Turkey and dressing and pie, oh my!

We were so blessed this year to have two Thanksgiving celebrations. Last Sunday we were privileged to be invited by Pastor Israel and Becky Rodrigrez to Great Oaks Community Church Harvest Celebration with their congregation. Because of their love for others, their food and clothing ministry has provided assistance for many people.  We have received many donations of food which is desperately needed at this time of year.  Many of the of the people who receive food do not have ovens or the refrigeration needed for a Christmas turkey which is why we are striving to collect as as many canned hams as possible. These can be cooked on  on a grill which in some cases is the only means of cooking these people have. We are so thankful for the blessings that God has poured down on us. As Paul related to Timothy about those who are rich in material things "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share".
 I Timothy 6-18.



the decorating committee at Great Oaks - hard at work

 

 

fantastic food from great cooks

the dessert center 

 

Pastor Israel and Becky Rodriquez of Great Oaks Community Church with a heart for those less fortunate. I love the church's verse: "They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the dis play of His splendor."
Isaiah 61:13

We also had a Thanksgiving here at our park, where ladies host a table of 12 or more people. There were 10 tables, a very comfortable number of folks. Hostesses Carole and Jeannie made us all feel welcome with  a beautiful decorated table, groaning with all the contributed food. The fellowship and companionship of just enjoying the meal together made for a wonderful day.

 

 

 

 

our table with neighbor Ron thinking he ruined my picture!

more table guests, waiting for the turkey

some table decorations - notice the turkey shaped butter

 amen

the "Padre" and his wife,  Catholic priests from the Liberal Catholic Church of  Canada

and here we are - pleasantly stuffed

 

our entertainment for the afternoon - a gentleman who sang songs from the 50's up to the present day - it was fun to listen to see who could "name that tune"

 

 

                     

                                                                  Bob Vess - our park's very capable sound man

 

Things are getting very busy this time of year. The many style shows of CHI  featuring the beautiful clothes available at our resale shop are a weekly happening - CHI directors are preparing for the RIN Christmas party for all the kiddos in Reynosa - that means buying gifts, clothes, and shoes for over 60 kids! Some of the children will not be going home for the holidays, so we all must make them feel loved and special - in  God's eyes as well as in our hearts. It is important to develop  a relationship with them so we can help them learn about God and their relationship with Him. "We will not hide them (the things that we have learned from our fathers), from their  children, we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord". Psalm 78:4

We are making several trips to drop off food donations to the food ministry, as well as collecting items for the resale shop. Our church at the park is planning several special programs which require a lot of planning so pray for us as we work alongside Chaplain Dennis Maloney to make these happen.  

 

As we enter this Christmas season with Advent beginning the coming Sunday, let us, too wait in anticipation for the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.Tell someone "Merry Christmas" every day without worrying about offending anyone or being politically correct. We as Christians need to proclaim our belief in this very precise but quiet way.

 

Have a wonderful week - make someone happy everyday by doing a simple, good deed.

 

 

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Mexican Wedding

We have experienced our first Mexican wedding. In the Hispanic culture, there are two wedding ceremonies - the civil and religious ceremony. Our houseparents at RIN, Alfredo and Vero had a civil ceremony 14 years ago, but now wanted to have a religious ceremony with all the celebration. this was celebrated at RIN in Reynosa at the Haven. We went over on Saturday and stayed the night in Reynosa so we would not miss a bit of the fun. Susan Brown, another volunteer came along with us and we stayed in the dorm - quite an experience as there were many bunk beds in the dorm - so we had our pick of beds. We were personally invited to attend the ceremony and were very excited to have the honor of seeing this wonderful Christian couple renew their vows. It was so very interesting as the traditions are somewhat the same as ours, but also very different. There are usually no presents, as "sponsors" donate many aspects of the ceremony - such as buying the rings, the invitations, decorations, cakes, the Bible, etc. (hmmm, we had four daughters, we should have followed this tradition!). An interesting part of the ceremony was the "lasso" that was a beautiful braided rope with two loops which were placed around each of the couple shoulders to signify one love, one union, and the life long promise of love. In all of this the presence of the Lord was there always in praise and prayer.

tables set and ready to begin

one of the many beautiful table decorations

the guest book

a unique cake top

Alfredo and Vero - the honored couple

a beautiful bride

Alfredo serenading his wife

a family prayer, including the "housekids" of their RIN family

wedding dinner - including the infamous green noodles!

the Rondallya - a Mexican musical group of which Alfredo is a part, provided the music for the day

the compound cat was very polite and just peeked in the door

our RIN girls, Lupe and Paty, and us

A Hispanic tradition - throwing the groom into the air - I did not get a really good picture of this

one of the games - the girls holding hands and running as fast as they can - sort of our crack the whip game. the object -just to see people fall. sometimes the bride and/or groom are knocked from their chairs in the excitement.

now is the boys' turn

another interesting game - loosely translated "and the branch fell". Sort of a no nonsense game where couples march in a circle while one person holds the broom (the branch) while they all chant a silly song - the outside circle then changes direction, the singing stops, the broom is dropped and the boys (or girls, depending on which ones turn it is) grabs another partner. The one left without a partner then gets to hold the broom. It gets pretty wild as everyone is grabbing hands with whomever is the closest.

