[ Just a Glimpse ]

Today's "Just a Glimpse" is actually the story from Michael's recent weekend trip to Guatemala. And trust me, you'll want to read the whole thing! Oh, and one other thing...you know I mentioned in my last post about reminding a certain someone to take pictures? Well, he didn't...but thankfully, the pastor took a couple and sent them our way! =)

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Dear Friends, Family, and Prayer Warriors,

I want to say a great big thank you to those of you who were praying for me this past weekend. We could definitely feel the prayers of God's people. As I go on trips like this, I often think of Psalms 91. Truly, "He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust."

As I left on Friday, it seemed that everything was going wrong. After leaving the house, I had to return twice for things that I had forgotten. In the midst of returning, I got stopped by Border Police and I began to wonder how this trip was going to go.

After picking up several brothers in Santo Domingo who were going with me, we proceeded to the border. Two and a half hours later after filling out a bunch of paperwork and having to see a Guatemalan lawyer, we finally had everything in order and were ready to continue on our way.

The five hour trip went by rather quickly and without incident, and before we knew it, we were in the city of Tacaná. Not long after driving into the city, I went to stop and quickly realized that I had NO BRAKES!!! Thankfully, we were on a flat stretch, so I quickly put it into a lower gear to slow us down. After this, we proceeded down several VERY steep streets with trucks, motorcycles, and people all around us with pretty much no brakes at all. As we arrived at the last street, which was also going downhill, I used the emergency brake to stop us. Somehow God helped us to make it safely to the house of our pastor Cruz Perez.

We were very grateful for God's blessings to us throughout the day. We had just traveled on tremendously high mountain roads with huge curves all day long! Truly God was with us.

On Saturday we began the youth convention, and God helped as I preached three different times. The presence of the Holy Spirit was with us in every service in a special way and we had several seekers at the altar throughout the day on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Pastor Cruz called a friend/relative of his that is studying to be a mechanic to come and look at my truck. He told me that the brakes evidently just heated up and now they were smooth. He took all of the brakes off and roughed them up so that they would work again. I really don't know anything about mechanics, so I took his word for it.

On Sunday morning I preached and once again the Holy Spirit came in a tremendous way in this service. During the message a drunk man came and stood in the door and listened and several form the outside also showed interest. At the close of the service I gave an altar call and two brand new people accepted Christ! It was an exciting day!

Sunday afternoon after eating a delicious lunch, we tested the brakes and they felt like they were working fine so we decided to make our way back to Tapachula.

It was about two hours into the trip when I began to hear a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat sound near the front wheels and wondered what it was. It seemed to me like it was worse on the curves. And we were going around LOTS of them! Finally, I stopped to check it out. When I checked the front drivers tire, I was able to move every single lug nut with just my fingers! Evidently our mechanic friend forgot to tighten them up. We had just ridden close to two hours on mountainous, curvy roads with a tire about ready to fall off! There is no doubt that God had sent His angel to hold that tire on for us!

We proceeded without further incident (other than getting lost in Malacatán, Guatemala which can be dangerous at night) and arrived in Tapachula thanking and praising God for His protection on us, but most of all for victories won.

Once again, thank you for your faithfulness in remembering us in prayer. May God richly bless you!

Yours for the Kingdom,

Rev. Michael Mason