Shoebox Gifts Bring Lots of Smiles

Greetings in the glorious name of Jesus Christ!

Saturday started a little earlier than usual for me. I set my alarm for 6:30, and when I got up, I prayed God would have His way and that He would be glorified in all we did that day and every day.

Greg Goza and his wife, Robin from Anson were coming to Mexico with some of our good friends from Aspermont. Matt and Tamera Freeman, Rosie Calamaco and Eva Greer all made the trip down to bring 160 shoebox gifts for the children of Tepeyac.   

We gave out gifts to every man, woman and child who came to meet us in the ejido. It was a sweet time of hugging kids, greeting mothers and grandmothers and bringing love to the families here in our area. We drove to two neighboring pueblos to bring gifts to children we have been working with and families we knew there.

Then we came to our house, and Maria and Socorro made a wonderful meal for us of fried chicken, French fries, fresh pico de gallo salsa, rice and homemade flour tortillas. We ate in the kitchen, and some sat on the van seats that double as sofas in our new house. Everyone had a great time visiting, talking and the kids played and ran around like kids do. Manuel, who is 5, enjoyed pushing a cinderblock around on the hand-truck Greg and Matt used to move my washing machine and washer from the church to the house. They replaced an old outlet on the outside of the trailer and leveled the trailer up for us after setting the washer up for me.

Since we moved to the property in August, I have been washing clothes on a washboard at the neighbor’s house, so it is a wonderful blessing to have a washer again. Our water comes directly from the windmill on the property so when the wind blows, we have water.

What a blessing it was to spend time with these sweet friends.  God blessed us when Swenson Baptist and Aspermont Community Church came together to make this year’s Christmas a special one for the children and their parents. Thank you, Lord, for the love and generosity of Your saints.

Visiting Family

Greetings from Watauga!
I came up last Thursday, December 6th and had the privilege of joining Linda and Carolyn at the prison that night in Haskell. We had three groups of women come for the study and a woman named Esmeralda from San Luis Potsosi, Mexico made a decision to follow Christ that night. We pray God works in her life and uses her when she gets deported to her family in Mexico soon.
Tim and Linda gave me sweet hospitality that night and I left in the morning to pick up Todd in Aspermont. We drove to Brandon's and had a wonderful weekend with family. Amber and Jayden had flown in on Thursday from Sacramento so it was the first time we've all been together in one place in several years. Saturday was Abigail's 3rd birthday party and they had it at an indoor pool. The theme was the Lorax and we made mustaches and truffula trees for the party. Everyone had a nice time, and Abi especially loved her Lorax cupcakes.

 

Kaci, Todd and Meg, hamming it up with their Lorax mustaches.
 

We enjoyed our time together and Sunday afternoon, after Brandon took pictures of our family at Trinity Park, I took Todd back home and made the long cold trip back to Brandon's to spend the next few days with them before going back to Mexico this week.

Amber and Baby Jayden at the birthday party Saturday

Last night, Brandon and Jessica took us to their church for a fun evening at the Christmas Festival. They had tube riding on snow hills and a hayride, petting zoo, and bounce houses for the kids. It was very cold but very fun. The kids had a great time, too. Even Jayden went down the hill in an inner tube by herself.
Then, they hired a babysitter and we adults went out for a dinner at Truluck's Seafood Restaurant in Southlake. It was so nice and we had a great waiter named Rob who was amazing. The evening was perfect and it was fun having adult time with Jessica, Brandon and Amber. They ordered the desserts to go for the perfect end to a perfect day.
Tonight, we're going to drive around and see the Christmas lights on homes in the metroplex and Abi and I are especially excited and looking forward to it. We did that last year and had so much fun.
It has been such a blessing to spend this time with my family and I thank the Lord for my children, my grandchildren and God's provision for this trip.
Thank you for your prayers for us and please keep Bill in your prayers as he continues to work in the Carrizo Springs area. His son, Paul, is working and living with Bill now, so Bill isn't all alone.
I will try to do a better job of updating our blog and I appreciate your comments, as they let me know you're reading all my ramblings! We love you, thank the Lord for you and look forward to hearing from you when you get a chance to write, call or email us.

In His loving embrace,

Toni and Bill

 

 

Catching Up

It has been such a long time since we last updated our blog and I apologize for the lapse in communication. I have lots to share and am excited about what is happening here in Mexico.

Two Saturdays ago, our friends José Alberto, Rito and Epifanio finished putting the roof on our house in Mexico. Today, they started plastering the outside walls. Saturday they finished the inside walls. We are excited to see the house coming along. Every day the men are working is a day of ministry for me. None of them are believers yet but we pray over meals, and I serve lunch, coffee and cool drinks all day while they’re working on the house. It has been a great chance to share the love of the Lord with these men. I pray God be glorified in our home, in the ministry and in all we say and do for the kingdom.

I have had some wonderful opportunities to read the Word with neighbors and friends in their homes, and some of these people are devoted Catholics, but don’t read their Bibles. My personal feelings about sharing the Bible with Catholics is that when they ask me questions, I bring them to the answer in their own Bibles. Then, they aren’t confused about my version of the Bible that might differ from their own. I often find my Catholic friends are surprised at the answers I share from their own Bibles. I pray God keeps opening doors for me to share His Word and that God would move His Spirit in the lives of those with whom He allows me to share.  I have been the transportation for women bringing home babies from the hospital and recently I was given a new name, “Sister Stork.” I had to laugh but am grateful they trust me to transport their precious gifts home from the hospital.  I have posted pictures of the two new babies I brought home to Tepeyac.

