Fall is Here!!!

Did I mention that I love fall?? Perhaps every September I do. I love the colors (although here in S Texas the trees don't change color) but all of the stores have the browns, gold, yellow, brown and orange colors on display, Not to mention the candy corn! Pumpkins in every grocery store promise great jack o lantern carvings. As a kid growing up in Chicago, our "Firehouse Gang" loved the fall season. That was when the neighbors raked their leaves into little piles on the curb and burned. Oh, the wonderful smell. They would light them on fire, but most of the time they just smoldered. Then we would all run and jump over the piles, hollering "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,' as the neighbors swore at us and tried to grab one of us. But we were quick - jump over the leaves, scream at the top of your lungs, and on to the next pile. Sometimes there were only 3 or 4 of us, sometimes a lot more - a bunch of rag tag city kids who loved life. Dad would load us into the old ugly green car and we would drive to "the country" - just a veggie market in a nearby suburb, and we would pick out the biggest and best pumpkin, perhaps if we were good (and lucky) we could go through the spook house. Back home Mother would carve out the pumpkin, (she never came with us) , wash the seeds, cover them with salt, and then roast them in the oven. The leaves would crackle under our feet as we walked 10 city blocks to St. Angela Catholic School with the rest of the "catlick" kids and plan our Halloween get ups. Cutting out fall leaves from construction paper, making ghosts from white sheets ( if we did not get caught), and dreaming of the mountain of trick or treat candy we would receive. I do remember one year though that we did not have the fall leaves. That year we had a plague of caterpillars who hung from the trees on sliver webs all over the sidewalks. They ate all the leaves from the tree sand made my life miserable as I hated to have to walk under the trees and have them fall on me! I would silently scream and brush them off as quickly as possible. I certainly would not let the gang hear me scream out loud! Oh how I wanted to be a part of the "boy's gang" and persuaded them to let me join - only if I would crawl up on a roof of a garage and jump off. That was an easy dare, and so I climbed the fence, scooted up on the roof and jumped - not close to home though so that Mother could not see me. Little did I know that no one else had ever done so - guess I scared them more than myself. I did sprain my ankle, but never let on to Mother that it hurt. AND, those dumb boys never did let me be a part of their gang. I still love fall and all of the wonderful memories growing up as an Italian Catholic kid in Chicago. Thanks for listening.

Produce is very light for a few weeks as another growing season has just started here in S. Texas, but we were truly blessed this week as we received 6 bags of clothing lots of winter jackets sweaters, and coats. It is strange thinking of heavy clothing, but it does get cold here in the Valley - the colonias usually do not have heat or any means of warmth, so the coats, sweaters etc are wonderful to layer in order to keep warm. The wonderful quilts that our Helping Hands sewing group provides us with are a huge welcome to the folks who are struggling. Many people think we are just enabling these folks by providing for them - a lot of them work at of jobs to try to support their families. If we see them making attempts rather than just standing there with their hands out, we would probably not be so quick to help - although God asks us to help, no matter what circumstances.

A wonderful man here in our park has donated his time to wiring  the building in the colonias - just in time for the Baptist group of men men to come and dry wall it in order to finish it off.  It will be great for insulation, as well as having electricity to do Bible studies , store surplus commodities, and even use as a meeting area for sewing groups, etc. We are so very thankful for the generosity of everyone to help make this happen.

We have had several break-ins here in the park - all that was taken were TV's but there were broken windows, etc. At church we spoke to another couple in another park who have had this happen also. We do keep our doors locked always, even when we are home in the daytime. We pray for protection, but also that whoever is doing this comes to the realization that stealing and breaking into others' homes is really a sin, and they must be accountable for their actions. It could be kids looking for a few extra dollars (seems that the break ins happen around 11 PM) or others who take the stolen items and sell them at the flea market next door. Hopefully the thieves will be caught before a lot more damage is done.  I cannot understand taking something that does not belong to you! Even at Children's Haven Resale store, there is some theft. One day some one put on shoes from the store and left their old beat up ones behind. I do wish that these folks would come to us and say they needed clothes or whatever and had no money. We certainly could provide for them.

