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April, 2016

Greetings, Dear Friends:

I am often asked the question, “What exactly is it that you do?” Well, last month I finished construction of a new mission church in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico. From there, some 70 miles away, I completed construction of another new mission church. From there, some 1500 miles to the north, I completed yet another mission church. Later this month, I will build yet another church in another village. And in May I will complete yet another mission church. But, building churches is not all that I do. I help make hills out mountains.

Last month, I visited Pastor Jose, and he shared with me his insurmountable mountain. A 5 year old boy had fallen going up the steps to the second floor balcony. There was no rail of protection. Jose borrowed the money to install a protective rail, and his mountain was how to pay his debt. I payed his debt. Another family had a much higher mountain to climb. I helped make a surmountable hill out of their insurmountable mountain. Another young couple needed help. He makes about $100 per week working as a night watchman, 5 nights a week. I helped. I thought of Mary Lou and her needs when we married. I’ve wished a million times that someone could have helped us climb that insurmountable mountain.

I took the group of Americans who were visiting to the orphanage, as I always do. While the director was showing the group the orphanage, I sat down, and the children came and climbed all over me.Running their hands through what’s left of my white hair and pulling the loose skin below my chin. Just needing to be loved. I said to the group, “If I need to build a new church and do not have the funds, I can wait another month, but the orphanage cannot wait a month to feed the children.” We help make hills out of the mountains that the orphanage constantly faces. 

For the last few weeks, we have been enlarging the dormitory here in Tuxtla, Chiapas. It should be completed in the next couple of months. Always something to do. When I get home, there will be several commitments to take care of. I will be back in Chiapas on April 13 for the convention in Chenalho. I will return home on the 18th for 7 days, and then back to Chenalho to build a church. During my time at home, I will visit an orthopedic surgeon to see if I need to have a knee replacement or if my problem is due to the residual effects of the stroke I had a few years ago.

Now you know what I do. And I hope that what you do is going well. I wish I had time to visit with all of you. I pray each day that God bless and help you in your times of storms.

Always remember that there is no mountain too big, no valley to deep, no day too long, nor night too dark for God to make a difference.

Larry Myers

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March, 2016

Dear Friends,

Greetings! This time from Chiapas, Mexico. I’ve been here a couple of weeks and will remain at least another couple of weeks. During this time, I will visit Veracruz in the flesh, in the spirit and in much prayer to see if God wants me to open up another area of ministry as we have here in Chiapas. I may be getting a little old for a project like this, but if He says do it, then I will do it. I certainly covet your prayers as I seek God’s divine will.

A few weeks ago, while in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Pastor Moises Carranza and I went to visit a pastor whose name is Luis Angel. He had been pastoring a small church that he had built out of scrap wood. The first 5 years, the size of his church was 10’ by 16’. Last year, he was able to double the size to 20’ by 26’. I asked him if he would like a new concrete block church. His eyes grew big and bright as he said yes. I felt God say, “Do it," and so I committed to build a new church will measure 34’ by 54’. I returned home and sent enough money for the foundation and walls and said I would return this month to put the roof on. 

Maybe you can imagine this. A large river with much drift wood floating until it reaches the dam and there it just piles up. Nowhere to go. This is Nuevo Laredo. People with dreams to enter the United States in hope of a better life come from many southern countries and, reaching the border, just pile up like drift wood. We have teams trying to help them with food, clothing, shoes, and especially the Word of God. This is where the new church is being built. Because of the danger of the drug cartels fighting drug cartels and the possibility of being caught in the crossfire, I may no longer take American groups to this area. Again, I covet your prayers.

I also covet your prayers for the people who are there. Families. Children. Fathers and mothers who only want a better life. They arrive here with very little money, little education and few skills. They are not lazy. They are not beggars. They just want a better life. Sometimes it reminds me of the documentaries I’ve often seen about the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma in the 1930s. Starving to death, many headed to California hoping to find a better way of life. There, they piled up like drift wood, much like those arriving in Nuevo Laredo. Most were farmers, all were poor and none were welcomed. It was as difficult for them trying to survive in California as it was trying to survive the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma.

Never forget the images of the Jewish people being herded like animals to their death in Germany or the suffering of the “drift wood” on the Mexican/US border. Be grateful, and give thanks to God for what you have. Remember, the best of us are no better than the worst of them. We are all created equal in the eyes of God.

I ask for nothing. Not money. Not sympathy. Not things. Just remember to pray for the poor and the needy.

Larry Myers

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January, 2016

Dear Friends:
Happy New Year! And greetings from Mexico Ministries, our staff and the people of Mexico.

Today, I want to focus on the heart of God and the love that is in that heart for his creation. John 3:16tells us that He was willing to give His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. In the midst of that “whoever” are two very special groups who occupy a very special place in that heart of love. Widows and orphans (often called the fatherless).

