OUR FOCUS ON THE HARVEST

God Paints A Pretty Picture

Tucson - We have a lot of news from Mexico this month. During the week of Nov. 20^th we visited with the Francisco Gonzalez family in Tucson Arizona.

Temple of The Anointing in Tucson is growing with an attendance of 140. The child care addition has been framed in with the electric installed, windows and doors are in place. They are now waiting to finish with drywall and insulation. Then comes the painting and floor covering.

We visited a Sherwin Williams store in Tucson in search of paint for the church. As soon as we entered the building, we found our contact, a young assistant manager by the name of Pete. Our prayers began that God would touch the manager and help us to find favor in his eyes. At the suggestion of Sandra Moses, District Coordinator for Sherwin Williams and the wife of Rev. Kelly Moses, we inquired about "mistints". Mistints are containers of paint that for some reason failed to meet the color expectations of the customer. Quantities of mistints are difficult to sell and are often sold at discount rates.

Pete found three five gallon buckets of a white colored mistint and two five gallon buckets of semi-gloss that he said he could sell to us at the discount price of $2.00 per gallon.

While Pete was waiting on his customers we were left to explore a stack of various sized containers of mistinted paint. Upon his return we inquired about them and were given a quote of $1.00 per gallon We gave it some thought while God dealt with him and before our reply, he offered us all we wanted at $.50 per gallon, including the five five gallon buckets in the deal. Our first deal of $50.00 for 25 gallons had been reduced. Less than an hour after we entered the store, we waldked out with 80 gallo9ns of paint at $.50 per gallon. Figuring the value of the brand name paint at a typical resale price of $25.00 per gallon we walked out with $2000.00 of Sherwin Williams paint for only $42.50. WOW, ain't God good?

CHANGE CAN B E GOOD! Harvest Time has changed it's name and adopted a new format. We feel this better serves our home church and makes the news easier to find and read. In the year to come you will be able to follow Northtowne's mission involvemnt by reading "Our Focus On The Harvest". A color copy of Our Focus On The Harvest will still be posted on the mission bulletin board and mailed to our administrators at National Headquarters.

HERMOSILLO - Monday morning we set out on a four hour inland trip to the state of Sonora, Mexico. In the Sonora state capital of Hermosillo, we went to visit Pastor Hector Palma.

Having never met Pastor Palma we knew only that he was looking to buy land which would enable him to build onto his small church. We were going to see his ministry and view the prospected property.

Three hours later (Brother Francisco time) we arrived. Turning down a side street we passed the only Childrens hospital in the state. One block further we entered into what seemed to be a different world entirely. The narrow road, though paved, was rutted and bumpy often scraping the bottom of the car. On the left were homes constructed partially of block, tin and boards. The outside walls consisted of pieces of wood fittyed together like a ji9gsaw puzzle. A flimsy barrier to the cold weather as well as possible intruders. There were no pretty flower lined walks to take you to the front doors. Only loose dry dirt with a few straw colored weeds. Each home was next to the other leaving only a foot or less of space between them. In front of one home I saw a potted cactus about three feet high. It was framed by a single strand of dingy Christmas lights. It was the only clue of the Christmas season we saw.

As Brother Francisco parked the car, we looked for the church but could not seem to see it. Assuming the location of the church must be further down the street we got out of the car to walk the rest of the distance. While getting the cameras from th trunk, Brother Francisco pointed to the church building. It was right beside us.

Turning to see the church, the only thoughts coming to mind were those of what could not be seen.

There were no tall white steeples or bell toweres. No strategically layed bricks or sleek vinyl siding on its frame. There wasn't a marque displaying the name of the church or its service hours. A stained or leaded glass window was no where in sight. If not informed, it was impossible to identify it as a church or even an occupied structure.

We walked though the trampled down wire fence yup to the front of the building. The sides of the walls were missing and the door was feeble at best. A concrete slab was the floor throughout. On the podium was a homemade pulpit from which Pastor Palma brought forth God's holy word to his congregation. Several rows of folded metal chairs lined one wall, each row about 4-6 chairs deep. It brought to mind the comfortable mauve colored padded pews framed with oak. I wondered how much I was going to miss my pew back home during the evening service.

It was cold inside and there was no heat. Outside the rear doorway (there was no rear door) I found a fire ring now cold. The ashes swirled about our feet in the breeze. It was here, during the cold night services, that the children could huddle together encircling the fire to keep warm.