In November, I had several chances to travel around Texas and I visited churches, AA and NA meetings, and with individuals along the way. I am grateful for every chance I get to share how good God has been to us and how He never fails to protect us and provide for us.

The friend I have been studying with since the first of October has been attending our little church in Tepeyac with her children lately, and that has encouraged all of us. Yesterday, I took her and her family to San Carlos where our Tepeyac church shared a service and a meal with the church in San Carlos. We are seeing lives changed, new believers joining in fellowship and pray God continues to grow our little body. We are looking forward to this special season, and know that the love we show to others will go a long way in touching lives for Christ. I am posting a photo of yesterday’s group in San Carlos.

We recently baptized two girls, Estrella and Isabelle, from the church in Tepeyac.

We thank the Lord for each and every one of you, and for your encouragement, letters, support and prayers. We couldn’t do anything without you, and we are so grateful for your love for us. May God bless you and your family abundantly this Christmas season, as we remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.

In His loving embrace,

Toni and Bill

October Update~Belated

 

It’s an overcast Wednesday here in Tepeyac and the weather man gave a 40% chance of rain for our area, according to the neighbors. We had 4 inches of rain one day the week before last, but like most of the area and most of our neighboring Texas, we are lacking moisture and praying for rain.

Today I have been working on the flyers for the evangelistic concert and outreach in San Carlos after the Cabalgata on November 24^th. Last year’s event brought many to the area and several came to know Christ as their Lord and Savior at the Concert that night.

Last week, I started a study with a good friend in Tepeyac. We are reading through “El Poder de la Esposa Que Ora.” (The Power of the Praying Wife, by Stormy Omartian.) She really enjoyed the forward and the first chapter and I wrote down every scripture referenced in the book. We spent nearly 4 hours together the first day, reading and discussing what we read. I brought back that book and Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life in Spanish. The first day we met, there we three of us. The second day, there were five. I pray God uses this study for His glory, and to make us more prayerful women.

I finished painting the wall mural at the kindergarten in Palmira. Here I’ve posted pictures of the before and after. They didn’t want to paint a new mural, but to freshen up the old one. I spent 12 hours all together on the two days I worked on it and I think it sure gave it a fresh look. It was a blessing to donate time to the project and since I had the paint, the school didn’t have to pay for anything. I had many opportunities to share with people that came by to visit while I painted. Several children painted figurines I had with me and they enjoyed that very much.

Recently we have had an increase in military and policemen. Yesterday, we had two vehicles in Vicente Guerrero with over a dozen military men. Today, the helicopter flew over for about an hour, concentrating on an area within miles of our home. Every opportunity I get, I try to bring something to the officers and soldiers. Usually I bring bottles of Coca Cola. Sometimes, I bring cookies and chips along with the soda. 

Last week, I had the opportunity to take two people to the Centro de Salud in Acuña. When we stopped at the military checkpoint outside the city, all of the men acknowledged me with a smile and a wave hello. The response of the soldiers amazed my passengers and it was an opportunity to share with them what the Lord had put on my heart to do for these men who are protecting us.

So many things have been happening in our area lately, and we are prayerful that the Lord will continue to give us favor as we minister in this area of Mexico. The enemy is alive and well, and we are seeking our Savior to protect, direct and anoint us as we share the love of Jesus with the lost here.

Thank you for your prayers and support for us. We are so grateful for you and your burden for the lost below the border.

In His loving embrace,

Toni and Bill

There's No Place Like Home....

I am sitting in the Subway in Del Rio to update the blog and marvelling at God's awesome way of directing our steps.

The past week has been wonderful. Visiting friends in Aspermont Community Church last Sunday was like going home, and everyone made me feel so welcome, missed and loved at the same time. Sharing what God is doing in Mexico and knowing they are supporting the ministry is such a blessing, and I look forward to seeing some of our friends in Mexico for the Shoe-box Christmas program in December.

Before I left Aspermont, I had a flat tire, and William Gholson plugged my tire and aired it up again so I could head down the road. I stayed Sunday night with Greg and Robin in Anson and we had a wonderful visit. Monday I had the tire fixed and got on the road to Mexico. It was a beautiful ride and I was so excited to finally be back at home Monday night.

Tuesday, the dogs and I headed for Bill's in Asherton, and it has been a nice visit with Bill and Billy.
This morning, Bill and I went to church at the Asherton Baptist Mission and had a wonderful time with the believers there. We shared a meal with them afterward and look forward to visiting again the next time I get to visit Bill. Pastor Frank Flores and his wife welcomed us like family.

On my way through Quemado, I stopped to visit a ministry that Brother Ralph from Asherton told me about. Lori and Steve Mercer of Cornerstone Children's Ranch welcomed me and we visited in their home for nearly an hour. I asked them about how God brought them to Quemado and they shared the amazing story of what God had done over the past 16 years of the ministry there. You can read about it on their site. They supply clothing and food to ministries on both sides of the border and God is doing amazing things through them in Texas and in Mexico. They offered their help if I am in need of anything, and I hope we will be able to work together in the future. They are an amazing couple.

