IT'S ALL FOR THE KINGDOM

With Christ Central Churchs arrival Saturday morning,  we transferred all their luggage and the 700 pairs of shoes they brought to give away this week. We crossed the border without any problems and settled into Big Heart Orphanage wher

e we will stay all week.
  I talked a few of the guys into setting some trusses on Juan and Olgas roof . It was really hot, but we managed to get half of them set.
  Yesterday morning Gator and I drove over to the U.S. to get Krispy Cream donuts for everyone. We took the kids from the orphanage to church, while the team sorted the shoes and set up for the baptisms. Andres and his wife and daughter wanted to get baptized as a family, and Paula and I had the privilege of baptizing them, and little Martin. All of them attend our bible study we hold twice a week, and have accepted Christ as Saviour and desired baptism.
  Emily and Jonah baptized Sairi, whom Emily has mentored for years. Sairis  uncle Emiliano came forward to accept Christ as Saviour and desired to get baptized as well.  What a great day. We had chicken and cake for lunch, and closed the day with communion.

DEVASTATING RAIN, FLOODING EVERYTHING

  The storm forming in the Gulf of Mexico,  looked to have dissipated over the weekend,  but!!! Not so! 3 days of heavy downpours has flooded everything in South Texas and northern Mexico.
  Our yard is a lake, the streets were rivers, the rivers are way over their banks. Monday, we took some wood over to Mexico , got Phil and Marianne the permits for their truck, and our trailer to head to Puebla today, if we can get the trailer out of the colonia.
  Monday night the heavy rains started, we barely made it into the colonia with both trailers loaded with beans, rice, wood, bibles to go to Puebla. 4 wheel drive on both trucks made it possible, thank God for 4X4. While in the colonia two Federal Police vehicles got stuck in the mud on the other side of the canal . Andres took my truck and went and pulled them both out.
  Today we have to get into the colonia to get my little trailer loaded with food so Phil and Marianne can head out. Christ Central Church is heading this way and will arrive in the morning. Their staying at Big Heart Orphanage and we're  building close by, putting a roof on Pastor Juans house.
   Travis Caywood has our donated load of beans in his truck. We're flooded, so we're unloading it into a building in Pharr, TX. The owners of the company come and get beans and rice from us, and offered their business as a place to store food if we need to, well, we need to now that we're flooded.
   Prayers needed for all affected by the floods. The house we built on stilts last month is the only dry house in that colonia. 100 families forced to flee the flood water.

CHANGING TIMES / CHANGING PLANS

  With all but one group canceling their missions trip to Mexico along the border this summer, we too must change. We are building in a fee different colonia, and closer to the community center. I'm always big on being flexible,  but I like bending people, not being bent.
  We are getting Pastor Juans house in Reynosa ready for Christ Central Church heading here next weekend. We'll be installing a truss system and the roof, and maybe some stucco.
  Tomorrow we visit a family in Alamo , that we visited before, to help with their house after a fire destroyed part of it. Sunset Presbyterian Church in Portland Oregon will be doing the work, and not crossing the border in July. I'll have to bring all my tools across from Mexico to do the work. We're trusting God to move in the hearts of the family that we are blessing .
  In between the two groups, we will be traveling to Puebla, Mexico  to join our directors doing medical and dental clinics in 5 towns near Puebla. There are 7 of us going to join 30 others from OK and MX. We will be taking food, and buying more once there. Phil and Marianne Chain will be going down this week towing our trailer full of beans and rice.
  I'm buying all lumber and roofing materials in Texas now. The prices in Mexico have gone up a lot. It a huge hassle for us, so maybe I'll just raise the price of house to reflect the new costs.
  We will be getting our donated load of beans next week,  and are still believing God for a load of rice. $9000.00 if anyone feels led to donate towards it.
  Paula told me that a young man accepted Christ as Saviour this afternoon at the Community Center after the sewing class. Praise the Lord!!!
  Gotta go, getting to long on words. Thanks for choosing to give to the ministry, and if you don't,  why not?

 Jr's 11 month birthday cake.

 Lot of work done our house in Mexico

We welcome Carlos and his twin sisters to Melodys Orphanage.

WE MADE IT HOME, JUST IN TIME!!

