Black, red, blue, yellow, green, and striped ones were all the colors of the 50 winter hats (or beanies as they call them here) that you helped us provide to the men and women at our Tuesday night outreach in Tijuana. Remember the street in Postal I told you about where the addicts, recently deported and homeless, hang out? We gave each person a gift wrapped, rolled up hat. Every hat was quickly unwrapped and promptly put on each head. I wish I had a photo of the bright colored hats as they walked away and disappeared into the dark night after the outreach. Everyone was very grateful for the warm gift in addition to their various bread and sweet items. The hats looked like burrito’s when stacked under our tree.

Once again we drove home for Christmas to the East Coast. Though we ask ourselves if we are getting too old for it, we actually do still enjoy it. We had a wonderful time with family, and an unexpected extended time in Virginia due to Carol’s dad having a mild stroke while we were there. It was surely a scary time for us all, but we were so grateful to be there when it happened. Initially, he went to the hospital for a severe headache, which later turned out to be a sinus headache, and unrelated to the stroke. The Lord was truly with him. We are happy to report that he is doing excellent after a surgery to clear a blocked artery in his neck. Thank you Lord for your protection and warning signs! We are grateful for every moment when we get to visit our family and we pondered that sacrifice during the drive back . We returned to San Diego more than a week later than planned. Carol flew back to Virginia for her dad’s surgery in February. So most of January and half of February is a blur from all the extra excitement.

My job with Mental Health has certainly been interesting. I am challenged by working within a non-ministry environment where every need presented is actually a huge need for ministry. Though I am a believer in the science of psychology, and understand the principles therein, they act only as a band-aid for symptoms and they rarely address the root cause – a created human desperately needing to connect with their Creator. I am convinced that total mental serenity and good health is impossible without God. So, though I feel stuck at times with implementing behavior modification interventions to curb youth delinquency, I am grateful to be on the inside of knowing how to pray for some desperate situations and how to be Jesus with skin on in the midst. The boys I work with, the oldest being 18 and the youngest being 5, all have huge odds stacked against them. But they are worth every effort. I have just recently encountered the first father on the scene (barely with supervised visitation rights) of one of my clients. All others are being raised by single moms. My pay is often a challenge because it requires so much time for so little compensation. And my struggle is wanting to be free for more time applied to Mexico and ministering to the poor.

I, with my partner Greg, continue to go across the border every Tuesday and Sunday night, in order to deliver donations to the local Salvation Army, various orphanages, several families, and to individuals who give to other needy people in Mexico. I had to give up going on Thursday nights in order to work an additional night shift for my job. Tuesday nights continue to be holding an outreach from the tailgate of our truck. We pass out bagels, rolls and sweets (pan-dulce) to 40-60 people. These were the same people we gave the hats to for Christmas. You may remember me mentioning my friend Victor in a previous letter. He is still around and still on the streets, but is now free from heroin, praise the Lord! He is getting closer to being completely free!

Very recently, a good friend donated a used 1-ton pickup truck to our work in Mexico. This is a huge blessing! The truck has a large flatbed, and will allow us to bring more food at one time, across the border. In the last month or so, we have had alot more donations, and have had to drive two trucks over. And with gas, that costs a good bit! So this truck will allow us to be more efficient and to not have to turn away any donations that won’t fit in the other smaller trucks! Thus, more people are able to get food! We are so blessed to have it (thank you P & N) and anxious to get it registered and insured, and ‘on the road again’.

Carol’s horse training and teaching job is going well, and she is very thankful for the work. She is very serious about ministering to those she is working with. If you think about it, this would be a great area of prayer for her. There are some serious needs among those she works with, and she knows the Lord has put her there for this very reason. She is also continuing to sort out the possibilities of worship and intercession here in San Diego. This would be another area she requests concerted prayer in.

Thank you so much to each one of you for standing with us, supporting us and praying for us. As always we really appreciate each and every gift that you share with us and we do ask that the Lord would return blessings to your household as you have blessed ours! Our prayer is always that we would be good stewards of what the Lord gives to us and in return give to those whom we are called to. Your partnership is so valuable and equally a part of that calling! Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you might have when considering giving to VOB on a monthly basis. We have a lot of vision ahead and expect that the Lord will be faithful to provide for the glimpse he has given us.

“Remember, before getting rid of that “whatever” that you don’t need anymore . . . someone else just might!”

