March/April 2018 Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee... Acts 3:6

March/April 2018 

Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee… many of them which heard the word believed. Acts 3:6, 4:4 

No one looks intentionally at a beggar unless he or she intends to give. Peter and John deliberately fixed their gaze on the lame man who, at the temple gate for four decades, had begged ignoring passersby for alms. The disciples, personally, had nothing to offer, but they were chosen to be the conveyors of the Gift the broken man needed most. He had been a young boy when the Savior was born, and now, by faith in His power and His name, the invalid was doubly healed. His dramatic expression of gratitude and joy caused a snowball effect for the Kingdom.

This past couple of months in Tepic has involved a lot of intentional gaze-fixing on very needy destitutes like ourselves, a lot of compassionate, self-sacrificing conveyors, and a lot of leaping with joy and gratitude snowballing into further sharing of the Good News.

March started off with the 39th 2-week Huichol Old Testament translation workshop in Tepic. This team of mother-tongue-translators (MTTs) is nothing short of a miracle. They work in unity from early morning until late at night, never complaining about the long hours and time away from their families and villages. They are determined to fulfill the commitment they made 11 years ago to work alongside trained linguists in order to have the complete Bible in their heart language. At the close of the workshop, 2 Chronicles, Job, Hosea, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi had been community tested; Isaiah, Ezekiel and Habakkuk, back-translated; and Jeremiah 23-52, Lamentations, Ezekiel 36-48 and Habakkuk were consultant checked. Job was corrected and printed for community testing. Only the book of Isaiah remains to be consultant checked along with a few other passages that need polishing. Before the project can go to print, the translators must make an audio recording that can be uploaded to the Internet. That alone is a major time-consuming and tedious task for which we will be making arrangements in the next few weeks. In addition to the Old Testament translation job, the MTTs have insisted that the Huichol language has evolved so much in the last 50+ years since the New Testament was completed that it is necessary to revise that text, as well. They have charged into that job, simultaneously. They are self-sacrificing conveyors of the Good News, hard-working, disciplined and persevering, and they are determined to have the complete Word of the one, true Kakaɨyari, in their heart language. Praise God! The 40th workshop begins May 14. Please join me in leaping with joy and gratitude and praying for the snowball effect of this gift of God for further sharing of the Good News with those who desperately need the healing it brings.

We made the plans, wrote the curriculum, discipled the leaders, and organized the logistics for the 7th annual Huichol youth camp held during Easter week, never knowing exactly how many would be able to attend until the first day of camp. We were hoping for around 200 Huichol teens and leaders, and we were not disappointed! All who came, clearly heard the Gospel message, and at least 15 Huichol teenagers who heard, understood the Gospel, asked to be forgiven and born into God’s family, and have chosen to commit their lives to the purpose He has for them to follow Him and serve others until Jesus returns. The campers have all safely returned to their villages, one way or another, and are beginning the lifelong process of becoming diligent disciples. Check out this cute UIM-A video of three girls who were airlifted by our pilot friends to their very remote village after camp…first time ever in an airplane, for sure! We did not have the silver and gold necessary for such a humanly impossible task, but again, as always, God used the generosity of the extended worldwide team, and many of them which heard the Word received the best Gift ever.

The day after the camp was over, 19 new believers were baptized at La Bendición, including a few of those who attended the youth camp. The following day, 7 were baptized at Loma Alta; and 17 at El Salate, a day later.

Enjoy some camp, baptism and discipleship pictures and videos here.



There is a constant network of intentional gaze-fixing, compassionate, self-sacrificing conveyors of the Good News trekking through the Sierra Madre to multiple villages (like Santa Bárbara, San Miguel de Huastita, Tutu Yecuamama, Guamuchilillo, El Salate, and Mojarras) to offer the Gift and follow-up with those who have heard the Word and believed.

