We send you greetings with best wishes for the new year from Pharr, TX. We have been away from here almost full time since Dec. 7th. I am presently trying to figure out how to catch up on the mail, get a few more boxes emptied out, and get ready to hit the road again in a couple of weeks. We had a wonderful time in Altamira at the National Association. We went down a week early and got some more work done on the house there. Ruth spoke at the WNAC convention and translated for Brother Gary Fry as he spoke three times to the Mexican National Convention. Over 600 folks attended the Saturday evening and Sunday morning services.
We were back here four days before Christmas then left again on Christmas day for Piedras Negras and some family time before a youth group from Purdy MO arrived for a short ministry visit to the Children’s Home. Monte and family accompanied us as we worked with the group in Piedras Negras. It was a special time having our whole family together for a while. Our grand-daughter Maritza wanted to know how soon we will all be going back. She really enjoyed being at Uncle John’s. We are enjoying having her come over most every day while she is on school vacation. Bud and she have to get at least one good bike ride in every day. He is in training for a walk-a-thon he plans to set up for March or April.
The work in Morelos at the new Getsemani Children’s Home is progressing well. A team came in while we were there and dug and set up the 2nd well. There is an urgent need to get house number one up and running. It just needs water and electricity hooked up, kitchen and bathrooms finished out and furnishings. There is a couple already caring for some children, and there are many more children needing a safe place to go. Please pray for those children who are at risk, and pray for the needed workers to respond to the Spirit’s call to go and help either as house parents or in the building projects.
Meanwhile, we will be off to a mission conference in Alabama January 15th to begin raising funds to open the IBLAC Bible Institute full time in Altamira in September. They finished the last semester with 28 night students. There is a great need to train pastors and workers at a faster pace. Pray for us to have safety of travel and success in our efforts to find churches and individuals who will commit to faithfully underwrite this worthy project; for teachers and students to be obedient to God. Thank you so much for your prayer and support. We can only keep this up because of your faithfulness in giving and prayer.
We send you warm, although hurried, greetings from the Texas border. It is Monday afternoon and I am at least a week behind-nothing new, right? Bud and I had a wonderful trip to Alabama for their annual Missions Conference. During 8 days we were able to speak in 10 different churches, presenting the need of the Bible Institute in Altamira. We visited a couple of churches in Texas on our way, so took good advantage of the trip to see as many people as possible. We were warmly received every where we went. Everyone seemed to feel it was their personal responsibility to feed us and did they ever! I wished that I could have brought some of those wonderful cooks home with me to cook for the teams that come down to work. The response in the churches was most encouraging. We pray that regular support for the Bible Institute will be a result of our trip.
Right now I am hurrying, trying to get mail, laundry and shopping caught up so we will be ready to leave in the morning with a group from Tulsa. We will take them down to Altamira where they plan to do some work, at the Bible Institute. They are bringing some appliances as they come. That will be a real blessing to me and to the students who will be arriving in September. I hope they will be able to get started on a utility room at the house so I can get the tools out of the living room and have a place for the washer and dryer. We are still in the process of moving down, will take another small load as we go. John took down a living room suite for us right after Christmas. We still need to get bed room furniture hauled down. This long distance moving is for the birds. But, then they do travel light don’t they?
I have had all kinds of trouble with my computer and our new internet service. I am sure that part of the problem is the fact that I am so technically challenged. I try to get out an update every couple of weeks, and the last one did not fully arrive to over half of the people on our list. If you hear from us, or not, please know that we deeply need and rely on your faithful prayer. Our new cell phone numbers are:956-607-8377 & 956-607-7783. They will be active in Mexico within a couple of months, that will aid in our accessibility. Thank you for your faithful support.
We greet you in the lovely name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the past few days we have seen Him at work in a wonderful way. On Jan. 31st we left with a team from Woodcrest FWB and Rejoice FWB in OK, and a couple from 1st FWB in Mountain Grove MO. They all worked hard, but I believe they laughed harder. Sister Fela Pacheco and her daughters helped out by preparing lunch for the crew a couple of days and Friday evening Brother Lazaro’s church fed us fresh fried Tilapia for supper.
