A GREAT WEEK OF MINISTRY

 First, we trust you all had A Merry Christmas.  Paula and I made it home from Chiapas Mexico 🇲🇽 on Friday, to some record cold 🥶. We made it through without any broken pipes.

  The week in Chiapas was awesome.  Over 1200 children received a backpack with toys or a soccer ball. The events took us over 2 hours into the mountains away from our Hotel. The indigenous people were very happy to see us. Paula and Marianne Chain fitted many with reading glasses and shared the Gospel with each one. Phil and I made the hot dogs 🌭 every day, while a couple guys cut hair, a few others shined shoes, the drama with puppets was presented to all the kids each day before the toys were given.

   The local pastors met us each morning and led us up the mountain to the villages. We gave each Pastor a nice offering before we left each day. The churches provided a meal for us each day after the events. I don't know how many people accepted Christ, but the were several. The pastors will follow up with those that made a decision. 

   Some of the people on the team have come down with the flu since returning. Phil and Marianne Chain are at a hotel a mile from our house. They didn't want to expose us. 

   Christmas Eve,  we attended Calvary Church in McAllen,  and then we went to Melodys Orphanage in Reynosa for fellowship, fun, songs and food. 

   Thanks for the prayers and support that make it all possible. This week we'll be holding several events in Mexico with Ricky Carol and the group of 40 that are coming on Wednesday. More gifts for the children of Mexico. 

AND WE'RE OFF

  Tomorrow morning Paula, China and I head to Monterrey to catch a flight to the state of Chiapas Mexico. Phil and Marianne Chain are already there putting the final touches on 4 events we'll be having next week. Over 1200 toys have been purchased,  soccer balls, dolls, toy trucks, candy and lots of other stuff. 

  Our Thanksgiving in Illinois was great.  Family, friends and partners in ministry. We were able to attend Moraine Valley Church twice while we were there which is so great to see everyone. Moraine is using they're Thanksgiving offering to support Melodys Orphanage. We also visited a few churches in Chicago who feed the homeless people there. 

  Once we arrived back home, Ricky arrived with his rented 27foot truck from Alabama full of backpacks and shoe box gifts for over 2000 kids. We unloaded it into our warehouse and got most of it across the border last week. He has 40 people coming the days after Christmas to give out all the gifts in Mexico 🇲🇽. 

   Our Sunday School Class had our annual Christmas Party last Saturday and they also chose Melodys Orphanage for their Christmas offering. Paula and I took all the cards to the Orphanage after church Sunday. They all gathered around as Jaime read each card to the kids. The cards all had $ in them, so they went shopping the next day. They were indeed blessed by the kindness of God towards them.

   Lea had her school musical the other day, and we were able to watch it live on the internet. She's so cute!

  Sooo, Have yourself a Merry little Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

   

GIVING TUESDAY??

  I never even heard of that 😕 until another missionary told me a few years back. I thought every day was an opportunity to share with those in need, oh well I digress. I know very few people that " live to give" and they seem to be the happiest and blessed people I know. We strive to be in that camp, and God willing,  we will grow more in the Grace of giving. It really is a Grace!!

   Paula and I were in Illinois for the last several days and I had the opportunity to join one of our supporters on a trip to his ministries in chgo. First stop, Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago. Roger bought 300 new winter coats and had them delivered there. He also funds several soup kitchens, where hot meals are served every week. We also stopped at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Chicago where meals are served 3 days a week. Roger has 2 other ministries that he funds as well, He Lives To Give.

  I'm in Oklahoma city where I had some dental work done yesterday. I'm almost done. The office that does the work, lives to give to missionaries in need of surgical implants and I'm grateful for all they have done for me, saving me thousands of dollars. 

  I could go on and on about the awesome people that have supported us, some for 15 years, every month, year after year ❤️. 

  So I guess there's a lot more people that live to give than I give credit for.  A special shout out to Moraine Valley Churches that decided to use their Thanksgiving offering to support Melodys Orphanage in Reynosa Mexico. I don't know how much was given yet, but God does and that He knows the needs and will supply.

  So it was a glorious time with family and friends in Chicago. We look forward to getting home and then packing up in two weeks to head to Chiapas Mexico with Phil and Marianne Chain and a few others to hand out thousands of toys to kids there, and present the Gospel to as many people as possible. 

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Blogger no longer forwards posts to your Email, you have to search for it.

  I didn't know that Blogger did that, but I'll post anyhow. Paula and I spent 1 week at Big Heart Orphanage in the mountains near Saltillo Mexico.  Wayne and Diane Kelly brought 3 other people to spend time with Pastor Alejandro and his family. Jaime Mayorga from Melodys Orphanage drove his van over to transport the group around. 

