Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others.
Summer 2007
Dear Family & Friends,
We pray this letter finds you in good health and having a good summer. We want to share with you what has 
been happening since our last letter. In May, we were invited to our first Mexican baptism. There were three churches involved with twenty people being baptized. The baptism was held at 9:00 AM in a swim park. The morning turned out to be very cool and breezy, so many of the people were shivering. The area had been reserved for the day unbeknownst to us, and many families had brought various kinds of food and drink to be shared with everyone. It was a day filled with happiness and laughter. (It did finally warm up!) Many people brought their swim suits so they could swim in the various pools and enjoy the big slide that was there. We thought this was a great way to celebrate being baptized, and think the Americans should do this too.
June bought three teams; Todd & Julie; Denny & Val; and first timers -Mike & Rainie, to help build homes for three families. Mike and Rainie, who are our good friends, also brought our son, daughter in-law, and grandkids to help on the team. It was wonderful to be working side by side with family. We were able to enjoy them for a few days after the team left.
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One of the families that received a home is a single mom raising her two daughters; her husband had abandoned them. She was living in a pallet house attached to her sister’s home. At the dedication of her home, she told us “All I wanted was to be with my daughters and raise them in a nice home. Now I have it.” It’s a privilege to be able to have the teams come and help build a better life for our brothers and sisters in need.
In the middle of building homes, we took time out to celebrate Jonathan’s kindergarten graduation. He is the son of Chon, one of our workers. The picture on the left shows Jonathan looking back. The picture on the right shows Jim, Chon and the kids. We called this the “kids’ table” because Jim and Chon were the only adults there! The kindergarten graduation is a big thing in Mexico. The family gives a gift of a stuffed animal or a ring. (We’re not sure the significance of the ring.)
July bought the teams of Andrew & Diane; Mike & Anita; and Vickie & Amanda. God has been so good to send wonderful people who want to share what God has given them, the willingness to help the Mexican people, and to do what Hebrews 13:16 says. (See above verse at the top of the page)
We’ve saved the exciting news for the last. In the midst of building homes, we have also been working on the Children’s Park. After talking to some people and changing a few things, we are now working on getting the park up and “running” again. We have added a skate park (which Austin, our grandson helped his Papa design) fencing around the original playground, and the basketball court has been poured by the neighborhood fathers and our crew. Future plans include enlarging the skate park area, (we found out it needs to be bigger so the kids can “catch some air”), add a soccer field, adding more swings and picnic tables, and put a fence around the area. We are depending on donations to help finish the park. Our goal is to have an area where the whole family can come and have a good time. Chon and Leti, who live near the park, tell us that the children are there early in the morning and stay till 10:00 PM.
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Two sets of roller blades were donated and there were many children who wanted them. We decided to have all the children’s names put in a basket; we then gathered in a circle (above photo) and asked God who He wanted to have the roller blades. Ismael and Keyee (photo on the right) were the names drawn. They look very happy, don’t you think? Oscar and Chon wanted me to take these pictures to show the Americans how the names were chosen and who received the roller blades.
In our last letter, we asked for a full time man to help Jim. Thank you for the prayers. God has provided Chon to help us. God also gave us another man whose name is Fernando; Ferne for short. Both Oscar and Ferne are part-time. We thank God for these men who are an added asset to Border to Border Missions.
We continue to give God the glory, praise, and thanks for allowing us to do His work. We have met so many wonderful, caring, loving, and supportive people. God continues to put people together that He wants to come and build. He is an awesome God! Gloria Adios! (Glory to God)
Blessings,
Jim & Barb
| Praise: We’ve had no injuries Chon as full-time worker New teams have come Play ground re-established Teams have had safe travel |
Prayer Request: Money needed to finish the playground Funds needed for Border to Border Missions to help the families in Mexico More teams to help build |
PS: Pastor Tino, Juanita, Jim, and Barb will be going on a mission’s trip to Vera Cruz (a Southern state in Mexico) in September to help a family. Please pray for a safe trip.
If you feel the Lord is leading you to donate to the ministry, please make checks payable to:
Border to Border Missions
11501 Vista del Sol
El Paso, TX 79936
Office: (915) 593-5503, Fax (915) 593-5503
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