Extended to the left was an addition built on for Sunday School. Most of the roof was missing as was the upper half of the walls. A small red plastic tarp tried to cover the roof. Through the side of the classroom you could see an electrical tower where the children would come and climb to see in the church. The electrical playground was currently doubling as a clothesline for the family next door. As we came back around to the front of the church building, several children came running to greet the group. With smiles and chatter they jumped about while crowding around Pastor Palma. A shipment of used toys was due to arrive and the children were hoping the toys had arrived with us. Not so! We did not bring any toys that day. Yet more weeks of waiting the children would have to endure before the used toys would arrive. With us, came three months supply of vitamins and a few bags of Halloween candy purchased on post holiday sale.

The vitamins were indeed important to the health of the children. But the candy would be a meager distribution to such a great number of children that night, four or five bags for over 50 children.

In my mind I wished I was fictional but legendary character, wearing a red suit trimmed in white fur with black boots. I wanted long white whiskers that rested on a large perfectly round belly. What joy we would have had if only my wishing could have made it so.

After the children departed we left the church and headed toward children's hospital up the street. Sonora's only children's hospital. Parents came from all over traveling great distance to bring their children for medical care.

While the children were hospitalized, the parents would often sleep on the ground because they had no place to stay. Blankets and pillows were wedged in the forks of the trees during the day. At night they were removed and spread on top of the loose dirt. Husbands and wives would cling together through the night and in unity they would wait for news of their child. Some stayed for days and some for weeks.

I think the most haunting vision I witnessed among the many, was that of a very frail woman about 60 feet away. She was sitting beside a man in the dirt, her back was against a wall. Her legs were pulled up toward her chest with her feet on the ground. Her hair was black and unkept and she appeared to weakly push it from her dusty face. She was wearing a dress and as she leaned sideways I could see the true gaunt features in her bony legs. I stared at her shocked to see her like that, just sitting in the dirt. I just stood there with this fixed gaze, when suddenly she turned and looked at me. Her eyes met mine and they looked so empty. I quickly looked down and turned away not wanting to hurt her any more than she already was. I wondered if she was hungry and I had thoughts of her sitting in my home. The Holy Spirit touched me at that moment. I suddenly felt ashamed and I began to cry, for her and for me. For she would never know my wealth and I had never known her poverty.

We met with Bro. David Martinez and Manny Gonzalez while in Hermosillo. Pastor Palma along with Manny spoke out to the people in front of the hospital. They told them about the love of Jesus and invited them to that evening's service. Francisco, David and Lourdes walked among the crowd to talk and pray with the people there. I thought what boldness they had, and I wondered what happened to the boldness God gave to me. Where had it gone? What had I done with it? Who did I last tell about Jesus, the sinless sacrifice of God's personified love?

At the evening service there were over a hundred people in that little church. A husband and wife from the hospital came. Their daughter was in ICU due to an auto wreck. They came forward during the alter call as did many others for prayer and for salvation.

A teenage girl was brought to the alter which was found to be with a demonic spirit. She had allowed the demonic spirit to enter her through a portal of blasphemous audio music cassettes. Now the spiritual leaders in this little church would unite and pray to set her free.

The demon resisted and fought through her with such malice that at one point Francisco had the flesh gouged and torn from his fingers. The voice I heard screaming from inside her during that time was definitely not human. After over an hour of spiritual combat she was set free and reunited with her parents. It was an educational and a fruitful evening.

Th next day we said our goodbyes to leave for the Sierra mountains. I did not want to go. We never spoke one word to Brother Palma or his wife the whole time we were there. We did not speak Spanish and they did not speak English. Always someone had spoken for us. Yet I was sorry to leave this brother and sister. So I lft part of my heart behind with them, on the streets of Hermosillo.

For two years he had been praying God would send someone. He shared with us his desire to build a kitchen at the little church so he could feed the people from the hospital. He would feed them one meal a day, breakfast. The kitchen would be an avenue where he could minister to their souls as well as their flesh. He had a stove waiting but lacked the funds to put the kitchen together. He needed $300.

Before we left we were able to give him $350. (which had been sent from headquarters) toward the kitchen and a supply of food. He did not expect this. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to be the messenger sent to place it in his hands. I wondered if the angel Gabriel felt that good inside when our Heavenly Father directed him.

I wondered a lot of things as we left that day. I wondered where the next supply of food for the kitchen would come from when that money ran out. I wondered where we would get the next three month supply of vitamins for all those children. I wondered if the toys would ever come and if they would be enough. I wondered if it was too late to find more toys and load them on the bus in Nevada. And if there was still time, I wondered where would I find enough toys. I wondered which child lived behind the cactus that I saw in front of the dingy strand of Christmas lights. And I wondered if there would be anythibng under that cactus on Christmas morning.

CANANAEA -It was another four hour (3 for Francisco) trip into the Sierra mountains. Ninety minutes from the foothills, toreach the town of Cananea. The twists and turns winding our way through the mountains were nauseating. I increased Francisco's english vocabulary with the American "hurl". I was glad when we arrived though it was only half an hour before service.