Jesus is the Architect, the plans are the Bible, but people are needed to follow the plan. Life is certainly not a do-it-yourself project. The church, meaning all of us, is Plan A for building disciples for Christ - there is no Pan B or C. What makes the church so special (not the building but the people)?  It all revolves around the Greek word Proskart, meaning continuing, perservering, devotion. The church is devoted to teaching but there are times when we become distracted. We want to teach what or whom we are, and not who Jesus is. Jesus died for all of us - not just you or me, but everyone The church should be devoted to being like Jesus, going into dangerous waters. I am reading a book by Beth Guckenburger titled "Reckless Faith". It challenges us to put our faith into action,  as she describes the many time she acted on reckless faith in Monterey, Mexico on behalf of orphans. This is how we should react. The church is also devoted to sharing like Jesus. Jesus gave everything, just as we are to give our all. Can you do that?  Our most precious commodity is our time. Once gone it is gone forever. We need to share that ime with others, letting them know about God. Do so in prayer - do  not be afrid to pray anywhere, anytime.

Fall is Coming

Whew, what a busy week this was. Wednesday, Betsy (CHI Director) hosted a thank you for the summer volunteers as the winter Texans are starting to filter in to S Texas. It was a really fun time as Betsy seems to come up with really unique ideas for all of us. This time it involved a “road trip” and then a mystery luncheon. We wrote our names on a slip of paper, our favorite color and our hobby. Then we picked names from a hat – that was the person we were supposed to buy a gift for – with only $1 that Betsy gave us. The whole reason for this was to prove that a person could buy a gift for someone in a thrift store. So, we visited Texas Thrift Store, Dollar Tree, and the Antique mall, where CHI has a booth of special antiques items that were donated. I drew Fred’s name, which made it was pretty easy for me. I purchased 4 woodworking books (at 25 cents each) as he loves to do projects. Of course, I had an ulterior motive – maybe there was something that I wanted and he could make it for me.  We then went to eat a Peppers – the very best tomato basil soup I have ever tasted – along with a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant – the chicken salad had grapes, nuts, and apples. A perfect end to a wonderful afternoon.  The gal who had my name gave me a red journal – perfect for the Monday night Fellowship Bible Study at CHI.

Later that day Keith Bostian and Bill Mills from Prairie Grove Christian drove from Arkansas to here with a van load of Pack a Sack food and two boxes of t-shirts for the Caring Hearts ministry. What a blessing. After a quick unloading at Rio Grande Bible Institute storage area, we took them on a tour of the colonias that we serve. As we were driving I told them of sweet Sol (whom I mentioned in earlier blogs) and how because of a rift in the distribution, her mother will not allow her to attend church anymore or take part in the quarterly or weekly distribution (although a neighbor lady brought them to the last distribution for school supplies!). I had given Sol a necklace with the Ichthys (the Christin fish symbol) at one time because she was going through tough times with her family and I wanted to remind her that not only did we love her but so does Jesus. If she ever felt lonely or sad, the necklace would be a remembrance of the love that surrounds her and that God is always with her.  As we drove through the colonias we noticed some of the residents were cleaning up their property, raking, watering, piles of rubbish were gone, etc.  As we neared Sol’s home, we saw her mother, Jessica, watering the grass (what little there was of it) and stopped to say hi and ask about Sol. I had not seen her nor her mother in quite a while. She hugged us and went to get Sol and her sister – was I ever surprised to see that Sol had grown taller – she is now in 7^th grade and almost as tall as I am. After lots of hugs, I noticed that she had the necklace on that I gave her!!! We’re hoping that perhaps this meeting had broken the ice and Jessica and her family will return to church and the other activities, as well as taking part in the weekly distribution. God always gives us so much more than we can imagine!

We also received lots of quilts tops which we receive every year from the ladies in Chicago and Louisiana. Marlene is a lady in another park who provides us with these -she travels from Minnesota with her vehicle full for us. What a wonderful gift. Some went to our Helping Hands group and some are going to the colonias where the ladies are learning to sew and quilt. It seems as if the blessings are endless. Fred and I are awed every week at the surprises He has in store for us.

It is really scary with all of the information that has been hacked from the internet. But did you know that Someone knows everything about you? Every piece of infrmantion, even your innermost thoughts. Of course, that is God who knew you before you were even born. He knows all about you – even more than you know yourself – He knows us inside and out. If you are planning to build something, you need to get your blueprints in order before you pour the concrete! In other words, get you ducks in row. Mine are not always in a row but at least they are in the same pond.  We are God’s designs and He is the divine architect. Our blueprints for life are in the Bible, from which we are supposed to build our lives.  God develops the very best plan for our lives, which do not always work out. “and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”. Romans 8:28. Everything does not happen for a reason- it just happens – hurricanes, fires, divorces, death, financial situations. God can redeem our situation and make it good. Our birth nor our death was not an accident – it was God planned. As I told Sol, God is always with us.

This morning as we read our morning devotion on gossip, it brought to mind how gossip can really hurt others – why do we want to be the first to tell a really juicy story about someone??? Gossip can ruin a life, marriage, a career, even a life. Please think before you speak, do not speak ill of others, and do not spread gossip, which for the most part is not the truth anyway. Have a blessed week.

Harvey, Irma, and Jose

It seems that all we have heard for the past couple of weeks is the threat and devastation of the tornados, fires, and earthquakes throughout the world. Harvey was horrific, Irma is even worse, now we are watching out for Jose. Do you wonder why all of this is taking place right now – and how God is making this happen?? God doesn’t make this happen – but He does allow it.

An amazing thing happened this week – so totally unexpected yet actually the exact results of all of our ministry work. We are so blessed to have donations of beans and rice – thousands of pounds over the course of a year. We usually bag them up to be distributed once a month to the colonias – not every week as sometimes there is a shortage, so we store the surplus for the lean times. This past week, a lady was going to Houston with as much as she could pack in her vehicle to help out those who were devastated. Some of surplus of bean, rice, and canned goods that were destined eventually for the colonias was quickly and generously donated to her for the relief of those in Houston. The folks in the colonias have very little, sometimes not enough to feed their families all week, yet they donated a portion of their blessings to those in need!! This is what our ministry is all about – showing others the Christian way of life – the way to follow Jesus direction. I am so proud of the residents of the Alton colonias. Thank you, God, for allowing us to be a part of this ministry for You.

Thankfully we received a lot of much needed rain this week – the result of the hurricanes skirting their way round us.  The grass is greening up, even the birds seem to love it as they are singing every morning (sometime waking me up). The hummingbirds must be making their trek to Mexico, as they are attacking our feeder which needs filing almost every day. We love to see them as they fill up and refuel before their continued pilgrimage.

The gas problem is really crazy here – prices range from $2.39 to $2.59 and many stations are out of gas Somehow a rumor was spread that there was going to be a gas shortage in the area which then produced a panic and everyone rushed to fill up. What they did not realize was the fact that they themselves were causing the shortage!! Announcements were made on social media, television and the newspaper that there was no shortage but to no avail. Luckily, we are able to find the least expensive gas (the brand we always use) at most of the stations we go to – sometimes we have to search but so far all is well. Sometimes folks are their own worst enemies.

Today’s sermon was a continuation of last week’s Christians Under Construction. We always know where we stand with Jesus. He requests our presence daily with Him. His invitation to us is “Come and See”. Just as He told the disciples to follow Him – to come and see what He was all about, so He invites us to do the same. His question is what are you looking for?? Whatever it is, He can provide the answers. Come and see – rise and follow Hm. What a simple invitation.  It is easy to answer the question are you a Christian, but are you a disciple? We need to follow who Jesus really is and not what we perceive Him to be.  Push out into deep waters. Just as He told the disciples to go out to deep waters and let down their nets even though they had been fishing all night and caught nothing. They did as they were told and filled their boats and strained their nets with the amount of fish they caught. Are you frustrated with your faith? Pray, read His Word and step out in faith. That is where we will find peace – He will give you rest. Accept Jesus’ invitation and discover more in your life. The church is the carrier of the invitation – not the building but the people. The building is only a tool.