This month has been such and encouragement to me, fellowshipping with friends and family and getting energized for what God has for the future in Tepeyac and the surrounding communities.

I appreciate your prayers for me, and for Bill, as we seek the Lord and His will for our lives. We want to be on God's agenda, and we know He directs our steps if we allow Him to do that.

We thank the Lord for you and your loving support, and we know we couldn't do anything without your prayers. Thank you for being there for us.

In His loving embrace,
Toni and Bill


Post Script:

While I was visiting Brandon and his family, a mother bear and her two cubs came on the ranch we're living on and the neighbor caught one of the cubs. These photos were taken by the family on cell phones and I thought I'd share them with you. The mother and second cub are still loose, but this cub was taken by authorities to the zoo in southern Coahuila.

Leaving the Metroplex for Aspermont...

Wednesday night, I had the privilege of sharing about the ministry in Coahuila with a wonderful group of believers in Dallas at the Primera Iglesia Asamblea de Dios. Reverend David & Lillie Lara and their church welcomed me like I was family, and after sharing about the ministry in Mexico, the members came up and hugged me and blessed me so much. They gave me a case of Reina Valera Bibles for the ministry, and some brought me Sunday School supplies, art materials and notebooks. One lady donated sweatshirts and another donated tables. They are planning another trip down to Tepeyac for Christmas and I look forward to seeing some of those saints again soon.

The last two weeks visiting my family has been so wonderful, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit with so many friends here in Texas.

Tomorrow, I will be heading to Aspermont, and am looking forward to sharing at the Community Church on Sunday morning. Many of those friends have been involved in our lives during the past ten years and it is always sweet to fellowship with old friends and new ones. Their support, both prayerful and financial, has been what has kept us going all this time in Mexico, and we have no doubt God will do amazing things in the coming years. He's protecting us, providing for us, and using us in the lives of those we minister to in Tepeyac and beyond. May God help us to lift up the people of Mexico.

Bless you for standing with us,

In His strong embrace,
Toni and Bill

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice." 1 Chronicles 16:8-10



  

Our Day At The Zoo

Earlier this week, I joined Jessica and Abigail for a wonderful day at the Fort Worth Zoo. Here are some of the pictures I took that day. Hope you enjoy them!

Saturday Update from Watauga

I am sitting at my computer at the kitchen table at Brandon’s while Abigail watches Dora the Explorer on tv. We painted a picture frame and a hippo penny bank after naptime today. She said, "That was funny, Grandma Toni!"

 

In a few hours I will be driving to Rule, and in the morning, I will be at First Baptist Church in Haskell. Pastor Jim McCurley has given me the pulpit tomorrow morning, which is an honor, and I pray God will give me the words to encourage all the sweet friends and supporters we have there. Yuvi called me today and told me they’re having a potluck meal afterwards so I’ll get to visit and am looking forward to the fellowship.

 

Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll head for Lamesa where I will visit with friends from the Nazarene church there. What a blessing to touch bases again with Pastor Lee Lennon and many others there. For years, we participated in the church builds in Chihuahua and I miss those days. J.D. Josey was the one who connected us and a few years back, he went to be with the Lord.  Lee invited me to join a smaller group going to Juarez in January, and I hope I will be able to join them once again.

 

Last night, I joined friends at a Missions Convention in Garland at the Iglesia Alfa Y Omega Asambleas de Dios and the praise and worship was awesome, as well as the message brought by a long-time missionary, Mike Powell. The church members dressed in clothing from countries all over the world and carried flags from many countries supported by their church. It was very impressive, and Mike said he had been in all but two of the countries represented by flags in the room. 

 

They served delicious food from all over the world afterwards. We enjoyed sweet fellowship and I met some new friends there, and got to talk to some old friends, too.



I pray the Lord is using your life for His glory and that in these times of challenge and difficulty, you are drawing closer to Him than ever before. Our purpose on this earth is to bring Him glory, and I pray we each do that in every way possible.

We appreciate your prayers and support for us and we look forward to hearing from you.

Serving Him with joy,
Toni and Bill

Visiting in Texas

What a blessing to be visiting friends and family in Texas for a few weeks. What an amazing trip it has been already! I got up early Friday morning at 6 and packed the pickup, and went to have coffee with Guadalupe and José, the neighbors. While we were enjoying our coffee, a vehicle pulled up and three men from town got out, apparently looking for me. We walked out of Guadalupe's house and they told me they needed some of the heavy duty wire I had purchased for our house. During the night, the wires for the pump on the water tower had burned out and Tepeyac residents were left without water. They cut lengths from each of the three rolls of wire I had and asked me how much they owed me. Of course, I said nothing, and was glad to be of help. The funniest part of the story is that Don José, the electrician in town, had told me I didn’t need the heavy duty wire because they never used that type of wire here in Mexico. But it sure comes in handy for community water pumps, I guess. Thank the Lord I had it to give.

After many good-byes in Tepeyac, I finally got on the road about 9 am and picked up mail and filled up with gas in Del Rio before getting back on the road. I purposely came up on Thursday to join Treasures of Grace at Haskell prison. I went to Tim and Linda Burson’s when I arrived in Haskell and had supper with them. Carolyn Herring came by to join us for prison, and we headed to the facility before 7. Paula Sammons joined us there and we had 12 immigration detainees come out to join the study. Carolyn led worship and the girls joined in the singing. Linda shared from Psalm 139, about David and his understanding of the presence of God. No matter where we are, God is there.

