A GLIMPSE OF HIS WONDER

God is never on the surface very long. His face cannot be seen, but let's be thankful for those precious fleeting glimpses of His wonder! We had a glimpse of that wonder on Christmas Eve when over 150 showed up at our fiesta at the church in Nuevo Progreso. It was a well organized party with music, games, candy, a traditional pinata and tamales. It was cold and windy with a mist that threatened to dampen the fun. People were huddled under layers of sweaters and shawls and some gathered around a small bonfire to keep warm.

As each child went through the line to receive a gift, his name card was punched insuring that no one was left out. Sunday School volunteers served food and bags of candy while Miriam gave out shoe box gifts.

The pinata as beaten by the youngest children and then the oldest to the sounds of chants and songs. This old Christmas tradition is at the heart of every fiesta and makes it complete. Miriam read words from the Bible about the true meaning of Christmas and many of the children came forward and repeated a prayer with Pastor Gerardo.

The even was a token of the future and the events that will take place at the church in Nuevo Progreso. And it was our glimpse of God!

"FEED MY LAMBS!"

The church is becoming known as a church for the children and what could be better! At every event it's the children who respond and come running to hear the gospel. Christmas Eve over one hundred children listened to Pastor Gerardo's story of the birth of Jesus, and many of them went forward to accept Him as Savior. In John 21:15 Jesus passionately told Peter to "feed my lambs!" and it is a command that continues today.

TAMALES, TABLES AND CHAIRS

The children had their hands full and there was no place to go but on the floor against the wall. Pastor Gerardo and Miriam have been making tables for Sunday School by using sheets of plywood over old metal bed frames. Children's tables and chairs are high on our list of things needed at the church right away; and we believe the Lord will bring them in.

SHOE BOX GIFTS

The boys and girls were speechless when they were each handed a box stuffed with little gifts and treats. They carefully opened the boxes and pulled out small toys, party favors, games, candy and other things. Mothers were happy when their children's boxes were plastic because they can be reused.

The shoe box gift project took time and the help of many who sent their boxes to us, and it began early last year. If you would like to send a shoe box gift for next Christmas, it's not too early to begin planning.

CHAMPURRADO

Another little girl is happy with her shoe box gift.

Christmas day was a time to share traditional Mexican treats. Apolinar and Carla offered us a dish called menudo, a stew made with bits of pork stomach and hominy. They also served cups of champurrado, a hot chocolate drink thickened with finely ground corn. These dishes warmed and strengthened us, and we were honored to share in their holiday traditions.

"HAPPINESS OF THE FLOOD"

A country was experiencing the worst floods in years where villages were washed away and half the crops were ruined. One government worker said, "Let me tell you the happiness of the flood. Each flood replenishes the soil by the silt it leaves. Without the floods our farmland would be worn out in a generation."

"Happiness of the flood" recognizes that difficult times are necessary to survival and thriving. Floods come every year in some countries and the people receive them prepared for hardship and with thanksgiving for future crops. We've faced flooding and other difficulties while planting the church in Nuevo Progreso. But even with an unfinished building the work is still growing and thriving. Could we see in these events the "happiness of the flood?"

Job 2:10 (NLT) Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?

We photographed two happy little girls who live near the church in Nuevo Progreso.

YOLANDA

Yolanda and her husband Pancho are some of the first people we met in Nuevo Progreso about fifteen years ago. Many times we used their yard to show the Jesus Film and for neighborhood meetings. Through these people we met many others who are special to us. Yolanda now works in a beauty shop.

MEET OUR FRIENDS

We'd like to introduce you to some of our long time friends in Nuevo Progreso. The picture is of Paola and me in her family's jewelry store. Poli and Roberta purchase jewelry in southern Mexico to sell in Nuevo Progreso. They and other members of their extended family have booths on the street or in malls. Their money is invested in inventory, and they are hurting because of diminished tourism. Paola is the youngest of their children. When she could barely talk, he loved to visit with "Hermano (Brother) Lloyd."

NANCY

Nancy is an old friend of ours in Nuevo Progreso, shown here in her school uniform. She was only four years old when we met her and she's now fourteen. We've watched so many kids grow up and be productive; they are evidence of seeds we have planted.