Continue to pray for all of those in the path of the recent and coming storms.

A Gulleywasher

We had a huge rain on Thursday – sure don’t know where that came from as the skies we sunny when all of a sudden, the sky seemed to darken and then poured down on us for about 15-20 minutes. We definitely need this as the next day the grass (or rather the dried stems) started to green up a bit. We did get another rain last night, which is truly a blessing. I am sure this is not a result of the next approaching hurricane Irma. Thank you Lord for this refreshing of the earth.

Today is a day of prayer for Texas and all of those affected by the hurricane. Please keep everyone in your prayers and thoughts today – if you choose to donate to the Harvey Hurricane fund, please make sure that 100% of your donations go directly to the victims (such as through your church or a missionary fund). Too many organizations take advantage of these disasters to fil their own pockets – which is not how God wants us to help others.

Despite the heat and dryness, many of the cacti and other hot weather plants are flowering here in S Texas. It is hard to believe that it is already September and the fall growing season has started here. We already have seen fresh winter squash along with other wonderful veggies and fruits. This abundance has been a blessing to the Caring Hearts Ministry as we have a great supply for those in the colonias.  Now that the kiddos are back in school, it seems as if it is a bit easier on the mothers as the kids are able to get really good meals at school. Yes, there are school programs in the summer for meals for kids, but the biggest problem is the fact that the families have no way of transporting their children to the schools. We again delivered produce to the Colonia on Friday. As we drove up to the distribution home, there were the ladies, ready to box and distribute the huge abundance of produce, as well as bread and tortillas. This week we will also be delivering beans, bagged in 3# portions. God has so amazingly provided enough beans and rice to make sure each family receives some at least once a month.

This morning in church we were instructed to keep the main thing the main thing! Just as the new church is being built on the grounds, we as Christians are also still under construction. But we have to remember that we build relationships and not church buildings. Today’s world is broken – broken with poverty, racial inequality, and nature’s unrest, just to name a few.  We see brokenness all around us, especially in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. What, as Christians, is our response to this worldly brokenness? Some folks do something, some do nothing. So, when the going gets tough, what do we do. We love others – this love should be shown without pretending. Show genuine love not just pretending to love because others are doing that. Don’t think that you are better than anyone else – be genuine and love effortlessly. Hate evil and hold on to what is good. Pray about what is evil and do something about it, with sincere love. Being silent supports injustice. I don’t mean go out and join the protesters, but speak up – do not be afraid to stand for justice and goodness. Don’t pay back evil with evil – live at peace with everyone, even those who really seem to get on your nerves. Face hate with love and defend evil with good. Hard to do – of course. Nobody said following God was easy!!!

Remember to continue to pray for Texas as even though the storm and flooding seem to be over, the rebuilding and repairing is just beginning.

Heal Our Streets and Land

Build Your kingdom here

Let the darkness fear

Show Your mighty hand

Heal our streets and land

Set our church on fire

Win this nation back

Change the atmosphere

Build Your kingdom here

We pray

Song lyrics by Rend Collective Experiment

We sang this song in church this morning and I was really touched by it as it describes our country today. America is in total chaos. I am appalled by all the news reports of complete disregard for America and what it stands for. Tearing down statues of our history, removing the cross and Bible from a chapel on a university campus in Oklahoma (in America’s heartland!), ambushing our public safety workers, even bullying and bashing those who don’t believe what some think is the only way. Dear Lord, win your country back from the forces of evil. OK – now I am off the soap box, but I urge you to pray for God’s healing and restoration in our country.

We did not go to the colonias this last Friday as the fear of what was to come from Hurricane Harvey to our area. Also, the fact that Brenda, who so diligently serves to distribute the food from her yard was in the hospital with a kidney stone. Please pray that the stone passes without any surgery.

