ANOTHER GREAT WEEK SERVING OUR KING

Curtis and Brandi Adams brought a small but hard working team from Greenwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green Kentucky. They wanted to stay with the kids at Big Heart Orphanage in Reynosa. We had to take the Georgopulos family to the airport monday, so the team took thier free day at the beginning of the trip instead of the end.
We started building Tuesday for Rodrigo and Francesca. The team worked along side of our Mexican friends and we accomplished much by days end. Wednesday we finished the house and all the work inside. The dedication was planned for Thursday late afternoon, to allow the team to join Shawn and Carla Estes with Fortify Ministries at the Reynosa garbage dump.
We met Shawn at Sende Vida Ministry after touring the ministry serving those that get deported from the USA. We headed to the dump, and set up tables to serve the people who live there, scrounging through garbage all day to find something of value to sell. The smell and flies were unbelievable, and that is why we all choose to serve the least of these. Pastor Johnathan gave a great message as the people lined up to be blessed. Brandi, JP and I started singing and praising God with our guitars. Within an hour and a half we were heading back to the Colonia to dedicate the house we built.
When we arrived, there were probably 30 friends and family members there to join in the celebration. We sang several songs before the dedication message and prayer. I shared how truly blessed the people are in this Colonia, after witnessing the filth and stench of families living at or near the dump.
After Rodrigo carried Francesca across the threshold,the family served us,you guessed it, chicken and mole. We went to Luzma and David's house for coffee and sweet bread, after the dedication. We started playing our guitars,tambourine, and ukulele. We had an awesome time of worship. We said adios to the team at the community center as they headed back to the Orphanage and we headed home.
What a great year it has been so far, as group after group comes down here to serve the needs of others. Paula and I are both so grateful to God for entrusting us with such a ministry, and providing us with everything we need for life, and ministry. Thanks again for all your prayers and support, we can't say that enough!

IT'S ALL BECAUSE WE SAID YES 10 YEARS AGO

We're so blessed and honored to have so many people coming to the front lines of the battlefield. We're all battling poverty and the people oppressed by it.
After Sunset Presbyterian left, the Georgopulos family stayed a few more days to visit Melody Orphanage,v which they have been a part of building. We attended our church Sunday and ate lunch in Mexico and then spent time at Melody. Everyone falls in love with Jaime and his family.
The Georgeopolus family left Monday and the team from Greenwood Baptist Church from Bowling Green Kentucky arrived. We started building yesterday and will finish today and dedicate tomorrow, feed the people at the dump with Fortify Ministries. Then they leave Friday.

NO FAKE NEWS HERE, IT REALLY HAPPENED

For the last 6 days, there has been a group of 16 people all from the same church, but unfamiliar with most. God did a wonderful miracle in all of them, and us. How can 18 people come together and within a few days, share openly and honestly about the week. GOD AND GOD ALONE.
Yesterday we decorated and dedicated Fernando and Dianna home. After the flurry of activity to haul everything into the house, set it up, and get everything in place, the family walked through the tunnel of hands raised. Several people shared different scriptures, Paula and I shared the Gospel with Fernando and his son Emilio and they both accepted Christ and got born again right before our eyes. Fernando carried Dianna across the threshold as we rejoiced with them. After all the family checked out the new house, we all are some great chicken.
While gathering to pray before we left, the question of marriage came up. Fernando, Andreas and Victor all got on one knee and asked thier long time partners to marry them. Team members took off thier rings and gave them to the men to give to thier mates. What a day. Soon after that, Victor gave his life to Christ.

