Current Events and Updates of the Ministry

The Train - Tractor and Implements ready to cross into Mexico

It has been many weeks since I have last posted a blog, and much water has flowed under the bridge since that time. I will try to bring you up to date with what Theresa and I are doing, and where we are now.

Fred Erb from Listowel, Ontario arrived on the 12^th of January and taught Project L.A.M.B.S. courses throughout the weeks of January 16^th through January 27^th. The days immediately upon his arrival were filled with meetings with the Board of Directors of Obreros Unidos para Cosechar (OUpC), the non-profit under which the Bible Institute functions.

Theresa’s days were filled with taking minutes of the meetings in English and cooking meals and hosting Fred.

There were several things that I want to mention concerning Fred’s time in Cd. Valles with us.

First of all, on the Friday of the 20^th of January there was a graduation for three students who had completed the Instituto Biblico Luz de las Naciones program. Fred was honoured to give the graduation address for these young men.

Once again the Project L.A.M.B.S. courses were taught in conjunction with assistant teachers. It is always exciting to see the work handed over to the nationals. A formal announcement was made by Fred to the directors and students that when this cycle of classes ends at the November graduation, the expatriate involvement will end, and the complete program will be run by national leadership. This has been the goal of Project L.A.M.B.S. all along, and it is a joy to see it heading towards accomplishment.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em - Our grandsons Ari and Jude with their Ford 8N. Maybe we could at least get one of these down.

Then, finally, a rather disconcerting turn to the whole issue of instability in Mexico caused us to decide to avoid travel after dark to and from Tampico. The issue is that the closest airport is in Tampico; about a three hour drive to the east of Cd. Valles. There is only one plane which arrives daily from Houston at about 8:00 o’clock at night. The only plane heading north leaves at about 7:00 o’clock in the morning. The late arrival means that we normally would be on the road until around midnight. The early departure, plus the two hour early arrival time required for international flights means that we need to leave Cd. Valles at around 2:00 o’clock in the morning. Because of the danger involved in night travel in Mexico now, we were strongly advised not to drive after dark, but rather to stay in Tampico overnight coming and going. We were blessed to stay both nights with the family of the mother of dear friends of ours, Adrián and Lucinda.

Board of Directors meeting at our house

The week immediately after Fred left was filled with legal preparations for the Bible Institute. The OUpC Board needed to take care of banking issues as well as setting up Power of Attorney documentation for Javier as the director of the actual farm site. It is very frustrating sometimes how much time, energy and money the simplest of matters seems to take, but in the end we got it all accomplished.

Then on Saturday morning, the 4^th of February, Theresa and I headed north to the border, and then on to Dallas where we had a meeting on Tuesday morning. From there we headed quickly to a little town close to Tyler, Texas where we were privileged to spend a day with our friends J.W. Cunningham and his dear wife Mary. On Wednesday evening we were given the opportunity to share again in the House of Faith in Kilgore, Texas where Pastor Frank Sturrock ministers.

From Tyler we headed south to Donna, Texas again where we were blessed to stay with our dear friends Rea and Judy Thompson. We have been so warmly welcomed and loved by these dear friends over the past months whenever we have been up at the border.

Now began the waiting game. We had been given the names and contact information of several Christian brothers in

Luz de Las Naciones graduates - January 2012

Texas who were possibly able to help us get the tractor and implements across. But, as these things always go, it is never straight forward, or an exact science. So the wait began.

God is always interesting in how he puts things together. As closely as I can piece the story together it goes like this…neighbours of Javier and Christina in Cd. Valles, as yet not Christians, somehow knew of a person in McKinny, Texas who is a pastor and a lawyer (interesting combination, eh!). This brother, Alex Camacho, knew of a Christian broker, Rafael Dueñas, in Laredo who might be able to help us. I also was given the name of Rafa’s pastor, Mike Barrera. Telephone calls were made, plans were made, scans of paperwork sent, and we waited some more. Then on Monday (the 13^th) we were given the green light to head west to Laredo, Texas, about a three hour drive west of Donna where we had the tractor parked.