PASTOR'S KIDS

From left to right are Gerson, Nahum, Esly and Dana. They are Pastor Gerardo and Miriam's kids. They always seem happy and willing to work as a team in Sunday School and childrens ministries at the church in Nuevo Progreso.

JAVIER AND ELIZABETH

Francisco Javier Perez Jimenez worked with us in Nuevo Progreso for two years and then accepted a position in the Church of God Bible college in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He furthered his studies and now teaches Greek and Hebrew there to students of the Bible. Twenty seven years old and not married, Javier has always said he was waiting for the right girl. He has finally met that girl, he and Elizabeth plan to be married in Acapulco next July!

Javier is like family and we stay in touch. He was excited to tell us his good news and invite us to the wedding. Since Javier has given his life to serving the Lord through teaching and pastoring, Elizabeth will face many challenges and will need our prayers. This is another opportunity to invest in the lives of young people of Mexico, Javier and Elizabeth represent the next generation of church leaders. Join us in prayer for their future.

LORD, ESTABLISH THE WORK OF OUR HANDS

Faith is needed when the outcome is in doubt, when the odds are long or when our chances of failure make us nervous. But it is in weakness, uncertainty and insecurity that God shows His true colors. It doesn't take faith to accomplish a sure thing!

For many years we've prayed, "Lord, establish the work of our hands.." Psalm 90:17. Dozens of disappointments and setbacks have made us wonder about our project in Nuevo Progreso. But all the good news we got on our first trip across the border this season made it all worthwhile.

We've always believed that Sunday School is the backbone of any church. Pastor Gerardo reports that every week between forty and fifty children now gather at our Church of God building for Sunday School. They are fed breakfast (shown in the picture), then they have a muppet show and sometimes a clown shows up to tell Bible stories. Parents are beginning to come to see what their kids are enjoying.

Twelve children have accepted Jesus as their Savior since September!

ACTIVITIES AT THE CHURCH

The picture shows a Sunday School class at the Church of God in Nuevo Progreso. Pastor Gerardo and Miriam always have lots of childrens activities planned, especially for the holidays. This year we will work together on a big Christmas fiesta which will take place the morning of Christmas Eve.

APOLINAR & CARLA'S NEW BABY

Apolinar and Carla call their beautiful new baby Javier. They put him in a sling made of strong mesh material that was hanging by a cord from the rafters. With another attached cord they swung the sling back and forth. This is the Mexican equivalent of a rocking chair!

Apolinar had his first day of work in over six months. He said the trucks started coming back to Nuevo Progreso that day and he again has customers to buy the lunches he and Carla sell. It was immediately on our arrival last season that he began their little business selling tacos and gorditos.

GOOD NEWS AND PEACE IN NUEVO PROGRESO

Marcelino is no longer the gaunt thin man who always looked so frail. When we said he looked good, he said he owes it all to his new lifestyle of living for the Lord.

We distributed bags of potatoes, cans of stewed tomatoes and some other groceries, but our little friend Esteban got his own jar of his favorite, peanut butter!

The new blackwater pumping station is nearing completion in Nuevo Progreso and there are pumps in place that will take future flood waters the short distance to the Rio Grande River. The Lord is taking care of our biggest problem and living conditions in Nuevo Progreso will be greatly improved.

There were no Mexican soldiers at the international bridge nor anywhere else that we could see. Crowds of tourists swarmed in the stores and the atmosphere was like a fiesta. There is at this moment peace in Nuevo Progreso.

MEETING OF PASTORS

April 30 twelve pastors across several denominations met in a donated meeting room in the Las Flores Hotel in Nuevo Progreso. They met to pray together and discuss future opportunities especially among the youth. Pastor Gerardo was asked to be the speaker at this meeting.

Besides being excited about pastors uniting together to work for the Lord, we saw this as another opportunity to distribute Spanish Bibles. Since we didn't attend the meeting, we supplied Pastor Gerardo with some cases of Bibles and New Testaments along with salvation tracts he shared with attendees at the meeting. Lloyd is shown here transferring cases of Bibles to Pastor Gerardo.

