GOD ALWAYS GETS THE GLORY IN ALL THAT WE DO

It's not often, that my thoughts are Gods thoughts, but it seems to me that when I think about blessing as many people as we possibly can, God does something awesome. A few days ago, I had it on my heart to send as many pounds of beans as I possibly could down to flood ravaged areas of Mexico. I was thinking 6 or 8 thousand pounds. Four huge bags filled with life saving beans. I didn't know how to go about getting that much food across the border, but the needs are huge after the two storms met in Central Mexico and devastated bridges, homes and roads. Well yesterday, two Pastors came and shared their hearts about taking beans to the affected areas, and they had the means to get it there. Within two hours, about seven thousand pounds of beans and about twelve hundred pounds of rice were out of our door and heading south. Now the Mexican Government is having a hard time reaching the stranded people, but I'm putting my bets on God to get it done. Alan and I were in awe as to how fast God put those thoughts into a reality. Today Ron and Lupita  from our church in Texas joined us for the monthly food hand out in Mx. As usual, it was a great time of preaching the Gospel, and meeting needs. 185 families came and as we walked among the people in line, every one got a Gospel tract, a smile and a handshake. Pastor David shared a message about loving your neighbor, his wife Luzmar led us all in a few worship songs, and then Paula and I were able to share a bit about God blessing generosity and keeping blessings from selfish people.  We are so ever grateful for people that choose to support this ministry and I pray that everyone looks at it the way we look at ministering to the poor   WE DON'T HAVE TOO, WE GET TOO. A new perspective on our life here, and I'm always reminded of the fact that we don't have to do this, we get to. We got all of the electric components across the border in one trip whew! If we had been checked, who knows what would of happened? Gods Favor that's what!! Scott Mcdonald is coming this week to install the whole system for us. As is always the case, Alan and Lynnea are a huge help to us. The language barrier is an issue, but people understand the language of Love and they both express that very well.

PAULA GETS HER PORCH

We have always wanted to put a porch on our house in Mx. just like everyone gets when we build houses, but I kept putting it off. Until now! We have been compiling parts for a complete solar system for quite a while and Scott from Austin has been putting all the pieces together for us and we needed a place to mount the solar panels, so building the porch was the perfect thing to do, and kill two birds with one porch. When all is said and done, we should have enough electricity for at least three of our neighbors and our place. Imagine, lights, phone charging capabilities, maybe a small T.V. and in Carmelo and Ruths house we plan on hooking up the refrigerator they have. No more ice in the crisper drawer to keep things cool for a few days, no need to buy and eat fresh meat the same day, no more starting a generator to run a fan or the blender to make salsa. The down side is the initial cost, the up side is we are doomsday preppers and didn't even know it, we'll be off the grid that we never had in Mexico. We worked all day to get the frame all built, and had to order the roofing and we will install it manana. I always feel a little guilty doing things to our house, but in this case, many families will benefit from the free power, plus it provides shade for the days we hand out food and have over 300 people at our place. All the rain finally soaked into the ground and Alan and Lynnea cut all the grass, Praise the Lord!!! The mosquitoes are ferocious though and I spent a little time seeking standing water and dumping it to kill the larvae. We are looking forward to Hulls Grove Baptist Churches arrival on Sunday and expect God to do great things through them. They are building a house, holding a medical clinic, visiting and orphanage, and feeding hot dogs to all the people in the colonia as well. It will be a busy but awesome week.

 

 

 

 

A REAL BEANIE BABY

While the other 19 children were busy bagging beans and rice on Saturday, Bristol Lara was playing in the beans instead of bagging them. Then rain finally left and the humidity dropped on Sat just before David and Angie brought their 11 kids over along with Nelson and Brendas 9 children to help us help the poor by bagging up thousands of pounds of beans and rice to be taken to Mexico. They had a great time and filled all our bins with enough beans and rice for about 50 thousand meals. While the kids worked, we cooked up  some chicken fajitas and then we all sat and enjoyed a meal together.   We finally got Inocencios foundation done on Friday, the Cement truck left, we cleaned up our shovels and headed toward our house when it started raining.... again for the 22nd day in a row with rain. We had left Inocencio with some plastic to cover the fresh concrete in case it rained and it did. But all is well and we are ready for the team from Hulls Grove Baptist Church, Vale N. C. to provide this family with a home and the hope found in Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEITHER RAIN OR MUD OR IMPASSABLE ROADS

