Tuesday, February 15

Dear Praying Friends,

     Last week, Valentine, that's his real name (Valentín), accepted the Lord after the service. Most of our reaching the deaf comes after the services, not as a result of the invitation. Remember, our invitations are probably the first they have ever seen. Most of the time, they hear the message, and one of us will begin to chat with them after the service. When they show interest, we pull them aside and deal with them privately. He had been around preaching before but had never wanted to make the decision. He is a bubbly, friendly man who is happy he got saved.

      At the end of our fiesta yesterday, Pedro was friendly and chatty like old times, but he had missed the last two weeks. He fumbled around in his pockets and I jokingly asked him if he were looking for his cell phone 

(a reference to the phone call made about Armando). He said he didn't have a cell phone, but his face turned red and his countenance fell. I asked him if he were really totally innocent or did he know who and how they made the call against Armando? After stumbling around for a few seconds, he told me who the phone belonged to and that he (Pedro) made the call. He said that Armando needed to take care of his father. I told him since he was not a member, it was none of his business. He stormed out the door.

     I sat dumb-founded for a few minutes. Three weeks ago, Pedro stood at the front of the church and told all of the deaf he had nothing to do with it. Now, he admits he lied and that Armando was called back home because of Pedro's intervention. Pedro has not attended church more than 3 times a year in the last five years, and probably actually less than that. He was one of the deaf who helped us from the beginning and a few years ago just walked off. However, I have always tried to be straight-forward with the deaf (that is part of their culture) and not speak behind their back. Pedro will not be mad that I confronted him, he will be mad that he was called down for interfering in church business when he was not a church member.

     It was good to see the other deaf jump into action yesterday and do the things necessary to have a successful party. Instead of one or two, there was a good number who participated in the preparation, service and clean-up. That always does a leader good to see the whole body function as a body.

     We have heard from several, so we know you are aware of the recent shootings in Guadalajara. They were definitely drug related. The main target was a man with a long record of drug dealing and was from a South American country. They believe that some of those involved in the attack were also NOT Mexican. No, we were not near it, as it happened at a disco at 4:00 in the morning. The war continues and innocent people still get caught up in the crossfire. Last count, six dead, 38 injured.

     Last Friday I was preparing the message for Sunday when we heard a loud boom. It didn't appear to be a backfire, explosion or gunfire. I walked downstairs and commented to Ann, that I thought it might have been something at the tire repair place directly in front of our house, but across the highway. When I walked that way, I saw one of the ladies shooing children back into the house, a man on his cell phone frantically dialing and several people/cars stopping. As I got near the front gate, I saw people around a young man who was lying on his back. He appeared to be moving and later talked with those around him. They kept him on the ground. At first I didn't notice another man across a tire. He never moved. They had been hit by part of an inner tube from a tractor tire that he (the second man) was repairing. It struck him directly in the face. Apparently, the younger man had been hit with lesser force. It took a while, but the Fire Department, Police and Ambulances arrived. They all checked the man over the tire first and then proceeded to the injured man. Obviously, the man over the tire was killed instantly and the younger man received a skull fracture. It shook up the caretaker of this property as he was friends with all of them. It seems the younger man will be OK.  I was able to share briefly with our landlord the need to be prepared for eternity.

     Thank you for praying for us and praying for the Lord to use us. We desperately need to win the deaf for Christ because we know not the hour of His return, nor the hour that the deaf will be called before their Maker. Pray that we will remain faithful to His calling.

Gary & Ann