When we finished the lesson and gathered for prayer, Linda asked the girls if anyone wanted to know Jesus Christ personally. Six girls came forward and prayed a sinner’s prayer, and we all praised the Lord for His Spirit touching these precious women. What an encouragement it was to each of us. Pray these women continue to seek the Lord and walk in His ways. God has a wonderful plan for each of their lives and we were so blessed to be there when they made their decisions.

The second group of girls from the county was smaller but just as sweet. We all hugged one another and prayed for them, knowing that God is moving His Spirit in that facility.

Friday morning, I headed for Brandon and Jessica’s and arrived in time to watch Abigail while Bran and Jess went to a friend’s wedding. Abi and I have enjoyed our time together, and although I will be heading back tonight to be in Aspermont in the morning, I look forward to coming back next week to spend time with my family again.

This morning, we went to get some Jamba Juice and to the Verizon store to straighten out my cell phone. I have had lots of roaming charges the past month and needed to find out why. They straightened it out and hopefully I won’t have that problem any more. We also went to get some yummy cupcakes from a little shop in Keller.

Will keep you updated as I am more apt to get an internet connection here in Texas than in Mexico, praise the Lord.

I look forward to seeing friends at Aspermont Community Church tomorrow morning, and at Swenson Baptist tomorrow night. May God be glorified.

In His strong embrace,

Toni and Bill

Worship, Washboards and Witnessing

We had a wonderful visit with the church in San Carlos Sunday morning. We enjoyed worship and sweet fellowship at the little Vida Nueva church near the old train station there, and it was so encouraging to all of us. What a blessing to visit other believers and praise the Lord with them!

It has been very hot here, as I'm pretty sure it has been most everywhere lately, and I've been working early and trying to get things done before it warms up.  Since we moved and our water isn't hooked up yet, I'm back to the "olden days" of washing clothes on a washboard. Sure makes me appreciate water, washing machines and the like. My neighbor, Guadalupe, has a lovely tree over the area where we wash clothes, and the chickens mill around while I'm scrubbing there. It's really quite enjoyable, all things considered. 

Since our increase in military personnel, I have had many more opportunities to share the Lord with the soldiers. It's amazing to me, but the other day, one of them, upon arriving at the checkpoint, asked me if I was the woman who lived in the church in Tepeyac.I was surprised he remembered me, but you never know. I pray I can make a difference in at least one soldier's life here in Mexico.

One of the women in Tepeyac just returned from the hospital in Acuña where she's been receiving treatment for a partial amputation of her foot due to diabetes. She had just received the Lord as her savior about two months ago, and was baptized in Comanche, Texas. Please pray for Lydia and her speedy healing. 

Bill remains in Carrizo Springs and this week, he's making a few runs to Victoria. Should be an adventure, as he says. He hopes to come home this weekend, and it will be great to see him.

I am prayerfully planning a trip to visit Aspermont and Haskell the first part of September, and look forward to fellowship with old and new friends there. 

We appreciate your prayers for us, and thank those of you who have written. I apologize because I'm very behind on correspondence right now, and will try to catch up this coming week. 

I leave you with this scripture:

"Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go." Joshua 1:7



Serving Him with joy,

Toni and Bill

Buildings, Babies and Baños

I am sitting in the Seoul ChinaLatina Restaurant in Del Rio, and just finished painting for today. I am tired and looking forward to heading home, but took this opportunity to use their WiFi and update our blog.

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday with Bill in Carrizo Springs and was able to get his place in order and all of his clothes and bedding washed and put back in place while he was at work. It was great to spend time with him and he especially had fun reconnecting with the dogs.

Last night, I was awakened at 11:30 by my neighbors, Jose and Guadalupe, to tell me that the marines were going house to house, confiscating guns. Jose's mother had just called him to say they had overturned her furniture and took her pistol. Henriquetta is in her 80's. Needless to say, although I don't own a gun, I was a little rattled at the news and thought of soldiers entering our home and ransacking it for weapons.
I spent the next two and half hours sitting outside under the stars, praying for peace, wisdom and for all the people that came to mind. I thought of friends serving the Lord in Thailand, enduring hardships there, and I thanked God for the peace I usually experience living in Mexico. God remains on the throne and I want to serve Him until it's my time to go home. I prayed God would use me in the lives of any soldiers that might enter our home and that I could be a light to those in darkness.

I woke up grateful that it was my alarm that woke me at 6:30 am and not a knock on my door. Over the past month we have had the military as part of our everyday lives in our area, and I've had many opportunities to share with individuals in uniform as God has allowed me opportunities to speak to them.

The house project is coming along, and I am trying to upload photos of it so you can get an idea of what it looks like.
Sorry these pictures are out of order. Completely backwards chronologically. Took the picture of the house today. The workers were last week and the tractor the week before, digging the septic tank.
The outhouse was installed over a week ago and I put a stain-sealer on it. It smells like you're sitting in the forest! Love it! Even has a t/p holder, made of wood, that I bought for less than $3. at Lowe's.

So many good things going on, can't tell you how blessed we are and how good God is. I am enjoying serving drinks and lunch to the workers. It has been nice and they are amazing, working through these hot, hot days in Mexico.

