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

Vacation Bible School in Tepeyac

Greetings from Tepeyac in the name of Jesus, the King of kings!

The group of 36 servants from all over West Texas has arrived in Coahuila to share the gospel with children and families in Tepeyac, San Carlos and Nava once again. The First Baptist Church of Haskell is the sponsor of the program, and has been for many years.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this year's program.
Here are some pictures of the Tepeyac VBS this week.
May God get the glory!

Children's Day Outreach in Tepeyac

Greetings from Tepeyac, Coahuila in the name of the King of kings!

 We had an excellent day, sharing the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ with the mothers and children in our little town on Sunday afternoon.

 Pastor Alejandro Alvarado and his family and church members cooked hot dogs for everyone.

 The kids had fun with the sack race, three-legged race, fishing for ducks and other games.

 They all enjoyed the bags of candy, some with chili flavoring!

 Lucero and Estrella Martinez were a great help with the gifts and games.

This was hard, walking with the ping pong ball on the wooden spoon, backwards to keep the wind from blowing it off!

Love their enthusiasm!

Fervent sack-racers!

The moms loaded up with fabric, yarn, cutlery, hygiene items, and much more.

It was a fun day for all and we are so grateful for all the donations from our partners in ministry. 

Fun and Games With The Children of Tepeyac

I’ve had a busy couple of weeks but am so grateful for God’s faithfulness and for friends and family.

The week before and the week after Easter, we had a VBS at the church in Tepeyac. We had 17-20 kids every day and several mothers joined their children. Each afternoon we started with prayer and songs, and then shared a Bible story.  Lucero and Estrella led the music and shared the story, and then we did a coloring page and a craft. A few days we did two crafts, and every day we had a snack and refreshments. One day, they decorated sugar cookies, and one day, cupcakes. The children were all so well behaved, it was a joy to have them fill the church during their Spring vacation from school.

Freshly-painted faces

Egg-on-a-spoon racers getting ready to go.

Blas sharing a message with the kids.

Waiting to start the three-legged race.

Sack racers in full motion.

Then, on Wednesday, the 30^th we celebrated “Día de los Niños” with an outreach at the church. Brother Blas shared a gospel message, we sang songs and then we began the fun. We gave out gifts to the mothers that attended and the outreach was complete with lots of games, hot dogs, cupcakes and drinks. The games were so fun, and we included a few new ones along with those we did at last year’s event. The children all won prizes for their performances, and we gave out bags of candy before they left.  

I am so grateful to be able to share the love of Jesus Christ here in Mexico. It is my heart's desire that every chance I get, He gives me boldness to share the gospel with the lost. What a privilege to serve the Lord and share what He has done in my life.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”       Colossians 3:16 & 17

Thank you so much for reading our blog and for being a part of this ministry. We greatly appreciate your love, prayers and support for us. May our Heavenly Father get all the glory as we serve Him in these challenging times.

By His grace,
Toni and Bill

To read our most recent newsletter, click here.

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