Season Change

Fall is in the air here in S Texas - the temps are dropping slightly, especially with the downpour of rain we have had lately. Yesterday was over 4 inches with all the frontage roads flooded and cars sitting in water up to their hoods. We were coming home from McAllen - it took us over an hour when the normal travel time is15 minutes. We had to backtrack and work our way around the flooded streets, coming in the back side of our park. Thanks to a great friend for opening the side gate for us to get in. We are supposed to get more rain this coming week - good for the grass and fields, but hard to travel in - this will be a stay at home week!!!

Everywhere you look there are pumpkins, squash, and scarecrows in every store. As I think I said before, this is my very time of year, even though we don't get to see the color changes here. I need to dig out my fall decorations and buy some candy corn! Maybe even make some pumpkin bars and an apple pie for Fred.  We have noticed a few more hummingbirds at the feeder, so we put out one more - two feeders to fill often now. A friend from Wisconsin noted on her facebook page that she has not seen any of those tiny creatures for two days now - so we can expect a huge influx of them very soon, We have identified three varieties already at our feeders. Another sign of fall is the appearance of the Halloween and Thanksgiving items showing up on the shelves at the Children's Haven resale store. They seem to fly off the shelves as soon as we put them out. Love the cooler weather (well, 79 and 80 is cooler). I can envision the piles of raked leaves and almost smell the sweet scent of them burning in the cool air. No leaves here in S Texas, just mesquite and palm trees, Guess I could collect a pile of mesquite leaves and burn them on the curb, then run and jump over the pile of burning leaves just like we did as kids on the streets of Chicago years ago. Wonder what the neighbors would think?? 

some fall items at CHI resale shop - the human head is not for sale

more great  fall stuff

Yesterday, 5 of us from Great Oaks Community Church were blessed to be able to attend the Simulcast presentation by Beth Moore at a large church in McAllen entitled "Living Proof". Beth Moore is an amazingly funny but profound speaker. Her Bible studies and videos are truly an inspiration. The presentation, based on being female, mentioned so many women of the Bible who played an important in Christianity. It seems that Jesus changed the life of every woman He met. Many times, after prayer, God reveals Himself to us: it then becomes our responsibility to respond to that revelation. He wants us, as women, to know who we are and who we are not!!! She brought up a very intetesting thought that a women's joy is not the same without girlfriends ( tas philas in Hebrew). We, as women,  all need girlfriends to share our joy, just as the women in the Bible who lost her coin, found it, and asked her friends to share her joy. I am so very glad that I decided to attend this program, as I met some amazing ladies there: a lady from Guatemala, new to this country, who asked for prayer because of a wounding from a man,  and a Hispanic lady who asked for prayer from a wounding from another woman. We prayed with each of these ladies, placing our hands on their shoulders, praying and crying with them (even though I could not understand all that they has said). I also got the opportunity to share with a missionary lady who, with her husband, are ministering to the Muslims in S Texas and Mexico. What a huge ministry with many obstacles to overcome. It was a wonderful day to fellowship with other Christian ladies, despite the pouring rain.

 the theme for the day

 a beautiful welcome

 three of our ladies - the middle one is the lady from Guatemala

Becky Rodriguez and myself, just after finishing a delicious luncheon from Chicfila

 

 

 

Prayer for this week - for every lady that has ever been wounded by a friend, relative, or stranger: take time to meet Jesus through Scripture - He will indeed change your life. Blessed is she who believes.



 

 

 

Party Time

Child's Haven Int'l celebrates birthdays for the kids at the refuge in Reynosa every three months - this month was the July, August , and September birthday party. Originally, it was planned for the Water Park, but because of uncertainty of the weather, it was held at Peter Piper Pizza in Reynosa. Five of us (including Director Betsy) went over to Reynosa Saturday morning, arriving right after the kids all got there. There was the usual excitement as they waited for the preparations before they were all let loose into the game area. I am always amazed at the behavior of these kids - kids who, in another life,  have been without food or sometimes even a roof over their head, been exposed to unimaginable abuses, and in many cases, left to fend for themselves. After a few months at the Haven, they are more well behaved than children of "normal" families. Their respect for others is a wonderful thing to see - taking care of the younger ones and watching out for us older ones, too. After a time of exhausting play, they settled down to pizza, soda, birthday cake, and some wonderful Mexican ice cream cones - sort of like our soft serve only a bit grainier maybe. We chose the pink cones and I could not identify the flavor, but it certainly was delicious. The time then came for birthday wishes and opening presents to be oohed and aahed by everyone. The gifts are always some item of clothing, shoes in some cases, and a personal item from the list they had made earlier. One college boy received a money counter and money rolls to roll his American money in. He is in his last 6 months of college before he receives his degree in architectural design, is working on his internship right now, and has his sort term visa to visit the US. He loves the US and is saving all the change he has to spend in the US when he comes to visit. He plans to join a Mexican firm after graduation and be a role model for others. After all the excitement, everyone lined up for Betsy's inevitable photo shoot, and we headed back to the US, with a very short wait on the bridge.

waiting patiently for the signal to go!

