Seeking Him

Hi Everyone,

We trust that you are all well. Thanks to all of you back home that continue to pray for us and the program here. We are facing many different emotions everyday but we feel you prayers and know that without them we would be struggling.
Today was another eye opener for me. Now that I am at home and relaxing my mind is starting to slow down and the reality of the events of the day are starting to settle in. I think I must have been running on adrenalin because all of a sudden I'm not feeling well. I have the a/c blowing at me but can't seem to cool down? Maybe a good night sleep?
So, this morning I had to run some errands in Guaymas. 2 members from the Koenes ministries team accompanied me as it is a 20-30 minute commute and they also had some errands to do. It turned out that we ran into some delays but through it we had some amazing experiences. I'll save that story for another time because its a good one but while we were out something else was happening that I would like to share.
We live in San Carlos however we are working on the other side of Guaymas in a community called Fatima. As you have read and heard the people there are living in extreme poverty. Pastor Raphael has been telling me that the people of Fatima are becoming very curious about us and are interested in why we are here in Mexico. They have been hearing the stories of the food program that we are offering to the children but they are also seeing that we are helping families that seek help. The Pastor has been telling the people that God has sent us from Canada to serve here and that we are helping them work with the children and the food program. Over the last week or two I have been hearing rumblings that the people are putting hope in US because God sent us here to help them and they are starting to expect dramatic changes because we are "sent by God." Although I believe we are called and I believe remarkable things are going to happen it is not US who is making it happen. God is doing the work! I didn't like it that I was hearing people confuse the work that God was doing with the idea that it was Brian from Canada doing it! I tried not to give it much thought thinking it would pass but then today the unexpected happened....
I arrived back at the mission center this afternoon around 2:30. While I was away a family had shown up at the center looking for me. I thought this was odd as I don't know anyone here other than the team. This family arrived at the door. They had hitch hiked from Fatima all the way to San Carlos and from San Carlos they walked the additional 2-3 miles in the desert with a 6 year old boy and a 5 month old baby. Keep in mind it is 37 degrees here today. They arrived at the center dehydrated, soaking in sweat and exhausted. The man at the center asked how we could help and all they would say is they were looking for Brian. (the person at the center is a family member of one of our staff visiting. there was no staff there to assist) They needed to talk to Brian. Obviously I was not there so they asked if they could wait for me to return. They waited for 2 hours at the center for me to arrive but I was still off on another "mission." The gentleman at the mission continued to ask the family what it was they needed and why they had come all that way looking for me. They opened up and indicated that he had not had a job quite awhile and that they have been out of food and they desperately needed help. They said that they knew "Brian" was working in Fatima with the Pastor and they needed my help and that they needed to speak to me. The gentleman at the mission went on sharing with them that they shouldn't be seeking man to meet their needs but that they should be seeking Jesus as he is the only one that can provide and that if they would seek Him with all their hearts maybe he would provide work for him so that he could care for their family. He went on to say that you have walked all this way seeking "Brian" and he isn't even here. You shouldn't put your trust in man, it is only God that will always be there for you. Because I was not returning the family ended up getting a ride back to San Carlos and from there the gentleman bought them bus tickets back to Fatima.
I am left with mixed emotions from this story. A family spent all day looking for me! Had I been here, I would have packed them a food hamper and probably given them a ride back to Fatima to meet up with Pastor Raphael so that we could see where they are at. The reality that they were desperate enough to travel all that way to find me once again overwhelms me with the fact of how bad things are here for the people here and that they are looking at me to somehow help them. It is a really long way to go!!! I'm sorry that I missed them, I can't help but think that there are 2 hungry children in bed tonight because I wasn't available to help, after all they probably spent 6-8 hours of their day looking for me. I can only imagine that they too are thinking of the days events as well and if only I was there they wouldn't be hungry. I feel I have let them down. But... at the same time, I like the response that the gentleman at the center had. Don't rely on or seek man for your need but look to God for your provisions. Maybe God planned it that I would not be there and maybe it was a lesson for them to learn??? I don't know?
Regardless, with us being present in Fatima, people are desperately looking toward us in "hope" that we will bring change to their world. I want nothing more to help them and to bring change but it is not by my strength and power that it will happen. It is only through Him that it will happen. I believe that God will do great things here but it is going to take time. We are in major need for pray and we are in need of financial assistance. It is on nights like this one that I feel very, very small and have to totally rely on God to make things happen. After the events of today I cant help but have tears in my eyes. Please make Fatima a matter of your prayers regularly! Pray that God will send us provisions and that he will continue to reveal his plans in his time. In the mean time we will continue to help in any way we can but also pray for us that we can hold out and that we would stay strong and not get discouraged. And pray that I will cross paths with that family at some point so that we can see what we can do to help them out.

Gods Richest blessing to all of you,

Brian

Oh and be very thankful that we are so incredible blessed!