Shoebox Blessings for Mexico, 2017

Christmas Greetings from Tepeyac!

I pray this finds you encouraged and blessed, rejoicing in God's goodness during this past year.

We were able to spread some Christmas joy in our little corner of Mexico with some shoebox gifts from West Texas.

Three churches made this year's program a success, and we are sure that many families were blessed by their efforts. Aspermont Community Church, First Baptist Church of Swenson and First Baptist Church of Eagle Pass participated in this year's program.

I met Greg and Robin Goza, Joe and Mary McGlothlin and Rob Hartman. They brought a trailer full of gifts and Bibles, and we drove to San Carlos, Jarita, Palmira, Tepeyac and Centinella, distributing gifts and Bibles to the families we visited. It was a fun day, sharing the gospel with several individuals and sharing the love of Jesus with many.

We want to thank everyone that made this year's program such a success. God bless you for all you do, and we pray many seeds were planted with all the tracts and Bibles given out today.

God bless you as you share the love of Christ with those in your sphere of influence this holiday. Jesus is the reason for the season!

In His loving embrace,

Toni

Donations From Dallas Blessing Families in Mexico

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9

Greetings from Tepeyac in the beloved name of Jesus!

I apologize for not keeping you updated through this blog on our recent activities, but am excited to share the outreaches into our local schools we had this morning. God is so good, and Maria, Socorro and I were privileged to visit classrooms in the elementary schools and kindergartens in Tepeyac, Palmira and Emiliano Zapata.

We received donations of school supplies from Primera Iglesia of Dallas, Texas. I drove up to San Antonio last month to pick up donations of clothing, shoes and lots and lots of spiral notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons and other items for the school children in our area.

We were able to bring gospel tracts, along with pencils, pens and crayons to the children  in Tepeyac. The teachers in all the schools were so welcoming to us, and grateful for the donations.

We would like to thank the Primera Iglesia of Dallas for donating all the wonderful school supplies, and much more. The clothing, shoes and bedding have all been a great blessing to the families in our area of Mexico.

Kids enjoying the toys sent  down from Texas

We are so grateful for all the friends who donated items for Mexico. Those donations are helping so many families that would have difficulty purchasing such nice things, even at a pulga. (yard sale).

The men at the rehab are especially grateful, as they don't have an income and most don't have family to help them with their clothing needs.

Chava Rodriguez met us last month in San Antonio with a full load of the school supplies and donations, and it has been a blessing bringing them to the people we help.

God is faithful, and we are blessed to be a part of what He's doing in Coahuila.

Thank you so  much for your interest in the ministry here, and especially for your prayers and support for this endeavor. We are so grateful.

Keep seeking His face. Jesus is our only hope in this troubled world. Let's all do what we can to make a difference for the King.

Con mucho cariño,

Toni 

Independence Day in Tepeyac

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

2 Corinthians 3:17

Greetings from Tepeyac in the redeeming name of Jesus!

 On the night of September 15th, the children in Tepeyac's kindergarten and elementary school celebrated Mexico's Independence Day at the basketball court. I was able to enjoy the event and got some pictures  and videos to share with you.

VIDEO: Kindergarten Independence, Tepeyac

VIDEO: Independence Day Dance, Tepeyac Kindergarten

I love seeing the children dressed up in their colorful outfits. What a blessing to be there to celebrate this special day with the community.

God bless you as you seek the King of kings. He is the way, the truth and the life. May Good use each of our lives  for His glory.

In His loving embrace,

Toni

  

Entertaining Angels Along The Way...

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."

Hebrews 13:2 NIV

Since we moved to Mexico, we have often picked people up on the side of the road while travelling, and even met people in restaurants or grocery stores that needed a lift somewhere. But last month, we had a couple come up to us in a WalMart parking lot in Del Rio.

Steve and Kelly came up to the van while I was waiting for Bill to make a few last-minute purchases. They told us they were interested in heading to Peru, seeking God's will for their futures. We invited them to come stay in Tepeyac and they took us up on our offer. We are renting a little casa that belongs to our friend, Juana, and it was perfect for them to stay there. They had a bit of a culture shock the first few days, but then adjusted to mostly everything, except the heat. In a place where the temperatures are well over 100 in July, August and September, they were wilting in the summer heat.

We did get to take them to Centinela to meet Alejandro, Veronica and the "muchachos." They loved that ministry and enjoyed their visit there. They even got to go to church one Sunday at Agua Viva.

We pray the Lord continues to lead their feet where they can be a blessing and a light in the darkness. They love Jesus and live to serve Him. We are so grateful He brought them into our lives, even for only a short visit. No doubt, they were angels He put in our paths.

VBS 2017

"Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!"
Psalm 32:11

Greetings from Tepeyac in the magnificent name of Jesus!

We are so grateful for all the wonderful friends who took time out to make the trip to Mexico and share the love of Jesus with the children and families in four communities this year. The VBS classes were held the week of July 24th to the 28th in San Carlos, Nava, Tepeyac and Centinela. I participated in the last two, and they were wonderful.

