There is such a huge difference between life in the U.S. and life in the colonia in Mexico. Last week we spent our days building Vickys house, and our nights were spent in Mexico with Carmelo, Ruth, Caleb and Mimi, sharing a meal, laughing, watching the Mexican Novellas on t.v. drinking hot chocolate and eating sweet bread before bed time. Simple unassuming time spent doing what God has called us to do, lifting the poor from their conditions with whatever means we have. We have been spending more night in Mexico and we love it, more and more.
As we finished the house on Friday, we decided to dedicate the house on Sunday afternoon, because we had our Church Sunday School party Saturday night at Ray and Rosies house in McAllen. So we attended the class party surrounded by absolute luxury in the most beautiful house that I had ever been in. If I could live in a house like that and still do what we do in Mexico, I think there would be a real battle in my heart to leave that every day and go to Mx to help the poor. But I'd like to try!! Just kidding, I don't think I could. Some people brought gifts to give the kids in Mexico, and we had a great time with way too much food. But it made me think of just how awesome our mansions in Heaven are going to be. If man could build something like this in a couple of years, can you imagine what the mansions in Heaven will look like after Jesus has been building them for two thousand years plus?????
Sunday we went to Church and then Herb and Carol joined us to go to Mexico and dedicate Vickys house. We had a great time of worship and prayers of thanksgiving were lifted up for this wonderful blessing of a new home for Vicky. Again more food!!! a two hour trip home got us to church just as the Christmas Musical started.
So, I'm reading through the book RADICAL again for the third or fourth time, I would challenge you to do the same. It grounds my heart as to what is "really " important. Risk is awesome when you risk everything for Christ, or almost everything I should say. I'm not there yet. Jim Elliott said" He is no fool who gives what He cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." So I invest what I have in the kingdom and get a return greater than anything this world can give. May that be our hearts this Christmas, invest in the kingdom, because this world is going down and soon!!!!
PERFECTION TAKES TIME, LOTS OF TIME
It seems like it took forever to build Vickys house, and I guess compared to the normal three days, five days did seem long. But we put the finishing touches on yesterday and Sunday afternoon we will be handing the keys over to a sweet lady. Vicky has prepared us two meals everyday while were building the house, maybe that's why it took us so long. Great food and great fellowship. It was only Carmelo, Zacharias and me building the house, until the kids from near by started coming and helping. We were teaching them different skills, like building and leveling stairs, using a battery saw, drill and nailing with their hammer. They were a big help, but slowed us down a little bit which is fine by me.
Paula and I spent the last few nights in Mexico, which makes it so much easier, especially since the bridge wait time is getting long. Last Saturday we dodged a three hour wait time by driving east to another bridge and waited only an hour. Paula and Ruth have been so busy wrapping the hundreds of gifts we have bought in the last week. I think we have spent almost $2000.00 on toys and gifts for people that this just might be the only gift they will get this Christmas. I often rant about the fact that we Americanos spend so much money buying gifts for people that already have to much stuff, so all of our " gift " money goes toward those that will not get any gifts. I try to challenge people to give up the normal buying practices and bless people they don't know and get their families involved in the process and watch what God does.
We probably won't get a Christmas news letter out in the mail, but should get an electronic one out soon, so we'll see what the year end gifts are like without sending a snail mail letter with a return envelope. So if your being led to give a year end gift to Mexico Missions, Thank You. We always have so many projects in the works and we never seem to get them all done.
Paula and I spent the last few nights in Mexico, which makes it so much easier, especially since the bridge wait time is getting long. Last Saturday we dodged a three hour wait time by driving east to another bridge and waited only an hour. Paula and Ruth have been so busy wrapping the hundreds of gifts we have bought in the last week. I think we have spent almost $2000.00 on toys and gifts for people that this just might be the only gift they will get this Christmas. I often rant about the fact that we Americanos spend so much money buying gifts for people that already have to much stuff, so all of our " gift " money goes toward those that will not get any gifts. I try to challenge people to give up the normal buying practices and bless people they don't know and get their families involved in the process and watch what God does.
We probably won't get a Christmas news letter out in the mail, but should get an electronic one out soon, so we'll see what the year end gifts are like without sending a snail mail letter with a return envelope. So if your being led to give a year end gift to Mexico Missions, Thank You. We always have so many projects in the works and we never seem to get them all done.
WARNING, LOVING GOD AND LOVING PEOPLE CAN BE ADDICTING
As hard as I tried to talk Carmelo into waiting until a group came to help us build Vickys house, The Holy Spirit won the battle when He said to just build it now because the days are short and God wants to bless Vicky NOW not next year. Who am I to try to delay the blessings God wants to pour out on people? I want ,what I want God to do and I don't want to wait. I want it NOW! But that's what were here for. To have God live His life through us, and do whatever He says to do, when he says to do it.