Exodus 22:22-24 tells us “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to me, I will surely hear his cry, and my anger will be kindled and I will surely kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.” Isaiah 1:17 reads “Defend the orphan, plead for the widow”, and James tells us that “Pure and undefiled religion is this: visit the orphans and widows in their distress.” Psalms 10:14 says, “You have been a helper of the orphan”, and Psalm 68:5 goes on to say, “a father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation.” In Psalms 146:9, we read, “The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widows.”

We have just returned from the orphanage in Chiapas in an attempt to express the love that God has for these beautiful children. We spent about 2 1/2 hours in a large store, much like a Walmart, with approximately 85 orphans. There we bought them everything they needed and much of what they wanted. Each child was allowed to pick out their own clothes. We then took them to a Burger King for lunch. While they returned to the orphanage, we went to another store and bought more gifts for all of them.

In the middle of the afternoon, we returned to the orphanage and had a Christmas party. Thirteen friends from the US came along to help. I want to thank them for their many hours of hard work. I want to thank all who contributed financially, helping to make this a very special time for the children. And I want to say a very special thank you to Paul and Judy Pogue for heading up this entire trip.

After our time at the orphanage we went to the mountains, where we visited a number of churches and blessed them with hundreds of pairs of shoes and 700 gift bags.

You may read this letter quickly, but please take a few moments to let the following photographs sink in. Each of these orphans has their own story. Some were abandoned at birth. Some were abandoned at one or two years of age. It really doesn’t matter what their ages. All were abandoned. With God’s help, and the help of the orphanage, they will never be abandoned again.

I want to sincerely thank all of you who helped make 2015 a special year for so many people. God bless you! And may 2016 be one of your best years ever!

So many speak of leaving a legacy. I pray that my legacy will be, “He was a man after God’s own heart.”

Larry Myers

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February, 2016

Dear Friends:

Greetings from Atoyac, a small town on the western side of Mexico, about an hour northwest of Acapulco. 

Today is January 23. I arrived Thursday from Chiapas, where we had just concluded a week of ministry. We had a Women’s Conference with a group of ladies from Preston Wood Church of Dallas. The group was headed by Judy Pogue, who did an incredible job of ministering. Thursday, the group and my wife, Mary Lou, returned to Dallas, and I came here to Atoyac to check on the medical clinic and churches. I am sitting on the porch of the small house that I built some 32 years ago having coffee with Tom Shaffer, director of the medical ministry and Julio Maya, my first convert here in the early 1980s. The clinic looks great, and the Atoyac church looks fantastic. The people doubled the size of the auditorium. 

I will return home on the 25th, and two days later I will be in the Northern area of Mexico, again doing the same thing. Visiting pastors and their churches. After this, I return home for about a week, and then back to Chiapas.

Some may ask “Do you ever get tired?” Physically, sometimes. Mentally, no. There is still so much to be done. Pastor Dan Dean of the singing group Philip Craig and Dean was with us in Chiapas a year or so ago. He had come to visit the church that he had financially built. As he looked at the building and the congregation, he said, “Why was I born in the United States where we have so much and the people here have so little?” I think the answer to that question is in order to help fulfill Isaiah 61. To take Good News to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to prisoners. Also, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress. (James 1:27) You will notice on the back of this letter a picture of one of our favorite orphans. Seleni is 15 years old. She cannot speak, but she can smile and pray. God understands her smiles and her unspoken prayers. 

I will not bore you with a long letter. Let me just tell you that today is a very special day for me. Looking back over these last 39 years. Remembering the days of hard work and sweat, constantly praying for financial help to keep the work going. Every once in a while, God would leave a little nugget, much like what the Word describes in Ruth 3. “As Ruth was gleaning in the field of Boaz, he said to his harvesters, ‘let her glean among the sheaves, and do not insult her, and also pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean. And do not disturb her.’” Another translation says, “handfuls on purpose”. 

Last week, God dropped another little nugget for me. A young man, perhaps 30 years old, was on his knees praying at the end of the service. I knelt by him and prayed with him and for him. When he stood up, I saw a puddle of tears on the floor. I do not know his need, but I am sure that our Lord knows and will help.

That’s what drives me onward. That, and knowing that you care too.

God bless you and keep you safe.

Larry Myers

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December, 2015

Greetings on this, the last month of the year. 2015 was a great year for Mexico Ministries. I would like to have 20 more years just like this last one.

Psalm 33:1 says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” I was born into a family of 12. Mom, Dad and 10 children. A big family with lots of faults and failures, but we chose to bury those faults and failures and live in unity. How good and pleasant it is for families to dwell together in unity.

My immediate family ... my wife, my sons and their families ... also have faults and failures, but we choose to bury our faults and failures and live together in unity. My extended family numbers in the thousands. Again, we all have faults and failures, but we too choose to bury our faults and failures and live in unity.

Keith Richards said that he had not spoken to his father in 20 years when they finally settled their differences. And for the next 20 years, Keith took his father with him as he toured around the world. Both of them were happy to be together. How good and pleasant it is for fathers and sons to dwell in unity.