LUNCHES ON WHEELS

For months Apolinar has supported his family by selling lunches and cold drinks to truckers waiting in line to enter the United States. But now the current produce season has ended and there are only a few trucks in line instead of hundreds. This family will have to find another way to make a living for awhile, the steady stream of traffic past their house has disappeared. We promised Apolinar and Carla we'd be praying that the Lord will continue to meet their needs. There will be another time when crops are ready for transport, but it may be months.

As you can see from the picture, Apolinar used his bicycle equipped with small coolers to carry homemade lunches and drinks for sale.

CARLA

Carla is a tiny little woman barely five feet tall and seven months pregnant with her fifth child. She is from central Mexico where she still has family. Carla has a distinctly Indian appearance with her thick straight black hair and brown skin. She's quiet, soft spoken and serious and she's also a very good cook!

When we said goodbye to Carla and Apolinar until next November, they both said, "Mi casa es su casa!" My house is your house.

UNITED FOR PEACE IN MEXICO

This sign was painted on the side of a building in Nuevo Progreso. It says fifty thousand youth united for peace will meet May 1st in Mexico City. This meeting is sponsored by the Catholic church. People from every denomination are gathering to pray that the killing will stop and peace will return.

Let's join our prayers with churches throughout Mexico that the Spirit of the Lord will sweep over the people and their evil ways will be changed. "And their eyes were opened and they knew Him." Luke 24:31

We have learned that the Church is not a building, it's a body of believers serving Christ and then reaching out to others who need to be saved. The Church is in the "highways and byways."

CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH VIOLENCE IN MEXICO

Our friend from McAllen Church of God supports a children’s home in San Fernando, making frequent trips to the home with food and clothing. Those trips ended because of news that 150 bodies were found buried nearby.

Yesterday she received a phone call from the ones who operate the home. They own a ranch three miles outside of San Fernando, but because they were afraid to travel they hadn’t been to the ranch in months. They decided to check things out and they forced themselves to make the trip.

Before they got to their property, they smelled something overwhelming. They discovered wide open pits where evidently bodies had been removed. Their ranch had been used to bury many of the bodies recently found. At last count over 150 bodies were taken from there and returned to the morgue in Matamoros. Many were passengers killed when cross country buses were hijacked.

In another report, our friends John & Dorothy have a house in Ciudad Victoria, where they have lived for many years. Because of troubles there, they decided to return to Texas. Friends now live as caretakers in their house.

John & Dorothy got a phone call from them last week saying there was a gun battle in the house next door. They were awakened in the night by heavy gunfire, shouts and sounds of explosions near their bedroom window. They slipped out of bed and crawled on hands and knees across the floor and into the other part of the house where they hid all night on the floor.

A six year old child was caught in the crossfire and killed. John & Dorothy’s house is near the police station. San Fernando and Ciudad Victoria were places we went through often when we took Bibles into Mexico. And in San Fernando we spent the night in a motel on two occasions.

On the other hand, revival meetings started in a large church in Ciudad Victoria. Over forty people were saved on the first night!

Deuteronomy 20:3 & 4

"Let not your hearts faint, fear not and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them. For the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies to save you."

SUPERNATURAL PROTECTION

Pastor Gerardo broke down on the highway in Mexico Easter weekend. He waited a long time on that dangerous highway and finally a Green Angel showed up. Green Angels are people who patrol major highways in Mexico looking to help people whose vehicles have broken down. They're called Green Angels because their repair trucks are green.

The Green Angel drove past Gerardo and then turned and came back. The first thing he said was, "Where are all those young men who were with you? Where’d they go so quickly?" Gerardo said, "I'm here by myself, there's no one with me." The Green Angel said, "But there was! There was a large group of young men standing all around you when I drove by!" When Gerardo finally convinced the repairman there had been no one with him, he actually saw goosebumps on the man's arms.

The problem with the car turned out to be one small bolt that had come loose causing the power steering belt to come off. It was fixed quickly; and Gerardo and Miriam are still praising the Lord for His supernatural protection in a dangerous situation.

In the photo above Pastor Gerardo is shown with his wife Miriam and their 4 children, Gerson, Nahum, Dana and Esly.

IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS

Esteban, Apolinar and Carla sit outside in the shade by their home on the south side of Nuevo Progreso. Esteban is sitting on their ice chest which now has a padlock on it. Their only means of keeping food cold, it has milk, eggs and a little fruit in it; and they have to replace the ice daily. Apolinar sells food and drinks to truckers and this large cooler will also hold many cans of Coke and Pepsi, their favorites.

A large blanket hangs in the trees over their laundry area for extra shade in the afternoon. Carla washes their clothes under the trees and hangs them on lines across the yard.

Theirs is a simple life, filled with hardships and challenges.

"In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:2

CARLA'S STOVE

The ingenious fireplace shown above was built especially for Carla and it's perfect for her since she's small. The enclosure underneath usually holds cut firewood. on this fireplace Carla cooks everything for her husband and family. With such limited tools she does an excellent job and is a good cook. The fireplace is inside a lean-to structure covered with corrugated tin. There is a chimney to carry smoke away, but many times the wind blows it back into the house. The floor of this lean-to is packed earth.

The family has no indoor plumbing and only an outside faucet in their backyard. Doors and windows are propped open in hot weather and they have no screens. We supplied some long sheer curtains for their doors that will allow cool air in but keep insects out. With the barest necessities, this family lives from day to day with no guarantees for their future.

As soon as we arrive at Carla's house she immediately starts to prepare a meal for us on this fireplace. Within a short time we are served hot plates of very good food. We wonder what she could do with more modern equipment.

NOE'S NATURAL FENCE

Noe's garden fence is very effective and it's natural. The fence is all cactus that he has planted and cultivated to keep out chickens and animals. Noe's corn crop has grown tall and is lush and green since he waters it often. He has used this uneven shaped area between his house and the road to good advantage. It would take a brave animal to get into Noe's garden through his natural fence!

COLONIA SAN ANTONIO

This is Colonia San Antonio which is on the southern edge of Nuevo Progreso. Our friend Nachita lives in one of these little homes.

Colonia San Antonio is a small group of homes at the edge of town. It's a long way from the tourist area, but many who live in San Antonio walk that distance very day in order to sell trinkets or beg for food. Many who live here used to live by the truck road at the north end of town, but the city cleared that area of residents and helped the people set up these homes. We often visited people who lived by the truck road and we remember thick white dust from heavy traffic blowing into their windows and doors. Many times it was difficult to tell what color their skin and hair was because of so much powder settling on them. But these were people who had no alternative, they lived wherever they could find a spot to build a shelter. Colonia San Antonio is now a quiet haven for those people. The air is clear and even though the roads aren't paved, dust no longer plagues them. Usually there are lots of children playing outside in the common area. The road to Colonia San Antonio is a dead-end street, so they no longer have to worry about traffic.

We are acquainted with many people who live in Colonia San Antonio.

GOOD WAY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS

A good way to make a new friend is to stop and admire his nice garden. We pulled over last week to look closer at a wedge shaped area with neat well cultivated rows of corn, green beans, squash, melons and other vegetables. There aren't many gardens like this in Nuevo Progreso because the soil is poor heavy clay, so we were really impressed.

On our next trip to Nuevo Progreso Lloyd stopped and visited Noe (Noah) the owner of this garden, who was more than happy to show us around. Lloyd gave him a new garden sprinkler to help in his work. Noe was happy to get the sprinker, but was even happier to have his garden admired. Noe's mother Ninfa pointed out her favorite plants in the garden. We could tell she is very proud of her son's work.

On another visit we left them several more packets of garden seeds including okra and radishes. During our conversations with them we learned that Ninfa attends church in Nuevo Progreso, but Noe does not go to church. We're hoping that we can develop our new friendship with this family and continue to direct them toward the Lord.

MORE GARDEN SEEDS

Four more families received packets of garden seeds on our last trip to Nuevo Progreso. This is a great way to help those who are willing to work hard for fresh food. We believe the Lord will bless these gifts of friendship; and our friends will learn to put their trust in Him.

Lloyd enjoyed showing ten year old Julio some seedlings that were ready to plant in their tiny garden.

