Home Sweet Home
As you can see, we didn't exactly come straight home and crash. The girls weren't about to miss out on the candy-fest that is trick-or-treating, so we went from airport to home to grandma's for a short hour of candy collecting.
I am so thankful for the extra hour of sleep we got that night. I slept 12 hours straight and we had to wake Channing up for Sunday School.
It's Monday and the laundry is almost folded and put away (the girls are working on that now). I have been more behind other weeks, so I feel great! I'm even almost caught up with e-mail. Wow! It sure was nice to have Justin home to take care of all the mail, phone messages, etc. that pile up when you're gone.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Right now, we're scheduled to present about our amazing trip on November 15th at 9:50am at Ustick during the Sunday School Hour.
Blessings,
Lorna
Final Day
Hi all,
I have about 6 or 7 minutes at the airport to type. We're in Salt Lake now. Internet was down at House of Cornelius last night, so no update until now.
Yesterday was a great way to end the week, although we didn't get back to the HoC until 9pm and still had to eat, clean, pack, shower, and debrief. CRAZY!!!!
Loved walking around the Colonia with our adopted team member, Daniel. He is great! We had a lot of fun. Of course, one of our favorites was the half mechanic, half beauty shop, husband/wife duo.
Our last part of the day was gifting the quilt to Hermana Erika who is due on November 15th. She was very blessed.
I have another story about meeting all "four soils" in one hour, sequentially from hard/rocky, to fertile and ready. It was quite the journey. Remind me to share it with you, but for now, I'm signing off to line up and board!
God Bless.
Our updates will be much less frequent now that we are home, but I will try to update occasionally.
Thursday - a nice day
Well, we started with a bus that wouldn't start, followed by a slow border crossing, and yet, the day was good again. A little cold. OK, I'm lying . . . a LOT cold, even by Idaho standards. By Texas/Mexico standards, it's really cold. I was wearing leggings, three coats, a headband and gloves and was still cold most of the day. I looked like I was going to go snow skiing in a skirt.
It was a mellow day. We went "door" to "door" calling out, knocking, and inviting everyone to the Bible Club. Food, music, teaching, games, etc. Channing and I were invited into one family's home and had a chance to share with them. It was a neat experience.
The AWANA games, music, puppets, and balloons all went great. The kids loved their balloon "swords of the Spirit" and "Helmets of Salvation." We had a lot of great balloon battles. The food was well received and the people were very hungry. We served hot dogs, an apple, animal crackers, and drinks.
Of special note today, Antonio, a young man with autism, came through our line very cold and very hungry. Shelley found him a coat that had been given and he ate three meals. His mother came up to thank us for lending him the coat today, but wanted to know who he should return it to. When she realized it was a gift for him to keep, she was overwhelmed with gratitude.
The women's meeting went well, although I wasn't there. Apparently 6 or 7 women became a part of God's family today. Gloria a Dios!!!
Charise played, led songs, and got to be the Armor of God model. Channing played her violin, helped me share the wordless book, and proceeded to share it with at least 10 others one-on-one. I led songs, voiced José in the puppet show, shared the giant wordless book with the kids, and avoided the balloons like the plague. :) All three of us got to serve food today.
Almost midnight and I need some sleep.
-Lorna
Comedor at Brother Ray's
Today was a difficult day for me. It started off really rough for me this morning. Lotsa reasons, but I was not in the mood for ministry today. It was cold, raining, and windy and I forgot to bring my coat too. Just one more thing . . .
But, God is faithful. In the midst of the chaos, and I mean CHAOS! people were blessed, fed, and saved eternally. Brother Ray's widow, Jenny, runs the comedor (soup kitchen) on Wednesdays. Today, Brother Lorenzo shared with us. He lives in the worst part of Juarez and has death threats almost daily. Needless to say, not a few on our team were nervous.
I was able to talk with a gentlemen, named Jesus, and shared the Gospel and showed him where to find a lot of verses in his new Bible. I led him to the Lord in Spanish, only to discover that he spoke very good English. :) We had a good laugh over that.
We prayed, shared, and ate. Here are a few pictures.
Blessings,
Lorna
Amazing Day
If you refuse to believe in miracles, you would have to do a lot of explaining to convince me today. God does answer prayer!
The day started a little rough. We sat for an extra hour trying to get into Mexico, waiting behind another bus that was being thoroughly searched. We had to adjust our plan a little, to line up with God's.