Nothing could keep us from delivering over 200 loaves of fresh bread to the families in the colonia. We got the donation on Saturday along with scores of fruit pies, donuts, and cream filled snacks, all for twenty dollars from a local bread supplier, and we didn't want it to get moldy. Food does no good when it sits around and doesn't meet the needs of the people that God intended. We had to stop the van a few times and wait out the torrential rains that came through the colonia. It was awesome though! Alan and Lynnea handed the bread and snacks up to Paula and she gave them out. Water was pouring in one of the big windows in the van, so we need to get that fixed. We finished the distribution in a few hours time and made our way back through the mud and water to our house in the colonia where Ruthy and the girls made us a meal before we left. We have never seen so much rain here! 16 days in a row and at least three more in the forecast. Our yard is full of water, and so are all the rain and water barrels that people store water in, which is good for them because the solar pump on the well aint getten any sun shine. The two loads of beans are on their way from North Dakota, so that makes over 200 thousand pounds of beans so far this year!!!!! That comes out to over 2.4 million meals from beans alone. HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD? THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT IS A PART OF OUR MINISTRY HERE, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!!!

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS, WATER AND BEANS

I HAVE BEEN MARKING MY CALENDAR EVERY DAY WHEN IT RAINS AND WE HAVE 12 DAYS IN A ROW WITH SOME KIND OF RAIN. NOW WE REALLY NEED THE RAIN, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO GET INTO THE COLONIA AND GET THINGS DONE. ALAN AND LYNNEA ARE GETTING BORED. WE HAVE TRIED TO GET THINGS DONE AROUND HERE IN BETWEEN STORMS. LIKE YESTERDAY, I CALLED BEN BUTLER AT THE WAY OF THE CROSS MINISTRY IN HARLINGEN AND ASKED IF HE COULD USE SOME BEANS? WELL WHO CAN'T USE BEANS THAT HAS ANY KIND OF MINISTRY THAT MINISTERS TO MEXICANS. I TOLD HIM I HAD A LOT TO GIVE, SO HE SENT TWO VANS AND TWO TRAILERS. "HE WHO SOWS SPARINGLY, REAPS SPARINGLY, BUT HE WHO SOWS BOUNTIFULLY WILL REAP BOUNTIFULLY" SO I SOWED 16,000 LBS OF BEANS INTO BENS MINISTRY TO FEED THE POOR IN HARLINGEN AND MEXICO. OUR WAREHOUSE IS FULL SO GIVING THE OVERFLOW AWAY JUST MADE SENSE. WE HAVE TWO MORE LOADS, 88 THOUSAND POUNDS OF BEANS COMING NEXT WEEK, SO I'M ALREADY REAPING A HARVEST. HOW ABOUT YOU? HOW IS YOUR SOWING? WHAT ARE YOU PRAYING FOR OR ASKING GOD TO DO FOR YOU? WHAT INSTRUCTION HAS GOD GIVEN YOU TO FOLLOW AND IT JUST SEEMS TO BIZARRE OR OUT THERE TO OBEY? JUST DO WHAT GOD HAS ASKED AND WATCH GOD RESPOND TO YOUR FAITH! HE WILL NOT RESPOND TO YOUR NEED, OR YOUR TEARS, BUT HE WILL RESPOND TO YOUR FAITH! WE HAVE A HEART TO SUPPLY ENOUGH FOOD FOR 9 MILLION MEALS IN THE NEXT YEAR., THAT'S ABOUT 15 TRUCK LOADS OF BEANS AND RICE, AND GOD IS ALREADY LINING UP THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.   MIMI IS TEACHING LYNNEA SPANISH WHILE WERE OVER IN MEXICO, LYNNEA SAYS MIMI IS A VERY GOOD TEACHER AT THE AGE OF SEVEN.