Even imagining all of this Kingdom stuff is challenging, and the carrying out is humanly and personally impossible. It is designed and efficiently coordinated by God Himself Who has swung open the doors and provided the necessary strength, wisdom, and resources. Thank you for allowing Him to use you, too, as a vital part of the team. It’s cause for nothing short of leaps of joy and gratitude.

Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee… many of them which heard the word believed. Acts 3:6, 4:4 

November/December 2014 ...they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered

November/December 2014                     

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.        ~Luke 2:16-18

That Baby in the stable, God with us, didn’t come to eliminate our earthly problems, pain, diseases, or death. He came to conquer death and offer us new life. We, who have seen Him, like the shepherds, have the privilege of sharing abroad so that all who hear it may join us in utter amazement and give the glory to Him. Lots of that “making known abroad” has been going on in Tepic during the past two months, and many have played a vital role in making that possible.

This past month marked 39 years since Kirt and I left for Mexico for the purpose of making known abroad our Father’s provision for all who would accept His Truth. Our good friends, Leonard and Susie Smith, missionaries in Culiacán, Mexico, joined us during that first year in Querétaro, for language training. It was a real joy to have them bring the Good News and an encouraging word this past month at IBBM-Tepic: Leonard presented a 3-day evangelistic conference; and Susie, a well-prepared workshop for teacher training that was attended by all of us OANSA leaders. All that heard them were amazed and encouraged to give God the glory.

A few friends and sister churches contacted me again this year with the encouraging news that they have been praying for us and wanted to collaborate in a tangible project for Christmas. Again this year, the evangelistic effort, Festiniños (meaning “children’s party”), was a “by faith” operation. We completely trusted God to provide the funds for 350 shoeboxes for one Festiniños program in Tepic and programs in churches in three distinct Huichol villages; Zoquipan, Loma Alta and Puente de Carrizal (the newest baby Huichol church). Due to work schedules, the Huichol church leaders opted to celebrate their Festiniños on New Year’s Day rather than Christmas, so pictures of those outreaches will be included in the next update.  

At the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Misericordia in Tepic, 168 children and many of their parents heard the story of the King who came to offer Himself as the greatest gift ever. Each child received a copy of the booklet to take home, Conoce al Rey (Meet the King) as OANSA leaders acted out the true story of the birth of the King and His plan for salvation for all who would accept His perfect gift. Only time will tell how many of those little children who heard and wondered will accept His invitation.   

One of the little children who received a shoebox gift at Festiniños has just recently begun attending the IBBM-Tepic OANSA along with her three brothers. Her name is Reina Isabel (Queen Elizabeth). Her story reminds me of the reason that the “saying concerning this Child must be made known abroad.” When Reina’s mother, Érika, who is now 23 years old, was born, her own mother didn’t want anything to do with her. She eventually gave her to an adoptive mother who died when Érika was a young girl. Érika was left to fend for herself, and as a teenager, she met a man who fathered her two oldest sons who are now 5 and 6 years old. Their father abused them and Érika mercilessly and eventually abandoned them completely. Then Érika met another man who offered to take care of her. He left her soon after with little baby Reina. The story repeated itself, and we met Érika when she was in desperate need, expecting her 4^th baby, and abandoned by his father. Érika has been hearing all about THE Father who loves her and will never mistreat nor abandon His children. 

She is learning to trust Him, and she faithfully brings her small children to Sunday school and OANSA. Little Queen Elizabeth (Reina Isabel), along with her brothers, loves coming and hearing about baby Jesus, about God’s love and about the gift He offers, the greatest Gift of all. The three older children participated in the IBBM-Tepic community Christmas Celebration singing their little hearts out with the words to the songs they memorized: We will celebrate with joy; May the whole earth hear; Jesus is born; The Light is here…

 

Pastor Martín’s son, David, orchestrated and directed a potpourri for all of the IBBM instrumentalists, including 1^st-time flautists, Rebeca and María, and the teenaged girls’ choir presented a choral cantata. This year’s celebration was motive to join in with the returning shepherds glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2:20