The Smith Connection

My day started at 7:00 AM as I headed to Mexico City with two of Margarita's children. Margarita's mom had been in the hospital for two weeks with serious heart and kidney problems, and Margarita had been there with her for much of the time. We were now going in to see her. It was a four hour trip till we battled traffic. We met up with Margarita's sister, Socorro, who led us to the hospital. By the way, Socorro and her husband, Raul, are into a cuban witchcraft religion called Babalao. Margarita is praying for and wittnessing to them. Please pray for their salvation.

When we arrived at the hospital, Margarita greeted us and said that her mom really wanted me to go in to see her. The visitation system is very strict, and only a few visitors are allowed per day, and only two hours at a time. I got to spend two hours with Maria, talking about Christ. In spite of having stomach problems (quite common in Mexico), I was able to share without interuption for over an hour, and Maria trusted in Christ! Praise God. Afterward I felt like my stomach was about to explode, and I made a quick trip to the bathroom (where there was no toilet paper, of course, but that's another story!) Maria still has problems with her physical heart, but we praise God that her spiritual heart is now right with God. We have been able to connect her and her husband, Salvador, with Fernando and his family from the Iztapalapa Bible Church in Mexico City who have already been in contact, and plan to study God's Word with them. Maria got out of the hospital later that same day with many limitations in her life style and diet, but things seem to be under control. While there I also met Margarita's sister, Rosa, and her brother, Salvador, and his family. Margarita has shared with all of them, and hopes that they will trust in Christ someday soon. Please pray! We then battled traffic for another few hours and arrived back in Queretaro at around 8:30 PM.

I had just gotten in bed after a long day in Mexico City when the phone rang. Another Margarita from our church was having problems with her son, Sergio, who is a drug addict. She wanted to take him into a rehab center, but needed help getting him there. He had agreed that he needed to go. After I got to their appartment, I soon realized that he really wasn't willing to go in to the rehab center. He said he wanted to go outside and get some fresh air, and not wanting to get too physical with him, I let him go out and kept an eye on him. It wasn't long before he bolted off. I went after him a bit, but he was gone. We went back into the appartment, and I prayed with Margarita that he would return, and be willing to go to the rehab center. Just as we were finishing praying he came back into the appartment, totally high on pipe cement, and with pipe cement all over his clothing as well. We spent the next two hours in prayer and literally wrestling with him as he tried to leave the appartment. He said several times that he was ready to go, but when we got near the door he would try to run. One time he even said he wanted to pray and ask God for strength to go. The whole time he was praying he had one eye on the door, and after he said "amen" he made one last attempt to escape.

When midnight rolled around he finally calmed down, and was ready to be taken in. After we got him settled into the rehab center I saw a different Margarita. She has to work all day, and often came home to find Sergio close to death. The only time she can get any rest is when he is in a rehab center, but then she has to work extra hard to be able to afford it. Please pray for Sergio and his addiction, and for Margarita as she deals with him and trys to help him. Please pray that we would have wisdom to know how to help them as well. The rehab center really doesn't do much to disintoxicate him, but keeps him from continuing to use drugs, and feeds him well. In April Margarita has a spot reserved for him in a disintoxication center which is supposed to be very good and is much sought after, but it will cost her over $1,000 dollars, which she does not have. Please pray that God will provide these funds for her, and that this program will truly work in Sergio's life. Sergio claims to be a believer, but please pray that he will grow and mature spiritually and rely on God to help him win this battle.

I finally rolled in to bed at 1:30 AM. What a long day! I had a leadership training course to teach at 7 that morning. Thankfully all my days are not this long, but please pray that we would have endurance and wisdom as we try to help people with their needs, especially their spiritual needs.

Here Margarita is shown with her three children, Mauricio, Mariana, and Mary Carmen, and her two daughter's boyfriends, Jorge and Edgar

Here Sergio is shown at a kids club we held a year ago at his sister's house