Growing Cold

It has been getting cold here at night. I remember what it is like to be in Illinois in the winter. It can be hard to escape. Fingers and toes, hurting and numb. Cheeks a bit frost-bit. The coldest days are the days the sun shines. And the distinct sound of the snow crunching under the feet. Those cold days are truly something I don’t miss.

Just as those days would be mortal for us were we not to be properly clothed, coldness of heart can be just as mortal, spiritually. We begin to lose our compass and forget what is really important in life. We lose sight of God and become very inward focused. It no longer is important to us the lost condition of the world and we become callous to all that goes on around us.

And it really is hard, because there is so much bad going on all the time. There is so much hurt, even in our own lives. There is war, hunger, disease, and everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. Matthew 24:12 (NIV) says: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”

Dear friends, please don’t forget how much God loves us. And please don’t forget how much people in our churches need love. How much people outside our churches need love. We are God’s instruments in this world. If people don’t see God’s love in us, where will they see it?

May God bless you today as you seek to love someone who needs to understand the love of God and of His Son, Jesus.

The Wedding

Perhaps the most fulfilling thing about being a missionary is being able to take part in people's lives. A few weeks ago we were able to be a part of Jessica and Jean Paul's wedding.

Jessica has been a team member here for about three years. She has been a big blessing to the team and a few young ladies who have needed a godly mentor in their lives. It has been wonderful seeing her grow through her time here.

I've known Jean Paul now for six years. He was one of the first people I met in Queretaro. I have been blessed to see God grow him over the years, to see his heart for ministry, and to call him my friend.

May God bless these two in their new life together as they seek to serve Him.

¿Por Que?

Many of you have heard that we are doing a major restructuring of the ministry. As part of that reconstruction we have planned a major event for July 5th called "¿Por Que?" (Why?). A group of youth leaders from another Horizonte church in Mexico have a really neat program with a concert to follow. The program will deal with relevant topics like: Does God hear us, What do I do with sadness, Dad left us, etc. There will also be activities before the program. We will have rock climbing, coffehouse, videogames, volleyball, ping-pong, live music, and a grafitti contest. Lluvia and I will be in charge of the coffeehouse.

¿Por Que? is an event for middleschool, highschool, and college students. Please pray for this event. Pray that God uses it to touch the hearts of the students here in Queretaro. Pray that these students see Jesus in us.

The Next Step

Maricela had a very bad experience with the church. She was invited to come by a friend who then pressured her to accept Christ during the service. That was some time ago.

Still feeling her hunger for God she started a Bible study with Lluvia. As Maricela felt more comfortable with her, she asked many penetrating questions. After many prayers and a year of study, Maricela decided to accept Jesus by her own initiative.

She continues to be very excited about growing in her relationship with God. Lluvia is currently in the process of encouraging her to take the next step and come to church. Please pray for wisdom for Lluvia and an obedient heart for Maricela.

All Things Beautiful

Sadly, it takes some of us awhile to realize who we are in Christ. Arturo is one such case. We could see the internal struggle taking place within him—his desire to grow pitted against the temptations he faced. He was often down on himself and always seemed to be escaping from something. Many times that something was a less than ideal homelife. That life was the reason he had fallen into the cracks of Mexico City in the first place. It was what pushed him into those dark places again a few weeks ago. I had shared verses with Arturo, like 2 Corinthians 5:17 which states: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)" He always seemed to feel better after hearing those verses. I trust that those verses will come to him again now in the walls of his cell…if we pray.

We are still hopeful for him because we know that "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ"(Philippians 1:6 ESV). God is by no means done with Arturo. It is no accident that he has been in Christian rehabilitation clinics and for years has listened to Christian music. We know God's faithfulness and wait for His answers in His timing. "For everything there is a season,and a time for every matter under heaven…" (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and "He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Please pray for our friend, Arturo. Please pray that God speaks to him where he is, that God heals his heart from years of brokenness, and that he undoes all of the damage that this young man lives with daily.