And the fun begins

This coming week is the official opening of the season here at Alamo Rec Veh, and things are beginning to pick up.  Because of a water leakage problem, the sound system had to be moved to the other side of the hall - so we may or may not be able to use the hall or sound system for our first church service next Sunday. So on we go to plan B - use the Annex - the only problem could be the music, but we can work that out, I am sure. God has a plan, and so we just pray for His guidance. It really does not matter where we praise Him, or if we have music or not. He can hear our voices without music - probably even better!!!!  Chaplain Bill and his wife Ali arrived on Wednesday, ready to dig in and start their ministry. There was a hot dog welcome on Thursday for them as well as us (although pretty much everyone knows us). Many people attended and were glad for the opportunity to meet Bill and Ali one-on-one early in the season. This was followed on Friday with meetings with management to form a game plan and ideas for the coming year.  Pray for all of us as it is almost too early to see which direction we are going, but we know God will lead us.

We again attended church at Great Oaks, along with Bill and Ali and a neighbor. As usual Pastor Israel provided a great sermon, reminding that God has given us the gift of vision and it is our responsibility to be watchful, stand firm in our faith, be courageous, and be strong enough, through God's help, to follow that vision to look ahead, with the faith that it will be accomplished. Read Nehemiah to see how God gave him a vision and how he accomplished that vision. He had faith and courage to ask for more than the obvious and received what he asked for. We need to rely on God as we ask for the courage because the enemy is out there trying to defeat us. Not only is the enemy lurking on the outside but also within us, trying to defeat us before we even begin. Have faith, be strong, and rely on God.  It was also communion Sunday (Great Oaks serves communion quarterly and we were blessed to be there today.) We will continue to attend Great Oaks in addition to our service here at the park as often as we are able to.

 

Ali and Bill Artherholt, new Chaplains here at The Church @ Alamo Rec Veh

Pastor Israel Rodriguez's hands as he prays over the elements

the ushers also praying, ready to serve us

take my will Lord and make it truly yours

This is the time of year that I love - cool mornings and evenings, beautiful warm days. I must admit that I miss the beauty of the changing seasons, the smell of  falling leaves, pumpkins, everything that fall stands for. I remember as a kid in Chicago, neighbors would rake the leaves and pile them at the curb, waiting until evening to burn them. The smell was almost intoxicating, as we kids would run from one smoldering pile to another, sometimes jumping over them, must to the horror of the adults. I hated to go home, clean up and change into pajamas because I loved the smell so much. As there were no gardens around, our Dad would drive us to a suburb to pick out a pumpkin, which was quite a process as the choices were too many.  We would then take them home, carve them out, and Mother would bake the seeds with salt - a treasured treat as it happened only once a year. Since we cannot savor the changing colors here in S Texas, I stole a picture from a facebook friend to remind me how beautiful is this gift from God of creation. Read Psalm 104 and you will see what I am talking about.

no man can duplicate this

 

 

 

We have a special request for prayers for a  relative with an inoperable heart condition. With only one main artery partially open, he tires easily and is often out of breath. The doctors are treating it as much as they can, but are saying nothing else can be done. Pray for Edwin, that he comes to accept his current situation, slows down his lifestyle, and leans on Jesus Christ, his Savior. Our Lord is indeed the great healer - and He can perform miracles beyond our comprehension. 

 

Quiet Sunday

A very quiet Sunday today. Church this morning, a very much needed trip to the grocery store, time to relax and read the paper, do a few of the newspaper puzzles, and now think about supper. I am going to try to make the ever present, delicious green spaghetti that is so popular in Mexico. Grill some poblano peppers, cool, take out the seeds, put in blender with cream cheese and cream, a bit of salt, mix with cooked spaghetti. Sounds simple enough - wish me luck!!!

The Great Oaks Food and Clothing Ministry is doing well, thanks to everyone's love and support. We were able to fill an entire van with clothing from another ministry for a reasonable monetary donation, food donations are coming in, as well as monetary gifts. Thank you to all of those who have donated - your support is greatly appreciated. Last month 15 families received blessings from your donations - over seventy people including 47 adults and 39 children were blessed because of your willingness to share.  Our greatest need right now is children's clothing, so if anyone has any to donate, please let us know. "Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked to clothe him, and not turn away from your own flesh and blood?" Isaiah 58:7

Today was a very special day for our new Chaplain Bill Artherholt and his wife Ali, as he was ordained at Sycamore Chapel in Checotah, Oklahoma. We were not able to make the trip, but our park manager and her husband, as well as many of the other chaplains on their way to their assignments in the South were in attendance. Please pray for travel mercies for everyone as they prepare to travel again today and tomorrow. We are waiting in anticipation as Chaplain Bill and Ali plan to arrive here at the park on Wednesday to begin leadership at The Church @ Alamo Rec Veh. We look forward to working  together with them for the spiritual welfare of the residents here, as well as getting to know everyone all over again. Pastor Israel's sermon this morning was on leadership - living life on the heights with God. To live on the heights is a connection with God.  Every time Jesus went to pray, or took His disciples with Him to pray, or asked someone to pray, He asked them to go to the mountain - to the heights. Read Isaiah 33:14-17.  We lead with God in our hearts, as others look up to us we need to be above reproach and be on the heights with God. This not only applies to Chaplains and Ministers, but also to teachers, parents, doctors, even those in the government - all those in places of influence.

