40 Day Fast: Week 3

Cool Bikers

Day 15: Started the day by thinking of and thanking all of our benefactors. Your help in our ministry is crucial. Without you we couldn't be going out to meet as many people as we have. Today, we had a slow day at our door ministry. It was a busy weekend as the fair and festivities for Saint Anthony's Feast concluded. I will not miss the loud music, rides, or the daily smells of funnel cakes, pizza, and BBQ pouring in from our open top patio. Nap time for the kids came and cut into our time for our usual Monday home visits. I came home from changing the oil and spark plugs in the van. (Compact engines aren't always nice.) We also had invited the Garza Family to our house for dinner instead of having Mari slave over dinner for us as she has been since we arrived in April. I was convinced to share in the meal as I was the one that suggested that Mari take a break. Believe me it was tougher to eat that meal than it was to go without for 6 days! I wasn't going to let it bother me though. I still served a small amount but then realized something. I tasted the food and it was good but I was feeling full. This is way different than before. Before it was "eat everything, don't waste anything". I was also blessed when I heard Tonio ask me how the fast was going. He then told me that once he gets to his new mission post that he will start a fast as well. Praying for Tonio to hear God's will. After our guests left, I quickly remembered about a lady that had come to our door on Sunday asking for an extension cord. She needed it long enough to borrow electricity from a neighbor uphill. We went to the hardware store but they were closed because of the closing festivities of the fair. I checked it out today and they had one 30 meters long. Stacie and I headed to their house. We were about 15 meters short. Thankfully, the lady uphill had another 30 meter long one in her house that she wasn't using. We had to splice it all up and tape it with the sun starting to set. Meanwhile, Stacie was at the house asking the family if they had eaten. It had been two days since this family with 4 children had eaten. After many wiring attempts, we finally got it hooked up. We then swung by the house to pick up a food pack and my Bible. The family was very thankful and we thanked God for making our paths cross. God is good!

Ramon, Angelica and their children

Day 16: Continued making plans for our return to the States in early July. Time is winding down but we have to keep going strong with our ministry. Hard to balance the housekeeping, ministry, and our mission schedule as time flies by. We had our weekly team meeting with the Mexican FMC missionaries. We read/reflect on Matthew 4: 18-22. Jesus calls four fisherman. We were all impressed that Jesus' simple words to "come, follow me" were powerful enough to convince the men to drop everything and do it. It is easy for us to see how it ends for each of them in their walk with the Lord. I commented how it was hard to see that Jesus would want to use us for His mission. I mean how many times have we read or heard that He is calling us? Every day. I also said that the more we heard His calling to serve Him in missions the easier it was to say "Yes!". The call became so strong and so real every time we read Scripture. It is right there in black and white. Written so many years ago but so real and needed in this present day. We do know how it will end for us. Not the details but the big picture. We will be with Him in His glorious presence...forever!

Not me

Day 17: Surprised that I am writing number 17 and not having passed out by now. God's grace is with me in this walk. At the beginning of this fast I was thinking of how long it really is. Days 3-5 were probably the toughest. I am just now feeling a little of the grumblings. Still nothing that makes me want to go in and knock over everyone along my path to raid the fridge. Got curious about Jesus' temptation in the desert. Opened to Luke 4: 1-13. The very first words jumped out. "Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where He was tempted by the Devil for forty days." I, too, was led by the Spirit, after the Pentecost trip that we hosted, to go on this fast. I, too, am being tempted. The Devil really comes at you stronger when you're trying to listen to God's will. Distractions, distractions, distractions. Pray for me to keep going and keep listening...to God.


Day 18: This is our normal day for home visits in La Colonia. God's timing is perfect. Our day was other than normal. We had been thinking about going to Saltillo soon for things we needed. With our first home visit, Dona Marciana asked if we could take her to see her daughter after her cancer surgery. We agreed. Next, we stopped by to see Francisca and Chemo who also needed to go so that they could look for work. Great! Our last visit is with a single mom with 5 children. She needed to go to Saltillo to be present at court because her ex-husband was trying to get custody of her baby son. A perfect 3 for 3 of our home visits got a ride into the big city. We usually visit another in the area but we were afraid they were going to want to go too :P Just kidding. Still a full day tomorrow. Your will be done not mine.


