OH DAY DIVINE

The other day I blogged about the choice we have when we encounter the Divine. Well today after we put the finishing touches on the house and had a bite to eat, we went back to Lupe' and Florencios new house and to have a short dedication, because Florencio can't be there until his next day off on Wednesday. During that time I was able to share that this house was a direct gift from the hand of God to express His love and care for them. Paula and Carmelo also shared with them and the Holy Spirit moved upon Lupe' her Sister Celia, and the two young men from next door Jose and Richardo and all four accepted Christ as their Savior. Thats why I say Oh DAY DIVINE. They became new creatures in Christ right then and there. Hallelujah!!!! So how much does it matter to follow up a good work with the Faith to share the GOOD ONE? Mucho Mucho Mucho. First we show the love of God and then we tell them about the One that loves them. A great day in Mx and four souls are sealed for eternity. The line on the bridge was shorter than the last several days and Roger is feeling better and will go with us tomorrow to hand out all the gifts and food.

FROM FOUNDATION TO FINISHED

They really don't need me to build the house. It's so not nice not to be needed, however it is nice to see all the team work so well together to get the house built in just two days. A few finishing touches today and we can spend the rest of the organizing all the gifts for the children and parents tomorrow. Bags and bags of gifts, along with shampoos and lotions and jackets and coats and soccer balls and dolls and health kits, beans and rice and sugar and juice boxes, and gospel tracts placed in every gift bag. Tomorrow the word will go forth with the tracts and a few Pastors that are coming to share the Word with the people, so we pray for the Holy Spirit to come and change lives. Roger was a little sick yesterday, so he stayed home and we pray for healing to come his way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IT'S REALLY NOT VERY MUCH FUN TO WATCH

While Alan, Roger, Patrick, Carmelo, Eliazar, Johnny, and a couple of kids from next door started building the house today, they actually made me sit in a chair and watch instead of helping. Their hearts were looking out for my own personal well being, after all I had my appendix out only five days ago. They all did an awesome job and like they all said, "they really don't need me" to build the house and they are right. They have all helped us build many exactly the same over the years. None the less, it's hard to just sit and watch, but after the two hour wait on the bridge to get to my doctors appt today, he basically gave me the green light to do whatever I felt comfortable doing after he checked my wounds and said they look great. I think I'll milk the no help law and let them build the whole thing without me. They got the four walls up and the loft built and that's usually day ones goal. It's great to have Roger here after last years open heart surgery cancelled his trip. Tears filled the eyes of all of us as Perla hugged and kissed Roger when we stopped there. She was so happy to see him. Paula and Lyneaa made us hot turkey sandwiches for lunch from a fresh turkey Paula made on Christmas. It's pretty cold here, today's high only 54 with a stiff wind out of the north. I hope it warms up, so I can beat Alan at golf in spite of my operation. Patrick is a friend from Calvary, visiting the valley for the holidays and accepted my invite to come to Mx and help us for the day. As it is with most first time guests to the colonia, Patrick was moved by the whole experience. He said he had never built anything before and was glad he came. It really does change your perspective on life when you see such drastic poverty and such happy people. Things don't make people happy, people make people happy, and I'm so blessed to be used by God to make a few people happy in this world!

TWAS AND IS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

It is indeed the night before Christmas, Paula is busy preparing dinner for tomorrow and I'm still on the mend from my surgery last week. All is quiet except in my heart. I'm thinking about those that saw the stars shining so brightly, when an angel of the Lord bid them greetings and challenged them to follow the star that would guide them to where the God of all creation would be lying in a cattle food trough. Can you imagine? God came down in the form of a baby, born out of the immaculate conception of the virgin girl. GOD CAME DOWN!! He came to us, because we would not go to Him, nor could we. Nothing in us wants to go to Him. Nothing in us desires to know Him. Nothing in us seeks the only One that has all the answers to all of life's issues. Oh night divine. That He would come down to rescue this rebellious heart and draw me unto himself. What if I would have said no? What if the poor shepherds would have said no? What if Joesph would have said no, even more, what if Mary would have said no? Could she have? Could I have? Could  the shepherds have said no? Could anyone who has ever really had an encounter with the divine said no? I'm of the persuasion that when humanity comes in direct contact with the divine, that we do just as the song says, Fall on our knees. When the love of God shines into our stubborn hearts and we realize just how insignificant we are in light of who He is, worship is the only response. The road after an encounter with the divine is merely the test of what you experienced and believe. I believe that all my sins have been taken away by the God that came down! I believe that the God that came down has a plan and a purpose for my life and yours, and we need to strive to find it! I believe that finding it is pure gold, and we can be used by the God that came down to make a difference in peoples lives. I believe that God came down again when the Holy Spirit entered into His creation to dwell for ever, sealing us for all time! I believe I'm going to be different this year, I want to be different this year! I want to spend more time on my knees and quit taking for granted so great of a salvation. I would like God to come down again and take all of us believers home, but there are so many that haven't experienced the God that came down. Revival starts with one heart and one purpose, to make the One that came down known to others. He's not a baby in a manger, HE IS THE GOD OF ALL CREATION THAT CAME DOWN TO TAKE AWAY THE SIN OF UNBELIEF IN THE WORLD.