Jacob said, “Laban has cheated me. He said to Laban, ‘You have changed my wages 10 times. For 20 years there were faults and failures between this father-in-law and son-in-law. In Mizpah, they signed a peace treaty realizing “How good and pleasant it is for father-in-law and son-in-law to dwell together in unity.”

Jacob was fleeing for his life with his brother Esau promising to kill him. A showdown came 20 years later when they met on the road. Surely, much blood would be shed, and many lives lost. But Jacob bowed before Esau and Esau ran to Jacob and embraced him, kissed him and wept. How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.

Joseph had every right to be angry. His brothers had every right to be afraid when they heard him say, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.” Joseph kissed all of his brothers and wept and the Egyptians heard him cry. How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.

The old pastor, trying to settle the back-biting and gossip in his church, told the story of a cat dying and being buried, leaving his tail unburied. Every once in a while, someone would grab that tail and pull that cat up out of the ground. Each time the stench would be stronger than before. The pastor said, “It is time to bury the cat, tail and all.” That’s what Laban, Jacob, Esau, Joseph and Keith all did. They buried the cat, tail and all.

Next week, I will be in Chiapas with some wonderful friends who have great hearts of compassion. Together, we will take about 80 orphans to a clothing store and let them pick out clothing and shoes and anything else they need or want. Later, we will take them to a restaurant for food, and then later we will return to the orphanage and have a Christmas party, giving gifts to all.

I pray your Christmas will be as compassionate as ours. Embrace, weep and kiss. We are here today. But will we all be here next Christmas? We wish you and wonderful and blessed Christmas.

Larry and Mary Lou

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November, 2015

Dear Friends, 

Today I greet you in the name of our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray God’s riches blessing upon you, and assure you that our Lord is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. (Hebrews 4:15) He heard the cry and saw the afflictions of His people Israel while in Egyptian bondage. God hears the cry of the needy. (Psalms 72:12 & 13) “For He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls of the needy.” 

For thirty-five plus years, I have heard the cries of the poor and needy in Mexico. When pastors cried out for churches, I built them from the northernmost border of Mexico to the southernmost border. From the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Coast, I’ve heard the cries and seen the affliction of the poor, sick and needy. For twenty-five plus years, I’ve found them doctors, dentists and medical teams. I’ve built them medical facilities, bought them medicine. Together, we have touched hundreds of thousands, because God first heard their cries and put it in our hearts to help them. 

I thank God that He hears the audible cries of the needy, but I also thank God that He hears the silent cries. Betty Carranza was seven years old and dying with leukemia in a hospital in Mexico. Betty’s mother and father would take turns caring for her. Betty writes in her book that not wanting to upset her mother, she would scream in silence. Her mother could not hear her, but her heavenly Father could. God saw the affliction, heard the cry and had compassion. Betty is now approaching 40 years of age, has a beautiful family and is serving in ministry. I want to spend the rest of my life hearing silent prayers and mending broken lives. 

She was near 30 years old, married and the mother of three. She was a member of the church in Tuxtla, Chiapas. She would not speak or smile without covering her mouth. She had no front teeth. I saw her affliction and heard her silent prayer. I paid all of her dental expenses to answer that silent prayer. 

He was near 40 years old, laying block on our new medical clinic in Chiapas. He would try to speak without opening his mouth. His teeth were rotten, down to the gums. I saw the need and heard the silent prayer. I sent him to a dentist and paid the entire cost. 

The wife of our pastor in Atoyac is a beautiful lady, always well dressed and showing respect to her position as First Lady of the Church. She had one flaw. Dental. She would need dental implants and much dental help to fix her need. Her cost would be beyond her ability. I saw her need and heard her silent prayer. I paid her bill. 

Many times, seeing an elderly indigenous person counting their pesos, hoping to have enough to pay for their purchase, I say, “Put that on my bill”. Oh, I’m sure there will be many more churches to build and much medicine to buy as I continue to do this. My prayer is, “Lord, help me to mend broken lives, to see their needs and to hear their silent prayers. God hears the cries of his people.

Larry Myers

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October, 2015

Dear Friends,

Greetings in our Lord Jesus’ wonderful name.

September has come and gone, and I am back in the state of Chiapas. In a few days, I will be joined by Pastor Michael Gamble, along with friends and members of his church near Dallas. We will complete a beautiful new church for Pastor Jose. Jose is the reason I wrote the book, “Hungry for God” a few years ago. The televangelists had been saying you could not be a good example of a child of God and live in an old house and drive an old car. From the time that I wrote that book until today, Jose (who didn’t fit the televangelists’ model) has evangelized and raised up 28 congregations for whom we have built 28 mission churches. I wonder if God is willing to say, “Jose is my son?”  I am absolutely sure that God is very proud of His son, Jose.

This month, I will also be joined by Preston Wood Baptist Church of Dallas. Together, we will build an annex to Pastor Fabian’s church. This will be a multi purpose building. It will replace the old youth center. Notice the picture of their current youth center.

