Javier and our one-man land clearing crew
Well good evening. It is not my intention to bore you to tears, nor to antagonize you with my ongoing posts of late. However, there are exciting things in the wind, and I just would like to share them quickly with you again this evening. After so many months of waiting it is refreshing to be able to post forward movement.
There are a couple of landmarks to tell you about. Yesterday we
Steven sharpeing chainsaw blade
went to the new landsite with the Board of Directors of Obreros Unidos para Cosechar, the non-profit which is covering the work of the Bible School / Training Center. The purpose was to have a breakfast and prayer time on the land. Oddly enough, some of the Board members had not been to the site before, and we felt that it was now extremely important that they do so.
Theresa and I organized a picnic breakfast (this was the only time that we could get everyone together), and we headed out to the property.
Sure beats using a machete
We were able to pray together and jointly speak of the vision that God is placing on our hearts for this new work. It is a good location, good land, and a big vision. By God’s grace many lives will be impacted, and many will be trained and grow in their personal walk with God, as well as in their personal ministry because of this place.
Then, very exciting news – I believe that God is blessing us with a tractor! I hesitate to actually post this since I tend to be one of those people who like to hear the chicks peep before counting them in the basket. I have seen too many times when the intentions are very good, but the follow through lacks a bit in the “doing” department.
However, this morning I spoke to a brother who I feel confident will perform as promised. The story begins back in
OUpC Board of Directors on the Bible School land site - a time to grow in our vision together
North Dakota with my friend Dan Slaugbaugh. Dan is a good brother, and God laid it on his heart (after some nudging from me), to do some searching for tractors to fill the need that we have here at the Bible School land. A couple of days ago he contacted me with some exciting information. After a phone call this morning Theresa and I have a visit with the ministry located in Kansas.
There will be more follow-up blogs after the visit, and after the chicks are peeping a little more boisterously in the basket. Nonetheless, I believe that very soon you will be reading a blog that states that the ministry has a spanking new Ford 8N tractor and front end loader. We will then need implements as well, but I am confident that God will provide these for us as well.
Prayer time with the Board of Directors on the landsite
The next thing that we desperately need, and which I would really appreciate your prayers for, is a well on the land. There is a ministry whose headquarters are located in Houston, Texas with a mission to work with water and wells around the world. The organization is called Living Water International (their website can be seen at http://www.water.cc). As it turns out – one of the crazy God-orchestrated “coincidences” – is that they have a representative who lives only about an hour east of us towards Tampico.
A well will cost us around $5,000 dollars. This will include the drilling and complete set-up of the well. Water is truly life, and if the Bible School is to be able to complete the vision that God has placed onto our hearts – that not only of a school, but of a self-financing farm – then we need water, and plenty of it. The rains in this region are non-dependable. Sugarcane can survive the heat and lack of rainfall, but other crops, especially vegetables, cannot.
We desperately need to have God place the burden onto the hearts of individuals to give toward a well drilling
Theresa's breakfast enjoyed by all
project. I am in the process of communicating with Living Water International to see about times, dates, availability, etc., but I do so without any money to proceed. However, I am sure that God will provide. He has already answered with exciting probabilities with a tractor for the work.
On Monday morning Theresa and I will be leaving for Canada. We do so with every confidence that everything is left in very capable hands. Javier is a very dedicated and gifted man, as are the rest of the men and women on the Board of Directors.
As I alluded to earlier in this blog, we have as full schedule on our way north. A stop in Houston, Texas will be occupied with meeting friends as well as seeing about getting the School site surveyed and prepared for building plans. In Kansas we will be finalizing details on the tractor donation. Nebraska will be a visit with Theresa’s mother and family. Then on to Manitoba – one whirlwind trip – many miles, and many exciting stops in between.
Today’s high, by the way, a very moderate 104.9° Fahrenheit.
Good night, and may you rise in the morning filled with the joy of our risen Lord. He is not dead, he is alive. He has arisen!