So we started Building Vickys house on Gods timetable yesterday, and we had a great day. Even though we didn't start until after 10am we got all the walls up, the rafters and purlins on even as I'm sitting here wasting time, Carmelo is probably putting the roof on. The picture of the old house is Vickys sons, and it is pretty nasty. No doors or windows, the floor floods when it rains, and animals could just walk right in at night. The sad thing is, or was, is that Vickys house was ten times worse than this one, but we had to tear it down to make room for the new one. So she should be in her new home by Saturday, and she can enjoy it for a month longer than " I " planned.
Phil and Maryanne are are their way to the mountain villages in southern Mexico to do the Christmas backpack programs that they do every year. We are going to join them next year, so anyone wanting to come next December, lo siento, we won't be here, Lord willing. Paula and Ruthy have wrapped over three hundred gifts for the women in the colonia, and they are working on the kids gifts. We are planning on giving out over five hundred gifts to the children this Christmas Season.
So we started Building Vickys house on Gods timetable yesterday, and we had a great day. Even though we didn't start until after 10am we got all the walls up, the rafters and purlins on even as I'm sitting here wasting time, Carmelo is probably putting the roof on. The picture of the old house is Vickys sons, and it is pretty nasty. No doors or windows, the floor floods when it rains, and animals could just walk right in at night. The sad thing is, or was, is that Vickys house was ten times worse than this one, but we had to tear it down to make room for the new one. So she should be in her new home by Saturday, and she can enjoy it for a month longer than " I " planned.
Phil and Maryanne are are their way to the mountain villages in southern Mexico to do the Christmas backpack programs that they do every year. We are going to join them next year, so anyone wanting to come next December, lo siento, we won't be here, Lord willing. Paula and Ruthy have wrapped over three hundred gifts for the women in the colonia, and they are working on the kids gifts. We are planning on giving out over five hundred gifts to the children this Christmas Season.
I ALMOST WISH WE WERE IN NEBRASKA
As the warm sun shines here in South Texas, those faithful and loving servants of God from One Family One Purpose are busy building a house for the Timmerman Family in Beaver Crossing Nebraska. This years project for OFOP is going quite well without us being there getting in the way of " real builders". These guys and gals are rockin it. Go to their web site. www.onefamilyonepurpose.org to see the progress of building a home for a family that lost their home in a tornado earlier this year. Three days in an it's framed, sided, under roof and the heat is probably blowing if I know these guys.
Many people have asked people that return from a missions trip with us here in Mexico, " how come you don't do that for people in the U.S.? Well the question to these guys from the Carpenters Crew turned into a challenge and they met the challenge big time. This is the fourth house they have built for disaster stricken families with no or inadequate insurance coverage. Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, and now the State of Nebraska has been blessed by OFOP. These guys get it! We wern't born to survive, we were born to thrive, and thrive they do by reaching out to those in need, wherever the need. I am proud to have them as friends and we always make it a point as part of our giving to help cover the cost of the homes they build. To God be the Glory for what they have done.
It always comes back to the question, what on earth are you doing for heavens sake??? As we look back on the past year, I always stand in awe of God and His provision. Another 22 houses built this year, millions of meals of food past through our hands into the hands that needed a meal, 1000 bibles given out, bicycles, backpacks,solar systems, clothes, and most of all, I believe that we loved on the " least of these" that God has assigned us to with the love that God has put in our hearts. We don't do it all perfectly, far from it, but we do trust God to take our lives, that we put into His hands, and use us however and wherever He wants.
Many people have asked people that return from a missions trip with us here in Mexico, " how come you don't do that for people in the U.S.? Well the question to these guys from the Carpenters Crew turned into a challenge and they met the challenge big time. This is the fourth house they have built for disaster stricken families with no or inadequate insurance coverage. Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, and now the State of Nebraska has been blessed by OFOP. These guys get it! We wern't born to survive, we were born to thrive, and thrive they do by reaching out to those in need, wherever the need. I am proud to have them as friends and we always make it a point as part of our giving to help cover the cost of the homes they build. To God be the Glory for what they have done.
It always comes back to the question, what on earth are you doing for heavens sake??? As we look back on the past year, I always stand in awe of God and His provision. Another 22 houses built this year, millions of meals of food past through our hands into the hands that needed a meal, 1000 bibles given out, bicycles, backpacks,solar systems, clothes, and most of all, I believe that we loved on the " least of these" that God has assigned us to with the love that God has put in our hearts. We don't do it all perfectly, far from it, but we do trust God to take our lives, that we put into His hands, and use us however and wherever He wants.
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