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

Two days ago, I blogged about the BAM! factor of Gods Favor and then Yesterday BAM! I got an attack from my appendix and spent the night in the Hospital after having it yanked out of my body at 8:30 pm. I woke up yesterday with a little stomach ache and by 11 o'clock I had thrown up for the first time in over ten years. Wes and Jess were here and suggested silver water, but we don't have any so I just blew it off until I returned from working out in the warehouse and BAM a major pain in my lower stomach. Paula checked the internet, because everything they say on the internet is true, and I had the symptoms of a problem with my appendix. So I called the only doctor I know, a man named Steve from church and he ran blood tests and my white count was 17,000 and He said I needed to get to the hospital now and within 2 hours I had my appendix out. Now when you tell people you don't have insurance, they look at you like your from planet zog. Which opens the door for me to share that we don't have insurance because we use the money to feed the poor. The surgery went well I guess because I feel great except when I cough or laugh, or hiccup. Doctor Marcoz did the surgery and I'm praying for the same kind of miracle I had with my knee surgery. I was able to pray with one of the nurses this morning and that was special. We gave out several of our brochures and hope that will get involved with helping the poor. So give thanks in all circumstances. I was suppose to go golfing with three guys tomorrow that help our ministry and the course was only charging $20.12 in honor of the world ending, but instead I'll be reading the word and praying at the beginning of the winter solctice and the end of all things as we know it. OR NOT! The doc says I cant do much physical labor so Alan, Roger and Lyneaa will have to build the house themselves sorry!!

BAM !!!!

As we continue to get the green light at the border, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the colonia. Last week, Agape Christian School asked us to speak at their Christmas Musical before they presented us with over 50 gift bags for the children in Mexico that they had collected. Krista is one of the teachers there and goes to our church and they decided to make the kids in Mexico their Christmas Service project. We are so grateful for all the heartfelt gifts that went into the bags, and they are sure to be appreciated by the  children that probably won't get any other gifts. Our church also made up about thirty gift bags as well and we got them all across the border today. Christmas is coming and the kids in the colonia know that they won't be forgotten. We have been led to the final family that will get a new house in the next month or so. A single Mom named Norma and her six kids will be able to sleep under one roof and  in their own beds real soon. Jose 17,and Ricardo 15, sleep in a little shack next to their Moms house because there is no room for them. Lida is 14, Manicarmen is 9, Josse is 7 and Palo is 1& 1/2. A few door down, Maria Henandez has the responsibility of her grandchildren and two great grandchildren. There can be as many as 8 people sleeping in two leaky rooms at any given time, so they also will be experiencing Gods goodness. I often think that we should be nearing getting every family a new home, but I know it is indeed endless. The needs are just to many and God willing, one day they will all have a new home, just in time to start rebuilding the first ones we built. We can't wait until Alan, Lyneaa and Roger get here next week and then we get to hand out all the gifts. We are planning on buying gifts for the Moms and Dads as well, so they don't feel forgotten. The load of beans arrived yesterday and we spent the whole day unloading and arrainging everything in the warehouse. Alan from Netmenders Ministry in MN brought the beans as well as a half of a truck load of bikes, toys, windows, doors, a washer and dryer, a fridge, and 85 bicycles. Our yard looks like a flea market and soon everything will be in the hands of the people in Mexico that God intended. They let me pick out ten nice mountain bikes for the working Men in the colonia, sweet! One day I have about three thousand pounds of beans and then BAM! Gods Favor fills the warehouse and we should have enough for at least six months. Alan found a load to take back to MN, so that should decrease the amount we have to pay for the transportation of the beans by several hundred, maybe even a thousand dollars. BAM! more Favor. I pray that you get your BAM! from God today. He really does want to bless our socks off, He's just waiting for just the right time, and then BAM!! everything changes, needs are met, health is restored, relationships are renewed, lives are changed. I hope everyone can attend a Christmas musical this season. We have been to two this last weekend and they were awesome. Josie Busby sang a beautiful solo Be Born In Me wow it was great and I'm proud to know her. We  had some visiters today in the colonia, Ramon and Esperanza came over with two of their three kids and Ruthies baby Leam. They are the very first family we built a house for in 1997. Ruthy was two then and now is married and has a baby. Now I know what it means to not be weary in well doing, for in DUE SEASON you will reap, if you faint not. This is our due season and Gods abundance is evident and the Favor of the Most High is expanding His Kingdom through the people He has placed in our path.