shared that even though he had doubted that his son would walk again, and even though his desire was to seek vengeance, he found great assurance and could honestly say along with David: I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Ps. 91:2

Hilario, MTT from the village of Los Aires, has just finished the first draft of Proverbs in Huichol. As he was working on the translation, he imagined himself in the role of that wise man, Solomon, giving counsel to his own 15-year-old son. He is beginning a chapter-a-day Proverbs reading plan with his family, in their heart-language.

Venancio is another Huichol MTT, presently working on 2 Chronicles. He has been impressed with the precision of the details that God gave Solomon for the construction of His temple. Through the translation process, Venancio has come to realize that God is precise, and He has a specific plan for the building of our lives and families, as well. Venancio and his wife, Lucía, came from their village to stay in Tepic last month as they awaited the arrival of their 3^rd baby (and that’s another story in itself!). Venancio is grateful for the defined instruction Cacauyari has given in His Word for working to build a strong and God-honoring family. He told me that his prayer is that he will listen to and apply God’s wisdom as Solomon did in the building of the Temple.

The translation job of the Huichol Old Testament is well past the half-way mark. Like every other part of this task of sharing the Truth with those who have never heard and with those who want and need to hear more, Bible translation is a tedious and laborious job that requires the teamwork of many participants. Thank you for your prayers and your indispensable position on the team.

2010-10-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Sequel #7 - (not so positive, but still positive) to July/August 2010 Update - José López, Román and Elías--10-16-10

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

How fortunate José (Yes, that is José...STANDING now, and only 4 little bandages!) is to have brothers and sisters from 2 villages who are willing to sacrifice to take such good care of him as he recovers from his surgery. How sad it is that while he has been staying with Ramón and his family in the village of Loma Alta, someone back in his own village of Carlos a la Torre broke into his humble little house and stole absolutely everything of value that he owned (except his bed); his CD/radio/cassette player, his oscillating fan, his point-and-shoot 35mm camera and a 10-meter bundle of electric cable. They took an extra Bible he had left at home, too, but that was found discarded along the path leading from his house to town. José knows what it means to “suffer loss,” and this is certainly not his first experience.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Román is one of the key Huichol mother-tongue-translators working on the Huichol Old Testament translation project. He lives with his family in the remote mountain village of La Quemada, the village to which Pastor Manuel of the previous “Sequel #6” hiked for the Bible-teaching session. The unbelieving villagers who are enslaved to their traditional religion and the worship of some 150 gods are constantly looking for ways to aggravate and persecute their Christian neighbors. Román sent his 7-year-old son, Elías (Elijah) to bring back home the family burro that had been tethered to a tree outside the village. One of the unbelievers purposely spooked the burro that took off running with his rope wrapped around Elías’s leg, dragging Elías behind. Fortunately, Elías has no broken bones, but the severe rope burns made him unable to walk. When UIM pilot, David Wolf, was able to return to the village to bring Pastor Manuel back to Tepic, he also delivered a supply of *sterile bandages and antibiotic ointment for treatment. Román reported yesterday via his solar satellite Internet connection that our prayers for Elías are being answered and he is now able to walk again. Seven-year-old Elías knows at his young age, the true meaning of suffering persecution.

*BTW, I bet my friends, Margaret and Yvonne, among many willing tools in the Master’s hands who have a vital part in this work, never dreamed that the huge supply of sterile bandages and assorted ointments they loaded into their suitcases and left with me when they came for a visit to Tepic 2 years ago would find so many important applications. The medical supplies have now been instrumental in keeping infection from a severe burn (mine), José’s repulsive surgical wounds (MANY bandage changes) and now Elías's rope burns.

2010-10-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

Sequel #6 (positive) to July/August 2010 Update - José López Passes the Baton and the Race Continues 10-9-10

The Sunday after church that Martín, Erén and I went to Loma Alta to remove Pastor José López’ stitches was more than a mere “positive sequel.” It was a monumental moment that passed so naturally, I don’t think we even realized its magnitude. With stitches removed, wounds bathed in Betadine, and a re-bandaged, still miraculously infectionless leg, José accepted the challenge to pray for his “sons” in the faith and “brothers,” Benjamín and Manuel. They were to return to Tepic with us for an early-Monday-morning departure in the UIM plane that would drop them off in two remote mountain villages for a solid week of intense doctrinal teaching. The brothers and sisters from the churches in those isolated communities of La Quemada and Los Aires, respectively, had set aside the entire week for studying to show themselves approved. With eyes brimming with tears and a voice teeming with emotion, José passed the baton as he asked God’s protection, wisdom, accuracy and stamina for the two volunteers who would take his place, implementing the 2 Timothy 2:2 mandate: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

UIM pilot, David Wolf, left the Tepic runway bright and early Monday morning with his “precious cargo.” He dropped off Benjamín on the Tierra Blanca landing strip, a 40-minute hike from the Los Aires church, but before he could land with Manuel on the Zoquipan strip near the village of La Quemada, the Cessna developed engine problems requiring that the landing be aborted, and a forced return to Tepic. The needed replacement part, not available in Tepic, would not arrive until Wednesday. Manuel made the decision to leave by bus at 4 am the following morning, Tuesday, making the trip to La Quemada via a 13-hour bus ride to Zoquipan and then hiking on to the village. The rains have practically demolished the rural mountain path that the bus takes, and half-way to the destination, the driver announced he was turning back to Tepic. Manuel chose to get off the bus and hike the rest of the way on foot. Never for a moment losing sight of his “commission,” he arrived by moonlight at 2 a.m. in Zoquipan and waited till daybreak to continue on to La Quemada. He began the teaching with which he had been charged that very morning, and by Sunday, when the pilot was able to fly back to the nearby village to retrieve him, the lessons had been taught, the tests were taken, and the enemy’s efforts had been thwarted by the perseverance of God’s faithful servants.

2010-09-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sequel #5 (positive) to July/August 2010 Update - José López – stitches out! 9-26-10

Sunday after church, Martín, Erén and I went to Loma Alta where the “brothers and sisters” have been on round-the-clock rotation taking complete care of Pastor José López as he recuperates from his surgery. They are taking turns bringing his meals to his bedside, complete with steaming-hot, hand-flapped corn tortillas. When Laura brought his lunch today, she also brought him a cheerful bouquet of roses from her bush to brighten up his stay.

I bet that even Kirt would be amazed that the surgical instruments he picked up for “peanuts,” “just in case,” at a swap meet while we were on deputation about 30 years ago would have been put to such valuable use. Today was stitch-removal time, and Erén and I were elected. With sterilized the instruments, for what it’s worth for a procedure performed in a mud house, with a multi-function flashlight for operating room illumination, and surrounded by a dingy hut full of curious onlookers, we went about the repulsive task of burrowing, snipping and plucking each strand of catgut from its gruesome niche. Check it out here.

It’s positively amazing that José is taking his meds exactly on schedule, and so far he has zero infection! He has a follow-up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Friday. Thank you for your continued prayers for his complete recovery.

2010-09-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Sequel #4 (positive) to July/August 2010 Update:

What possibly could be more positive than the fact that the Tepic church (Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Misericordia – Tepic) is known for her diligence in praying faithfully and trusting our omnipotent Father for the outcome that is promised for our present and ultimate good? I can’t even begin to count the hundreds of faith-building answers to prayer He has provided. Not only do our Mexican brothers and sisters pray sincerely, passionately and faithfully for people and matters close to home, but also they pray for needs around the world that are brought to our attention.

For nearly a year now, since we first heard of Evan’s (a friend of this ministry who lives in Arizona) cancer, he has been on every prayer list. Not a week has passed that we haven’t prayed for his healing, for his comfort even in his agonizing chemo, stem cell transplant, and radiation treatments, for his family, and for the severe financial strains they are experiencing as a result of this trial.

The IBBM young people have particularly identified with their young brother, and they have felt the need to do more than just pray, based on the Bible’s admonition in James 2:15, 16: “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” They said, “None of us has much, but all of us have something we can offer.”

So, they got their heads together and dreamed up a soccer tournament in Evan’s honor; with special permission from the municipal authorities, they reserved the local soccer arena for Sunday after church. Carlita invited some of her unbelieving friends from the University to form a team. Cuautli invited his city league team, and Filiberto invited his team. Jessica invited some guys from her high school. Of course the Tepic church team signed up; and even pastors Martín and Nacho rounded up some other 40-year-old “victims” from the Tepic church to join their team, the Red Fury :). Hugo and Sebastián, who are both engineers for the national water commission, could barely get out of bed for work on Monday morning, but they gladly participated with the “oldies” team! Altogether there were 8 teams competing for 1st and 2nd place trophies donated by the school where Consu teaches. Every player agreed to contribute $20 pesos (a little less than $2.00 US) for the privilege of playing on a team. Some of the girls made little bags full of iced water and Jamaica tea (a popular tropical drink) to sell for $3 pesos to the parched-throated players and spectators. Beautiful young Carlita was the moderator. She raffled the team playing order and dictated the rules. She announced that we are followers of Jesus, and this is for a “noble cause, so please keep that in mind during the games.” She added that at the close of the tournament in addition to awarding the trophies we would be giving each player and spectator a little tract that explains exactly what it means to be a follower of Jesus and why we care about Evan, a young man that none of these people has ever met.

It was a perfect opportunity to share with Evan, and a perfect opportunity for Evan to share Jesus, which is the only purpose we can possibly imagine for this horrific trial in his life.

See more pictures of Evan's tournament here.

2010-09-16T04:39:00.000-07:00

Sequel #3 (positive) to July/August 2010 Update:

I promised that today I would fill you faithful prayer warriors in with the 1st of some “mini-updates” about current positive answers to your priceless prayers for this work. I didn’t expect that today would be nearly over before that answer would be ready to report.Pastor José López' surgery we’ve all been praying for is finally behind us! Let me say up front that if you EVER thought about supporting the cause of socialized medicine, think again. I will spare you most of the agonizing details of the past 7 days spent in a hospital FULL to the brim of very sick and hurting people with next to NOTHING to offer them. There is NO medication available in the hospital (not even scripts for the residents to write out the prescriptions on). I had to run to the pharmacy daily to buy José’s IV antibiotics, pain meds, and bandages. The stainless steel sputnik (external fixator) had to be rented privately. There was not even a wheel chair available to wheel him out of the hospital to the truck for transportation to the village of Loma Alta where the brothers are going to care for him during recuperation. Each patient is responsible for providing his/her own family-member assistant for all personal needs, and the assistant “sleeps” on the floor, or not at all, in rooms full of 6-8 patients with absolutely no attention to privacy or patient contagion; nurses are only for changing IVs, and if the patient's assistant is not assertive, that might never happen. There is no soap anywhere for hand washing, no towel for drying, no tissue in the one bathroom that serves the entire floor, and I never saw one single person (doctor, nurse, assistant) wash hands before, in between or after patient visits.

So what’s the positive news? First, due to obvious racial profiling, I have been able to make friends with and share my reason for donating a solid week of my time to help an old Huichol man through the bureaucratic hoops with 2 doctors, 3 residents, 2 nurses, 2 social workers for indigenous patients, 2 pharmacists, myriad patients and assistants, the director of the pathology lab, the director of the hospital, and at long last, the orderly who finally for our departure, located a rusty old wheel chair that was missing one foot rest and the rubber rim around one wheel. Second, I made arrangements for 5 Huichol brothers from the 2 villages closest to Tepic to come to town to stay one night each with José during his hospitalization. Every one of them is one of José’s spiritual sons, and when I mentioned that fact to each one as he arrived for my little hospital orientation pep talk and to take over and do his “service” for the night duty, José and “sons,” Miguel, Elivorio, Refugio, Valente, and Toño’s eyes welled up with tears of gratitude for the privilege. Each “son” got one-on-one time with the “teacher” as the sleepless nights were spent reading from the Huichol New Testament and hearing his exposition of the select passages. And finally, after starting the discharge process at 8:30 this morning, at long last, we managed to jump through all the hoops and leave the hospital at 6:15 p.m.!

Now, we need to get moving on getting José a follow-up appointment in the next 2 weeks. Please pray with me that the recuperation will be rapid, that he will heal with no infection or stray clots, and that soon he will be back at his jobs of Old Testament translation and of spreading the Gospel of Peace to every remote corner of the Sierra Madre Mountains.

Here you can see a slideshow of a “Memory Album” I’m making for José...if you have the stomach for it!

2010-09-15T04:37:00.000-07:00

Sequel #2 to July/August 2010 Update:

WOW! I never dreamed I had so many real, true friends who actually read my updates, genuinely care and are willing to do their part to help batten down the proverbial hatches in preparation for difficult times! Thank you all.

I want to clear up some possible confusion with regard to “big black solid metal door across the entrance” to the property and my house. The “Cuchillo” told me when he came to “click” the lock that they would leave a 70 centimeter door in the obnoxious gate unlocked allow me the “privilege” of passing through on foot to my house...but he said, “Don’t even think of driving through.” Do I really look that impetuous?!? Though he insisted that the little 70 centimeter door is only for my personal use, it still allows my friends and me access to my house. Men’s prayer meeting met here early this morning as usual.