The men poured the floor and sidewalk for a new laundry/tool storage room at the house; poured a parking pad for Bud’s pickup; and poured the floor in a little building behind the tabernacle where Brother Abelardo will be living. The ladies unpacked boxes for Ruth in the house then varnished dozens of benches in the new tabernacle. Bud was able to take a couple of the men and travel with Brother Mark Cole to the village of Atlapexco on Wednesday. They needed to look over the site where the Mexican National Association has bought a lot to build a church for the mission there. Mark checked out possible housing for a work crew and then came back to the states the next day to begin raising funds to build another wooden church. Several have expressed interest in going. Money and timing are the problems.
Early Saturday Bud gathered up his bag of tricks. He and a couple of the men went with a group that is starting a new mission in the village of Selaya. They visited every house in town and invited people to the service promising them a coffee cup or a ball cap. Attendance has been eight or ten people. That day 62 showed up and four people were saved. Bud is excited about having met four young people who attend the mission services who are interested in studying at the Bible Institute this fall.
Sunday Brother Lynn Wood preached at Brother Lazaro’s church, Ruth translated. We headed back to the border that afternoon. Everyone felt pleased with the work accomplished, moved by the reception of the people and challenged by the task that lies ahead for us to get the Bible Institute open in September. We will be heading out again on the 12th to help John at the orphanage for a couple of weeks.
Our new cell phone numbers are:956-607-8377 & 956-607-7783. They will be active in Mexico within a couple of months, that will aid in our accessibility. Please pray for us when we come to mind. That is truly our greatest need. Thank you for your faithful support.
Greetings from Pharr, Texas. Spring has sprung here, temperatures are in the upper 80s and flowers are blooming out front. We are home again for about a week, airing out the suitcases while we catch up on the mail and get ready to head out again.
The past couple of weeks we have been up in Morelos, Coahuila helping John and Paulina at the new orphanage. Friends from Oklahoma came the first week to hook up the electricity to the clinic and the pump at the well. We made a quick trip to Monterrey for Ruth to speak at a women’s conference at the Rose of Sharon FWB Church where our dear friends Lalo and Elvira Gonzalez work. Then we hurried back to Morelos to help with another group that came in from Johnson City TN. They brought 80 people.
Different teams held four different clinics throughout the week while 50 some builders put up a beautiful kitchen/dining hall. Ruth translated in the dental clinic there and Bud floated around, working here and there, driving a clown to different clinics one day and translating in a hearing clinic another day. On Thursday evening the group assembled to hold a dedication service for the building. It was finished except for the tile floor. Paulina said that when she walked in the door the night before she could see the children seated at tables eating and laughing. There were few dry eyes in the house as John accepted the building from the builders on behalf of the children. For us, getting to be with them and help out for a few days is a sweet, sweet blessing from the Lord. They have a precious ministry and God is blessing there. They ask for us to pray for a cook, "with hands of love."
Here in Pharr Bud is scheduling speaking appointments for the Month of March. We will be traveling all the way to Orlando and hope to speak to as many churches and pastors as we can along the way, going and coming. He is planning his 100 mile "Walk Across Coahuila" for the first week in April to raise money for the orphanage and the Bible Institute. He is looking for sponsors who will pledge something for each mile he walks. If you would like to pledge any amount, please drop us a card or e-mail. inabivens@sbcglobal.net
Please pray for us when we come to mind. That is truly our greatest need. I have a special request. Bud fell and hurt his right shoulder just a few days after Christmas-playing with the grand-girl. It is the same shoulder he hurt in Cuba a couple of years ago and it had only recently returned to full function. It had been improving and he fell on it again last week in Monterrey. Both falls were just silly miss-steps, no other health problem caused them. Please pray for him. He is having a lot of pain. Believe me, the injury has really slowed him down. God bless you richly.
Our cell phone numbers are: 956-607-8377 (Ruth) & 956-607-7783 (Bud). They will be active in Mexico within a couple of months, that will aid in our accessibility.
Greetings from our little house in Pharr, Texas. We are here on a hit and run visit, just time to unpack and re-pack. We came in yesterday about five o'clock, and ran by to get a hug from Diana and Maritza when they came home from school. We had a wonderful trip, drove 4,575 miles, visiting churches, pastors and friends in the states of Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. Ruth had shopped around and found a cheap package for a three day mini-vacation in Orlando. We agreed that we needed it, and thoroughly enjoyed the break.
