It was almost more than this pastor’s heart could stand.  It was a day of precious memories, testimonies, tears of joy and gratitude, and fellowship.  With some delicious tacos thrown in.  I got back this week from spending several days in Mexico visiting a couple of ministries that we were involved in during our time there as missionaries.  The first was the 25th anniversary conference of a church started by a young man I led to the Lord way back in May of 1985.  To see all the Lord had done and is still doing in a ministry impacted by my father and mother as well as their missionary son filled my heart with joy and my eyes with tears.  To hear men called and trained to preach thanking the Lord and their faithful Mexican pastor for being a blessing was an incredible experience.  The presence of the Holy Spirit was real, almost tangible.  After the Sunday afternoon anniversary meal, I took a bus to Mexico City to visit the church God allowed us to start in that great city.  Again, the reception of the folks there blew me away.  Many of them Tina and I had led to the Lord personally and seen them grow tremendously in the Lord.  Their overflowing expressions of love and gratitude were humbling to say the least.  That evening and the next day were filled with reconnecting, reminiscing, and rejoicing.  And some very-much-missed tacos from my favorite restaurant in Mexico, a little local place called Los Chavos.  It was a time I will never forget; I just wish my entire family could have been with me.  I wish our former supporting pastors could have been there.  In fact, I wish you could have been there.  You would have seen how important it is to invest in foreign missions.  The impact that your prayers and your giving make in those countries.  The joy of the people who may never have been reached had it not been for your involvement in your church’s missions program.  As I was there, observing all that had been accomplished, the words of 1 Corinthians 3:6 came to my mind.  “God gave the increase.”  Seeing those works and experiencing the joy of their victories reminded me just how important faithfulness is in the Lord’s work.  If, by God’s grace, you stay at it long enough, the increase will be there.  The harvest will be great.  The joy will be overflowing.  Lord, keep me faithful!  And I pray He will do the same for you.