BEATING THE HEAT

  We've been up in Illinois for the last several weeks enjoying the cooler weather, at least until now.  105 heat index here today and super muggy. It's been at or near 100 back home every day for over a month 😩. 

  Sergio and China are holding down the fort for us, feeding the 🐈 and watering the plants,  taking care of the ministry. We are indeed grateful for all they do.

  We stopped at Phil and Marianne Chains in Oklahoma for a few days before coming to Illinois. 4th of July at the Elozondos a tradition we try to keep. Camping at Indiana Beach twice while we've been here. A few days in Carthage  Illinois after our truck broke down. A few rounds of ⛳️,  lots of great food, and time spent with family and friends. 

  We fly home on Tuesday because now the camper is in the shopwith failing brakes. We thought that we'd fly home to the closing of our house,  but that has been postponed until September. 

  Melodys Orphanage has moved since we've been gone, to a new place in Reynosa. We will pay them a visit when we get back. We also celebrated our 26th anniversary last week. 

WHEN GOD MOVES, SO MUST WE

   Last year, we felt the Holy Spirit moving us to downsize and spend more time with Family up in Illinois. We purchased a manufactured home in Alamo in a nice park with a swimming pool,  club house and some very friendly people. Herb and Carol live there as well as Sandra. They have been on missions trips with us and support the ministry as well. We have been moving things over there for the last couple weeks. 

  Kaleo International Ministry is purchasing the ministry house in San Juan. They have a huge ministry in Mexico and other nations. It's been a long process,  but it looks like they have secured the loan to buy it. We haven't had any groups here since Covid so we felt it was time to move on. We don't need 6 bedrooms,4 baths and 2 kitchens for just us, but it will serve their ministry well.

  We were supposed to be leaving tomorrow to join the family at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to camp for a week, but moving has us to busy. We'll head to Illinois in a few weeks.

  We will continue with ministry in Mexico with feeding and the distribution of food for the poor, and support of Melodys Orphanage. Sergio and China will help as they have been for several years, so while we're not here, ministry will continue. 

   Melodys Orphanage is still looking for a permanent solution for their housing. God knows the need, and promises to provide all their needs!!!. We stopped over there the other day for lunch. What a great group of kids, and they are getting so big.

  Please continue to pray 🙏 for 🇲🇽 as violence has increased lately with a new cartel trying to take over Reynosa. Pray for us as we move forward with moving. Ministry awaits us in Illinois as our friend Roger needs help with the several ministries to the poor and homeless people in Illinois and Indiana. So we're not retiring,  we're re- tiring meaning putting 4 new tires on our vehicle to keep going.

   

THE DAY OF THE CHILD

  Two weeks ago, maybe three, 🤔 Hull’s Grove Baptist Church came just in time to celebrate Children. An annual event in Mexico. We started the day at the dedication of a Church we paid to have their roof installed. We then held our monthly food outreach,  and celebrated the kids, moms, and dad's. 130 kids plus the parents had the community center full.

   The Hull’s Grove people held an children's program inside, while Jaime and Saul led in worship and the Word. I know I shared some of this on the last post, but I wasn't able to get the pictures on.

   A visit to Big Heart Orphanage in the mountains by the team, and also a visit to Melodys Orphanage and Children's Haven Orphanage. 

A LONG TIME BETWEEN POSTS

 I guess this is the longest stretch between posts. Mainly because I don't know who's reading it since Blogger no longer forwards the posts to email. We have been keeping busy with food distribution and Paula's sewing class. 

  We just had our first team in years. Hulls Grove Baptist Church has come for the last 8 years or so, building houses, ministering in the colonia,  and helping with Melodys Orphanage. Six ladies came the week before from the same area and held children's outreaches,  visited 3 orphanages and stayed at Big Heart Orphanage ❤️. 

  The team from Hull’s Grove Baptist Church arrived on Saturday and they helped remove debris from our trailer park that sustained a lot of damage from a storm Friday night, including our trailer. We returned to the park on Monday to continue to help remove debris and repair a few roofs.

  Sunday we went to Pastor Juan Cantus church to attend the dedication after we had paid for the structural steel and roofing materials. They had been without a roof for 2 years!! How many of us would attend a church without a roof? The congregation fed us delicious tamales 🫔 😋  after the service.

