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
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
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.
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.
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| Newest Addition to Yessica and Epifanio's Family
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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
Friday, August 3, 2012
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
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