Hi ho, Hi ho, it's off to the chair store we go...

There are so many things I love about the Mexican culture:
**There's always time for friends.
**Friends claim a high importance in each other's lives.
**Family, especially each precious child, is of great importance.
**Need help??? Ask a Mexican. They live to be of help to others.
Put all these qualities together and plan a special Sunday Celebration complete with a drama, refreshments, and special music---And what do you get??? Ninety-five people to sit in eighty chairs!!! Oh ye of little faith... The baby Christians here understand the great gift God has given them; and they have no problem in sharing their excitement with their friends, family and co-workers.
What an amazing Sunday we had!!...And all the more wonderful because if anything could go wrong, it did that morning--computer problems, powerpoint mix ups, running to the store for cups, sugar, more water, one of the drama actors suddenly fell sick. But through it all, Jesus shined!!! The Lighthouse Everything Drama was amazingly powerful as the drama troupe depicted the spiritual battle between the love of Jesus and the snares of Satan. The Lord's Supper was so very special as Socorro led us into the comparison of the Passover blood with the precious blood of Jesus, our sacrificial lamb. The music team led us into worship with powerful victory songs. Bern finished with the I Peter passage that our redemption has not come through worldly treasures, but through the precious blood of Jesus, who was planned by God BEFORE the creation of the world. Surely heaven will be just like that Sunday (without the pressure of details).
Please continue to pray for the baby Christians here in Lazaro. They teach us so much about living a contagiously joyful and "vocal" Christian life. We ask for your prayers for those who have not yet made Jesus their Lord and Saviour. Many are attending our Sunday Celebrations and weekly growth groups. We are beginning to think of the multiplying process. Bern and I will begin a Monday night group next week to mentor three rising couples to facilitate the groups while the missionary families, in varying integrals, leave the country this summer. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that we will be missed, but growth will continue under the leadership of the Mexican Christians in our family!!! We look forward to "working ourselves out of a job" here in Lazaro. There are twenty Pacific Coast cities awaiting a future church planting. We look forward to training Mexican Nationals and Anglo church planters for the God-sized task!!!
Blessings as you continue to grow in the knowledge, grace and confidence of our great God!! Enjoy the photos of this Sunday's Celebration. Logan had to be the official photographer since I had to take the place of the "drunk" (acted out by our actor who got sick).
Until the next blog...
Bernard, Alicia and Logan

PS. It's Logan's birthday on Friday, June 5. He would be so thrilled to get some birthday wishes from you in BlogLandia.


The seats were filling up quickly...








By 11:00 there was standing room only. We invited the children to their class because the drama was not appropriate for little impressionable eyes (use of alcohol, drugs, guns, etc). This gave our family and guests more seats. The children were content on the floor of their class. (The teachers were a bit overwhelmed with the many children they had in class--ready or not, here they come!)


Jesus dances with his creation. He provides all that is needed...but soon the creation is distracted by the enemy.






Creation is soon overwhelmed, confused, and disillusioned by the "dance" of the enemy. Jesus is always there pursuing his beloved creation. Also pursuing are Satan's demons. The fight is fast and furious, but Jesus enters into the fight and takes the punishment for His creation. Creation is liberated from the grip of Death. Again, creation can enjoy the beautiful dance with The Creator.


Socorro gives us a bit of her testimony and reminds us that the blood of the sacrificial lamb guards our "doors" so that death passes over us, just as the blood on the doors of the Israelites caused the angel of death to pass over their homes in Egypt.





Bernard shares the plan of Jesus' death as a plan that was put into action even before the creation of the world!!! (This photo was actually of the week before.)

La Comunidad de Cristo shares in vibrant celebration.