                              

trying to dance on the pad

 

the Tios with some of the younger kids

the older boys trying desperately to get the most tickets

Tia Brenda (who was amazed that her name is the same in English and Spanish) with Carolina, who soon will have more surgery to fix her handicap

bumper cars, the favorite

rides for even the littlest ones

Faviola and Jessie doing the hand jive

enough pizza for everyone

us with Belinda and Paty

the birthday kids

Maryanna, showing Darlene her birthday shoes

chocolate and white cake

Little Kayla is growing - she was just a baby when she came to RIN

our college students - Nelson, on the left, will have his degree shortly  

the Casa of Paty and Belinda with Tia Carmen

 Pastor Israel's sermon this morning just reiterated CHI's mission statement - "and whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me". Matthew 18:5. Israel's sermon  calls us to be LoveStrong in the knowledge that love always costs something, - our time, our talents, even our money. God commands us to have such a great love for others that we would lay down our lives for them. John 15:13. It is not easy - doing the work for the Lord is hard, both physically and spiritually but it is how we are supposed to live. We were reminded of it this week as we were on our way to volunteer at Border Missions - a long and tiring day but one filled with love for others. As we traveled there, we noticed a helicopter near the Rio Grande, hovering above a grove of trees. Border guard vehicles were converging upon the spot - obviously there were immigrants waiting to be picked up and granted asylum. Is this the correct way to freedom - perhaps not, but are we turn them away? Send them back to their countries where their very lives and the lives of their families are in danger? If we see them struggling through the dense trees, almost dehydrated, are we to offer them a bottle of water??? Do we turn our backs on the homeless ones asking for a bit of food along the roadways?? Are they really homeless and penniless, or are they just begging for beer money??? We need to give from our heart according to God's command. The rest is in God's hands. Pray that God shows you how to LoveStrong - it may be a very simple thing like taking a casserole to an ailing neighbor, or giving up an hour of your day to visit a nursing home, or being nice to an unfriendly co-worker, or even a bigger scale like taking a mission trip. The opportunities are endless. Let God and the Holy Spirit in your heart show you!

 

Have a blessed week.

Wedding Fun

We have an amazing head of maintenance here at the park. Pablo is a very Christian man as well as a friend - always ready to help with anything, especially information and advice. Our park rents out the hall during the summer months for quinceareas, reunions, parties, etc. Pablo's sister-in-law was getting married in the hall last night and we were invited as guests by Pablo. Now this couple is more mature in age (68 & 70) and had their families in attendance. It was a very unique experience - none of the silly games that the younger couples participate in, but a lovely, moving, fun evening. The ceremony in itself was quite brief, followed almost immediately by the dinner - Mexican tacos, charro beans, lots of hot salsa, onions and cilantro, and a baked potato minus the sour cream, all catered in by a family, with the teen-age son in charge of the corn tortillas. His job was to sprinkle them with oil, and slap them on the grill for a few minutes. He seemed to be a lot more interested in chatting away to everyone, much to his father's displeasure! Teenagers are same everywhere I guess! The DJ started soon afterwards, with mostly tejano music and a lot of dancing couples. The steps were definitely strange to us, but fun to watch. Soon afterwards were served mandarin orange wedding cake (the bride's cake) and chocolate cake with chocolate covered strawberries (the groom's cake). Everyone there was so welcoming and pleasant that we felt quite comfortable. It was a great evening, but very different from the Wisconsin weddings that we are used to!

the groom on the right and his best man

Fred and Pablo

bride and groom's cake

the bride and her grandchildren, some of whom came from San Antonia

being escorted by grandsons

the ceremony begins

boots were seen being worn by women and men alike

do they look nervous

is this how I do this

good food - Fred has all that hot stuff on his tacos

lots of dancing and cowboy hats

We had two wonderful rains this week - even a huge crash of thunder that shook the house in the early morning. The birds sang so loudly after the rain and those crazy bullfrogs were croaking their mating song. The large flocks of blackbirds are here - as one converted Texan (a Winter Texans who has permanently settled in Texas) said this morning, "When the blackbirds are here the Winter Texans are not far behind". The park residents begin to return by the first of October, some even returning earlier. There are a few singles here already - they got bored and came here for fun and excitement. They should have waited a bit - pretty quiet and peaceful here right now.

