FINALLY!!! A TEAM OF FEARLESS CHRISTIANS.

Several weeks ago, I brought several hundred shoe box gifts donated by LaHarpe Christian ✝️ and a few other churches in the area. Then Ricky Carroll rented a huge truck and brought hundreds of backpacks loaded with stuff for kids, and 1500 shoe box gifts donated by several other churches in Alabama,  Georgia, and Oklahoma. 

  Ricky and his wife Theresa came last Tuesday joined by Don, Natalie and Paul from OK. Bob, Betty and Mark arrived Thursday with 190 more backpacks.  Wow you talk about an abundance!!! With everything across the border,  we started the scheduled events to bless the kids on Friday at Macarios church in Reynosa. Several hundred backpacks were given to the kids that came after a joyous celebration of the kids. Clowns, cake and tamales. The team then headed to Melodys Orphanage for more fun and gifts for the children there.

  Saturday was our monthly food outreach and gift boxes for the kids, I bought 100 🌂 for the women for mothers day that is next week.  What a joy to have everyone back to celebrate Jesus and the kids. Pastor Jaime Mayorga led the kids in songs and Pastor Juan Cantu made us lunch. We then loaded up two trucks and the van and headed around the corner to Colonia 23 of March where hundreds more kids waited for our arrival. WHAT A DAY!!

  Ricky and the team took a few days off to enjoy the local flea market, go to Progresso,  and hang out with us. New friendships and partnerships have been formed this week. We like to call them Divine Appointments!!. We still have several hundred gift boxes and backpacks to give out, and we're planning to take them to the interior of Mexico 🇲🇽. 

  I'm in Colorado now after stopping in Oklahoma to have my new implant teeth 😬 installed.  It only took 40 minutes and I was on my way 500 more miles to Denver to pick up Paula,  our daughter Kristin and our granddaughter Lea all arriving at the airport today to join other daughter Kelly that lives here. A mother's day trip and my birthday the day after.  

  Thanks to the team that came, thanks for the opportunity to serve together,  thanks for safe travels,  thanks for Doctor Brooks, and Dr Clark and the staff at Immediate Smiles for blessing me with the teeth 😀.  Thanks for the support of the ministry,  thanks for blessings bestowed upon us. GIVE THANKS MY FRIENDS 

A SHOPPING EXTRAVAGANZA

  We decided to go to Sam's Club in Reynosa today to buy the food and juice boxes for the colonia food outreach next Saturday.  I called Jaime from Melodys Orphanage to come and buy whatever they needed for the orphanage. Jaime and Macedonio had already filled up 3 flatbed for us and 2 shopping carts for the orphanage before we got there. Paula and I loaded up another flatbed with 240 juice boxes and 210 cans of jalapeños. It looked like a train at the checkout station. What a joy though to be able to buy that much, to bless over 200 families. The support we receive every month makes it possible to hold this outreach every month for 13 years running. Wow! Thank you all!!!

  We unloaded at the community center and went to Melodys Orphanage for lunch. It's 100 degrees here today, yawzaa

THE DAY OF THE CHILD GIFTS

  After successfully getting the shoe box gifts to the community center,  we awaited the arrival of Ricky from Alabama with a Penske rental truck full of shoe box gifts, pack packs, bibles, clothes. Several pallets were easy to unload but Ricky and I had to hand unload the rest.  We crossed a majority of the boxes in two trips and about 500 dollars in taxes. The truck, van, and trailer were used to get everything across.

  Ricky, his wife and 3 other couples are coming next week to give out all the gifts in several different colonias in Reynosa. There are hundreds of kids living in a park in Reynosa just across the border from several different countries. They have no shelter, no tents, no place to go. All refuge camps in Reynosa are full, but they continue to come. Thanks to Biden, there seems to be no end to this crisis. We are funding ministries that are feeding these wandering migrants trapped in Reynosa. They can't cross legally and can't afford to pay the cartel fee to cross. There's never any news on the situation on that side of the border. 

  Paula and I drove to San Antonio this week to the memorial service for Paula's adopted mother who went to be with Jesus early this year. We haven't seen her friends there since my heart attack 2 years ago. A luncheon out at Benita and Juvenauls ranch in Poteet were Isabel spread some of her Moms ashes. The ranch was a favorite spot of Nachitas, and a dying wish. 

  A couple of surprises for Paula's birthday since we were gone last month. One at the colonia,  and another at Melodys Orphanage. 

FINALLY, FAMILY TIME

It's been 7 months since we saw our kids and grandchildren. Way too long!! We left Texas and spent some time at a friend's house in S.C. before traveling to Kentucky to visit Shawn and Carla Estes for a day. We arrived in Illinois just before Easter and enjoyed the time with family friends. Lea turned 5 in February and she is just the cutest. Paula and I took Lea to a farm to see animals and the Bunny. It was chilly but fun. 

