| Several years ago Nathan felt the Lord leading us to start a Christmas event in the Rio Bravo, Mexico area. We wanted to bring more opportunity to sharing the Gospel & focus on the unsaved. The 1st 2 days we had teams in MX going door to door sharing the GOOD NEWS! Others built a kitchen onto a small house (think Mexico) while still others sorted, counted, & made more KID BAGS from all the supplies you sent. The 3rd day was our FIESTA! Each morning the 68 folks plus those from the Valley area spent time in Praise & Worship along with a WORD led by Nathan. Last year we were thrilled beyond belief that the DONNA International Bridge had opened to allow quick access to cross to Rio Bravo. We're still happy about it BUT this year we had to cross over the Pharr Bridge (which takes a bit bit bit longer) BUT we were allowed to come back on the short way. We were told by different ministry that was crossing another border that the 'People Mover' buses couldn't cross. Nathan went to check & they gave us permission, just a different crossing... Nathan had also made several trips to the CUSTOM officials getting the paperwork completed granting us permission to cross with our trailer loads. They gave it to us but also went through the list of items marking off what we couldn't bring in which included used bicycles (bummer). The 80 boxes of LITTLE DEBBIE'S made it though! *We learned last year to buy everything we can at the Rio Bravo grocery store so that we wouldn't have to haul it over. The young manager (30's is young) is always so good to work with us...he ordered our cooking beans, popcorn, 3000 weiners, buns & fresh produce...& it was there waiting for us. Even paid a couple of little kids to help load the trailer. |
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| CELEBRANDO NAVIDAD |
| 3000 IN ATTENDANCE! 500 MADE DECISIONS FOR CHRIST! |
| SEE YOU AT THE 2012 CELEBRANDO NAVIDAD! |
| The only true hardship was that our stage & sound system didn't show up the day of the fiesta. God even knew about that as last week we purchased a flatbed trailer...it was a short stage BUT IT WORKED. One of the pastora's brought her sound system for us to be used. Before 10 a.m. arrived the folks in the community had already formed lines for the games, cake walk, face & nail painting, raffle tickets (they're free!) & popcorn areas. There was preaching, testimonies, singing, counseling areas, one on one witnessing, 16 pots of beans cooking, hot dogs grilling, KID BAGS being positioned. Before the finish of the activities 1,000's started lining up in the food area (had barricade fencing this year & it helped tremendously!) for their hot dog, charro beans & gift. Who you wait 2 hours in line? By the end of the day WE WERE BUSHED BUT HAPPY when we heard of the salvations. During testimonies later that night on stateside we heard how the Lord had worked in their own lives through these 3 days of ministering. To those who prayed, donated $, gifts & supplies, make KID BAGS, made deliveries to Krebs, paid semi's to bring pallets of gifts....WE THANK YOU! Several from FBC Donna & El Sendero de la Cruz Iglesia volunteered to serve as translators & cooks for the Breakfast & Supper meals! This allows me to be able to travel with the mission teams to minister across the border! I did my cooking ahead of time for those meals...73 dz cookies, 20 dz. hot rolls, 5#'s of fudge frosting & 2 gallons of enchilada sauce! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GO FIGURE..I didn't know the dorms had went from $5 to $6.50 per person per day, till I paid. This past weekend I found $100 in my work bag that someone snuck in AND as I'm going to pay the dorms someone else gave me another $100. God already knew & had the money ready as I walked in the door! Just how cool is that! |
| Every morning & evening we met with the Lord thru music, testimony & His Word. |
| This was MY table! If we didn't know where to put it, it went there! Hunter was always looking for more work... |
| Putting together KID BAGS from supplies sent! If you're making them back home - KEEP DOING IT! |
| Sacking beans in gallon size bags to give away at CELEBRANDO NAVIDAD! |
| Bikes for the free raffle. Large garbage bags were filled with many prizes, each one was 1 prize. |
| You've heard us talk about the EVANGICUBE.. they also make them on cards. Nathan used them on his last trip to Nicaragua. The E cube is a tool to share the gospel |
| The Americans split up into teams and went door to door handing out invitations & several witnessed 1 on 1. |
| The 4 sisters (& 1 husband) from the Reynosa Dump church came over on a bus the day before. Our official BEAN COOKING TEACHERS! They kept throwing them in my hair. They were onery this day. |
| 16 pots were filled with beans, onion, garlic, tomato, salt pork, weiners, cilantro & jalapeno's to make CHARRO FRIJOLES! |
| Several of our guys built a kitchen onto a home. |
| Only 1 trailer load of many that was taken across with loads of supplies. |
| We had lots of games & lots of prize candy! |
| Chopping ALL those veggie's for 16 pots of frijoiles! |
| Had a face painting class taught to make everyone pro's. (did not get a pic of the 'NAIL GIRLS.' |
| The POPCORN crew popped 100#'s...you should have seen their line waiting for a sackful! |
| Testing reading glasses by reading from the Bible. Look to the right corner..see the blue? That's Jim Bowling, our almost 80 yr friend who always says...'think this is my last mission trip.' Since then I've been w/him to Africa twice, Nicaragua twice, & MX..several times! He'll go out LIKE ELIJAH! |
| Brian preaching with Leo translating. Guess who's in the cowboy hat? |
| Looking for their ticket in the official ticket jar. We had to eat mucho pork rinds & Cheeto's to get those official raffle jugs! |
| Brian's espousa giving her testimony. |
| Our cupcake cooking bunch made over 300 of them for the CAKE WALK. Jason played the guitar while Dale called out #'s. |
| Food & KID BAGS in hand...with smiles. |
| What's w/my hand on the hip? |
| This was the KID BAG zone. |
| Our friend Hector from Reynosa let his workers bring folks from our Dump church to Reynosa to help for the day! Manual (left) & Beto (4th from left) spend much of their time liquored up. They were told to come sober...& they were! |
| Let me introduce to Rhonda...THE BAG BOSS! She's been at it for a few yrs..but this was our best distribution yet! But that was later in the day - she's handing out prize candy here. |
| Happy campers by the end of the day. |
| When we worked at a similar event a few yrs. back...Yuri was the winner of the grand prize - a small house. She didn't smile much back then. It wasn't long after that she started coming to the church in the dump along with her sisters, parents & oodles of other family. That house was torn after after the floods 2 yrs. ago. Only the Lord is a sure thing! |
| Here is the Lord's Army (minus a few) at the end of the day! 3000 people, 500 decisions, hot dogs gone... WHAT A DAY! |
| This year we included T Shirts in the trip cost...so that we could find each other on the field. Nathan & mine were ORANGE so you find us. Only thing, HE forgot to wear his so I put him in a green one. He wondered what that orange shirt laying on our bed was for? It's been suggested for next year to have the translators in a different color also SO WE CAN FIND THEM! Great idea! |
| Snowflake using her creative talents in sharing about Jesus. She drew crowds everywhere she went. |
| Pastora Ruth organized the Rio Bravo pastors. Word is they are already talking about next year! |
| No language barrier here! Sierra (right) & Michael (r/below) have grown up coming on these Navidad trips! |
| Local Christian musicians provided music throughout the day. |