I do have a lawyer I’ve known for 25 years working with me on the details. He says my documents are impeccably in order, and we will come to a reasonable solution, but it won’t be “mañana”. He’s estimating at least 4-5 months.
This is not an isolated case. I have missionary friends all over the world who are being faced with similar distractions. One friend in Poland says, “Satan is not very creative. But he wants to stop us anyway.” Another friend in Israel is facing possible deportation. Another in Australia says they just got a property battle dumped on them last week...in spite of having their documents legal and in order.” He agrees that the enemy thrives on the “intensity of the emotional disruption and distraction that intrudes itself upon our desire for grace and peace and healthy relationships and thoughts.”

How appropriate it is that we of the Tepic Church (IBBM-Tepic) have chosen “I Press Toward the Mark” as our theme for the 19th Anniversary Sunday celebration on October 3 and for the upcoming year. The emphasis is not on “I Press” but on “the Mark.” May we not allow demonic distractions to divert us from that objective.
Speaking of not being distracted from the “Mark,” check back tomorrow (I hope) for the 1st of some mini-updates about current positive answers to your priceless prayers for this work.

2010-09-11T04:20:00.000-07:00

Sequel #1 to July/August 2010 Update:

It WAS official! The ½ acre plot of land directly adjacent to the Tepic church about which Kirt and I sent a letter 10 years ago requesting special prayer, with no previous notice, has been placed up for public auction, again... “Legitimately” (Ha!). However, the July/August prayer update that I had prepared to send out last week giving all the details, is now obsolete. Things have turned really ugly in the past few days since the auction officially started, and for us, the auction is officially, "off".

We are in absolute need of prayer, but I don't want to receive any offerings toward the property. The ex-owner somehow has regained major political clout and connections, and has come back with a vengeance. He installed a big black solid metal door across the entrance to the property, which is also happens to be the entrance to my house (which was also his before he lost it years ago to the bank). He sent his lawyer (who is knick-named in the underworld, "El Cuchillo" [The Knife]) to inform me they would allow me 10 minutes to get my vehicle off my property and out the door before they locked it permanently. They are claiming that the road in front of my house is not Acacia Street, but that it is "their" property, so I will no longer have access to my entrance.

Meanwhile, my vehicle is being parked in the street on the other side of my front wall...longer story yet ... but it's not good. I've gone to all the appropriate authorities seeking assistance, but so far all have been unable or unwilling to get the lock removed from the gate (If they can't do that, they certainly won't be able to deliver to the highest bidder possession of the property we have been considering! Thank you, Lord, for THIS heads-up!). I refuse to fight over property rights with any of the “Cuchillo’s” band. I will continue to pursue justice by government authorities, keeping in heart and mind however, that God chose to respond to us in love, while we were still His enemies; and I intend to use this opportunity to be a living example before many who are watching, of that reality of the Cross. It won’t be easy; and it is certain that I’ll need the prayers of all this team. For that I thank you in advance.

2010-09-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

July/August 2010

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy...” Zephaniah 3:17a

Pastor José López is finally scheduled for surgery on September 13. It helps a lot if you agree to go to the surgeon’s private office and pay through the nose for examinations rather than jump through the hoops at the indigenous hospital. The surgery entails cutting through the bone below the knee and readjusting it, then reinforcing the whole works with an exploded sputnik-looking erector set (rented from the orthopedic supply company...owned by the doctor, of course) until it heals straight. The problem is that all his bow-legged life he has been abusing the cartilage in the knee to the point that there is no more...he’s pounding bone against bone with each excruciating step. The only reasonable solution for him (based on 4 different opinions) is to straighten the leg and replace the missing cushion with who knows what substance. That’s the job in a layperson’s nutshell. The recovery time will be about 2 months before they can remove the pins and external stainless steel brace from his leg, but according to the doc, he will be able to walk carefully, out of the hospital the day after the surgery. The brothers at Loma Alta (Puga) have said they would consider it a privilege to care for him there; they even offered to buy him a bed, since he’s used to his in his home village, Carlos a la Torre. That’s a sacrifice, for sure. It is no small surgery, and the orthopedic surgeon (who has also operated on both, Ben and Jeremy) said that when that’s done...it won’t be long before the other leg will need the same procedure. José is not a candidate for knee replacement because that’s only good, at the very longest, for 8-10 years for people who are basically sedentary...not for 65-year-old country boys who spend their lives trekking to every remote corner of the Sierra Madre Mountains spreading the Gospel of Peace.

Please keep praying with us for wisdom and compassion for the surgeon, patience, provision, and complete healing for José, who is a valuable member on the team for Huichol Old Testament translation and the lead pastor among the Huichols.

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy...” Zephaniah 3:17a

Marisol Rojo is the worthy recipient of the 5th annual Kirt Mellberg Memorial Scholarship. 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. Marisol gave her life to Jesus under Kirt’s ministry, and in spite of many obstacles, she has been faithful to her calling. This is her final year at the Universidad Cristiana de Las Americas (UCLA) :) in Monterrey, Mexico.

It’s official! The ½ acre plot of land directly adjacent to the Tepic church about which Kirt and I sent a letter 10 years ago requesting special prayer has been placed up for public auction again...“legitimately”! The federal government had confiscated it for back taxes nearly 5 years prior. We were told that Hacienda (the Mexican equivalent of IRS) would be auctioning the land to the highest bidder within the month, and many of you prayed with us and got involved financially in that project. After nearly two years of litigation, it became obvious that the “month” that was originally promised, for some reason we have yet to discover, was thwarted. We opted to return funds that had been designated for that auction, though many of you requested that we use your contributions for other work-related needs or save it in the property fund account, which I have done. One friend of this ministry, who is now in Heaven, responded with the following encouraging note: “We believe with you that the Lord will provide that property next to the church, and we are also sure that His timing is perfect. He will overrule even the cleverest schemes of men to interfere with His will.” We have clung to that truth as we prayed and waited for this day. Suddenly this week, with no previous notice, the property appeared on the government site to be auctioned on September 16.

The existing Tepic church campus is not only attractive, but also has been very practical and mostly adequate for our needs; however, the children’s classes are meeting in the Aldaco’s garage, and adult Bible studies meet in my living room (Thankfully, we both live next to the church.). That’s not bad, but we are land-locked, and as you can see in Kirt’s hand-drawn plan, this is a marvelous opportunity to make room for more! Please pray with me for our church leaders as they offer in the silent auction whatever God has provided. The property has been assessed with an exorbitant “suggested value” for bidding (about 5 times the suggested price 10 years ago) as property prices ironically have sky-rocketed in this plummeting economy. Nevertheless, we know by personal experience that God delights in using the ridiculous to confound the mighty. Pray that the auction will be carried out without fraud, but most of all, that the Church, which is not the building and property, will continue to serve God joyfully and in unity regardless of the outcome.

2010-07-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

Mellberg grandbaby #5, born July 12!

Ben and Karley’s Kaleb Benjamin

2010-07-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

May/June 2010

“...walk worthy of the Lord...being fruitful in every good work...increasing in the knowledge of God...[being] strengthened with all might...giving thanks unto the Father...” Colossians 1:10-12

For nearly a year, Huichol leaders have been planning and praying for God’s perfect timing in making a training, discipleship, evangelistic, edifying trip to the village of Codorniz, a village located at the core of the Sierra Madre Mountain range at the most distant boundary of the state of Nayarit and what seems like the edge of the end of the world. May 13, twelve select Huichol “missionaries” from 3 different villages, some experienced and some missionary apprentices, joined efforts and traveled to the remote mountain village of Codorniz with the “Good News.” Four of the missionaries, including José López* who is now unable to hike long distances through the mountains, were airlifted by a UIM plane to the nearest airstrip. Thank you, UIM! The other 8 took buses and rode in the back of a local’s pick-up truck as far as they could go then hiked to Codorniz. In addition to many hours of Bible teaching, 22 Huichols asked for forgiveness of their sin and were baptized. See pictures taken by José here.

*José López, who is on the team for Huichol Old Testament translation and is the lead pastor among the Huichols, has a severe knee problem. We have tried every possible option we can find to avoid surgery, but the orthopedic surgeon says it is inevitable. He is scheduled for a pre-op appointment with the surgeon on July 10, then he will be assigned a “probable” day for this very difficult surgery. In the meantime it is our responsibility to locate and “rent” the stainless steel surgical equipment (frame, rings, rods and pins) that he will need. Please pray with us for wisdom, a skillful surgeon, patience, provision, and complete healing for José.

The Tepic OANSA (AWANA) Club celebrated the end of the 2009-2010 term with the annual visit from Sparky on Awards Day. The kids were excited to receive the medals they have been working hard to earn all year; and we leaders are elated to know that each award represents the hiding of God’s Word in the tender hearts of the children with whom we have been working. Then we exerted one last effort for the year to prepare the OANSA Fair the following Saturday afternoon when each clubber got to spend his or her hard-earned OANSA pesos on games, prizes, ice cream, cotton candy and other treats. See fair pictures here.

Four brand new exemplary leaders-in-training have fulfilled all the requirements for becoming full-fledged leaders. All 4 started out as Cubbies, completed all the OANSA manuals, completed a 16-week discipleship class, completed a year of internship and now, at last, they have been awarded the privilege of serving in the OANSA club as official group leaders!

“...walk worthy of the Lord...being fruitful in every good work...increasing in the knowledge of God...[being] strengthened with all might...giving thanks unto the Father...” Colossians 1:10-12

The 12th Huichol Old Testament translation workshop is officially over. This session was a whirlwind of activity and productivity, as usual, with plenty of obstacles to overcome. Generous donors through The Seed Company made brand new laptops available for 3 of the mother-tongue-translators as well as 3 mobile satellite internet terminals, an amazing technical innovation that I’m still finding hard to believe. Basically, in the most remote villages, the project translators are able to access a satellite beam; and to make a long story short, though they have no electricity in their huts, they can have internet connectivity and get instant consultant help on puzzling passages! Picture that! So, John Wimbish and Joe Grimes worked together to get each consultant his/her own email address and instruct them in sending simple emails via satellite. See a slideshow of workshop activities here.

The latest email correspondence from Román in the village of La Quemada was directed to Joe Grimes. Román is working on the books of Isaiah and the Psalms. One of his questions was: “How do I translate ‘Ah,’ like in Isaiah 1:4?” (“Ah sinful nation...”) Imagine you are a Huichol living in the middle of the Sierra Madre Mountains; where would you go to find that answer? As insignificant as it may seem, it’s important; it’s part of God’s Word. In minutes he had his answer, no hikes from the village to the bus, no 13-hour bus ride to Tepic, no taxi to Debbie’s house, no minimum of 3 wasted days...

“...walk worthy of the Lord...being fruitful in every good work...increasing in the knowledge of God...[being] strengthened with all might...giving thanks unto the Father...” Colossians 1:10-12

2010-05-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

March/April 2010

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

March 25 marked the 5th year anniversary of the first Internet interchange between Dr. Jeff Adams (KCBT-translation project sponsor) and Dr. Joe Grimes (translation consultant) and me about the possibility of a Huichol Old Testament translation project…and exactly 5 years since Kirt “celebrated the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” He’s “been held by His nail-scarred hands, he’s seen the Father and His glorious throne, and he’s calling heaven home.” But I miss him.

The 12th 2-week Huichol Old Testament translation workshop will begin May 22. Please help me pray for transportation safety, clarity of thought, good health and hardware/software cooperation for the team that is making great strides as the enemy is presenting constant obstacles.

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

José Lopez, the main Huichol Christian pastor/leader/evangelist and an important member of the Old Testament translation team has had 3 visits to an orthopedic surgeon for severe pain in his left knee. The hospital offers free health care to indigenous people, but there is little on hand for treatment other than generic pain killers and antibiotics. José may be facing knee surgery. He is facing surgery for cataracts. He turned 66 last month; time for an overhaul, I guess. We are amazed at God’s perfectly timed intervention in providing UIM air transportation for José and other key Huichol leaders to remote mountain airstrips and villages begging for Bible training.

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

UIM Pilot David Wolf invited me to fly along to the Tierra Blanca landing strip then hike to the village of Los Aires where 5 years ago, Pastor Martín from the Tepic church lead a group of men to finish the roof that Kirt started on the church building in the village. I never expected it, but I loved having the opportunity to visit with Pastor Hiliario (also a translator for the Huichol Old Testament project) and the brothers and sisters from his village, flying 25 minutes from Tepic over the rough mountain terrain instead of having to 4-wheel it for 13 hours then hike another 6 or 7 hours to the isolated mountain village. The village school teacher gave the kids time off from classes to come hear Bible stories from the Wordless Book presentation and make matching bracelets. Enjoy videos and pictures here.

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

José Lopez baptized 20 Huichol believers from the village of Guásima del Caimán on Good Friday. They were among those who 4 years ago mercilessly persecuted fellow villagers who were the first from the village to choose to follow Christ. The persecution was so intense that the little band of new believers fled from their natal village and relocated in the village they named La Bendición (the Blessing). Their testimony, growth and example of forgiveness convinced their estranged relatives that Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life.” The day spent in La Bendición sharing in the welcoming of 20 brand new babies into the “family” was a pretty graphic portrayal of the heart of the Resurrection. See these new believers here.

