February 2 – 11: Zacatecas, Mexico – On Tuesday, February 2 My son Sean, along with Jeff and Linda Ellenwood from Harvest, and Armando D’Angelo from New Jersey, joined me to take the “red eye flight” to Chicago O’Hare Airport en route to Zacatecas, Mexico. The flight down was uneventful, and we arrived in Zacatecas early Wednesday morning. Jesus Ortega (whom we refer to as “Chuy”) was there to meet us at the airport, along with his son Isaac. Chuy, who serves as pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship of Zacatecas, and his wife Maria are our hosts during these mission visits. His son Isaac and daughter Anissa are both students at the University in Zacatecas. Isaac also leads worship at the church.

The weather was rainy and cold for the first couple of days after we arrived, and the hotel where we reside has no central heat. Still, we were happy to be there. Sean had not been there in thirteen years, but for Jeff, Linda and Armando, it has been an annual journey for the past six or seven years. I, of course, usually make the journey at least twice a year for the past fifteen years. I was astonished by Sean’s grasp of Spanish, and he was able to communicate quite well with the Mexicans. Since Chuy and Maria do not speak English, and most team members are not fluent in Spanish, I normally play around a bit with translating conversations. This time, however, Sean was there to keep me at least a little bit honest.

On Wednesday night, our first evening there, we had been invited to a home group. At least a couple of dozen people crowded into the home, and after a time of worship, I shared a message on the “Good Samaritan.” We took some time to fellowship and to pray for a few people before we closed down for the night. On Thursday we spent the day wandering about the city, fellowshipping with Chuy, as we so often do on these trips. Friday night we had supper with Chuy’s mom Maria Elena, his sisters Virginia and Teresa, and his nephew Rory. Some of you know that Teresa had been in a horrible hit and run accident last year, but I stand amazed at her miraculous recovery. On Saturday the team had been invited to a Bible study at a ranch about an hour from Zacatecas. This gave all of us a taste of authentic Mexican culture, once again. Upon leaving the ranch we hurried back to Zacatecas to have supper with Dr. Armando and his wife Angelica, who had given me and my secretary (Lauralee) the honor of participating in their wedding last August. The house was packed with family, neighbors and friends, and after supper we had a time of worship, and then we prayed for a number of the guests.

On Sunday morning after worship, I shared a message on “Jesus Preparing a Place for Us.” When I finished the message, Chuy asked Sean to sing a song. He played a guitar and sang “We Will Dance” – though in English, of course. It’s the first time in a long time that Sean and I had the opportunity to minister together outside of Harvest. After a quick lunch we went to a neighboring city called Jerez, where I shared a message on “Ask, Seek, Find.” Riding in the back of Chuy’s recently purchased Dodge Ram pickup was a real “chiller” through the week, but this night we nearly froze. On Monday, after confirming our airline tickets at the downtown office of Mexicana Airlines, we spent much of the time trying to figure out what to do, as we watched the weather reports coming in regarding the blizzard that was coming into Washington, DC. Monday evening, the night before we were to leave we had an emotional time of sharing together with Chuy, his family, and Mili, Isaac’s fiancé. We closed out the evening by taking communion together, and then returned to the hotel to pack for the trip home on Tuesday.

By Tuesday reports were coming in regarding the snow storm battering the D.C. area, and Stafford. We flew to Chicago, arriving about 6:00 PM, and went to the United Airlines desk to check our flights. We were told we could get a flight out at 9:00 P.M. – on Thursday, that is. So after two nights in Chicago, we would head home; fortunately we caught an earlier flight for 4:00 P.M., but wouldn’t you know it, our flight was delayed as we sat on the tarmac for two hours. I arrived home right at midnight, and was blessed to be back with Kathy, whom I had only seen for about four days in all of January. I was amazed at the amount of snow that had fallen during the storm, probably 30 inches were on the ground. Thankfully, our neighbors had helped Kathy clear the drive and steps. A metal shed that I had erected last year did not fare so well. It buckled under the weight of the snow. But, Kathy was safe, and I was home, so that is all that really matters.

On Friday afternoon we were informed that the Jeep I had rolled over before my trip was a total loss. So we spent Friday afternoon at the Jeep dealership, and came home with a new Jeep for Kathy. I hope I don’t have to buy a new car every Valentine’s eve!

On Thursday, Kathy and I will drive to Pennsylvania to visit Wayne and Joy Haines and their family. Before moving to Pennsylvania, Wayne had served me as a faithful son and worship leader at Harvest. We miss them terribly. So, I close with this prayer: “May God bless you beyond all that you could hope or dream.” Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, as you remain in ours. I am eternally grateful for your love and support. If there is any manner in which we can serve you, please let us know. We truly love and appreciate each and every one of you, and hope to see you in 2010.

Serving Him with you,   Jim