  Time for what you ask? We had planned on building a house for Juan Pablo, and his family with Shawn and Carla Estes from Fortify Ministries . Juan Pablo has a cancerous tumor on a kidney and travels to Monterey , Mexico for chemotherapy every two weeks.  Juan Pablo hasn't been doing very good lately so Shawn decided to build the house this week, to encourage him and his family.
  They started building Tuesday and Wednesday.  We drove 12 hours Wednesday,  after a round of golf and lunch in Baton Rouge, LA. It was well worth the short nights sleep to go to Mexico and meet Juan Pablo, and see the excitement on his face, as the house came together.
  We almost finished everything on Thursday and had a few things to do before the decorations could go in. Juan Pablos mom made a delicious meal for us, and then we all gathered under the porch to sing a few songs, share the Word, and then a powerful time of prayer over the family .
  What joy filled his face when Juan Pablo climbed the stairs and saw his own bed and several gifts for him. His little sister was equally excited to see her bed and new doll house.
  We're so glad we made it back in time for this special build. Shawn and Carla have been working with the kids with cancer in Reynosa,  helping meet needs associated with the scourge of cancer in these kids. There are around 65 families that they help with travel expenses,  medicine, food, and now housing needs. If there's a need for another house for a family , we committed to build it.
   Thanks for the prayers and support as we continue to meet the needs of the least of these in Mexico and Texas.

WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO GO HOME, BUT

  HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! YOU CAN'T THANK GOD ENOUGH FOR THOSE THAT SERVED OUR COUNTRY AND

GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE . JUST LIKE JESUS.
   We left Chicago after a tearful goodbye,  with Kristin ,Larry, Lea, Gabby and G.G. and headed to the Elizondos in Wheatfield, In. For their daughter Samanthas  graduation party . They have been supporting the ministry for years, both financially and prayerfully . The Shongs were also there, long term friends and partners .
  We decided to go to Tennessee and visit the Wells family and leave our car and tow dolly there until we return in August . Now we're in Alabama visiting Wayne and Dianne Kelly for a day. We had supper with Allison and Cole from Christ Central Church. They are bringing a team in June to build a house in Reynosa .
  Wayne and I played golf late yesterday afternoon and it was dark when we finished. The tropical storm is kicking up rain here now and we'll probably leave bcc e here today and meet Phil and Marianne Chain in Louisiana where they are visiting churches raising support for upcoming events in Mexico . We hope to be home by Thursday , Lord willing!
  About that raising support thing, we don't ever "do it". But God ALWAYS PROVIDES just as a result of spending time with people and meeting needs of others. Giving is the only way I know how to move God's hand to give to us. Before we went to Church last Sunday,  I was writing out the check to give, and The Holy Spirit told me to take an additional  $1000.00 for a single mom in need. No name, no other information , JUST GIVE IT!. I gave the cash to the Pastor after church, and told him what instruction I had received . He knew just where the need was and was moved by my obedience . Within 3 days, we received  $11,200.00 in donations, unsolicited mind you, and one man told us that he's buying us 44,000 lbs of pinto beans at a value of about $10,000.00, and Rick Caywood Ministries is coming to Chicago to pick them up and bring them to Texas .
  So, how about you? Heard any crazy instructions from The Holy Spirit lately??? He is always, always, talking to us and instructing us. We just need to listen and obey. When we let go of what's in our hand, God let's go of what's in His, and it's always bigger and better.

IT'S NOT ABOUT US

  The ministry in Mexico continues, even though we're not there. We're so grateful for the fellow servants God has blessed us with.
  When Sunset Presbyterian Church in Portland Oregon cancelled their trip to Mexico, they still committed to raise the money to provide a house for a family in Mexico. Naomi and her kids purchased a lot in the new squatters colonia outside of Nopalera. We didn't want to build there for another year, but they were living in a house with a dirt floor and no roof at all.
  Naomi attends Paula's sewing class and is a single mom with four girls. So Sergio, Andres,  Shawn, Mathew and a few others are in the process of building her a house. It's built on stilts 3 feet off the ground because of flooding problems there. They are making great progress and should be finished by weeks end.
  With many groups cancelling , the number of families receiving a house will be much lower than years past. We will continue building houses as long as God provides the funds to build them.
  We have been enjoying our time with family, and start moving Kristin , Larry and Lea into their new house tomorrow.  I helped Alan and Lynnea Wells load their moving truck on my birthday before Paula and I played golf. They moved to Tennessee. They spent six months serving in Mexico with us a few years ago.
  I was able to spend two days in Laharpe Illinois and attended Laharpe Christian Church . They gave me a few minutes to share about the violence in Reynosa and what it means for future missions trips, and took time to pray for us and the ministry.
  We have many opportunities to serve the poor in Texas. Sunset Presbyterians youth group will be painting and building in Texas when they come in July. We'll head home after Memorial Day . Thanks for the prayers and support .