We visited Southeastern Free Will Baptist College where Brother Howard Ray Gwartney invited Bud to speak to his missions class and Bud was invited to speak in the morning Chapel service. What a surprise to run into a student from Monett Missouri there. The response of the students was quite encouraging.
All in all, the trip proved to be a great success. We visited with old friends and folks who have supported us over the years, and made a lot of new friends. We trust that in years to come the seed planted will bear much fruit. People who have learned more about the work in Mexico will pray with greater understanding and interest. Then, as the Lord leads, they will follow up on those prayers with visits to the field and regular support for the Bible Institute and the orphanage.
Today Ruth is unpacking and re-packing while she writes menus and shopping lists for a week in the desert without electricity or refrigeration. We plan to leave here on Saturday and head for Piedras Negras where we will meet Brother Danny Phillips. From there we will get the visas and permits required to go into Mexico and set off for our 100 mile Walk Across Coahuila. We have been walking and training, preparing for this event for quite a while. Anything raised will be split 50-50 between the Institute and the Getsemani Children's Home. We hope to raise enough money to have the $5,000 needed to re-open the Altamira Bible Institute with full time classes in September and have a generous gift for the orphange. John reports that the construction is coming along well, and they have already started receiving children in the first house. Three little girls, 11 months to 3 years old have been placed with Jorge and Andrea and their two little girls. Please pray for other dedicated house parents to answer the call to come and care for the children who will eventually live in the other four homes.
Thank you for your faithful support. Please pray for us when we come to mind.We depend on your prayer.
Greetings from Pharr Texas where I am emptying suitcases again in order to repack again. In the past month we have put lots of miles behind us and worn considerable tread off of our walking shoes. The Lord has been with us and we have experienced His sweet presence, blessings and protection.
I am glad to report that the Walk Across Coahuila is behind us too. After a lot of discussion we all agreed that if the fellows walked in the frontier zone they could still walk their 100 miles in Coahuila. Bud and I could stay in the RV right where it is parked-with hookups, and there is even a guest house where Danny could stay. By the time it was over we were all glad we had made that decision.
April 4 th came. Bud picked up Brother Danny Phillipa in Eagle Pass at seven a.m. By ten o'clock that morning I dropped them off to begin their walk along the right of way of Mexican Highway 2. That first day they walked 19.97 miles. That night Bud thought he had a sticker in his foot. I checked and found the first blister. Day after day I dropped them off at 7 a.m., met them at 10 or so with lawn chairs and snacks, plenty of water and GatorAde. The early morning cloud cover burned off well before noon and the sun was hot. I picked them up for lunch each day. Then we found a place for them to rest in the shade until the heat of the day had passed before they started walking again. They walked on the highway right of way to Guerrero, to Morelos, to Allende, to Zaragosa, and country roads to the village of Tio Pio and a couple of ranches. One evening presented a wonderful opportunity to witness to a new friend. At about 2:30 Saturday afternoon they stopped and calculated that they had walked over 100 miles, so they heaved a sigh of relief and called it good.
So, they really did it. Bud and Danny Phillips walked 100 miles in Coahuila Mexico. It is all over but the recovery. Bud was a little disappointed that the blisters out numbered the rattlesnakes. This morning Bud and I were both a little slow about rolling out of bed, and it will take a few days for his feet to be as good as new again. He is already making plans for next year.
Now, after his "step" of faith, we are trusting that all of those who expressed an interest in pledging support for the Walk Across Coahuila will respond. And we pray that there will be enough money for the $5,000 start up costs at the Bible Institute and a generous gift for the children's home. Send donations to Rainbow Ministries Tu Projimo, PO Box 681 Pharr, TX 78577. Be sure to mark it "Walk-A-Thon".
Construction at the children's home is moving rapidly. House # 1 is occupied, houses #2, #3 & #4 are up and #3 should be ready to use soon. The others need finish work on the inside. House #5 is scheduled for construction in September. There are three small girls in house #1 with Jorge and Andrea and their own two little girls. Paulina received word Monday that six more children are being processed for placement in the next few days. Pray for house parents for the other houses. This is an urgent need, and they have to be specially called of the Lord to do this work.