My friend, Yessica, gave birth last Saturday to a little (big) boy, who still has not been named. He weighed over 9 lbs. (4.3 kilos) and is such a sweet baby. I took this picture of Yessica the night I brought her to the hospital in Acuna. She was there from Thursday night at 8 pm until Saturday before she gave birth by C-section at 3:20 pm. They released her on Monday morning. Long hospital visit, so she was very glad to be home again. She and her husband have 3 older children.

Newest Addition to Yessica and Epifanio's Family



May the Lord bless you abundantly as you keep Jesus first in  your life. I will try to keep posting as the opportunity arises.

Thank you for your prayers, love and support. We praise God for our friends and family.

Serving Him with joy,

Toni and Bill

August Update

Greetings from Tepeyac! We have not updated our blog in months and apologize for the lengthy silence, but many things have taken place since we last shared about or lives so we’ll try to catch you up a bit on our lives and the ministry we’re doing below the border.

In May, there was a Cabalgata here in Tepeyac and because of some exposure in the media, we shut our site down until we felt comfortable to open it up again to our friends and family. We apologize for the lack of communication on our part but have had many challenging changes here in the past few months.

To bring you up to date on our housing situation, we have purchased a piece of property near where we lived at the church.


We moved the trailer earlier this week and hooked the electricity up yesterday. It is on a little hill, with animals all around. Within a few hundred feet of our property is a valley with horses, cows, sheep, goats and the perfect place to have quiet time beneath the trees, watching the animals graze on the green grass there. I’ve spent the last two mornings there sitting on the bench below the trees, reading the word and praising God for His faithfulness.

Bill remains in Carrizo Springs during the week, and usually comes home on the weekends.

Our week-long VBS here and in Nava last month was wonderful, and we saw many make decisions for Christ in response to the messages shared. Dr. Wayne and Yuvi Cadenhead brought a great group down, along with Greg and Robin Goza and Jake, and many other wonderful friends, new and old, who came to help and share. It was a great time for everyone and I pray God causes the growth in the new believers.

We are planning a baptism next week in the river and a picnic day afterwards. Several here are looking forward to being baptized and we are excited about their decision to follow Christ and take that step of obedience.

In June, we were given a 2004 Toyota Tundra pickup and it has been such a blessing.  I have been able to bring people to and from church, and was able to pick up a new outhouse this week in Piedras Negras.

A little over two weeks ago, we had a tornado in Tepeyac and three homes lost their roofs. Our outhouses at the church were damaged, on destroyed and the other repairable. My washing machine was also damaged and we are grateful no damage was done to the trailer or the church. God is so good.


We appreciate your prayers and support and encouragement for us and we pray you will keep the new believers in your prayers as well.


May God continue to bless you as you allow Him to use your life for His glory.


By His grace,
Bill and Toni

Prison, Peanut Butter and Piñatas

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been so encouraged by your letters of encouragement and support, and we thank the Lord for you. Your prayers are greatly appreciated and we know God has given us favor here as we minister and share the gospel here in our area and in the prison near Piedras Negras.

Last week, I made my first trip to Del Rio in a “combi,” the area’s main form of public transportation. A friend, Yessica, drove us to San Carlos where we caught a van to Acuña, and then I caught a taxi to cross the border, pick up mail at the post office and then to Walmart.

My reason for the trip was to purchase all the “fixin’s” for the school’s Children’s Day celebration on Friday. Hamburgers and French fries was the menu and I had the privilege of cooking the hamburgers for 80 people, which included moms and siblings of the school kids. It was quite the event, and everyone enjoyed cupcakes and Rice Krispy treats for dessert. The children played in the water of the stock tank and even the dogs joined the fun.

Saturday was an amazing day, with God directing every step I made. I prayed, as I always try to do on days I am not sure of the Lord’s leading, that He would give me divine appointments and work out the details of my visit to the prison. I left walking from Tepeyac in the morning, and walked a little less than 2 miles when I was picked up by an elderly couple in a pickup truck, and they instructed me to jump in the bed of the truck. When we got to the crossroads between Piedras and Jiménez, I instructed by hand signal that I was going to Piedras. I rode the 30 miles on the tire well in the back, wind blowing my hair all over so I must have looked like a scarecrow. The amazing thing was that they drove directly to the prison, pulling in to unload groceries for a loved one incarcerated there. We never spoke and they didn’t know I was going anywhere but to Piedras. I felt that was a God-anointed ride.

Once I got inside, I went directly to where Brother Hector was meeting under the trees in area 4, and heard them praising the Lord with guitars and heavenly voices. Six men were there, with Bibles opened, and I enjoyed the next two hours with them, reading the Word and giving testimonies. It was a blessing and I was rejuvenated. The brothers gave me a ride to a gas station in Piedras, where I caught a taxi to the International Bridge. I walked across and went to the bank, then sat down to rest on a bench before I started heading back to the bridge to cross the border back into Mexico. Across the street from the bank, I saw a little church and some kids coming out of a VBS. I talked to the boys a few minutes about their newly acquired “tattoos” they got while at church, and then a couple came out and we visited awhile. It was another God-ordained meeting as I met Don and Amie Crabtree, who are missionaries in Piedras. They also have a church in Eagle Pass, and they gave me a ride all the way to my house! How amazing is our God! We had sweet fellowship and I’m sure I’ll see them again. They have been married and serving the Lord 20 years. Thank you, Jesus, for those sweet saints and their children.

