OH HAPPY DAY

When the Internet is not working for several days, it is really a pain, so HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!! We started last week with a small business seminar at a huge church in Reynosa, put on by the men from Austin that do ministry in the colonia we work in. It was a great event with several businesses from Reynosa represented. From hair salons, bakeries, oil well equipment and service company, dentists, designers to mention a few. It was good to rub elbows with middle class Mexicans and see their struggles doing business in a place where success brings risk. We really enjoyed the three days there and made some new friends. Thanksgiving Day was spent at home as David and Angie brought their ten, yea, ten kids over for dinner, along with Roy and Rebecca and their three kids and their dog Tex. Naturally we ate till we were stuffed and a Pastor and His wife from Mexico made it time before all the food was gone. While we were stuffing our faces, the group from Austin installed about 1500 meters of water line and the job of laying the water lines is complete. HALLELUJAH!!! One more tank and tower to stand up and IT IS FINISHED! Some of the Austin team helped us bag up food for Saturdays food outreach and they were a great help, but the prayer they offered up after we were done was the best part. Saturday morning Dave and Sharon Sachs brought their granddaughter Kelly over and they helped us give out the food and juice boxes. Dave and Sharon are the directors of Melody Lane Christian Renewal Camp where Paula and I along with the Kincaids lived for several months when we first arrived in Texas 4 years ago, 4 years, can you believe it? Pastor Bassilio gave a message about Gods Grace and Mercy and 5 people accepted Christ as their Savior. We gave out a case of Bibles and tons of clothes and several men volunteered to help with the water lines after I promised more beans and rice to all that would help. The last few days I have been trying to lay my hands on as many bibles as possible for Phil and Marianne to take down to Southern Mexico next month, I have about three hundred and hope to get a few hundred more. What a privilege to be part of Gods plan to get the Word into as many hands as possible around the world. The load of rice we sent to Somalia made it to it's destination and should be being distributed this week. PRAISE THE LORD!! There is so much going on, it's hard to put it all on the blog, so you'll just have to come here and see for yourself. As always, we pray Gods Favor over your life, as you share in our ministry, BE BLESSED, BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, BE OF GOOD CHEER.

5 more souls will go to heaven

Food and things outreach
Still working in the process of getting water to the people
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Conference in Reynosa
Thanksgiven dinner
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REVOLUTION DAY

Mimi and Caleb joined the other students at school to celebrate Mexicos equivalent to our Revolutionary war. Carmelo made them wooden rifles and bullet vests. One kid at school had a toy AK 47 which reminded us of the intense violence there. We put two roofs on houses that needed them and had a piniata for the kids while Olga was here from Chicago that she wanted to bless them with. Leonardo, Maria and their daughter Nadia were excited to see the roof installed, they had the walls up for their new house for several months, but could not afford to finish the roof. We were able to share Christ with Leonardo and a bible given with instructions to read the book of John will hopefully bring him to faith in the CHRISTOS. Last week I helped Roy build a house in another colonia on the other side of town that many families that have been displaced by floods or the closing down of the colonia they lived in have moved into. It's a little better in that it has water and electricity and it could very well be our next area we build in after we are done in Nopelera. We met with the Missions Committee at church on Wed and are praying for favor from God for some much needed monthly support, were not getting any younger and health insurance is something we would probably like to get. I personally like the " FAITH IN GOD "method of healing our tired bodies and often read Isaiah 58 where God promises that if you spend your life on helping the poor, your healing will quickly come. I still pray for God to heal our Desk top computer, that has lost all of our files. Today we are going to attend a small business seminar in Reynosa put on by the people from Austin that work in the colonia and sponsor many projects for the people there. It's a three day work shop, but I'm pretty sure it's only a one day er for us. While the group from Austin is here they will be installing the rest of the water pipe in the colonia and the only one more tower to be built and it is finished.
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Waiting for their home to be complete
Caleb a 3 year old boy helping
Bruce and Carmelo putting the roof on the new home
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A GREAT EVENT TO BLESS THE MULTITUDES

It finally came to pass, the tower and water tank are standing tall in the colonia. As we headed home across the bridge last night, I looked over my right shoulder and the tower and tank are by far the highest things in view. It will always be a constant reminder of the GOODNESS OF GOD every time we head into Mexico and look to our left as we approach the colonia. Everyone that had a part in funding this can rejoice with us, It wouldn't happen without your help. We had three churches, and several individuals donate specifically for this huge need in the colonia. We purchased all the steel, pipe lines and spickets, the huge 2500 gallon tank was donated by the local water supply company, Comapa in Reynosa. It had been sitting for years without being used, so we talked them into donating it to us, and quite possibly another one that is not being used. I hauled it in my donated pick-up truck and spent a few hours yesterday inside of it scrubbing the walls with soap with Andrews help. There is still some work to be done, like connecting all the pipes, but renting the crane and getting it upright was crucial this week, because Tom needs his welder back in Austin, so Muchas Gracias to all that helped bring this to pass, you know who you are, and God Bless You!!! The last tower and tank will be started this month and we should have water to every family within reach, by Christmas.
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GIVE THANKS, FOR THE LORD IS GOOD!!!!

While we still work through the computer problems, some of the info has been recovered, but we can't open them. Oh well, give thanks in all circumstances. Herb and Carol from church came over last Friday and we bagged enough beans for 150 families. Saturday we gave out the food in the colonia and exactly 150 families came. A Pastor friend, Pedro, came and preached for a while on unity and reconciliation before we offered our first communion in the colonia. We invited everyone that was a believer to stay after we handed out the food and everyone seemed to want to partake in the cup and the bread, but after the food was gone, they were gone. Only about 25 or 30 people stayed for prayer and communion. I shared with everyone after we ate and drank, that Jesus had the same problem or blessing. When He taught about denying self and living for God, He turned and asked, "where are all the people" and the disciples answered that His teaching about surrender and sacrifice was hard and they all left. If God has everything in our life worked out for good, than why worry. Today, we need to find a crane and get the tower up on its' legs. The guys in Austin need their welder back, so pray for a crane. Dave brought 2000 pounds of rice for us to give away yesterday, and we were able to give another ministry 5000 lbs of beans that they needed.