We will be leaving early next week for Altamira. Brother Jimmy Hardesty, Brother Curtis Linton, and a friend of theirs from North Carolina will be flying in Tuesday. Ruth will be speaking at the Mexican WNAC (Women Nationally Active for Christ) Retreat April 21st and 22nd. Bud was involved in an accident in Eagle Pass on Saturday, we had to leave our pickup in the body shop there and borrow a van from John. Then today he was driving our little Toyota and a huge truck pulled right into him-didn't see him at all. Fortunately he was not hurt in either of the accidents, but we can see that Satan is on the war path and Bud's guardian angels are working over time. This has been a blow to his ego, he had been driving 50 years* without a single fender bender until now. So, do remember to pray for us as we travel. God bless you. Ruth
*Webmaster note: the "50 years without a single fender bender" is NOT a typographical error or an exaggeration. That is 50 (fifty) actual people years.
Greetings from my little house in Pharr, Tx. Bud and I just came in last night from 12 days away-in Morelos, Coahuila with a team of builders from Conway, SC; then a quick trip to SE Oklahoma with Paulina where we all spoke-in five different churches- in a mission conference in the Kiamichi Association; a short sweet visit with Ruth’s mother Mrs. Willie Gage out east of Pryor; headed back toward the boarder Tuesday; met John between Waco and Austin and let him have Paulina; they headed back to Oklahoma to pick up a commercial stove for the Getsemani Children’s Home purchased by dear friends in Stilwell; while "Grandfather" and I hurried back to Piedras Negras to take care of John and Paulina’s 5 teenagers until they got home Thursday. We had to head back this way a few hours before they arrived, but we were in pretty constant touch by phone and everything was under control.
We will be heading out ASAP today to Altamira, then on to Atlapezca for a quarterly meeting tomorrow. I am taking a few minutes this morning to let the dust settle while I check mail and re-pack.
It has truly been a busy time, but the Lord has shown Himself faithful in so many ways. The Conway crew built a large dormitory on the orphanage campus to house visiting groups. They left it in the dry after only three days of building time. The conference in Kiamichi association blessed our hearts as we made contact with dear friends and made many new ones. Paulina and Ruth had to go one direction and Bud another on Sunday, but that way we were able to reach more churches. The response was tremendous. I am confident that we have many new prayer warriors as a result of the trip. The offerings surprised, blessed and humbled us. And, I feel sure that there will be people visit the field who never would have given it a thought before our visit.
With those gifts and the Walk-A-Thon offerings John will have funds to finish the interior of a couple of the houses that are urgently needed at the children’s home, and we will have the start up funds for the Bible Institute. Please pray with us for consistent monthly support to supply the on-going expenses of running a school. Pray for teachers and staff, and for the Lord to call out the students who should be there preparing for a life time of service. And, Please don’t forget to pray for us. We couldn’t make it without your prayer.
God bless you in your field of labor. Thank you for your continued prayer and faithful support.
Update Tuesday 6-6-06
Is June busting out all over at your house? As we run back and forth from Altamira to the border, it is hard to tell June from any other desert month. Brother Lazaro keeps reminding us that June is the beginning of hurricane season. For people on the Gulf coast, storm season translates into rainy season. Although Altamira’s rainy season looks nothing like other rainy seasons we have known. Rain storms pop up suddenly and disappear just as quickly. A week ago Saturday night we listened to the most remarkable electrical storm with thunder that rolled for several minutes. And, it didn’t rain a drop at IBLAC. Then last Tuesday, as we were getting loaded to head back to Pharr, we experienced a real down pour. Before it quit we were met with another surprise. The roof of the house leaks badly and water poured under the upstairs windows. We were forced to move things up off of the floor, mop up, and leave everything just like that. With all that rain the ground on the campus is still riddled with cracks.
Since our last update we have made two quick runs to Altamira. On the 19th we drove down to attend the Huasteca District meeting in the village of Atlapezca. We attended two different services that Sunday and then on Monday met with the Bible Institute committee. We headed back the next day. On the 28th we made another trip back to Altamira, this time to meet with the committee again and to take the bed. We are working out details for the opening of full time classes on Aug. 28th. We have been praying and working toward that end together with the committee for several months now. Please join us in this prayer: for the Lord to call out the laborers needed to accomplish His purpose in Mexico. At the Bible Institute we need the right administration, the right faculty, the right students, the right cook, and the right amount of financial support. We all know that the Lord has it all figured out. Are you a part of the equation? Yes, you are. Please pray about exactly what your role is.
