17 And Counting - A Photo Journal

“What, today is my birthday?”

Proud parents of a fine young man

Chelsea has the idea that everyday is her birthday

Three Amigos

On today's menu: one huge cemita

The celebration began before Tyler left for the U.S.

Good ole homemade American apple pie for the dessert

The Master Plowman

From time to time I run across a story that is so vivid and insightful that it touches the soul and just begs to be posted. The Master Plowman is just such a story:

One day in early summer I walked past a beautiful meadow. The grass was as soft and thick and fine as an immense green Oriental rug. In one corner stood a fine old tree, a sanctuary for numberless wild birds; the crisp, sweet air was full of their happy songs. Two cows lay in the shade, the very picture of content.

Down by the roadside the saucy dandelion mingled his gold with the royal purple of the wild violet.

I leaned against the fence for a long time, feasting my hungry eyes, and thinking in my soul that God never made a fairer spot than my lovely meadow.

The next day I passed that way again, and lo! the hand of the despoiler had been there. A plowman and his great plow, now standing idle in the furrow, had in a day wrought a terrible havoc. Instead of the green grass there was turned up to view the ugly, bare, brown earth; instead of the singing birds there were only a few hens industriously scratching for worms. Gone were the dandelion and the pretty violet. I said in my grief, “How could anyone spoil a thing so fair?”

Then my eyes were opened by some unseen hand, and I saw a vision, a vision of a field of ripe corn ready for the harvest. I could see the giant, heavily laden stalks in the autumn sun; I could almost hear the music of the wind as it would sweep across the golden tassels. And before I was aware, the brown earth took on a splendor it had not had the day before.

Oh, that we might always catch the vision of an abundant harvest, when the great Master Plowman comes, as He often does, and furrows through our very souls, uprooting and turning under that which we thought most fair, and leaving for our tortured gaze only the bare and the unbeautiful.

Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, Streams in the Desert (Zondervan Publishing House, 1925) July 3, p.212

House of Prayer

My first meaningful encounter with “House of Prayer” came while reading Jim Cymbala’s book Fresh Wind; Fresh Fire a few years ago. At that time the reality of prayer was definitely on the backburner of life and ministry as I tried desperately to make it all work successfully. I was challenged that nowhere in the Bible does it say, “My house shall be called a house of preaching.” Nor does it say, “My house shall be called a house of music.” What it does say is “my house will be called a house of prayer for the nations.” Those words along with some fine examples of praying men were the beginning steps on a road to a more prayerful life .

When we arrived in Mexico Danilo and Ingrid shared with our group the story of the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­DMG (German Missionary Fellowship). It seems the mission was in need of a new facility but without the necessary resources to do much about it. One day while the staff was in prayer, an elderly lady arrived to speak to the director. She had to wait, but when finally introduced she informed the director she wanted to donate her house to the mission! Her house did not become their new facilities, but the sale of it led to the purchase of the place that did. Eventually Mark 11:17 was adopted as their theme verse and was prominently displayed in what had once been a home for boys as well as a tavern. Later a historian came, snooped around a bit, and inquired why they selected this particular verse. It was then the mission learned the rest of the story. This exact property had been the property of Mennonites. They too had selected this exact same theme verse – three hundred years ago. Their prayer was that God would use this place that the Gospel would be preached in the whole world.

Inspired by this story and blessed by a special gift from some friends we now have a beautiful wood work hanging in our home too. It seems very appropriate for it reminds us to have a home that’s a house of prayer for the nations – inspired by a family from Germany, provided by a couple from Canada, hanging in Mexico in the home of a family from the United States.

Let’s top this entry off with a report from Pray! Magazine: A Baptist church decides to “use prayer” to change a low-income apartment complex of 200 units. They rent an apartment and move one of their couples into it for the specific purpose of setting up a neighborhood house of prayer to serve the other 199 apartments.

The couple prays for a few weeks, and then with the help of teams form the church, contacts all the other units, asking residents if they have prayer requests. All seem to be excited about the idea of having a house of prayer in their complex. Sixty percent invite the teams into their homes, and some break down weeping at the thought that someone would pray for them.

Violence and vandalism are lowered to the point that the owners of the complex offer to give the apartment free of charge and offer other free apartments in similar complexes! Within two years very effective social ministries are spawned by this house of prayer.

(“Prayer Can Change a City, One Neighborhood at a Time,” John F. DeVries; Pray! Magazine)

Tedious And Troubling But True

As I have written before, on December 12th Mexico celebrates the apparition of Guadalupe. What better way to enter into the grip of her influence than to read over these names and descriptions. It’s tedious to read. It’s troubling that characteristics reserved only for our Lord are given to her. But it’s a true representation of her influence and honor.

