More Blessings

Here are the outhouses that were able to be purchased and installed through your generosity and prayers. What a Blessing!! Praise the Lord!!! It may not seem like much but to these five families it makes a great difference in their daily lives.

Picture of House Built

Below is a picture of the house your prayers and donations helped to build. Note the difference in house this lady was in living in and what she and her husband now have. In the picture with the family is the mission team who built the house. Praise the Lord!!!

House is built in spite of violenct..

Thanks to the generosity of many and hard work of a small team, the house in Vamos is built and the lady is living in it. Tears ran down the faces of onlookers as men from Iowa completed the house in Vamos. The Lord provided a team to build the house in spite of the cancelation of our trip. Conditions continue to be tense in Reynosa, Mexico following violent clashes between drug cartel and military/law enforcement forces. Sister Elma has called me several times to report on conditions there. Pray for the Prince of Peace to reign in the lives of people in Mexico. Pray for the protection of our brothers and sisters there and for the expansion of the gospel. Pray that they will be filled with the Spirit so that they may live courageously and share their faith effectively.

PS: We will post pictures of the house as soon as we get them.

Mission Trip canceled due to violence in Reynosa

Pray for peace in Mexico. Yesterday morning I canceled our planned trip to Reynosa, MX due to the escalation of violence in and around Reynosa. A traffic stop turned into a 3 - 4 hour gunfight between police/military troops and drug cartel members. The fighting included automatic weapons and grenades. According to reports I have received at least 10 people died in the battle including 2 children who were running across a park trying to get away from the fighting. 15 others were shot. Some of the fighting apparently took place near the HEB/Soriano/Home Depot shopping areas near the baseball stadium and not far from Casa Mami, the orphanage we helped start several years ago. Some of the fighting took place near or at schools. All schools in Reynosa are closed until further notice. Sister Elma, the founder of Casa Mami, called me late Thursday night to say "Don't come. It is not safe." Therefore, I drove to New Orleans the next morning to meet with parents and mission trip participants to cancel the trip. We will reschedule the trip for spring break if conditions improve.

I talked with Elma today. She had crossed back into Mexico this morning with the intention of staying at Casa Mami for the next 2 days and nights. The fighting errupted again today. The children and workers are locked up in the orphanage and should be safe. They have water and food for 7 days. There are 115 people in the compound. Please pray for their safety and well-being! Elma is back in her home in Hidalgo, Tx. Those who have been with me to Reynosa need to know that much of today's fighting took place near the area where Pastor Filiberto lives. Please pray for our brothers and sisters at the Son of the Carpenter Church, Golgotha Church and Lily of the Valley Church. The violence has spread throughout the Rio Grande Valley from Matamoros to Nuevo Laredo. This is the first time in 16 years I have had to cancel a trip due to violence.

Thanks to many of you, we were able to purchase the materials to build a house in Vamos for the lady in our pictures. Brother Felix has contracted a team to complete the building even though we will not be there to help. Felix will also take the money we sent to buy outhouses and make sure they are installed for others in the village. Thanks to all who sent money and who are praying for us. I will post more info as it becomes available.

Gravesight insights....

Last Monday I stood beside the casket of my Aunt and spoke the last words over her body before she was placed in the grave. Standing there beside that cold casket, I reflected on her life, my life, and the plight of all people. Judy was certainly not a perfect person (just like me and you) but she was a forgiven person. There are no perfect people walking around on this earth, just forgiven and unforgiven ones. She was forgiven by Jesus Christ, the only person to ever prove his ability to forgive by healing people and ultimately by rising from the dead. God offers forgiveness as a free gift to all, but not all are willing to receive that gift. What about you?
One day someone will stand beside your casket and say things about you. What will they say? Forgiven. Unforgiven. "THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD."

Want to know how to receive this gift? Email me and lets talk.
gary