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Hello Steve,
We are so grateful for the surge of faith, encouragement, and support in response to our declaration to “Refire, not Retire.” We received many notes and calls of encouragement. Thank you, thank you, thank you all. The generous giving of our partners is helping us reach the unreached and tell the untold. I leave for the Cabecar Nation in Costa Rica, Central America in just a few days on July, 23rd.
Over 46 years ago, as new missionaries, Terry Mize (missionary author of “More Than Conquerors”) told me, “Steve, make the commitment not to rely on interpreters. Determine to become fluent in the Spanish language and Latin culture. It’s the only way you will be able to develop heart to heart relationships with the people.” I took Terry’s advice to heart and became quite fluent in Spanish.
The first message I preached in Spanish was in 1981 at the Federal Penitentiary of Nuevo Leon, Mexico where I was being wrongly held for smuggling. The ostensible contraband was 500 cassette tapes I was taking as a gift to a Bible school in Guadalajara, Mexico. That day I preached a message with the oxymoronic title, “He who the Son sets free is free indeed” (John 8:36) My audience, a group of fellow prisoners, had heard that a “gringo missionary” (me) had joined their ranks. We didn’t look very free at the time. In spite of my Spanish vocabulary being little more than the menu at Taco Bell, the Holy Spirit helped me get the message across. Six inmates prayed to receive Jesus.
Miraculously, I was released from prison two weeks later. A few months after that, one of those prison brothers somehow tracked me down and told me that my message that day had given him hope and faith to trust God. Leonardo was being held for smuggling guns. He gave his life to Jesus and God delivered him from prison shortly after.
Throughout our more than 46 years of missionary service we have made it a priority to form relationships with the people God has given us to reach, even to the point of suffering imprisonment. This commitment has resulted in a Rich Harvest of souls. Jesus said to pray for laborers to bring in the harvest.
Here we are; called, anointed, appointed, experienced, ready, able, and willing. Send me. I will go.
I still need approximately $5500.00 for discipleship materials.
Only never is too late.
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