As usual, we had to hurry back to the border and get ready for another trip. Bud headed out for Missouri on June 2nd. We are busy getting ready for the E-TEAM’s arrival in Altamira on June 14th. They will be with us until the 28th. We have a lot of exciting things planned. Please pray for this to be a live changing event for all. And Please don’t forget to pray for us. We couldn’t make it without your prayer. Thank you for your continued prayer and faithful support.
Greetings from a hot and dry Pharr, Texas. We just pulled in last night from a quick trip to Oklahoma. We are shifting gears this morning, headed for Altamira tomorrow.
In spite of the drought here it almost feels like we have been running through mud up to our knees. In the past nine days we bought a car to take to Mexico to use there; the timer on the microwave oven developed the hiccoughs and adding minutes instead of counting down-burning several items and filling the kitchen with smoke; we had two cars-the Mexican car and my little Olds- completely break down, both had to be towed and are in the shop now; the washing machine quit. We loaded our travel car, the 97 Toyota, and headed north on Thursday. On that trip the handle inside the driver’s door broke; we had a blow out on I-40 and discovered that the lug wrench is missing; the power converter that I use to charge my lap top computer in the car burned out so I was unable to get needed writing done on the road. Without the power converter our little satellite radio went dead after about five hours and we had to listen to country music the rest of the trip. But, we had wonderful services in Oklahoma; were able to speak to two different Sunday School classes plus speak in two worship services; received some outstanding offerings; spent sweet time with Ruth’s family; visited with some precious friends; and the Lord sent us an angel on I-40 who had enough tools for a pit crew in his truck-even a generator and an air compressor. We bought two new tires in McAlester and made it home, safe, last night at mid-night.
This is a new day. We both have a long list of things to do today, and we are full of hope. We plan to load up and head south in the morning to get ready for the new semester.
The IBLAC Bible Institute in Altamira will open August 28th. Our student from Oklahoma is on the road, headed this way, as I write. We will not know for sure how many students we will have until the 28th, but we have commitments from three couples and three single men at this time. We are still in need of regular monthly support for the institute, and until everyone gets there will not know exactly what our monthly budget will be. Please keep those needs in your prayer. Pray for these young people who are leaving everything behind to come and study; pray for them as they adjust to life on campus; pray for all of us as we "go back to school." This will be a new experience for all of us. Bud and I will be teaching but have a lot of travel commitments as well. Thank you for your prayer and support. We rely on your prayer daily and, we pray the Lord’s blessings on you as you serve Him in your own mission field. Ruth
Dear Friends and faithful supporters, I trust that all is well at your house as you get ready for summer. We are just getting our suitcases aired out after another series of successful trips before we load up and head out again. We left here on the 20th for Altamira. I spoke at the Mexican National Women's Retreat in the Tabernacle on the Bible Institute campus the 21st and 22nd. Then I stayed there while Bud came back to the border to pick up Jack Montooth and Mark Steeves. Jack was determined to finish up the work on the kitchen cabinets in the house.
They did a wonderful job, wrapped that project up in one day and did a list of other little odd jobs to boot. Mice had invaded the cabinets and made a terrible mess in everything so, while Bud took them on a tour of Tampico and area churches, Juana helped me clean up and put everything away. What a relief to have that job done. We made it back to the border on the 29th just in time for the fellows to get checked in for their flight back to Tulsa.
Now we are getting ready to head out to Morelos again on the 6th for a few days before a trip to Oklahoma. A group is coming in from Conway SC to build a dormitory where visiting groups can stay there on the property. May, June and July are going to be busy months with activities scattered in several directions. We will be hosting an E-TEAM June 14-28. Twelve high school kids from throughout the US. We would appreciate your prayer for them as they travel, and for eternal results for their effort.
We continue to work, trying to raise funds for the startup of the Bible Institute in September, and seeking out prospective students too. We need to visit each of the Mexican churches and visit personally with each of the young people. Some have expressed an interest. Pray. Please pray with us that the faculty, staff, and students that the Lord Himself has selected will be present and accounted for on day one. As I look at the calendar I just pray that we can keep all of our appointments this summer with energy to spare to do something when we get there.