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

There never seems to be enough time during our regular Saturday afternoon OANSA (AWANA) club hours to really get into the most important reason for OANSA. So, I invited my little group of 4th graders (the Flames) to spend a whole day with me. We visited all of the kids’ parents in their homes, went on a 3-kilometer nature hike, did some required knot-tying (really!?!), and cooked hot dogs over an open fire. Then, we got down to the business of preparing our group’s skit for “Drama Day.” We called our skit Deep Cleaning. Of course we talked about what God considers deep cleaning and our desperate need for it. Before our big day was over, Litzy, Fredy and Carlos had given their hearts to Jesus for the ultimate deep cleaning, asking Him to forgive them for their sin and accepting His undeserved, but free gift of life everlasting. See some of our fun here.

Ah Lord God! behold, ...there is nothing too hard for thee. Jeremiah 32:17

2010-04-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Easter Cookies to be made the evening before Easter

You will need to preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important - don't wait until you're half done with the recipe)!

1 cup whole pecans

1 tsp. vinegar

3 egg whites

Pinch salt

1 cup sugar

Zipper baggie

Wooden spoon

Tape

Bible

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing.

Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Read Palms 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents -- in God's eyes -- the purity of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said!"

Read Matt. 28:1-9

*Recipe sent to me by my friend, Holly.

2010-03-01T05:42:00.000-08:00

In one of His classic “Be Mine” declarations, our Father speaks, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. (Isaiah 43:1b) The word “Valentine” is hardly ever used in Mexico during the month of February, but the theme of “Love and Friendship” is big; and in the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Misericordia (Tepic church), it lasts all year.

January started off with a big answer to prayer. UIM missionary pilots have been praying with us about the possibility of setting up a base of operations in Tepic. They shuttled Huichol pastors Manuel and José to the very remote mountain villages of Zoquipan (La Quemada) and Tierra Blanca (Los Aires), landing, as pilot, David Wolf says, on “rocky, sloped dirt airstrips” 25 air-minutes from Tepic (19 bus and foot-hours!). Manuel and José spent the week teaching much needed Bible classes in the strategic villages, then the pilots transported the teachers back to Tepic. José Lopez, the chief Huichol leader among the Christians, is 65 years old, and he is suffering from severe knee problems. The 25-minute flight made it possible for him to share God’s Word in a village he presented with the Gospel years ago and that has been begging him to come. These are pictures José and Manuel took of their ventures. David Wolf will be returning next week to give a “lift” for the second segment of their Bible teaching. Please join with us in thanking our Father for once again showing His “Be mine” answer to prayer for our Huichol brothers and sisters.

The 10th Huichol OT translation workshop is officially over, but the work continues, and not without multiple obstacles to overcome. Two of the solar-powered laptops earmarked for the work have been returned to Tepic for repairs. While six of the mother-tongue-translators are working diligently in their remote villages, José López comes to town every Wednesday for a special review of his chapters. We went over Leviticus 5 this week...lots of details about sacrifices and offerings that are pretty complicated concepts for translation into Huichol. Please continue to pray for wisdom, understanding, discipline and functional hardware. Our Father has promised our Huichol brothers and sisters, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” How wonderful it will be when they can read this promise out of Isaiah in their heart language!

The semi-truck full of “Operation Christmas Child” shoeboxes earmarked for Tepic made it through the border and to Tepic in time for “Love and Friendship” parties in the Tepic church and in three Huichol village churches. God was faithful in giving the strength, dedication, and vision for working out the details of the enormous effort to share the Samaritan’s Purse gifts, and especially the Good News, with 700 children and many of their parents. We had our final Festiniños celebration last weekend when we passed out the last 176 boxes of 700 we were allotted. Imagine! 176 kids and a LOT of accompanying parents captive for nearly 2 hours. It went great with terrific organization and a wonderful dramatic evangelistic presentation put on by the OANSA leaders. Please pray with us that those who heard the Gospel for the first time will accept God’s invitation to “Be His.”

The week before, we prepared a “Love and Friendship” banquet for the Tepic church young people. It's invigorating to see lots of new kids seeking and lots of old faithfuls serving. Please pray with me that they will choose to resist the enemy’s pointed daggers aimed at their hearts. Then, THEY (the Tepic church young people) got the bright idea to throw a big, fancy banquet for the adults of the church so we could invite our friends, too. The kids prepared the food, rearranged the auditorium chairs, bought candles and flowers for the tables, prepared fun games, acted out 1 Corinthians 13, performed some hilarious parodies of a few of the church couples, Jonatán and Mishna sang a duet to accompany a PowerPoint presentation several of the kids prepared of the adult "friends and couples" in the church, and Pastor Martín gave a great message on relationships. The party started at 8 after the last OANSA kids had been delivered to their homes, and lasted until 11:30 Saturday night. The closing comment from the young Master of Ceremonies was that we just wanted to show you (adult leaders) that we care and that we appreciate all you do and have done for us. You deserve this and more. WOW! They are learning well what it means to “Be His”!

Click here to see slideshows of Jan/Feb pix.

2010-01-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

November/December 2009

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

December 12, the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron virgin of Mexico who is the object of unbelievable efforts and sacrifice on the part of those who are steeped in her traditional religion, marked thirty-two years since the day Kirt and I drove into Tepic as missionaries. We had no idea what all of God’s plans and thoughts for us were, but we did know that He had foreordained an expected end. In eager expectation of His plans for this New Year we reflect back on just a few of the highlights of the past two months.

November started off with the 8th official Huichol Old Testament translation workshop with Mother-Tongue-Translators (MTTs) Emilia, Manuel, Hilario, José, Joaquín and Román, a new MTT candidate, Venancio, all from remote mountain villages; linguists, Joe and Barbara Grimes, and The Seed Company Our Word software programmer, John Wimbish, all in attendance. They are working selflessly and in unity making remarkable progress on a priceless project. The next 2-week workshop will be held January 24 through February 6.

Benita, José López’ beloved wife, was promoted to Heaven the week after the OT workshop. We are grateful for the assurance we have that Benita has arrived at the feet of the Savior she loved and served. She was the instrument God used to inspire her lost husband, José, to seek the Truth of the Gospel. Román, the very first Huichol believer, led José to Christ more than 30 years ago. Benita encouraged José to learn to read and to study with Román and Kirt in order to see firsthand what God’s Word teaches. She played a very significant role in motivating him to accept and use his divine gift and to become the key evangelist and leader among the Huichol churches scattered throughout the Sierra Madre Mountains of our state. José misses Benita deeply; we all will miss Benita.

December has been a month of celebrations. Over 100 OANSA/AWANA kids celebrated Jesus’ birthday at our annual “posada.” Mellberg grandkids, Anders, Mara and Brianna got to join in the fun this year and loved listening to the Christmas drama, hitting piñatas, participating in the games, and getting to know lots of friends in the Tepic church.

For over 25 years the villagers of José López’ natal village, Guásima del Caimán, had rejected the Gospel that José had traveled to share with them soon after he became a believer. At long last, in October of 2005, Refugio, along with some 40 villagers, repented of his sin and accepted God’s forgiveness. Immediately they were subjected to inconceivable persecution from the remaining unbelieving villagers who continued to adhere to their traditional belief in nearly 150 false gods. So fleeing that and desiring to be closer to teaching about their new-found faith in Cacaüyari, the one true God, they established and moved to the village of La Bendición (meaning The Blessing), about a 30-minute drive from Tepic. Two weeks ago, Refugio and a half-dozen men from his village church at La Bendición came to town to share with the members of the Tepic church some very good news. On their own, now that they have learned more of God’s Word, a group of them chose to make the long and strenuous trip (many hours by launch and on foot) “back home” to share the Gospel again with those who had initially rejected the truth and persecuted them so much. The “good news” that Refugio came to share with us in Tepic is that “many more now have believed!” Refugio, Antonio and Emilio sang us a few songs they have composed about their new life in Christ. What cause for celebration...32 years to the day that Kirt and I arrived in Tepic! “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

Luis Armando and Hugo collaborated in the writing of the script for this year’s Christmas celebration play, entitled, “Ven a Jesús” (Come to Jesus). The story was told from the viewpoint of Baltazar, one of the old wisemen, as he flashed back on his first sighting of the “Star in the East” and the decision of the three to leave behind their life and comforts to journey to find the Christ child. It was pretty imaginative, and they did a great job of incorporating music including our 4 budding violinists and Caleb with his sax debut of, “I Wonder as I Wander.” The final scene was of the old wiseman giving account of his life-changing encounter with Jesus and inviting the congregation to do the same. My friend, Dawn, and the girls in her junior high and high school sewing class made the beautiful costumes that our actors wore for the first time at the Christmas celebration. Their labor of love made a very important statement to all of us of the importance of every single player doing his or her very best to fulfill his or her role in God’s gigantic scenario. Their example of putting hands, feet and love into action speaks way louder than words could ever preach.

We received word that the semi-truck full of “Operation Christmas Child” Christmas boxes earmarked for Tepic is now at the US/Mexico border. All they need is clearance from customs and a very long ride to Tepic before we can begin the task of helping unload and hosting “Christmas” parties to share the Good News and the 700 shoeboxes we have been allotted this year for distribution among the invited children of the Mexican Tepic church and Huichol village churches.

Our Father’s plans for us have included days full of unpredicted joy, hearts full of unforeseen peace, and lives full of unanticipated love.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

2009-12-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

2009-11-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

“...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…

2009-09-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

...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

2009-08-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-03T00:21:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

December 2008
Christmas

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:11-14

This has been a year of babies.

In the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic and among the Huichol churches many like Mili, Nena, José, Raquel, Rosina, Samantha, Fernanda, Gloria, and Macario, have asked for forgiveness of their sin and been born anew into God’s family. “Glory to God in the highest!”

Not only have babies been born into our Father’s family in the churches in Mexico, but also the Mellberg family has welcomed a few new ones. “Glory to God in the highest!”

Ben and Karley announced that they are expecting their first on Valentine’s Day this coming year. We haven’t met her yet, but we already know that we love her and that her auspicious probable birth date will always serve to remind us of God’s infinite, unconditional LOVE for His family.

Jeremy and Jessica and Anders Kirt, who is now 3 years old, added baby Mara Kate to our grateful family on September 12. She is a precious little MIRACLE from our Father, and Anders can hardly wait until she’s old enough to participate actively in his hundreds of very creatively planned activities.

Jacob and Kiki welcomed Elianna Joel with open arms on May 17. Her name that means “My God Answers,” is the condensation of His overwhelming PROVISION for them and for our family.

And speaking of babies, Tim, the “baby” of the Mellberg siblings, CELEBRATED his 25th birthday this year. How can that possibly be? “Glory to God in the highest!”

In spite of the immeasurable joy that the birth of all of these spiritual and physical babies has brought this year, not one dares to compare with the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, the greatest manifestation of God’s LOVE, MIRACULOUS PURPOSE, PROVISION, and MOTIVE FOR CELEBRATION in the birth of His own precious Son, the excellent, perfect Baby Who was born sinless for the purpose of offering us the gift of eternal life. Emmanuel, God with us -- Jesus, the Savior; what an unfathomable mystery born in a lowly stable, destined to be King. The heavenly host could not hold back their good tidings of great joy, resounding, “Glory to God in the highest!” ... and neither can we.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

2008-12-02T18:11:00.001-08:00

Thank you for continuing to pray for my most recent requests.

Little Grandma is being inundated in attention and loving care, especially from Kirt’s older brother, Carl, and his wife, Carol. They have returned to their home in Colorado and took Little Grandma back with them. Before they left, they had a big Thanksgiving get-together with almost all of her grandkids and great-grandkids in her home in Tucson. Though the prognosis had been for a matter of days, the fact that she is eating and talking and in a really good mood, is proof that the length of our days on earth is totally in God’s hands.

Vicente had his surgery to implant the metal plate and pins at the site of the fracture on November 20, and he has been recuperating in the hospital ever since. The brothers from Zapote have taken turns sitting with him around-the-clock since he was admitted. Today, at last, he was discharged. He still has a LONG road to recovery, and the therapy will not be easy. He is very weak. I took him a pair of crutches that he will begin to use a little each day. He will be staying in the village closest to Tepic, Puga, so that he will be more easily accessible to his follow-up visits with the doctor. Most of the men from the villages of Zapote and La Bendición are out of their villages working in harvests to earn enough to care for their families and to help pay back the loan they received from their fishing co-op. Thank you for praying for Vicente and his Huichol brothers during this very difficult faith-testing time.

2008-11-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for caring. I love having you for friends.

Thank you for praying for Kirt's mother, Helen/Little Grandma. When she was admitted, she was not expected to live more than a couple of days. She has wanted for a long time to move to her heavenly home, it's just that the transition is very hard both for those who are in the process of moving and those left behind. I have called her several times, she has told me that she's not in pain, and she's been perfectly coherent. We've enjoyed sharing loving and upbeat conversations in which she shares that she's been praying for the Mexican and Huichol churches here. She is going home from the Casa de la Luz Hospice facility today. It is going to be a difficult move because she has developed a blood clot in her right leg that could easily become dislodged. Assuming everything goes well with her transfer home, her prognosis is still less than 4 weeks.

