Shelly's Time in Baja California, Mexico

The time in Baja California was an incredible time on multiple levels.  My dear friend, Dalie, who co-founded the Miami Bible studies with me, came as my companion.  Dalie is from Puerto Rico and has lived all over Latin America and travelled the world.  In spite of that, she'd never done anything quite like our Mexico ministry before and she was amazing.  We were in the town of Vicente Guerrero in the Valley of San Quintin.  The entire church fell in love with her and neither she nor they will ever be the same.  There were plenty of challenges but God gave more grace than we could have hoped for. 

The church people nearly killed us with loving kindness.  We were hosted in homes (one was just two rooms) for every meal--wonderful food made with much love.  They discovered that I prefer flour tortillas and the word went around.  So everywhere we went the precious ladies slaved over the hot stoves making home made tortillas rather than buying them! 


In Latin America married women use their maiden names,
so that's why Shelly Cook is on the sign

The response to the messages was significant and encouraging.  The Lord gave me grace with my Spanish and I had pretty good recall--only a few embarrassing moments with language differences between Ecuador and Mexico!  People from all walks of life and social strata attended the meetings which were broadcast live on the radio.  I had gone expecting to speak 6 times to women and when we got there, discovered that there was one meeting (a Kitchen Table Counseling Training Seminar) exclusively for women and the other five were to a mixed crowd!  Not my typical M.O. All the advertising, including radio announcements, church bulletins and even a billboard on the main drag were for a general audience!  (See the picture above.)  No way to change it! Both Dalie and I had some very significant and, we pray, life changing chances to pray, counsel and minister to people.  It was obvious that there were many divine appointments. 

With some of my new friends from Vicente Guerrero

The messages were received with great interest and appreciation by both male and female attendees! At the end of the week, the pastor prayed and thanked God for the unique, sweet presentations they had heard--my feminine approach to sharing the Word had an impact! Many rededicated their lives to Christ.  It was humbling.   

If you had told me even five years ago, that I'd be asked to speak at a mission's conference in Latin America, I wouldn't have believed you--would probably have corrected you and said, "You mean ABOUT Latin America, right?"  The Saturday meetings were a full-blooded mission's conference including missionary reports, and I spoke twice on missions!  What a beyond-words-thrill to see how the gospel has taken root.  What a joy to see the Latin Americans we dedicated our lives to reach with the Gospel, now wanting to take it on to the utter most parts of the earth!!!

Those who love, pray and support us have had a significant part in the furtherance of the Gospel around the world and we are SO grateful!