An Abounding Harvest

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. We are the only workers in the Lord's harvest in the foothills of Southern Sonora within a 30 mile radius. Weekly new people come to visit us, searching for the "God workers" who have come to bring God's word to the ranches surrounding Basiroa. Each person comes begging us to bring the word to their ranch.

While we were doing meetings in 21 de Marzo, Toltecas, and Sarabia, along with four children's meetings, in the first half of the year, we felt busy. We felt stressed sometimes at the magnificent work that was before us. Yet, when the hurricane hit us in October, and everything seemed to come to a hault, we never dreamed we would be that busy again!

Here in Basiroa, there are only a few obvious ranches, about 8 in total, that surround the small ranch. But beyond those ranches is a field of wheat, ready to be harvest, waiting to be tilled and planted with the words of salvation. People literally flock to hear the songs of Christ and the words of life from the Bible.

We are now supporting three missions in different villages, and three other churches over which Joshua is pastoring. The Lord is doing a mighty work in the villages surrounding Basiroa. We are praying that he sends workers here to continue the work, to help us with the burden. In May, our only helper, Fabián will be leaving to study in University, and we will be carrying the meetings on our own. Please pray with us that the Lord would provide more workers for his harvest... workers who are ready and led by the spirit to live a life in these secluded villages. Workers who are willing to come help part time, full time, short term, or long term, but whatever the case, are willing to work.

Workers have come in the past, but easily burn out in less than a year because life here is not easy. There are no stores, there are no fresh vegetables, there are no easily obtainable "fast" groceries. Cooking over fires is a way of life, so cutting wood every week is a necessity. Working from sun up to sun down could be considered an easy day, since the work easily lasts much later than the sun sets and starts much earlier than the sun rises. Groceries that aren't essencials can only be purchased in the city two hours away, and there is only one bus that comes through the village in the morning at 6am. The life is not anything life the city or small highway villages, but it is rewarding and tranquil. Yet, many workers in the kingdom of God come to these secluded villages searching for a fairy tale ranch life with all the benefits of the city, rather than coming to search out what God is doing with eagerness to help and participate in His work. Many come and marvel at the "suffering" that one undergoes to live in the ranches. But for us, it isn't suffering ... it is life. Please pray that churches don´t just send available missionaries, but that they send people who are truly prepared for the life of the ranch, and are willing to serve the Lord with all that they have in order to see people come into the Salvation of our King and Lord, Jesus Christ.