   The Pastor built a apartment above the church to eliminate paying rent on a house. It needs some work, so the team did what they could and left money to complete the work. The only Sunday we were there we attended the church, which I was able to lead in worship. They gave every family a bag of food before the festival in the street next to the church. 

  Hundreds of people came to enjoy the games and huge blow up jumping things.

   Paula and I left a day early to drive 600 miles to visit her family in Tejupilco. Her sister turned 90 and we had a great time with a lot of the family at a park. Paula's brother Fernando also came from Chicago to spend a couple weeks.  We were able to golf a couple times in the mountains nearby. Everyone that worked at the golf course was given a Bible before we left.

  We drove home Saturday and Sunday and are glad to be home, if even for a couple weeks. We'll be heading to Illinois for Thanksgiving. 

IMMIGRATION OUT OF CONTROL

  Even though immigration is out of control, the people still have needs. There are over 4000 people in 2 shelters in Reynosa and the overflow of people that can't get in, are living in makeshift shelters outside on the street. When Jesus saw the people,  he had compassion on them and told the disciples to feed them, and I feel he has told us the same, so we do our best.

  This week, we bought 150 queen size nice blankets, diapers, feminine products,  deodorant,  flour, oil, sugar to meet some of the needs. Jaime from Melodys Orphanage took the blankets and some beans to the people the other day. We are blessed to be a blessing!Blessing!!

  The kids at Melodys Orphanage needed clothes and shoes and other things and Jaime and Rosalba were in the US, so we gave them permission to buy whatever they needed and put it on our credit card. Have you ever shopped for 14 kids with no limit on spending? What a privilege!!!

  We have our monthly food outreach this Saturday instead of next Saturday because we'll be in Saltillo at Big Heart Orphanage in the mountains with a medical team doing ministry in the prisons in Saltillo. From there we will be traveling another 10 hours to visit Paula's family for the first time in many years.

  We are so grateful for the continued prayers and support for the ministry. God has us busy doing a lot of different things these days. Paula now holds her quilting class 2 days a week, and they are busy making Christmas quilts. 

THE A B Cs OF MINISTRY

  A. always be ready for God to redirect you from your plan.

  B. blessings come from trusting the process. 

 C. commit your ways to the Lord.and He will direct your path.

  Even though we try to let go and let God. We still get in the way from time to time. Paula and I are in the process of allowing God to reveal His will and plan for these last days we believe that we are in. So much is happening around the world,  that we can't be far away from Jesus's eminent return. I know that people have been saying that for years. but we are experiencing some prophetic things here and now that prophecy has foretold. 

   We returned from Chicago several weeks ago,  only to return to assist a good friend dealing with severe dementia in his wife. Paula flew back to help and I went to Oklahoma to get more dental work done. I drove back to Texas in time to unload another load of donated pinto beans,  and then caught a flight to chgo. 

   It's a very emotional thing to watch a friend slip away from everyone and everything they have know. Her husband is beside himself with the decisions he needs to make concerning  her illness. 

   We were able to spend more time with Lea, Kristin and Larry, which was a bonus. Lea is in first grade and she loves school. I enjoyed playing checkers with her. Time is a seed, and I am learning that time with family is always time well spent. 

   The kids at Melodys Orphanage are all back in school. Kristin gave us 2 suitcases of Leas clothes for Gil. Nicole. and Melissa to share. They loved the pajamas. 

GETTING BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS

  After returning home, Paula came down with the spike protein that gave her a positive test for a week. You have to call it what it is! It's not Covid 19. She's better now, but still has a lingering cough.

   We've taken a lot of beans, rice and bibles across the border the last few weeks. We hadn't spent much time in the colonia, just unloaded and left while Paula was not feeling well.

   New Life Family Church came and got 2000 lbs of beans and bagged them up for today's outreach. We have another load of beans coming from North Dakota next week. We have to pay the $4000.00 transportation bill, but the beans are free. 44 thousand pounds of beans is enough for 1/2 million meals. God is Good!

    Melodys Orphanage is doing well, Jaime just returned from speaking at a Pastors conference in Tijuana. He took all the kids to shop for shoes for everyone.  Can you imagine having to buy shoes for 16 kids at once? I asked him for the receipt for the shoes, and gave him the money back. Hector turned 12 the other day, and Little Monserott turns 11 this week. 

   We're still asking for prayers for a permanent solution for the orphanage as far as housing goes. It's all in God's hand, He knows the need.

    We have a ministry interested in purchasing the ministry center in San Juan. Nothing for sure, but they have a need for a place like ours. We're not quitting ministry,  just downsizing the work load and upkeep of our place. 

    Thanks for praying for us and the kids at Melodys. Lea stsrted 1st grade last week. My how time goes by.