Day 19: Woke up at 6:30am but had a rough night sleeping. The rooms are so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face. I woke up at 3, 415,  and 540am thinking I overslept every time. Finally jumped out of bed and rushed out to get everybody at their home. Our missionary brother here, Gallo, went along, too. Good thing. I didn't know where the courthouse, hospital, or hardware store was. After we took everyone to their places, we went just for a little checkup on the van we're driving. One little squeeky brake turned into all brakes getting replaced, a tie-rod, fuel injectors cleaned, and a new fuel filter! We were there for 6 hours. I kept hearing the word "Patience" again. I was too tired to be impatient. Anyway, the reason I found it a little easier too was because the total bill was coming out to be around $158 for all of that. Seemed like a bargain. Van runs great now in time for our departure two weeks from Friday! Patience is all I have left ;)

Day 20: I forgot to mention earlier that Stacie and the kids didn't get to go with me to Saltillo with the full van the other day. So, today being our FREE day, we all decided to go and spend it there...ALONE! It was a great day to relax and not have others to worry about getting to and fro. I have gotten to know the city a little better and we were able to find everything so quickly. It is a huge relief to me as the driver to know where things are and aren't :) We even got to go into a church where they were just finishing a Mass for some kind of youth program. The priest was hearing Confessions immediately after and that took some pressure off. It seemed like the day went so smoothly after that. We all enjoyed an awesome family day. The kids behaved so well and of course were rewarded with swords, canteens, and other knick-knacks. God was with us blessing us the whole time. Wow! Didn't realize how much time we hadn't had to ourselves! Time well spent.


Day 21:  The third week is complete and I'm going strong into the second half! Especially since Stacie made my favorite dish...enchilada casserole! My tongue said Mmmm but my stomach is saying other things :(  It's weird to taste food today. Went to a rancho for our last Holy Communion Service. We invited Gallo and Rita's family and Dona Marciana (90+ yrs old) and her daughter, Golla(?). Another van-full of people bringing Jesus to the ends of the diocese. It was awesome! We got out and while Gallo strummed the guitar, Stacie and I went door to door inviting people to the Lord's banquet. There was a big group of men gathered outside of a house but we still went up to them and asked them to come. The chapel filled up by the time we headed back. We started the service and I was blessed to see Dona Marciana clapping along to the music. She rarely gets out of her tiny house and she loves to see the different ranchos. I wished we would have thought of inviting more of our home visits to the rancho visits earlier. Plan to do that this week. Anyway, the Lord has been speaking to me a lot in Scripture lately. Today's Mass readings were excellent (as always). The first reading really stood out though. This is the reading I got one night in the Philippines when I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned all night with my eyes wide open. The final days of our mission in Sagay were coming to an end. Suddenly, I heard a voice say "Isaiah 49:3". I got up quickly and started walking to my Bible but at the same time thinking "What if there isn't even 49 chapters in Isaiah? Maybe that voice was just my imagination." Nope! Isaiah 49:3 "He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant; because of you, people will praise me."  WOW!!! I couldn't sleep because I was wondering if we were coming home too soon or that I had failed in our mission. God spoke to me that night so clearly and here He is again in our final two weeks in Mexico saying the same thing! The rest of Chapter 49 is good, too, but I won't write it all down here. Look it up. I was also touched by Padre Juan's homily as I read it to the people. I tried with all my might to choke back some tears. He quoted St. John the Baptist in John 3:30- "He must become more important while I become less important." Then He closed with this prayer: "Senor: Que yo disminuya, para que Tu crezcas. Que yo me opaque, para que Tu brilles. Que yo desaparezca, para que Tu te muestres. Que yo me esconda, para que seas Tu Quien luzcas. Amen."
"Lord: That I may decrease, so that You may increase. That I may dull(?), so that You may shine. That I may disappear, so that You may show Yourself. That I may hide so that You can be the one who is sought(?). Amen."  Looking forward to the next 3 weeks :)