After our over night stay and breakfast in Reynosa at VIPS (sort of a Mexican Denny's) we headed for the bridge and the U.S. Monday is Mexican Revolution Day, so the Mexicans have a three day holiday. That means going to the US for shopping - also in play is the fact that it is the beginning of the $300 duty limit (it is usually $100) which means they can buy $300 worth of items, per person, duty free. Therefore, the cars are full of family members waiting to cross the border. The lines were long as we had a 2-1/2 hour wait on the bridge. Director Betsy Chacon came back across with us, so it gave us time to discuss the wedding and also upcoming CHI events, planning stategy for fund raising.

while waiting on the bridge, we encountered one of many bridge vendors - they sell everything from food to trinkets. sometimes they cross into the US side, then the border guards have to herd them back into Mexico.

more vendors - some people even wash vehicle windows, as well as the ever present pan handlers.

The owner of our park also owns the Mexican pulga (flea market) next to our park, and has decided to divert the excess water from the pulga into the lake in order to keep the lake at it's high level. To make a long story short, he decided to dig a huge ditch down our street to the lake. It was quite an operation and is almost done. Luckily they left one side of our street open, but we all had to park our vehicles in different areas. Needless to say, there were tons of  sidewalk supervisors.

the culverts ready to put in place

quite a way to go

the ditch was really deep

one of the excellent workers - they worked fast and cleaned everything up

Fred and neighbor, Don, in a first class seat

manager, Barbara, also came down to watch

more supervisors at the other end of the street

This has been a long week, with many things going on. We continue gathering items for the Great Oaks Food and Clothing Ministry as well as collecting and working at CHI. We are so blessed that our park, as well as other parks, are so generous in donating to the needy. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up". We do not do good just to reap a harvest or enrich our place in heaven, but because God directs us to do so.

 

Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving, praising God for all the favor He has bestowed on us and the blessings we have received from Him.



God Bless All Veterans

A huge thank you to all Veterans - to anyone who has ever served in the military, whose sacrifice has enabled you are able to read this as I am free to write it. If you see a service man or woman in public, step up to them, shake their hand, and say "thank you for your service", pay for their meal, or just acknowledge their decision to serve. Not too many people recognize their sacrifice, as well as the sacrifice of their family, as they serve this great country. And we do live in a great country, regardless of the problems and undercurrents. The elections are over, the Bible instructs to respect authority - we don't necessarily have to like the leader or his/her policies, but please respect the position and remember who is our real King.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of HIS mouth. HE gathers the waters of the sea into jars: HE puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD, let all the people of the world revere HIM. For HE spoke and it came to be: He commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations: HE thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of HIS heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose GOD is the LORD, the people He chose for HIS inheritance.
Psalm 33:6-12

This week was the first CRMI Chaplains meeting. We felt so blessed to see everyone again (or most everyone, as some are not here yet, and some have been re-assigned to other areas). It was a time to physically re-connect as some have kept in touch wherever they were. We touched bases on everyone's assignment or ministry, encouraging each other for the coming year.  We also took part in a training session on grief Counseling where we included some of our friends and Chaplains via the internet. It was a time to gather all the Chaplain wives (who themselves are Chaplains)  to prepare for our "God's Worthy Women" retreat in February - it really takes a lot of planning and co-operation to make this event truly fruitful for those attending. Our theme this year is Fresh Water -  relating to actual fresh water and living water. We hope to empower women with a heart for missions, give them a time for  fellowship with Christian women, and listen to an awesome Bible Study. At one of our earlier retreats, a lady was led to the Lord - our greatest accomplishment, not through us but through the love of Jesus.

Chaplains arriving - General Director Raymond Smith officiating

Bob Reusch checking out electronic devices  

asking questions and thinking hard!

and the ever present food

JoAnn Horwitz sampling the fruit

We have started our evening Bible Study at CHI for volunteers and anyone else who cares to join us. Right now there are just a few of us, but "when two or three come together in My name, there am I with them". Matthew 18:20. We are studying Luke and the wonderful Christmas Story, as well as the story of the life of Jesus on earth. Please join us on Monday nights at 5:30 if you are in Pharr, Texas! 

 



                                          ready to begin - let's watch and see how our group grows 

                        did I forget to mention that an evening meal is included - this week was lasagna


I am continuing my early morning 3 mile walk - every day gets much easier to get up and walk! Fred accompanied me a few times this last week and we just both meditated on the coming day as we walked together companionably. I took an very interesting picture - you have to really concentrate to see this one. A dove flew into a glass window on one of the laundry areas - if you look closely, on the reflection of the fence in the middle bottom section, you will see an outline  of a wing - if you follow it up, you will soon discover the entire imprint of the dove. I certainly hope it was not injured - but perhaps just took a big bump!