Later in the month, I will be joined by a new church group from Louisiana. (Normally, when ministry teams like this visit, I do my best selection menus and having them well prepared. But I am not too worried about this group. They say Cajuns from South Louisiana will eat anything. I guess I ought to know. “I be one of them”.) Together, we will build mission church for Pastor Maria. Maria’s husband, Mariano, has been one of our leaders and presbyters. A few years ago, Mariano died of complications resulting from diabetes. Maria continued the ministries of her late husband, which now consist of more than twenty mission churches.

In November, I will be back in Texas. I will be speaking on November 8 at Pastor Gamble’s church. 

A month ago, I preached a message on love being the foundation of a good marriage and family. In Genesis 29, Jacob falls in love with Rachel. Verse 27 tells us that she was “beautiful of form and face, and Jacob loved Rachel.”

If you’ve never really fallen in love, then learn to love. My mother and father were raised in a small town on the banks of the Red River in South Louisiana. The day before my father was to marry, his wife-to-be ran off with my mother’s boy friend. My mother asked my father, “Would you like to get married?” He said, “Might as well.” Their marriage lasted more than 60 years and produced 10 children.

I never really just “fell in love” with missions and Mexico. But, I learned to love both. Now, some forty years later, that marriage has produced thousands upon thousands of offspring. Spirited children of God, serving our Lord. My life has been, and still is, an extraordinary adventure.

Thank you so very much for traveling this journey with me in both prayer and financial support. 

May our Lord repay you in multiple ways.

If you have not fallen in love with Jesus, learn to love Him. He really loves you.

Larry Myers

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September, 2015

Greetings Dear Friends:

Let me begin with a brief report of last month. August 2, I flew to Chiapas with my friend, Steve Osborn. We were there a week visiting building sites for churches to build later in the year. I also spent very important time with Carlos and the medical team, making plans for future projects. I returned home on August 8. On the 16th, I drove to Northern Mexico and was there for several days. I returned home, then drove to Louisiana for ministry time. Now for the heart of this letter.

David writes in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The word desires is plural and means that I can have more than one desire. My first and foremost desire is to please God and love the people whom He loves. My second desire is to go beyond the normal in both ministry and personal life. As you walk through the entry way to a small cabin on a small pond on our property, you will pass under a sign which reads, “Rivers I have Known”. As you leave, you will read the back side of the sign, which says, “Because I Can.” Stretching yourself to go beyond the normal. David said, “I killed both the lion and the bear and this Philistine will be as one of them. Why did he do it? “Because he could”. As Joshua was giving the inheritance that Moses had promised, Caleb said, “Give me this mountain.” A mountain inhabited by giants. Caleb would drive the giants out, possess the land, and leave it for an inheritance for his children. Why? “Because he could”. At 85 years of age, he said, “I am as strong today as the day that Moses sent me to spy out the land”, which was forty five years earlier.

My second desire was to know the rivers of the US in a small flat bottom john boat. Henry Van Dyke wrote, “For real company and friendship, there is nothing outside the animal kingdom that is comparable to the river.” At age 64, I put my boat in the Red River at Denison, Texas and took it out at the Intercostal Canal in south Louisiana. At age 65, I entered the Mississippi River, just south of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. I took it out in South Louisiana. At age 74, I entered the Missouri River, just south of Great Falls, Montana and crossed the states of Montana,North Dakota and South Dakota. There, they closed the river to boats because of extreme flooding. Volumes of words on reams of paper could not do justice to the days and weeks on the river. Days without seeing another person, camping along the rivers in a small tent. Facing storms, day after day. Strong winds, high waves, hail and rain. Storms in the night that would completely sink my boat. Paddling, when my motor would not run. Meeting every challenge. Going beyond the normal. Why did I do it? “Because I could.”

Henry Van Dyke also wrote, “It is with rivers as it is with people. The greatest are not always the most agreeable, nor the best to live with.” Lay your lap top down. Turn your TV off. Forget about your cell phone and ask yourself, “Have I fulfilled the desires of my heart? Have I gone beyond the normal? Do I still have the ability God gave me to live a full and complete life? My bet is on you. You can, if you will.

Because We Can .... Larry Myers


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August, 2015

 Dear Friends,

Greetings, and may our Lord bless you abundantly. Please forgive me if this update seems a little long. I have much to say and little space and time to say it. 

The July conference in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico was very busy. I listened to the reports of many pastors and received a number of requests for help. You have not heard me say much about this area, but I am still building churches there. Because of the violence and danger, I no longer take groups of Americans to this area. I have a one bedroom prophet’s quarters there on the church property. It’s small, but sufficient. 

As you read this update, I am in Chiapas, Mexico. I’ve come to visit our doctors in the clinics in Tuxtla and Chenalho to make sure they have everything they need to continue helping the sick. I will also visit several building sites for a number of churches to be built later this year. While here, I will visit with several presbyters, making sure that they have everything they need to help take care of thousands of church members. I am not alone in my concerns of our Lord’s work here in Chiapas. Russell and Charlotte Linscombe are of great help to me as well as many others, both American and Mexican. 