We arrived here on Monday night and were welcomed into the home of Pastor Mike Barrera and his lovely wife Polly. We feel very much loved and at home here, even though it is more “hurry up and wait”. The processing of paperwork began yesterday morning. The Lord willing, we will actually be ready to roll south tomorrow??? But the guys are all being positive about us getting everything taken care of soon (what ever that actually means), so that we can get the tractor into Mexico – something that no one else has ever been before. I don’t know what the price tag to all of this will be in the end, but I leave that one in the Lord’s hands as well.

Land Clearing with Machete

Please be in prayer for my parents. In the past couple of weeks my father has taken a precipitous nosedive in his health. His heart looks like it is weakening, and he is facing the symptoms of congestive heart failure with fluid build up in his lungs and extreme weakness and shortness of breath. He has spent the past couple of weeks in the hospital and the doctors are saying that he cannot be discharged to go home because his care is more than my mom will be able to handle. For all of you who know my mom and dad, you will know that they have been exemplary in their love for the Lord and in servanthood. They are both very much loved by many.

Theresa and I are now left in a quandary as to what we should be doing. With the probability of the paperwork finally coming through for the tractor should we continue south, or should we head north to be with my folks? We are keeping very close contact with my brother Paul who is keeping us up-to-date with my dad’s health on a daily basis. We want to be ready to go to Manitoba if, and when, his health continues to decline.

We are praying that there will be someone who will come forward who will be willing to come down to Mexico to fill in

Steven and Theresa in Restaurant

for us when the inevitable phone call arrives. It needs to be someone who is willing to work on the land and do some soil preparation, stump pulling and tractor work. They can also use the audio/video equipment that we have and continue a film ministry. They can live in our house and use our stuff. They don’t even really need to know Spanish, although at least some language ability would make their lives much easier. If this person is you, please prayerfully consider spending some time in Mexico. The fields are ripe for harvest – both spiritually and in the natural.

I trust that my next blog will show pictures of the tractor sitting on the landsite just outside of Cd. Valles with a “Gloria, Hallelujah” heading under the picture!

We love you and thank you for your prayers,

Steven and Theresa

Old Picture of Church in Village of Citlalmina

“And there was handed to Him [the roll of] the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound].”

Then He rolled up the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing [attentively] at Him. And He began to speak to them: ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing’”. Luke 4: 17 – 21 (AMP)

“You know the contents of the message which He sent to Israel, announcing the good news (Gospel) of peace by Jesus Christ, Who is Lord of all…How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10: 36, 38 (AMP)

Above is Jesus’ self-proclaimed job description. It is interesting to note that immediately after Jesus was baptized in water and in the power of the Holy Spirit, and immediately after the Holy Spirit had taken him into the wilderness for a show-down and a systematic humiliation of the enemy – Satan, the Devil – Jesus went to Nazareth, his home town, and proclaimed to the world, and to his disgraced enemy, what was his life mission; his job description. Jesus was throwing down of the gauntlet before his already shamed foe.

From this point on, throughout the next three plus years, Jesus systematically mocked and tormented the “kingdom” and “power” of Satan by going about doing good, curing those harassed and oppressed by the enemy, announcing God’s Kingdom, proclaiming the Good News to the poor, delivering the oppressed and downtrodden, and restoring those who were blinded – both physically and spiritually, raising the dead, and smashing the teeth of the enemy.

Jesus’ challenge and thrown gauntlet was indeed a bad day for Satan – it marked the beginning of the end for his diabolic kingdom. From this point on Satan’s smoke and mirror show was revealed for what it really is – a magic show

Theresa with Baby Girl

of illusion.

If we believe and accept Jesus’ words in John 20:21 where he said “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”, then we must accept that we carry the same description of duties and responsibilities as Jesus had – the same job description.

