This morning Guilda (Host family) explained that the girl died to her (Guilda's) kids. It was Weird being there when she was telling her kids. Later we went to Comfort the mom of the deceased girl named Mariah. She was 18 years old.

I went to the market to buy some souvenirs for those that prayed and helped me financially. The man tried to short change me but I counted my money with Jonathan. The Mexicans drive crazy, I thought I was going to get in a car accident. By the way, when a missionary's wife picked me up at the airport a big truck hit her car and scraped her paint.

The part that I brought down was not put on yet because of so many missions and we were going to put it on today but things happened. They were busy flying missions. They have not let me go with them flying yet because they have had to haul a lot. Tomorrow morning at 7:00am I am going to the hanger to work on the plane with Josue because it has been downed due to a faulty bracket on the ailerons. We did not even get the other part on and something else breaks. The aileron bracket completely broke on one side and the other bracket is cracked. Both are unairworthy items. So the flying ministry has stopped.

March 2, 1996
Things here in Mexico never happen as planned. I waited for Brian at 7am but he did not show till 7:30. His truck would not start. We arrived and picked up Josue on our way to the airport. Everything in Qaxaca is modern. I pictured things much different here. Most people have gas stoves and electric refrigerators and microwaves. American products are sold everywhere. For missionary pilots they live in the city where everyone has these things and therefore have them as well. For missionaries outside of the city where they fly to; they have nothing.

Since "Alas De Socorroís" plane was broken they felt an obligation to somehow get Mariaís body back to her village. Alas de Socorro had flown her out of the village after she was really sick. It takes fourteen hours by car plus four hours walking to get where she lives. When the plane flies it takes 30 minutes to get there. The man that I mentioned earlier that I visited his wife and him at the hospital. she was in for gangareen on her neck. Anyway, we somehow ended up using him as a pilot, someone else's plane (his plane was broken) from his, and Alas De Socorro's cargo to the village to bring Maria's body back. One of the missionary's wives was so emotionally tied to this incident that she has just been a wreck.

Every day is such a change for me as to my perspective on everything. God has really shown me how He has everything worked out to the last detail. The pilot that flew Maria was not with Alas De Socorro. Alas De Socorro can not fly any plane that is not theirs because of safety reasons. So the pilot which flew Mariaís body has only been saved six months and prayed with the village people. Ironically the village people were blaming the whole thing on Maria receiving Christ and being Baptized. Her mom received Christ, but her father is the town witch doctor. Anyway, sometimes we think Godís ministry stopped because the plane broke, but maybe God broke the plane so He could minister the pilot had been a Christian only six months has already ministered to the people in Mariaís village, but has also witnessed to his boss and one other guy at the airport. In the states I feel some of the churches have become lukewarm, but here if you become a Christian you are on a mission to glorify God every second you exist. If you meet someone on the street they are Senor or Senora, but if they are a Christian you address them as hermano or hermana. This means brother or sister and is by calling them that it is almost as though you are acknowledging that you are both part of the mission to glorify God.

Back to my day. That morning took a long time to get paperwork done, peoples packages taken and things sorted out. It also took a long time to get everything worked out to bring Mariaís body back. While I was waiting one of the missionary pilots had to identify the body. They opened this small dirty wood casket where the body laid. Inside was a white cloth that was stained with body fluid. They don't embalm here. Her cloth was opened and there laid an 18 year old girl with cotton balls up her nose to keep either fluid in or germs out. It was a site I wan not ready for. Mexico is filled with things youíre not ready for. Most people have no insurance so when fait strikes sometimes your number is up. The government says they donít turn anyone away in the civil hospitals, but they are under staffed and the government only buys so much medicine. If you have money you usually go to the private hospitals which are only slightly better.

Continue