Pray for Our Nation

For the past 35 years, I’ve encountered many situations here in Mexico. With our Lord’s help we’ve been able to handle most all of the situations. What concerns me most is not what is happening in Mexico, but what is happening in the United States. 

I am very disappointed in the political arena of our nation. I am also disappointed with the Supreme Court of our nation. Nine justices who are appointed for life to rule on what is right on every case according to the Constitution of the United States of America. Nine justices appointed by two political parties. Many times leaning in the direction of the party that appointed them. I feel the heartbeat of God as Isaiah writes, “Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people.” (Isaiah 22:4 NIV) I feel the pain of Jeremiah as he writes, “Oh, that my heart were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of my people.” (Jeremiah 9:1 NIV) I feel the pain of our Lord Jesus Christ as it is written, “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.  The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls’.” (Luke 19:41-44 NIV)

What can I do? I will both weep and pray that our nation will return to God and proudly stand before the flag with hand over heart and say, “In God we trust”.

                                Larry Myers

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JULY, 2015

 “Give me liberty or give me death.” 

(Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775)

 

Hi, Friends.

Greetings on this very important day, celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence some two hundred and forty years ago on July 4, 1776. 

The Price of Liberty 

We all know the day as a federal holiday. What many do not realize is the awesome price that was paid to give us this holiday. Many men sacrificed their lives to give us a constitution that guarantees us this precious liberty. That constitution would enable President Lincoln to say on November 19, 1863, “Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all  men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” President Lincoln went on to say, “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who gave their lives that that nation might live.” President Lincoln himself would also pay with his life to give to us the privilege and right to liberty and justice. Never forget those who gave their lives to protect our freedom in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq and other military conflicts.  

I choose not to celebrate my liberty as an American without remembering an even greater liberty given to us by our heavenly Father. He gave His only son to die that I may have eternal life. (John 3:16) Jesus himself said that He was sent to preach the gospel to the poor. (That’s me.) To heal the broken hearted. (That’s me.) To preach deliverance to the captives. (That’s me.) To set at liberty them that are bruised. (And that too is me.) That is the liberty that Jesus speaks of in Luke 4:18. As our liberty in this great nation would cost the lives of many, this liberty would cost the life of Jesus. It would cost the lives of His disciples and many of His followers. The apostle Paul would suffer much as he gave his all to proclaim that precious liberty. It would cost the lives of many missionaries from those days even until now. Please do not take this liberty for granted. To me, it is sacred. 

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I just returned from taking a vehicle to the border to be sent to Chiapas, Mexico. Thanks to Al and Micky Brown for this donation. Two weeks from now, I will be in Northern Mexico for a conference, and then I return to Chiapas to continue work there. 

The number 2 you see on this page represents the number of years until I reach the age of 80. This month, I will celebrate seventy-eight years of life, fifty-eight years of marriage and fifty-five years of ministry. Like an old vehicle, this machine suffers wear and tear. But thank God, every morning it starts.

As always, thanks for helping us help others. I pray that God keeps you in His favor and gives you favor with man.

                                            Larry Myers

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June, 2015

Hi, Friends. 

 

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

First, let me thank you for helping us to help others.  

They Served With Love

The first week of May was a perfect example of people helping people. A great group of men from Prestonwood Baptist Church of Dallas met us in Tuxtla to help build a new church. The man in charge of this project was my friend Paul Pogue. I was told not to lift a finger, much less a shovel. I did as I was told.

I searched for a Scripture that would shine light on the men who would build the church and the man who would receive the church. I chose Colossians 3:12-17. “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness,  humility, gentleness and patience. Verse 14 says, ”Put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” And verse 17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” This describes the men who came, paid their own expenses and seemed to have done it out of pure love. They were compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient.  

Hearts Overflowing

Now, something about the man that was receiving the new church. His name is Pastor Gabriel, the one I mentioned in last month’s letter. Did he really appreciate what was happening? Did he seem thankful? 

The ladies of the church did their best to prepare food for all, showing their appreciation. 

At the end of the last day, as  we prepared to pray and give thanks to God, we gathered around Pastor Gabriel to also pray for him.

Gabriel broke down and cried and cried and cried.  I looked around at the building team, and they were crying. Mr. Pogue looked at me and said, “I still cry”. 

What about me? Well, they said that I could not work, but they said nothing about crying. So I cried also. I was so moved by this show of appreciation that the day I got home, I sent another $4000.00 to spray insulation on the bottom side of the metal roof and put a drop ceiling in the church, making sure there would be connections for the ceiling fans later. 

We Thank God for You

Thanks again for all that you do to help us do all that we do. Later this year, we have teams back to back to back who will build three more mission churches. We have many other trips planned. 

The middle of this month I will be in Atoyac on the west side of Mexico. In July, I will be at a convention in the northern part of Mexico. I will also be back in Chiapas to bless the orphan  children as well as the children of churches in the mountains. 