Sunday morning, Blas asked me to share about our trip to Corpus and it was a blessing to share all that God had done and the sweet fellowship we enjoyed with Jim and Brenda.

Monday, I made cookies and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the children of the kindergarten and preschool. Their party was much smaller as they only have 10 children total in both classes. The area is like a park with lots of trees and green grass this time of year. Also, local people tie their horses up to graze on the grass there. It’s a peaceful place to picnic so a great location for the school events. The kids had a ball with the piñata and all the games they played. Even the mom’s got in on the games, and everyone had a great time.  Our weather has really started to warm up and most days are over 100° Fahrenheit. But the mornings are pleasant, usually with a gentle breeze.

We had a pretty nice thunderstorm Monday night with lots of thunder and lightening, and enough rain to make a pretty big puddle in the little house where we sleep. It was a blessing to have some rain to wet down all the dirt and I’m sure the farmers appreciated the moisture.

I took a ride with Yessica and her aunt to Piedras Negras on Wednesday. They had to go to the bank and pick up a few supplies at the Gutierrez store, and we were blessed to get a ride with her uncle, Gonzalo, to and from the store.

Bill went to work driving a truck in South Texas about two weeks ago to support us and the work here. I look forward to seeing him when he returns for a visit to Tepeyac.

We talk every day and I know it’s difficult but the Lord is giving him strength for every day.

May God fill you with His peace and give you ‘divine appointments.’ We are so grateful for your prayers and support and we know that God has His hand on us at every turn.

Eagerly awaiting His return,

Toni and Bill

"I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Philemon 4, 5& 6

Visiting Corpus Christi

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I am sitting at the computer at Brother Jim Garcia's house in Corpus Christi.

Yesterday I caught a ride up to Piedras with Sergio, the "profe" from the school in town and walked across the bridge to Eagle Pass, where I stayed at the First Baptist Church for the night.

I walked to the Eagle Pass Library and checked my email, and then while I was walking, I came across a little shop near the tortilla factory on Pierce where Michelle makes and sells her piñatas. They are amazing, and she only charges $20. for the big ones that are nearly 4 feet tall. The shop is called Mr. Funny and she lives in a house attached to the shop. She is a very gifted young lady.

This morning, Jim and Brenda picked me up at 7 and we had a wonderful breakfast at Skillet's.
I talked to Bill on the phone and on our way, we picked him up in Carrizo Springs. This afternoon he caught up on some much-needed rest. We had a wonderful meal of shrimp gumbo that Brenda made. She's an awesome cook, and we enjoyed the sweet fellowship with them today.

Here are a few pictures from this week and last week. Enjoy!



Sun coming up over the FBC Eagle Pass

Bill petting Princessa at Rito and Maria's

Maria and Rito's son, Manuel 

Art class at the church

Fruit salad for the cows...looks delicious, or looks appetizing to a hungry cow

The cows enjoying their meal near Nueva Jarita

Jose delivering my water bottle to the door with his cousin's "carrito"

Princessa and Rey smelling the food cooking in Maria's kitchen

Sunset at Maria's

The cactus are blooming and I'm stopping to take pictures....beautiful!!!

Bill visiting with the donkey with no name that Carlos, the welder, owns in San Carlos

Sunrise over the neighbor's barn in Tepeyac

Tomorrow morning, I am sharing my testimony and about our ministry in Mexico at the Primera Iglesia Bautista, Corpus Christi. I am so glad Bill is with me and look forward to meeting new friends in the morning. What a privilege to be invited to come and share what God is doing in Tepeyac, and I pray God is glorified in what we share tomorrow.

Party, Princessa and Prison

Sorry it´s been so long since we updated our blog. We´ve been ¨out of pocket¨ as they say in Texas. Our laptop still isn´t working but I used the old computer from Swenson Baptist to type out this update and saved it on a flash drive for the internet store here in San Carlos. Thank the Lord for computers!

Monday, April 2nd, we attended a little party for the local pre-schoolers. Blanca, the teacher, made a piñata and cupcakes, and all the moms brought something for the meal. We made sugar cookies and it was a beautiful day and the lake (they call it a tank) is a great place for a get-together. We gave the moms a ride to and from the party and everyone had fun.

I love this picture! It says it all...
Bill and Guillermo laughing while Evelyn cracks a confetti egg on Chandy´s head...too funny!

Angela and her sunglasses! Perfect Springtime attire...

Forgive the wrong date stamp...couldn´t figure out the camera settings...Ring around the rosies, Mexico style. The kids facing outwards are ¨burros¨...when they lose they have to turn and face outwards...very cute game.

That afternoon, we took our next-door neighbor and her family up to Navaja to visit a sick friend, and they had a nice visit.

We’ve had a beautiful week in Tepeyac and although I know the really hot weather is coming soon, we have enjoyed the beautiful days and evenings in the 60’s and 70’s. It has already hit the high 90’s and we keep our fan going most of the time in our room and the trailer. With the rain we‘ve had recently, everything is green and it’s a beautiful trip when we go down the road to pick up Maria and her family for church.