Donations are beginning to come in in response to Bud's having walked 100 miles in Coahuila. If you are interested in making a donation toward the Walk Across Coahuila, send donations to Rainbow Ministries Tu Projimo, PO Box 681 Pharr, TX 78577. Be sure to mark it "Walk-a-thon." Gifts will be divided between the the Bible Institute in Altamira and the Getsemani Children's Home in Morelos. Please don't forget to pray for us. We couldn't make it without your prayer.
Dear Friends, Prayer Warriors, and Partners in the Project,
It has been a whole month since we sent out an update. July went by with such a rush of activities that it left us worn out and breathless.
After the E-TEAM left at the end of June we managed a few days at home before hitting the road again. July 9th we drove up to Morelos to spend a few days with John and Paulina and a wonderful group of folks from our "home church" Woodcrest FWB in Catoosa. OK. From there we drove to Austin TX and picked up Brother Inocente Pacheco and his wife Fela and traveled with them to Birmingham for the National Association.
As usual, it was worth the trip. The singing groups, soloists, choirs and orchestra brought Heaven down. The pulpits were filled by men of God who challenged our hearts to greater dedication and outreach. We saw friends and loved ones-people we feel such a bond with and convention is the only time in the year when we have the opportunity to visit. And, we met lots of new folks and made many new friends.
We hurried back to the border, just long enough to dump the suitcase and head south with three young people and their sponsor from Conway MO. They came to attend the Mexican National Youth Camp and were able to stay over for the first couple of days of the National Convention. The first service of the Mexican National Convention had over 600 people, a new record. On Friday Morning the 28th we received word that Bud’s brother, Tinker, had passed away. We took care of arrangements by phone and stayed in Altamira until after I finished speaking at the WNAC convention on Saturday. Fortunately Brother Jerry Barron was there and could take over my job as translator for Brother Keith Burden, the convention speaker.
We left Pharr early Sunday morning and reached Healdton that night. Monte and his family followed later that day and were able to be with us until Tuesday morning. It was a very sad time. We can only hope that our dear little brother made his peace with the Lord. Only 57 years of age, his death was due to chronic alcoholism. We had tried to reach out to him over the years with no visible results.
So, July is gone. August has hit with a heat wave and lots of high expectations. The IBLAC Bible Institute in Altamira will open August 28th. We have confirmation from one young lady in OK who will be coming down to study for at least a year. Several young people and two or three couples in Mexico are also praying and making plans. Please keep that project before the Lord. Thank you for your prayer and support. We rely on your prayer daily and were even more aware of them these past few days. God bless you, Ruth
Update Saturday 9-2-06
Greetings from Pharr. We just blew in last night in a hurry, to do a quick turn around and head back Sunday afternoon. As usual, we came with a list as long as your arm of things to pick up, pack up, and haul back. We will be taking a young friend back with us for a short visit.
We are excited to let you know that school has started! We have our first week of classes under our belts and, all is going well. We have eight students during the day classes, six of them are what we call "internal" or students who live there. Two live in Altamira and are staying at their homes. Everyone is encouraged with this number of students for the re-opening of the Bible Institute with full time courses. Brother Lazaro de la Rosa was delighted to announce that the Bible Institute had become an international school with the enrollment of Danelle Robertson from Catoosa, Oklahoma.
This has been particularly meaningful to us too because her grand-father was one of Bud’s best friends. They made many trips to Mexico together. Churches and orphanages all over the area have bathrooms with fixtures donated by Brother Wesley Robertson.
I did not get the final count of the evening students but there are around 30 attending the Tuesday & Thursday evening classes. And, on Saturdays the men are studying "talleres" skills that will enable them to get jobs when they finish their course of study at the institute. Different laymen and pastors with special jobs are teaching this class. This week Brother Ruben Badillo is teaching welding.
The Lord has provided the students, the teachers and a wonderful cook. All of these are specific answers to specific prayer. Now, we have more specific prayer requests. Please pray for the students as they adjust to life a long ways from their friends and families. Pray especially for the married couple who left their home and up-rooted their little 9 year old boy to come live in one room together and study.
