FAVOR COMES AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

8 years ago we sold the house we bought when we first moved here in 2007. Many of you may have even stayed there before we bought the Ministry House we live in now. Any how there was only 2 years left on the Balloon mortgage we financed for them. They have chosen to walk away from the house, and we signed the papers last week. We just signed a contract with our realtor to sell it, and are asking for more of God's Favor in our lives.  We are trusting for a quick sale and covet your prayers. There are a few things that God has already impressed me with about helping buy a newer van for Melodys Orphanage, helping pay off a widows house as she struggles to make ends meet with 7 of her 11 kids still at home.

  If anyone wants to move to Texas, this is a great opportunity. 4 bedroom 3 bath home in a gated/golf community in Pharr.  Come enjoy your life in a Free State. Only $225,000.00 makes Texas your home.  Interior photos to follow once the family moves out.

THINGS ARE CHANGING SO FAST

  It seems almost everything, and everyone is going nuts. Ezekiel 37 and 38 are unfolding before our very eyes. The Abraham accords negotiated by President Trump have aligned some of the Arab countries with Israel while other nations have sided with Hamas. Its crazy!!! How can you defend the position of hurling rockets into another country and expect no retaliation? Crazy!!!  I digress. 

  We spent a few days with the family in Colorado, celebrating Mothers Day and my birthday.  We started in Colorado Springs for a couple days, golfing, sight seeing,  and relaxing. It was sunny and quite warm,  in the 80's. Kissing Camels ⛳ golf course, and Garden of the God's Resort and National Park, made for some beautiful sights and pictures. We did a jeep tour before heading to Breckenridge and Kelly's house. Big changes in altitude and temperatures. Saturday and Sunday were just hang out time, enjoying each others company. We headed home Monday,  a day early because of, yes, winter storm ⚠️ warnings. By the time we left, it had already snowed a few inches. We dropped Kris and Lea off at the airport in Denver and drove in rain off and on all the way home.

  We received a load of beans boxed up by Elim Christian Center in Orland Park, IL. Another ministry got 1/2 of the load and filled the trailer with cereal , blankets and pillows for us. Although we had to pay for the trucking, it was well worth it. We are busy loading up the van and trailer and getting it across the border. We have had flooding rains here the last week and have been to Mexico twice and both times, people have been gracious and provided me with cake and food for my birthday. 

   On a weird note,  we had to repossess the house we sold and financed for a family eight years ago. They basically sold the house back to us before they got behind on payments. Soooo if anyone wants to move to the free state of Texas give me a call. 4 bedrooms 3 baths, gated golf community,  2 story brick house. Wait, maybe we'll move back there and sell the ministry house. 6 bedrooms 4baths, 1 acre. Lol !!! Another blessing disguised  as a problem. 

  Thanks to all who pray for and support us. We'll continue to keep being a blessing to those in need.

   

   

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.