Back in 1978, when God called me to the mission field, they said it wouldn’t work. But it seems that they forgot to tell God. Jesus Himself said in Mark 9:23, “All things are possible to him who believes.” And that’s enough for me.

Larry Myers

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May, 2015

Dear Friends:

Greetings! Today I write this letter to encourage those who are already weary from difficult times and to those who may be just entering into difficult times. Hold tightly to these two Scriptures. Galatians 6:9 tells us “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Isaiah 4o:31 says “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.”

WAIT UPON THE LORD! IN DUE TIME, YOU WILL REAP

Waiting. It’s always the most difficult part. We cannot know for sure how deep, how long our valleys will be.

May these following examples be an encouragement to you.

Pastor Gabriel in Tuxtla pastored for 18 years in a very small building. Last week we finished construction of a beautiful, much larger church.

Pastor Fabian pastored in a small tar papered, cardboard building with a dirt floor for four years in Tuxtla. He now has a beautiful church and is continuing to add on.

Thirty years ago, I built a beautiful church in Atoyac, near Acapulco. Tom Shaffer and I also built a very nice medical facility. I left Atoyac and went to Chiapas Mexico to start a new work, and build a new headquarters. Several immoral pastors followed me in Atoyac and practically destroyed both the congregation and the building. It takes years and years to heal the wounds caused by immorality. The elders and deacons struggled for many years bbut never gave up. I preached there in February to a packed church. They are in the process of doubling the capacity of the auditorium, and their vision is to reach and build for a congregation of 3000. The medical ministry in Atoyac also suffered difficult times. Our Mexican doctor in charge of the clinic drowned in the ocean. Dr. Romero, the plastic surgeon from Lafayette retired for medical reasons. A very bad hurricane caused great damage to property and building. You don’t quit in difficult times. The property and building have been repaired and next month a dental team headed by Dr. Jerome Smith will be in Atoyac as they have for the past 20 plus years. 

And my final example is this. I built and pastored a beautiful church in Denison Texas. God called me to the mission field in Mexico and I obeyed the call. Again, several immoral pastors followed my ministry in Denison. The congregation went to less than 20 and the building began to deteriorate. While visiting home from Mexico, I often stopped on the highway and looked at what I had built and wept. I recently preached in this church to a packed house. All Spanish speaking, and again I wept, but this time for joy. 

God is not weary nor tired of well doing. He has not fainted. and neither should you or I. He has not forsaken us, nor forgotten us. May you be encouraged and strengthened as you wait for your restoration.

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April 2015

Dear Friends

Greetings! 

Feed My Lambs

In the 21st chapter of John, Jesus asked Peter a question. “Lovest thou me?” Peter’s answer was “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my lambs.” Jesus asked Peter the same question two more times. Peter’s answer was the same. “Lord, you know that I love you.” This time, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” Peter would spend the rest of his life fulfilling the desires of Jesus. Feeding the lambs, the new born believers, the little children and the sheep, the followers of Christ. 

Often times people ask me, “What do you do in Mexico?” My answer, Just helping God fulfill His desires. In John 3:16 He said He really didn’t want anyone to perish, but to have eternal life. I do my best to make new believers, new born lambs of those whom Satan has tried to steal kill and destroy. To tell them that God really wants to give them life and that more abundant. (John 10:10)

A few weeks ago, I was in Atoyac north of Acapulco to visit the sheep and make sure they are cared for and well fed. That’s what God would want me to do. I visited with the Shaffers who have given their lives to helping the lambs through the medical facilities. That’s what Jesus would do. 

Most of the month of March, I was in Chiapas, feeding and caring for the sheep. A very poor family brought their son to our clinic to see if anyone could help. They were too poor to go to a hospital. Our doctor removed two tumors from his side. His family was grateful. That’s what God would want.

A pastor called from the northern part of Mexico to tell me of a couple of needs. A pastor’s wife had died and they did not have enough money for her funeral. Another pastor had suffered a stroke. I wired money to help cover the expenses of both. That’s what God would want.

We know the purpose of Jesus Christ, “To seek and save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) But do we know what His ministry was? 

In Luke 4:18 Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Really, who am I? Just one whom He has called to help fulfill the desires of His ministry.

Only a few days ago, we graduated a class of students who for two years have studied and sacrificed to prepare for ministry. My counsel to them, “Go and help fulfill the ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Teach what He taught, and have His compassion for mankind. 

Larry Myers... Not a doctor nor an apostle, not a prophet nor a bishop. Just one saying, “Here am I, Lord. Send me.

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March 2015

Dear Friends:

Greetings!

Just a word about my schedule. I was scheduled to be in Monterrey, Mexico with Pastor Ramiro Alvarez the first February, but a minor back surgery prevented me from making that trip. I did fly to Chiapas to be with Russell Linscombe and a group from Denison, Texas to help build a new mission church. And on the 21st, I was in Atoyac, near Acapulco to visit with Tom Shaffer and the clinic and also the church there.

