How many times do we do something in our own strength, in our own time and in our own way and have it all come tumbling down? I know there have been many things I have done, just to watch it all unfold and turn out exactly opposite of what I thought it should be. Well thank God, He still blesses our messes.This past week was an example of God using our new community center for His Glory.
Last Monday we had an eye glass clinic and blood sugar tests done by Feed My Sheep Ministries, which was a huge success, as over 70 people saw the doctors and 12 people accepted Christ. Yesterday we had our monthly food outreach where over 400 people came, including children, and thank God the children came. The reason we were so thankful for the children was because a church group stopped by and had over 200 Christmas style shoe boxes filled with gifts for the children. What a blessing! Several Pastors came and we divided the children from their parents and the men from the women and ministered to them separately and that worked out very well. We brought them all back to the Center and gave them all the food that God had provided for them, including the normal beans, rice, oil and sugar. We had also purchased 600 bags of pasta and noodles and every family got three packages of those as well. A big thanks to Isaac, Carol, Jim and Edna from Manitoba Canada, Larry and Larry from Phoenix, AZ and the church group from San Antonio. The Pastors that gave the messages, as well as the Garcia family that led us all in worship were a huge blessing as well.
So God built the new Community Center and He is using it for His Glory. We have a family that will use it next Saturday for their daughters Quincinera (15th birthday party) which was another reason for building the building. To make it available to the community is a real step towards building a better community, so thanks to the Power Ministry for meeting that huge need in the colonia.
The small group from Moraine Valley Church arrives tomorrow and we look forward to another great week of meeting needs, both physical and spiritual. We will miss having Alan and Lynnea here, as they have returned back to Chicago, and just in time to fix some broken pipes at their house, so God had a good reason for them to return. God Bless Everyone and thanks for the prayers and support.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GODS FAVOR COMES UPON YOU?
When favor from God explodes on your life, you can expect opposition. God loves to pour out favor on our lives when we have positioned ourselves to receive favor. It happens almost every day that when we set out to do what God has called us to do favor and opposition collide. God wants us to walk in and expect His favor and at the same time Satan is always right behind Him trying to disrupt the flow of favor in our lives. I'm so glad that the battle is the Lords and He will ultimately win. We pray for favor everyday when we cross the border and God shows up. We pray for favor and provision is made for the ministry. But when we pray for favor over our marriages and relationships, all hell seems to break out. Why? People are the most important things in our life and the enemy is always trying to disrupt those areas that are most important. So lets all pray for each other that the enemy won't be able to kill, steal and destroy those people and relationships in our life that are important.
Yesterday, Feed My Sheep Ministries brought a team to the colonia to hold a medical and eye glass clinic. It was a little rainy and chilly, but over seventy people came to see the doctors and nurses, and many people came to faith in Christ as a result of the teams outreach to the colonia. While some presented the Gospel to those waiting to see the docs, others were testing eyes and blood sugar levels. It's all good, when the Gospel is preached and needs are met. We also fed everyone hot dogs and chips before they left. I had ordered a hundred umbrellas last week and they came just in time for the outreach, and gave many people umbrellas to keep them dry as they walked home and they will also be used as a sun shade on better days.
The clinic was the first official outreach held in the new community center and the it worked out perfectly with the chairs that were donated and the tables we had purchased. What kind of favor does God have in store for us today? Stay tuned and be a blessing to someone today.
Yesterday, Feed My Sheep Ministries brought a team to the colonia to hold a medical and eye glass clinic. It was a little rainy and chilly, but over seventy people came to see the doctors and nurses, and many people came to faith in Christ as a result of the teams outreach to the colonia. While some presented the Gospel to those waiting to see the docs, others were testing eyes and blood sugar levels. It's all good, when the Gospel is preached and needs are met. We also fed everyone hot dogs and chips before they left. I had ordered a hundred umbrellas last week and they came just in time for the outreach, and gave many people umbrellas to keep them dry as they walked home and they will also be used as a sun shade on better days.