We picked up the children and they were so excited to be on our VERY crowded bus. Two miles down the road, we made it to The Agua Vida (Living Water) Home for Elderly Men. One man, Salvador, wept when we came to visit. He is so lonely and was very blessed to see us. I cannot put into words how amazing this day was.
First of all, you need to understand that in Mexico, families take care of their elderly and respect them very much. So these men are actually orphans, with no family left to take care of them. They have found a family here. Frank (Francesco), has only been there three weeks. He is 92. Charise shared her heart and shared the Gospel with him. Daniel, interpreted for her and followed up. This man was welcomed into the Kingdom of God through a child! Afterward, he had a physical, and he is being so well cared for.
But, the miracle, was Luis. Yesterday, he was not at the children's home. I really missed him. He was my bud in March. So much has changed for him in six short months. His mother was released from prison and took him from the home where he has been for six years. It has not been good. Cesia, myself, and many others have been praying that God would intervene. Last night, Luis' mother gave him back up to be at the children's home, "forever." It is a long story, but he was there today. There is some major healing needed in his life. Keep praying!
When we took the children home, Channing and Charise cried and cried while waving goodbye. It was painful, but so sweet. We had to wave goodbye for a long time, because just as we were ready to leave, a child fell and needed medical attention from our resident nurse, Stacy. We were out of butterfly bandages and none of the first aid kits had antibiotic ointment. But my little girl Channing, had her first aid kit in her backpack and just "happened to have" the antibiotic ointment.
I have so much more to share, but it is curfew and I am tired. Good night!
What a Day!
Wow! Hope you have a chance to check out the pictures. I tried to limit them to 10, but just couldn't narrow it down today.
Thanks for praying for "Jose." I did a pretty good job. Charise had fun getting to play with her friends and helping out. She did a great job with the microphone, leading music with me.
Channing hit the ground running and went straight away to sharing the wordless book. In her first conversation, she led a woman to the Lord, who later called her over to share the gospel with some more young boys. It was very exciting. She did have a few tears when she thought that Daisy had left without hearing the story. But, Daisy got to hear it!
It was so good to reconnect with Cesia. Mama Lupe and Cesia both welcomed me like family. It was wonderful. Gerzon, was very excited to receive the violins for teaching music to the children.
Please, comment or ask questions if there is anything you want to know that I am not covering. I am very tired by the time I get to the updates.
Oh yeah, the weather was beautiful! Cold for Texans and Mexicans, but quite a pleasant fall day for the Idahoans. The border crossings went smoothly, both ways, although we were an hour later home than expected . . . no surprise really.
Please pray for tomorrow. We will be picking up the children and taking them with us to teach them how to share Jesus with the men at the elderly men's facility. Should be interesting fitting us all on the bus.
Signing Off,
Lorna
Preparation Day
A super-busy day for the team! We went to church this morning at Del Sol in El Paso.
At our training, we picked our adjectives today. These are the words we choose to describe what we want God to teach us during the week, or why we came to Juarez. I chose the adjective, "encouraging." Channing chose "praying," and Charise chose "friendly."
Then, we practiced the games, some music and the puppet show. I must confess that I make a pretty lousy "Jose." Yes, I am the voice for Jose and it is a good thing that the puppet show is a comedy.
As you can see from the pictures, we really suffer at the House of Cornelius.
The junior staffers are awesome and oh-so-helpful. Many of the same ones returned to be here for our team specifically, since they were a part of our March team. It is good to see them again.
Oh yes, and we started the fun of "Angels and Mortals" today too. The girls were really anxious to start this one. Basically, it is like a "secret sister/brother" type of thing, where you secretly bless your mortal, and your angel secretly blesses you. At the end of the week, we have a time of revealing and it is always a good time.
Well, I'm going to sign off and try to get a long night's sleep. Maybe even 9 hours? If that happens, it will be the only night this week . . . guaranteed.
Tomorrow we are planning to go to the Children's Home and reconnect with the friends we met in March. Please pray that we are able to get across the border, that we will all stay healthy, and that God will show Himself in a mighty way. If you think about it, you could pray for "Jose's" accent and pronunciation too.
We Made IT!!!!
We made it to the House of Cornelius in Fabens, TX. Not only that, but I figured out the internet, Justin's laptop, and uploaded the pictures before midnight. Now I'm going to bed.
The hardest part of the trip was sitting on the plane in Las Vegas, knowing how close we were to my sister. All our luggage made it, we are all healthy, and everyone but me is now in bed.