 

A powerful message this morning in church - be strong and take courage, based on

2 Chronicles 15:1-15.  We need to be strong, not give up in our quest to do what the Lord has commanded us to do. We have to try to not just survive, but thrive also. Pastor Israel gave us other examples of those in the Old testament who, in absolute faith,  heard the word of God and did exactly what He told them. He encouraged us to strive to be like them. God chooses the most unlikely to be the most likely. Our fears lead to inaction - put aside those fears, trust in the Lord as He knows our weaknesses. Are you faithful or faithless?

 

Please pray for those who have lost loved ones this past week. In just the past two days, we were made aware of three such instances. Pray for peace and comfort for the whole family. Let God put everything in perfect order for those left behind, that they may find peace in the knowledge that God is in control.   

 

 

 

Interestng Facts

Did you know that 50% of the cotton grown in the United States is grown in Texas? About 10% of that is grown right here in the Rio Grande Valley. It is truly beautiful to see the fields when the cotton is in bloom - like a white carpet covering the earth. It has already been harvested- huge  bales of cotton are sitting in the fields, ready to be picked up and taken to the mills - to become fabric for clothes, sheets towels, etc. Some of the stray cotton bolls gather up alongside the roads looking almost like the remains of a recent snow storm.

It is still a hanging offense in Texas to steal cattle or to put graffiti on someone else’s cow. It is also illegal to indecently expose or swear in front of a corpse in Texas. In Galveston, Texas, it is illegal to have a camel run loose on the beach.

Oscar, the Academy Award statuette, was named for Texan Oscar Pierce, whose niece worked in Hollywood for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. When she saw the gold statuette, she reportedly said, “Why, that looks just like my Uncle Oscar.”

The city of Slaughter, Texas, has never had a homicide.

The most popular snack foods in Texas are Frito pie (a bag of Fritos mixed with chili, onions, and cheese eaten straight from the bag), peanuts in Dr Pepper, beef jerky, jalapenos, and corn dogs

Charles Alderton (1857-1941), a Waco pharmacist, first created Dr Pepper in 1885. The oldest working Dr Pepper plant (since 1891) is in Dublin, 94 miles west of Waco. There is also no period after the “Dr” in Dr Pepper

The world’s largest (and oldest) rattlesnake roundup is held every March in Sweetwater, Texas. ( I think I will skip this event).

It has been still hot here - about 100 degrees every day. Luckily, our park has an indoor pool, so we try to swim an hour or so everyday, usually accompanied by friends with the same idea. By the time we walk home, we are almost dry. We feel so blessed to be able to cool off from the heat, but pray for those who have to work outside, or even those who do not have air conditioning or even a fan. We often see newspaper hawkers on the streets in the extreme heat trying to sell their papers to make a living. It seems strange but they wear long sleeved shirts or blouses, a hat with a towel hanging down the back to keep their neck cool, while the rest of us try to wear as little clothing as  possible! Also present are those holding signs asking for help for some reason or the other. The most heartbreaking are the veterans. We always offer prayers for their safety, asking God to bless them, helping them to find a way out of their current conditions.

Pastor Israel's sermon this morning reminded us to never be afraid to proclaim our faith,(we cannot keep a good thing a secret) and to always let His light shine out the darkness into the light through us. God commands this type of faith from us. Read Mark 7:24-30 to learn of the perfect faith of the Syrophoenician woman.

A growing and abhorrent cancer in our world today is the kidnapping of humans for the slave/sex trade. If you think this is not prevalent even in our country, you are so wrong, as in the case of the kidnapping of the two young Amish girls recently. I recently read a fictional novel pertaining to this very subject, which made it seem so real - it certainly could have been based on what is happening world wide today. Our pastor's wife in Arkansas has made this her personal mission. She travels to Cambodia to Rapha House, whose goal it is to fight child trafficking and exploitation by rescuing them and providing a place to bring them to lasting freedom. See Rapha House at www.raphahouse.org.  Please pray for Linda and her team as they prepare to leave for Rapha House in Cambodia - pray for safety, both in travel and as they are there and that they make a huge difference in the lives of these girls.