REYNA AND PANCHO

Pancho greeted us with a big smile as usual. He has a job helping park cars in the crowded market area of Nuevo Progreso, but since tourism has diminished, his income is much less. And now his wife Reyna needs to see a doctor as she is having stomach problems.

We've known Pancho and Reyna for many years and have always liked them a lot. They have thirteen children, so life has been a challenge for them but they are always cheerful and they have a positive attitude. They have a reputation for taking good care of their children, several of whom are now grown with children of their own.

The next time we go to Nuevo Progreso we plan to take extra food for Pancho and Reyna and their family. We ask for your prayers for this couple, for Reyna's complete healing so she can continue to be a great mother and leader in her colonia.

The picture of Reyna was taken last year after the birth of their latest grandbaby.

GOOD REPORT FROM THE CHURCH

Gerardo, pastor of the Church of God we established in Nuevo Progreso, continues to have good reports. April 16 three local pastors will join him in a service in our building. The main purpose of the meeting will be to have everyone come together for worship and prayer for the church property and for the water drainage and pumping system now being constructed. According to a report from the Sub Delegado (Assistant Mayor) of Nuevo Progreso, the project will continue to move forward swiftly because it is top priority. It will be operational soon! This drainage system will improve the lives of many families that surround our church. The Sub Delegado is a Christian and a friend of the church. We plan to meet with him soon to discuss and pray about events in Nuevo Progreso.

FIFTEEN SALVATIONS!

Pastor Gerardo, shown with Joyce in the picture above, joined with some other pastors in Nuevo Progreso to conduct three nights of revival meetings. As a result, he reports that fifteen people were saved! He also told us that people are beginning to stop in his office to talk to him about the Lord. Because of current world events, many people are beginning to realize that Jesus is coming soon!

BEANS, RICE AND OTHER GIFTS

We distributed beans and rice to families in colonia San Antonio at the south end of Nuevo Progreso. Men, women and children gathered around our Jeep while we tried to make sure no one was left out. There were a few sick people, so we gave out some Tylenol and cold medicines.

We had a large supply of flip-flops and sandals sent from friends in Illinois. It was fun to be able to give everyone a pair of colorful flip-flops, and we still have enough to take to other colonias. Our thanks go to friends back home in Illinois for supplying us with so many pairs of new and almost new flip-flops.

The picture shows some of the women and children who received flip-flops in Nuevo Progreso.

APOLINAR'S FAMILY

Julio, on the left, and Esteban are two of Apolinar and Carla's boys. We sat on a little wooden bench inside their lean-to watching Carla cook on her open fireplace. Smoke burned our eyes as the violent wind blew through the cracks around us, but it was worth the suffering because something good was being cooked.

Apolinar is selling hot meals to truckers who are waiting in long lines to cross the border into the United States. Also, a few people have started arriving at their house to purchase meals. A cafe business is beginning little by little in their home.

After awhile they served us plates of fajitas, refried beans and corn tortillas with icy cold Coca Cola. Everything was very good. When we were just about finished, four men walked into the yard and ordered plates of food. It's really exciting that business is coming to them. Apolinar was in the kitchen helping Carla get plates ready to serve. He gave us a sign when we were leaving that he is thanking God.

There are things we can help them with, but they need to see that starting a business is their own project. This is something they can do with hard work and creativity. Their boys can step in and do their part to make it work.

Since they don't have a refrigerator, we took them a cooler they can fill with ice and keep drinks cool. They are selling many soft drinks every day to truckers.

This is an investment because it will provide an income for them in the future. The Lord is blessing them and we're proud to be part of it.

Their oldest son Carlos needs new eyeglasses, having long since outgrown his old pair. He's having difficulty reading in school. We'll take him to a doctor and check on getting his eyeglasses replaced.

FLIP-FLOPS AND SANDALS

It doesn't take much to attract a crowd when we have things to give away. It's obvious the one woman is happy to get a new pair of sandals. In Mexico flip-flops and sandals make the very best footwear.

When people gather together for these distributions, it makes it easy for us to pray for those who are sick and those with special needs. We've made many friends in these colonias through the years.