Thank you for your prayers!
This is the Day
With mixed feelings, I write today's entry. It's four in the morning and I've been up for a an hour or two, but I'll go back to bed soon . . . so don't you worry.
This afternoon, we will depart for El Paso, TX for another mission trip to Juarez. We are very excited, even though we will miss Justin, who is not going with us this time.
However, today is also my dad's 3rd "Heaven Birthday," and the memory of that day will never be "good." As life goes, we project it out linearly, assuming that it will pretty much continue as it always has, and that our plans will become reality. Today will be like yesterday and tomorrow will be like today. But every so often, there is a major discontinuity, that changes everything. On this day, three years ago, our family was changed more than we every could have imagined. We have experienced shock, grief, and major re-adjustments. Our faith has been tried and tested, yet God has been proven faithful and gracious.
So, when I am tempted to believe the lie that "I'll never see my dad again," I proclaim the truth from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. "We do not want you to be uninformed . . . so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. . . . for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then, we who are alive and remain, will be caught up together with them . . . and so we shall always be with the Lord. . . . comfort one another with these words." And that is truth. The truth does indeed set you free.
God Bless,
Lorna
Team Juarez II Ready to Go
We had our last meeting yesterday. Details are all coming together. We're just about ready for an amazing journey with the Lord. Can't wait to see what He is going to do. Here's our plan, but my guess is that God has a bigger and better one in mind. :)
Saturday - Fly to El Paso.
Sunday - prayer, prep, church, and training
Monday - visit the Children's Home; bringing food, school supplies, a coat for Mamá Lupe, instruments, socks, gloves and hats. We've planned a children's Bible Club.
Tuesday - Return to the Children's Home, pick up the children, and go to an elderly men's facility. This will give the children an opportunity to minister alongside of us.
Wednesday - Share food, music, children's lessons, and the love of Jesus at Brother Ray's "feeding center."
Thursday & Friday - Loma Blanca Colonia. We've planned sports games with the children, a Bible Club, Men's and Women's ministries, and visiting face-to-face and one-on-one.
Saturday - Travel home
Keep up with the day by day progress, praises, and prayer requests here, and at http://ustickbaptist.org/ministries/missions/
Extra Spot Available - Successful Fundraiser
Today was our church fundraiser for the Juarez trip. It went really well, but I know there are still team members who have not yet raised all of their support, so if you feel led to give, please let me know.
On that note, one of our college-aged team members is not going to be able to go with us. The plane ticket is already purchased. So, if there is someone out there who would like to join our team at this late date, let me know that too. The total cost would be about $600 plus the cost of transferring the ticket to your name (the cost of a rushed passport would be additional if you do not have one). We'd have to get a move on the paperwork ASAP, but it is not impossible.
Thank you all for your prayers and support!
Miracle Report from Juarez
In mid-August I received a "cry for help" from Cesia through e-mail. She is one of the family members who runs the Children's Home in Juarez. Eliam, her sister was very sick, and because she is the primary wage-earner, the pantry was empty and the children were hungry.
I contacted IFM and they sent someone to check on her. Long story short, it was really bad. Eliam was in the hospital for over a week, her kidney appeared to be failing, they had no food, no money, etc. A few who heard of the need sent some emergency aid. Eliam is now back home! On Sept. 21, I received this note from Cesia.
"We thank God, for Eliam is a miracle of God. She has been well, so much so, that it seems as if nothing ever happened. We did not have the wherewithal to pay them, the miracles of God's provision, not from the strength of one, and having to do with all of your prayers for her. We are so very thankful. The children send their greetings and we wish that the Lord will continue to bless you all very much." (translated the best I can)
The Children's Home
Why are we returning to Juarez?
Truly our hearts are with the family at the Children's Home. A widow, Mama Lupe, and her four adult children; Gerzom, Cesia, Eliam, and Libni, run this home. They started a women's prison ministry and it grew to a children's home.
How did this happen? Well, in Mexico, when a mother goes to jail, her children go with her. So as they ministered to the women, it was apparent that the children really needed to have a safe and loving place to go.
Charise made friends with Esperanza and Valia; Channing befriended Deysi and Jessica; and Cesia and I have been sending e-mails since April - we are like kindred spirits. It was no accident that God brought us together. We are excited to be able to reconnect with these new friends of ours and help in any way we can.