But am I fulfilling this mission? Am I indeed preaching the good news (the Gospel) to the poor? Am I announcing release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind? Am I sending forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]. Am I proclaiming the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound]? Or, am I being lulled to sleep, snoring in peace in the lap of the evil one as John states in 1 John 5: 19?

Last evening Theresa and I dropped off our friend Marina in her little, dusty, poor village of Citlalmina. I can’t help but see Jesus’ footprints in the dusty roadways and dingy hovels whenever I am in these little villages. Why was it so important in his culture, for example, to wash your visitor’s feet as soon as they got to your house as a sign of hospitality? It was because the roads were dusty, rocky, and mud covered and sandaled feet became filthy. Did the children of Jesus’ day frolic on green grass in white picket-fenced back yards? I doubt it. I am sure that their playgrounds were the dusty and rock-covered pathways and roadways just as it is for most of the children of the world today. I suspect that Jesus would have felt very much at home in the Citlalminas and the Tanlacuts, and the thousands upon thousands of dusty and poverty-filled villages that they represent in our world today. He would have had no hesitation in entering into the dingy, dirt-floored, stick and mud walled hovels and becoming a part of the lives of the people. After all, he was Immanuel. God with us. God incarnate. God made flesh. Jesus lived, moved, “dwelt”, and was one with the lives of the villagers in the dust and the filth of poverty. This is true incarnation.

We are called to become incarnational as well. But how often I find my head and my heart lying lulled into sleep in the lap of the enemy – snoring with visions of “The Great American Dream” dancing through my head.

For a wake up call to all of us I recommend finding and reading K.P. Yohannan’s book “The Road to Reality”. As Christianbook.com states “This prophetic and practical book offers refreshing freedom from the enticements of contemporary culture, and gives an uncompromising call to live a life of simplicity – with purpose. You will come away better equipped to practically apply biblical principles to your own life, and you will gain a new understanding of the heart of God”.

Rainforest by the village of Xilitla

Earlier yesterday we had been speaking with Marina about mutual friends in her village whom I have not seen for some time. One person that we spoke about was the daughter of common friends. We will call her “Maria” as this name and its derivatives are generic enough to be the name of most Mexican girls. I have known Maria since she was a very little girl. Her parents are short, little Huastecan Indians – my chest-height if they are wearing platform shoes. Her father was a down-and-out drunk; a true rubby. His poison of choice was “licor de caña” – sugarcane alcohol – straight proof. The family was incredibly poor – with a dad who drank away everything he earned as a laborer and “carrier” of loads in the market area downtown. The family was large. Maria was second to the last – the final little girl in a family of predominantly brothers. I have little doubt that Maria suffered many other physical and sexual abuses besides grinding poverty.

Maria had a bigger brother that had a severe and absolutely crippling case of juvenile arthritis. He was about eighteen at the time, but was twisted and deformed like a pretzel. I came to know the family because of the physical needs of the crippled son. We did what we could to try to relieve some of his suffering and to make his life somewhat more pleasant. Mostly we could simply show him and the family love and acceptance.

Through our care for the family, and witnessing of Jesus’ love, first the crippled son, and then the rest of the family

Transportation - the old and the new

gave their hearts to the Lord. Upon the young man’s deathbed he witnessed powerfully to his father and neighbors before he died. Through this experience his father had a conversion experience, gave up his life of debauchery and bondage, and began to live for the Lord.

The family unit began to show the signs of Jesus’ lordship in the home. The dad was now working and not squandering everything that he made on booze. He built a new house on the little property that they lived on. It was still a stick house with thatched roof and mud floor – but it was clean and neat. There were smiles and happy faces instead of drunken stupor and sorrow in the home. Dad became very involved in the local church in the village. Little Maria grew up to be a beautiful and intelligent young woman who loved the Lord and was active in the local church as well. Mom was always gentle and gracious, and a woman with a heart filled with love and gratitude to her Savior.