May you all have a wonderful week in the Lord, praising and thanking him for everything - looking for the goodness in all adversity.

Chaotic days

Have you ever had a day when everything seems to go backwards? I had one of those on Friday. I started out rather well, I thought. Walked 3 miles around the park - yes - I did that when it was dark. Surprising enough, there were other walkers and bicyclers also, so it did not seem so terrifying to me. I spend this time praying - for a good day, for those I see walking or driving by, for those who are ill, and especially for all of our "family" that will be traveling here to the Valley. A quick shower then started my laundry. Since I had other commitments for the day, I decided I would dry them in the dryer (I would have rather hung them out). Sally and I meet on Friday for the 2 mile workout, and as I had other things to do at the hall, I was there early, and waited, and waited, and waited. Whoops - Sally totally forgot (and imagine, she is younger than me). Upon returning home, I found the message from Sally - OK, I did a few other chores and waited for Fred to come home from CHI as they were having their fall yard sale at the resale store. I was scheduled to work at 1 PM. 1 PM arrived and no Fred - (I needed the car to go back to CHI). Finally he returned, as there were duties for him which made him late. Luckily another couple was at the store to cover for me. I arrived at CHI only to find that someone else had shown up to work also - so back home I went! As I was driving home, I thanked the Lord that it was earlier than planned, and I did not have to drive on the interstate in rush hour traffic. But throughout this whole fiasco of a day, I keep thinking about Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything , by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God". I now laugh at the events of the day - and know that God kept me at peace with all the crazy happenings

                                                           SCENES IN OUR PARK

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Don't these cacti look like they have faces?

OK ladies - drool over this - a lady at our park is an avid quilter, so she quilted this insulated front window cover for their coach. Isn't it beautiful?

Some people paint instead of plant flowers. This is on the side of their shed.

And then there are those who don't want grass.

Just one of the many citrus trees in our park

Fresh rosemary - our neighbor grows this so I snip off some occasionally.

This lady loves color -

Another bird near the lake - a mud duck perhaps?

More and more people are finding their way back here for the winter, and our time volunteering at CHI is getting to be so busy with all the donation we receive, as well as the many customers looking for holiday items. The store is getting filled up, but the items sell as fast as we put them out. Other CHI activities are keeping everyone busy, from fund raisers, to children's programs in Reynosa, to our Bible study which starts this coming Tuesday. We are going to be studying Luke, which I am sure all of you have read parts, if not all, of. No matter how many times I read scripture, I find something new that I had not thought of before. I really had my eyes opened on the first few chapters and verses as I was studying. Most important was the fact that Luke was a doctor, therefore very precise in his recordings of the life of Jesus. He checked out many sources as well as eyewitnesses to write this book. I also had another revelation as I read the story of the angel appearing to Mary. I will tell you about that next week, as I don't want to spoil it for our study on Tuesday.

 

 Chaplains Jack and Karen Gregory bringing donations to the resale store. Jack and Karen are CRM Chaplains at Alamo Rose, a nearby RV Park, as well as great friends.

 

 

Yes, we are putting out Christmas merchandise already - we do have Thanksgiving things also available.

                                                                    Lots of great stuff at wonderful prices.

 

This was our second Sunday service, actually the official one of the season. Usually on the first Sunday of the month, we honor those with birthdays and anniversaries with a small gift. This year Sally Maloney and I decided to bake monster cookies, place them in CD sleeves, and put a Scripture verse on the front. It was really fun baking the cookies and trying to decide how much dough would fit in the sleeve. The best part was spending the time with Sally - time to talk and plan together.

Sally is a multi-tasker

mixing and measuring the dough

ready for the oven

 

                                 I think the cookie on the left is a bit large - our husbandsgot the benefit of that mistake.

 

 

The congregation today seemed to enjoy the surprise, as much as we enjoyed baking them. We will change the type of cookie, add other things, and make them special. The most difficult part is to research verses of Scripture, as we do not want to repeat any. The benefit we get is to read Scripture, and enjoy God's Word as we prepare these gifts. Chaplain Dennis continued his sermons on Thanksgiving this morning referring to Psalm 100 - please read this one day this week as your daily meditation. There are three ways to be involved in God's word - Pray, Give, or Go. Not everyone has the resources or provision to do all of these (although there are some who do), so pray for missions, for those who do not know the Word of God that someone can plant the seed of Jesus in them, give if you can, you time, your money, and your talents, and go forth into the world, proclaiming the Word of God. You really do not have to go far - the nearest soup kitchen, the Salvation Army as a volunteer, to a sick neighbor's house to bring a supper or just to pray with them. All of your actions give thanks and praise to God - let them reflect in everything that you do.