As for an update on Victor; it turns out that Victor's legal name is Vicente. It's amazing what you learn when you start asking for documents! The results of the MRI indicate that he needs surgery to implant a metal plate at the site of the fracture. Many of you have asked about getting involved tangibly with the expenses, and some already have. Before I say more, I want to make it very clear that these prayer requests and updates are not for the purpose of requesting financial support for Vicente, but they are intended to give specific answers to questions I have received and also to give pertinent information so that you may pray for those specific needs.
Also, before I say more, it is important that you know that a while back Vicente was involved in some activities that were harmful to both his testimony and that of both churches, at La Bendición and at Zapote de Picachos. He has been forgiven for that sin, and the first time he has been back in fellowship with the congregation was at the anniversary celebration at Picachos where the "accident" happened.

The brothers from the 2 churches I already mentioned are following our Savior's example and reaching out to show mercy at its finest, rallying as if they were the human authors of 2 Corinthians 8 to show their abundance in their extreme poverty, overflowing in a wealth of generosity to him, both in love and money. Gumersindo continues to head up the job of jumping through bureaucratic hoops to get the materials necessary for the surgery. The hospital and surgeon's fees have been completely underwritten; at this point, we are in the process of getting the metal plate, pins, and screws that will be implanted in Vicente's back. The cost of these surgical materials is the responsibility of the patient. Gumersindo has been to every government office requesting assistance, and $11,400 of the total $26,000 has been covered.

It has been important that we stand back and observe the local body respond to the need as they are able. The Tepic church is having a part, as we should, the *Kirt Mellberg Memorial Fund has had a part (through the Tepic church channel), and the Huichol brothers themselves have taken out a no-interest loan for the balance from the fishing co-op of which are members. That will have to be paid back during the next 6 months.

This is one of the most difficult challenges for me of working alongside people in extreme poverty (in physical, NOT spiritual terms); helping them learn to rely on the same Heavenly Father Who so abundantly meets our needs, and not replacing that personal relationship between them and Him with the supply of the "Great White Mother," but being available to come alongside and share the burden. Thank you for praying for the characters in this difficult chapter (including the "Great White Mother" who would love nothing more than to wipe away all the pain in her own power).

*The Kirt Mellberg Memorial Fund was set up at Pastor McKeown's (NVBC) request. After Kirt's memorial service we had in Scottsdale, he requested that 10 interested individuals or churches represented at the service volunteer to commit to contributing $50 per month for 1 year to a special fund for unexpected needs or needs that would be a heavy burden for the Tepic church in the Huichol ministry (like finishing the buildings in Los Aires and in Zapote, for example) as they were taking the baton and running with the weight of the newly acquired job of church leadership and while I waited for God's direction. At that time, I didn't even realize I would be returning to continue serving in Tepic; actually, I didn't realize it would be an option! So that's how the fund got started. At the end of the year, after I had returned to Tepic continue working here, I wrote thank you's to the 10 contributors and included an unbelievably long list of all the things that, by God's grace alone, the fund was used to accomplish. I made it clear that God had supplied more than I ever expected, and the 1-year commitment was up. Two of those who were involved in establishing the fund have continued to periodically send offerings to the fund, so that's why it still exists. From the very outset, I didn't expect it; I didn't ask for it; and I didn't think there was a need for it, but apparently our Father did. So as needs arise, He supplies. It's pretty simple; and quite frankly, I'm still the most amazed of all!

2008-11-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

The brothers from the village of La Bendición were helping the brothers from Zapote de Picachos in their community corn harvest so they will have enough to share for their next big church anniversary celebration, and one of the men up the hill felled a tree which tumbled down on top of another brother, Victor. Long story short, Victor is in the General Hospital with a fractured L2 in his back. Gumersindo, from La Bendición, is taking charge of getting everything (including documents, and that's NO small feat!) he needs for surgery; they've already done 5 pre-op tests, but they have to have an MRI before they can do anything else. The catch is that it costs 3,700 pesos, not covered by state medical for Huichols, so we're working on getting those "ducks in a row" so they can go ahead with the test.

I can just imagine how they hauled Victor down the mountain from the corn field to the lake then boated him to shore, then taxied him 45 minutes from the dock to the hospital after the accident. A "simple" hike up the mountain is enough to put most of us in traction. Please pray for Victor; he's obviously in LOTS of pain, he can't move, and he's a 44-year-old father, husband and our brother; and please pray for Gumersindo, too. It is very important that they learn the steps of getting medical care on their own, and Gumer is working very hard at it.

2008-11-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

September/October 2008

“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” Psalm 126:3

“There is so little of happiness abroad that if we possess a full share of it we ought not to hide our light under a bushel, but let it shine on all that are in the house... the Lord himself has blessed us, blessed us greatly, blessed us individually, blessed assuredly; and because of this we sing unto his name.” C.H. Spurgeon

OANSA started up again the first Saturday in September. In the Tepic club, each leader is randomly assigned to a specific group for the year, and, I’m glad that again I was assigned to adolescent boys! I think they’re my favorites. As the past 30 years has proven, they certainly have enormous potential if at this age they hide the truth in their hearts. Please pray with me that God will continue to do great things with Fredy, Alexis, Luis, Cesar, Eduardo, and Waldo.

Anders Kirt got a new little sister; Elianna, a new little cousin; and Debbie and Kirt, a new grandbaby. Mara Kate arrived on September 12 at 5:15 AM. She’s a healthy blessing from heaven, a great thing the Lord has done for us, and we are glad and thank God for her safe arrival. May all three of them follow Jesus’ example and “grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”

Caleb could hardly contain his excitement as he opened the case that contained his new saxophone. He gently lifted it from the velvet liner as if it were still a dream. He snapped the strap in place, wrapped it around his neck and began reciting by memory the “do, re, mi’s” that correspond to each of the keys. It was pretty obvious he gone over their position hundreds of times in his dreams. He could hardly wait for class time at the school of music.

Thank you all who had a part in praying, networking, donating, transporting, servicing and even covering the expense of his classes at the school of music. Once again, the Divine Director has “done great things for us, whereof we are glad,” and we are anxious for the day Caleb is able to join the praise orchestra in the Tepic church.

See the whole Caleb/Sax story here and here.

The Huichol believers from La Bendición who relocated from the village of Guásima del Caimán celebrated their 3rd anniversary on October 5 as part of God’s family. They gave thanks for the great things they are glad God has done for them as they continue to grow and reach out to their unbelieving Huichol brothers in other mountain villages.

The 17th anniversary celebration of the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic is yet another great thing for which we are glad. The theme of this year’s activities is: A Church Conformed to the Heart of God. Pastor Phil McKeown from North Village Baptist Church spoke on Saturday night from Ecc. 9:4, “A living dog is better than a dead lion,” encouraging the body that it is better to be the least in the kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. Steve Evers, director of In Touch Mission International, reminded us in his message on Sunday morning that though we are immeasurably glad for the great things God has done during these past 17 years, our prayer for the next 17 years must be that we see this life from God’s perspective and plead expectantly; “God Make Me Bigger.”

2008-11-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

2008-10-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

October 15, 2008

Caleb could hardly contain his excitement as he opened the case that contained his new saxophone. He gently lifted it from the velvet liner as if it were still a dream. He snapped the strap in place, wrapped it around his neck and began reciting by memory the “do, re, mi’s” that correspond to each of the keys. It was pretty obvious he gone over their position hundreds of times in his dreams. He could hardly wait for class time at the school of music.

Thank you all who had a part from the praying, networking, donating, transporting, servicing and even covering the expense of his classes at the school of music. Once again the Divine Director had the score orchestrated and the members of the
ensemble selected even before we asked.

The following is a note that Pastor Nacho, Caleb’s dad, asked me to translate and send on to the great band of players that made this dream a reality for Caleb:

I greet everyone who collaborated to make it possible for my son, Caleb, to receive his beautiful saxophone, and I send you my sincere thanks for all of your help. I thank God, our Father, that He placed within you this heart of service, and that you chose to help even though many of us have never had the privilege of meeting each other.

I want to let you know that Caleb just returned from his first instrumental music class, and he is very happy.

All of our family sends you our greetings and our unanimous gratitude. May God bless you always (Philippians 4:18).

Your brother,

Nacho Gonzalez

Thanks again for caring!

2008-09-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

July/August 2008

This summer has been filled to capacity with LOTS of exciting activities:

It started with the help of some college-aged friends from the Eastridge Baptist Church in Washington, and Timmy, my only remaining single son, who LOVES ministry, LOVES Mexico, and LOVES people, and who served as the US-MX liaison for a multi-faceted outreach packed with building relationships and showing service by example to many people who never expected to be the recipients of so much love.

While the guys worked side-by-side with their Huichol brothers in the village of La Bendición picking, digging, loading and leveling the property that has been earmarked for their church, the rest of us held a VBS for the children. Since we’re in the tropics, and we’re in the middle of our rainy season, it rained every day; but that didn’t stop us from having a wonderful time sharing the truth of God’s Word using the colors of the Wordless Book, singing, making simple crafts, and playing games together. For me, four of the biggest answers to our prayers were: first, at least 11 Huichol children asked Jesus to save them from their sins; second, several young leaders from the Mexican Tepic city church joined forces in helping teach and lead in the VBS; third, Máxima and Gumercindo, a young Huichol couple from the village, followed their example and accepted the weekly responsibility of continuing the teaching of the children’s class in La Bendición; and fourth, the villagers were so motivated by the manual labor that their brothers shared, they have continued working on their own to completely terrace and level the property. Please pray with us for wisdom in determining if this might be the next Huichol church building project. Pray also for continued spiritual maturity in this extraordinary body of believers. You can see lots of digital pictures of the Bendición VBS and earthmover activities here.

Not satisfied with only working from early morning to afternoon in the village, our friends determined to utilize this trip to the max, and in the evenings we organized an evangelistic outreach, “Give me the ‘Rock’” tournament, at the big basketball courts in La Loma Park. The final awards/pizza bash night was held at the Tepic church with a clear Gospel message given by Daniel and translated by Tim. LOTS of new friends came as a result; please pray with us for follow-up and lasting changed lives.
“Give me the ‘Rock’” Tournament pictures can be seen here.

Yvonne and Elizabeth from Phoenix arrived the following week to help out in the Tepic church OANSA club camp. We enjoyed lots of close fellowship, exciting Bible classes, dramatic presentations following the daily theme, handcrafts, lots of singing, crazy games, and best of all, the opportunity to offer our lives to the One who loves us most. At least 7 kids put their trust in Jesus to save them. Several committed to follow Him in baptism. See their pictures here.

I was especially encouraged as I realized that of the 27 leaders and workers from the Tepic church who sacrificed their week of work and other important activities to go along and serve, many were once children who gave their hearts to Jesus in the kids’ classes of the Tepic church. And for me, the icing on the cake was that Ben (and his wife, Karley) and Tim, my oldest and youngest sons, came alongside and helped out. Not only that, Ben fixed absolutely everything that needed fixing in my house while he was here! AND Ben and Karley are expecting my FOURTH grandbaby in February! I am of all people, most blessed! Lots of pictures of the camp activities are displayed here.

Still another privilege this month was the presentation of the 3rd annual Kirt Mellberg Memorial Scholarship to Marisol Rojo. 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…and thankfully, Marisol is OVERQUALIFIED!

The Tepic OANSA/AWANA club that meets every Saturday at 4 p.m. will be starting up again this coming Saturday. We are expecting more kids than ever this year, and we pray that we will be faithful in directing them in His paths. Many of the children in this ministry have very little in terms of this world’s goods, but the vital part you play helps make it possible to continue to share His truth and love with them.

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust…” Psalm 18:2

Quick Reference -- September-October Prayer Requests:

• Huichol OT translation project
• Huichol NT - MegaVoice Mp3 player distribution to Huichol villages
• Tepic OANSA/AWANA club - begins September 6
• Huichol church – La Bendición
• Pastor Martin - mission trip to El Salvador – September 29
• Tepic (IBBT) 17th anniversary celebration – October 19

2008-09-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Look who I sat with in church yesterday. (Ariana, Carlita, Yohali, Marisol) I bet you wish you went to MY church! :)

Family Prayer Time

2008-09-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Jonatán, and Mishna on the keyboards, and Shadai, Erika, David and Marisol on the violins played Ante el Trono Celestial for the offertory yesterday. Maybe by this time next year, we’ll be able to add Caleb on his sax, and his brother, Josué on his violin… We might have to expand the platform to accommodate the orchestra! :)

2008-08-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

Pastor Refugio (from La Bendición) and his wife Nicolasa came to town to have their baby in the General Hospital. Now Hilda and Fabiola have a new little BROTHER! Refugio says they can’t tell yet what they should name him, but it will probably be a name that means “asked of God.” Would that happen to be “Samuel,” I wonder? We’ll see. Little “no name yet” weighed 3.325 kg, and was 53 cm long. Refugio said he was born pretty white, but as soon as Nicolasa starts eating meat and tortillas, he’ll turn brown like them. I told him that my mom must not have eaten enough meat and tortillas, then?!?

