Day One, lets get started in Mexico

 

Monday night 8 October 2007

 

Team Members:  John H. Watt, Jr., Vicki Watt, Dale Hoggard, David Morton, Gloria Rolison.  Gloria was the team’s interpreter.

 

We began our day in a group meeting with the other teams and Danny Johnson.  We discussed our plans for the day and had a short devotion.  Ending in prayer we left the motel and went downtown to have breakfast.  Something as common as having prayer before we ate our breakfast attracted attention from the locals.  We knew we were a novelty to them as they starred at us. Finishing breakfast we decided to prayer walk the community.  Prayer walking is something I used to scoff at because it seemed like such a “put on”.  Now I know the value of prayer walking.  The walking part has little or nothing to do with it. The prayer part has everything to do with the task at hand.  We walked around in a community where we did not know the language, the customs, or the people.  We would stand in front of each house and pray for God to get the residents to come outside and ask us to come into their home and teach them about Jesus. He was faithful to answer our prayers. 

 

Our first encounter was with a woman who had two children with her.  One child was walking and one was in a stroller. The 1 year 9 month old child in the stroller was unable to walk due to some medical problems brought about by an earlier operation.  As we talked with this woman she let it be known to us that she wanted prayer for her child.  We prayed for this child and her mother.  Vicki explained to this woman about the medical problems that Samantha Watt had as a child and how God had healed her.  This woman found hope for her child through the story told to her about Samantha and went away a different person.

 

It some how become apparent to John Watt that a woman in a home two doors away from where we were standing wanted us to pray with her.  John told the group of his feeling and we began to walk towards her door.  Prior to getting to her door, she (Lupe) opened her door and spoke to her children and began to look at our group.  We approached her and began to speak with her.  We asked her whether we could come to visit with her and her family the following night and show a video.  She agreed that we could and introduced us to her husband, who also agreed.  We asked them how we could specifically pray for them and proceeded to do so as well as schedule the appointment for the following evening.  This was Edgar Davi and Emilia (Lupe) Lopez family.  They have three children.

 

We then left her home and walked down a side street.  Praying as we walked that God would open another door.  As we reached the end of the block, Dale Hoggard saw a line full of wet cloths hanging out to dry.  He mentioned “Look this family has a new clothes dryer” we all laughed but he suggested that we pray for this family to invite us in.  No one came to the door and the gate was locked. No body was home.  At that point!

 

We went to the end of the block and encountered a man who owned a small store and he came out in the street to speak with us.  We learned that he was a Jehovah’s half Witness and that we could not show the video in his home.  His brother, who was pretty intoxicated joined the group and began to talk with us as well.  You could tell the shop owner was embarrassed by his presence. 

 

At this same time, David and Vicki were engaging a group of children on the street and talking about baseball with them. As David and Vicki were talking with the children a young woman walked by and spoke to them.  She proceeded to go down the street and open the gate to the house which had the laundry hanging out. She opened the gate and sat on the stoop.

 

 As the rest of our group joined David and Vicki, an old woman walked by with a yellow flower in her hand, which caught our attention.  Dale mentioned to her that she was carrying a pretty flower.  She thanked him and went on her way.  Not too far on her way because she was the owner of the home with all the laundry hanging out to dry. She continued to walk past us and walked into the house where the girl was sitting on the stoop.

 

 As we continued to talk to the children, this woman Monica Ramos came out of her home and sat on her front stoop almost as if she was asking us to come visit her.  So we did just that, we went to her home again.  Telling her who we were and what we were there for prompted her to ask us to pray for her two son’s who were in the U.S.A.  We had prayer with her and talked for a good while.  Before we left her home we scheduled ourselves to show a video at her home the next evening. Her son, Marteen and several other children were home with her.  Her son was 19 years old and very shy. 

 

The time was late so we all went back to the motel and had a meeting to discuss what had taken place thus far and to hear reports from the other teams.  Later we went to the taco shop down that street and ate a very late supper.

 

Day Two – Lets get to the meat of the subject

 

Tuesday 9 October 2007

 

Team members:  same as day one

 

One day two we went to Edgar and Lupe’s home to show the La Experanza video.  Upon arrival at 6:50 we found Lupe and her children setting on the front sidewalk waiting for us.  There was a slight problem, she had left her house keys in her husband’s car and he was away.  She had no way to get into her home. We decided to stay and wait for the Lord to provide a solution.  He did.  Edgar arrived and we set up the video in the court yard of their home.  I’d say that during the course of the evening as many as 25 people, mostly children came and went and watched part of the video.  Several adults were able to watch the majority of the video.  As we usually do, at the end of the movie someone in the group (this time it was David Morton) will give their personal testimony of how the Lord saved them and then we give an invitation to the crowd.  That night five (5) people surrendered their life to Jesus. Their ages ranged from 15 years old to 42 years old.  Lupe was included in this group. Irene was also included in this group.