We took a trip to Reynosa this week to take a van load of items in preparation for the neighborhood carnival soon coming up. The biggest draw for the adults is the bingo time, so most of the items we took were gifts for bingo winners. As usual, we left the US later so that we could spend time with the kids during the lunch hour - not to mention the fact that we, too, enjoy Cook Maria's cooking!! Each Casa is responsible for setting up the lunch area, as well as serving the food for an entire week. Maria prepares the food, then leaves the rest to the responsibility of the designated Casa. As we were early, we were part of the work crew, setting up chairs and waiting for the kids to get out of school.

a garbage cart horse taking a break

many food stands around the university

 

you have to be very careful driving, as manhole covers are frequently stolen (to sell on the black market). 



the new bathrooms between the two school buildings are complete

almost all of the work done in Mexico is hand labor

very quiet until the kids get out of school

some of the bingo gifts we brought across the border

the houseparents in charge of the lunch hour for the week, preparing the drinks

even the littlest guys help out

 

and here come the kids

 

 

 

 Paty eating her lunch - the green stuff in the lower left corner is hot sauce (hot, hot, hot). she ate it like catsup!!!! (and laughed at us Americanos as we gingerly added  some to our meal).

 

 As we enjoy the cooler weather with the windows open and the fresh air blowing through the house, let us give thanks to God for all of His blessings - a roof over over our head, the ability to shop wherever we want to, a warm bed, and most of all the freedom to worship where and where we choose.

Football Stats????

This blog is going to seem a bit strange coming from me but I think if you keep reading you will see where this is all going.  I watch football occasionally ( Green Bay Packers (they won today, ugly but a win) and the Arkansas Razorbacks).  Actually, I listen  more than I watch. Did you know that Mission, Texas (where we attend church on the off-season at the park) was the hometown of Tom Landry, coach of the Dallas Cowboys? And Mission loves their hometown boy. There is street named after him in Mission,  as well as a huge mural painted on a downtown building. He played quarterback and punter for Mission High School before going on to college in Austin ( because it was closer for his parents to travel to see him play football there.) During his coaching career, he had 2 Superbowls, 5 NFL championships, 13 division titles, and the most career wins record to add to his accomplishments. Yet, Landry, a devout Christian, was fired when a new owner took over the Cowboys. Tom Landry is probably the most honored failure of all times. His entire career was outstanding, bringing accolades from everywhere for him and his team, yet his career seemed to end in failure when he was fired. One of his favorite quotes was " setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you go about achieving it and staying with that plan". Tom Landry was a true leader.  A leader is someone who has influence in someone else's life. According to Pastor Israel's sermon this morning, we are chosen by God to lead, regardless of what capacity may be. As a parent, teacher, church leader, coach, supervisor of any type, God brought us to that place so that we could lead others. There are endless leaders in the Bible, all of them called by God, many not even  sure if God was talking to them. Moses, Noah, David, Saul (to become Paul), Esther, Aaron, Abraham are just a very few who were called by God, even though they believed they were not capable, actually certainly not the persons in our eyes that God would call to lead. And this is so true in all of our lives - many times we ask, "Who, me, Lord"??? We need to remember "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst" I Timothy 1:12-15. Answer God's call and work at the top of your ability, as Tom Landry did. Stay with His plan, even though it seems to you a failure - to God it is the greatest achievement of all.

Tom Landry

and his beloved cowboys

just a small section of the mural in downtown Mission, Texas

The days are getting so beautiful here in S Texas - cool mornings and evenings and warm and breezy days. Our days are getting busier, as we are doing more volunteer work at the resale store, filling in until more volunteers arrive from the North. We have been doing  hospital visitation as some residents are having health issues. Our new chaplain and his wife are due to arrive in less than two weeks at which time I am sure we will switch into high gear, getting ready for our first church service the first Sunday in November. Our food ministry in connection with Great Oaks Community Church has had a slow start, but we pray that it will pick up soon. Even though the food bins for the food pantry are empty right now, we trust God will provide all that we need for those who would otherwise go hungry. We are truly excited about the coming new season with all of it's changes and new things, but all of us are looking forward to it with great expectation.


A blog would not be complete without a bit of Great grandma brag.

