Operation GO update

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activities! The volunteer team from Mississippi came and helped distribute the gospel of John to almost 5,000 homes. Half of the team worked with the Divino Salvador Baptist Church and missionaries Noel and Luisa while the other half worked with the newly organized church, El Calvario and us, Ron and Sue. The vision is that two new churches will be planted and El Calvario will grow as a result of the resulting home Bible studies; 183 people requested Bible studies during the gospel saturation effort.

One mother carried her six-month-old everyday morning and afternoon as she knocked on doors delivering the good news. Pastor Daniel’s wife, Lupita, and volunteer, Rod, signed up a lady for a Bible study. When the lady turned back inside and gave the gospel of John to her husband, he ripped it into pieces and began screaming and cursing. Lupita and Rod retreated and prayed for the couple.

We thought that the saturation was work, but the follow-up is hard work! Finding the addresses has been like looking for a needle in a haystack. There is no order or consistency to house numbers. Some houses have two numbers and others no number at all. According to neighbors and supposedly new occupants, several have already moved, and one was reported to have died! When we arrive to study, several say that they are just leaving and ask if we can come back another day. Some have been up all night with sick children, and many just plainly are not at home or do not answer the door.

In spite of all of the above, there have been blessings! Juanita, a fairly new Christian, was Ron’s partner when the lady of the house answered the door and told Juanita that under no circumstances was she interested, because she had her own religious beliefs, which she vividly described. However, before they left her door, she had made an about face and agreed to a Bible study. Norma received us graciously the day of the first study. This week when Sue and her friend, Aurora, arrived, Norma had a friend visiting, and she also sent for her neighbor who studied with us! Six children were with the mothers, and when Aurora volunteered to teach the children next week, they were all elated!

When Ron and Dr. Sam asked a man on the street to help them find a certain person, they also invited the man to study the Bible. He accepted the invitation, and he and Dr. Sam sat on a bench on the sidewalk in front of a house and studied from the book of John. The lady who lived in the house opened the window and listened!! Ron saw the man on the street yesterday, and he pulled out his study book and excitedly indicated that he was anxious to study again.

Pastor Jessie stopped to visit us on his way to visit family members in the town of his birth. He has a burden for his family not only to know Jesus, but to have a church in their town. While visiting us, he participated in follow-up visits and Bible studies. God is working through Mexican Christians to bring the message of Christ to their own people!

God has sent Mary and Larry and their daughter, Andrea to Morelia to lead Operation GO, the gospel distribution project. We are very pleased to have a new missionary family in Morelia!

Please give thanks to our heavenly Father for the work he is doing through all of his servants-especially for those highlighted in the preceding paragraphs.

As you give thanks, please pray for each person or group that is highlighted:

• Pray that God will bring about a church from the follow-up Bible studies in the two new communities. That God will put a hedge of protection around those who are studying so that Satan’s tactics will not frighten them away.
• Pray that Satan will not hinder the continued growth of the new church, El Calvario.
• Pray for more workers. There is a shortage. Thank God for those He has called.
• Pray that those leading Bible studies will walk closely with the Lord and not become discouraged.
• Pray for the pueblo of Aquililla (ah-key-lee-yuh), Jessie’s hometown. Pray for God to send a laborer to plant a church there.
• Pray for OPERATION GOSPEL OUTREACH, Larry and Mary, and future Mississippi volunteers.