Taking Care of God’s People

In Matthew 11, we read how John the Baptist, while in prison, heard of the works of Jesus Christ and sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said unto them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”

I am not Jesus, but many of you have both seen and heard what we have done in Mexico for the past 35 years. Now let me share a little of the still incomplete schedule for 2015.

Apart from the medical campaigns, Russell has nine scheduled construction groups. Paul Pogue and I also have nine construction groups scheduled. The majority of these groups will be building churches. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, the Apostle Paul lists many of the difficulties that he faced. 

After having listed the trials, in verse 28 he writes, “Apart from such external things, there is the daily care or concern for all the churches.” We don’t just build churches and then forget about them. Like Paul, we face the daily pressure of concern for all the churches. I also have many speaking engagements throughout this year, both in Mexico and the US.

Trusting in God’s Provision

At the end of 2014, I received a number of offerings with a note attached saying, “Use as needed.” What a blessing this is. It allows me not only to see a need, but also to meet that need. The goodness of God to me reminds me of His goodness to Ruth. In Ruth 2:14-15, Boaz commanded his servants saying, “Let her glean among the sheaves, and do not insult her. Also, you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

God put water in the jawbone of a donkey to satisfy Samson’s thirst. he put honey in the carcass of a dead lion to satisfy Samson’s hunger. Could it be that we look too much to our own abilities to satisfy our thirst and hunger? Could it be that we look not enough at the ability of God to meet our needs? 

I pray that you have a great year and that all that you do prospers. Most of all, I pray that we all learn, as the old song says, to keep “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”.

Larry Myers

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February 2015

Dear friends:

I greet you in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. I begin this letter with two questions. What, and why?

What and Why?

What is your greatest desire for the year 2015? And the second question is why? Why do you want what you want?

I love my family and I love my friends, but my greatest desire is to be more like Christ. The One who called me and sent me. The one I pledged to serve and follow the rest of my life. I want to have the compassion He had and still has for mankind. He crossed the body of water from Galilee to Gadara for one man who desperately needed Him. After healing the demoniac, the people of Gadara asked Him to leave, and the Bible says He went back to the boat and left. John 4:4 tells us he had to pass through Samaria. King James reads, “He must needs to go through Samaria”. There at Jacob’s well, he met a woman who had lived a messed up life and desperately needed restoration. After her encounter with Jesus, she returned to the city and told everyone what had happened. This time the people were asking Jesus to stay with them. He remained with them two days and many believed. He had compassion for Jerusalem, a city who had stoned those sent to them and killed the prophets. Luke 19 says He wept for the people of Jerusalem. He had compassion for hurting people, sick people. As Matthew would say, 

“Compassion for the distressed and dispirited”. (Matthew 9:36) 

Can I Do More?

What more can I do than I have already done? The answer is MUCH MORE. I can build them more churches and better churches. I can provide them more doctors and certainly purchase more medicine to treat the sick. Will I do this? I have already begun and I pray that the compassion of Christ will push me like a mighty wind until I have done every He asks of me, even to the last day of my life. 

I often hear these words, “You are not getting any younger. You must slow down. You must take care of yourself.” I hear this from family, friends and doctors, but I have much more to give. I will give myself to prayer and encouragement, to many who are fighting for their very lives. To the very end.

Paul never thought of himself but others, always beginning his letters “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. To the very end, Jesus prayed for mankind, even on the cross. He prayed “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Yes, there is much more that I can do. I hope you get what you really want and when you get it, I hope that it is what you really need.

What can you do to help me? 

Pray for me that when my silver and gold are gone, I, like Peter, will be able to say, “Look on me; silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And He took him by the right hand and immediately he was healed.” (Acts 3)

February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October and December are already booked. Yes, I still have something to offer.

Praying and thanking God for you.

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January 2015

Dear friends: 

Greetings on this, the first month of the New Year. I trust that you had a great Christmas. If you had a need, I hope that you received. If you had no need, I hope that you gave. And, I wish you the very best in 2015. 

Taking Jesus To the Little Children

In Matthew 19, we read “There were brought to Him little children, that He should put His hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of heaven.’ And He laid His hands on them, and departed thence.”

We could not take the little children to Jesus, but we did take Jesus to the children. We stood as Jesus and blessed hundreds and hundreds of little children. Many of them were orphans and had no one else to bless them at Christmas time. Many of them were the indigenous of the mountains of Chiapas. All were poor by our standards here in the US. 

I want to thank the 12 people from the US who came, bringing hundreds of pairs of shoes, money from themselves and from others who gave to bless the little children. 

If you have a need, I hope someone blesses you. If you have no need, I hope you bless someone who has a need.

At the orphanage, I saw a little child who was brought there when he was only two days old. As I looked at his face, I thought of Eva in Atoyac and Nabor in Chiapas, and I wished for Dr. Russell Romero and Dr. Jerome Smith who repaired so many cleft palates in our medical facility in Atoyac near Acapulco. Dr. Romero is now retired and lives in Lafayette, Louisiana. Dr. Smith still has his practice in Lafayette. I was told that this child will need at least seven operations. 

