I read Steve Addisons blog which is just an amazing resource. Today I was reading it and had to share this as well. The last paragraph which I quote here is what impacted me:

No one doubts that despite state repression, despite limited resources, despite a lack of formal training institutions, despite the absence of complex organizational structures, the Church in China is strong and growing dramatically.

I wonder what they have that we don’t?

Good food for thought…

Well, there have been many editions with different covers designed for different times and different people.  In Mexico we recently found the 70’s versions…well, they are interesting to say the least.  One of my friends down here liked them so much that he decided that he would created a custom TC…specifically for me!  Here is “How to Love by Faith” the Dan Mexico 70’s version!  Thanks Robin!!!

One other fun fact is that in the 70’s, due to the prevalence of communism in Mexico, anything from the states was looked down upon.  So American names were not used.  Here you see that this booklet was written by “Dr. Guillermo Briseño”…well that is a literal translation.  Briseño sort of means “bright” and Guillermo is the name for “William.”  So here we really see Dr. William (Bill) Bright!  Just sort of a fun fact from a while ago!

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 “Thirty years ago there was a summer project in Tampico.   One day a man name Hugo was relaxing on the beach when some members of the summer project approached him and shared the truth of God’s love with him and how he could know God personally.  That day Hugo came to know Christ.  Hugo continued growing and one day went to a training time in Cuernavaca and invited his sister along.  His sister, Lupita, was a not a believer but during the time in Cuernavaca she accepted Christ as her Savior.  Lupita continued on in some trainings and in one of those met her future husband Agustin.  As the years would go, Lupita and Agustin had three children, Agustin Jr., Raul, and Edith…” the same Edith that was leading the training time this morning!  

 Her story just gave me a sense of the impact that a summer project can have.  To think that what we are doing now in these two weeks will be felt 30 years from now in the lives of the children of the people who are hearing the message today…that is exciting.  Praise God for the project in Tampico and pray with us that the project this year in Acapulco would truly impact individuals and families for eternity!

 Thanks for praying!

Adassa, one of the students from Puebla, was our sharing and not having much success. So she and her team stopped in a stairwell to ask God to guide them to just the right person.  They left their short prayer meeting expectant and were not disappointed when quickly they ran into a man with a number of bags/suitcases with him.  They began to talk with this man and as the conversation worked its way around to spiritual things the man asked them if they were Christians.  This question typically means, “Oh…are you of that other religion?”  It is usually negative!  Adassa very bravely answered yes we are.  The man then turned to them and, to their surprise, said, “I am too…and you are not going to believe this!”  

It turns out that this man was depressed and traveling the country in an effort to find his purpose in life.  He was not walking with God and was slipping farther away.  However, just before Adassa and her group ran into him, he had turned his prayers to God and told God, “If you are going to use me, if you have a purpose for my life, send someone.”  And that was when Adassa showed up. 

It was a great example of God doing more than we can imagine.  We only saw rain and a change of plan where God saw a man in need of some courageous college students to share with him.  It was eye-opening for the group to see how they were the immediate answer to that man’s prayer.  Please continue to pray with us that the students would find more opportunities to bring the medicine that Jesus offers to the heart-wounds that people here in Acapulco have.  Pray that this project would bring healthy change to both non-believer and believer alike as we step out in faith following Jesus.  

Thank your for you prayers!

Winston Pals!