 

 As it turns out Irene was actually supposed to watch the video the next night in her home. She was friends with Lupe and was invited to see the movie a night earlier. Good thing too because when the group who was scheduled to show the video at Irene’s home the next night showed up they were denied access to Irene and her children. We suspect we know the reason why but will not mention his name on this blog.    He is a liar and the father of all lies.

 

We talked at length with the ones who were saved and offered to give them a Spanish Bible the next day.  Two of the men who were saved showed up at our motel the next morning and we gave them breakfast and a Bible.  They so very excited and left the motel going straight to Lupe’s home and showed her their new prized possession.  A Bible.

Later that day Lupe asked us for a Bible and we gave her one too.

 

After we left Lupe’s home we went to Mariola, Doris, Brisa and Luis’s home to tell stories 1, 2 &3 of the Bible stories only to find out that something had happened to the lady of the house and that we could not tell our Bible stories.  We left there home and went back to the motel and then went to supper.

 

Day three – Now let’s add the veggies to the meat.

 

Wednesday 10 October 2007

 

During the day we shopped and walked the town.  Talking to people on the street about our mission and about our Jesus.  Prior to shopping and eating we were asked by Sherrie Hoggard to take a short detour to attempt to find a family which she had met the year before.  She had looked all week but was unable to find them.  We took pictures of the family and knocked on doors and went to businesses inquiring about the whereabouts of this family until we were about to give up.

 

 John asked Sherry if she had actually asked God to show us the way and we stopped to pray.  Just when the prayer was over we looked up to see two women and two children walking down the street.  David asked them if they knew this family and the children immediately said they did.  One woman and child actually walked us back to the home of Sherrie’s lost family.

 

 Upon arrival we discovered that the family had actually moved to another home.  The Lord led us to the local store and the owner led us to another woman who knew this family and she led us to them. When these kids that Sherry was looking for, saw Sherry get out of the truck they just swarmed all over her like a bee hive.  So much hugging and kissing going on that you would have thought she was their grandmother coming for Christmas.  What a reunion.  Sherrie arranged to come back the next day and have Bible study with this family. 

We went on to town and then back to the motel to ready ourselves for the evening. 

 

We arrived at Monica’s home about 5:30 and set up the video equipment.  Monica has five children, three of which still live at home.  The three children who lived at home were present as was a friend of Monica’s and her daughter.  I don’t think Monica’s 19 year old son ever took his eyes off the screen.  After the movie we gave our testimony and gave an invitation to come to Jesus.  Monica and her friend Margarita immediately accepted Christ but Marteen was a little hesitant.  We talked with him and answered questions till well after dark and he finally decided to ask Jesus to be his Lord and savior.

We felt a great victory for Christ had taken place.  Even though we go and do lots of things to get invited and show video’s  I am completely convinced that if it were not for the Holy Spirit of God doing the actually work that none of this would be possible.  It is awesome to watch God bring about his salvation to the lost of this earth.  It is also awesome to be a small part of his plan to deliver salvation.

 

After leaving Monica’s home we went to Denard’s home to teach Bible lessons to his family and friends.  Upon arrival at 8:30 we discovered that earlier that day the Jehovah’s half witnesses had been there and convinced his wife that they the JW’s were a part of our group and that this evenings Bible study had been cancelled.  The half witnesses had scheduled a meeting to talk place the next night at 8:30 to take the place of our meeting.

 

As you might suspect, God was good and we ended up having our Bible study anyway.  Denard suggested that we go to his neighbor’s home, since it was larger, and do the study over there.  We went across the street to find that in only a short time about 20 people showed up to study the Bible with us.  What an amazing night we had.  We would start a story and someone from the crowd would finish it up for us.  We soon felt like we were the students and they were the teachers.  All the people at this Bible study had been led to the Lord a year earlier when we visited Denards home the last time.   Later in the evening Danny, Rob and Steven showed up to meet this family and we all fellowshipped together.  We had snacks, prayer and fun for the evening.  What a blessed time this was. Just to know that only a year earlier we had been there to witness to them and now they were going to Church and witnessing to others.

 

Day Four - by George, I think we’ve got a sandwich worth eating

 

Thursday 11 October 2007

 

Thursday we delivered Bibles, made home visits, got to know some more folks from Mexico and toured the city looking for opportunities to witness.  If you were from Santiago and were walking down the street you were fair game.  Don’t know how many people we talked with that day but we had a great time. 