Tuesday, the 3rd, we went up to Del Rio and were able to get some more dog food for Rito and Maria’s dogs. We also picked up some Emu oil for Princessa. She has a bad spot on her back over her shoulder, about the size of my open hand. We trimmed the hair over the wound on Sunday when we went to celebrate Rito’s birthday. They made a nice meal and we spent several hours there. When we brought the food on Tuesday night, Rito said her back looks like it’s starting to dry up a little. We don’t know what caused the problem, but are glad it´s beginning to heal.

Lupita is doing much better after the past month being ill. She was doing so much better when I saw her at the Bible study Wednesday evening and we enjoyed fellowship after the study at her house. 

Thursday we had 14 kids for the art class and they memorized their verse, Ephesians 2:8. They made little boxes from card stock that had verses on all sides. It was a little complicated for the younger kids, but most of the older children helped with the little ones. Blas and Paula came and helped, too. It was nice, and everyone enjoyed the refreshments as it was pretty warm that afternoon.

Saturday, we went to the prison and visited with our girl from the U.S. for several hours. She was supposed to be transferred to a federal facility in the states but her move has been delayed for 3-4 months. We also talked to several men about the Lord, and we attended a church service under the trees outside the women’s unit. The man who spoke is named Hector and he lives in Piedras Negras with his wife, Ofelia. He is a horse-trainer by trade and spent 15 years in prison in California when he was younger. He has a great testimony and a great way of sharing the gospel with the inmates. He reminds me of Jimmy Stewart....Gentle, quiet, and to the point.

We visited with several inmates individually, praying with some and reading the word with others. It was definitely divine appointments that day.

We had a quiet Resurrection Day, with a little birthday party after church for Lupita´s daughter, Nena and Yessica´s son, Pepe. I made a three milk cake and everyone enjoyed cake, peaches and punch. 

Thank you for your interest in our blog and our lives here in Mexico. We appreciate your prayers for us, and for those here in our area. We want to make a difference and we see opportunities every day for evangelism here.

May God use your life for His glory this week and always, and may He guide your steps and put you in the paths of people who need to hear the truth and see the changes He can make in our lives.

Seeking the King,

Toni and Bill

Rey, Princessa and Manuel

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints”   Ephesians 6:18

From Rochester, Texas to Mexico

We've had some birthdays since I last updated our blog. Sister Lupita turned 81 this month. Maria had a birthday and her son, Manuel, turned 5 this month. Everyone enjoyed the Italian Cream Cake, Carrot cake and Manuel especially liked his M&M cake. It has been a sweet month in Tepeyac, needless to say. 

Saturday, Maria and Socorro came over and we made lots of empanadas to sell for the church. We sold all of them and everyone enjoyed the day together.

Bill and I went to the prison Sunday afternoon and again today for several hours, visiting with our American girl who has yet to be transferred to a Federal facility in the U.S. We’re glad we get to see her but know she’s anxious to get moved into a safer environment.

Our visit with her was sweet both days, and today we were able to bring her some hamburgers, as she told us last time she misses American food. She said she’ll probably miss Mexican food when she gets to the states.

We also visited with a man we met Sunday. We shared alot with him about God's plan for his life. He admitted he's made alot of mistakes in his life and said he’s trying to seek the Lord now, and we hope he really does. He has 6 children he hasn't seen since he's been locked up, and he said it makes him very sad to think of how much his mistakes have cost him.

We visited awhile with Pedro. He was selling candy and showed us where his hair was shaved on the top as a punishment from the other prisoners. The inside of the prison is run by the inmates, and the guards remain on the outside all the time. Pedro is another one who confesses the Lord but isn't sure he wants to surrender all yet. Please keep him in your prayers. He was very surprised when I called him by name and thought I would have forgotten him. I told him I've been praying for him since we first met him a month ago. He said he was grateful for our prayers. The courts gave him more time and he won't be released until April, he said.

Bill went out in the yard while I was talking to our girl, and met a man named Alfonso who spoke perfect English. When Bill asked him where he got in trouble, he told him Rochester, Texas! That's about 30 miles from Aspermont! Hard to imagine, but he said he was picked up by Greg Hearn, who is the police chief and city manager there. In 1998, Alfonso was working at the Rochester Peanut Company, the main employer there. Mr. Hearn told him he stopped him because "he wasn't from around there." I remember when people used to say that to me. Too funny! 

Anyway, Alfonso had a warrant from Eagle Pass and went to jail in Rochester, then Haskell, and finally got deported to Mexico. Now he's serving 4 years in Mexico for another crime, and although he was born in Texas, he's serving time behind bars there near Piedra Negras.

We gave out lots of Agua Viva, the gospel of John in a nice booklet in Spanish that we recently received in the mail. They are great ministry tools. 

We look forward to seeing Greg, Robin and Laura this weekend, and hope to take them to the prison while they're here. 

Thank you for reading our blog, and thank you for your prayers for us and the ministry here in Mexico. We are blessed and encouraged by your loving support.

In His grip,

Toni and Bill 

A Busy Week

We’ve had some rain this week, and some windy days but it’s starting to warm up here in Tepeyac, and today is a nice day for hanging clothes on the line, with a little breeze, and the birds chirping all around.

