Early this morning, as I was praying for my daughter and her
husband, praying for God to protect them when they travel around Sacramento on
their motorcycle, I was suddenly gripped by fear at the thought. Immediately, I
felt God’s peace come over me, realizing how my friends and family feel about
me living in Mexico, in an area the media describes as dangerous and infested
with drug lords and criminals.
I realized then, (as I’m sure I have on numerous occasions) that
our faith in God often depends on our point of view and our personal
experience.
I doubt my daughter is afraid to ride the motorcycle with
her hubby. I am certainly not living in fear in Mexico, serving among people I
know and love here, and many I haven’t had the chance to meet yet.
Isaiah 59:1 says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened
that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.”
This week my granddaughter, Abigail, fell and broke her
collar bone and had a concussion. She is healing slowly but I thank God for His
protecting her from a worse injury. I wish I could have been there to prevent
her from her injury, but I am sure that I couldn’t have prevented it from
happening, any more that my son could. Sometimes things just happen that we can’t
prevent. I love my children and grandchildren, and I know God loves them even
more than I do.
God is good, and I am so grateful for His loving care of my
family. He is able to post warrior angels around my children and He is fully
able to keep me and my husband safe here in Tepeyac and the surrounding
communities we visit. He has kept us safe inside prison walls for all these
years we’ve shared the gospel there in Texas and now below the border. When I
think of all the things God is doing that I am not even aware of at any given
moment, I am so in awe of His loving kindness towards me.
We have put many, many miles on the Toyota pickup I use for
ministry here over the nearly two years since it was given to us. During that
time we’ve purchased several used tires. The tires we have right now are getting
so full of patches, one is nearly bald and the spare has two big bubbles on it.
But in my mind’s eye, I picture God’s angels holding the tires together,
fingers in the holes like the story of the little boy with his finger in the
dike, preventing the water from flowing out of it. When I had one of my tires repaired again this week, the man at the tire
shop in San Carlos took one patch off and put two more on top of the one that
was holding the air in the tire with a hole in it, the size of my thumb. So
three patches and one angel are protecting us. How good is my God! I pray we
will be able to buy some good used tires pretty soon, but I believe, by God’s
loving grace, that until that day comes, His angels work as hard as they can to
keep us on the road, taking people to the doctor, hospitals and everywhere they
need to go when they ask me for a ride.
Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
When we went across the border yesterday, I had the
opportunity to talk to a wonderful friend in Canada. For some reason, God put
us on her heart and she sent us a gift. I was overwhelmed at God’s heart for us
and how He put us on our friend’s heart to share what He had blessed them with.
I am often in wonder at why He would love me so much. I fail to be the transformed woman of God I strive to be.
With tears flowing now, I am acutely aware that He’s never forgotten our needs
and He is always on time. Why He loves us so much, I’ll never know. But I am so
blessed to be here serving Him and loving Him and His people. When I see how
much He has done over these many years of my life, I am unable to thank Him
enough. How could He take a wretched person like me and use me for anything of
value to His kingdom? I pray my life brings Him Glory.
Thank you for your encouragement, comments, cards and
support for us. We are so grateful for each of you and we pray God is doing a
new thing in your life as you serve the Risen Savior. He is our reason for
living, and we pray He will use you in your sphere of influence to bring the
love of Christ to the lost.
In awe of His faithfulness, Toni and Bill
Bill with the young man DIF brought from the streets of Nava.
He's unable to communicate but is slowly adjusting to life in Centinella.
