Through February and into March, we continuously traveled to preach and present our ministry. It exhausts me just to consider how furiously we drove for days at a time to make our schedule. The coffee-fueled, boundless miles spent together in our overloaded car have etched in my heart a new level of love and respect for Rebecca. Through thick and thin, she has devotedly sacrificed to help me fulfill my dreams to plant churches in South America. Along the missionary trail, God has also been faithful to smile upon our efforts and regularly provide for our family in times of need. Please pray that more churches would take us on for support in spite of the Coronavirus.
Sometimes before we eat, I’ll say, “I’m so hungry, I’m going to eat like a vicious animal.” A while back, one of our daughters said with a serious look on her face, “I’m so hungry, I’m going to eat like a delicious animal.” Rebecca and I paused, silently turned and looked at each other . . . and then burst out laughing!
During a Missions Conference, we were sent out to go soul winning with another couple. I went with the husband, and Rebecca went with his wife. Some of the people we talked to were plain rude, even yelling and slamming the door on us. Across the way, Rebecca was happily smiling as she pulled her Bible out to witness. The sun was also beating down on us as we prayed and continued trying to invite folks. Then we saw the man’s wife gleefully seeing someone else saved. You could hear her giggling as her new convert eagerly listened to what she had to say. Feeling frustrated, I halfheartedly smiled and walked even faster to the next apartment. At the very last door, a lady named Sharon answered. She said, “What a coincidence, I have been looking for a church.” A wide grin spread across my face as I began witnessing to her; she trusted Christ. On our way back to the van, we were singing, shouting, and doing the jig because God answered our prayers! Please pray for Sharon’s health and that she would become a productive member of the church.
Thank you for praying for our family and ministry. If you ever have a prayer request, please do not hesitate to send me an email at xlbolivia@hotmail.com, and I will wholeheartedly pray for you. In turn, I have some more requests. Please pray for God’s wisdom, protection, and blessing on our marriage and for His help to homeschool and rear our children for the Lord. Through prayer, you can help strengthen the foundation of our family, which will result in greater longevity as church-planting missionaries and a more productive and fruitful ministry for the glory of God.
If you would like to be on our prayer letter emailing list, please send me your email address at xlbolivia@hotmail.com, and I will include you so you can be updated faster to help us pray.
We still had three more meetings before we were planning to return to Bolivia in April when everything began to close down because of the Coronavirus. Our meetings were canceled, so we began to pray and search for a place to go. We found a church in Mississippi where the pastor graciously allowed us to stay. I believe it was because of your prayers that God provided for our family. We depend on your prayers! Our tickets back to Bolivia have also been canceled. Please pray for our safety and for God’s guidance as we wait for things to open up so we can get back to Bolivia to start our next church.
On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
Xavier Lopez