Nicolasa asked me to carry “little no name” out to the truck, and as we were leaving the hospital, the security guard, one I’ve never seen before, stopped us and called for his supervisor. The supervisor, who is also new, told me to give the baby to the mother to carry out. Refugio, without missing a beat, interjected, “His grandmother will carry him!” Oops!

2008-08-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hilario "slipped into town" to work on data entry of some OT translation text. He brought Juan along for the "ride."

While I was out running errands, he got the bright idea to give Juan a cyber seminar, and before you know it, the guy had a personal secretary!

Emilia also showed up for a couple of days along with Micaela, her sister, for some teaching materials and tips on teaching kids and ladies, a responsibility she has taken upon herself as a calling from God. She teaches a discipleship class of 3 ladies (translating the Spanish version into Huichol as she goes) once a week, a class of all 30 (+/-) ladies from the village of Zapote twice a week on Tuesday and Friday mornings, the "ositos" (3-5 year-olds) in their OANSA club on Saturdays, and 2 kids' classes (all ages) on Sunday morning and evening.

She and I got our own bright idea to make "real" tortillas, "real" frijoles de la olla, eggs, and "real" salsa in a molcajete for breakfast. Jealous? :) Even Hilario and Juan were impressed!

While they were on this slope of the Sierra Madre, Hilario and Juan made two side trips to La Bendición and to Zapote just to "encourage the brothers."

2008-08-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

As I already mentioned, saxophones are out of my league. I know nothing about them except that I like the sound that they make; but I had no doubt that God had the solution for Caleb, knowing how much he wants to learn to play a sax so he can participate in the church music program. I've never met Ron, or Don, or Rick, or Carol, or Bob, but God knows them and within 4 short days of the original appeal I sent out, He arranged the connections with each, and willing couriers so that Caleb's sax could be placed in Rick's hands (a very qualified service technician who gladly offered to do the servicing necessary to get it ready for Caleb for just the cost of parts). Rick had already offered some very useful advice in what to look for, but before I could get started looking, Pastor Ron, contacted us offering an instrument Carol and Bob had left with him when they moved out of state; and then, I received an email from friends in Casa Grande, AZ, Jeff and Sherry, offering their daughter's sax. I forwarded it to Rick, and he replied, "Please tell Jeff & Sherry I would be happy to look at their saxophone, as well.” He, looked them both over, consulted with some tech friends around the country, and they all agreed that the Antiqua Winds will be just what Caleb needs to get started in his music marathon, and a generous, unexpected gift will cover the cost of parts with money left over to apply toward Caleb’s music lessons.

Isn't it amazing to watch how God uses the "family" to get His plan accomplished ...and to be a part of it all?!

Caleb was here yesterday. We've been praying together that God will work out all the details, and this has been no exception in God's big overall plan for building a little boy's (and his teacher's!) faith in His provision. I can hardly wait to hear his first musical offering to our Father in the Tepic church!

I'm convinced that it would have been humanly impossible for us to have orchestrated this ensemble for the task, but the Divine Director already had the score in His hand. Why are we surprised?...and I’m 1000 miles south of the border and still have not met most of the rest of the players in the band! Thanks again to all who offered to join the ranks of the "fine instruments" in the hands of the Maestro!

2008-07-27T23:36:00.000-07:00

“And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.” ~~~~ 2 Samuel 6:5

…and Caleb (Pastor Nacho and Lorena’s 10-year-old son) wants to enlist himself among the ranks of the budding young instrumentalists in the Tepic church. So far we have Carlita, Mishna, and Jonathan who are taking piano, and Marisol, Erika, Shadai, and David who are working to master violin. All of them, except Marisol who is now in Bible college, are enrolled in the local music school, and they are making great progress. They have played for 2 weddings in the church, several offertory specials, and at the annual Christmas celebration. Carlita plays along with me for the congregational singing every week; and Erika, David, Carlita and I played a special in church this morning.

Caleb wants out of the piano/violin box, and his dream instrument is the saxophone. He has passed the entrance exam for the school, and he has convinced the school saxophone teacher that he is a good candidate for the instrument. The teacher has agreed to take him as a student EVERYday after school from 7-8 pm. There is only one problem; the teacher says Caleb needs a student’s alto saxophone. So far, one way or another, we’ve been able to get instruments for all of the kids who are taking lessons, but this is a lot more complicated. I’ve checked out eBay, but I’m stabbing in the dark; I have NO idea what to look for. I have a fund of $200 set aside for it (That’s not much for a fine instrument, but "little is much if God is in it."). I will be in the US the last week of September to speak at a ladies’ retreat and to welcome my third grandbaby into the family, and I will need to return to Mexico with Caleb’s dream instrument as a carry-on.

So, the question is: Is there anybody, between now and the end of September, who would like to participate in helping Caleb and me find his sax? Check out the follow-up letter.

2008-07-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Erika, David Carlita, and I played a special, Ve, Dilo en la Montaña, in church this morning.

2008-06-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

May – June 2008

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3

The 5th 2-week Huichol Old Testament translation workshop was another remarkable success. For this workshop, OurWord software programmer, John Wimbish, along with his “think-tank” colleagues, put together a very portable, workable, low-power Asus EeePC computer/solar system setup with the goal of providing the five mother-tongue translators in each of four remote villages without electricity, and located many hours away from each other and from Tepic, a system with which each can work independently on translation while they are in their villages. Then when they rendezvous for the next workshop, they can efficiently merge their work to begin the long and diligent process of reading, revising, and refining printed drafts for scrutinizing by the consultants and feedback from local villagers. At the end of the workshop Román left for home with “Nunusi” (little baby, in Huichol) and his sophisticated but simple, portable solar panel and battery pack. For the past month, he has charted his progress. After solar-charging the battery for a full sunny day, he is able to work approximately 2 hours and has completed the translation of the first draft of five chapters of Joshua. That’s the good news; but, of course the enemy is not easily deterred. The following is the list of a few complications about which to pray: The rainy season has begun, and there are very few completely sunny days for charging. The brothers from his church had told him that if he would work diligently on the translation project, they would work extra to help support him and his family. However, a “problem” has arisen in his village, 13 bus-hours plus 2 hike-hours from Tepic. He's really worried about this. He came to Tepic and also went to the village of Zapote to ask for prayer and guidance from the church leaders. He’s very wise. Those from his village who offered to help support him are discouraged because of the problem, and they have temporarily left the village without following up on the "support" plan. It’s possible that most of the believers from his village will be relocating. In addition, Román’s wife is expecting a baby in November. She always has to have a C-section. He's worried about this, too; it’s not like the hospital is just around the corner. He has returned to his village, but he plans to go out and look for work during the rainy season when solar-charging is much less efficient, anyway. Given the fact that the Old Testament is about 3 times the size of the New, even with getting working baby computers with solar panels to the translators in their villages, and especially with the unforeseen darts of the enemy, this will be a long and laborious project. Please pray that God’s great and mighty things in the Huichol OT translation project will not be hindered by obstacles.

Elianna means "My God Answers," and she is an unimaginable answer to our prayers of over 3 years. She arrived on May 17 at 7:17 AM, weighed 7 lbs. 3 ozs. and measured 20inches. She’s a healthy blessing from heaven and has already brought immeasurable joy to our family. Jacob and Kiki are excited about the opportunity that awaits them to set an example for and shepherd this gift to them from our Father, and we all ask for your prayers that Elianna Joel will grow to fulfill the great and mighty purpose for which she was fearfully and wonderfully made.

Pastor Manuel from Zapote de Picachos, one of the Huichol OT mother tongue translators (MTT), and his wife, Dolores, came to my house this past week. Dolores had severe pain in her right abdomen for 2-3 days. They were going to make an emergency trip to Tepic the night before with her, but the transportation service from the dam charges $500 pesos after dark, so they decided to wait it out until morning. Income from their fishing jobs for the guys from Zapote has been very limited; last week they only made $200 pesos ($20 US) each for the whole week of work…no fish. …more activity from that ridiculously well-armed enemy to attempt futilely, to thwart the accomplishment of great and mighty things. Manuel and a group of brothers, including José Lopez, made a missionary trip upriver the week before, to the village of Paso de Álica. He said that MANY Huichols from that region are interested and are listening to the "Good News," and several have repented and come to Christ. They have permission on their next trip, to use the big game court in the center of the village in order to accommodate the crowd. The downside is that it takes $900 pesos in gasoline alone, to make the trip by boat, and they haven't even made enough to support their families, much less pay for gasoline. That’s where your faithful generosity comes in; Manuel asked me be please be sure to communicate their gratitude for the generous special offerings of many brothers and sisters whom they have never even met, that have made these missionary ventures possible.

The enemy is working overtime in the Tepic church, as well, with so many great and mighty things happening these past two months since my last update, to name a few: the Mother’s Day celebration, the satellite mission in Tepic at Luis and Nancy’s house, the mission at Ruiz, Abril’s quinceañera, Hugo and Imelda’s marriage consecration service, the salvation of the Barajas family, the Father’s Day celebration, and OANSA/ AWANA awards day and the annual fair. Every one of these victories has been followed by enemy fire. For starters: Luis and Nancy were in a serious car accident, and though their lives were spared, their car was totaled. Insurance is refusing to pay, but worse yet, their unbelieving neighbors say that it’s God punishing them for being Christians and teaching non-traditional doctrine. The infant believers at Ruiz have been barraged by persecution of all descriptions by people and literally, by the powers of darkness. A couple of people who participated in Abril’s 15th birthday celebration got their feelings hurt. Samantha, the 10-year-old daughter of the Barajas family, was hit by a car; but miraculously, her life was spared. We are constantly reminded that Satan delights in destroying two of God’s most important institutions, the church and the family, and his tactics have always been to discourage members of the family of God so that their lives will be fruitless, and their testimonies will be unseen by their lost friends and family members. Click here to see pictures of these activities.

Many great and mighty things are just around the corner, and undoubtedly, many about which we don’t even “know” yet. First, I am grateful for the love and faithfulness of the vital team of faithful co-laborers “back home” who make my participation in these amazing life-changing events possible. Second, I ask you to continue to pray for those whose lives and eternity will be transformed as the result of the events of the next couple of months, listed below. We are all in enemy territory, and that clearly comes with constant wickedly well-aimed darts to dodge. Thank you for caring and for sharing in the sowing and in the reaping.

Quick Reference -- July-August Prayer Requests:

• Huichol OT translation project
• Huichol NT - MegaVoice Mp3 player distribution to Huichol villages
• Tepic youth outreach with visitors from USA – July 4-11
• Huichol – La Bendición VBS with visitors from USA – July 6-11
• Huichol – La Bendición work project – July 6-11
• Tepic OANSA/AWANA club - camp July 16
• Upcoming proposed auction of property adjacent to Tepic church

2008-05-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

She’s arrived!!!!

Elianna Joel = asked of God; Jehovah is God

5/17/08

7:17 AM

7 lbs. 3 ozs.
20 inches

Welcome to our family, little one! My prayer for you, Elianna Joel, is that you will give close attention to the instruction of your Mommy and Daddy so that you will soon grow to understand your need to accept the merciful gift of eternal life and that you will give yourself completely to the God who gave you life and for whom you were lovingly named. I LOVE YOU! ~Grandma Debbie

2008-05-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

March-April 2008

“And he brought him to Jesus.” John 1:42a -- Andrew invited Simon Peter; Philip invited Nathanael; Jesus invited Zacchaeus; the Samaritan woman invited her neighbors; Cornelius invited his family; Consuelo invited Hector; Fredy invited Lamberto, Xóchitl invited Vicenta; Diana invited Mili; Shadai invited Samantha and Fernanda; Samantha and Fernanda invited their parents, Rosina and José; Hugo and Imelda invited Sergio and Miriam; Sergio and Miriam invited their neighbors…and they brought them to Jesus.

More than five years ago, when Consuelo, a special education teacher, invited Hector, a classmate in the state university master’s degree program, to visit the Tepic church, only God knew that at Kirt’s invitation at the end of his message Hector would place his faith in Jesus’ provision for the payment of his sins. None of us imagined that Hector would consistently and faithfully agree to be discipled, and mature into an OANSA leader and Sunday school co-teacher for the junior high students. Consuelo never imagined that some five years after her invitation, she would be marrying her friend, Hector, in the Tepic church. They are an exemplary couple, excellent teachers, and they have taken advantage of every opportunity to serve in the church.

The believers in the newest Huichol village, La Bendición, also have invited their friends and family members to come to Christ. Pastor José López baptized four of them during the Easter week Huichol reunion in their village.

Fredy, is one of the junior high boys in my OANSA/AWANA group. I invited him and José Luis, my leadership helper, to Burger King to celebrate the completion of his memory work this year. Fredy has invited his 17-year-old brother, Lamberto, to church many times, but Lamberto has rejected the invitation every time. Last month, Lamberto was injured at his job in a cement block-making factory, and his left leg had to be amputated just below the knee. Several of us from the Tepic church visited
him during his long stay in the hospital, and Lamberto finally accepted Pastor Nacho’s invitation to come to Christ. Please pray for Lamberto as he continues to recuperate that he will accept God’s direction in his life.

