Black Sheep

BSHDFC E-Mag May 2018 | Page 3 During the third week of April, Interna onal BSHDFC President Marty Edwards and Los Angeles Regional Director Laz Alba visited Mexico with two objec ves in mind: introduce the ministry to five Harley-Davidson dealerships in Mexico City and patch new members in the state of Chiapas (Southern Mexico)! The recep on from all five of the big city dealerships was outstanding! It was as if the ministry of Black Sheep was something they had been wai ng for! Not only were the two Americans greeted with sincere interest and respect, they were invited into management offices, served coffee and asked many inquiring ques ons. Make no mistake, H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) and Harley-Davidson are alive and well in Mexico – and the work of BSHDFC is just as needed there as in the states. The dealerships were not as large as the American counterparts, but they were every bit as beau ful and modern. They visibly stocked fi een to twenty 2018 motorcycles and all of the usual accessories, tee-shirts, leathers and helmets. The stores were staffed by young, enthusias c employees, men and women, most in their early thir es and for es. Chiapas Black Sheep provided our duo with a driver and van, which was so appreciated for the tour of dealerships, taking 9-10 hours. (Imagine a city larger than the Los Angeles basin – without the convenience of freeways.) One young manager, Juan Carlos, asked Laz if he would come and "bless his helmet," something we had never heard of before. The young man had a kind and gentle spirit, sensi ve to the fact that he had been in an accident and now wanted God's blessing. The prayers and blessings were followed by great bear hugs and promises to stay in touch. Black Sheep Mexico From Mexico City our team flew to Tuxtla, capital of Chiapas, the southern most state in Mexico. Our leaders were there to encourage exis ng members, rendezvous with poten al members (some who rode hundreds of miles) and patch our newest member Emilio Luna (who had been mentored by video conferencing with Laz.). There were two points of connec on in Tuxtla: Emilio's "BIKER SPIRIT" motorcycle store/cafe and long- me Black Sheep Alvaro and Annie Lu's home church which was set high above Tuxtla in a charming li le mountain town called San Cristobal de las Casas. (Look it up online. It's a beau ful town!) Emilio had the heart of a Black Sheep long before he was one. He wanted to use his motorcycle accessory store as an outreach to bikers passing through town. He did so by purchasing a cappuccino machine and serving pastries on the weekend. He prays with riders, tells them about Jesus and NOW introduces them to the ministry of Black Sheep. On their return to the United States, Marty and Laz explored the need for a more focused approach in reaching Spanish speaking riders, both in the states and abroad. For this reason, Laz Alba will be stepping down as Black Sheep's regional director of Los Angeles to become the Director of La no Black Sheep Interna onal; reaching out to Spanish speaking motorcycle riders world wide. Admi edly so, Black Sheep HDFC has had a minimal impact on the interna onal motorcycle scene, but our heart has always been to obey the Great Commission: "Go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS, bap zing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (MATTHEW 28:19) DEALERShIPS ALVARO PATchING EMILIO STRATEGY MEETING UNDER ARREST hOUSE chURch PASTOR ANNIE LU EMILIO'S ShOP bIkERS AT chURch

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