Hitting the highlights this month . . .

We collected donations, via Facebook , for Children’s Illustrated Bibles available through a contact with Last Days Ministries. LDM got a case of them donated for free! Thanks Carol D. The children loved them.

Wayne connected with VOB partner Peter K. and his men’s group from Northern California who traveled to Tecate Mexico to shingle a new roof on a children’s dining hall.  It was great fellowship, great fun with the kids and a long lasting blessing of a shelter from the sun and rain.  We also gave each kid a new pair of shoes – thanks to VOB supporters.

We created, and continue to create care bags for those who live on the street.   A VOB partner and a neighbor of ours’ (both travel for work), supply us with multitudes of hotel bathing products!  These items, matched with donated toothpaste and an online bulk purchase of toothbrushes, turned a little bag of love, into a large blessing, to souls in many desperate situations. Thanks Peter S. and Christy W.

We are grateful to serve in Mexico and grateful for you on the home front!  We would like to beckon you for one small, yet important task.  A good missionary friend strongly encouraged us to make sure that others are praying for Wayne’s safety in Mexico.  Safety, as well as  border official hassling, does make for a trying trip across each day.  We thought there might be some of you who would be interested in getting a text from Wayne when he (along with his angels) is about to cross the border,   so you can agree “yes Lord”!   If you are interested  (and able – as we just got new phones and entered the world of texting)…just let us know if you want to be added to the group.   Let’s cross the busiest international border in the world together!

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”