 

About 2:00 we went to lunch at a nice restaurant and enjoyed sharing stories with other team members.  For some reason our 6:00 appointment was reassigned to another team and we ended up at Natibadad’s home.  He was a brick maker that we met last year and

he and his wife are faithful christian people who wanted their children and granddaughter to see the video and come to Christ. 

 

Gloria and David worked this assignment to the end and lead 3 people to the Lord.  This assignment was rather difficult because the son and law of Natibadad did not want to come into the house and watch the video.  Gloria had invited him twice and twice he had refused.  David finally went outside and talked with this man and got him to come inside to see the video.  Just a little strong male Christian influence was needed.

 

 After David had finished his invitation we were invited into the home and had a great time visiting with this family.  We found out that in 1949 Natibadad was in Arkansas to pick cotton for 3 months.  He is 79 years old and still makes bricks.  Back breaking work I might add. Strong spiritually and physically.  We need to pray for his wife, as she is ill.

He and his wife were very very happy to see their children and grandchildren get saved.

 

As soon as we left Natibadad’s home we went to our next appointment.  The Garcia family.  We had scheduled a meeting at their home to show a video to their friends.  The appointment time had been set for 9:00.  We waited and waited.  Drove around and came back until finally we found Karla Dennis at home.  This is the Garcia’s 19 year old daughter.  She told us that her parents were delayed but that they would be there sooner or later.  Time seems to have little place in the Mexican society.

 

The entire family finally arrived at about 9:45 or so and we all had a great reunion.  I was so glad to see Juan and Carmine Garcia.  Our group led them to the Lord last year.  Mike Johnston, Chris Pipkin, Baylen, John Watt.  We also left them with a Bible last year.  This year the Bible was almost worn out.  It had been opened and closed so many times.

 

The Garcia family represents what great things God can do with one little family in a community.  They are well versed in the scripture, open to witnessing to others, and so generous with their new found love for the Lord.  What a blessing to visit with them again.  We had several hours of fellowship and then had to leave.  Our time was short because we had to leave at 6:00 am the next morning.  God bless the Garcia’s.  

 

Let me just say one more thing.  If you are one of the ones who think that just because you don’t speak Spanish or have any experience in missions and that keeps you from going on a mission trip……then throw all that out the window.  God can use you to make a difference. 

 

John Watt

Pastor, The Church at Pinnacle Mountain

Gloria and I want to express our gratitude to the Pulaski Baptist Association and the many churches that participated over the last three weeks for allowing us to be a part of God's wonderful plan for Santiago Papasquiaro. 

This has been a time of renewal for us.  We feel that the vision for our own work has been renewed and we are looking in anticipation to the results that are still yet to come through the faithfulness of those that came to SP and the many that prayed. 

Danny, thank you especially for taking us under your wing and asking us to help with interpreting.  I feel that I have been genuinely mentored and have grown under your care these last few weeks.

God Bless,
Rob Rolison

Often times God gives you a very special blessing.  That happened to me last year in Pappasquiaro.  I went home with a family rooted deep in my heart, Juan Paul and Rosas with their 4 children, Goretty, Paola, Maria and Juan.  Mother and father were both saved last year and the children won my heart as we played games and laughed together.  I prayed for them all year and asked God to allow me to see them again this year.

I went to their house the day I arrived, but they had moved.  I got out all my pictures and information and I began to search for them.  On Tuesday someone was cleaning their old house and she told me the general direction that she thought they had moved.  On Wednesday we started our search in the new area.  A mother and daughter, who were in Paola’s class, walked us about 5 blocks and we were back to last year’s house.  We stopped and prayed that God would direct our steps to find this family.  We walked across the street to ask at a small neighborhood store and a woman coming out of the store said that she knew where their house was.  She got into our car and took us to their front door.  Rosas and the children were on the roof and they came running down for hugs!  We played ball in the street like last year, I gave them some sidewalk chalk and they began drawing flowers, hearts and sunshine that I had taught them to draw last year.  What a blessing!

We met Rosas’ mother, Felix Rosas Moreno and sister Norma Cecilia Soto, there was a small baby boy named Luis also.

Thursday about 11:00 we went back to give Bible studies 1-3 to my family.  We played and laughed together and walked them part way to school.  I hope to see them again at a video tonight, but if I don’t they are still in my heart and prayers and I will see them again next year.

Sherry and Dale Hoggard

The Church at Pinnacle Mountain