There are seven states in Mexico with less than 2% born-again believers. These seven states share common borders. In the center of this Circle of Silence are the Jalisco Highlands, the least reached area in Spanish-speaking Mexico.

Around Atotonilco: The nearby town of San Francisco de Asis has a population of 5,000. A provincial agricultural town tied to tradition, it is almost a scandal when a young man from this town marries a girl not from the town. Despite this hermetically closed atmosphere, there are several there who are open to the Good News. This is one of the desolate cities we invite you to pray for.

In October of last year, Bibles for the World provided us with 15,000 New Testaments to distribute to all the homes of Atotonilco. We named the outreach Proyecto T.N.T. ("Project The New Testament" in english). We began the work with a week-long campaign. Though I was out of the country at the time, Ed Drysdale and Peter Warren worked with brethren from here and a team from First Baptist Church in Lancaster, CA. to kick things off. That week nearly half the town was covered. Only now months later are Peter and I nearing the finish of the second half. Virtually every day that we go out, we hear words of encouragement. Let me share some:

• A construction worker: "I already got one of those given to me at my home. We've been reading it. Hey you guys! Come here! These guys want to give you a book! It's the New Testament and it's really good!"
• A housewife: "My mom got one of these and I've been reading it at her house!"
• Young man at his home: "We got some of these at work. Four of us work there and we got three books, so we've been sharing. This week, it's my turn to take it home!"
• Maid: "I just work here. You already left one of these at my house. My husband and I have been reading from it every night."
• 20 year old man: "Oh! I picked up one of those at a caf_ here [We offer them to customers at the caf_]. It sure has a beautiful message!"
• Young girl: "We already have four of these. My dad went to Guadalajara and someone there gave him one, then he got one given to him at his work. Then my brother came home with two! We're reading them together every night."
• Mother: "I've been saving up to buy a Bible, but it never seems like I can save enough. So now I have one of my own as a gift!"
• Seven women came into the caf_ and one of them noticed the New Testaments with the sign, "Take One". Linda assured her they were a gift and she took her copy back to the table where her friends sat. One woman spoke up: "Oh, I've got one of those in my house. It's the Bible!" "Yes, I got one, too!" another added, "We've been reading it!" These women continued to discuss the Bible for another 10 minutes or more, perhaps the first conversation about the Bible these women had held in their lifetime.

With sowing there is also reaping. Pray that as a congregation, we will be prepared for those the Lord is going to give us.

Pray also for the rest of the town and for the adjacent areas of Infonavit and Fonapo, government housing projects on the edge of town. Peter has distributed a New Testament to every home in Cucarachas and now has a Bible study going there. Pray for the testimony of Christ in this village.

Thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Steve, Linda and Josh