Oh, how I wish that remained the happy conclusion to this story. Yesterday I found out that Maria, now about eighteen, is living with a young man of about sixteen. They have a child together. Her father is once again drinking himself to death and destroying his life and family. Maria has turned her back on the Lord at this point and has no interest in walking for him. Mom still loves the Lord and is still serving him in her quiet and gentle way. She still suffers at the hands of her drunken husband and sons.

Last night as we drove our friend Marina home to her little shack I once again had to think of Maria. What hope or future does she have? She is now eighteen with a little baby. She is living with a young man who is not her legal husband, and has no binding responsibility to her or to her little son. She lives in the poverty and dust of the poor in a little poor and forgotten village. She is perpetuating the sins and curses of her own parents – or more accurately, she is being downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity as were her parents. What possible hope is there for her future? Humanly speaking, precious little indeed!

el gallo

But Jesus came for the broken such as Maria. As we have already noted, this was his job description. And we have been given the same work to do. He became incarnate. We are also to become incarnational.

Oh Jesus, teach me how to truly become a representative of your grace and mercy to a hungry and dying world. The enemy has been defeated by your life and shed blood. He is killing, stealing and destroying – touching that which he has no right to. Jesus, may I, may we, as your children begin to walk in the calling that you have given to us. May we begin to plunder the camp of the enemy. May we begin to walk within our right as sons and daughters and begin to announce release to the captives and delivery to those who are oppressed and downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity. May we begin to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord – the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound.

May God bless you richly,

Miguel Juan Cosi and ministry team in our home in Cd. Valles on Boxing Day

For my American friends who are scratching their heads right about now and wondering what the title is all about – read on…

According to an article in Time World, although no one is actually sure of the actual origin of Boxing Day the best clue can be found in the song “Good King Wenceslas.” According to the Christmas carol, Wenceslas, who was Duke of Bohemia in the early 10th century, was surveying his land on St. Stephen’s Day (Dec. 26) when he saw a poor man gathering wood in the middle of a snowstorm. Moved, the king gathered up surplus food and wine and carried them through the blizzard to the peasant’s door. The alms-giving tradition has always been closely associated with the Christmas season – but King Wenceslas’ good deed came the day after Christmas, when the English poor received most of their charity.

The article goes on to state that although King Wenceslas didn’t start Boxing Day, the Church of England might have. During Advent, Anglican parishes displayed a box into which churchgoers put their monetary donations. On the day after Christmas, the boxes were broken open and their contents distributed among the poor, thus giving rise to the term Boxing Day. So there you have it – well, maybe (as if you really cared anyway).

I hope that you have all had a wonderful, family-filled, and joyous Christmas. Most of all though, I trust that you have

Christmas Eve Breakfast with Javier and Cristina and the boys in their home in Cd. Valles

had a Jesus-filled season where the reality of his incarnation has become true to you in a renewed way. Over the past couple of days Theresa and I have been enjoying the unbelievably beautiful words and music of Handel’s Messiah and my heart has been filled once again with the wonder of Immanuel – God with us – God become flesh. What a profound mystery!

What a travesty that Satan has surrounded the season where we should be in reverend awe at the incarnational birth of our Savior with Santa Clause, consumer madness, and overspending. He has completely distorted the season to the point where, even as Christians, if we don’t enter into the madness of the world around us we feel as if we are cheated somehow, and have lost out somehow on what we have a right to.

I sometimes wonder what Jesus thinks of the mockery that we have made of his birthday – the day that we have set aside to honor his entrance into this dreary world as a man – flesh and blood – in order to become our High Priest, as the writer to the Hebrews refers to him. I have doubts that he is often honored in what he sees.

But onto other things…

Javier and our host with rabbits. Perhaps an idea for the farm?

On June 22^nd of last year I posted a blog which I titled “A Day in The Life…”. I suspect that this present posting could be titled “A Day in The Life Revisited”, or “Stretch Them Again Baby”, or some such thing.

