The middle of August has arrived with all of its heat, and I have suddenly realized that it has been way too long since I've sent out any ministry updates!Where to begin? The Lord recently blessed the ministry with a new roofing job. Back in April of this year, we had our first major rain of the season. We already knew we had a leak in the dining area of the ministry center, but the rainstorm showed us just how bad it was becoming. Then when our "official" monsoon season started, the rain was literally pouring through the crack in the ceiling. The offers we had to fix the roof all fell through, and I began to wonder what the Lord was doing.
Fellow missionaries Joan Wilson and Elfi Register of Crossing Borders Ministries decided to help out. Their ministry hosts all kinds of teams that come down for mission trips during the summer months. With the situation continuing to deteriorate in Mexico, most of these teams now stay and work on the US side of the border. One of these teams from the Pittsburg Baptist Association in Oklahoma had some experienced roofers among them, so Joan and Elfi asked them to help us with our roof. What a blessing! In three days they had fixed the leaky part and put a new coating on the rest.
Speaking of Crossing Borders Ministries, Mom and I took some time out from our regular ministry work to help Joan and Elfi with their school supply drive. I believe this is our second year (maybe third?) helping them out with this project. They receive and distribute a couple of thousand packets to Mexican pastors who in turn pass them out to the children in their congregations. Schools in Mexico do not work like they do in the US, so these packets are vital to help the kids attend school.
The violence in Mexico continues to deteriorate. We have seen reports of a car bomb being used in one attack on the police. Murders are being reported daily. The violence is even starting to spill over onto the US side. Within the last month or so, there was an incident in which stray bullets from a shootout on the Mexican side actually struck the city hall building in downtown El Paso. There was also a homicide in a town about 20 minutes to the north of us that is being linked to the drug cartels. Please continue to pray for God's protection amidst this violence.
Because of the violence across the border and because of the economic situation in the US, the Lord has laid it on the pastors' hearts to concentrate more on a Joseph ministry. This means we are looking to collect donations of items and also money to purchase things that we can give out to people as they have need. Some of the items that we are focusing on right now are bikes, shoes, winter gear, and blankets. If you have any items that you could donate, or if you would like to support this initiative financially, please contact me to make arrangements. We long to be a blessing to our community and to meet some of their physical needs as we share with them the Good News about Jesus.
For more information about the ministry:
Website: www.breakthrough4life.org
or check out our internet radio station:
Radio: www.bbn4jesus.org
To donate through PayPal: