Mexico Trip Christmas Break 2014--2015, New Years Eve

Our time has been mainly consumed with visiting our brothers and sisters in Christ who are at the rehabilitation centers that the church is connected with. There is so much joy in being with them. 
Brother Michael reminded us at one center about a story that Jesus told. There were two men, one with a small debt, and one with an enormous debt. But they are both forgiven. Which of the two men will be more grateful? The man who was forgiven the larger debt. So these men are full of humble thanksgiving and praise. 
Besides visiting the rehab centers, we have twice visited the same park where many people gather to play soccer, and many children gather to play. Several of the young children recognized us and we recognized them from our trip here in May. It has been a delight to play with them once more. 
Aaron was also reconnected with a friend from a small town that Psalm 67 last visited in 2010. It is amazing to see God's hand at work!
Please pray for the church we are partnering with. They are small and have grown little in the three years we have visited, yet they are passionate and persistent, unwavering and zealous. There are many broken families and health problems that they are facing. Please pray that they may be strengthened and encouraged and that we will be an utmost blessing to them. 
 Also pray for us as we battle fatigue. Especially pray for our Sister Barbara. She is 68 and yet comes often and walks unpaved streets without complaint. She serves first, rests later, and has a heart overflowing with love. She is our prayer warrior! Please pray as the recent activities and also the food have made her feel considerably ill. 
Today we will be visiting more rehab centers. Then for New Years Eve we will be going to a popular square that hosts many activities and we will be giving the gospel as we are able. Please pray that God may give us the words to speak at the right time.

Mexico Trip Christmas Break 2014--2015, Day 3

   Our schedule so far has been to pray together (the team and the church or whoever is awake) at 7:00am and then eat breakfast at 7:30am. 
   This morning we loaded donations including clothes, toys, and crafts into the big white van and set off for the Salvation Army children's home. We sang songs with the kids, and then Michael told the story of Joseph. 
   After we visited there and played soccer and ultimate chair, we left for a rehab center. 
   When we first visited this particular rehab center in May of this year, the atmosphere was very dark, and control was rigid and extremely strict. Residents stay for nine months and during the first three months they are not allowed to talk to anyone. For food, they take leftover food from food carts and put it together and that is what they eat every day. 
   Today after our visit an employee thanked Aaron and the pastor of the church. He told them that the residents have mental health groups every day and it doesn't help. What helps is the church coming with the Bible. 
   Tonight our team will be heading to a large park to play soccer and share the gospel. 
   The weather is very cold! So we don't know just what kind of turn out we will have. 
   Please pray for us as we battle fatigue and and the weather to proclaim the gospel.

Mexico trip Christmas Break 2014--2015 Day 2, Savannah Weber

Hi, this is Savannah Weber, the Office Leader for Psalm 67. So far we've had a safe and blessed trip! We entered Mexico yesterday evening and were greeted with smiles, hugs, and food from our hermanos y hermanas. It was a laid-back evening catching up with old friends.

This morning we started off with a wonderful team prayer time. Words cannot describe the blessing of hearing your Mexican brothers and sisters calling out to your father in their own language. It's an amazing reminder of the greatness of our God.

Despite the cold and rainy weather, we had a lovely church service with many brothers and sisters from the church. Barbara, Ellie, Gennie, Ismael, and I led a short Sunday school lesson on Noah's ark. We collaborated with the children to make a giant ark and sang "Padre Abraham". We ended the service by welcoming a new family into the church. It was a joy to share the precious moment of receiving new lives into the church family.

Our plans for the day are primarily preparing for the busy week ahead. Prayers are appreciated as we seek to serve the Lord to the fullest. Due to the rainy weather, our VBS has been cancelled, however, this has made room for other ministry opportunities. 

Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will be visiting a Salvation Army orphanage. There we plan on handing out small gifts from friends in the US. We pray that we will be able to bring Christ's love to these precious children.

I want to share an encouraging verse I read today:

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11)

As we continue to pray for good things (God's glory in our ministry, boldness to proclaim His gospel, salvation of souls) let us be encouraged that He is pleased to hear and answer our prayers!

Thanks for your prayers and support! It is a huge encouragement to know that we have prayer support back home! 

-Savannah W.

Mexico, Christmas Break 2014-2015, Day 1

Yesterday our team headed down to Mexico. We have about 95% of our support raised. Our team consists of Aaron Sutton, Russ Sanders, Michael Pfleegor, Parker Pfleegor, Savannah Weber, Barbara Fudge, Gennie Jackson, and Ellie Jackson.
We will be entering Mexico late afternoon today and staying there until January 3rd when we head back.
On the way down we have faced some difficulty, such as locking 8+ keys in the running van, and later getting rear-ended at a gas station, but God is very obviously protecting us and has kept us all safe.

