As I was removing the weevils (only two) from the black-eyed
peas I was cooking in the crock-pot today, it brought to my remembrance a day,
many years ago, when I was first serving on the mission field in Baja, Mexico.
My good friend did the same with some donated rice she was cooking. She removed
dozens of weevils, floating on top of the boiling water as she cooked rice for
her family. At the time, I was a newcomer to the life of a missionary, and a
little shocked by the experience. But after all the years, I have learned to be
grateful, even for insects. (I discovered a large yellow-jacket nest in the
vent over the stove in the trailer last week, and was able to use a bug bomb to
evacuate the inhabitants.) The Word of God says, “In everything give
thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Every day, I thank Him for His provision, and always trust Him to provide for the gas, vehicles, supplies, food, finance and strength for everything we are doing here for the kingdom. There are so many needs and I know the Lord is transforming us through the trials. We have been going through some trying times of late, and sincerely appreciate your prayers for us. He is our supply, and our strength, and we pray for Him to increase our faith in this area of our lives. I love trusting Him and know that when we are weak, He is strong.
It has taken us a long time to get someone to come to “witch” our well. A man the driller
knows named José Manuel Villa came up
from Zaragoza, and it was quite the experience. He was a short, stocky man with
an odd-looking rock with a chain connected to it. The rock was black on one end
and white on the other, about the size of a large walnut. He carried it around and found where he
believes we have a good source of water for the well. He said we have 4” of
water, not very deep down. We trust the Lord in all of this, and know that He’s
in control. The well will be a real blessing to us and to our neighbors.
The man divining the well...
Bill with José Alberto, his grandson Angel, and the driller, "divining"the well...
We were so encouraged
this past Sunday when we took a group of 19 up to the church service at the Christian
Rehab in Centinella. We enjoyed the wonderful praise and worship there, and had
sweet fellowship with the saints. They served us refreshments and chicharrónes with chopped cabbage, sour cream and chili.
The kids love it, and it’s a typical snack food in our area. These chicharrónes
are flour-based, fried in oil, and looked like a large, thick, flat piece of
bread.
While talking to Pastor Alejandro and his wife, Veronica, I
found out that they recently had a government inspection and the center is
unable to take in any more men because they need 3 large fire extinguishers.
These are very costly and the ministry is unable to purchase them due to lack
of funds. If this is something you would like to help with, please contact me
by mail, email, text, or by phone. We are praying God provide for this need so
they can continue taking in men who need to be delivered from lives of drug and
alcohol. We confidently proclaim the
scripture for the ministry in Centinella, “But my God shall supply all your
need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. “ Philippians 4:19
Recently, Bill and I went up to Del Rio to check the mail
and do some laundry. While we were at the laundromat, we started talking to a
young woman there. She said she was a preacher’s wife and they were living by
faith, which she found very difficult. I told her what a blessing it has been
to me to trust the Lord, and walk by faith.
We talked for a long time, and she said they were going to
Bakersfield, California on the weekend, to share at a women’s conference there.
Her husband came in and we got to talk to him, too. The woman, Norma, is from, and her husband’s name is Cesar. They live
in Oklahoma but were visiting Norma’s mother who lives in Del Rio.
Norma recently was
hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning and was suffering from depression
from the effects of the incident, her husband told us. I asked her if I could
pray for her and she said yes. Her mother, Maria, was with them at the
Laundromat. Bill and Cesar joined me in prayer for her, and I was crying while
I prayed, knowing how much she was suffering with depression. When I finished
praying, her mother came over and gave me the biggest hug. She said, “Thank
you, thank you so much. That is just what my daughter needed. Thank you!” I was
so touched and felt like God put us right where he wanted us that day,
especially for Norma and Cesar. God is so good.
During the time we have lived in Mexico, we have had many opportunities
to drive friends to and from the Centro de Salud Hospital in Acuña. Often, people ask us for rides to or
from Piedras Negras or Acuña
because there is no public transportation in our area. Last night, we drove Manuelita and Christian to Acuña to catch the bus to Monterey. The doctors there are doing the final tests for Christian to have a kidney transplant, and his father is being tested to see if he is compatible to donate a kidney. Please keep them in your prayers. Christian is only 6 years old, and is a sweet little boy. We pray for God's healing touch on him, and for the doctors to have wisdom.
This has been a challenging
month of mechanical problems on our vehicles. Both the Tundra and the Land
Rover had U-Joints that had to be replaced. When we drove the Tundra up to Del
Rio to pick up the parts we needed, it broke down on the main street there, and
we had to push it to a nearby street, away from traffic. We prayed God would
lead us to where we needed to go to get it repaired. We already had the parts
we had ordered just days before. We walked up the street and asked at several
stores for anyone who knew a good mechanic. In front of a Western Clothing
Store, a welder was working on an out-building and Bill asked if he knew a good
mechanic. The man said he did, and called several people on his cell phone,
most of which were not available. Finally, he got a man who said he’d come look
at the truck.
The man arrived
within a half hour with a tow-truck that said, “Kings Auto Repair.” He said his
name was Cesar Reyes, and he is the owner of the shop. Since he only could take one person in the
vehicle, he took Bill and I walked back to the pickup, about a half-mile away.
I was praying the whole time for God’s provision and when we got to the pickup;
he hooked it up and took it to his shop, saying he would send a man to pick us
up. We waited a long time, and finally, a young man from the mechanic shop
picked us up and took us to the shop. During the time he was alone with Bill,
he shared about his life of drugs, crime and prison, and how he came to know
the Lord and now serves Jesus with his whole heart. He ministers to the
homeless and the alcoholics and drug addicts because of where He was when God
brought him out of the world.
He repaired our
pickup, replacing the U-Joints and welding the Y-bracket that holds the
U-Joint. When we asked how much we owed him for the towing and the repairs, he
said, “Sixty dollars.” I couldn’t believe it! God is so good. That Brother
blessed us so much, and we know God put him in our path as well. He named his
repair shop “Kings” for the King of Glory, and because his last name, Reyes,
means “Kings” in English. God bless Brother Cesar Reyes and his ministry to the
homeless and addicted there in Del Rio.
Once again, I
apologize for the lengthy delay in updating our blog. We keep busy but seldom
have access to the internet. We appreciate your patience and are working on a
solution for this part of the ministry. Communication is difficult here on
nearly every level but we trust the Lord to open the doors for better communications
with our friends and family north of the border.
May you walk with
the King and be a blessing as you bring His light into world. He’s our only
hope, and we have the privilege of sharing His love with the lost and hurting
around us.
We love you and thank
God for each of you. Be encouraged. He wants to use your life for His glory.
Serving Him with
joy,
Toni and Bill
“But none of these things move
me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course
with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify
the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts
20:24
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