Theresa and I returned to Cd. Valles on December 14^th after a rather frustrating and extended stay at the border trying to bring the tractor into Mexico. I am sure that I don’t need to elaborate on this episode though, as I suspect that my last blog made my frustration and impatience rather obvious. We arrived back to Cd. Valles on Wednesday with the hopes, and full intentions, of taking things slowly and allowing Theresa to get “back in the groove” and readjusted to Mexico again at a nice, slow pace.

While our suitcases sat still unpacked on our bedroom floor on Friday morning I had a visit from Javier Santos, our good friend and manager of the farm Training Center. He asked me if we are ready to go with him and his family (actually, to take them) to a small mountain village close to Cuernavaca (south of Mexico City) – a 12 hour drive away – as I had promised before I went up to Houston to pick up Theresa several weeks earlier. At that time I had no idea that I would be gone so long, or that we would waste so much time at the border with the tractor, and it seemed like a slam-dunk situation without any complications. Actually, to tell you the truth, I had completely forgotten my promise to Javier. The purpose of the trip was so that Cristina, his wife, could spend some time with her family whom she had not seen for many years. Her father had passed away one year previously, and the family was getting together for a memorial service. Javier and Cristina had not been able to go to the funeral the year before.

Theresa and I discussed the situation, and we both had to honestly admit that the only good excuse that we could come

Now, that is a lot if tomatoes!

up with for not taking them down as promised was that we didn’t want to do so, and that baking cookies, and putting up the Christmas tree, and “kicking back” before Christmas was more important than relationships. We came to the conclusion that if we really were servants, as our Master before us had modeled, then we had better put a figurative towel around our waists and begin to wash some feet – even if we didn’t really feel like it, or if it didn’t feel comfortable to do so – that wasn’t the point anyway – obedience and servanthood was.

So we packed up the van, Theresa prepared some travel food, and we picked up Javier and his family at 5:00 o’clock a.m. on Saturday morning and headed south.

Now is when the “Stretch Them Again Baby” part kicks in. We left with the intention of returning on Monday, or at the latest Tuesday (you can probably see where this is going already). We had a pleasant weekend with the family – sleeping in a borrowed bed while the host slept on the couch. On Monday Javier arranged for us to meet with some other people a couple of hours further south who had a tomato-growing greenhouse. Our intentions were to see if this is something that could be incorporated on the Training Center land site. We had a very interesting, and extremely informative visit with them.

From there we looped north again and passed through the city of Cuernavaca in order to spend the night with an evangelist friend of ours. The driving in this city, which we hit at rush hour mayhem, was like bumper-car madness. Absolutely unbelievable!

On Tuesday we returned to the mountain village and to Cristina’s family members. There had been a meeting set up for us with some quite high-ranking political people by Lucero, Cristina’s sister. As it turns out, Lucero has some close friends in political circles and set up a meeting for us that might make a huge difference in bringing in the tractor, as well as for the future status of the non-profit itself. So, what was there to do but wait?

On Wednesday, December 21^st, very cognizant of the fact that the clock was ticking down very quickly toward Christmas, we headed into the core of Mexico City to meet with Lucero’s friends.

If I ever thought that the traffic in Cuernavaca was “interesting” on Monday night, the traffic in the heart of Mexico City was “incredible”. Multiple lanes converged into nothing, horns blared, pedestrians walked at will, cars followed no known vehicular laws, and carnage reigned supreme. But we made it, and we were only hit once – a rather vigorous bump into our rear bumper. No apparent damage done, so all is well.

The meeting went well, and it looks like things will move forward with the tractor and with the non-profit. Thank you Lord.

On Thursday we needed to wait for a follow-up call from Victor, our new politician friend. This came through at about 1:00 o’clock p.m. By 2 o’clock we were on the road for Cd. Valles again. We simply needed to get back. Javier and Cristina, pastors of a number of small churches, needed to get back to their congregations because Christmas Eve activities were happening almost immediately upon our return.

