Dear Praying Friends,
As spring moves into the mountains of Mexico, there is an exciting air of anticipation. With the onset of good weather and longer daylight hours, increased opportunities to minister abound. We are experiencing the Lord�s blessings and appreciate so much all that you are doing to help make this ministry possible. Looking back over pictures of things that we have been able to see the Lord do during our first term, has been a real blessing. It is just amazing to consider all that has been accomplished in four short years. It is a blessing to preach the Word of God in the mission building and to see our people growing in their faith and new people contemplating their salvation. Your prayers are making a difference. Thank you for caring and making a difference.
Our family is well and busy as usual. The days pass by so quickly. 2002 is our furlough year, and while we don�t feel God would have us leave our ministry for a year, we will be making short trips to the US to visit churches and to seek additional support to help meet the needs of the growing ministry. As we mentioned in our last letter, we are living at the mission property and it continues to be a blessing. Slowly but surely, between everything else, we are getting things organized and finishing up construction details. Thanks to friends from the US, we now have hot water. What a blessing! Jessica and Isaac are busy finishing up the remainder of the semester at college and we look forward to seeing them soon. Bethany is working day and night to finish her home schooling. She will graduate this year and we have been looking for something special that she could do for a senior trip. She has an opportunity to take a missions trip to Nicaragua in June to help as an interpreter with an evangelistic medical team. The group is made up of volunteers and she will have to raise at least $1,500.00 dollars. She is really excited and committed to the possibility of going and has been doing all she can to raise money. We told her that we would help her and that perhaps the Lord would allow a church or family to help sponsor her. Bethany is a wonderful young lady who loves the Lord and has already been greatly used in His work. We know that He can use this opportunity to work in her life as she ministers to others. If you would like to help her, she is certainly worthy of your consideration and would appreciate your encouragement.
Our Bible services are going great and the blessing of the larger space continues. Not only do we have room for more adults, we have a place for the small children other than the meeting room. Deb also started a nursery which was made available for the first time last week and had five babies and toddlers. It is a real encouragement to see the increased attention level of the adults without as much distraction. We have been preaching a series on the victorious Christian life. It is very satisfying to see God working in people�s lives and to see them start to understand the difference between religion and salvation. We continue to have visitors, good attendance, and hopefully this month, we will be able to bring in additional chairs. One of our primary goals this summer will be to fill the building. We will be visiting families and knocking on doors. Things are going great but the ministry is not without heartaches.
Last week, we experienced a tragedy that left us all shocked. A month ago, two of our Indian ladies came to church, both with brand new babies. We were really excited and Deb had a good time with the ladies holding the newborns and making over them. She gave them baby blankets and sleepers that were provided by friends in the US. Then last week, we had to travel to Chihuahua to renew our permission papers to minister in Mexico. While we were gone, one of the babies became ill and died. On Sunday, when we arrived from the van route, Deb met us with tears in her eyes and shared the tragic news. Another Indian lady had arrived early and shared what had happened, and that Rosa, the mother, would probably not be coming for church. Rosa and her family live very primitive in a remote area and she is not yet saved.
They took the baby to the witch doctor that the Indian people use. After a time they took her to the medical clinic in town, but it was too late. The baby was buried in a small wooden box, wrapped in the blankets that we gave her. It was the best they had. When the service began that Sunday morning, Rosa did in fact come. Deb was able to minister to her and love her for Christ. Rosa had a frightened look in her eyes and was deeply hurt. It was difficult to see the two ladies that morning, one with her new baby and the other without. If anything good can come from such a thing, it is probably that Deb was able to build a bond with the ladies that has drawn them closer. Please keep Rosa in your prayers. Perhaps in time, God can use the experience of her baby�s death to draw her to Christ.
One of our most exciting blessings this month was the opportunity to minister in several remote villages. God used an evangelistic team of doctors, dentists and nurses to open doors in several ways. For many of the people, it was their only opportunity to receive medical care. Not only did we have a chance to get personally involved with the people as we interpreted for the doctors, we also had the chance to witness and preach the Word of God. We visited eight different towns in eight days. While it was physically challenging, it was also spiritually invigorating. It felt good to be used of God to make a difference for Christ both spiritually and physically. We had the opportunity of leading many people to Christ and laying the foundation for future ministry. In one village, the president invited us to come back and offered the village hall to hold Bible services. We look forward to following up on the work God did that week and praise the Lord for the Christians who cared enough to come and serve the mountain people. It�s tremendous to see how God works!
In our last letter, we mentioned that our town is experiencing one of the most severe economic challenges in its history. Please continue to pray for the families of our community. Many people are without work and families are suffering. People are having to leave to find work. Our young friend, Miguel, who was saved under our ministry and has been such a blessing, has had to go to the city of Chihuahua, 150 miles away, to try to find work. With no financial resources, he had to leave his wife and one year old son here. It is not a good situation. We also shared that two homes in our neighborhood had been burglarized. Since then, the severity of the situation has continued to escalate.
In the last month, friends of ours have had their house burglarized and another neighbor near the mission scared off would-be burglars. It seems like Satan is working overtime and the crisis has opened the flood gates of sin. One man was killed with an ax and another Indian man was found dead with his throat slit. A ten year old girl was brutally molested and left for dead. She is in critical condition. Another young girl, the daughter of a friend of ours, was abducted. She was threatened with a knife and told that if she screamed she would be killed. Thankfully, she was able to break free and ran screaming for help. Neighbors helped her and called the police. She was able to identify the 16 year old young man, who turned out to be the son of our neighbor and lives right next to the mission. His name is Cesar and we have spoken with him on numerous occasions.
All of these things have the town in a tense condition. Women are more cautious when they leave their homes and parents are concerned about their children walking to and from school. We have had to curtail our daughter�s activities away from the mission and are being careful to keep the property secured, especially after sundown. We still need security gates and Lord willing, we will be able to get the materials and start on them soon. It has gotten so bad that the governor said on the radio the other day, that they were going to station a company of soldiers here to help insure safety. While it is still relatively safe, there is reason for concern and we would ask you to keep our family and our people in your prayers. We know that more than ever, the people of this community need Christ and that He is the answer.
There is so much going on and we appreciate your prayers and financial investment in the ministry. It is great to be a part of a team working together and we appreciate the privilege of serving the Lord with you here in the mountains of Mexico. Thank you, for all you do to be a blessing to us. We truly appreciate you and pray God blesses you abundantly!
Sincerely, For Souls Who Have Not Heard,
The Chambers Family