Vicenta and Chuyita accepted the invitation to come to Christ at the Friday morning ladies’ Bible study at Xóchitl’s house. Mili, Diana’s friend, accepted the invitation at the Thursday evening ladies’ Bible study at María Ester’s house. Rosina accepted the invitation at the new bi-weekly Friday evening ladies’ Bible study at the church. Please pray for these baby sisters as all of them face great harassment from the enemy for having accepted the invitation.

Hugo and Imelda have been concerned for their relatives, Sergio and Miriam, professing believers who live in Ruiz, a town about 40 minutes from Tepic. Since there is no biblical church for them to attend in Ruiz, they have not matured in their faith. Several members of the Tepic church have formed evangelistic teams to go to their house bi-weekly on Friday evenings to hold Bible studies. Sergio and Miriam have invited their neighbors to “come and hear,” and last Friday, four accepted Christ. We are praying that this little mission will someday become the church at Ruiz.

Our OANSA club continues to be a stimulus for invitations to Jesus, too. Eighty-nine kids came to the “Kid’s Day” celebration last week. And speaking of invitations, the cubbies group invited little Anders Kirt who was visiting me with his dad and mom, Jeremy and Jessica, to have a chance at their piñata. Please pray with me that some day before long, he, too, will invite Jesus into his heart. See a digital slide show of the OANSA Kid’s Day here.

The past two months in Tepic have been filled with lots of accepted invitations. Like the invitations that transformed Simon Peter’s, and Nathanael’s, and Zacchaeus’ lives forever, please pray that coming to Jesus will produce a parallel effect in the lives of the new believers in Tepic, and pray that together, we will continue to bring more friends and family to Him.

Quick Reference Version of March-April Prayer Requests:
• Huichol NT - MegaVoice Mp3 players continuing distribution to Huichol villages
• Huichol Old Testament translation project – book of Exodus; next workshop May 12-23
• Lamberto, Mili, Vicenta, Chuyita, Rosina, José, Raquel – new believers in the Tepic church
• Sergio and Miriam, 4 new believers – mission at Ruiz
• OANSA/AWANA clubs - Tepic and Zapote de Picachos
• Upcoming auction of property adjacent to Tepic church – still no news

2008-03-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

January-February 2008

This year so far has been filled to the brim with answers to prayer. We have experienced two months of dividends from “worthwhile investments” of time, prayer, and resources.

Marisol returned to Bible college the first week of January after coming home for the holidays. She has been taking full advantage of everything she can in school. Her attitude is uplifting, and the knowledge and wisdom she has gained as a result of this opportunity that was made possible by the Kirt Mellberg Memorial Scholarship she received this year has been a very worthwhile investment. When she returned to classes, she sent me a letter with the following encouraging words, “…I am learning more every day. This semester, in addition to violin and orchestra, I’m taking hermeneutics, the Epistles, and a module on the philosophy of ministry in the church…I am so grateful to God for the opportunities He has given me because I know that He is preparing me to share and to serve.”

Jacob and Kiki arrived in Tepic January 17 to make the last lap around the track of giving the audio recording of the Huichol New Testament its final polish. The glitches were edited; then the files were sent to Israel for formatting and returned to Jacob for uploading to the MegaVoice Mp3 players, which by the end of this month will begin distribution in the mountain villages. That is all easily said, but up to now, the adversary has fought us "tooth and nail" on this extremely valuable project, and he's probably not finished yet! Please pray with me that the mission will be accomplished, and that God's Word will penetrate the hearts of those who have been blinded by the prince of darkness because they are unable to read and have never heard the Truth. Another worthwhile investment.

"Casa Mellberg" was bursting at the seams during our 4th 2-week Huichol Old Testament translation workshop from January 25 through February 10. Dr. and Mrs. Joe Grimes and Dr. Elizabeth Willet, the translation consultants, along with John Wimbish, the developer of the OurWord software being used for the Huichol Old Testament, and 5 mother-tongue Huichol translators (4 of them pastors from various mountain villages) were here for the purpose of continuing the enormous job that “officially” started exactly 1 year ago. God provided travel safety and health for all who were involved. On site testing of the improved version of OurWord was a success. We have scheduled our 5th workshop for May 12-23. If you are interested in reading more about this, another very worthwhile investment, check out The Seed Company's webpage.

Now that everyone has returned to their respective villages please pray for clarity of thought, efficiency and productivity for the 5 Huichol men who took the book of Exodus back “home” to continue the translation job. Pastor Manuel from Zapote de Picachos showed up at my house today. A special offering bought him a marine battery (another worthwhile investment) to hook up to a solar panel the government gave him. So now he has a light bulb in his little house, and he can still work on translation after dark! He has NO clue where this work ethic business is leading. I won’t tell, if you don’t.

We just finished a 4-day conference with Ramiro Martinez, who I met at the Summit conference in September at the Kansas City Baptist Temple. Ramiro, now a missionary to Mexico City, is originally from El Salvador from the church that Jeff Adams pastored. He did an excellent job encouraging the Tepic church to follow Daniel’s example of “knowing God well, being strong, and doing exploits” Daniel 11:32. Not only is Ramiro an excellent speaker, but also he communicates with his example that mediocrity is never acceptable in the service of the King. One more bonus of many worthwhile investments.

Last weekend we celebrated Praise Day in our AWANA/OANSA club. Each age level, Cubbies, Sparks, Flames and Torches did an outstanding job of taking the responsibility for leading the entire club in praising God. My special group, the Torches (junior high kids), chose to praise Him because Jesus is our Light. We praised Him because: 1) God sent the Light, 2) we are no longer in darkness, and 3) we have the Light to share with those who can’t see. OANSA has been a worthwhile investment in preparing leaders, many of whom were once OANSA clubbers. Please pray with me that work with my special group for the year will be a worthwhile investment as they train to become the future leaders of the Tepic church. Click here to see some pictures of Praise Day.

Speaking of investments, many of you have been praying about the property adjacent to the Tepic church that I mentioned in my last prayer update. Thank you, and please keep praying. The Tepic church, the hub-church of all of the satellite ministries, is primarily composed of Mexicans, not Huichols, but contrary to Mexican culture, ALL are welcome, and the brothers and sisters of the Tepic church lovingly extend themselves sacrificially to minister to Huichol village works. We’re checking the auction site nearly every day, but so far, the property has not been posted; though we were told it would be auctioned in February. Thankfully we have the perfect assurance that God's timing is not our timing, and He has EVERYTHING under His control.

Calling to remembrance all of these dividends from “worthwhile investments” does not mean that the adversary is not doing everything in his power to discourage, divide, defame and destroy. Please remember to pray for God’s work and workers here that we will continue to serve God joyfully and in unity.

Quick Reference Version of January-February Prayer Requests:
•Marisol Rojo – 2007-2008 Kirt Mellberg Memorial Scholarship recipient
• Huichol NT - MegaVoice Mp3 player distribution to Huichol villages
• Huichol Old Testament translation project – book of Exodus; next workshop May 12-23
• OANSA/AWANA clubs - Tepic and Zapote de Picachos
• Upcoming auction of property adjacent to Tepic church

Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

2007-12-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas - 2007

Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!

…and that news, alone, is sufficient to stimulate jubilant praise. But in addition to this inexplicable evidence of His love, God has not for one minute hesitated to fill my life with people for sharing, a plan for serving, and a purpose for rejoicing.

At the very top of my limitless list of reasons for praising God is the proof of His undeserved and inexhaustible grace in surrounding me with friends, extended family and caring kids who love and serve Him with all of their hearts. How can I possibly be so blessed?

As for the “kids,” Ben and Karley have been married 4 years now. Ben is a computer systems analyst for Preferred Healthcare, and Karley is employed by Mesa Community College as an accounting assistant. They have passed the pre-requisites for entering a nursing program, and Ben has been accepted in one for bi-linguals (How fortunate for him!). Jeremy and Jessica are celebrating 4 years of marriage this month. Jeremy is finishing his 2nd year as a Phoenix firefighter. He loves his job, and he has interviewed for the position of Spanish instructor in a pilot program for Phoenix firefighters. Jessica graduated from ASU in May as a nurse and is now employed by Scottsdale Healthcare. Jer and Jess are the parents of Anders Kirt, the most adorable little grandson I ever could have imagined. He celebrated his 2nd birthday August 29, and he still loves to laugh, eat, and “read”; he knows the name and sound of every letter of the alphabet and the name of an animal that corresponds, and he still gives great, gooey kisses with gusto. Kiki and Jacob have been married 6 years this month. Among their many occupations, they derive income from their employment at the Arizona Heart Institute. But their best news is that in May, Anders Kirt will have a new little cousin, and I will be a grandma again! Tim graduated from ASU in May with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Business and Communication, and he was accepted in the Phoenix Seminary master’s program where he has completed one semester of Hermeneutics, Hebrew, OT Prophets, and Ministry Assessment. They all will be staggering visits to Tepic after Christmas and throughout the upcoming year.

In spite of the fact that for many, the Christmas season amplifies painful reminders of hurtful circumstances, He whose birthday we are celebrating offers true comfort and inexplicable “Joy to the World.” He offers all of us a one-of-a-kind personalized gift for which it is impossible for us to pay. Let “every heart prepare Him room,” “repeat the sounding joy,” and welcome “the wonders of His love.”

“… behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Luke 2:10

2007-12-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

November-December 2007

Romans 11:33, 34: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor?"

December is a very special month. This year we celebrate 32 years since Kirt and I arrived in Mexico as missionaries. As we all have come to realize, life rarely meets our expectations, whether good or bad; and thankfully, God has an incredible way of turning filthy rags into riches, mourning into dancing, sackcloth into rejoicing, and sow's ears into silk purses. You have been a vital part in our ministry, and I thank you for your encouraging words, for praying for me, and for your tangible support which all make you fellow reapers in His worldwide harvest.

November started off with the celebration of the 3-year anniversary of the completion of the church building in the relocated Huichol village of Zapote de Picachos. Apart from the usual preaching, singing, sharing, eating, and fellowshipping activities we always enjoy, we were able to deliver 65 soft, warm and meaningful blankets made by children of the Tri-City Baptist Temple in Oregon to the Huichol children who were present at the celebration.

Missionary, Frank Arrellanes, and 8 young people from the Gracia y Paz church in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, arrived in Tepic on a Saturday afternoon. They had prepared themselves and the tools necessary for their first mission trip to share God’s love and provide clean water for families in 4 Huichol villages, Puga, La Bendición (The name of the new village of believers who have relocated from Guásima del Caimán means “The Blessing.”), Zapote de Picachos, and La Mesa (the central hub for the Zapote de Picachos community). As usual, the sacrifice and effort made to reach out and be a blessing to our Huichol brothers and sisters was dimmed by their love and generosity toward us.

Noé and Caty were 100% sincere the night of August 18, 2004, when in their living room Kirt and I shared in their tears of rejoicing as they accepted Jesus’ forgiveness of their sins and turned their “everything” over to Him. From
that day to this, they have systematically gone about restoring past wrongs and seeking avenues of Christian service. Several months after coming to Christ, they acknowledged that though they had been together for 8 years, they had never been married, and the following day they headed to the government office of public records to officially tie the knot. It occurred to Noé that having moved in with Caty years ago without marrying her was an offense against her family, and he determined to make that right. Noé went to Caty’s father to ask forgiveness, explaining to him that since he and Caty are now members of God’s family, He expects them to live according to Bible standards. They completed a 6-month course on principles of biblical marriage with Martín and Erén then planned a beautiful consecration service with the goal in mind of setting an example for the young people in the church and of getting Caty’s parents and extended family to come to church to witness their commitment to Christ and to each other and to hear the clear presentation of the Gospel. Her parents are extremely antagonistic toward anything but their own traditional religion, and they have rejected Caty’s choice to become a Christian, but they agreed to attend the ceremony. It was a beautiful testimony to God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness; and Caty’s family was positively impacted by the love, unity, and supportiveness of the Tepic church “family.”

The OANSA (AWANA) children of the Tepic church celebrated Christmas last Saturday with a Christmas party called a “posada.” Every year the members of the church contribute candy, piñatas, food and time to provide for the big event. This year more than 80 children attended; almost 20 of them were invited visitors. All of the children heard the true meaning of Christmas and the plan of salvation in a dramatic presentation prepared by the leaders, and every child took home a copy of a story book entitled, “The Great Love of God” that was donated by friends in the States.