VALENTINE'S DAY

What better way to spend Valentine's Day than to lend a hand to a family with needs. The bitter cold weather made it miserable for the people in Nuevo Progreso. For warmth most of them burned dead tree limbs which they chopped up with machetes, a slow and difficult task. Lloyd took his small electric chain saw to one house where he helped cut the long branches into usable lengths of wood.

After I took this picture of Lloyd, Rogerio one of the boys in the family, brought over some concrete blocks they could prop the limbs on to make the job easier on their backs. Before long they had a nice stack of wood ready for cooking fires or for campfires to keep them warm.

There are many different ways to help people and most ways just require willingness to get involved. It is easier to talk to people about the Lord after standing in their shoes for awhile.

SCHOOL SHOES

Carlos, Rogerio and Julio need to stay in school, but it isn't easy when they don't have proper shoes and clothes. In Mexico children have to wear uniforms and black dress shoes. Each school has a different color and these boys have almost outgrown their maroon pants and white shirts. We don't know how long they haven't had shoes, but when we learned the need we promised to take them and let them pick out what they wanted.

Since their Mom and Dad were in a project and couldn't leave the house, the boys got in the Jeep with us. Three year old Esteban cried and screamed to go with us, so his brothers put him in the back seat between them. They knew exactly which store had the right shoes, one very near their home. Within minutes all three had tried on and chosen black slipper style shoes with square toes. It was clear they had walked by that store and admired those shoes before.

Carlos, Rogerio and Julio were so happy when they held their new school shoes; and it felt good for us to invest in their future. The shoes averaged $25 a pair, a small amount considering how important those shoes were to those three boys.

I took a picture of 15 year old Carlos trying on his shoes, with Julio and little Esteban watching.

JOSE LUIS FIGERO

Jose Luis sells elote, corn on the cob, in Nuevo Progreso. One day we drove past his stand and stopped to talk with him and he invited us to come for a visit next time we came to town. He insisted until we agreed to be at his house Wednesday at 10:00 am. He gave us his address since we'd never been there before.

Wednesday at 10:00 am we drove up and down the streets looking for Jose Luis. The street signs were either rusted beyond reading or non existent, so this wasn't easy. Lloyd and I wondered what we would talk about since we barely knew Jose Luis, was this going to be a waste of time? We asked the Lord to show us some purpose for the meeting.

Pastor Gerardo passed by and saw us and asked where we were going. He got excited about our visit to Jose Luis since he is one of his recent converts. He visits him once a week to read the Bible with him and his daughters. "Follow me to his house," he said.

When we arrived Jose Luis was on the phone and we learned that his parents who live in Tampico are both gravely ill. The phone call was more bad news and we could tell he was suffering from grief. He has no way to be with them and can't help them. Maybe this wasn't a good day for a visit with Jose Luis.

But then it occurred to us that the Lord had brought us all together for a reason that morning, we were there at that exact moment to pray and encourage Jose Luis. We could not have planned the meeting so well; and that gave us confidence that God was in control. Later we stood holding hands praying for the healing of his parents and for peace and tranquility in his heart. The stress and pain left his face and he began to relax and put his faith in God's promises.

Mission work means many things, but it is mainly getting involved in the lives of the people. One day it may be helping cut firewood, one day providing school shoes and one day praying for the sick. Some things may not seem important at the moment, but it's all about making disciples and teaching about Jesus one person at a time.

"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

The picture shows Jose Luis Figero and his youngest daughter Ashley at their house.

NACHITA

Our friend Nachita took off her sandal to show us her blistered foot. She was sitting on the sidewalk up against a building clutching her belongings. Every day this elderly woman walks a long way from her home at the south edge of town to the market where she sells nopales, chopped up cactus. As usual, she held out her arms and chattered away about how glad she was to see us and how little she had sold that day. We were prepared to see her, having brought ointment for her feet and aspirins for the pain she suffers.

Nachita's distinct Indian features and her black and grey braided hair give her a very interesting appearance. Her skin is weathered and lined and she has a permanent frown on her face put there by all the hardships she endures. Nachita proudly says she has Jesus in her heart and I love it when she calls me her little sister.

