Voice Of the Bride Ministries...

A couple of months ago, we told you about some friends of ours in Ensenada Mexico, who desired to reach out to their community and distribute Spanish/English Bibles. Several of you even surprised us with additional contributions to buy more Bibles! We have purchased and transported 50 down to Ensenada so far. The recipients have been blessed and have been intrigued to make further connection.

We were sad to pack up from the barn where Carol boarded her horse, and worked with so many others the last decade. But among other blessings, one of which includes another great private home/barn she now boards at, there were many discarded horse items from other boarders that were given to VOB, and donated to an awesome therapy ranch in Mexico that works with special needs children. The missionary nurse, (also a horse gal) at the ranch, was blessed to not only receive items they could use, but an abundance to trade with other nearby ranchers, for things they could use. We love making sure resources reach their intended destination! One thing I have learned…our friends south of the border are very resourceful!! There are just too many needs around the world, to let useable items go to waste.

Earlier this month Tony married his bride Danae. We have known Tony since he was small boy of 6 years old. He has served alongside of our team most of his life, always willing to work, and always smiling. He has only grown to be more kind, faithful, respectful and Godly. We were able to help Tony, and his now wife, complete their high school education with private school. And the plan is to get Tony enrolled in University as soon as he is ready.

We made yet another cross country drive from coast to coast. If you ever wondered, its 8 states, 2500 miles, 40ish hours of driving, stopping 3 nights on the road (we use to do it in 2 nights when we were younger) and oh so many things to experience. Even as many times as we have done it in the past 26 years living away, there really is a lot of beautiful creation to appreciate in our great country.

Our first order of business was to minister our nieces wedding, with Wayne’s family in North Carolina. It was beautiful and also amazing how perfect all the plans sorted out – even in the midst of unexpected Hurricane Nicole that downgraded to a tropical storm and came and went between rehearsal and wedding day for our outdoor wedding venue. Kaley and James, now the McNeils were blessed as were we to officiate their union in Christ. We quickly then had to drive on to Virginia (yes a ninth state) to help Carol’s mom return home from rehab after her hip replacement. We are praying full recovery from her recent falls. She has sure had a difficult year, one starting with her beloved husband going to heaven one year ago this month. We sure appreciate your ongoing prayers for Carol’s mom, and also for Carol’s continued pursuit of restored health. We hope to see a few of you back home if helping and being with our family over the holidays allows.

And thank you, as always, for supporting the mission of Worship and Compassion outreach. We hope to resume this mission at the first of the year and look forward to what God has for us to do in 2023.

Blessings, Wayne & Carol

I just got home from an experience that is not all that familiar or common for me. I took a load of things into Mexico. Only this trip across the border I had planned to leave our pick up truck down there for some repair. Our ministry trucks are 20 & 31 years old so that is certainly to be expected from time to time. But my experience, I would like to share, is along the lines of taking public transportation to return home. What normally is a 30 minute drive in my truck, started like this: I first walked about 15 minutes to cross the pedestrian USA border crossing. Then another 15 minutes to a bus stop, where I then took a 45 minute city bus ride, to the trolley stop. On the trolley, I would continue another hour, coasting back to my neighborhood, where Carol would collect me. End to end, this took a little over 3 hours. This included a slight delay, with a couple of trolley changes to make sure I was on the right north bound track.

Over all, it was somewhat amusing, in an adventure kind of way. But as I studied the process among the other passengers, I really began to realize this was a way of life for so many. Not that I was unaware that many take public transportation, of course, and this was not the first time I had made a similar trip. But the good folks I was encountering, were not just carpooling, or thinking about the environment. Many would not have an automobile, and many, many folks travel very far to make a living for their family. This includes some who live in Tijuana, and have a work visa in the US. I just could not stop thinking about how much my “entertaining” adventure ride, was a very long, tiring, every day process, to incorporate into their schedule. Less time with their families, less time for rest, less time to do all the things that we all have to do on a daily basis. What a huge sacrifice.

I was rather worn from all the walking and hopping, and aggravating some of my personal ailments. But I saw many with physical limitations, who clearly endured this often. I had a small bag of some personal items, I did not want to leave in my truck which weighed me down a bit. But several others, had multiple shopping bags, tools, back packs. Keeping up with all of that is a task, let alone carrying it along. I thought about how much more vulnerable many daily public transport travelers were, through this recent pandemic, or even just to the common cold and flu when exposed to so many who sit in that space all day every day. There were many elderly folks. Also, some who appeared homeless, and, sadly, some who were mentally ill and not even supposed to be on the trolley, without a ticket. This led me to also think about vulnerable women and children, those whose safety would be in question depending on where their trolley stop ended. In fact, when I had to change trolleys, an elderly hispanic woman got off with me and started asking me questions in broken English about making sure she was on the right train to schedule. We stood there waiting on the transfer train in a rather sketchy part of downtown San Diego, and I was just glad she was not alone.

This experience brought a greater reflection on my abundance, and the many things I am grateful for. It is always good to have a perspective outside our normal day to day lives. The greater population around the world, endures challenges and hardships that few of us may know or experience in our lifetime. Selah love Wayne & Carol

www.voiceofthebride.net • PO Box 99057 San Diego CA 92169 • vobministries@sbcglobal.net