Short note from Ellie: During my Bible reading today I read 1st Corinthians 1-2. How appropriate it is! Paul repeats over and over how God is not looking for our wisdom or our strength. And thank God, because my wisdom and strength have certainly been lacking this trip. Crabby is the word!
Paul also reminds us (again and again) that eloquence and clever speech will not win souls for the Kingdom of God. He is not looking for our beautiful words or our convincing debate. He is looking for humility that will rely on Him for our words and our strength. Again, thank God, because up until now, I've been clueless, feeling unprepared, and unsure of just how to help. I find it greatly relieving to be able to rely on God and trust His grace for my every need.

Please continue to pray for our safety as we enter Mexico and that we will be sensitive to the Spirit's leading in our serving and ministry.

Texas and Mexico, July/August 2014, Jeremy Griesse

In the eyes of just four of us who went, this 10-day trip was a small, shiny diamond fashioned by God's provision, testimonies, and encouragement.

Aaron drove like a hoss for the whole trip a van with working AC (most of the time), as Savannah, Gennie and I rode along. The joyful, peaceful time with my brother and sisters in Christ on the way down made the 15.5 hr trip from Springfield to South TX go by fast--maybe not to Aaron, who respectively had to be awake this whole time.

This small team watched intently at how God displayed His endeavors being accomplished in His church in the three areas we visited through joy, hurt, discipline, repentance, labor, trust, patience, perseverance, prayer, wisdom, generosity, and grace.

As we met with familiar, friendly Hispanic believers, some conversations involved laughing and relaxing. Some were in awe and reverence at His amazing work of redemption through His Son. Sometimes we had to knuckle down and get to work in moving and documenting supplies or preparing resources for a VBS. Other times involved goofing off, playing soccer on a basketball court, singing Feliz Navidad in August, and cooling off with popsicles and ice cream. All of these times were together just a sliver of God's smiling face, a mere ten days of joy that felt like a minute.

The kindness and generosity seen in the both the Hispanic/Caucasian congregation of Trinity Baptist Church near South TX and Hispanic co-laborers in the Rio Grande Valley area was alone worth the trip. 

We studied some encouraging key truths in Daniel with the brothers and sisters at Trinity, and enjoyed their openness and immediate friendship as we shared a couple Sunday meals.

In the Valley, we met with brothers and sisters from a past church that Psalm 67 worked closely with. Lotta testimonies, lotta joy, lotta food. The Francisco's, namely, lavished us with stories of God's faithfulness and redemptive power in their family, as well as a barbecue feast. I have boasted to her and others for her grilled chicken, saying I would pay $20 for just one piece at a restaurant if I knew it was that good. (I'm not exaggerating, she knows how to do it!)

While in Mexico, I was envious of the time Psalm 67 has previously spent with the congregation in Mexico. Seeing Pastor Candido, Sara, Damaris, Ely, Gil, Abdiel and others in different means of servitude and fellowship was both refreshing and made me want to be with them more.

They helped Savannah and Gennie conduct and prepare a last-minute VBS inviting spirited, lively kids to take part in learning about Christ's reign over the earth. 

My role in the VBS was to provide guitar background as beautiful, rambunctious kids learned different worship songs. I'm grateful that I can't feel my left fingers as I'm typing since we played so many pretty Spanish praise songs.

I also have much gratitude for Sara's patience as we struggled to communicate in alien languages which songs to sing! It was encouraging to witness these "teologitos" (Aaron's term for little theologians) answer tough, but elemental questions about what they had learned in God's Word, as well as key verses they memorized.

A portion of our p.m. time in Mexico, we visited a couple rehab centers inhabiting men, young and old, who have literally been plucked out of their wretched addictions, yet more proof of God's redemptive power. Though these places seem dismal at first glance, the simplicity of their eager welcome and intentional listening has made these groups of men a dear favorite of Psalm 67 and Pastor Candido's church to minister to. One center takes their liberty in Christ very seriously as they dance, sing, jump, and shout in joyful response to their Lord's work in their lives. Not trying to step on anyone's toes here (no pun intended), but we would do the same if we truly knew our redeemed state from distant rebellion to God's loving arms, no?

It was painful to come back, especially since I spent such a concentrated amount of time with my brothers and sisters in Christ, something my soul hasn't been quite used to, unfortunately. But it seemed like God planted a fitly longing for fellowship with Him, as if these ten days were just pictures of the extravagant feast to those who have believed in the ransoming Lamb will be invited.

Praise God for His mercy and grace and may we compel others to partake in His sacrifice!

Romans 5:6-8

Jeremy