The clinic was the first official outreach held in the new community center and the it worked out perfectly with the chairs that were donated and the tables we had purchased. What kind of favor does God have in store for us today? Stay tuned and be a blessing to someone today.
A REASON TO CELEBRATE OUR GIFTS FROM GOD
After a week of working hard around our ministry house and the new community center today we will take it a little easy and celebrate Lynnea and Paula's birthdays. Even though there is always something to do, we need to take time to celebrate those that mean so much to us and the ministry. Paula and Lynnea are always busy serving Alan and I as well as the people in the colonia. Yesterday they spent the whole day teaching their sewing class, making lunch for everyone, and ministering to the women that came for the class. So I'm going to buy some steaks and grill them over in the colonia and we might even have a pinata and of course tres leches cake.
There is always a reason to celebrate something and we all need to take some time to do just that. So I hope you celebrate something today and give thanks for the people in your life. Our daughter Kelly shares the same birthday as Paula tomorrow and we wish her happiness as she goes hang gliding up in Colorado on her birthday. 31 years has past since she was born, wow how time flies!!! Have a great day
There is always a reason to celebrate something and we all need to take some time to do just that. So I hope you celebrate something today and give thanks for the people in your life. Our daughter Kelly shares the same birthday as Paula tomorrow and we wish her happiness as she goes hang gliding up in Colorado on her birthday. 31 years has past since she was born, wow how time flies!!! Have a great day
AN EXPLOSION OF GOD'S FAVOR
When we first stopped by Enrique and Victorias house several weeks ago, we introduced them to the Living God, Jesus Christ. Victoria invited Christ into her life and heart that very day and their daughter had said that she had been praying for her parents to become believers. We shared with them and prayed with them and told them to pray for Gods provision. They desperately needed a new house. Seven people sleeping in two beds, and their three daughters are all teenagers, with two young boys as well.
Within weeks, God answered their prayers, as three men, Rich, Sam and Rob called and wanted to come down for a week and experience what so many others had, building a house for a poor family in Mexico. A mutual friend heard and listened to the Holy Spirits direction to provide the funds for the small but willing team to build the house and we spent the last several days being an answer to the families prayers. The mddy roads were a challange for the first two days and then things dried out.
Dave and Loni from Hancock, Michigan joined us well throughout the week and helped build the house as well as a 30 foot porch on Pastor Victors house next door to our house. Another great week of serving God and people. ALL OF THIS AND HEAVEN TOO.
Within weeks, God answered their prayers, as three men, Rich, Sam and Rob called and wanted to come down for a week and experience what so many others had, building a house for a poor family in Mexico. A mutual friend heard and listened to the Holy Spirits direction to provide the funds for the small but willing team to build the house and we spent the last several days being an answer to the families prayers. The mddy roads were a challange for the first two days and then things dried out.
Dave and Loni from Hancock, Michigan joined us well throughout the week and helped build the house as well as a 30 foot porch on Pastor Victors house next door to our house. Another great week of serving God and people. ALL OF THIS AND HEAVEN TOO.
EXPECT FAVOR TO EXPLODE, WHEN YOU OBEY THE SPIRITS VOICE
I love living with expectation of a flood of Gods favor. Being favor minded doesn't mean expecting favor without obeying an instruction. It seems the Holy Spirit is always giving us instructions in our daily walk, but hearing and obeying is not so easy sometimes. But if we tune our ears to hear and then follow through with whatever, we can expect a flood of favor. That's why I love the video that Ryan made for us. The song on there is so appropriate. God created you and me to do the things God wants done on this earth. An instruction, followed by a willing heart to obey the instruction, bringeth forth blessings. Sometimes we just have to be willing, and then God sees our faith and moves in and takes over the entire situation.
On a different note, we have been posting pictures on Facebook almost every day, it's so much easier from our smart phones right in the colonia, so follow us Bruce Martin Hepburn, Paula Hepburn, or Lynnea Denton Wells. HAVE A GREAT DAY LISTENING FOR THAT SPECIAL INSTRUCTION AND THEN EXPECT A FLOOD OF FAVOR AFTER YOU RESPOND IN FAITH.