We were prepared for Harvey as our park manager left the hall area open for our safety if needed. All of the gates were open in case we had to evacuate. Needless to say, we were not affected at all. Friday brought some funny clouds and strange looking sky, but after that it was clear and sunny. Not even a drop of much needed rain. Please keep all of those in your prayers as Harvey is still creating havoc in the Houston area. Many folks without any homes, no place to go, no electricity or water. And shame on those who are gouging the residents for the needed supplies. One store was charging $99 for a case of bottled water. Satan is alive and well in this world today in the form of greed. The city of Rockport is totally demolished. Believers in Christ have faith and hope and know that out of this tragedy comes healing and restoration. Because we have faith we truly believe that – even though during the troubled times it is hard to be strong. Good gives us the strength and tool to get through trials and tribulations.

The sky s Harvey was in the Gulf before going ashore - we got some wind and only a spit of rain

                                          

dark clouds is all we saw 

as Harvey came ashore the following day, we had sun

no indication of the devastation farther up the coast line

   

Loaded a kitchen stove this afternoon that was donated to a family in need of one. Sort of a large almost industrial stove but the lady was so very happy. God finds and need, but He also provides.

                                               

a donated stove going to a well deserved family

Last in the series of church clichés this morning is “Only God can judge me”.  Is love always encouraging?? To love someone is to accept them just as they are. There is a difference between love and encouragement. Sometime love discourages.  Matthew 7:1-5 seems to indicate that God makes the final judgement. Do not judge or you will be judged. Do you realize that we receive the same judgement that we give? You need to take the splinter out of your eye first in order to judge with caution. How you judge will then be dealt out to you. Don’t judge according to appearances, judge with righteous judgement. Sit back and get a full picture of the issue first – take the splinter out of your eye.  You also need to judge with clarity. If you cannot see well, you make mistakes. Get yourself together first before you try to get someone else together. Judge with comparison – you will be judged as you judge others. Recognize the brokenness first, seeing the beauty beyond the brokenness. Judge and accept judgement with gentleness. We all have logs in our eyes – without Christ we cannot see clearly.

Continue to pray for all of those in distress as a result of Harvey. Do not judge actions until you know what the reasons for the actions were.

Graduation

This has been an extremely exciting week for CHI as well as Paty and us. Paty has graduated from high school and been enrolled in college to become a lawyer. She was so very excited, almost beside herself. She questioned Malena, the Mexican director of CHI all week, asking if we were going to be there. Malena put her off as long as possible and had to finally admit that we were going to attend her graduation ceremony. We were the only ones, along with Betsy Chicon, American director, and Bob Steele, Chairman of the Board who attended from the American side. It is really quite dangerous to travel to Reynosa, as the battling cartels are becoming much more disruptive and unpredictable in their struggle to become the dominant drug lords. It is easier for Betsy to keep track of just one van and a few people rather than numerous vehicles and lots of folks. We saw no problems whatsoever – if we did not know that there was danger it seemed like a lovely quiet day in Reynosa. Until things settle down a bit, CHI won’t allow any teams or large groups of people to travel to Reynosa even though CHI vans are highly regarded there. Lots of good work to be done on the American side of the border.

It was a truly nice ceremony with many graduates – some from the special accelerated high school (Paty’s class), to those only taking Saturday lessons (mostly older folks getting advanced degrees) and of course, the college graduates. Two of the Tias from the refuge as well as our Canadian intern, Alex, were also in attendance for this wonderful day. Paty’s mother, along with Paty’s two sisters, Lupe and Sonia, who we previously sponsored, were there. It was a bittersweet time, as we saw the girls again after few years, sad because they did not stay at the home to continue their education. Lupe left two years ago and now has a son, Sonia left 4 years ago and is now pregnant, due in November. Our hearts breaks for these lovely girls whose life could have been so much different. They seem happy and were really glad to see us, just as we were to see them.

