voiceofthebride

This month we have a few notes of thanks (just a few selected from those you help support). They were translated from Spanish to English but unedited in content.

Good evening, we are the Garcia Gonzalez family. We appreciate the support that you have given us thanks to the donations. My children have the opportunity to continue their studies. We are also grateful for the families that are helped.

The help blesses us with food and, personally, the fundamental support that you have given my children in their studies and in the support of the surgeries that they have had. I would also like to thank you on behalf of Mrs. Amelia. Thank you all for your donations. God bless you all. Ivonne, on behalf of the Garcia Gonzalez family.

Hello, my name is Samuel and together with my wife Linda we have a small ministry where we have discipled young people from the university. Some of them have reached baptism and served in the local church. We also support the planting of a church.

The support we receive from our brother Wayne helps us in our ministry to continue reaching young people, inviting them to a meal and connecting them to Jesus. In addition, he helps my family and I with transportation to the church that we support since it is quite far away.

Samy, Linda and Sophia

Hello my brother, for us, we use your support this way: 50% of it is used to buy baby items such as diapers, towels, milk, and the other 50% is used to make a pantry as stocked as we can to donate to a charity. family friend of ours It should be added that when I don’t have a job, we use that 50% to pay the rent or to do our groceries. Thank you very much for the support, the truth is that it is of great help in moments of despair. Tony & Danae

Hello Wayne, I am studying Administration at the Tijuana Institute of Technology, thanks to your support I have been able to continue with my studies and I have recently moved on to the third semester of my degree, I hope you can continue helping many more young people as well as me, thank you for everything, blessings. Rosie

I want to take a moment to express to you everything I feel and how grateful I am for everything you have done for me. You are a father to me; You are a mentor, a guide and an example to follow in all aspects of my life. Thank you for your constant support in my studies, thanks to this I continue to achieve my goals of improving myself every day.

You have been an inexhaustible source of motivation and confidence, always encouraging me to do my best and keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles arise. Not only have you helped me achieve my academic goals, but you have also been fundamental in important aspects such as my American visa, which is in process and I hope to have it soon. Thank you for helping me with my passport, opening doors to new opportunities and experiences that I would never have had imagined. In addition to all this, I deeply appreciate your dedication to youth charity activities. You have instilled in me the value of helping others and serving the community with love and compassion. These moments have been inspiring and have taught me the true meaning of generosity.

Your example and guidance have helped me grow spiritually, and you have been a light on my path, guiding me with wisdom and love toward a deeper relationship with God. You are a fundamental pillar in my life, and I feel blessed to have you by my side. With all my love and gratitude, Pedro Liz and the boys

Juan Carlos and his cousins asked if they could help me carry boxes of food into the women and children’s shelter. They lived just next door and had been seeing me come each week. Of course I never say no to helpers. But especially a chance to teach kids how important it is to help others. This started a new friendship. Juan Carlos continued to help each week, and we were able to add his family to the weekly food dispense. After a few years went by, I arrived and there was no Juan Carlos. But one of the house moms at the shelter had a note he had left for me, explaining that his family had to move away, and that he was very sorry and would miss helping us each week. Fast Forward 9 years later, and Juan Carlos finds us on social media! WOW! He was so excited to tell us that he was studying to become a dentist. What a wonderful blessing to get such unexpected news! We do not often get updates from those who have come and gone in our ministry of helps. Normally we help, hope, and pray that we were able to make a small difference in a life, and hope that a greater impact results.

Early on, when we started our full time work in Mexico, our goal was to come alongside our Mexican brothers and sisters and provide food and basic needs for their communities. Having greater resources in San Diego, it made sense to share those resources. We quickly learned that there were many great needs around Tijuana, and connecting with the locals who knew the true and greatest needs, was the most effective way to make that connection. Another important goal for VOB, was to make our connections, consistent ones. And often that has been the response. Many would thank us for our faithful trips across the border, multiple times a week. We have been able to make good, stable partnerships, and friendships. Out of these partnerships, there are life giving connections continuing to be made. Many of these connections are through the younger ones we have imparted to, and continue to disciple to this day!

A few years ago (or even just a couple years ago), we would have never guessed that we would return to North Carolina. But the Lord knew His plan. And raising others up to continue the work was part of that plan. Little did any of us know how much we would learn from the pandemic, about how to manage things from different locations. For example, online worship communities like Carol is involved in with the Global Tabernacle of David. This has led to an awesome opportunity to help raise up one of our young helpers, and leaders from Tijuana. Pedro was a teenager when Wayne first met him. We have written about him a few times, as we have become quite fond of him. Pedro loves the Lord, and it comes out clearly when he is leading worship. Carol has loved having him be a part of leading on the online worship community. We are helping him finish his education, and get his Mexican passport and travel visa, to help with border crossing needs in the future, as well as join us in national outreaches. These opportunities working with our Tijuana partners, make it seem as though there is no physical distance between us. The Lord has knitted our hearts eternally.

We wanted to take this time to assure followers of Voice of the Bride that our vision for the work in Tijuana continues and is perhaps stronger and more intentional than ever, as we commit to monthly support of these many leaders.

We have had a few donors taper off or re-direct their support to other important needs. We are so grateful for their faithfulness to VOB over the years!

That said, we could really use new supporters to fill in those gaps. One of our top goals is to continue our financial support of the leaders in TJ (i.e. Pedro’s needs mentioned earlier), the education scholarships, the mercy medical needs (i.e. Alexandra mentioned in last newsletter – her eye surgery was a success – photo of pre-op below), and other hardship needs as they often arise. Just recently, we purchased a new pair of orthopedic shoes for Manuel, as his had worn through and had been repaired twice before (he’s also doing great. He just had a birthday and graduated from pre school- ready for primary school).

We send monthly support to 5 different couples, each of whom are prioritizing helping their communities, not only to survive, but to thrive for a better future. We are honored to know, first hand, how to undergird these needs. But we need your help to continue doing so!

If you are not already supporting us, would you consider doing so with a monthly or one-time gift? Or perhaps you could mention VOB to others who might be led to support and pray for us.

And thank you again, faithful friends. We continue to plow, sow and plant in the fields of the Lord together.

GOD Bless you, Wayne & Carol