Greetings and Happy Tax Day!  How great is it that at least this dreaded event followed a life proclaiming, resurrection powered occasion.  We had a wonderful time on Sunday with some house church friends here in San Diego . And we hope you enjoyed your celebration with friends and family.  It is especially fond for me (Wayne),  as this season marks what is now 20 years since dedicating my life to the Lord and His service.  It is hard to believe that much time has gone by, although two decades of experience makes it more familiar and believable.

I started the holiday weekend with an early morning Good Friday breakfast in Mexico .  I was grateful that both my client families canceled scheduled appointments, due to the holiday, allowing me to take the day off as well.  Mind you, it was not a day to sleep in as my friend Vicente answered, when I asked what time I should meet him across the border, “siete”(7).   Ah, ok that means a start for the border at 6:15 a.m. for me!  But I was so glad I did, as once again it was a joy and a blessing to see the wonderful feeding ministry Vicente provides 4 mornings a week with the food we deliver to him.  This morning routine feeds some of the very poor in a very poor colonia where Vicente lives.  The colonia is situated up on a hill  near the border fence across from East San Diego .  (Funny thing is,  the border fence runs all along from the ocean to far East county yet ends right in the side of a high peaked mountain.  I could see a border patrol vehicle parked on a bluff where they monitor 24/7, here just above Vicente’s colonia). The colonia has no paved roads and the potholes were impossible to avoid. There is no garbage pick up in this area so everyone burns their trash.  Electricity comes to a few utility poles where “every man for himself” connects wiring to them if they want electricity at their homes.  Of course there are no sewage lines, so no modern bathrooms. This is just over the fence from the U.S. line, mind you.

The breakfast was wonderful in that about 40+ men, women and lots of children had a warm plate of corn, mac&cheese, shredded chicken and a roll for breakfast.  Also each family was given a small bag of bread to take home.  There was also a small clothes rummage as a group of ladies went through some bags of clothes, we brought down, sizing them up for their family.  We have had consistent donations from friends and coworkers of clothing after presenting the need over the past few months.  And what a blessing it has been to so many. This leads me to something I want to bring special mention to, for each of you.

We have frequently made you aware of the great need for ongoing food donations to meet the needs in Mexico .  Particularly due to a growing ‘lack’ of food being delivered to the places we go.  Often, we hear account after account of orphanages, elderly homes, infirmaries, and rehabs  skipping meals due to not having enough food.  We have shared with you my vision and desire to discover more potential food donations and ways to connect with local merchants who would be willing to hold their discards for us to pick up.  Although I hope one day to be able to do this full time so that time would permit me to do more, I can’t wait while others suffer without.

You who live here locally in San Diego can help!  Check with the markets you frequent, and find out the answers to these questions:

What happens to split bags/boxes of product that aren’t sold but are perfectly ok?  

What happens to day old bread?  

What happens to bruised or ripened produce?  

How about canned foods with missing labels?

Can you provide this to a nonprofit for feeding the poor?

Those of you who visit your own markets each week, may discover some potential donations that you could collect and pass on to us for delivering.  You could be a part of feeding the poor in ways you never thought possible.

For those of you who receive this newsletter who are not in San Diego .  Find out how you can do the same thing and assist a ministry in your neighborhood that is feeding the poor.  In addition, please pray for us and those you know who have similar mandates from the Lord.  Pray for favor for more opportunities to turn that which is thrown away into needed provision for others.

Just the other night (before Good Friday), I called one of our weekly providers of bread, on a whim (a God thing – only I was slow to respond), to see if perhaps the bread for that evening was not picked up by the scheduled organization for that night.  I had been asking this donor to please keep me informed if another night opens up for a pick up need.  Not only had the pick up not happened, but the bread and pastries had been thrown away.  I was devastated with feelings of, “if only I had called sooner”, and “I knew I should ask more often”.

That feeling of devastation revisited me the next day, when after the breakfast, we went on to deliver bread to the various residential’s, and there was not enough to finish the deliveries!                Thank you for your partnership!

Regarding Climate in Mexico . . .

