We serve a loving God

Earlier in the fall, Pastor Israel and Becky Rodriguez of great Oaks Community Church in Mission, Texas, felt lead to start an Outreach Mission, serving those in Colonias as well as church members who needed help with food and clothing. As Becky is a part-time office assistant at CHI, she casually mentioned their additional calling to Fred. With the help of Chaplain Dennis Maloney of Christian Resort Ministries, we partnered with them to help with their project. Food was donated at our park, and it just almost overwhelmed all of us. We began to deliver the donated items to Pastor Israel and Becky- the food just kept on coming all year long. As Winter Texans began leaving for their Northern homes, they left their food at CHI, which Fred began to sort. The children in Reynosa do not eat the same way we Gringos do!!! The items that were useful for Reynosa were sent to Mexico for them - the other things were given to Becky for their outreach. As we became more involved, we mentioned that clothing, bedding, blankets, were also needed. As of today, there are more than enough donations

 We presented Pastor Israel and Becky with monetary donations to help with their outreach ministry - one from a lady who was healed of cancer by the Great Healer (her doctors made a comment that there was no way on earth that this could have happened - how right he was!) and another one from the Church @ Alamo Rec Veh Park.

                                   The worship center at the Great Oaks Community Church.


As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we delivered much needed quilts to a Colonia just before a cold spell set in. Cold in South Texas for those of Hispanic descent is around 60 degrees or lower. We recently contacted the gracious ladies who had donated the quilt tops, and they promised us approximately 200 -500 quilt tops for the fall!!!! Way too many for us to use. I contacted another ministry at the Cone Oasis Baptist Camp in La Feria, Texas, who was overjoyed to hear that we could donate some quilt tops for their group to complete. They will complete the tops and take them to Colonias in Mexico, as well as this side of the border. If we want, they would return some completed quilts for us to also deliver in the Valley here in Texas. God is good!!! "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you". Luke 6:38  The more that people gave, the more that was received.

As the time is nearing for us to leave the Valley, we would like to thank everyone who has supported us, through in prayer and monetary donations so that we could concentrate on serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray that you, too, would receive a good measure, pressed down. You continued support will bless you in ways you cannot imagine.

Carol and Ron Pease who are full time residents, are great neighbors and friends here in the park. During the winter they are busy shuffling (they have won numerous trophies) and we are busy with the Lord's work, so when things begin to settle down, people leave the park, and activities cease, we find time to fellowship together. We found an afternoon when we could fellowship over great Mexican food at a beautiful restaurant in Edinburgh called Trevino's. The atmosphere is magnificent - like being in the courtyard of a Mexican hacienda. The food was delicious as well as reasonably priced. It was a time when we could just sit back and enjoy each other's company.

                                                             Trevino's Restaurant

                                                                    Beautiful tables

The owners told us these murals took a year to paint

 

                                                                        More murals

                                                        good times, good friends


Our next blog will be awesome - pictures at RIN in Reynosa of  Dia Del Nino (Day of the Child). It was a fun time to honor the children at the refuge. We are saddened that this was probably our last trip to the refuge until September. The girls we sponsor were also sad. but are looking forward to our return next fall, when I am sure they will have become more beautiful young ladies.