A LOT OF FIRSTS HAPPENED LATELY

On Saturday, the team from Sunset Presbyterian Church, Portland Oregon arrived with many first timers doing a missions trip. Saturday after supper, they bagged up hundreds of bags of beans and rice. Sunday we left early to attend church at Melody Orphanage in Reynosa Mexico. We enjoyed several worship songs, followed by a celebration of Jaimes birthday. They had a musical group of 8 guitars singing Christian songs serenade us. I asked if they could come to the Colonia and play during the food outreach later in the day. They agreed and came at 2pm.
When we arrived at the community center, man it was packed. More people than ever came for free food. We started setting up speakers and microphones when the band arrived. They were awesome and the people seemed to enjoy thier music. While they were playing, a woman named Jael fainted. Family and friends tried to revive her to no avail. I started to get more concerned about her condition, so we carried her inside and started CPR. Twould ladies from the team gave chest compressions and I gave her mouth to mouth resuscitation. We called for an ambulance, but they said they were not able to come soon. We loaded her into my truck and away they went, with the girls still giving her CPR all the way to the hospital. Unfortunately, Jael didn't make it, and was ushered to the Lord by the Angels of heaven. What a day, to say the least.
While literally hundreds of people that came for food just experienced,this tragidy, we had to continue with the dispensa of the food. The team helped hand out the food, as the people's names were called.
Yesterday we started building the house for Fernando and his family. A great day building, but the sadness of Jaels passing was still on everyones heart. Several people went with Paula to the families house, and paid thier respects on behalf of the whole team. They waked and buried her yesterday, and we helped with the costs of the services.
So many first time missionarys are here, first time CPR was needed while a team was here, first time I gave mouth to mouth resuscitation on someone, first trip to a Mexican hospital for some of the team, first time we hired a group to play at the food outreach, First time we had over 200 families come for food. MANY FIRSTS THIS WEEK, SOME GOOD, SOME NOT SO GOOD.

I SAID I WOULDN'T, BUT I DID

I had said that I wouldn't build any house without having a team here, but that's a promise I couldn't keep. Almost every day, families come to us looking for help, and we can't say no. We built one last week, helped a family that moved thier house rebuild thiers, and yesterday we poured 2 more foundations.
After we poured the foundations, we returned to the community center, where Paula's sewing class surprised her with a birthday party. They decorated, and planned everything without Paula's knowledge. It was a great time as all the girls shared thier hearts about what Paula means to them. We gathered around her and prayed for her.
Neal Dorsch went to be with Jesus this week after serving our Great God and Savior for decades. We're hoping to go to the memorial service Friday.
Sunset Presbyterian Church from Portland Oregon is coming Saturday to spend themselves in Mexico and build a house for a needy family. We're looking forward to a great week of ministry.A family that has supported us for years is coming, mid week. Another group is coming from Kentucky the week after, and then Paula and I are going on a missions trip down in central Mexico in April. We'll be joining the founders of Mexico Missions doing a medical and dental clinic, backpacks for the kids, evangelism, eye glasses, clowns, food outreach and so much more. If you would like to donate towards this outreach let us know. It costs thousands of dollars to buy all the backpacks, toys, food, tent rental. All donations will go towards these things, not our travel expenses. Thank you for your support.

Well, the tile in the Community Center is done, it looks great and is so much easier to clean than the concrete floor was. Thanks again to the Net Menders Ministry. We moved most of the sewing machines and bins and bins of fabric back inside and returned Gators trailer to him.
I had laser surgery on my eye last week and I couldn't go out in the sun at all for 5 days. Well, God provided 5 cloudy and rainy days. It's never cloudy and rainy for 5 days in a row down here. The doctor said that if this works, no more need for injections. YEY!!
We have been busy getting ready for a few groups coming in the next few weeks. Sunset Presbyterian Church from Oregon will be here next week, and a family from our home church is coming at the end of the week. The families getting houses are busy painoting all the wood. We're building a house starting today without a group.
We've been giving out lots of beans and rice and the warehouse is getting empty again. Thanks for all the prayers and support.

GIVING THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

We are so blessed to have so many generous people in our lives. The last few days, the Net Menders Ministry has been installing the tile in the Community Center in Mexico. It's not easy laying tile. Yesterday Jaime and Macedonia came and helped, along with the guys from the Colonia. They will probably finish today, and we can grout tomorrow.
This afternoon I go to the eye doctor again for a laser procedure to seal the leaking vessels in my eye. If successful, I won't have to get injections any more. I receive the gift of healing by whatever means God uses. I have to stay out of sunlight for 5 days or I will get a severe burn. The weather forecast is for cloudy and chance of rain for the next 5 days. GOD KNOWS AND CARES
We have 3 foundations ready to be built on, and 2 more to pour next week. The guys in the colonia will build one next week, We thought we had a group the 13th, but I think they are not coming, so we'll build that one as well. Sunset Presbyterian Church from Portland Oregon is coming at the end of the month as well as a Family from our home church, and we're looking forward to that week.
So Thank you Lord for everything you do, thank you for allowing us to do what we do,thank you for your provision,thank you for my wife, thank you for your goodness,thank you for my kids, my Granddaughter, my house, my vehicles, my church family, our supporters,our prayer partners, but most of All Lord, THANK YOU FOR LOVING AND SETTING ME FREE!!!!!