REYNA, QUEEN OF HER FAMILY



Reyna and one of her grandchildren.

Warm hearted and affectionate, Reyna has been our friend in Nuevo Progreso for over fifteen years. The mother of twelve children, Reyna is always smiling and happy, positive and active, helpful and caring. When there's an activity at the church, she volunteers to help, she's not afraid of work. The name Reyna means Queen in Spanish.

Reyna has very curly hair which sets her apart from most women in Mexico. She always wears it short and close to her head, framing her face attractively. Her children are handsome and her many grandchildren are mannerly. Reyna stands out as Queen of her family because she works very hard to feed and clothe them all under very difficult circumstances. She would fight for the sake of her family!

Reyna's husband Pancho is a tall happy man. He can usually be seen in the market area washing cars or out on the road sweeping up grain that has spilled from the large canvas covered trucks. Pancho was almost killed many years ago as he was cutting weeds next to an illegal fireworks factory when it exploded outside of Nuevo Progreso. The explosion blew him over a parked car where he landed on a gravel road. He was airlifted by compassionate friends to a hospital in Texas where he was treated for some time. He carries the scars from that accident and likes to roll up his sleeves and show us bits of gravel still embedded under the skin on his hands and arms!

It takes a lot to feed so many children and it would be easy to become discouraged. At one time Reyna and Pancho had to sell their little home in order to purchase medicines for Pancho's injuries. But they found a new area being settled nearby and in no time they had a shelter to live in. Not very substantial at first, they improved the place bit by bit until it was a decent place to live. They now have running water in the house and were recently able to hook on to the city drainage system. Their next goal is to install a proper bathroom, so they are searching and saving for bathroom fixtures.

Reyna and Pancho and many of their children and grandchildren came to the children's fiesta held at our church January 5th. Reyna reported that several of her grand babies were very ill with the flu. The family needed medicines and more blankets because of the recent severe weather in Nuevo Progreso. The temperatures fell into the mid thirties one night and there were reports of sleet mixed in the rain.

We stopped at Reyna's house January 9th to give them food, blankets and medicines for the babies. This hard working family needs a lot of prayer. Reyna is a leader among women, faithful mother and good friend, who is an asset to the church. And to us she really is a Queen!

"Who can find a virtuous woman?  For her price is far above rubies."  Proverbs 31:10