We were 1864 meters high up in the Sierra Mountains. A misty smoke hung heavily in the already thin air. My asthma forced me to struggle a little to gain more oxygen.

Rev. and Mrs. Gabriel Cardanes greeted us. They lived inside the church. One at a time we took turns crowding into a 6 X 6 room which also housed a shower stall and a washing machine. I think a we had about 2 X 4 foot space to change our clothes. The floor was wet and there was no place to sit. I finally grabbed a moderately dry rug and placed it half on the shower and half on the floor. It was there I sat to my pantyhose. Try as I might I couldn't do it standing up.

It was Tuesday evening and the end of a revival. A few more days and the town would be giving thanks around their holiday table. About 20 people showed up for the service. Brother Martinez sang and afterward Brother Moses preached while Manny interpreted. Several came during the alter call for prayer. After the service the Pastor informed us that his lovely wife had prepared us an evening meal.

JThe six of us huddled about the kitchen, it was so small some of us were in the kitchen and some stood close to the door way leaning in. Mrs. Gardanes filled one plate at a time and handed them out. Chicken mola along with rice and beans for their family and our group of six. What a kind gesture from their hearts to cook such a meal for so many people. I wasn't so sure how they manage to feed themselves with such meager means much less make a meal for guests.

Their quarters were tiny. You had to cross the church entrance hall for the bathroom or shower room.

After the dinner we talked and found that nine years earlier the Assemblies of God had placed him as Pastor of that government owned building. Then they left, never to be seen or heard from again. He had had no support since day one. Now he was long forgotten. He spoke about his desire to have a church at the edge of town that would belong to him and not the government or an absentee organization. In the mean time he was trying to build some decent quarters for him and his wife.

Soon it was time to leave. Darkness had come and it was a long drive out of the mountains back to Tucson. The mountains were straight up with no guardrails. Driving home in the dark was a scary proposition. I was hoping to sleep through it.

We thanked them for their hospitality and before we left we placed a $150.00 in their hands in hopes it would help to meet some of their needs.

Mexico had been an experience I would never forget. It left many haunting pictures in my mind and much sadness in my heart. Little children with empty eyes and dirty faces. Makeshift churches where people came to worship without padded seats, air conditioning to cool the summers or heat to warm their winters. Parents sleeping in the dirt outside the hospital. A pastor with a vision and a burden so great. A forgotten Pastor hidden high up in the Sierra mountains hungry for fellowship.

I wondered why God revealed these things to us. We were only two people, what could we do?

But I thanked God for living in America and I prayed He would show us a way to help thepeople we had to leave behind.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

HAITI - Sister Alona Lyke has shared with us some pictures of her Adopt - A - Child in Haiti, Yvwes Carmel Augustin. Yves is 8 years old and along with these photos sent a letter telling about her family. She has one brother, Francisco age 6. Another sister, Betty who is 3. Also she has a half sister Myrline, who is 11. Her parents are illiterate. Her father makes his living by being a carrier. A carrier is someone who owns a wheelbarrow and carries the merchandise of the merchants. Her mother is a retailer. Her parents employment do not provide enough money to send their children to school as they are poor. Yves told Alona she was thankful that the CGMA "doesn't forsaken us". Yves also confided "My half sister Myrline doesn't has found again sponsor." Struggling with english her meaning was to say Myrline is 11 and she does not go to school because her parents are too poor and Myrline has not found a sponsor.

Thankful for the support given by Alona and John, she shared her appreciation by letting them know she wants to study and has passed her last grade, hoping to make them proud of her. She says she will put her trust in God for the wisdom and knowledge to succeed in her class next June. Her letter was closed with the fact that she loved God and attends Sunday school to learn more about Him.

This is one of such letters received from members of our congregation who have sponsored a child in Haiti through the mission department's Adopt - A - Child program. The cost to sponsor a child like Yves is only $10.00 per month. This will help a child to go to school, pay the teacher and receive a meal when food is available.

If you would like to adopt a child like Yves we would like for you to know that there are still more available. Myrline and others are waiting for someone to remember them. Contact Sister Candy Moses @ 493-0740 to get your child today.

We always need people to help sel certificates at the Kroger location or anywhere they can. See Brother Les Moses if you can help. The Mission Department needs you.

The Jesus Video will be mailed out during the beginning of December. This is a valuable witnessing tool to our community. The distribution area has been mapped out, divided up and prayer walks have begun. Preparing the soil is important when planting seed. If you want to help prepare, contact Pastor Ellis or Bro. Les Moses.

"FROM THE HOOD TO THE CROSS"

PROJECT 2001

INDIA

JAMAICA

IT'S A MEXICAN NIGHT OUT AND

We gratefully thank Marsha for this beautiful background.

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