Answered Prayers
Last week (Jan. 27-31) I took a trip to our central district in the state of San Luis Potosi. It's about a 9 hour drive north from Puebla to an area called "La Huasteca", a tropical plain between the mountains and the Gulf of Mexico near Tampico. I taught a 4-day super-intensive course on Theology II to some of the central district extension students in the city of Xilitla (pronounced hee-LEET-la). And I also participated in the belated graduation ceremony for two of our Puebla students who finished last year (while were in the U.S.) and are now pastoring in this district.
I don't have a lot of profound thoughts or reflections as a result of this trip, except to say that many of you must have been praying for the class to go well and for safety in travels. God answered both prayers. I had been dreading this trip and the class, not because of having to teach (I love the teaching!), but because this area of Mexico is typically hot and humid year round. I don't do well teaching in the heat for 7 hours a day!
It was still at least 80 when I arrived there after dark on Tuesday night. However, the next morning it was overcast and misty in Xilitla, which is up the mountainside maybe 1000 feet above the plain of the Huasteca. The sun stayed hidden all that day while I taught, and the fog was even thicker in the evening. Each of the four days of class was about the same: cloudy, misty, some rain and unusually cool. We hardly got above 70-75, and I had to keep my jacket on most of the time. Thus, I was able to keep up my energy and stamina for the long class days, and we got through all the material. It was probably one of my best presentations of Theology II to date.
I'm not usually one to see a miracle or even answered prayer in good weather, nor do I see Satan's hand in disagreable conditions (the Bible NEVER shows Satan in control of the weather, only God). Weather is weather, and "it rains on the just as well as the unjust". God would have helped me in any kind of weather. However, I am extremely grateful for another unusually cool class week (this also happened to me last fall in Teotitlan). I paid a small price for it because my host didn't have a hot water heater for morning shower/baths! But I do believe God was answering prayers (yours and mine) for this class to go well.
Thanks for praying!
