I was saved by God's grace at the age of twentyfour and called to the work in Mexico, eight months later whilst attending a conference in Larne, N. Ireland. After a two-month visit in 2010, a letter of commendation was received the following year by my home assembly in Ballykeel. Arriving in Guadalajara, Mexico, on April 8th 2011, I was met by Paul & Barb Thiessen at the airport, on an early Saturday morning, along with the disturbing thought in my heart, "You didn't buy a return ticket!"
After eight months attending Spanish classes and hacking my way through the dense jungle of verbs, December found me back in N. Ireland to sign a marriage document. My new wife accompanied me to Mexico on January 6th 2012 where language studies where concluded for both of us, along with learning more about the Mexican culture. Early December 2012 until June 2013, we worked in Merida and with a few Christians in a Mayan village called Paraiso. It wasn't quite "paradise," but many lessons were learned as we sought to strengthen the work there and commence a new work in Merida.
Timothy Stevenson
We arrived in the city of Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz State, on June 18th to commence a work. We have been holding weekly meetings in a rented building near the city centre, on the same street as one of the biggest R.C. chapels in the city. Until this year few people were attending the hall but, after five weeks of Gospel meetings during January and February, the numbers increased and God was pleased to bless His Word. We have had the joy of seeing a few brothers and sisters in Christ obeying the Lord in baptism. We continue with weekly meetings, teaching a group of ten to twelve baptized believers "the Apostles Doctrine" as we rejoice to see convictions forming in their redeemed hearts. We are slow to learn that the salvation of a soul and the resulting convictions regarding the "local Church" are completely the work of God and His gracious Holy Spirit.
One aspect we enjoy the most is making weekly visits to nearby towns for tract distribution and open-air work. Many sit around under the shadows of crumbling chapels, held together by a new coat of paint, while we "let out" the light of God's Word which illuminates darkened souls, praying for days of revival in this needy land. Circumstances continually reveal our lack of faith, whilst our failures and frailties do not ever seem to be lacking. However, the faithfulness of our God has not failed, both during the occasional mountaintop experiences of life, and the more often valleys in between.
For your prayers: Plans are to visit Merida and Paraiso next month for some Gospel and ministry meetings. Lastly, our desire is to see the formation of an assembly here in Xalapa, a city of approximately four-hundred-and-fiftythousand souls.
"And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" Romans 10:14-15.
Summer 2014 Written by Timothy & Jenna Stevenson - Mexico mrtimothy333@gmail.com