If you have listened or read the news of late, you have undoubtedly heard about the growing concern for what is happenning in Mexico right now.   Due to a massive power struggle between rival drug gangs for trafficking drugs into the U.S., murders and kidnappings are escalating in Mexico, particularly in border towns.   Most of the violence seems to be directed toward and involving drug traffickers, most specifically.  Many people have been asking us, ‘what do you think?’.  Many in San Diego are afraid to go down to Tijuana these days.  We have asked ourselves what to do also.   Do we stop going down and feeding the hungry, as so many seem to be doing?   As Wayne is the one doing most of the work in Tijuana, I, of course, am most concerned.  I pray every day for his protections.  But there is only one thing I can ask myself… What would Jesus do??   And so I would ask you for a concerted prayer effort for safety and protection, along with great fruit for Wayne and for his buddy Greg, as they continue to feed the hungry, broken and down-trodden of Mexico.  As things get worse here economically, they get worse there.  But for us, as believers in Christ, we arise in prayer, asking the Lord of heaven and earth to put a hedge of protection around all of those who are still going, trying to help those in need…..  And by the way, what a great time for revival in Mexico, right???    Thank you!!!!

“Along the way”

Climbing the rocky, dusty, bumpy road to the Camp of Faith, tucked away on a high bluff overlooking a small chicken farm and some fields with a couple of horses, I appreciated a beautiful picture of the layout of the land in Mexico .   It was a nice place, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life in Tijuana .  The hills are really green right now from all the rain and are quite breath taking.  Having just enjoyed taking in that picture and appreciating the fresh outdoors, I was next faced with the reality of those shut in and unable to enjoy the same freedom.  I met Arturo, a 39 year old man who had fallen a year ago and broken his back.  He was unable to afford a six thousand dollar surgery to correct his back and has since developed numerous problems due to the stress on his muscles and organs from injury and bed confinement.  As I prayed with Arturo I was deeply moved by his wonderful sense of peace and love for the Lord and trust in Him.  I was personally convicted, myself often complaining of chronic back pain, by Arturo’s spirit and faith.  (Pray for a resource connection we have contacted that may help help Arturo).

Next we visited a place I have shared about before, where many other sick are cared for.  This was the garage exposed to the elements which I asked for prayer before for a new place.  Well, glory to God, these needy ones are now in a new place where someone opened up a large home for them.  I can’t tell you how blessed I was to see God’s provision for a warmer, cleaner place for these sick people.  The young man I mentioned praying for before who had aids, had died the day after we were last there.  I had suspected him to be certainly near the end as we prayed for him then.  There are still many needs here of the most basic type. We hope to bring a team of medical missionaries here  through some other connections as well.

At place after place, I was graciously thanked for providing the simplest (in my opinion) of food and assured that it was greatly needed and appreciated.  I heard over and over that food once  provided to these places had been cut off due to the economy, as well as those who fear coming to Mexico at this time.  One place we arrived had just begun to serve up bowls of broth to the residents.  This was all they could provide. They were delighted to have the bread to serve along side the broth.

As expressed many times before, I am challenged to discover a way to fill this gap as the need is way beyond my small contribution 2 days a week.  There is need for daily food to be delivered to many places. I have only mentioned these few.  We only know to ask you to please pray: #1 For the provision of the most basic needs for those I have come in contact with.  #2 Please pray that I will have clarity about how to commit to bringing provision in the most practical ways.  I am willing to do so and find it more fulfilling then anything I have done in my life.  #3 We still need you to commit to provide for us full time to expand what we believe is crucial to meet the needs.

Crisis Phone Update . . .

We received a call from a young girl who was being regularly beaten by her pimp.  She had had enough and wanted help.  We met her and took her to a safe hotel room and bought her dinner as we encouraged her that there is hope for her.  She was very afraid and had been hurt by this man many times before with broken ribs, sternum, and jaw.  Her right eardrum was ruptured from blows to her jaw.     She had just turned 23 but her story begins . . . running away at 16 from her adopted home where her brothers molested her from age 3 on.  Classic story continues, she met a guy who told her he loved her and would provide and keep her safe, only before turning her out to do tricks.  As we talked with her the control he had on her was evident from her cell phone ringing the entire time.  We encouraged her to ignore it and assured her we along with law enforcement would keep her safe.  The next day, after all our assurance she was convinced that she was in greater danger unless she returned.  We also discovered that the pimp had left her threatening voice mails accompanied by the fact that he was torturing her puppy that he had in his possession.  Coersion tactics that we are not unfamiliar with.  Last heard, she called and said that she was ok; to our relief as we feared for her life.    Please pray!

Click on “Balboa Park” below, to see a short video of a rally we participated in on

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.           Balboa Park San Diego January 11th 2009