***Nearly eight years ago, Kirt and I sent out a letter requesting special prayer regarding the one-half acre plot of land directly adjacent to the Tepic church property. The federal government had confiscated it for back taxes nearly 5 years prior. We were told that Hacienda (the Mexican equivalent of IRS) would be auctioning the land to the highest bidder within the month, and many of you prayed with us and got involved in that project. After nearly two years of going dozens of times to the lawyer’s office of the department of government land affairs, it became obvious that the “month” that was originally promised, for some reason we have yet to discover, was thwarted. We opted to return funds that had been designated for that auction, though many of you requested that we use your contributions for other work-related needs. One friend of this ministry sent us the following encouraging note: “We believe with you that the Lord will provide that property next to the church, and we are also sure that His timing is perfect. He will overrule even the most clever schemes of men to interfere with His will.” We have clung to that truth as we prayed and waited for this day. Suddenly, with no previous notice, this week, I “just happened” to notice the government surveyors arrive on site with documents and camera in hand. To make an exciting, but long, story short, the property is being prepared, again, to be auctioned in February. The existing Tepic church campus is not only attractive, but also has been very practical and mostly adequate for our needs; however, the children’s classes are meeting in the Aldaco’s garage, and adult Bible studies meet in my living room (Thankfully, we both live next to the church.). That’s not bad, but we are land-locked, and this is a marvelous opportunity to make room for more! By no means do we want to cry "Wolf!", but it appears that this purchase will be either “now or never.” Please pray with me that our church leaders will make a wise decision in the amount they offer in the silent auction, that the auction will be carried out without fraud, that God will provide the resources necessary for the purchase when we do win the bid, and most of all, that the church, not the building, will continue to serve God joyfully and in unity.

How privileged I am to be a part of your missionary family and to experience God’s incomparable grace as He has provided and continues to provide the "means" for fulfilling His plan. Thank you for your part in making all of these blessings possible.

Quick Reference Version of November-December Prayer Requests:

• Annual Christmas celebration - Tepic Church 12-16-07
• 3 big Christmas celebrations in strategic Huichol villages throughout the mountains of Nayarit
• OANSA – club resumes 1-5-08
• Huichol Old Testament 2-week translation workshop – 1-28-08
• Huichol New Testament Mp3 project
• ***Upcoming auction of property adjacent to Tepic church – February 2008

2007-12-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

The annual Tepic church Christmas celebration is just around the corner on Dec 16, and we're all working like crazy to get everything in order.

The drama is coming along great; the actors are investing lots of time and effort. We're going to have another little mini concert this year, with 4 keyboards Carlita, Karla, Mishna and Jonatán) and the 3 violinists (Shadai, Erika and David). We put together a little arrangement of 3 Christmas songs, and even the instrumentalists are amazed at how good they sound!...not as amazed as I am, though! :) Imelda took charge of designing and organizing the workers to help with the church decorations this year, and they are beautiful. Luis Armando headed up the drama-writing job, with input from an army of offerers of suggestions. The story is adorable and very meaningful. Another Armando is designing and painting the 4 backdrops for scenery, and Sebastian and Ely are heading up the videography and lighting jobs. Mario is making our hodge-podge sound equipment work to the max. Erén and I are working with the kids’ choir that sings during the performance, and they sing their little hearts out! FINALLY, we’re getting some voices that are able to hear pitch…the next generation of church leaders will be invincible, IF they remember to guard their hearts!

One of us has volunteered to bring dinner for after every rehearsal so people can come straight from work or school. Of course, dinner is after 9:30 p.m…or later! I made tostadas Friday night, Laura made pozole for Saturday, and Nancy made tamales Sunday night. Maybe we should all just play the part of “Round John Virgin" or Santa Claus with our blossoming “bowls full of jelly”!

2007-11-28T20:16:00.001-08:00

Noé and Caty were 100% sincere the night of August 18, 2004, when in their living room Kirt and I shared in their tears of rejoicing as they accepted Jesus’ forgiveness of their sins and turned their everything over to Him. From that day to this, they have systematically gone about restoring past wrongs and seeking avenues of service. In the 6 months following their conversion and before Kirt was promoted to heaven, Noé rarely left his side in sharing in tangible opportunities for ministering with his skillful hands. He was among the 5 who journeyed 16 hours by truck and 6 hours on foot to the Huichol village of Los Aires , 3 weeks after Kirt's graduation, to put the roof on that little rural church building. He and Caty immediately got involved in being personally discipled by Nacho and Lorena. Several months after coming to Christ, they acknowledged that though they had been together for 8 years, they had never been married, and the following day they headed to the government office of public records to officially tie the knot. They tirelessly have been involved in AWANA, visitation, prayer meetings, Bible studies and evangelism.

It occurred to Noé that having moved in with Caty years ago without marrying her was an offense against her family, and he determined to make that right. Noé went to Caty’s father to ask forgiveness, explaining to him that since he and Caty are now members of God’s family, He expects them to live according to Bible standards. They completed a 6-month course on principles of biblical marriage with Martín and Erén then planned a beautiful consecration service with the goal in mind of setting an example for the young people in the church and of getting Caty’s parents and extended family to come to church to witness their commitment to Christ and to each other and to hear the clear presentation of the Gospel. Her parents are extremely antagonistic toward anything but their own traditional religion, and they have rejected Caty’s choice to become a Christian, but they agreed to attend the ceremony. It was a beautiful testimony to God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness; and Caty’s family was positively impacted by the love, unity, and supportiveness of the Tepic church “family.”

I felt honored that they asked me to present them with the Bible in keeping of that meaningful tradition in Christian weddings at the Tepic church. The following is a translation of a little note that I read to them during the presentation:

Noé and Caty,

This happy celebration is motive for much rejoicing, for many reasons. Among them is the fact that this is one more step in your development as our maturing brother and sister in this, God’s great big family. Kirt and I were present the night the two of you were born into the family of God, when you surrendered your hearts to Him, and deposited your faith in Jesus Christ, the only One who is worthy of our complete confidence for the forgiveness of sins.

Just like the Apostle John in III John 1:4, Kirt would say, and I do say: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

The Bible is Truth, the living Word of God. It is where Christ’s followers go to learn what God has done, what He is doing, and what He has yet to do. It gives testimony of God’s grace in our world and of His faithfulness to His people throughout the course of time. It demonstrates that God loves us, and it helps us see our great need for Him. There is no greater authority on earth. As followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we recognize that the Bible is our source of truth and life. It opens for us and lays bare the mysteries and heart of God. We must go to the Word of God to know the God of the Word.

Noé and Caty, with all my love, I present you with this Bible. Listen to the Word of God. Learn and share its truth. Discover its mysteries; honor its commandments; and rejoice in its good news. My prayer is that this Word that gives life, will motivate you, encourage you and make you wise in your life of service together as His followers.

2007-11-20T13:10:00.000-08:00

Missionary, Frank Arrellanes, and 8 young people from the Gracia y Paz Church in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, arrived in Tepic Saturday afternoon. They have been preparing themselves and the tools necessary for their first mission trip to share God’s love and provide clean water for Huichol families in 4 Huichol villages, Puga, La Bendición (the believers who have moved from Guásima del Caimán), Zapote de Picachos, and La Mesa (the central hub for the Zapote de Picachos community). The filters are specially designed to strain out 100% of the parasites and 90% of harmful bacteria from impure water that the villages currently receive. The addition of a few calibrated drops of chlorine to the filtered water destroys the remaining 10% of bacteria. Each filter that Frank and his youth group fabricated themselves, weighs over 250 lbs. Our friends from Puerto Vallarta spent the afternoon and evening in Tepic fellowshipping and ministering with the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic youth group. Sunday, right after church, a busload from IBBT caravanned along with them to the first two villages, Puga and La Bendición, to install the first 2 of 4 water filters they fabricated and transported.

The logistics for transportation, transfer, and delivery of the units because of their weight and the inaccessibility by vehicle to various villages is nearly inconceivable.
The first 3 ½ hours from Puerto Vallarta to Tepic and then to the nearest point accessible by vehicle to each village were made in the back of Frank’s pickup truck. Then delivery to each village presented its own unique challenge. Frank engineered a clever system of 3-meter-long, 4-inch tubes complete with foam padding, straps, and wooden pallets used to lug the horrendously heavy filters, one-at-a-time on the shoulders of 8-10 strong volunteer carriers. The first filter, delivered to Puga, had to be heaved up the mountain, around the obstacle course of several tight corners, between several low-hanging obstructing huts, and into the common area where the village believers, led by pastor Valentín, meet. Delivery of the second filter met with fewer physical barriers but a much longer hike down a long, rocky slope into the brand new village of La Bendición (The Blessing, the name given the new village of the newly relocated believers from Guásima del Caimán), where Refugio is pastor. When Pastor Refugio realized that in order to get the job done before dark on Sunday after church, we all left without lunch, he mobilized the ladies in his wonderful little flock, and they prepared us a delicious banquet of hand-flapped tortillas, beans, eggs and potatoes. As usual, the sacrifice and effort made to reach out and be a blessing to our Huichol brothers and sisters, was dimmed by their love and generosity toward us. Click here to see some shots of the filter deliveries to Puga and La Bendición.

We left early Monday morning to drive to the Agua Milpa hydro-electric plant where the remaining 500+ lbs. of filters and 18 volunteer delivery people from Gracia y Paz and the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Tepic were loaded onto 2 motor boats for the 25-minute trip up river. The final 40-minute hike to the village was not for novices. Thankfully, 10 of us, our friends from Gracia y Paz, must not have believed that the final 40-minute hike to the villages was as rigorous as we had told them, especially with a 250 lb. filter hoisted on their shoulders! After the 3rd of the filters was delivered, installed, and instructions for its operation were given clearly by Frank, the last filter was destined for delivery to a central family in the village of La Mesa which is actually a part of the Zapote de Picachos community. La Mesa, a 20-minute hike from Zapote, is populated by all unbelievers. The goal of the installation of this filter is to show underserved and unconditional love to a prominent family of the village in hopes of earning the privilege of sharing the truth of the greatest gift of all. Pastor Manuel will be making periodic trips to share the Good News while maintaining and checking the purity of the water from the filter they received unexpectedly and “with no strings attached.” The missionary team from Puerto Vallarta brought care packages of basic staples such as beans, rice, and corn flour to leave as an added gift in each of the 4 villages where they installed filters. They headed back to Puerto Vallarta, exhausted after 2 days of backbreaking service, but exhilarated by the opportunity to serve as God led them. Click here to see some shots of Monday’s delivery to Zapote and La Mesa.

This weekend is proof-positive, again, of God’s incredible plan for each doing his or her share individually, for the purpose of combining efforts as a team and producing an effect for the Kingdom far greater than the sum of all the parts.

2007-11-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

Another significant reason for which I’m thankful:

In the center of our living room is the cedar coffee table Kirt bought for $25 the first month we were in Tepic from an American English teacher who was returning to the States. By hand, Kirt routed out a rectangle in the center of the table to insert the hand-painted tile inlay he bought for me in a little village outside of Guadalajara; the same coffee table is marked with undeniable evidence that it has served as a fort, a game table, a dance floor, a school desk, a work bench, a boat, a diving board and a stretcher for our kids and their friends for 30 years. It now supports one of my prized possessions, a bronze statue of Jesus embracing a faithful servant dressed in jeans and a work shirt as He welcomes him home.

The engraved plaque on the base of the sculpture says:

Here Is the Hope of Every Believer
To Be Welcomed Into Eternal Glory
By Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
and Hear Him Say These Words:
“WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”

For the third year since Kirt was promoted to Jesus’ open arms, Pastor McKeown led a group from North Village Baptist Church to Tepic for the annual anniversary celebration of the Iglesia Biblica Bautista de Tepic. He graphically illustrated his message and this year’s theme, God’s Gift, when he presented me with the powerful reminder of the open arms of Jesus that wait with anticipation for His children to come into His presence. What a profound hope. The "Welcome Home" sculpture is a treasured gift for which I will be forever grateful.

I will also be forever grateful for Pastor McKeown’s transparency, supportiveness, bringing of hope, and willingness to accept the office of "shepherd-at-large" to this remarkable flock of spotted sheep.

"...Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Matthew 25:21

2007-11-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

One year ago last July...How could that possibly be? Nearly a year-and-a-half ago, the Tri-City Baptist Temple of Oregon invited me to be the “resident” missionary for the week of Vacation Bible School. The theme of VBS was “FIESTA,” and what a breathtaking party it was! We considered the truth that Jesus is our Friend, our Life, our Leader, our Savior, and Jesus is our Helper; and because of that, we want to serve Him with everything He has given us.

It’s no secret that the world is full of millions of people who cannot meet basic needs for survival; we also know that we can’t do everything, but we can do something! And how much better if by giving of our selves we can earn the privilege of sharing with those who may not know what God’s Word says about God’s greatest gift of all.That’s the premise behind the massive effort that was exerted to make, store, transport, and deliver 65 soft, warm and meaningful blankets to Huichol children in the Mexican mountain village of Zapote de Picachos.

The Tri-City VBS children all participated in assembling and tying together the colorful, orange fleece sheets that brightly proclaim, “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jesús Me Ama.” To avoid exorbitant international shipping fees and possible "loss," a family from the Tri-City Baptist Temple transported them from Oregon, in their motor home, to Phoenix en route to their vacation destination. North Village Baptist Church stored them in the missions office until willing “smugglers” heading to Tepic could bring them along in extra suitcases. Members of the Bridgeway Community Church and of North Village Baptist worked their way through customs inspections as they brought ridiculous amounts of luggage for their short visits to Tepic. And at long last, Friday, in celebration of the 3rd anniversary of the completion of the church building in the village of Zapote de Picachos, an energetic band of believers from the Tepic church conveyed the precious cargo to the Agua Milpa dam, loaded it on the boat, and thankfully, were met by strong Huichol couriers at the landing, a healthy 40-minute hike from the village.

