Wow! More than fifty years working in Mexico, twenty-eight of them under the non-profit organization of Spectrum Ministries.

50-plus years of invisible miracles.

Yesterday I was thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong—tragically wrong—in working with the kind of people we minister to and in the dangerous areas we have chosen to work. I think of the many millions of passenger miles we have driven in Mexico, along with the millions of miles we have collectively driven as missionaries in Tijuana. As an old man, I remember the thousands and thousands of miles I have driven in Tijuana, in rain and in fog and the scary thoughts calmed by God's invisible miracles.

As a ministry, we have never had an accident of consequence. None of the thousands of visitors we have escorted across the border have returned with an injury; no shootings, raping or kidnapping. The possibilities of serious tragedy working Tijuana could never be counted. None of us has gone to jail or been imprisoned. Remember, in Mexico you can go to jail for even a minor traffic accident or a vindictive accusation.

At this point, most would say we've been remarkably lucky.

Not so! It's God's doing! Invisible miracles by God have been going on these years by the thousands. We just didn't know how close we were.

I just wanted to write this letter to you all, expressing my personal thanks for your faithful prayers. My thanks alone? No. Our thanks as your missionaries.

Not all of you financially support us but all of you know us and many of you faithfully pray for us. THANK YOU!!! I would hate to think of what these long years of ministry here would have been like without your prayers. Indeed, to God be the Glory!

On many occasions we have been reminded that we work in the stinking pit of hell. We've had our close calls. Thanks for helping us in this very real way.

For this old man the cyber world is still a mystery. I barely know the difference between hardware and software. I'm into e-mail At the price of stamps I had better be.

Personal question: Would you mind giving me (or us) your e-mail address if we promise not to abuse it? No giving your name out to anyone else. No bombardments, attachments, trivial messages. Just so we could place you on a personal list to ask for prayer when needs arise. I'm a short-note man and have more to do than sit home writing letters (like I'm doing now). So you're safe.

Yes, we will still send out our paper letters with your receipts and write an occasional bulk mailing (like this). E-mail is to be only for time critical issues or prayer. Incidentally, my e-mail address is EGVONT@aol.com

You can e-mail us with your address at spectrummx@aol.com Be sure to place that the words "VON'S LIST" on in the subject line so your mail won't be sidelined. Rather write it down? Please use the envelope enclosed.

Thanks so much!

For all of us working the south side of the fence, von