Part of Paty's entourage

                   Three sisters - Lupe, Paty, and Sonia

this is the school where Paty graduated from and also the college where will attend college


a bit nervous before graduation

receiving her diploma

she looks so proud

a great accomplishment for Paty - she has to really study hard


Her mother is equally proud

she looks great

Malena and Betsy - all are so proud


Paty's cheering squad -

After the ceremony, a few of us went to eat in Reynosa at VIPS, sort of the Mexican equivalent of Denny’s. We needed Betsy to translate for us, and after hard decisions were made, we placed our order. The food was absolutely excellent – true Mexican food and not the Tex-Mex that is served here in the states. We were all so very full, but as this was Paty’s special day, she ordered strawberry cheesecake. The waitress brought it with a handful of spoons – thinking Paty was going to share. Nope – no way was Paty going to let any else enjoy her special dessert We all laughed at that, as we did not want to anyway.

we gave Paty a pearl necklace - her birthstone

                                  fresh fruit - my favorite - I could have had cottage or yoghurt on it also

 

my selection - sort of an egg and veggie plate, so very good

Paty loves meat

every dish was different - we should have just tasted from each of them!

leaving VIPS fully satisfied

Paty back at her Casa with the flowers from her family

We got a call this week as someone had some love seats and recliners they wanted to donate. These were not new, some needed a bit of cleaning, so we said we would take them. As we were delivering the produce Friday prior to picking up the furniture, we mentioned thy we had more pickups to do. Brenda, whose property the Caring Hearts Ministry building is on mentioned that she need a couch. God is so amazing - He knew before we did that someone was just waiting for the new to them couch.  Ida took the rest of them, as she will soon hear of others who need them. God works that way!!!

We discussed another church clichés in this morning’s service. “God needed another angel”. No matter what people think, Christians do die. Death is a reality. God needed another angel seems to indicate that God took our loved one from us for His own purposes. Does the Bible really say that?? Of course not. Could God have saved that loved person if He chose to do so?? Death disturbs us – our lives are no longer shared with that person. What we try to do to those who are disturbed by death is to give them a sense of calmness and peace. Death also disturbs God. When Lazarus died, God wept. Death disturbs God’s plan which was in the beginning that we did not die. The wages of sin are death – because we (and Adam and Eve) sin, we die. Why are we grieving someone God could have saved? We don’t know why. God did not take your loved one so it is ok to be sad, angry, or confused. God is crying too because it was also His son or daughter who died.

I often wonder what words I can use to console someone who lost a loved one – what if I say the wrong thing, or make that person more sad or angry? The best policy I have found is to quietly say I am sorry for your loss and let that person do the talking.

Beautiful Rain

We had beautiful rain this week – it was very cooling as the temps were 100 or over all week. Thunder started rumbling in the background with promise of rain – pretty soon it came down in buckets. You could almost hear the ground drinking it up – the plants raised their heads to feel the moisture on their leaves, and all of Gods creation said thank you.

We have the whistler ducks here in the park – really a lot more than we have ever had. This last week we began to hear strange noises – noises that we never heard before. Fred thought it was some machinery in the flea market next door, but since I had been out walking I knew the answer finally. It was the whistlers – they produce a shrill whistling sound that lasts for quite a few seconds. It is weird that we have been in the park for so long and never heard it before. The baby whistlers of earlier days are almost as big as their mamas now – almost impossible to tell them apart while they are in the water We do have a new batch of youngins though -  little clones of their parents waddling down to the lake,

Hopefully these picture from last week will post – I wish the blog program was not so touchy. In addition to all these fruits the veggies are so plentiful – actually not grown here in the Valley as it is between growing seasons right now, but so very fresh and reasonable – cauliflower, tiny sweet peppers, burpless cucumbers, big green bell peppers, sweet cherry tomatoes to name a few.

the funny looking fruit on the bottom left is the dragon fruit from last week

 dragon fruit cut open - strange looking but really good - kiwi like taste

The distribution that was scheduled for Saturday was postponed until Sunday as the rain made the distribution area quite muddy. The Thursday before he distribution, we went to the church to deliver all the bags of rice and beans in preparation for the distribution. Ida was there with an amazing group from Lake Pointe Church in Lakewall, Texas (near Dallas) was there to help pack all the canned goods, rice, beans, cereal and everything else that was donated. They were a fun group and worked hard to make sure things were ready for Saturday. They were going to attend on Saturday and hep out, but because of the cancellation until Sunday and their time schedule, they attacked another church project on Saturday and left for home on Sunday A huge thank you for all of their help.

