The Race begins tomorrow. Our van is tuned up and altered (we had to remove the running boards to increase ground clearance). Our bags are packed…mostly. And our spirits are filled with joy when we think about what God has in store for us.
Today, we spent some time with a small church in Servando Canales. We shared testimonies and refrescos (sodas, to you gringos) and prayed for the community and the church. Ashley gave a powerful testimony of God’s power to heal both the body and the spirit, and Gary told the van story, of course. Katherine translated and did a wonderful job at it, too. We also said a special prayer over a man named Marcos who will be having surgery in the near future. It was refreshing to spend some time with our brothers and sisters, and we’re thankful that God gave us the chance to do some mionistry today. After all this training, actually doing ministry is a nice change of pace.
Tomorrow, we leave at 7:00am for the Port of Veracruz, the finish line for the first leg of the race! It will probably take us a day and a half to get there. From there, Team Doulos will proceed to our ministry site for the next couple of weeks, in the mountains of Veracruz. This will be the first time the three teams go their separate ways to three different ministry sites. Pray for Veracruz even now, as we make our way down there.
We’re also adding two new members to the team for the rest of our time in Mexico. Juan Carlos, pictured at right, is a student of Bob Waag’s whose hometown is Veracruz. He will be our guide in the area, and he will help us get off to a great start in ministering there. Carlos is a character: very talkative, very funny, and great to have around. The other new member is Megan, a First Year Missionary student here in Matamoros. She’s a gifted worship leader, photographer, and all-around media expert, and we’re very happy to welcome her to our team. A pic of Megan is forthcoming. Please remember these new members of our team in your prayers. Though they will only be with us for a short time, they’re an important part of La Familia Roja!
See you all in Veracruz!
–Gary, on behalf of Team Doulos