On a different note, we have been posting pictures on Facebook almost every day, it's so much easier from our smart phones right in the colonia, so follow us Bruce Martin Hepburn, Paula Hepburn, or Lynnea Denton Wells. HAVE A GREAT DAY LISTENING FOR THAT SPECIAL INSTRUCTION AND THEN EXPECT A FLOOD OF FAVOR AFTER YOU RESPOND IN FAITH.
IT'S ALL RELATIVE ISN'T IT ?
While one family battles over some plastic cups, another war is waging on a completely different scale. The battle our good friends are fighting over cancer. David and Angie Lara along with their 11 children continue to fight the good fight of faith against a tumor in Davids salivary gland. After many failed attempts to join Obama Care, they have chosen the natural healing process of juicing and a diet that God can use to heal David. Today, Paradise Park in Mc Allen TX. is hosting a fund raising benefit to help support the Lara Family. It is located on Col. Rowe and Hackberry at 4 pm. If you can please join us there and be a blessing to a family that has blessed so many. I love what Angie said last night to us, " I'm glad that Obama Care didn't go through, so our children can see God move on behalf of our family, not some government program." So pray for these guys today and if you want to send a donation, checks can be made out to David and Angie Lara and sent to our P.O. Box 68 San Juan, TX 78589. Please include a note of encouragement if you can. We will be donating a portion of our monthly support to help them as well. Sorry no tax deduction here, just good ole fashioned kindness with no gov't reward, only rewards in heaven.
A GREAT VIDEO OF A GREAT WEEK
I just recieved a video from The Carpenters Crew head photog Ryan Johnson. He really captured the heart of the mission. Loving God and Loving People. I'll try to get it on our blog, but you can view it at www. onefamilyonepurpose.org.
Speaking of loving God and people, an interesting challenge is before us. How do you continue to minister to a bunch of selfish, greedy, backbiting, jealous, slandering, God hating, lying cheating, gossips? No really! How do you do that? There is a presence of evil in people that we have not experienced before. Satan knows his time is short and he is really messing with peoples lives in the colonia. One day Glorious Victory and the next day all hell breaks out. A family feud has broken out over some plastic cups that one member accuses another of stealing. Yea plastic cups! probably one dollars worth of cups. Now we have given this family three different houses for all of their family members, a generator, paid doctor bills, funeral expenses for a lost loved one, solar equipment, repaired their car many times, and given them all work to the tune of thousands of dollars and they divide a family over plastic cups. I'm at a loss as to how to confront them as to how petty they are and. Oh well, Love God and Love Your Neighbor. I'll try!
We have hired a few people to help get the Community Center painted, as we continue working inside. There is still a lot to do and the cost of the project is a bit of a strain. Be blessed today and keep looking up, OUR TIME ON EARTH IS RAPIDLY COMING TO AN END. READ THE NEWS!!!!!!
Speaking of loving God and people, an interesting challenge is before us. How do you continue to minister to a bunch of selfish, greedy, backbiting, jealous, slandering, God hating, lying cheating, gossips? No really! How do you do that? There is a presence of evil in people that we have not experienced before. Satan knows his time is short and he is really messing with peoples lives in the colonia. One day Glorious Victory and the next day all hell breaks out. A family feud has broken out over some plastic cups that one member accuses another of stealing. Yea plastic cups! probably one dollars worth of cups. Now we have given this family three different houses for all of their family members, a generator, paid doctor bills, funeral expenses for a lost loved one, solar equipment, repaired their car many times, and given them all work to the tune of thousands of dollars and they divide a family over plastic cups. I'm at a loss as to how to confront them as to how petty they are and. Oh well, Love God and Love Your Neighbor. I'll try!
We have hired a few people to help get the Community Center painted, as we continue working inside. There is still a lot to do and the cost of the project is a bit of a strain. Be blessed today and keep looking up, OUR TIME ON EARTH IS RAPIDLY COMING TO AN END. READ THE NEWS!!!!!!
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