Category: Mexico

I mentioned to you a few months back how Elendis loved the Jon Guerra song and wanted to do it in P. I enjoyed carving out a translation with him of Jon’s beautiful song and doing it in P. I’m still waiting to hear Elendis’ final version of this song, since he can sing so much better than me, but in the meantime I thought I’d send you the version which I did together with my son Jared here in my studio in Canada.

Here’s the mp3 file. Put on some good speakers or headphones and click here:

What really touches my heart about this song, is, well obviously the words of our Lord and Jon’s beautiful rendition of music, but on top of that what is really special to me is Jared’s participation. He came over to the studio and did several layers of keyboard pieces which, as you can hear, were so creative and beautiful. It was so fun and special to work with Jared. He’s so talented. I told him I wished we had time to just hang out and make music. This version we did in one night, lol, so it makes me think how we could make things if we had more time.

Anyway, just sending it off to you to enjoy and to be praying for the P’s. Elendis texted me last week and again yesterday saying, “My brother, the song “Follow Me” is blessing us so much. We are rejoicing in our Lord so much over it.” Then this morning he asked if I would translate the lyrics also into Spanish, which I did this morning and sent him a sung version in Spanish.

So another message of our Lord goes out to the P nation in form of music and is reaping fruit. Attached are a few photos of Jared and me in the studio.

t.

Here are the lyrics of the original Jon Guerra song “Take Up Your Cross” in English:

If anyone would come after me
Let him deny himself
Take up his cross
Follow me

If anyone would come after me
Let him deny himself
Take up his cross
Follow me

Whoever would save his life
Will lose it
Whoever loses his life for me
Will find it

If anyone claims to worship God
Let him give all away
Take up his cross
Follow me

Whoever would save his life
Will lose it
Whoever loses his life for me
Will find it

What would it profit a man
If he gains the whole world
And forfeits his soul
What would it profit a man at all

What would it profit a man
If he dies with a barn full of silver and gold
What would it profit a man at all

If anyone would come after me
Let him deny himself
Take up his cross
Follow me

Here is the YouTube link for the song Take Up Your Cross by Jon Guerra

Thank you so much for the prayers and encouraging notes regarding our second Bible Study in Spanish which was on Friday.

In summary it went very well, though not as expected. We had 7 new people and then we were missing 4 of the people that came the previous Friday. I was sensing something like this potential and for whatever reason was uneasy that afternoon. Therefore your prayers were much appreciated and I feel like the Lord guided me through the study.

A man named Toni showed up. He was bilingual Spanish/English. He actually showed up to the English Bible study at 5pm and stayed for the Spanish one at 7. I REALLY enjoyed him! He has a heart to know God and was meek, yet hungry and zealous. His participation in the study showed his hunger and appreciation for God. After the study was over he spoke to me and said, “I’ve been looking for a church to go to and I’ve never felt so much peace at a church as I did tonight.” Toni is sitting to my right.

Two others, of the new people that came, were Osvaldo (Oswald) and his grandmother Laura. Oswald is a 14 year old boy who is sitting to my left in the photos. Laura is sitting next to Oswald.

Several weeks ago, Jorge and I went out for dinner and a visit. While we were deep into our conversation a lad came to our table asking if we wanted to buy candy. In Mexico here, it’s very common for vendors to come into the restaurant and sell their products. Oswald goes to school during the week, but on the weekends he travels from Empalme (25 minutes away) on the bus into San Carlos to sell candies and try to help make a living with his grandmother Laura. Oswald’s father died years ago, and his mother left him, so he and his two brothers live with their grandmother in Empalme. Oswald is a bright young man, very curious about life and is a deep thinking. He wants to become a pilot. A few weeks later, Jorge and I went back to the same restaurant to visit some more. Guess who showed up? The same boy. During these encounters we have built a bit of a friendship with Oswald and invited him to the Bible study. Low and behold he showed up with his grandmother Laura!

Jorge, knew they would be coming and asked the church to bring some food items to help them with. All this to say, that when it came time for the study, it was difficult to know whether to continue on from last week (as I had planned) or to do some review since there were 7 new students and 4 missing from the last study. So, I decided to review and I catered the first part of the meeting to Oswald. I asked him to read the text we were studying, then we unpacked each item that was written there in Hebrews 1:1-3.

It’s always edifying to spend time pondering the truth written on the pages of our Bibles. It’s always edifying to stop and consider each word and the meaning behind each word in search of the thought in the author’s heart who penned the words. Ultimately it’s edifying to consider all these truths and to realize that they come from the heart of God who desires to communicate them with us, because He loves us. Oswald and Laura left with their hearts filled and with bags of groceries. She later expressed her gratitude. I hope they come back next Friday.

Below are photos of Friday’s meeting and also a photo of Jorge and Oswald from one of the nights at the restaurant.

Click photo to expand; use back arrow to return here

Click photo to expand; use back arrow to return here

Click photo to expand; use back arrow to return here

Click photo to expand; use back arrow to return here

Thanks again,

t.