A few Pictures
They aren't the greatest, but here are a few pictures of some special times in Juarez. I tried to label the days. I didn't get any good shoe pictures on my camera, so I'll have to wait to post some of those. God is SO good! Hosanna!
The girls and I are in Las Vegas now. We'll be heading through Utah on Monday with hopes to be home by Wednesday.
Home Safely
Most of the team is home in Boise now, safe and sound.
Calvin and Cameron Zito are in Dallas until tomorrow and Cameron was very sick yesterday, throwing up, so please pray for him. That is a definite joy-robber.
We haven't heard from the Russell and Sarah yet to know if they made it to Spokane. We heard them being called for their flight when we arrived at the airport, so we're waiting to hear.
Lorna, Channing, and Charise made it safely to Long Beach and after 12 hours of sleep are still feeling a little sleepy. But, we're having a great visit with Aunt Karen and Uncle Dick.
Justin is currently on the road and passed Tahoe, CA about an hour ago on his way to Long Beach. Pray for his safety and for clear passes.
You can really help your friends and family by really letting them talk your ear off about their experiences. The time in Juarez was intense and one cannot really understand without having been a part of it, so, try to understand our passion to explain. We are also trying to understand that while we were gone, not a lot changed in Boise for many of you, but each of us have been changed forever by what we have seen the Lord do. So, please be patient with us, as we re-adjust to "normal."
Thank you for ALL of your prayers. I hope to get some pictures up retroactively in the next couple of days. We'll see how well our computers and cameras play together here in Long Beach.
FIVE IN A ROW!!!
Another first!!! The "Mighty to Save" team had five smooth border crossings and a blessed, blessed, day at the Casa de Refugio!
Time to de-brief, so I have to be brief.
Hasta Luego.
Thank you for your prayers. Please pray for safe travel home. Denver has had a lot of snow.
Shoe Day!!!
Another "thumbs-up" for God! Sorry about no pictures - it is really a bummer, but the wireless has been down almost all week, so I have to use the office computer when no one else is - giving me about 10 minutes instead of the hour I need. In short, if each day so far has been like a week, today was 2 weeks!
It was windy, dusty, crowded, crazy, and amazing! Almost 400 people were fed, 350+ pairs of shoes distributed one-on-one, carnival games played, prayers prayed, hundreds of prizes given. We visited, shared, and served. Prayers are being answered. Smooth border crossings yet again. This time, we were even more prepared for the military stop, so we pulled over voluntarily to give them gifts of food, candy, New Testaments, and good wishes. Pretty bizarre - but really awesome!
It could not have gone smoother. The church building, grouds, and outbuilding all take up about the space of our activity center at UBC. Current count is between 5 and 10 souls saved today, with a few just walking the line. Each testimony is amazing. I wish I could share it, but I really need to go get some sleep and let them lock up the office. We were late back tonight because of the long time needed to accomplish the day's tasks.
Keep praying! Health, rest, border crossing, good ministry at the refuge home, good debriefing, good attitudes. They've never had a team with 5 smooth border crossings in a row and we want to be the first. Do not give up on your prayers or take it for granted. Thank you! Gloria a Dios!! (Glory to God)
Tomorrow is Shoe Day!!!
Today was a blessing in the Colonia Campesina! We had smooth border crossing yet again, although we did get stopped by the military once. After giving a tract and a Bible to two of the soldiers, the Commander came over and asked for a New Testament and we gave them candy too! They might pull us over again just for a visit. They asked for prayer for their safety and protection. We thanked them for their service and that they help us to be able to do what God has led us to do.
That is just one of the hundreds of stories to tell. Seven people came to the Lord today!! Those are amazing stories. Each one deserves an update. Over 250 people were provided with some food and we prayed A LOT!! The people need our prayers: health, abuse, jobs, injuries, etc.
We had some rowdy boys around that were taunting and getting into fights near the church. There are very few good fathers or male role models and these young men have a lot of anger and hurt. Pray for Campesina, that God would prove to be the Father they need.
I need to sign off. We are all very tired, and the work is starting to take its toll. Please pray for another smooth border crossing tomorrow and for the logistics on the Shoe Give-away. It is bound to be even crazier tomorrow. God is able to do so much more than we are able to comprehend. Each day is like a week. In fact, our team keeps saying, "Last Week" for yesterday and "Next Week" for tomorrow. I'm not kidding.
Blessings - sorry, no picture tonight. We did not have time to get them uploaded.
God is Great!
