Dear Friends of Mexico Ministries:
I keep a card in my wallet that says, “Anticipate But Be Flexible.” That’s a lesson I occasionally need to remind myself of.
On January 9 I was anticipating a group of ten men meeting me in Veracruz to help us build a couple of churches in the mountains near Tuxtepec, Oaxaca. The foundations and walls were finished, and we were going to be pouring concrete floors, setting in windows, painting, and roofing the buildings. Unfortunately, all the plans fell apart; the group never showed up and didn’t call to let me know! So, I had to embrace the second part of that card’s message: “Be Flexible.” We had to find enough Mexican workers to get the jobs finished on the two churches.
It also proved to be the most difficult trip I’ve experienced in my nearly 50 years of ministry in Mexico. I fell into my bathtub and didn’t have the strength to pull myself out, so I laid there, cold, and waited for eight hours before help arrived. When I finally got to the airport in Veracruz, anticipating flying home after such an ordeal, I was five minutes too late - the plane had just departed. “Be Flexible.” I rented a hotel room near the airport and fell twice in the hotel. I had to buy a completely new ticket to fly home and there was only one seat open - first class - so I had to pony up the extra money in order to get home and begin recovering from my falls. It was a very long day of traveling in pain, and I finally got home around 10 p.m. A few days later I had back surgery, which went well, and I have been recovering from that and resting up for my next trip.
On April 17 I am anticipating the arrival of a group of over a dozen men who will help me build a church on a mountaintop four hours from Tuxtepec. This will be a camping trip - pitching tents on the site and “roughing it” for a few days. I have every confidence that all will go well. But, if something goes wrong, I still have that card in my wallet and I still know how to “Be Flexible!” In my next letter, I hope to share a good report on the April trip, and with the Lord’s help it will be a great one.
God bless you,
Larry