Just a quick note to ask for your prayers for our second Bible Study tonight at 6:45pm PST. I understand there will be more people coming, one of which is a young man/boy 14 years old, Jorge and I met on the street named Osvaldo.

I’m just preparing now for the study. Your prayers are appreciated.

t.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7

Yesterday was a refreshing exercise for me. There were too many unknowns as I contemplated the different people that were likely to come to the Bible study. As I went about my work, I found my mind going back to this question and just not having peace about any specific topic or book to teach. I laid down in my hammock at about 2pm and took a nap. When I woke I just started to voice my anxieties to the Lord out loud. As I prayed in this way the words of Jesus came to mind, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” It dawned on me in a refreshing way that it was Jesus who would do the work and I articulated it to Him just so, “Lord YOU will build your church, – not me. Build it Lord.” Just like that I felt a weight lift off me. It’s funny how we learn this, and then we forget it and we end up needing to learn it over and over again. We are meant to walk by faith, every day. What a joy to know that the work is the Lord’s. We merely are His co-laborers. We can plant and water, but it’s the Lord who makes things grow.

Thank you for praying for me and for sharing your suggestions. There were so many options mentioned, all of them good and all of them may likely take place in their time. Without knowing who would come to the study (I knew some of my old students were coming, but I didn’t know if any of the friends from the street would show up.) and wanting to have scripture study pertinent to them all it was a challenge indeed. Finally it all came together at about 4pm. Jesus Christ is the topic! The Lord led me to Hebrews chapter 1. Wow, it is so rich and full. I wished I could go through it again now with you too.

Nobody from the street came last night. Everybody was a believer (though one young lady I don’t know). Together with Robin and myself there were 9 of us (and two children). What precious souls. What clean slates, attentive, hungry, gentle souls. They sat around the table with note books and pens in hand. The study lasted 1.5 hours and we only got through the first 3 verses. Even at that I felt as though we had to leave out so much.

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Hebrews 1:1-3

Who is God? What is your concept of Him? What are the ways He spoke? Who did He speak to? Who were the Hebrews? What are the last days? Who is the Son? Why is He “Son of God and son of man? What is an heir? Why are we heirs too? What is the image of God’s person? What is God like? What is the place of man in God’s creations? Why did the Son need to be a man? How is the material world held together? What is the Word of God? Why is it powerful? What are sins? Why did they need to be purged? What is the majesty on high? Where is “on high”? What is the “right hand” as opposed to the left?

I mean, how can you get through all that in an hour and a half?! There is SO much meat to every one of these questions. FASCINATING STUFF! The humanity and the divinity of Christ is so imperative and such a mystery at the same time and beyond finding out. The study was rich to say the least and I think we were all blessed by the Lord. I am looking forward to next Friday where we Lord willing will get through the rest of the chapter.

I’m still undecided about exactly where we will go after that as I don’t know who will be coming. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be, a walk of faith.

Thank you so much. You were a tremendous support to me – truly.

t.

Since 2005 when the government of Venezuela evicted us from working within indigenous territory, God led Robin and I to work with the P’s based out of Mexico as it a half way between Venezuela and Canada. It has proven to be a good location to base out of and God blessed us all with the completion of the NT translation in P. In the meantime, living here each year has connected us also to the lives of the local Mexican community both English and Spanish speaking. We have enjoyed developing friendships and being involved in additional ways. One of those ways was teaching Bible classes in a Spanish Bible school here, but another way was connecting us to our now good friends Jorge and Sole and Agape Christian Fellowship.

It’s a strange thing the way the Lord works. Jorge and Sole are Mexican/Argentinian who live in Mexico are now planting an English speaking church here called Agape. We’ve been involved with them in that. One of the things we have talked about, now for a few years, is branching out the outreach of Agape to also include the Spanish speaking community. We’ve been talking about this for years. There are many Spanish speakers that we meet here, who have interest in spiritual things and there is nowhere really to direct them. So we feel the Lord is leading us to start a Spanish speaking Bible study at Agape on Friday evenings. The first study will start tomorrow and there are already many interested people. I will lead the first one.

Click photo to expand; use back arrow to return here

Click photo to expand; use back arrow to return here

I was originally thinking that the book of Acts would be a wonderful study as many of my previous students from the Bible school will be attending. But since just a few days ago when we announced the study, there has surfaced interest from some of our non-churched and likely unsaved Mexican friends who want to come too. So I’m rethinking the study and wondering if teaching a gospel or even an overview of the Bible would be a better topic to meet the needs of all.

Anyway, I have to start tomorrow night and I’m not sure which way to go. 1. An overview of the Bible, 2. Acts or 3. A gospel.

I wonder if you would just take a moment to pray for Jorge and I to know what would be the best way to go here and have peace about it. Also that the Lord would bring to the study those He desires to be there and most importantly that we would be filled with His Spirit as we seek to learn from Him in this format.

Thank you,

t.