  We hated to leave, but Paula had to fly home, and I headed to LaHarpe, IL to rent a uhaul trailer to haul the 400 shoe box gifts donated by LaHarpe Christian Church and a few others in the area. What a blessing they will be on April 30th and May 1st when we'll give them out in Mexico 🇲🇽.  After spending the afternoon eating some steaks at the Days house, Rick Balmer graciously brought the uhaul trailer to the church and a few guys helped load it. I spent the night at the Balmers and headed out Wed morning.  I made it to Oklahoma city in time to get measured for my 3 teeth. I got home Thursday afternoon. 

  Early Friday morning I got up out of bed too fast and blacked out hitting the bed post and faceplanted on the tile floor 😴. I broke my nose, busted my lip, and had a few gashes on my head. Testing at the hospital was all negative, but they kept me there 11 hours to make sure. I'm fine.

  While we were gone for a few weeks,  ministry continued. Jaime traveled to the mountains of Chihuahua Mexico where he lived for 10 years. He blessed a lot of people with food, blankets, bibles, and the Word of God. Andres took his whole family to Tampico and gave out food, blankets and soccer balls.  Sergio was also at work removing the decal on our truck, and it looks great. We received several unexpected donations while we were gone and are looking for more outreach opportunities, we never have to look to hard!!!

  Blessing to all that support the ministry and we look forward to seeing what God has next.

FAITH. OR FEAR?????

We can't have it both ways. We must choose one or the other! Paula and I have decided that we're going to stand on the promises of God and the provision of God in the midst of this crazy time we find ourselves in. Fear has gripped the majority of people on this planet. Fear of tomorrow,  Fear of the Unknown, Fear of the Virus, Fear of death, sickness. The Bible says that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding.  Misplaced Fear 😨brings worry and anxiety.  

  I've probably read the book of Revelation more times than any other book and you know what? WE WIN !!! But perilous times will come first, decisions will have to be made in light of what we know to be true. Our very souls stand in the balance. 

  Enough about that. Trusting God comes easy when you have to do it to survive. We've seen it and experienced it so many times over the last 14 years in ministry. Hearing the still small voice of God that helps us all make wise and godly decisions. 

  Our adventures never end, but they certainly are changing. Food distribution and helping out orphanages is an ever present need. We traveled to Big Heart Orphanage in the mountains last week with Jaime Mayorga and a load of food, soccer balls. Blankets and coats. Jaime is going to pick up the trailer at Big Heart and head to the mountains of Chihuahua Mexico where the gospel will be preached, and needs met. Jaime needs 3 thousand dollars to make the trip and buy more food once there. He's going march 19th with several volunteers with him. I want to go, but we'll be out of town for the Easter holiday to visit family we haven't seen in far to long.

  Our monthly food outreach had been postponed due to cartel violence in the area. We had it this past weekend with no problems. We are coveting prayers for wisdom 🙏we need to make decisions about our selling our ministry center, and down sizing. Our old house in Pharr is being returned to us.  The people simply cannot afford it since covid crushed the day care business they own. Again we rejoice in the Lord and trust him.

  Thanks for all the prayers and support 🙏.  Everything we do is because of God's provision through people. 

  

WHAT A WEEK INDEED

Record cold temperatures crippled the entire state of Texas and Mexico last week. Below freezing temperatures killed all our plants, grass, and froze some pipes. We were without power and water for over 3 days. Today it was 90 degrees!!!

  We made it a point to help where we could even though we were in survival mode. Thawing pipes, and staying warm. We went to a store 3 times that sells blankets and purchased 225 to give away. Jaime from Melodys Orphanage used my van to cross milk, juice, onions, and other food to help people in Mexico. 

  Today we loaded up the truck from Hearts for Kids with pallets of food, water, snacks, juice, tea, blankets and coats. They are an organization that helps in their community and one of the refuge camps in matamoros Mexico. 3 children died in one colonia in Mexico from hypothermia. 

  We've only gone to Mexico a couple times in the last week. Andres had to replace some broken pipes at the community center. We stopped at the orphanage a couple times as well. They continue to distribute food almost daily to pastors and people who come.

  A definite time for prayer as Texas recovers, as well as for our nation as things spin out of control 🙏. 🙏.  Thank you all that pray for us and support us. We are going to hold our second food outreach this month as opposed to only one. The needs are increasing and we will do all that we can as God provides. 

GLOBAL WARMING???

 As most of the country experiencing record cold, the global warming cult is silent. Why??? I digress. Its really cold in south Texas, but not as cold as ya'll up north. It's actually going to be below freezing Monday night for long enough to freeze pipes. 🙃. 

  It's been a couple weeks since Andres and Goyitas wedding. It was a beautiful service and they were very happy 😊. Paula did great officiating the big event. Great food followed the vows, music, cake, and a great time of fellowship. 

  Last Saturday we held our monthly food outreach.  About 100 families came, which is more than the last several months. We split the colonia into 2 shifts to avoid a crowd. Jaime came to share a message. The day before,  he brought all the kids from the orphanage to get clothes and shoes from Paula's mountains of clothes.

  On a brighter note,Lol, the situation on our border is getting worse since sleepy Joe started his executive orders to change everything that our President Trump 😉did. Riot gear was being displayed on the bridge when we crossed the other day. 

  Oh that Jesus would blow the trumpet and call us Christians home and let these unbelievers have it all for a short period until Judgements come on all of them.