Walk In to Junior High

Now you have a special chance to walk into my junior high class. I have invited some of my students to participate in my blog conversations, so we'll see if they come along to practice English.

To all of my students, Welcome! I hope you enjoy getting a special peak into my life as a missionary and professor.

Mixing the Two/Going Against the Grain

I was reflecting on the location of my apartment last night as I was walking to the corner store at 11:30 to buy ice. My location is perfect for starting a fellowship of people of different socio-economic backgrounds. To the north of my apartment is an upper-middle class area (Ampliación Los Angeles) that would parallel many common North American neighborhoods, and everything to the south is a poor area (called Moderna) with many people out in the streets until the wee hours of the morning.

Moderna has many more visible evidences of need for the Gospel because the people are more visible. In Ampliación Los Angeles people stay in their houses more, and it will be more of a challenge to enter into their lives and get to know them without some specific connection. It will be beautiful to see fellowship in Christ between to groups that society does not permit to meet together.

The Beautiful UAL

These are some natural photos from the university where I teach. I just started my classes today. Things are going great with the students, unfortunately we are having problems working out the paperwork so that I can get paid.

Marcos and Mormons

Yesterday I went to the beginning of a seminar on teaching English as a Foreign language in Mexican Junior High Schools. It was quite interesting to get that insight as an outsider, but what was even more interesting was that God lead me to visit with two young teachers that turned out to be Christians. This was a gathering of over 100 English teachers from all over Torreón, and the two I visited with on our break were Christians!

Even more interesting to me was that one of the guys is a family friend of Marcos Witt. He grew up in Durango nearby, which is Marco's stomping grounds. The fellowship we had together was encouraging, and they were my first new friends in Torreón.

Later as I was leaving the school building, I met up with several Mormon missionaries who had just finished a regional meeting. I think it was pleasant for those on both sides of the religions to have found fellow Americans, and they were suprised that I knew about their religious background and history. I think I won some special respect, and they already have my respect because the Mormon missionaries have been good to me all over the world, even in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.

FUN STUFF

A Weekend Update

Hey Guys,

Now that I am in my own house, I don't have constant access to the internet. I will be trying to access every one or two days to keep communication up. I would love to hear from all of you.

I would like ask for your prayers for Leslie's family. Financially it is a very difficult time for them. The family restaurant is going under because clients just aren't coming, and Leslie's brother's boss has not paid him in more than 2 months. Apparently he will not pay him, and her brother is looking for other business opportunities. We are all quite strapped, and Leslie and I are having to help provide for them temporarily. Together we will make it through by God's grace.

I met two of my neighbors today, which are two university students that live in the other building in my complex. I also met the guy who lives across from me; he is a part of the intelligence agency that investigates drug traffic. Interesting mix, and definitely great opportunities for ministry.

Again, thanks for your prayers and generosity. May God continually bless you all.

Signing out for tonight,
Brian

Study Room

Plenty of Shelves

Kitchen

This kitchen is next to the breakfast room, separated by the breakfast bar that can be seen in the photo of the breakfast room.

Wash Room

This room is completely screened-in, but receives plenty of natural light and fresh air. I wash my clothes on a scrub board (tallador), and hang the clothes to dry on the line.

Hallway

Same hallway : 2 different pictures

Breakfast Room

Tio Josué, Esther, and Leslie

Master Bath

Yes, that is a wirlpool!

Our Bedroom

Just mine until October when Leslie and I get married.
Currently I'm sleeping on a pallet blankets on the floor.

Guest Bath

Before Cleaning

Living Room

Living Room (otherwise known as the cathedral)

Dining Room

The dining room right as you enter the house.

New Apartment! & Pics Coming

Tuesday we received a green light from the Lord, and Leslie and I rented our first apartment (which will be for me until we get married on October 7 here in Torreón). Our landlady is from an Arab family that is super nice. It turns out that even though our apartment is not in the same city, Cecilia (our landlady) attends a Bible study in the home of one of the members of the congregation in Lerdo.

(Click here for a map of the area)

Another exciting fact is that last month our pre-marital counselors looked at and considered the same apartment. They own a Christian bookstore in Gómez Palacio across the state line, and our landlady has been to their store. When Leslie and I rented the apartment, we didn't know about any of these connections! Crazy considering that we live in a metroplex of over 1 million people!

The apartment is way beyond anything I had ever dreamed of living in, and the price was the same as that of many other tiny places we had seen that were much less luxurious. God had an awesome blessing in store, and we praise his name. Thank you for your many prayers.

I am taking some of Leslie's batteries to my apartment today to take some pictures so that hopefully I can have some up for you tomorrow. I think you'll be impressed.

Prayer for Health Needed

I ask for your prayers for my health over the next few days. I have had a respiratory infection that started a week ago, and I began taking an antibiotic to knock it out. The antibiotic apparently has not had effect and my doctor says I should have already been well. I am going to begin taking another antibiotic today that is stronger to see if we can overcome. Most of all we ask the Great Physician to heal and restore complete health. Thank you for your prayers and concern.

A Sandy View

This is a view of Sam's Club across the boulevard from Leslie's house during a sand storm. They are pretty mean around here.

El Vado Turned Rio

Here in the region of the Laguna, there is a dry riverbed that divides the two largest cities of this metroplex, Torreón and Gómez Palacio. The call a dry riverbed "un vado", and my guess is that this comes from the Arabic word "wadi" for a dry riverbed. The bed of the Rio Nazas is quiet wide, and soccer fields and basketball courts have been developed side-by-side along the length of the vast area.

Several months ago I saw a large photo at Mc Donalds of the Rio Nazas full of running water. They say this happens once every 40 years or so. Since that day I have said with a prophetic tone that I would see that day come soon when water would flow in that river.

Well, I am here to tell you that that dry sand is soaked from the recent rains and water is standing throughout parts of the no-longer dry river bed! I praise God for the abundant rain he has sent to this region.

Concluding House Search Soon

Leslie and I have been looking for a house for almost a week-and-a-half and I have completely worn myself out. I am trying to rest this afternoon to get over a case of laryngitis. Hopefully I can make a deal on a house in the next day or two and move on to other things.

For the last two Sundays I have been working with children at Leslie's church. Until I have a base of new Christians to start a new congregation in Torreón, that will be my home church. There were 34 children in my class today! but at least we had five teachers to help out.

In a few minutes Leslie's small group comes over for Bible study and fellowship. I'm going to go help get ready for that. May God shower his riches graces and mercies upon you through his Spirit.

More Rain in the Desert

It has been raining here quite frequently here still in the desert. It has been really nice because it makes the afternoons and evenings a little cooler, but quite muggy.

Leslie and I are just about to choose a house. We are down to two options and hopefully tomorrow we will be able to close a deal. Once I get settled in and find my battery charger, I'll be able to take pictures and let you see a little bit of my new world here.

I went to the university today and met with the university president. He was telling me of good memories with my grandfather and my mom's family. He also said that they are wanting to change some of my classes and give me classes in the afternoon in their new developing language center that will offer classes to the community.

This will be an excellent way to establish contacts for future evangelism. I have to spend time getting to know people and learning culture here before I can be an effective missionary.

Pray that God will begin preparing the cultivating the hearts of the my students and colleagues, and that he will open my eyes to opportunities to minister. We want God's reign to come along with the rain he has sent!