This photo of a family who received sweatshirts that had been pre printed before Super Bowl winners were determined. New England Patriots “Super Bowl” sweatshirts donated to World Vision (www.worldvision.org) ! This 3rd world family appreciated them!  Champions or not!

“Well, last time I checked Virginia and North Carolina were still U.S. states”.

The U.S. border patrol officer actually seemed disappointed that he couldn’t find a reason to be more sarcastic, as we came to the check point, and he looked at our i.d.’s while we stated our birth states. For the last two hours, we have been in the car, slowly ebbing our way toward the border checkpoint out of Mexico and into the U.S. During our wait time, we see all sorts of things. People are selling various items, including ‘vas de elotes’, or buttered cup of corn with lime juice (delicious!), churros, or fried bread, bobble head animals, Aztec ‘artwork’, cute little children’s desks, flowers, and various and sundry ‘velvet’ paintings!!

We see drug sniffing dogs being pointed at numerous cars and trucks for checking. We see border patrol agents stopping vehicles and asking occupants to open their trunks and/or show their paper work. Every car that goes thru has to be stopped and have citizenship and i.d. checked. Usually we see children juggling balls for a few cents or addicts or amputees sitting on the street between lanes begging. It’s an amazing site, actually, when you sort of ‘step back’, and look at the entire process, and there is rarely a dull moment.

As we near the border, Wayne asks me, “where were you born”, so that I will be able to clearly answer back, ‘Richmond, Virginia’. I ask him the same. The humor in the question, is getting to the border crossing, being asked that very simple question, but, being nervous around the very stern border agents, completely blanking out as to my birthplace!! There’s nothing like being asked where you were born, and being totally tongue tied and not being able to answer that obvious question!! (Gee, where WAS I born??). Once, when passing from Mexico to the U.S. thru the border crossing, Wayne was asked where he had just been (a common question patrol agents ask). He answered, ‘Mexico’. “No @#*!*”, the border patrol agent said, “I’ll bet everyone behind you has too”, as he noted the thousands of people and cars lined up behind Wayne and friend Greg. Of course every person in line was obviously IN Mexico, waiting to go across, and he only wanted to know the town they had been in.

It’s just par for the course, when you go down to Mexico and return several times a week. And you have to find the humor in it, or it quickly becomes tedious and frustrating. This is something thousands of people do every day, making Tijuana the busiest border crossing in the world. But it’s worth the effort, when you know that you are bringing hungry people food. You see, resources in Mexico are no where near what they are in the States for the poor and hungry. We may not do a perfect job here in the U.S., but we sure do a good job. We have seen first hand how churches here in San Diego provide many wonderful meals for the poor and homeless, as well as healthcare, clothing, and sleeping needs. In Mexico, it is just not that way. And most of the time, the poor are made up of small families barely getting by.

The average salary for a person in Tijuana and the surrounding area, is $12 a day, with working
days being 10-12 hour days, 6 days a week. On this salary, housing, food, transportation and
paying for your child to go to school is needed. So, by bringing bread, fruit and vegetables to those in need, a large burden is lifted for these dear ones. It’s not saving the world. But it surely is helping the one right before us. And best of all, praying for each soul happens every time, for every person. All in Jesus’ Name!!

During this wonderful Christmas season, we want to say thank you to each and everyone of you for supporting and helping to provide for Voice of the Bride this past year. It’s been a year of changes, as you know. As always, your prayer support is so vital to this ministry. And please know that you are a part of feeding the hungry and helpless, and bringing the love of Jesus to those hurting, downtrodden and sometimes quite hopeless. May the Lord bless you richly and may the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of GOD, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit abound to you and your families during this holiday season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Love, Wayne and Carol

PRAISES:

-Day to day provision for our personal needs.

-For Wayne’s new job (that he did get just after last newsletter) and provision through it.

PRAYER NEEDS:

-Safe travel as we drive between the coasts to visit our families during December and January

-Divine appointments throughout the holiday season, as this time of year, people are often more open to the things of the Lord.

-Please pray for ‘Victor’, a friend in Mexico who wants to be free from his addictions. Wayne and his buddy Greg, have been ministering to Victor for awhile now.

-Pray for favor and divine appointments in our daily work, Wayne at Mental Health Systems and Carol at Suncoast Farms.

-Pray for some finance needs: We recently had to overhaul our Blazer’s transmission. While we are both working, salaries are part time at this point, and horse training work can be sporadic. We count on missions support to supplement our time to do ministry part time as well.