After all, Pastor Manuel asked me to share with his growing congregation the long story behind the gifts made and delivered in love; but best of all, the story of the greatest gift ever given, the same Jesus whose name appears on the soft, warm blankets, God’s very own Son who lovingly gave everything that we might receive eternal life.

“For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink…naked, and ye clothed me…Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?...or naked, and clothed thee?…Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:35-40

2007-10-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

September-October 2007

“Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” Psalm 31:19

As we approach the traditional time of year for “thanksgiving,” again I am acutely conscious that I have much for which to be thankful. I am thankful for your faithfulness in sharing in this ministry that is much bigger than I am and daily finds me shaking my incredulous head wondering why God has chosen to send me through doors that He constantly opens before my very eyes. Your supportiveness has made those steps of faith possible.

September began with opening day of OANSA (AWANA) with over 60 kids in Tepic and 80 in the Huichol village club of Zapote de Picachos. In the Tepic club, each leader is randomly assigned to a specific group for the year, and I love my special assignment with Leonardo and Fredi, 8th grade boys! I especially loved having the opportunity to emphasize to them that I would not be a very good friend of theirs if I didn’t make sure that they had made the decision to repent of their sins and accept the gift of eternal life that God offers by His grace to all who will place their faith in Jesus’ payment. Leonardo admitted that though he has been coming to OANSA for several years, he never really had taken that step. I am thankful I had the privilege of witnessing the birth of my young friend into God’s family. Last Saturday, we celebrated "Color Day" in the Tepic club. The kids and leaders contributed to the max and reaped the blessings of a very special day. I am thankful that so many leaders, many of whom were once OANSA clubbers, have a heart to reach out to children who will soon be the future leaders of the Tepic church.

I was invited to participate in the Summit Conference at the Kansas City Baptist Temple as a representative of Huichol Old Testament translation project. It was an unforgettable opportunity for growing personally, enlarging vision, and meeting many new friends, while sharing God’s amazing blessings on His incredible work in Tepic. If you want to see the Huichol OT Project part of the Summit Conference click on "Debbie Mellberg” under September 24.

September 30 was another very significant date in the history of God’s work in the Tepic church. David García, Pastor Martín and Erén’s 9-year-old son, was among the six believers who, in the horse trough on the lot adjacent to our church, followed Jesus’ example in baptism. Following his brother, Jonatán, David is the second to be baptized of the second generation of believers in Tepic. As a young person, his father accepted Christ in the early years of our ministry, and he and his wife now have had the privilege of leading their sons to Jesus. Pastor Martín baptized his son under the banner which reads, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Please remember to pray that the first generation will continue to be faithful to commit themselves wholeheartedly to God’s commands and not fail to repeat them diligently to their children.

Hilario came "waltzing in" from Los Aires (quite a LONG waltz—a 7-hour hike from Los Aires to the rural bus stop, then a 13+ hour "ride" from the bus stop to Tepic) the day before I left for the Summit Conference. After the customary, "How's the wife? How are the kids?" etc., we got to the "point" that he had finished his assigned translation chapters, 12-19 of Genesis, due the last week of January, next year. He "waltzed" back to Tepic the first week of October to key in the data to Vuhasi, one of the Huichol OT project laptops, and to attend the two intense days of classes on Bible interpretation for Huichol pastors that my son-in-law, Jacob, tailored to their needs. Hilario is pretty amazing, and Jake’s pretty amazing, too. His love, patience and connection with the Huichol brothers is nothing short of phenomenal.

If you look carefully at the picture of Hilario smiling his little stoic head off, you will notice one of the MegaVoice Mp3 players on the little stick table on the front porch. We finally got what we thought was the last of the compressed and formatted missing files back from MegaVoice, and Jake got them uploaded to 25 test units…only to discover that chapter 1 of Hebrews is missing! The chapter has already been recorded, but somehow it never got processed for uploading. Unfortunately we didn't find that out until the day the pastors were leaving to return to their respective villages. As far as we know, that is all that is lacking for the completion of the project and beginning the distribution of the units. The 25 test units are out "on loan" in 4 villages for the purpose of checking for other possible missing or erroneous passages. If all is well, Jake will be back in January and begin the process of reloading the 25 and uploading the complete NT to the remaining 975 units. The guys were so happy to see and hear the almost-finished product, they even insisted on playing it all through our lunch and during break times. I am thankful for the participation of many who collaborated to help make the completion of this project possible.

I am thankful for the 16t h anniversary celebration of the Tepic church this past month and for the visitors who came from North Village Baptist Church to share in the festivities. I am thankful that Kiki could serve as interpreter for Pastor McKeown’s challenging messages about God’s gift. She does a great job; when she opens her mouth to interpret they say that "nopales and frijoles" (cactus leaves and beans) come out! I am thankful for the exciting and miraculous news that she and Jacob are expecting my 2nd grandchild in June. I am especially thankful that every one of my children loves our heavenly Father and that they and their spouses love and participate actively in the work that their earthly father was led to begin.

This month marks the 2-year anniversary of the "new birth" of the first 36 Huichols from José Lopez' natal village of Guásima del Caimán. All of the believers of that community have relocated on the outskirts of the village of Puga, about 40 minutes’ drive from Tepic. They held a big corn-sharing festival in honor of the anniversary. I am thankful that in spite of major persecution, they have remained faithful, and Refugio is becoming an exemplary pastor for his little flock of 80+ believers.

On November 2, we will be celebrating the 3-year anniversary of the completion of the church building in the relocated village of Zapote de Picachos. The word is out, and we are expecting people from LOTS of villages, including the "brand new" believers from Paso de Alica. Juventino and Manuel brought back the news from the group of brothers (about 15) from various villages that opted to pass on the invitation to share in the celebration of 16 years of the Tepic church in order to take an evangelistic trip upriver, the first week of October, to Paso de Alica. About 20 people gave their hearts to Christ, and 20 more "signed up" to believe at the next opportunity. That sounds weird, but, that's how it happens. Juventino shared that when they arrived in the village, they were greeted by the local professor who received them with open arms. They went to the village commissioner to ask for his consent to share their faith publicly, and he told them that since the village square was so full of drunks, it would be best to ask the professor for permission to use his large vacant lot. Authorization was given, and they began one-by-one, communicating the change that God's gift has made in each life. They sang songs accompanied by the stringed instruments they took along, and Manuel shared a message and an invitation to everyone who gathered around to hear. Juventino also told me that years ago (before he was even born), there were believers in the village; their pastor was Nicho, but when Nicho died, the flock began to scatter, and now no believers were left. I am thankful that visitors from Phoenix agreed to be "God's smugglers" of the blankets that the VBS kids of the Tri-City Baptist Temple in Oregon made that we will pass out to the families that attend the big celebration in Zapote de Picachos.

October 21 was Kirt's 59th birthday, and I invited Pastor Martín and Erén, and Pastor Nacho and Lorena and my 5 little Mexican "grand" kids to Burger King for lunch for our annual celebration of the momentous occasion. Kirt loved taking them there, and they love going. All during the "birthday party" I found myself reflecting on how blessed I am to be able to continue to share with these wonderful, maturing servants of God, and how fortunate I am that friends like you have made that possible. Thank you so much for your confidence and for all you have done to be a big part of the "means" He has provided to keep this work moving, even in Kirt's absence. We have MUCH for which to be thankful!

Quick Reference Version of September-October Prayer Requests:
· Tepic and Zapote OANSA
· Pastors Martín, Nacho, and José Luis – Tepic
· Huichol pastors: José, Manuel, Joaquín, Hilario, Custodio, Porfirio, Valentín, Refugio, and Gregorio
· Kiki and Jacob’s baby
· Zapote de Picachos dedication anniversary
· Huichol Old Testament translation project
· Huichol New Testament Mp3 project

2007-08-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

July-August 2007

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

For my first "real” missions trip ever, I was honored to be invited to go to Hungary during the first two weeks of July! When Kirt was promoted to heaven, and I told the Lord that I would walk through any door He opened, I never imagined how many unlikely doors that would include! North Village Baptist Church (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. I was invited to go along for the purpose of serving as a liaison for my sending church in Phoenix, NVBC, my home church in Tepic, IBBT, and our new "sister" church in Szolnok, Hungary. If you are interested in some personal highlights of this unforgettable trip, read the following Szolnok, Hungary, trip summary, and click here to watch the corresponding slideshow.

Back in Tepic, the month of August began with a visit from Pastor Gregg Cantelmo and seven members of his church in Phoenix. Pastor Gregg did an excellent job teaching a series on The Emotions: God's Motivators, and Timmy did an excellent job serving as interpreter for him. The team played a big part in acting as "God's Couriers" of 5 large suitcases full of blankets made by the VBS children of the Tri-City Baptist Temple in Oregon and a large box of Huichol New Testament Mp3 players that we are steadily getting in place for distribution to the Huichol villages. The blankets will be presented to the Huichol children of Zapote de Picachos on November 2, the third anniversary of that village church. The team’s servant's hearts and willingness to roll up their sleeves, tromping through the tropical mud, and contributing to the max the gifts God has plentifully given them for reaching out to the needs of other people will pay off eternally in the lives of the recipients of their vision. Pastor Gregg's statement that “God loves us just as we are, but He loves too much to let us stay the way we are” is the key to all Christian service. May none of us ever forget it, and may we be prepared for the commitment that it requires. See a slideshow of some of the Bridgeway team’s Tepic activities click here.

Still another privilege this month was the presentation of the 2nd annual Kirt Mellberg Memorial Scholarship to Marisol Rojo. 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. Marisol moved to Tepic seven years ago with her mother and 2 older brothers. Her father had just been murdered mafia-style, in the state north of ours in a drug-related vendetta, and her mother determined to leave that region so her children would not be further entangled in the lifestyle. Marisol, a tiny 12-year-old girl who in her short lifetime had been exposed to way too many of the world’s activities and snares, was invited to AWANA club at the Tepic church, and soon gave her heart to Jesus. She was faithful to church and obedient in memorizing and applying God’s Word, and after graduating from AWANA, Marisol became a prized AWANA club leader and a Sunday school preschool teacher. Kirt challenged her to use her musical abilities to learn to play the violin. He offered to loan her a violin and to pay for her classes, and he told her that after one year, if she would play a special song in church, she could keep the violin. She worked hard to follow through on her commitment, and she played Silent Night at the annual community Christmas celebration. In time she learned to play along with the congregational singing every Sunday morning, and she motivated 3 younger children in the church, David, Shadai, and Erika, to follow in her footsteps. They can’t wait to master the violin enough to be asked to accompany on Sunday mornings. When Marisol graduated from high school last June, she announced that she felt God was leading her to attend a Christian college in Monterrey, Mexico, to become better prepared to serve. She will be studying elementary education and music. What could be more fulfilling than for one of Kirt’s little people to be this year’s recipient of a scholarship offered in his memory? To see some pictures of Marisol’s faithful involvement in the Tepic church click here.

In previous prayer updates, I have mentioned the pressing need to remember the newest Huichol believers from the village of Guásima del Caimán as they have faced severe persecution from unbelieving villagers and rural, government-appointed officials. Thank you for your prayers for them. The little family of believers has decided to relocate on the outskirts of the village of Puga, about 40 minutes from Tepic, where Pastor Valentín leads his growing flock. They have pooled their meager resources and the sweat of their brows to build temporary housing on a section of land that Pancho, a believer from Puga, owns. As a priority, they have joined ranks and are buying a plot of land for their “new church building.” As always, after the rainy season has passed, getting water will be another issue. It has been a very difficult decision for them to uproot from the place many of them were born, but the advantages of solidarity with other more mature believers, increased access to medical treatment, and better schooling opportunities for their children convinced them to move. In spite of those advantages, the new believers recognize and are very concerned about the dangers of closer ties with “civilization” and its corresponding temptations. They are thirsty for God’s Word, and their pastor, Refugio, is determined to learn to be a worthy shepherd. This is all still in the very beginning stages of "what to do," and it is important that they be directed by the same God that directs us in "what to do" when the need arises. It is also the stage that is very tempting for the "great white fathers" to intervene and tell them what is best for them. It is best for us to pray our heads off for them and be supportive of the decisions God lays on their hearts. Please continue to pray for God's wisdom as they work out the spiritual and physical combining of the two churches, Guásima del Caimán and Puga.

I am grateful for the unanticipated opportunity God has given me to participate in His great and mighty things surrounded by the most humble, generous, loving, caring, and hard-working brothers and sisters from both sides of the border, on the face of the earth! Thank you for your part in making it all possible.

Quick Reference Version of July-August Prayer Requests:

· Bible Baptist Church of Szolnok, Hungary
· Marisol Rojo – Bible college student
· Guásima del Caimán/Puga - transition, faithfulness, growth
· OANSA – club begins September 1
· Huichol Old Testament translation project
· Huichol New Testament Mp3 project