The Karen Fund….. you may remember, is a fund we set up last year, in memory of Karen, a young girl who died due to an untreated medical problem, which her family was unable to afford.  Since then, VOB has worked to help provide relief for the medical needs of those we minister to, as they arise.  The “Karen fund” has been able to cover emergency root canals, taxi rides to the hospital for a young girl (story below) to receive chemo treatments, and help with burial costs for another recent and sudden death.  Our friend, Adrienne, was 32, and had a sudden intestinal rupture a  couple of weeks ago.  Due to his impoverished circumstances,  emergency treatment did not come quickly enough.  He was a dear and humble brother, whose smile never went unnoticed.

Angelica is the 11 year old daughter of our very good friend Vicente.  She had a tumor develop rather quickly, on her forehead last year.  She was able to begin immediate treatment for cancer, because Vicente has family that lives in the U.S., and can provide some financial help for his family.  Both Vicente and his wife, Lupita, work very hard out of their tiny home. They accommodate us on so many levels, helping to store the food we bring down, as well as helping to distribute it at various times during the week.  We love this family and stand with them in agreement for Angelica’s healing.

Below is a personal report from a recent visitor. She is a VOB supporter, former board member, and, well, we just call her ‘Mom’.

“On my recent trip to San Diego to visit my son, Wayne, I was able to see how much he hustles to pick up food.  He has wonderful connections with several organizations which give food. I was privileged to go with him to pick up this food.  After the pickup, he returns home, checks the food to be sure it really is ok, and then organizes his trip across the border.  I also saw, first hand, how Wayne has to declare his goods at the border, and has to wait around for the agents to get to him to check him thru.  Truly a servant of the Lord.”

“One family I met, in particular, greatly impacted me.  I really enjoyed being with Vicente, Lupita and their four children. Their oldest daughter, Angelica, has cancer.  I felt a very close connection to her because I survived cancer in 2003.  The whole family was wonderful, but little Angelica felt sick, and we could tell.  We stayed at the house a little while, and gathered around her, and prayed for her.  After I returned home, Wayne informed me that she had to be put in the hospital because she needed blood.  Wayne said that, in Mexico, if a person needs blood, it is the families’ responsibility to rally volunteers to donate blood to the blood bank. They are required to do this, in order to replenish blood before it is given to the patient.  Angelica  was in the hospital for a week or so.  Wayne keeps me posted on her condition, as I desire to help this family in any way I can, because of the impression made on me while visiting them.”

“My prayer is that Wayne and Carol can find a place to store all of the food donated to them. They need storage.  Right now, he is using their garage, which is not enough room. Therefore, he sometimes goes to Mexico twice a day!  He truly does not want the food to go bad.  On Tuesday night, I joined Wayne and Greg as they gave out food to a whole host of people who know and trust them to bring food every week.    The people all appear to be so grateful.”

“This is just a touch of what I saw this August, 2010.  Needless to say, I am a very proud mom that her son and his wife want to serve the Lord.  ‘Thank you Lord, for all your provisions.  We just love You so much.’  Please pray for Wayne and Carol, and for Angelica.  God Bless you!  Mary”

Hit the Ground Running…

That is what I have been saying to myself all month.  And the busier the month got, on went the running.  We have some prayer concerns that we wanted to ask you to bend God’s ear on.

First I want to share what an honor it was for me to be by my grandmother’s side when she breathed her last breath.  For those of you who prayed that I would make it to NC in time, I thank you.  It was a privilege to spend a couple of days with her before her passing.  It was also an honor to deliver her eulogy, though hard to summarize the faithfulness of a 97 year old saint.  Our family will miss her dearly and we will need to up the anty on a prayer warrior loss for VOB.

I returned from North Carolina, along with my mom. She had an already planned visit to see us and tag along on some VOB missions.  Many of our friends and ministry partners in Tijuana loved meeting her.  I know it means a lot to them that someone would come down and visit while on vacation, just to be a blessing.  In turn, they were a blessing to her.  You may hear from her next months newsletter!

VOB is what I like to refer to as, “on call” for what sometimes is a daily pick up of food (yesterday marked 13 days in a row).  We have connected with a local mission which provides food and various needs to the massive homeless population of downtown San Diego.  This mission, appropriately named “God’s extended Hand,” receives donations from many resources, including the San Diego Rescue Mission.  When they have more (particularly non-perishables) than they can move quickly,  they call me.  I then sort the truck load, and attempt to properly store items, until I can run them down to Tijuana.  Sometimes an immediate delivery is necessary.  Although I am most grateful for this provision, it has been hard to determine a consistent schedule each day.  Thus, I need your prayers for my ability to plan accordingly, as well as for favor in managing my time.  And please, just as when we pray, start your prayer first with THANKS for the abundance, because we ARE so thankful!

A final, and current concern for prayer, is regarding a new difficulty we are having with Mexican Customs.  More specifically, with Mexican Agriculture Inspectors known as the “Sagarpa”.  As you may remember we have not been allowed to declare fruit for 8 or more months now.  Remember the huge truck loads of oranges we were getting in just before? This is due to a concern about the potential problems of a fruit fly epidemic.  Well, the concern now, is over a moth that may pose a  potential threat by coming in on vegetables brought INTO Mexico.  We are working closely with the Sagarpa, regarding this concern.  But, as of now, we are being told we can no longer bring produce of any kind into Mexico.  This is a huge upset, as not only do we desire to get important nutritional food to the poor, but it comes at a time when we are experiencing an abundance of donated produce.  At this point, I am limited to only taking small, undeclared amounts of food in multiple trips across the border.  This ban only applies to produce being brought in through the non-commercial declaration side of the Mexican border entry.  Therefore, the ban only applies to those bringing in donations.  We are looking into what it would mean to be recognized as a commercial exporter of produce, recognized by the Mexican federal government.  This is what we are told would give us greater favor.  Basically the government wants paperwork which documents where the produce originates, and how it was managed.  The irony is, most of the donated produce we get  first originated in Mexico before being imported into the US!

Thank you for beckoning the Lord on our behalf and on behalf of the poor, once again oppressed by red tape!  I am encouraged by a quote we found jotted down in my grandmothers night stand:

“The Lord has been good to me, whenever I have any worries I go to Him”.