We were also very busy with the construction of a new kitchen/meeting facility that will serve 25-30 people. We were graciously given start up funds that were soon matched and we are so grateful for the partners that hear from God to deposit into this Ministry. We are also extremely thankful for the volunteers that labored to see this project off the ground so quickly. We are still in need of additional funds in order to furnish the equipment and appliances to complete this project. Many groups are already interested in securing this unit.
We very sadly said our good bye's to the Curby's, a missionary family that has served in Mexico and was called back to their home state in Washington to begin a new work there.
Missionaries that stayed here in March: Jaquith, Peters, Curby, Young, Rodriguez, Overcast, Williams, Cassel, Jones, Jones (2), Marshall, Toth, Marsh, Bennett, Olson, Galvan, Kuekler, Conlon, Herrin, Harrison, and Zapata.
Churches that stayed: Venciento Con Cristo, Brownsville, TX; Zion Lutheran Church, Hancock, MI; Templo Emanuel, Palmview, TX; Scioto Ridge United Methodist Church, Hilliard, OH; Tri Counties Baptist, Columbia, MS; and Salem Sayers Baptist Church, Adkins, TX.
Organizations that stayed: Harvest Evangelism, Opelika, AL; Morris Mexico Missions, Inc., Granbury, TX; Global Leadership Netwrk Ministries, Montgomery, TX; Campus Crusade for Christ, San Marcos, TX; Border of Hope, San Juan, TX; International Fellowship of Christian Firefighters, Chicago, IL; Eternal Love Ministries, Coahuila, MX; and Heritage Academy, Inc., Hagerstown, MD.
APRIL the last of the Winter Texans left and we said good bye to our much loved and appreciated workampers! The weather has warmed up too late for the Winter Texas season and too early for summer; we've also had a lot of rain. The birds and the flowers are doing great, but we had to cut some of the trees down that didn't make it through the frost that we experienced this past winter.
Many are concerned and fearful regarding travel across the border and down into Mexico. It is advised that all travel be done in the day time and if you have a SUV or a crew cab pickup and anything with tinted windows that you should drive something else. There have been many carjackings.
All of the reports regarding the colonias alongside the canals are that it is safe and many go across daily and have not had any difficulty. They all return before dark.
Because there is so much fear about the drug cartels many of our groups are planning on staying on this side of the border and a lot of them are connecting with Buckner that has a great ministry connection with the colonias on this side of the border, some are even very close to our location. Please consider this as an option if you have already made plans and are considering canceling as the experience and the needs are one in the same as across the border.
Our schedule has now opened for retreats that take place on the weekends; they are generally scheduled during the off-season after the Winter Texans and before the summer teams. Praise the Lord that this Ministry can be so varied in it's availability in that so many lives can be touched and changed for all eternity.
We again said a sad good bye to another missionary family, the Marshall's. They were also called back to their home state of Louisiana and are awaiting to hear what God has planned for them next.
Missionaries that stayed in April: Launchbury, Herrin, Mazariego, Conlon, Driscoll, Giles, Jr., Williams, Brown, Galvan, Marshall, Saenz, Schmid, Jones, Olson, and Bennett.
Churches that stayed: Templo Emanuel, Palmview, TX; Lighthouse Christian Discipleship Church, Brownsville, TX; Iglesia Rios De Avivamiento, Inc., McAllen, TX; and First Baptist Church of Plano, TX.
Organizations that stayed: Morris Mexico Missions, Inc., Granbury, TX; and Catholic Marriage Encounter, Rio Grande Valley, TX.