DISTRIBUTING SPANISH BIBLES

Carmelo and Gloria have a business in Nuevo Progreso but they planted a church in Matamoros and for many years they have traveled back and forth to pastor the church. They admitted it's very dangerous for them to drive the 30 miles to Matamoros these days, but they have no plans to abandon the work. We supplied a few Spanish Bibles for their church.

Carlos sells jewelry in the market and is also attending college every day in Rio Bravo. He has friends who have expressed the desire to have a Bible. Since the violence has made it difficult for us to go deeper into Mexico to distribute Bibles, we are glad for these opportunities to get God's word into the hands of the people.

At the international bridge we again endured X-ray scanning of our vehicle. We were ordered to line up our cars one behind the other, get out and stand behind the guard rail while the big truck drove slowly by. The entire operation took only minutes, but it's interesting that so much care is given to inspecting vehicles entering the United States when the main problem seems to be guns being taken into Mexico.

On our way through customs we saw a uniformed officer standing guard facing Mexico, and he was holding a weapon like an AK-47. It's amazing how good it feels to drive away from there knowing we are free and safe.

"With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow." Proverbs 3:5 & 6 (Contemporary English).

Here's a street scene of Nuevo Progreso. It looks strange to see empty parking places these days.

EXTREMELY COLD WINTER WEATHER

Cold weather in Mexico made the trip to Nuevo Progreso very important and we were taking warm sweat shirts to friends. The warm and sunny day made it hard to believe the bad forecast, but we'd already had freezing temperatures and a layer of ice that had closed highways and bridges. Already this winter has been reported as the worst in over 50 years in northern Mexico and there have been many weather related deaths.

Apolinar lives on the outskirts of Nuevo Progreso in a little house built by missionaries. They have no indoor plumbing and no way to heat their house other than gathering wood and building fires.

This is a spcial family needing a helping hand. They work hard making and selling gorditos to truck drivers. The gorditos are fried corn cakes filled with refried beans, potatoes and scrambled eggs. As usual we were offered samples of the hot gorditos along with cold drinks. They sell all the food they can prepare and it's not surprising because they are really good.

Their little boy Esteban stands in front of their house on the outskirts of Nuevo Progreso.

BLANKETS AND A MISSION

Because of the extremely cold bad weather, we took blankets to Nuevo Progreso. The red light flashed at the Mexican checkpoint and the alarm sounded as a young man approached us and asked to examine the contents of our Jeep. He opened every door, poked around and finally gave us permission to proceed.

There are old ladies begging on the sidewalks among the tourists and Lloyd wanted to take blankets specifically for them. It wasn't long before we had given out the blankets.

Here's a picture of me with one little lady whose name is Manuelita. She was happy to get an extra blanket to wrap up in.

TOURISM IN NUEVO PROGRESO

Tourism is picking up in Nuevo Progreso. Yesterday the sun was shining and it was 85 degrees, making it perfect for shopping. Store awnings and shades made from canvas created a dark tunnel effect on the sidewalk, blocking the sun and making it cooler. Vendors had stands of wares near the curb leaving a narrow pathway through which we walked; and even this pathway was crowded with people trying to sell things. Accordion music and the smell of food being grilled was overwhelming.

Mexican soldiers armed with weapons threaded their way through this crowded shopping area. It was a reminder that just below the surface danger remains in Nuevo Progreso. They strolled single file between the stands and stores. Their presence didn't seem unusual or out of place, but comforting and reassuring. They were patrolling the area, making sure nothing malicious threatened the shoppers.

When driving back across the international bridge into Texas, we were directed to enter a narrow roped off area with five other vehicles. The officials instructed us to get out of our cars and stand behind the guard rail near the office. A large truck equipped with ex ray vision drove slowly past our vehicles, scanning to see if there were any weapons hidden inside. It took just minutes for our vehicles to be scanned, but only random vehicles were examined while others were directed to pass through another lane.

These events were very dramatic and serious. It's not every day that we rub shoulders with armed military guards while strolling through shopping areas. And even though we appreciate the added precautions taken at the bridge, it felt strange to be checked over with such extreme criminal based technology. Meanwhile there have been no further incidents to disrupt the peace in Nuevo Progreso.

The picture shows our friend Poly who has a jewelry stand on the west side of Avenue Benito Juarez.