Wow! I don't know how to begin. What an amazing gift God has already given us with the ministry at the children's home. There were many tears today as we departed. The pictures that I was able to upload are from my cameras. The good ones, on Karen Hickman's, Laura Ballou's, and Sunny Rash's cameras are much better, but unavailable for now, so you'll have to wait.
Quick Summary:
Christina is feeling better, Laura was well and able to go with us today, the wind died down today to make for a better ministry, at least one man came to know Jesus as his Savior, Channing and Cameron both shared the Gospel with children today, and we have had 2 days in a row with smooth border crossings (pray for 5-in-a-row for I-da-ho!) Praise the Lord for answered prayer. We had a tea party, AWANA games, food, singing, crafts, stories, testimonies, fellowship, prayer, laughter, tears, giving of shoes, giving of gift, reading of letters from UBC Sunday School and so much more. God is working in and through you, us, and also many of the people of Juarez that we have worked with thus far.
Your prayers are being heard, God is faithful! We are tired but content. We serve an awesome God!!! Please lift up Mama Lupe and her family to God in your prayers. They have so many needs.
P.S. The children were amazed to know that there are other children in the world who have never heard of a Wii or Nintendo DS.
The Outreach if Off to a GREAT start
Our internet is sketchy right now, so I can't upload any of the hundreds of wonderful pictures from yesterday's outreach!
Our border crossings were uneventful and smooth - Thank you for your prayers!
The shoes and other ministry supplies arrived yesterday - PTL!
We are all excited to see God working in and through us and you!
Please pray for:
less wind, Laura's headache to go away, the team's health to be protected, God's plan to be accomplished, and more easy border crossings.
The bus is leaving now - gotta go. But, I will try to update tonight if internet is improved.
We Made It!!
Well, we are a tired bunch of missionaries, but we made it to the House of Cornelius safe and sound. It's almost dinner time - baked potato bar. Yum.
Training and fellowship has been very special and God is already at work, as we knew He would be.
Please pray for Christina, she has been under the weather.
Tomorrow is our first day of active ministry. Pray for the success of our border crossings. We will be up at 7am, to chapel by 8, and on the road by 10:30am (9:30 Mexico time, since they have not yet switched to Daylight Savings Time)
Delayed Shipment and Prayer Request
Our pallets of shoes and supplies are currently in Phoenix, AZ and scheduled for delivery on Monday. They were supposed to arrive Friday. Please Pray.
Please pray for the health of our entire team!
Russell, Sarah, and Emma; Laura and Sarah; Mike and Karen; Cara; Annie; Vern and Karen; Justin, Lorna, Channing, and Charise; Sunny; Phil, Jan, Christina, Melissa, Amanda, Philip, and Jessica; Kent and Tami; and Calvin and Cameron.
Thank You Transgroup!
1873 pounds of shoes and ministry items were shipped to the House of Cornelius on Tuesday. Transgroup gave us a deep discount to get the items there by Thursday or Friday.
So many have helped with this outreach already. You are all part of the team. Please keep us in your prayers as we make final preparations to go and throughout our time in Juarez.
The Great Shoe Sort!
Over 1200 pairs of shoes have been collected, sorted, sized, and boxed up for Juarez. They will be shipped by tomorrow!
With your help, our team raised all of the needed funds to go, bring Bibles, provide over 800 hot meals, buy crafts, and ship the shoes. We even have a little left for a love offering for the Children's home and the Girls Rescue Center. Thank you!!!
Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News of good things." Romans 10:13-15
God is GOOD!
We made our family goal of $2000 thanks to some generous friends and family that rounded up on their pledges. The girls are so excited and it is great to see their faith grow! Thank you all!
Updated Website
I fixed it! Shutterfly is now working, so please read about the plans for this trip now that we have more details. Bendiciones!
Read-a-thon Update
OK, Shutterfly is not letting me change the text for the right-hand column to update it. So, I'm going to do the read-a-thon update here. Our goals was $2000, and right now, the pledged amount is $1962.91!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! God is good and so are our friends and family!
Also, since the military has moved into Juarez, violence is down 90%! Keep praying for the peace to hold so our trip can continue to go forward.
Blessings!
Ready . . . or not!
Our team just had a fundraiser on Sunday and raised half the money needed to provide 800 hot meals in Juarez, Mexico. Over 350 pairs of shoes have been donated to give out! But, sadly, the food will run out and eventually the shoes will wear out, so what can we take to Juarez that will last? The Good News of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Salvation is forever!