We made good time to Mexico City where we were promised we would have no problem following the bypass – the periférico – through the city and simply zooming through to the other side. Hmmm…famous last words.

We did a valiant bumper-to-bumper wonder through the heart of Mexico City – never having found the “perfectly obvious” periférico. But we made it through more-or-less unscathed (except for some emotional and mental scars) and lived to tell the story.

We arrived back in Cd. Valles at about 3:30 in the morning on Friday and had an emergency meeting with the Board of Directors of OUpC after a very short 3 ½ hours of sleep.

Jicama harvest

After a somewhat less than relaxing Saturday – Christmas Eve – we enjoyed a Christmas Day spent Mexican-style. But it was all good – somewhat stretching sometimes, but all good.

Today, Boxing Day (now that you know what it is), we had an evangelist friend, along with his team of five young men from Chiapas, the southern most state of Mexico at or place for “lunch” (actually the 2:00 o’clock meal which didn’t start until after 3:00 o’clock because the young men didn’t show up for about an hour). Theresa outdid herself cooking up a wonderful Italian meal, much to the delight of the gang.

God is good, and he is on his throne. He is Immanuel – God with us. It is good to be stretched. Seldom fun, but always good in the end.

Tomorrow we have a Board of Directors meeting again. It looks good for the acquisition of the tractor and for the future of the non-profit. God may even have worked out a rather “cool” surprise through the whole incident of our meeting with, and subsequent friendship with Victor, our politician friend. But sometimes I tend to count the chickens before they fully hatch. This time I will make you wait – got you wondering!

I am off to bed. May you truly have a wonderful Christmas season, and a blessed new year. Thank you once again for your love and support. Without your prayers and financial support we could not continue the work here.

With all of our love and prayers,

Steven and Theresa

Theresa and Steven standing at the marker for the tropic of Cancer on the return trip to Cd. Valles. This is defined as the parallel of latitude 23°27 north of the equator. The most northerly latitude at which the sun can shine directly overhead.

Do you remember the times when you squirmed and whooped while being held down and tickled until it hurt? Or in my case, usually it was a “horse bite”, or an “indian rub” – or often as not, having my thumb bent backwards towards my wrist – until the tickling or tortured skin or scalp burn or screaming thumb joint could no longer be endured and one called “uncle” to make it all stop.

On Monday night I called “uncle”.

After almost two weeks of working in preparing the tractor and trailer and waiting for promised help with Customs to bring them to Cd. Valles I hit the final closed door at the Mexican Customs in Reynosa on Monday night. I was told conclusively that I could not bring in a donated tractor or implements through the border in this way and would have to either work through the government import offices in Mexico City, or through a customs broker. If I should choose to work through a broker I would need to pay import taxes and duty on the tractor and implements as well as brokerage fees.

When I checked out the brokerage fees and import taxes and duties I was most likely looking at over $2000, and

Marker at tropic of Cancer

possibly upwards to $3000 dollars. This of course is ludicrous, and Theresa and I decided to pull the plug and head back to Cd. Valles and attempt the process again later on from Mexico rather than continuing to work from the border.

On Tuesday I hauled the trailer loaded with the tractor and implements back to Flame of Truth Ministries in Donna, Texas from a location where I had earlier brought it closer to the border in preparation for crossing. Then I turned around and did the same with the chipper. All are now stored at Donna in preparation for crossing as soon as we can get clearance from Mexico City.

This morning Theresa and I left Donna, Texas with a very overloaded van filled to the brim with gifts, 300 pounds of pinto beans, a 20 pound frozen turkey, personal effects, and much more. We prayed fervently for God’s favour, and favour with the customs agents as we crossed. I personally prayed desperately for a green light in the cross over, meaning that we would not have to have our vehicle inspected piece-by-piece at the border.

To my chagrin we got to the light and got the buzzer and a red light. Oh boy, now what! However, God was definitely with us, and the inspection was very simple and swift. We were given a cursory check and waved on our way.