boxes of rice and beans

packingaon an assembly line

the stacks don't seem to be going down

do we have anymore bags?

busy as bees

Sunday promised to be a great day – thank you Lord for providing a cool breeze as the temps were again 100 or so. We arrived around 9:30 – the festivities were supposed to begin at 10. Lo and behold, folks stated arriving around 8 AM!!! Miss Opal came along with us with her faithful sewing machine set-up so she could demonstrate machine quilting and perhaps sign up a few ladies for Monday classes. 8 ladies signed up (including a few younger gals) which really excited Miss Opal. She is all ready to begin in September – the ladies will be finishing quilts for the quilt tops that were donated to us, and then go on to make quilts and/or other sewing projects for themselves, including clothing. God gave Miss Opal the gift of sewing so she could help others serve others while raising their own self-esteem.  

 Miss Opal setting up by herself - she is almost 79 - we have learned to let her do it her way

demonstrating machine quilting - the ladies seemed to be very interested

The distribution was such a well-organized event. The members of the church congregation had so much under control, we had little to do, except enjoy the happiness all around There was an inspiring children’s sermon given by Glenn and Helen Nations- an interactive one so all the kids could be involved. All of it was based on following the Lord with ice cream somehow woven into the theme. Afterwards, everyone got to enjoy homemade ice cream from the Nations. There was face painting, snow cones, audience participation, gospel music, and lunch of hot dogs, chips, drinks, and of course, ice cream. We again had bags of non-perishables for everyone – lots of beans, rice, cake mixes, canned good, salad dressing, - whatever we had accumulated for this event. And because of the generous donations of people, we again had lots of clothing for everyone to choose from. It was such a fulfilling day that when we returned home, we both just crashed!

 waiting for the festivities to begin

 drinks of all kinds

 a cute kittie

 Glen and Helen talking about the apostles and ice cream - all in the same sentence

 young ears listening intently

 the theme of the day was the rainbow - God's promise to mankind - so I decided  rainbow face paint was appropriate

 singing praises to God

                                                                              hot dogs for everyone

 face painting lines

 snow cones anyone - the ladies loved my rainbow painting, so guess I started a trend - and yes I did indulge in snow cones - coconut and lime

 could possibly be the first snow cone they ever had

 it got pretty quiet as everyone was eating

 bags packed on Thursday

 we even had tomatoes left from Friday's produce distribution

 clothes shopping - Ropa style - lots of clothing for everyone

 Cy - the gentleman who took over for us while we were gone also teaches the ladies how to crochet - some of his creations

 boxes packed - plenty for all with extra if needed

there were even school supplies to be handed out according to grade

Today’s sermon continued with “God helps those who help themselves”. Does the Bible really say that?? This saying is often heard when there is financial distress in someone’s life. In other words, get busy, pull yourself up, and God will help you. Does it mean God will help you if….God will provide if….?  God helps us with no strings attached. This saying actually comes from Benjamin Franklin. In Biblical times, widow women had no rights – they could not own property, no means of support. If they had no sons, they were truly destitute. I Timothy 5:3-8 instructs people of that time period on how to treat widows. It encourages everyone to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Scripture often tells us that God helps people. He equips people with gifts – like preaching, teaching, hospitality, healing, passion, and in Miss Opal’s case, sewing. God takes care of us so why does He equip us??? Why doesn’t He just take care of things Himself?? He equips us because of grace – doing something for someone that they cannot do for themselves. In other words, God helps those who CANNOT help themselves. He equips people to help others. We are all blessed to be a blessing to others.  We are put in place to help others – just at the right place and at the right time.

Help someone this week – something simple like opening a door for them, helping them carry large items, even help an elderly person put their groceries in their vehicle You will be blessed.