Broke Down and Feeding the Homeless

It’s Thursday morning, and we are sitting in Del Rio at the McDonald’s (with free wi-fi) having breakfast. I had to take a picture of Bill. Yesterday he spent 9½ hours, mostly under the van, while he took off and replaced the alternator and then the voltage regulator. The 1976 Dodge is difficult to access the parts, so poor Bill had quite a time. We were in the Auto Zone parking lot from 7 am to 4:30 pm, and it was a dirty job.

After we finished, we went to get a $5. footlong sandwich at Subway and a homeless guy was sitting in front of the store. We invited him to join us and visited with him while we stood in line. He’s from Iowa, his name is Tony and he’s a mechanic who came to Texas with the oilfield boom some time ago. Anyway, he grew up in Monterey, Mexico until he was 10 and his family returned to the US, and only he and his little brother are legal because they were born here. We talked to him about the Lord and he said he’s a believer. It was nice to visit with him.

Yesterday was quite a day for us, as we got pulled over two times. Once, by the police and the second time, by the border patrol. The first time was at 4:30 in the morning and the policewoman said she wondered why we were driving down the road at that hour. (We were in Carrizo Springs where Bill was looking for work, and we had slept in the van on the side of the road. We woke up at 4 am, I read the word for a while and then we went to a gas station to get coffee.) She ran background checks on both of our with our ID's and asked Bill if he'd ever been arrested. His response: "I'm 67 years old...of COURSE I've been arrested!" I had to laugh, but later told him that not every 67 year-old person has an arrest record. Only Bill and his sense of humor... The second time we were pulled over between Carrizo Springs and Eagle Pass, the Border Patrol officers said lots of drugs get hauled in vans like this one, and lots of illegals. I guess the old 1976 Dodge has a bad rap....I was sort of thinking of doing prison ministry from behind bars yesterday....but it didn't happen.

By the way, the Border Patrol officer told me I cannot have a Texas license when I live in Mexico. He said he wasn't going to cite me and returned my license and insurance paperwork to me, but he said that I need to have a Mexican license and get rid of my Texas license. I told him I lived in Mexico 7 years with a California license and he said, "Ohhh, but that's California!"

So, if you don't hear from me for awhile, one day you might receive a snail-mail letter from me with a number after my name. If that's the case, just pray for many salvations as I serve behind bars for my life of crime. It sort of made me feel like I'll stay on the other side of the border, thank you, where things aren't so exciting. :)

Today we're in Del Rio, and we will pick up and send out mail, do a load of laundry at the laundromat, get a few supplies (including a washboard) and some spark plug wires for the van, and head back across the border to home. Bill decided too many things were against him finding work, so we'll head back to Tepeyac and get started with the prison ministry. I am glad, and pray the Lord multiply the finances and bring many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in Tepeyac, the prison, and the surrounding areas. May God get the glory!

Thank you for reading our little blog, and for praying for us and commenting. We appreciate you and your prayerful support.

Until next time, we're in His grip,

Toni and Bill