Choice Christian Greetings to all those that share life with us,
That time it was a hard trip down South to Monterey, Mexico, I was tired but the beds were all taken so I chose to sleep outside the mission house on a concrete table. We had arrived late at night at the work was already scheduled for the next day which would come early. There was a yard light that set between my bed for the night and a tree which stood between myself and the, extremely bright light. I actually felt as though I had invaded the movie set for the movie, ANTS. I watched for seemed to be hours as the ants paraded through the night literally stripping the leaves off the tree. I was not counting sheep to try to go to sleep I was counting ants. The next morning, I thought the sun would never come up, when daylight begin to break the darkness I realized that we were in between two peaks in the Mountains just outside Monterey. The ants made their final trip up the tree and out on the limbs and just like someone blew the whistle for quitting time they disappeared. I was much younger then and the long night passed quickly because I was learning to sleep fast because that is what you have to do on mission’s trips.
I learned something that morning which I have never forgotten, valleys delay the sun but the sun is shining none the less, the rooster’s awakened the dawn that morning and people in the village begin to move out of their adobe homes and old cars began to rattle down potholed streets as children began to make their way to schools (Escuela). I watched a panel van stopped in front of a house some quarter of a mile from my vantage point. The driver of the van a young man in his early twenties, got out of the car and entered the house and when he came out of the house he was carrying a young boy about 10 years of age who was crippled in his legs, but it did not stop the young man from going into the house and picking him up literally to take him to get and education. He is what I would have called a two-mile man in a one-mile world. On that trip we built a very needed lunch hall and which served as a multi-purpose building and still functions today. It is called Casa de Nino’s.
MUCHA TRABAJO (MUCH WORK)
The first time we ever went to Patzcuaro, Mexico. We drove into the beautiful city early one morning and as we were checking things out to see where we wanted to park to shop and eat. I saw a man carrying another man on his back who had no legs. I asked our driver to turn around and go back I wanted to get a picture of what we saw but it did not want it to be conspicuous. So, he obliged me and we caught it on camera. I told them we will, come back one day and build a church here in this town. Several years later we bought what was the building used for prostitution located by a slaughter house and today there is a beautiful congregation of believers led by a wonderful pastor and his wife who we have known ever since he was a young unmarried man. The slaughterhouse has long since been removed and the area, which was a sore eye in the town, is now a part of the business district.
MOVED WITH COMPASSION
Guess you could say that we were moved with compassion toward the tremendous need in both places and over the years we built some twenty places of worship and an orphanage. Others joined us and they took teams from their churches and worked alongside our friends as well to build on other projects in the Michoac n State of Mexico. From time to time several of our congregations and minister friends have gone to build the people up of many churches that have been built as a result of our small beginnings
LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD
We are now in the process of sending finance to the D. R. C. for our next PALMYR’S PLAYHOUSE PROJECT. This week The Prof, contacted us from South Africa and they have asked us to consider sending the finance for a Palmyr’s Playhouse in South Africa where Higher Grace Ministries, whom we partner with can build one of the playgrounds in the area where Scott, Vernel, Randy and I have ministered on several occasions while in their nation.
OUR MISSIONS GIVING
Many churches have discontinued their missions giving during the Covid Outbreak but by the grace of God we have been able to continue to support and help send our missionaries to their appointed assignments.
In closing my weekly newsletter to your let me put a nice frame around what I have written. Here are the four sides to the frame:
1. The frog in the deep cream bowl kept swimming when his friend did not. His friend drowned but he kept swimming until his struggles begin to churn the cream, on top of the butter he finally stopped and out of the bowl he gaily hopped, what is the moral, its easily found if you can’t hop out keep swimming around. STRENGTH REQUIRES STRUGGLES…
2. Daniel and his three friends are testimony to that their, CHARACTER WAS STONGER THAN THEIR MOMENTARY CRISIS….
3. Our TIMING AND GOD’S TIMING ARE NOT THE SAME. BUT GOD IS AN ONTIME GOD, YES, HE IS….
4. GOD NEVER HAS BEEN REPORTED FOR GOING AWOL. (AWAY WITH OUT LEAVE)….
Thank you for taking time to read these weekly letters, I hope they are a blessing to you as we reflect on what takes place when we follow our God Given Passion but the truth is we could not do it without your love and support.
His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches you,
Your loving pastors,
Cleddie and GayNell Keith