  We left there and headed to the Community Center for our Childs Day Celebration and our monthly food outreach. We had soccer balls and gifts for the kids and we also gave the women gifts for Mothers Day and the men for Father's Day. 

  We took the team to see where the immigrants were in Sende de Vida camp. They also went to Children’s Haven Orphanage on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday we were at Big Heart Orphanage in the mountains ⛰️. 

  Now Paula and I are in Illinois for Leas dance recital tomorrow. We arrived on my birthday and are always excited to see the Family.  Thanks for your prayers and support.  

MISSIONS, ITS WHAT WE DO

  Last week Paula and I hooked up the 5th wheel and headed 8 hours north to join the Carpenters Crew in Rosebud Texas. Beloved and Beyond is a ministry that holds week long camp for children and adults with disabilities. We built a 90 foot by 16 foot deck off the back of the dining hall, and a 60 foot wheel chair ramp up to the deck. We worked hard, but it was such a joyful experience, knowing that it will serve those that come.

   Last Saturday we held our monthly food outreach and Alan and Lynnea joined us for a few days, along with a team from Bastrop Christian Church in Texas on Saturday. A great worship time, word by Jaime, and food despensa.  

  We brought lunch to Melodys Orphanage after the outreach. Delicious fajitas! Alan and Lynnea haven't been here since they had children,  but helped in the building process years ago. 

   I'm still working on getting our paperwork done for last year's taxes. I'm such a procrastinator. I'm in December,  so almost done. 🤪  I took three pallets of beans that will make its way across the border to supply a huge food outreach to all the immigrants in Reynosa. 

WHATS CAN BE BETTER THAN A PHOTO WITH TRUMP?

  How about a photo with all the kids at Melodys Orphanage!!!! While Paula was in Illinois at Leas birthday party 🎉,  I was at the orphanage when they had thier photo shoot. It was a pleasure to see everyone with matching shirts and different colors. 

   Paula was able to be with the family and see a few friends while there. A surprise birthday party for Lea and her cousin Elizabeth on Saturday followed by a Chucky Cheese party on Sunday with many of her classmates.  I'm sorry I missed it!!

   Paula came home Monday night and Tuesday we went to Mexico 🇲🇽.  The girls had some nice Valentines Day decorations and a celebration for China's 🎂  birthday.  We left the colonia and stopped by Melodys Orphanage and gave all the girls a 🌹 rose. We stayed for a great meal later that night. 

    Yesterday I took a pallet of beans to Roma Texas and traded Pastor Silva for a pallet of Spanish bibles and a few cases of bibles in Russian. Ukrainian, and the Haitian languages. They are going to the immigrants in Reynosa that speak those languages. 

   Paula and I are going to Rosebud  Texas tomorrow to help on some building projects at a disabled kids camp. It's about 7 hours north of here and they have some RV hookups,  so we'll take the 5th wheel on its first trip in we'll over a year.

   We received a donation of a truck load of beans last week, just as we were down to two pallets of the last load.  God always provides.

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED!!!

  2022 ended in Chiapas Mexico and we made it through another year. We  remained busy through January and I just returned from Florida after spending a week there with 6 other men. 

  Power Ministry came a few weeks back to hold thier morning devotions with us at the Community Center. A great time of worship and the Word. Several men bought quilts from Paula which was a huge blessing to her quilting class. 

   Several visits to Melodys Orphanage during the month. The kids are doing great, but we are still looking for a permanent place to buy for them. There's a go fund me page to raise money towards the purchase. Some visitors from Alabama have a passion to raise money. Moraine Valley Church in Palos Heights IL designated thier Thanksgiving offering for the orphanage as well.

   Paula went on a missions trip to Garcia Mexico 🇲🇽  with Handful of Purpose Ministries and saw over 100 children and adults accept Christ as thier Savior,  while I was enjoying fellowship with 6 guys in a huge rented house in Ft Lauderdale. We golfed a couple times, and had daily devotions and Bible study.  The highlight was lunch at Trumps Mar A Lago and a brief meeting with our former President Trump. What a bucket list check off. It wasn't even on my list. Thanks to our good friend Roger for hosting the whole week. 

   Back to reality this week!!!!