At the second customs post we were simply asked if we had already been checked. “Yes sir”. Did we pay our duty there? “No sir, we were checked and simply told to continue”. “Proceed”.

Wow what an answer to prayer!

The rest of the journey was uneventful and one of the most pleasant for a long time. Theresa and I arrived in Cd. Valles in good time and in daylight. Thank you Lord for answered prayer.

My daughter Laura’s favourite restaurant, and one of which she can barely speak even today without salivating embarrassingly. Granted, this has much more to do with childhood memories and childhood hunger than the actual cuisine. Also, the ambiance of scurrying chickens, strutting turkeys and rooting pigs around the table helped enhance the childhood memories. I wonder if her appreciation of the menu would be as profuse today as it was when she first visited it many years ago.

Now we need to settle in and reorganize again. Theresa has been gone for almost six months and she needs to reacquaint herself with the work. I have been gone for about three weeks and there is much to take care of as well.

We will jump through the hoops and pursue the channels that are set up for the import of donated equipment through the Mexican government. Obreros Unidos para Cosechar under which we are bringing the tractor in is a Mexican registered non-profit, and we have a mountain of paperwork. Besides, agricultural equipment is not supposed to be taxed when it is brought into Mexico. But the Mexican customs agency has rarely been known to follow its own rules.

However, this is God’s tractor and God’s equipment and we need them to proceed with the work. So, I guess it is also God’s problem to get them here to where they are needed and not mine. We will rest in his faithfulness.

Theresa and I are back in Cd. Valles and encouraged in the Lord. Christmas is coming fast and furious, and we are far, far from ready. We wish each of you peace and joy as you prepare for the celebration of this Christmas season.

Blessings,

Steven and Theresa

Steven with Frank, Maribel, Gloria and Grace Sedeno. Frank and Maribel are pastors of a little church in a very dangerous colonia of Reynosa - a border city under siege by rival cartel groups. They are a very courageous couple. Please keep them in your prayers.

Well, as these things tend to go – we are still waiting at the border.

Thank you to all of you who have been thinking of us and praying. And a big thank you to those of you who have sent emails after reading the last blog. [Incidentally, it is always good to hear from you concerning the blog. I often wonder when I click onto “send” just how often my latest masterpiece flits off into the deep recesses of cyber space never to be opened again, or how often the receiver hits “delete” upon its arrival into their inbox].

Theresa and I are still waiting. The tractor and implements are all loaded and ready to roll south. The trailer tires are as good as they will ever get. The trailer lights are working and wired. The trailer hitch is attached and ready for hauling. The spare tires are in the van. The air pressure tank is filled and ready to load in case of an emergency flat along the way. And I am chomping at the bit, and almost pawing the ground and snorting – but all systems are not “go”.  Houston, we have a problem!

We await the magic phone call from José.

What we are actually waiting for is the okay from the Mexican customs – actually, from our friendly contact in the

Sunset over Cd. Valles showing mountains to the west of the city.

Mexican Customs (received through pastor José). Further, today I found to my chagrin, that the U.S. side also requires a 72 hour clearance on any vehicles (including tractors) which leave the U.S. This is to ensure that the vehicle is clear, and has not been stolen. This is totally understandable; I just wish that I had known this sooner. Now I cannot leave until Monday at the earliest even if I get clearance from the Mexican side. Further, just to keep thinks nice and complicated; the U.S. export office which will grant me my paperwork on the tractor is only open weekdays from 8:00 am until noon. This means that I now need to coordinate the U.S. side with the Mexican side, and I cannot re-enter the U.S. after I pick up my U.S. exit clearance.

All in good fun, and just to keep life spicy…

But, as I have already said – God is still in control, and he is still on the throne.

Please continue to pray for us. I am hoping to be rolling south on Tuesday??? We are still planning that Theresa will wait in Texas until I deliver the tractor to Cd. Valles and return for her for the second trip south.

Blessings,

Steven and Theresa