A SHOPPING EXTRAVAGANZA

  We decided to go to Sam's Club in Reynosa today to buy the food and juice boxes for the colonia food outreach next Saturday.  I called Jaime from Melodys Orphanage to come and buy whatever they needed for the orphanage. Jaime and Macedonio had already filled up 3 flatbed for us and 2 shopping carts for the orphanage before we got there. Paula and I loaded up another flatbed with 240 juice boxes and 210 cans of jalapeños. It looked like a train at the checkout station. What a joy though to be able to buy that much, to bless over 200 families. The support we receive every month makes it possible to hold this outreach every month for 13 years running. Wow! Thank you all!!!

  We unloaded at the community center and went to Melodys Orphanage for lunch. It's 100 degrees here today, yawzaa

THE DAY OF THE CHILD GIFTS

  After successfully getting the shoe box gifts to the community center,  we awaited the arrival of Ricky from Alabama with a Penske rental truck full of shoe box gifts, pack packs, bibles, clothes. Several pallets were easy to unload but Ricky and I had to hand unload the rest.  We crossed a majority of the boxes in two trips and about 500 dollars in taxes. The truck, van, and trailer were used to get everything across.

  Ricky, his wife and 3 other couples are coming next week to give out all the gifts in several different colonias in Reynosa. There are hundreds of kids living in a park in Reynosa just across the border from several different countries. They have no shelter, no tents, no place to go. All refuge camps in Reynosa are full, but they continue to come. Thanks to Biden, there seems to be no end to this crisis. We are funding ministries that are feeding these wandering migrants trapped in Reynosa. They can't cross legally and can't afford to pay the cartel fee to cross. There's never any news on the situation on that side of the border. 

  Paula and I drove to San Antonio this week to the memorial service for Paula's adopted mother who went to be with Jesus early this year. We haven't seen her friends there since my heart attack 2 years ago. A luncheon out at Benita and Juvenauls ranch in Poteet were Isabel spread some of her Moms ashes. The ranch was a favorite spot of Nachitas, and a dying wish. 

  A couple of surprises for Paula's birthday since we were gone last month. One at the colonia,  and another at Melodys Orphanage. 

FINALLY, FAMILY TIME

It's been 7 months since we saw our kids and grandchildren. Way too long!! We left Texas and spent some time at a friend's house in S.C. before traveling to Kentucky to visit Shawn and Carla Estes for a day. We arrived in Illinois just before Easter and enjoyed the time with family friends. Lea turned 5 in February and she is just the cutest. Paula and I took Lea to a farm to see animals and the Bunny. It was chilly but fun. 

  We hated to leave, but Paula had to fly home, and I headed to LaHarpe, IL to rent a uhaul trailer to haul the 400 shoe box gifts donated by LaHarpe Christian Church and a few others in the area. What a blessing they will be on April 30th and May 1st when we'll give them out in Mexico 🇲🇽.  After spending the afternoon eating some steaks at the Days house, Rick Balmer graciously brought the uhaul trailer to the church and a few guys helped load it. I spent the night at the Balmers and headed out Wed morning.  I made it to Oklahoma city in time to get measured for my 3 teeth. I got home Thursday afternoon. 

  Early Friday morning I got up out of bed too fast and blacked out hitting the bed post and faceplanted on the tile floor 😴. I broke my nose, busted my lip, and had a few gashes on my head. Testing at the hospital was all negative, but they kept me there 11 hours to make sure. I'm fine.

  While we were gone for a few weeks,  ministry continued. Jaime traveled to the mountains of Chihuahua Mexico where he lived for 10 years. He blessed a lot of people with food, blankets, bibles, and the Word of God. Andres took his whole family to Tampico and gave out food, blankets and soccer balls.  Sergio was also at work removing the decal on our truck, and it looks great. We received several unexpected donations while we were gone and are looking for more outreach opportunities, we never have to look to hard!!!

  Blessing to all that support the ministry and we look forward to seeing what God has next.