Hello Everyone,

  Its been a very busy and exciting week here. Those of you who received my last email newsletter read about how I have been working with a group from Montana and Juarez, Mx the past couple of weeks. They found us on the internet and were interested in networking with us. Since my first trip to the canyon with them it seems that we have really stirred things up in the spiritual realm, because everything has been going wrong or breaking. There are some front end parts on my truck that have to be replaced. Both my computers crashed within a couple of days of each other. I was able to get my desktop computer back online and recovered almost all my data. I can look back now and see how satan wanted to use these things to discourage me. 

  I returned on Monday to Bro. Antonio and Ramona's house near El Tejaban where I had stayed at on the first trip. Antonio's sons were there waiting on me with the pack mules ready to go. We loaded all the Jesus film equipment onto them and headed out for the canyon. I had plans to ride on one of the mules, but the mule had other ideas. He must not have liked my looks or gringos in general because he wasn't about to let me get on him and he kept using his head to try and push me off the trail. I decided I would just lead him for a while and try to let him get used to me along the way. 

The trail was very dangerous, narrow, and full of steep switchback turns. A couple of trips before, Antonio lost a couple of mules over the edge of the trail killing them from the fall. As we descended into the canyon the climate changed from the coolness of a February day to a tropical one with dozens of hummingbirds, lush fruit trees and flowers along the way. The lower we got we began to see more and more three and four hundred year old Spanish ruins and terraces. The roaring of the Urique River could be heard far below. We finally reached the bottom of the canyon where there was the remains of an old Spanish mining town. A steel cable had been strung across the river with a little cable car to use when the water was too high. By this time my mule had gotten used to me or was too tired to care and I was able to get on him without any fuss. It was a welcome relief after the 6 or 7 mile hike we had already walked. There was a creek coming out of a side canyon with a trail leading upwards along side of it. We made our way up into the box canyon which was filled with jungle like plants and trees. There were many waterfalls and pools of water along the way. We passed entrances to old mines, some of which are still being used today by the locals to produce gold, silver, lead, copper and precious stones. After over 8 miles of hiking that day, we finally arrived in the village of Guacaivo. There were Spanish houses hundreds of years old with walls 2 feet thick surrounded by every type of fruit tree you could imagine. I spent the rest of what was left of the day resting and meeting the people of the village. Everyone had spread the word that there was going to be a "pelicula" (movie) even though they had no idea what that was. I had planned on showing the film the next night, but since several children showed up I decided to show a cartoon Bible story of David and Goliath. They were thrilled and the adults that came were too. After it was over they wanted to see more, so I then showed them "The Nativity", which they all just loved. 

 The next day we worked on the dormitory, building ramps to access the upper floor. We mixed concrete while the other guys built chairs. Afterwards we did some exploring of the canyon, inviting the people we met to see the Jesus Film that night. We set up the equipment that evening and showed the film to the Indians that came and also the Spanish descent people who still lived in the village. Since Pastor Tomas and his wife had to leave early because of illness, I had to do all the interpreting, introducing the film and the invitation afterwards. I sat next to two or three men of the village that were intensely interested in the film, constantly pointing and talking to one another about the film. Afterwards they told me that this was the greatest thing they had ever seen before and wanted me to bring more "peliculas" for them to learn about the Gospel. This is very unusual and encouraging because not just any outsiders are welcomed in like we had been. So now we are needing more Christian movies to share with them. If we can get the men of the village excited about the Gospel, then their families will follow soon after.

 The day we left the village returning home to Creel, we got up early to get a head start before the mule train left. They passed us before we had even made it half way up the mountain. We had to pace ourselves because of the steep ascent and distance we would have to cover over the next 5 to 6 hours. 

The trip was a great success having touched many people with the Gospel for the first time and helping them get the dorms almost complete for the new school term that begins in September. The group will be returning in May to complete other projects there. They have already invited me to be a part of that upcoming trip. I am thankful for my new friends and fellow laborers: Pastor Tomas Bencomo, Ed (Lalo), Roy, Joshua, Chad, Micah, Shane and Rosenda. I look forward to future outreaches with them.