Recently the Lord has placed a burden on Peg's heart for the Haitian medical students here in Tampico. We often see them at one business establishment or the other, and we have begun approaching those we see and inviting them over to the house. They all take our name and phone number, but none have come yet. In the past few weeks a couple Haitians have moved into a house at the end of our street. We hope to begin a friendship which may eventually touch lives in their homeland as well. 

Ken & Jodi are with us during the spring break at Ozark. Our English classes at the university always enjoy American visitors and so do we - especially these American visitors. Rich & Leta Atkinson are here with around 15 OCC students for a time of evangelism and mission awareness. They are helping pass out some tracts here, then will be off to Hidalgo for some village evangelism. We appreciate the dedication apparent in the lives of so many of His children. Only God can measure the true value of the investment couples like Ken & Jodi, Rich & Leta, and the OCC students make in the Kingdom. 

We want to include a summary of a paper Ken wrote last year after the week of evangelism here in Tampico. 
  

I believe the experience we had when we prayer walked in Tampico brought us closer together as a group and to God - most of all it made us realize the power there is in prayer.  When you give prayer priority in your life, God works through you. 

Results of anything we do for the Lord are not always immediately apparent. God is faithful and when the desire of our heart is to honor him; we submit our will to His and delight ourselves in Him - He will honor our prayers, for our desire and His are the same. 

Hector has come and talked to us and his questions demonstrate a hungry heart. He was not in the university last year, but he lives in a neighborhood Ken and crew prayer walked.  Is it a coincidence Hector came to the university last September and that out of seven possible English groups on his level he wound up in Peg's? I think not. Abigail is a young Christian woman who had taken her eyes off the Lord and was being sucked into the world and its ways. She lives on the corner of one of the streets the men walked down praying for the families in each home. Is it a coincidence that she called us asking for prayer and counsel? No, not at all. Cinthia has been sought out by students at the university who knew her when she was a student there. They ask her about her faith. She earnestly shares what the Lord has done and continues to do in her life with each one of them. We believe last year's prayer walk on the campus prepared the way for Cinthia to minister. 

This past December was exciting as Christian Cerón was baptized on a stormy day early in the month and Adrian Flores was baptized on a calm, sunny Sunday just before Christmas. Fantastic young men! We praise God for their faith. Adrian and his family have moved to Reynosa, about six hours north of us. We miss them, but rejoice in the job God provided for his mother. We keep in touch by mail and telephone. We will be stopping by to share in a brief time of encouragement the end of the month. 

Peg is now finished with the year long course she was taking under the auspices of Cambridge University, London, England at the University of Tamaulipas. It was a stiff course requiring lots of time and research. The professors were excellent and the classes very beneficial. She is now "officially" a teacher. 

I (Jim) made my first trip back to Mexico City in three years to attend the CCC (Christian Correspondence School) annual meeting. It was wonderful seeing so many of the brethren we came to love so dearly during our 25 1/2 years in Mexico City. Our hearts thrilled to learn that the Bible Correspondence Courses are being taken by nearly 3000 prostitutes in Mexico City. A caring Christian became burdened for the souls of the "ladies of the street" and began offering them the courses. Hallelujah. Pray with us for changed lives as the Spirit works in them. Also pray for jobs as these women are going to be out of work! ...Many prison inmates' lives have changed drastically through taking the courses in the prisons. The prisoners get together and study the courses. Many of them have been punished by the guards (solitary, etc.) because the believing prisoners no longer buy or use the items and services sold or promoted by the guards. Instead of becoming discouraged, they are growing stronger all the time. Alfredo and the office staff pray for and encourage them as much as possible. Keep CCC and all the workers before the Throne. It is a difficult but effective ministry. Satan would love to destroy it. He can only do that if we let down the line of defense! Thanks for praying with us. 

While in Mexico City, I got to visit with Steven, Norma, Patricia and Stevie. They made my visit very special. There's nothing like grandchildren's arms wrapped around your neck to make your heart turn to mush... Our ex-neighbor and good friend Luis's wedding was that weekend and it was fun to surprise him and his bride by showing up at the wedding. I almost got a bigger hug than the bride! (Not really) ... By the end of the three days, I was huffing a bit, and was ready to come home where breathing isn't quite such a chore. 

Our hearts go out to all those in the flood zones. We've been watching the progress of the muddy Ohio on the news. How heart breaking for those families to see their homes swallowed up by the river that had so peacefully stayed in its bed for so long. The slumbering giant awakened and shook its mighty fist in the face of all who lived nearby. . . It was encouraging to hear so many of the homeless count their blessings in the face of their great loss. May God bless them with compassionate neighbors and friends, and may they look to God for strength in this real time of trouble. Once again we are made aware of how temporary life here really is. 

Uh Oh - Guess what! The car isn't driveable! Berenice called to tell Peg I wouldn't be home for a while, as I had to figure out how to get the car out of the hole and to a safe place where it could be left unattended. It was Sunday evening and I had taken some of the church folk home. As we went down one of the many pot-holed streets, I swerved from left to right and back again avoiding the bigger of the holes (up to 8 inches deep and 4 feet across), when, kaboom!, The left front wheel hit an open manhole. Result? A snapped constant velocity joint! I didn't see the danger until I was in it. Some people helped me push it up in the carport of an empty house, then gave me a ride home. We got the car to a mechanic on Monday afternoon. He diagnosed the problem and I began the search for the right part. Mechanics in Tampico don't keep parts on hand; the customer has to shop for them. I got the piece the mechanic ordered only to find out it didn't fit... Took it back. They didn't have the right size.... Ordered it from Monterrey... Waited... Picked up the piece... Delivered it to the mechanic, etc., etc., etc. The Lord used that week to help me appreciate the perseverance of our Mexican brethen who always have to rely on the hot, crowded, fume ridden busses for transportation. It is exhausting! 

What an example King David continues to be! His words in Psalm 34 echo through my mind today. "I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." The situation didn't change. The dangers were still present. The battles still raged, but he had peace! God's answer wasn't to pluck him out of the problem, but rather to deliver him from fear as he faced his enemies. A peaceful heart in turbulent times is surely a wonderful answer to our prayers.