Virgin Mary…also known as: Adam's Deliverance; Advocate of Eve; Advocate of Sinners; All Chaste; All Fair and Immaculate; All Good; Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin; Aqueduct of Grace; Archetype for Purity and Innocence; Blessed Among Women; Blessed Virgin Mary; Bridal Chamber of the Lord; Bride of Christ; Bride of Heaven; Bride of the Father; Cause of Our Joy; Chosen Before the Ages; Comfort of Christians; Comforter of the Afflicted; Conceived Without Original Sin; Consoler of the Afflicted; Co-Redemptrix; Court of the Eternal King; Crown of Virginity; Daughter of Men; David's Daughter; Deliverer From All Wrath; Deliverer of Christian Nations; Destroyer of Heresies; Dispenser of Grace; Dwelling Place for God; Dwelling Place of the Spirit; Ever Green and Fruitful; Ever Virgin; Eve's Tears Redeeming; Exalted Above the Angels; Feast of the Immaculate Conception; Flower of Jesse's Root; Formed Without Sin; Forthbringer of God; Forthbringer of the Ancient of Days; Fountain of Living Water; Fountain Sealed; Free From Every Stain; Full of Grace; Gate of Heaven; God's Vessel; Handmaid of the Lord; Healing Balm of Integrity; Health of the Sick; Helper of All in Danger; Holy in Soul and Body; Hope of Christians; House Built by Wisdom; Immaculate; Immaculate Conception; Immaculate Heart; Immaculate Heart of Mary; Immaculate Virgin; King's Mother; Lady Most Chaste; Lady of Good Help; Lady of Grace; Lady of Mercy; Lady of Peace; Lady of Perpetual Help; Lady of the Rosary; Lady of Sorrows; Lady of Victory; Lamp Unquenchable; Light; Lily Among Thorns; Madonna; Mary the Blessed Virgin; Mary; Blessed Virgin; Mary; Help of Christians; Mary; Mother of God; Mary; Queen of Angels; Mary; Queen of Peace; Mary; Minister of Life; Mirror of Justice; More Beautiful Than Beauty; More Holy Than the Cherubim; Morning Star; Most Venerable; Mother and Virgin; Mother Most Admirable; Mother Most Pure; Mother of Divine Grace; Mother of God; Mother of Good Counsel; Mother of the Church; Mother of the Mystical Body; Mother of Wisdom; Mother Undefiled; My Soul's Saving; Mystical Rose; Nature's Re-Creation; Nature's Restoration; New Eve; Nourisher of God and Man; Only Bridge of God to Men; Our Immaculate Queen; Our Lady; Gate of Heaven; Our Lady; Mother of the Church; Our Lady of Calvary; Our Lady of Charity; Our Lady of Consolation; Our Lady of Guadalupe; Our Lady of High Grace; Our Lady of Peace; Our Lady of Perpetual Help; Our Lady of Providence; Our Lady of Ransom; Our Lady of Sorrows; Our Lady of Victory; Our Lady of the Incarnation; Our Own Sweet Mother; Perfume of Faith; Preserved From All Sin; Protectress From All Hurt; Queen of Heaven; Refuge in Time of Danger; Refuge of Sinners ; Seat of Wisdom; Second Eve; Vessel of Honor; Victor Over the Serpent; Virgin Most Merciful; Virgin Most Powerful; Virgin Most Pure; Virgin of Virgins; Woman Clothed With the Sun

The Papaw & Mamaw Journal

Monday – 30 minutes to the bus station, 2 hours on the bus to the airport, 2 hours wait in the airport, 2 hours back to Puebla, 45 minutes to drive home. I guess you get the picture of what this day was like. By the time we visited, gave out all the goodies they had brought and ate supper we were pretty much shot.

Tuesday – If you know us very well you know that long meetings to discuss philosophy and ministry are the norm for Pastor Pfleger and I. We did it for 17 years so why should it be any different in Mexico? Today we attended a team meeting together. Our team is taking its first steps in setting direction for our ministry here. For lunch he and I had another meeting with our team leader. Later in the day we visited Tecali a community known for its marble and onyx and bought a ton of souvenirs. I guess you have to have one late night conversation when visitors come – tonight was it.

Wednesday – The double-decker open air bus tour was the highlight of this day as we toured Puebla. In late afternoon the girls took their grandparents to Italian Coffee Company to hang out and play Dutch Blitz together. We also had our traditional pre-Thanksgiving Day piece of pumpkin pie. :o) I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Thursday – It was a nice, relaxing, conversational Thanksgiving Day. That is except for slaving over dinner and cleaning up, but it was a great meal. Afterward we enjoyed a family game of Battleship. There was a Thanksgiving Day first for us - hearing crickets.

Friday – Today was all about family traditions. We decorated our home for Christmas as we do every Friday after Thanksgiving. This evening we continued with another tradition – nutritious hot dogs, chips and coke for supper. Tomorrow we will skip ahead a few weeks and celebrate our traditional Christmas breakfast with Diana’s parents.

Saturday – After a delightful Christmas breakfast we headed over to the Park where Maria and Christina had opportunity to display their recently acquired horsemanship skills. Another highlight of the day was going down to the Carmen Market to watch them make and to eat their city famous Cemitas.

Sunday – Going to church today was a marathon. No, really, there was a marathon on the highway near the church which resulted in some pretty crazy creative driving to arrive for the service 45 minutes late. It was worth the extra effort to hear Pastor Steve Bell and his admonishment to follow the words of Mary in our lives, “Do whatever He tells you.”