I will close and let you look at the faces of these children. And I thank you for helping us help so many year after year after year. Helping others who cannot help themselves. Thanks a million!

Larry Myers

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December 2014

 

 

Dear friends: 

Greetings on this, the last month of 2014.

A Time to Build

Last month’s letter showed a few pictures of the remodeling of the Chenalho dorm and the new furniture. A great big thank you to all who helped on the construction and finances to complete this project.

At the same time we started remodeling the clinic in Chenalho, and everything there is looking much better. 

The dorm was finished just in time for the annual women’s conference hosted by Pastor LaNell Miller of Texarkana, Texas. I am told that all went well with a multitude of American, Mexican and indigenous women attending. One sad note was that Pastor LaNell fell on a walkway, hitting her head on a rail, 

causing a nasty cut. If you know LaNell, you will agree that she is a very tough lady. And she was able to complete the week long conference in spite of her injury. 

During the time of the conference, I was in the state of Quintana Roo near the border of Belize working on a church in the city of Chetumal. We left behind a beautiful two-story church and a very nice playground for the children that attend the church. It was a long 12 hour drive from Tuxtla to Chetumal by vehicle with many speed bumps along the way, but it was well worth the effort.

 

A Time to Bless

In a couple of days, I will be back in Chiapas with Mary Lou and a group of 

friends. The purpose of this trip is to bless many children for Christmas. We will bless every child in the orphanage and approximately 700 more in the mountains in the Chenalho area. At the very same time, Pastor Sam Walker and his people will be doing the same thing in a village near Atoyac, Guerrero, north of Acapulco. 

I will return home for Christmas and then once again travel to Chiapas to begin work on two new projects. 

A Time to Bond

Christmas should be a great time of reflection of the goodness of God with friends and family. It is a good time to mend broken relationships. Life is too short to miss a single day of happiness because of hurts and misunderstandings. You probably have heard this before. “I will forgive, but I will never forget.” Why not forgive AND forget?” God did. Psalm 103 reads “As far as the east is from the west, so far He has removed our transgressions from us”. Jesus said in Matthew 18:35, “Forgive your brother from your heart.” Unforgiveness will only serve to hurt you. Let it go as far as the east is from the west. 

As we celebrate this Christmas, let us not forget those who are struggling in a difficult time. Some need a great healing touch from our Lord. God knows each need. Please stand with the needy in prayer. 

A Time to Be Thankful

I want to thank every one who has been so kind to Mary Lou and me as well as the people of Mexico throughout the year. It has been a great and wonderful year. Have a great Christmas, and remember the words of Jesus. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” It came from His heart.  Freely we have received. Freely let us give.

Larry Myers

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November 2014

Dear friends:

I greet you and write this letter to encourage you.

Last month was a very busy month for me in Chiapas. I had three groups back to back from the US who came to help remodel the Chenalho dormitory and clinic and to build a mission church. Today, Carlos and I will drive 12 hours to do the same for a church in the state of Quintana Roo.

Who, Then  Is The Greatest?

A few weeks ago, I was visiting with Carlos and he was a little discouraged. He said that there was a pastor in Tuxtla whose membership numbered about 1,500. This pastor’s church building is old and run down. Carlos’ church building is new and beautiful, yet his congregation numbers about 200. The difference in the two pastors is that one pastors 1,500 while the other pastors more than 200 pastors who pastor thousands upon thousands of people. 

Who is the greater of these two? That would be like comparing the Apostle Paul with Moses. Moses’ congregation numbered in the millions whereas Paul’s only numbered in the handfuls. Yet both were mightily used by God.

In Deuteronomy 3:28 God commands Moses to “charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shall see.” 

Jesus covered this subject quite well in Luke 21:1-3. “He looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a poor widow casting in thither two mites, and He said, ‘of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than them all. For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God.; but she has cast in all of her living that she had.’” 

Paul also covers this in 1st Corinthians 12. He says that the body is not one member but many. He goes on to explain the importance of each member of the body. The eyes, nose, the feet. He also touches on the spiritual. God has set some in the church apostles, prophets, teachers, and so on. Who then is the greatest?

Again Jesus covers this subject quite well in Matthew 18. The disciples ask Jesus “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said to them in verse 4, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

May I add Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:37? “Those who love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul and mind and who love thy neighbor as thyself.”

 

With Thanksgiving And Gratitude

I will be in Mexico in January, February and March doing all within my ability to fulfill my calling even as the Apostle Paul said, “Counting myself least of the apostles.” (1 Corinthians 15:9)

I marvel at you who hear the voice of God, who respond at the exact time of need. Time after time, in my opinion, you rate among the greatest, and I am grateful. I pray that many times this month, you express your thankfulness to our Lord for all that He is to you and your family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Larry Myers

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