Maribel Goes To Santa Barbara - Next Stop, Disneyland

That's my precious wife Maribel sitting in downtown Santa Barbara waiting for our pasta salad. If you had told me in 2007 that in eight years I would be sitting with my mexican wife in downtown S.B., I would have told you to your face that you were crazy!
God truly works in mysterious ways - during the entire weekend that my wife and I were visiting up north I had to pinch myself and make sure I wasn't dreaming. That saturday (10/10) was our 17 month anniversary - we are finally (long story) going to have the opportunity to have a honeymoon in early November, something the both of us had been dreaming about and praying for, and which was all made possible with the long awaited approval of my wife's visa. The 'permiso' to cross the border and travel anywhere in the U.S. was just a formality. Now I get to take my wife to a place we've been talking about for years, and perhaps a place that most of us take for granted. Friends of ours and my son have offered to bless us with this trip, and we are so grateful for this opportunity. When you're living on a missionary's budget, something as simple as a trip to Disneyland is a huge blessing! We are so thankful that God has placed people in our lives who have the heart, compassion, and the gift of blessing others - we are also grateful that God uses us to bless all of our kids in the communities we work in -- we serve a God who is in the business of blessing people - all glory to our Lord.

Honey Are We There Yet?

I had crossed the border twice in the last two months, the last time with my wife, her very first trip to San Diego after receiving her visa! Both times I asked the border agents, are you sure my wife can get her 'permiso' (permit to travel 25 miles north of the border) after crossing the border in a vehicle - both times they said yes. So last friday my wife and I were in a hurry to get to my hometown, only her second visit to the U.S., so we could visit and she could finally meet my family. Again our friendly border agent mentioned we could just park the car and walk over and request a 'permiso'. Unfortunately that was not the case. I was scolded by an officer in the processing area and was told my wife and I would have to walk back across (searing heat & humidity that day) to Mexico, then re-enter the U.S. to obtain the magic 'orange card' to be able to apply for her permiso. So we walked back in the heat, I waited 90 minutes in that Sentri line (no shade) while my wife sat in the shade. After all was said and done, 2-1/2 hours later after getting in line, my precious, patient wife finally had her permiso! She can now go anywhere in the U.S.! We were just happy to hop back into our air-conditioned car and be on our way to Santa Barbara to visit family. It was a very long drive with tons of traffic and more heat - in fact it never cooled down, even in Montecito where my son lives. As we tried to sleep that evening, I couldn't help thinking just how faithful God has been to me and my wife. We had battled for a visa for almost a year - it literally was a miracle how my wife finally got her visa - and finally, she now had her permiso in hand. Thank you Lord! I kept telling my wife on the way up the coast - I will NEVER have to drive alone again when crossing the border. God is faithful. It was so much fun having my wife with me during the whole trip. God is faithful.

It All Started With a Hot Dog . . .

Saturday was another first for our bible groups -- our kids from Zorrillo and Durango got together for the first time for some great fellowship, courtesy of Wayne and Jason and friends, with some help from Genesis Diez. We were rollin' 20 deep when we walked into Costco and drew many stares. For some of our kids it was their first Costco hot dog, very different from tacos de carne asada or adobada you can buy in the street. From there we headed out to the beach and had some more great fellowship, swimming, ate some watermelon, and had a teaching on 1Thess5:11-"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." I reminded the kids that encouragement can come thru words, and sometimes, just by our actions. We were all encouraged that day by Wayne and Jason, who took time away from their home life in Cali, just to come down and spend time with us, and minister to us in food and fellowship. Sometimes, the best encouragement can come by just being there for these kids. Thanks again for all the "animo" you gave us over the weekend!
All of our love,
Me & Maribel and the crews from the Z and the D . . .

The Gift of Giving . . .

That's mama Sandoval, grandmother of one of our bible study kids from Zorrillo, with her great-nephew, being attended to by Jason over the weekend. Besides having open heart surgery just over a year ago, she has battled with an upper respiratory illness for quite some time. Please pray for complete healing, and that she follow doctor's orders.
Jason also had the blessing of visiting our other grandmother, Francisca, who's grandkids also attend our bible studies. Together these ladies of faith have blessed me and my wife tremendously over the last year with the gift of opening up their homes so that we could meet with our jr. high bible group in the community of Zorrillo. They both are adamant that they want their grandkids being raised in the things of the Lord, and what better way to know they are being taught the Word of God then to keep them at home? Please continue to pray for their health - they both have been so thoughtful of giving us the gift of hospitality - we want to remain steadfast and continue to raise their grandkids in the knowledge and understanding of the Lord and His Word -- they were both so grateful that Jason could make a house call and minister to their medical needs. Thank you Lord for hooking this up!

Hope Endures by Loving People . . .

That beautiful photo of one of our kids from Zorrillo, Mariana, was taken by Jason over the weekend. I can remember years ago being at another ministry as a director, and having no food, no finances, to feed over 50 people at the time. We had been praying for a miracle for quite some time, and late Sunday night someone who I had never met showed up at the facility in a van, opened his door and shouted, "Someone here has been praying for food!" He brought a van load of food for us.
Those are the kinds of things God has done over the course of serving here (8 years) in Mexico that I will never forget. God always provides for us in His timing so as to build up our faith and solely trust in Him.
I remember taking Mariana's older sister, Rosa, to the beach just a few weeks ago - it was her first time at the beach here in Ensenada! Saturday was the first time Mariana (12 years old) stepped onto a beach - it's a beautiful and wonderful thing when God uses you to bless someone in this manner. We often take for granted the finer things in life God has blessed us with, like going to the beach. God loves our kids from Zorrillo and Durango, and we love to be used by God to reach out and bless them. Much love to Wayne, Jason, and Genesis Diez for making this possible.
All glory to God - He wanted to bless Mariana on Saturday with her first day at the beach. Praise Him!

Wayne and Jason Make History!

Our very first group to visit us, I mean, literally visit us at our home, Wayne and Jason of Hope Chapel in Huntington Beach! They came, they ate (Maribel's mean posole), they ministered, and invited us back to visit their church this weekend! Please pray for us as our new relationship with Hope Chapel develops and that it become fruitful for both sides, in Jesus Name!
Truly, God used these guys in the most miraculous and loving way, as they provided literally so much hope for the sick, the down trodden, and especially lifting up our bible study kids and blessing them with a weekend outing. Their gift of encouragement comes thru the power of the Holy Spirit, and we were honored to have them in our home. It had been too long (over four years) since I had any type of fellowship like this . . . love my homies for coming down and 'lifting' up me and my wife in prayer, encouraging us to stay the course, and blessing our families and kids in the communites, along with the kids at Puerta Hermosa and Genesis Diez. God is faithful . . .