As usual, we have a busy schedule. Ruth will be coming back to the border on the bus on the 12th to fly to St Louis for the Missouri State Retreat, then travel with the Missouri ladies to North Carolina for the National WNAC Retreat. Bud will meet her back in Missouri for a mission conference with the Liberty District. He will be traveling from Altamira to Missouri alone. Each time we get in a car we are aware of the risk that involves-long hours behind the wheel, and watching out for the other drivers who might not have all their wits about them. And, it is always a concern to us when we are traveling solo. Do make that a matter of special prayer. We rely on your prayer daily and, we pray the Lord’s blessings on you as you serve Him in your own mission field. Ruth
We send you balmy greetings from a little cyber shop across the highway from our house on the Bible Institute campus in Altamira, Tamaulipas , Mexico . I am working on a Spanish keyboard and at times it does not agree with me, but, we are anxious to get in touch with everyone after such a long absence. In the month of December no monthly news letter goes out, so that makes getting the news out even harder.
Here we are, it is our last week of class before the end of our first semester at IBLAC. We have seen such wonderful changes in our students and God has blessed spiritually and financially. Every time there has been a need, it has been met. We have seen shy, quiet students come out of their shell and get excited about talking to people about the Lord. In Speech class it has been a delight to see the improvement from the beginning of the term until now in each and every one. Several of the students have been going out to the two missions in remote villages on Saturdays to help with ministry there.
We had a precious time of blessing this past week when Brother Danny Phillips from the Airport church in Tulsa came for a conference on prayer. He spoke over two hours to the students each morning and then brought a different message each night in the tabernacle for the pastors and members of their churches who could attend. Around 130 came in spite of the coldest weather they have had here in 10 years-temperatures down to 52 degrees with drizzling rain. Of course the houses do not have heat and few are equipped with winter clothing. So, that is cold.
Brother Jimmy Hardesty flew to the border from Tulsa and came on down to Altamira by bus on Tuesday. It was good to have him visit too. In years past he came frequently but had not been here in nine years. Everyone really enjoyed him and his music.
After such a sweet time of blessing, Satan is on the war path attacking our students right at this critical time. We are making battle as Brother Danny taught us, with specific prayer. Please join us in prayer as we wrap up finals week and everyone sets off for their home churches.
We received a call from the Happy Home Church in Andrews SC. They are donating a 15 passenger van to the institute. That is something that we have desperately needed, especially during this bad weather. It will open up more possibilities for the students to serve. Bud is plotting how he can get it from there to here. We are all rejoicing in this wonderful blessing.
The students will be heading out for home on Friday and we expect a group from Houston to arrive Thursday night to take gifts out to the Mano con Mano mission. We will start back to the border Sunday after morning worship if all goes as planned. Classes for the next semester will begin Jan. 22, 07.
John called me this morning to tell me their latest news. They have contacted the district judge in the Morelos area about the situation with the social worker in Morelos not placing children in the orphanage. The judge is over the Department of Family, and he told them that he has the authority to place children and will do so. He had a list of families with children in need of being removed to a safe place. John had told me that on Saturday. Today he called to say that over the week end the judge placed two babies in the home in Morelos with Jorge and Andrea. One is two months old and the other is 15 months old. When he called he was happily buying diapers. Through this experience God has confirmed to their hearts that He is the one in control. They continue to pray for the Social Worker to be replaced. This problem does not exist in any other district they have contacted, so it is surely just a personal problem with this particular lady-and not aimed at John and Paulina, but all five of the homes in that Piedras Negras, Morelos area. John said that they are still praying about the possibility of opening one or two of the houses for the elderly who are also at risk and in desperate need of care. They still have plans to build one more house there on the property.
He also asked us to continue to pray about a particular piece of property in Piedras Negras not far from their house. They have recently received custody of two more children in their own home and he said,< We are maxed out.> If they could acquire this property they would have room to build a house for them, and apartments for their older children who need to begin living independently-but close enough to have some supervision.
Please do keep us in your prayer-for wisdom, health and strength, and safety of travel. God bless you richly during this holiday time. We love you and rely on your faithful prayer. Ruth
We send you greetings with best wishes for the new year from Pharr, TX. We have been away from here almost full time since Dec. 7th. I am presently trying to figure out how to catch up on the mail, get a few more boxes emptied out, and get ready to hit the road again in a couple of weeks. We had a wonderful time in Altamira at the National Association. We went down a week early and got some more work done on the house there. Ruth spoke at the WNAC convention and translated for Brother Gary Fry as he spoke three times to the Mexican National Convention. Over 600 folks attended the Saturday evening and Sunday morning services. 