Last week, Blas brought a boy named Alejandro, one of Paula’s nephews, over to dig the new outhouse hole and the boy invited his friend. We’ve been talking about it for awhile but are finally getting it done. Guillermo spent the day with us, had breakfast, and hung out with his friends while they worked. We served them drinks, lunch and sugar cookies I baked, and they listened to their MP3 player while they dug the hole. They completed the job and as soon as we can get some help, we will move the outhouses over the new holes.



Alejandro (on left) and his friend digging the outhouse hole for us.

One of our beautiful sunsets thru electric lines...

 

This week, we have been collecting things for the men in the prison. We have handed out all the New Testament Bibles we had but look forward to next month when Greg will be bringing some down from Aspermont Community Church.  

One man has a wife in Eagle Pass who just had a baby by C-section. He asked me to call her and find out how she’s doing, and I’ve tried calling several times and finally spoke to her on Saturday. Señora Magda Gonzales and her baby boy, Alan, are doing fine, but mom found out she’s anemic and is taking vitamins. He was born February 3^rd and his mother plans to bring him down for a visit this coming weekend.

Saturday, we were invited to have dinner with Samuel Villaroja, the previous dentist of Jiménez and his friends in Dolores, across the bridge from there. We had chicken taquitos and grape Jell-O for dessert, and before we ate, they asked me to pray for our meal. Bill and I shared about our lives and what God was doing in Tepeyac and at the prison. They invited a neighbor over, David, who is from Connecticut. We had met him in November when I painted at the store in Jiménez. He is retired military and has lived there for several years. The home belonged to a young woman who is the librarian in Jiménez, and since we asked about it, they told us a little about the children’s home there in Dolores. It was enough to peak our interest.

After we left their house, we drove to the children’s home, (Casa Hogar,) Rancho Jovenes Del Rey (Youth of the King Ranch). The director, Geronimo, was very nice and told us that he and his wife, Stella, and their two children are moving this week to the Casa Hogar in El Moral, on the way to Piedras Negras. Both homes are supported by the ministry we visited in Quemado, Bob King Ministries. The home in El Moral only has girls and the home in Dolores has boys. At present, there is only one 15-year-old boy residing there who is autistic, and has lived there for the past 5 years. A couple from Piedras Negras is moving in to replace Geronimo and his family this week. We hope to spend more time with these ministries and see great blessings there for the children in their care. We asked Geronimo where the children come from that live at the home, and he said DIF brings them, which is Mexico’s version of Child Protective Services. As it is in the states, they are an understaffed group of government workers and need lots of prayer as they make decisions for the children on their caseloads.

Maria and Socorro and the kids stayed after church and Blass helped them clean up the back area and burned most of the brush and old cactus. It looks so good now. I made a big meal of chicken spaghetti, cornbread and un-frosted cupcakes and we enjoyed a sweet time with all of them. We took them home about 5 p.m. so it was a full day of fellowship.

We’ve had a surprise this week when we received our electric bill. Our electric bill was over 2,000. pesos, (almost $200. US.) and although it’s for two months, it was much more than we thought it would be. When we received our last bill, we unplugged our big refrigerator and just use the little fridge in the trailer now. We saw other people’s bills that had the same amount of kilowatt hours, but cost a tenth of ours. After talking to our local electrician, we found out that the electric company charges 10 times more for churches and businesses here than for residential customers. Needless to say, we’re disconnecting the majority of our appliances, even though we don’t use them much. We can cut back a lot but we need to get moved to the house we’re going to repair to live in. It’s a long way from being livable but in the meantime, we can do a lot to lessen our usage at the church. I thought it would go down when we disconnected the fridge, but apparently that wasn’t the problem.

Bill did some patching on the roof of the trailer Monday with ”cold coat,” a sort of rubbery paintable liquid to seal the holes around the vent. The sunny day made it a great time to get that job done.

I have been doing Beth Moore’s Study on Queen Esther. It’s so good, and has been a real eye-opener for me. I have enjoyed it very much.

Thursday we had a visit from Manuelita and her son, Christian, who live in Tepeyac. She is Guillermo’s cousin, and she came to see if we could help her with her son’s need for diapers. He was born with a birth-defect called “neurogenetic bladder” and has had a catheter since he was 2. He has had surgeries and she showed me his scars and catheter, and said she wondered if we could help with diapers as they are very expensive and he has to use two to go to school. He attends kindergarten, and was one of the children who received a Christmas box when Greg and Robin came down in December.

If anyone has a desire to help with this need, please contact us or Greg Goza. We hope we can help Manuelita and her son with this need. His diaper size is 5, and I am not sure if that's the same in the US. He is an average-sized 5-year-old boy., as you can see in the picture below.

We’ve had several kids come over this week to paint. One girl, Samantha, had an art project she needed to do and her painting was an abstract design. She needed paint so came by to paint her picture at our house. I asked her where she got the fabric (it looked familiar) and she said her mother cut up the inside of a bedskirt, the fusing part, to make her canvas. Pretty smart, actually. She covered a piece of wood with her “canvas” and painted a nice abstract.

I have been sick most of the week with a bad cold that has gone into my chest, and I am finally feeling a little better, but still coughing a lot. I appreciate your prayers for our health.

We thank the Lord for you and your interest in the ministry here in Mexico. We want to see many souls come to a saving knowledge of Christ and hope to be a part of the solution here.

Walk with the King and be a blessing!

In His steps,

Toni and Bill

Manuelita and her son, Christian