Fall Housekeeping

Since it is very hot outside this time of year in S Texas, we spend afternoons indoors, keeping cool. This week we decided to do some fall housekeeping. We started with the bedroom (and are not done yet!). After going through clothes and other items stored in the closet, I began to wonder where all this "stuff" came from. To quote our daughter, Christine, "Mom, get rid of all your stuff so we don't have to". Compassionate, isn't she? After working in the bedroom for two days, I think I can see her point of view. We still have one half of the closet to do, as well as under the bed. Thinking about all this stuff, I began to wonder  if we accumulate as much "clutter" in our spiritual life as we do in our earthly life.  We forgive, but do we hand it over to God and go on with our lives, or do we continue to hold on to it? We turn our troubles over to Him, but do we still worry and fret?? We pray and ask for answers, and when they don't come fast enough, do we give up praying or even begin to doubt God?  When things go terribly wrong do we ask "Why, Lord" instead of  accepting God's will and rely on the fact that He will never forsake us? I think I will spend time as I am  physically cleaning to do a lot of spiritual cleaning also - not just one week out of the year, but every day of the year. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding".
Proverbs 3:5  I have this verse written a small plaque, in Spanish, hanging over my computer to remind me every day of God's infinite grace.

donation to Great Oaks clothing ministry - this stuff came from our bedroom - where DID I have it stashed?

We had another beautiful moon this last week , but not nearly as beautiful as the Harvest Moons I experienced in Wisconsin in the fall - when the moon seemed to fill the evening sky with it's orange brilliance. Those were amazing Indian Summer days before the cold winter set in. Fall is, and always was, my very favorite time of year.

 

 the eerie light of the moon

 and then the clouds moved in

 

 

 

There is a gorgeous tree on the road to church that I always want to photograph, but seem to forget my camera. Today I did get a photo of it, but it is not as beautiful as it has been. Every Sunday morning I look forward to seeing it's blossoms - they always make me smile and stare in wonder at God's majestic creation.

 

 

look at the way someone has trained the tree to grow - usually it is exploding with purple flowers

  This morning, Pastor Israel honored teachers and students, as many are heading back to school, We held a "back to school drive" for school supplies and backpacks for those who needed them. His wife, Becky, emphasized the anticipation of a new school year and how sometimes that anticipation wears off somewhere along the way. Israel's sermon, "Teach Me your Way", based on Psalm 86:11-13 reminded us of David's devoted trust in the time of trouble. God wants to teach us His way, as we are all teachable. All we have to do is ask God to teach us so we can live life in the love of God. A truly inspirational sermon for teachers, students, and all of us in general.

 

We were able to pass out the school supplies as well as some produce to those who were in need. It warms our hearts to see the smiles of thanks from those who understand that it is through the love of Jesus Christ that we are able to provide for them.     

 

 volunteer teachers helping students with their school supply needs

 

free produce for those in need, limes, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, sweets, tortillas, broccoli, and peppers

Let us pray for all the students, teachers, and even parents as another school year begins, that students are eager to learn, that teachers are willing to help them learn, and for parents to work with teachers and students alike to make this a  amazing school year for all.  "Now all the glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish more than we might ask or think".

 Ephesians 3:20

 

                                   

Summer Musings

It has been fairly hot here in S Texas - but I woke up to thunder the other morning which produced a nice morning rain. The flowers and the earth just slurped it up and seemed to say "AHHHH".

We volunteered Thursday at the resale shop for CHI - things were very slow as it always seems to be this time of year. When the Winter Texans return and start cleaning house, we will be getting a lot more donations as well as shoppers. But it is nice to have the time to visit with the regulars who come in -  even they complain about the heat. I feel blessed that we can accomplish all our outside chores in the morning and then retire to the cool indoors for the afternoon. Hanging out clothes is a great pleasure of mine, even though it is hot. Amazingly God has provided a natural clothes dryer, as well as a way to bleach the whites!!! It gives me the opportunity to observe His creation - the birds, insects (even those pesky ants who really bite hard) the flowers, even noise of everyday living.

The food and clothing ministry for Great Oaks Community Church has been slowly growing to the extent that we share the bounty with another church. Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida (New Life Baptist Church) receives a portion of the donations from our efforts - spreading out again the love of the Savior through provision to others.