 Granddaughter Dela'von and great grandson Avery - Dela'von had a cute post today - she wondered what babies dream about, as Avery woke up laughing.

 great grand daughters Kinley and Kenzie - or it could be Kenzie and Kinley

 

 

 

 

Please keep one of our CRM Chaplains, Mike Horwitz, in your prayers, as he underwent open heart surgery that past week here in S Texas. Mike and his wife JoAnn serve at Texas Trails RV Park here in the Rio Grande Valley. Pray for healing and strength as he recovers and is anxiously waiting to be able to resume his duties as chaplain. Pray for JoAnn as she ministers to Mike during this recovery period.

Cold Front

The weather here in S Texas changes quickly - almost before a person sees it coming. Yesterday was quite warm and humid - this morning it was 65 degrees and windy. As we drove to church it was strange to see others in jacket, shawls, and even caps, when yesterday they were standing in the shade to cool off. Pastor Israel's sermon this morning was related to the fact that you have to learn to fight right. So many times there seems to be factors that fabricate stories and ugly lies that keep us from really doing the things that God commands us to do. We have to realize that this, too, will pass. God is the one who fights for us - all we need to do is to bring all of His weapons to the battlefield. The Word of God is the most powerful weapon of all. We just need to be faithful to Him, trust Him with all of our worries, surrender all to Him, and we  can defeat the enemy.  All of His promises have come true, so stay faithful. Read Joshua 23:14-16. Whatever the fight is that you are fighting now, be it addiction, financial worries, marital problems, problems with your family members, trouble in your school or workplace, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Last Sunday was the food distribution at the Great Oaks Food and Clothing Ministry (tomorrow is the clothing distribution day - anyone in need may come and select clothing according to their needs). A neighbor and his wife have decided to come along side with us in this ministry and so accompanied us as we helped with the food distribution. Along with the normal  items, eggs and limes were available. As there are not many Winter Texans here yet, the food bins at our park have not started to fill up so the items are quite limited, but God still provides enough for those in need. People requesting help simply need to qualify and register for the monthly distribution. Attending the evening church service is not mandatory, but many do come to be spiritually fed as well. God commands us to help those in our neighborhood, cities, states, country, as well as other counties, to the ends of the earth. By doing so, we become His witnesses. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria. And to the ends of the earth". Acts1:8

getting ready to hand out eggs, and lemons

registering and waiting their turn to pick out food

thinking about items that she may need

the children attend a short "learning about the Bible" class also - this proud little girl shows off a project she completed

Yesterday we attended a baby shower in Mexico which was a girls only party. Did I mention that it was hot in S Texas yesterday??? Well, it was much hotter in Mexico where the auditorium has no air conditioning and the only air was from two large fans, of which only one was left on during the shower (for us Americanos). It was a fun time, playing games a bit from those that we were used to. I was a lucky (?) participant in a game where I was a baby sitting on my mother's lap, drinking a bottle. A prize was given for whichever baby drank the bottle the fastest, and which mother was the best mother. Naturally, I had to cry like a baby, etc. Sorry - no pictures available of this at my request!!!  But I did win a prize for drinking the bottle the fastest. Tia Susanna who is expecting a baby girl next month was beautiful in her pregnancy and enjoyed herself as much as we did. Of course, there were the traditional beautiful decorations, a spiritual time which is present at every Hispanic event, and tons of food.

Tia Lucia, who makes beautiful decorations, pinning a corsage on Darlene, a CHI volunteer

 the gift table

 Expectant Tia Susanna and Tia Lucia

braiding our lovely Patti's hair

 some of the wonderful treats included some very spicy nuts

 everyone had to rip a piece of crepe paper to see who came the closest to measuring Tia Susanna's expanding waist

 reading scripture

we had to make babies out of play dough - Tia Susanna chose the best three

 Paty posing for yet another picture

 

 

 

Since Lupe left the home, we decided to sponsor another child. After a lot of consideration, we chose Belinda, one of three sisters who came to the home last year, in tattered clothes, no shoes, hungry, and heads full of lice. She has other sponsors but none of them come to visit her at the Haven. We hope that being there in person will help her become more outgoing. Betsy helped me "talk" to her through translation that we were going to be her sponsors. She graced me with a shy smile and took off to join her sisters. When I left, she did allow a hug and yet another shy smile.

 

 

 

 sweet little Belinda, pronounced Baleanda in Espanol

 

 

As you enter into another week, please pray for us and Chaplain Bill and Ali Artherholt as we enter a new season here at the park. (I jokingly said to a neighbor that even though it has been so quiet here at the park the Winter Texans are starting to trickle in - time to lock the gates). Seriously though, we do need all of them for the park to thrive, for our church services to be effective and grow, and to enjoy the fun of our Winter family.