Dear brothers and sisters,

 

It’s time for another update from El Paso. Wow! It’s amazing how quickly the time goes by! Work at Montana Vista continues to progress. Kevin and I are rotating preaching and teaching the teens while Alicia, Romie, and Becky are teaching the kids. (Becky, her husband Mark and their daughter Markie started attending Montana Vista and working with the kids before we got here). The teenagers so far are all girls, and almost all those who attend are women! We have had difficulty reaching out to the men of the area, so please pray for our efforts in this regard.

 

Romie and I are now in the process of buying a house, since our lease will be up at the end of May. The hardest part is the initial money we must come up with, so please pray that all goes well in this process.

 

We are actually looking forward to getting out of town this Spring Break! We will be going up to Lincoln National Forest to camp with my sister and her family. Her husband’s cousin lives here in El Paso and has been struggling with some things in his life, so they are wanting us to get to know him and possibly bring him to the Lord. He will probably be joining us for camping, so perhaps the grandeur of God’s creation will do the talking! We would like to see the Gobles while there (since they will be in Cloudcroft) but don't know if it will be possible. How terrible to be so close and yet unable to see one another. Maybe God will work it out so we can.

 

I’ve run into several folks while working down town who are asking for change. I have begun talking with them about the gospel, but still there is only minor response. It is amazing how saturated the U.S. is with “Jesus talk,” yet there are so many people who REALLY need Him in their life! What a peace he brings, and what hope! While hope seems like such a fundamental and joyful message, many seem more responsive when the idea of eternal punishment is presented! What a sad motivation. But we know that the gospel of Jesus is not being sown in vain, but will grow in those hearts that are plowed and ready for planting! I feel somewhat like Gideon – a tiny army in the midst of hundreds of thousands! Yet this is for God’s glory, and perhaps one day the entire city of El Paso, Juárez, and the surrounding communities will hear the wonderful message. But it starts one soul at a time!

 

We are excited about receiving the gifts of clothing and hygiene products from Lubbock. Not only will these things bring joy to those who desperately need them, but will bring us joy as we see the love of God being poured out from our dear brothers and sisters from Parkway, Monterrey, and Central. Thank you in advance for these gifts, and a special thank you to Madeline Nemick for not only organizing these things, but for giving us a call and chatting with us!

 

Please continue praying for Mayela as she struggles to be a single mom and the decisions she must face; for Vero and her priorities; for Chayo as she grows in the Lord; and for her husband Mario as we strive to prick his heart with the gospel. The Lord can do AWESOME things, and we are merely the lowly vessels through whom he chooses to glorify himself.

 

May God continue to bless you all as you work for him!

 

In Christian Love,

Lonnie Tapscott and family