IT'S ALL ABOUT MEETING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS

   We spent the last week or so getting everything ready for the groups coming in January. This group is excited as always to come and bless those in the colonia. They have chosen to stay at Big Heart Orphanage in Reynosa for the week starting Jan 1st. We look forward to thier arrival. The guys are busy building the foundation. We built the family a temporary house so they could take down the old one, to make room for the new one.
   We delivered Wood to two other families in case this team feels frisky, and wantshe to build another house.
    We're going to Chicago tomorrow and spending a week there, loving on Lea. It's been too long since we have seen her, and the rest of the family.
    We attended church at Melody Orphanage Sunday and enjoyed a meal with the congregation afterwards.  We sang a few Christmas songs after dinner. The orphanage is almost done. Praise The Lord. Please be praying for all the paperwork to get done with the Government.
    Paula had her Christmas gifts for her sewing class all wrapped and around the tree in the Community Center. The girls all got a coffee maker from Paula and they were all grateful. They worked hard the last several days to fill an order for quilts for some friends in Chicago. We're taking an extra suitcase filled with quilts.
    Sunday the temperature dropped into the 30s, so we went to Progresso and purchased 100 thick wool blankets and gave many of the outside on Monday. Our Sunday school class came and bagged up hundreds of bags of beans and rice, what a blessing. Gracias!
    Gotta go pack, we leave in the morning, and we'll be hugging Lea in the afternoon.
   If I don't have a chance to post again, you all have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. Thanks for all the prayers and support, you are vital to the ministry to the poor, and orphans.

GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS =MUCH TO GET DONE BEFOREHAND

   As some of you may know, we are going to spend this Christmas with our daughters and Granddaughter Lea. In the last 20 years, we have been with family on Christmas only a few times. We were always in Mexico on missions trips. But Grandchildren change things a bit. Learn is growing so much. However, I saw the weather today and it's only 10 degrees. Next year, Christmas in Texas!!!
   We have been busy getting foundations done, and wood ordered for the houses that groups from Western Illinois will be building next year. Next year is only 15 days away. We even hired a road grander to fix the rough road in the colonia. Last year the road was impassable to get to the building sites.
    Last Sunday we enjoyed our Sunday school class Christmas party. Today Paula is having a Christmas party for the sewing class.  Sara flew in from N.C. last night to join the party.
    Soon we'll have a bathroom at our house in the colonia. No bathroom for all these years, it's Paula's Christmas present lol.

   

SERVE OR BE SERVED, THAT IS THE QUESTION

   When all is said and done, we will all stand before the Lord one day and give an account of everything we did with our life. Every dollar spent will be evaluated , every idle word we spoke will be made known, every opportunity to give, to pray, to love, to forgive, to serve, to read our Bible, to make a difference in someone's life .
    Friday I made the choice to drive 980 miles to Solomon Kansas to serve along side of the One Family One Purpose house build for a family thar lost their house in an F4 tornado last May . I wanted to bring something , so I bought 180 tamales and headed north at 5:30 pm. I drove through the night in the pouring rain and arrived at the build about 9:30.
    As I pulled up to the site, you can see the destruction . Huge trees bent and broken lined the property, with wind driven debris still clinging to the branches. I was welcomed by all who saw me walking up the driveway. It was cold and drizzling as I walked outside around greeting those I knew I was amazed at the progress. After 5 days, the house was done outside, walls, siding, roof, Windows. Inside the heat was running and many volunteers were busy hanging drywall, taping, mudding, the insulation machine whining as it blew insulation into the attic. What a flurry of activity.
   I jump right into rolling out tape on seams, forgetting that I have been awake for 30 hours and drove 16 hours to be here. Most of the people there have been down to Mexico on Mission with us, so I love to help on their projects when I can, if only for a day. By days end all the drywall was done, insulation done, floors all covered to get ready for painting.
    I  followed the group to thier base camp where they had been living for the last week. The women had a great meal prepared , and afterwards we had a devotion time about thankfulness , gratitude, and our attitude about it. A great time joining other believers serving and loving God and people. I finally got to blow up my bed and settle in for much needed sleep . We attended church in Abilene , returned to camp for lunch and then I took off for another 960 mile drive.
    So I drove almost 2000 miles in two and a half days and served alongside of a group of people that live to serve, live to give, and live to love others in need for only 8 hours of actual work and I  ask myself , was all that driving  worth it for only 8 hours of work? ABSOLUTELY !!!!!