I worked with the women, sharing the lesson and helping with the crafts. In years past, I translated for pastors who shared a message, but this year, I had the ladies to myself, and it was fun. I was able to share with them on a closer level this year. God is so good. The group from Haskell and the surrounding communities was about 40 people, including over a dozen young children. It was fun seeing them interact with the local Mexican children, and there didn't seem to be any language barrier. Kids speak love in every language. I am sharing some pictures here from the VBS classes and I hope you enjoy them.

I am so thankful for all the efforts put forth from the group from West Texas, and also for all the financing provided by the First Baptist Church of Haskell. This VBS has been a legacy for over 35 years of the work of Dr. Wayne and Yuvi Cadenhead, and many others that have given their time and money to bring the gospel to Coahuila.

May God bless them abundantly as they continue to be a light in the darkness.

Please keep the new believers in your prayers. Thank you for your interest in this ministry, and may God bless you abundantly as you share the love of Christ with those in your sphere of influence.

In His loving embrace,

Toni

Our Guadalajara Trip

Greetings in Jesus' righteous name! He is faithful and I am blessed to share some of my adventures with you.
Our two-week trip to Guadalajara was wonderful, and I wanted to share just a few of the pictures from our journey on the blog today.
Greg and Robin Goza and Susan Carver were my companions, and I was actually just along for the ride, having the privilege of accompanying them, but I was blessed make the trip.

One of the chief purposes of our journey was to share the gospel with the people God put in our paths. We had many opportunities while we were there, often with Uber drivers transporting us all over Guadalajara and the surrounding communities. My companions shared with the teachers and students at the University, also. We gave out tracts and shared our testimonies and we pray many seeds were planted there on fertile soil.

"I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase."  1 Corinthians 3:6 KJV

Robin, Greg, Susan and me outside our apartment Sunday a.m.

Our first Sunday there, we attended a wonderful service at the Casa De Cristo Iglesia. The worship was amazing, and so was the message. If you are interested, tap on the name above and you can enjoy their worship and church service recordings.

Worship At Casa De Cristo

Robin, Greg and Susan attended a Spanish School at the University of Guadalajara during the day and I walked around the area, talking to people and enjoying the city. It's so beautiful and the people are generally very friendly. I was sick the first few days after imbibing in a tainted cup of cappuccino from a little coffee shop near the apartment we stayed in, but got over that quickly. I usually had a meal ready when they returned from their classes, but sometimes we went to the café nearby for lunch.

The Cathedral in Guadalajara

We enjoyed some great meals, toured some nearby cities and had a great trip overall. One of our favorite restaurants was a little café near the apartment, and the owner, Alejandra, went out of her way to make us welcome. Of all the flan we enjoyed in Guadalajara, hers was, by far, the best. We made flan our favorite dessert, after trying out many of the local fares. Jericalla is a custard with a burned top, similar to Creme Brulee, and is really delicious. Chongos Zamoranos is a milk curd dessert named for its place of origin, Zamora. We weren't big fans of that dessert.

We visited Chapala, the town located next to Lago de Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake. There were many vendors there, and lots of shops and restaurants. It has a great collection of artisans representing many parts of Mexico.

This Boy Scout and Girl Scout were part of a team of young people

cleaning up Guadalajara, and all the tops and lids made a mosaic

to depict their programs in the square behind the Cathedral.

The Programs were "RECICLON" and "TAPATON"

When we were in Tlaquepaque,
a man was selling fried grasshoppers.

Susan and I each ate one.
My variety had chili and garlic.
Hers was just fried with salt, I think.

I had to take a picture of this sign.

It's advertising a business that removes lice.

The  name Piojolandia translates to LiceLand,

like Disneyland?

Free Diagnosis. Be free of lice in 90 minutes,

without chemicals, with a European Machine.

Sitting in front of Lago de Chapala

My ceviche at the Palapa del Guayavo, en Chapala

This concoction was boiling hot! Chicken, shrimp,

mushrooms and lots and lots of queso! (cheese)

We talked to this little boy and his

dad, and he loves his puppy!

This was a clay sculpture in an art gallery. Amazing work!

Outside the restaurant in Chapala

Getting ready to order our meal

Enjoying the beauty of the

city of Chapala

Near the main plaza de Catedral

Hang on tight!!!

Chapala

Getting refreshments for the bus trip

These brothers preach the gospel in the square every afternoon
We spent two evenings with these amazing men.
May God continue to use their testimonies for His glory!

Praying for a woman and her children

next to the Cathedral

We have many more pictures of our journey but this gives you an idea of the sights and wonders we saw along the way. We hope this encourages you to share your testimony with others, and to be the light He wants you to be in this dark world. People are looking for answers, and we who know the King of kings can point them to the Savior, and love them unconditionally.

Thank you for following the blog, and if you are interested in the ministry, please comment and I will be happy to connect with you. God bless you as you share His love with the lost.

In His grip,
Toni