Mexican Ministry February-March, 2009

Rosario sits in her apartment with the birthday card and gift we gave to her on her thirty-fifth birthday.

Pablo and Niky and daughter Jaci are with Pauls mother and Ruth in their home in Celaya.

Pastor Hector Perez and "Papa Carlos" Hostetter stand on a mountain near where Hector lives in Necaxa, Puebla State.

God has brought Ruth and I home safely and we thank Him. We also thank each of you who have been praying for us while we were in Mexico. One can seldom use the word, "perfect" but because of the good hand of God upon us, we can say, "we had a 'perfect' trip." We did not get sick, Ruth had energy and strength, we were delivered from the evils around us, the weather was terrific, and because God was with us we accomplished all the goals we had set.
In the following blogs I want to detail some of the mighty works of God that we experienced during our trip.
I will begin with a brief character sketch of the important people we visited. In future blogs I will detail some of the activities we participated in. Let me introduce the important players in our one month odyssey to Mexico.

Pastors Hector and Maricela Perez:
Ruth and I first got to know Hector when he arrived at the Bible Institute in Jerez, Zacatecas in 1996 for his freshman year. We
became a spiritual "papa and mama" to an eighteen year old lad who had never known the love of a father. In 1999 Hector married Maricela who had already graduated from the Bible Institute. We attended their wedding in Mexico City. In 2004 their first child was born. They named the baby boy, Mairon and I had a namesake and a grandson. God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. In 2006 a daughter was born and they named her Betsi. After pastoring various churches, they were assigned to the church in Necaxa in August of 2008. Hector is also the national youth pastor for the denomination and tells me that at the last youth retreat held in Necaxa in December of 2008 there were 1,000+ youth. He also teaches at the Otomi Indian Bible School in the mountains of Hidalgo State. He and his family visited us in our home in June of 2008 and attended two Sunday meetings held on the farm of Matthew and Barbara Kniesly. Hector is 32 years old and Maricela is 34 years old.


Pastors Pablo and Niky Rimerez
Pablo was a "project" boy in Fresnillo before coming to the Bible Institute in 1996 for his freshman year. He was one of the boys that came to the feeding project sponsored by Lois Raser in Fresnillo. Paul was saved as a teenager by God's work through this project. Paul's father died while he was a boy. One evening after and English class held in our home on campus, Pablo asked me if I would be his father? I happily agreed and so acquired another son.
Niky was a classmate of Pablos in Jerez and they married after they graduated. They have a five -year old daughter named Jaci and a two month old son named Pablo Andras. Paul and Niky pastor a small church in Celaya. Paul is 34 years old.

Rosario Reyes

Rosario came from Rancho San Antonio, a desert village 50 miles north of Jerez. She was twenty years old when she arrived for her freshman year in 1996 at the Bible Institute in Jerez. Rosarios father abandoned the family while she was a child and later committed suicide. She quickly won our affection and when she asked to be considered as our daughter, we happily agreed. God had given us a spiritual daughter. After completing her five years of schooling she graduated and was ordained as a pastor in 2001. After serving at various churches she left the pastorate when she married David in 2001. Rosario and David live in Mexico City. We celebrated Rosarios 35th birthday with her on February 20.

Our three former students all refer privately and publicly to us as "Papa Carlos and Mama Ruth." We accept our titles with humility and gratitude. Neither of them knew a father who loved and encouraged them. Rosario explained it to me this way, "my father is the one who cares about me, encourages me, prays for me." Each one of our spiritual children have a natural Mexican mother who is a giant in faith and there natural mothers have accepted us as one of their family. We respect them and honor them for being Godly mothers.

Doctor Graciela Esparza
Dr. Esparza is a missionary, teacher, pastor and counselor without peer. She has a PHd in psychology from a Canadian University. Though she is a single lady age 81, she keeps a schedule that would tire someone half her age. She has 3 adopted children, She works throughtout Mexico, Central and South America. A close friend of Lois Racer, she is a former Director of Compassion International, Mexican bureau. When I think of Dr. Esparza I compare her to John Sauder in her zeal and commitment to God. Dr. Esparza invited me to teach my Death and Dying Counseling Course in 1990 and I have been teaching it since having taught in all three pastoral Bible Institutes of her denomination. We have enjoyed the hospitality of her home on numerous occasions and she has always respected the belief and practice of the Old Order River Brethren. It is because of her good graces that the OORB's have an open door to minister throughout the 400 churches of the Movimiento, as their denomination is referred to. We thank God for this open door, it is indeed a unique invitation and opportunity, one we value highly. Dr. Esparza has invited me to teach this October and hope to do so, Lord willing.

You will meet many more people in future blogs. Each one has their unique place in God's Kingdom. We are thrilled to know and serve God with our Mexican brothers and sisters. We all have our special role to play in our generation and as we fulfill it we are blessed.
Please communicate with us either by posting a comment on our blog or via email to: myron@oorb.org
And be sure and look for our next blog post next week.