Finishing Well

Monday, July 23rd:

Only 20 more days and I will be home! Not that I'm counting or anything! Actually, I'm finding it a little hard to concentrate these days because I am thinking so much about home. I have been praying to the Lord and asking Him to give me the strength to finish well. I don't want to just put in time for the last three weeks that I am here. I read this verse in Acts 20 today, and it described exactly how I feel: "...if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me..."

I also read this verse in Haggai 2:4 today and it said this: "Yet now be strong, alert, and courageous says the Lord; be strong, alert and courageous..." I felt very strongly the other day during our time of prayer that I need to be vigilent and alert, and not to let my guard down and just try to coast through the rest of my time here in México. I know that the enemy is ready and waiting at the door to pounce if he is given the slightest opening.
We've had a very busy couple of weeks - I had the incredible opportunity to attend my first Méxican wedding. It was absolutely beautiful. I hope to have some pictures and a write up soon.
Then we took a team from Tennessee up to the mountains again for a few days. (Only 15 people this time, so cooking was a breeze! I'm thinking about going into the catering business!) And then we attended a conference at the church in Zacatecas on the weekend.

They decided to hold a healing service on Sunday evening, and on Sunday afternoon the team went out around the city and passed out invitations to people to bring anyone that was sick and wanted prayer to the church on Sunday night.


I have to say that I was amazed at the number of people that showed up for prayer. You just invite them and they come, simple as that! I saw one lady walk in with a neck brace on, and when she walked out her husband was carrying it in his hand. And we prayed for a man who was deaf, and at first he said that he could hear a very faint noise, so we continued to pray for him for a while longer, and suddenly he said that he could hear out of one ear! He and his wife stayed for two hours just watching what was going on in the church. I am believing God that he will be completely healed. There was another man that said that only a couple of days before he had found out that he had been cut out of his family inheritance, so he decided to leave his town and come to Zacatecas to start over again. He was out on the street in the afternoon and one of the team members handed him an invitation to the church on Sunday night. He took it as a sign of starting over, and came to the church and got saved!

Sometimes it's hard not to be depressed and worn down by all of the poverty and oppression that I see around me. I have to remind myself that in the midst of all of this God is doing an incredible work in the hearts and the lives of the people. And they are so hungry to receive it. God truly is more powerful than anything.