Glena and Juanita from Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida received lots of tomatoes, bananas, peppers, and limes for distribution.

We traveled to Progreso Mexico on Saturday to pick up some medication for ourselves as well as some for other friends and noticed that the Border Patrol was out in full force, assisted by the Texas State Patrol. We often see them on the way to the border,  but it seems as if there were service vehicles as well as vans every mile or less along the way. We believed that the crossings from South American countries had slowed down - perhaps there was a large group coming across. We did not see anyone, but these men were on the alert. We pray for these people who are trying to flee an unsafe environment, but also praying for our government to find a solution to the problem.

 

Plans for our God's Worthy Retreat in February are really coming together. Those of us on the leadership team can breathe a sigh of relief as we have confirmed a speaker whose theme is forgiveness, something that each and every one of us can relate to. Where I first contacted her earlier I wondered if this was the person God intended to speak to our ladies. As we all prayed about decisions that same week, there were three instances when forgiveness was presented to me through daily meditations, readings, and even a Sunday sermon. I feel that God was giving me a message. Again, after talking to her last week to confirm with her, I know that God intends for her to bless us with her presence, as she had just received reports that she is cancer free after 7 years!!! Praise the Lord! What a wonderful testimony for her to relate to others.

 

Please pray for the Church @ Alamo Rec Veh for the coming year, as we begin to prepare to bring the Word of the Lord to others. We ask for order, discernment, and the ability to reach others - believers and unbelievers both. We ask that everything we do  we do for the Glory of God - all for Him and nothing for ourselves.  

 

Praying that all of you are enjoying a wonderful summer, and that teachers,  parents and children alike are preparing with anticipation the coming school year (yes, school starts here in S Texas for some this coming week).

 

 

Refugees or Immigrants

There has been so much information and misinformation regarding those coming across the Southern border at the Rio Grande River. Many of them are from South American countries where violence is a daily occurrence, where children's lives are truly in danger. I cannot imagine being a parent and sending my young child to a foreign country (traveling through another very dangerous country to get there) in the care of the unscrupulous coyotes whose only goal is collect the money (sometimes up to $25,000 per person), assaulting the children, sometimes killing them, and otherwise make everything very unpleasant for them. After arriving at the US border, these refugees are told to surrender to the authorities, where they are housed for a short time in area safe houses. Many refugees are clinging  to scraps of paper with names, phone numbers, and addresses of relatives here in the US who will provide funds for them to travel to these relatives. The refugees are told to report for a future hearing to see if indeed they are afraid for their lives.  These refugees go to their relatives, meld into society, never to be heard from again. Either they did not understand or choose to ignore the need for a hearing. The greatest danger are the Mexican  gang members on the American side who coheres the young refugees to become gang members, promising them large amounts of money and continuing the violence on the American side. This is very evident in this area. Another situation that has evolved is many of these refugees are from other countries - including China and Shi Lanka. Just last week a group of  young Asians were picked up by border agents on the US side - they could not speak English and had no idea they were in the US. It was very hot and you could see that they were in need of water and some shade. There is even the possibility of death  as there were a few bodies found close to homes and the help they needed. The situation is a pressing concern. We drove around yesterday near an area where they cross - it was swarming with border agents, on land and in the river in boats but did not see any one trying to cross. As we drove along the river, I wondered how it would feel to be so determined to get to a free country that I would risk my life and the lives of my family to get there.  How blessed we are to live where we do.  Please pray for the entire situation, that our officials come to a resolution to the problem. It is in God's hands, according to His plan.

This week has been very warm (some people would say hot) with promises of rain, but none in sight. I think it rained last night, as the roads had a few small puddles on them. So we water often, taking care to water some of the neighbor's lawns and flowers also. The cacti seem to love it, as many are blooming all over the park, including mine.

We have been substitute volunteering at CHI resale store, taking over when someone is sick or gone for some other reason. Sales are slow, as again, no one wants to be out in the heat. We enjoy it, as we get to visit with those who come in, especially those whom we have not seen in awhile. The food and clothing ministries are continuing as usual, with more and more people seeming to be in need.

There are so many people from our park who have had surgeries, knee and hip replacements, broken bones, and other physical aliments. Please pray that they will have timely healing in order to return to return to the park this fall. Pray for Chaplain Bill and Ali and us also as we begin to prepare for the coming season here at Alamo Rec Veh Park. Pray that everything we do is for the glory of God, and nothing for ourselves, that everyone's heart would be touched.