Business around Ek Balam

Just a few pictures to show the businesses that are going on in EB

Flordinda selling a hammock

Andrew buys hammock from Armando's family

Rosa doing some inventory

Rosa's Ropas (clothing)

VBS Pictures

A couple of pictures from our recent VBS in Ek Balam.



Kids responding to Jesus!




Vonda with the kids.

Life around Playa

Here are some picutres of my life and ministry specifically in

Playa.

Ministering at the prison

Willy & Deb traveling from E.B. to Playa

Salsa dance ministry

Pictures of Alfredo's Journey

Here are several pictures of Alfredo's journey over the past few months.1st time on a bus!Alfredo giving his fingerprints.

In front of Angel Notion.

Hernia oppertaion at Angel Notion.

Dolphin Discovery day trip

Alfredo's sisters 1st time in the ocean!

Alfredo standing!

Pictures!

You have been hearing lots of stories, but now you can see what I have been up to:


Here we are passing out 1st Aid Kits.

Medication being dispensed.

Dr Eduardo at a dental clinic.

Diabetes check up by lalo

Hope you enjoyed these! More to come!

April Update

FIELD TRIP! -You may remember, last August, praying about the van (now a school bus) that was donated to the school. The Director (Don Carlos), recently got permission from the government to take the kids on their 1^st field trip ever , on April 1^st (no foolin’… ha-ha-ha!)! For almost all of the children, this 2 hour drive to Tulum, was the farthest away from their homes that they had ever traveled! They had a great afternoon visiting the ruins and learning about their own culture. Imagine how exciting it must have been to walk on that soft, cool sand and step into the ocean and SPLASH away! Don’t you just love “first-times”!

Vacation Bible School Week with Vonda was off the charts! With her organization abilities, some Spanish skills, and a strong passion to work with kids, she captured their attention every day! Each day, they knew there would be Bible stories, creative activities, Spanish worship songs for kids & games (it was the 1^st time they ever played “chicken-chicken-turkey”, which is the Mayan version of “duck-duck-goose”! They also had a blast experiencing their 1^st “Easter/Resurrection egg hunt” – FUN!) . At the same time, this program was so diverse, that they stayed on their toes with anticipation. In fact, we sent invitations to the homes, saying that the first group would start at 1:30 p.m. and after the first day of fun, they began arriving BEFORE us! We had 20 to 50 children between ages 3 and 14, at any given time. P.T. L. for the help from Gabi & Tere, two young adults from the village! Once again, they did a fantastic job translating for us!

Let me share a few highlights of the week with you: first of all, seeing about 45 pairs of little hands go up, when we asked , “Who wants to go to heaven someday to live with Jesus forever?” that was the BEST! When I told them that the angels were celebrating in heaven, one child said, “they are all around us too!” (Thanks to all for your prayers!)

The stories they wrote about what they learned and enjoyed the most were precious! Some wrote about how Noah’s family obeyed & were saved from the flood (one child wrote, “even the smallest little ants got on Noah’s Arc. Jesus loves & adores me & is my Savior.”) Others wrote about how we will have problems; but Jesus is always with us & can calm our storms too (another child wrote, “the best day of my life was when we did the drama in the boat, because I was a disciple & I want to do it again”). Some wrote about how we are to share our blessings with others, just as Peter shared the fish. Hearing their stories & knowing that they learned something filled Vonda & my hearts!

On the final day, I asked the kids to bring a flower for Vonda, as an expression of appreciation. When they arrived at the park, I asked where their flowers were (they had all forgotten… kids will be kids!). I told them to hurry up and return with a flower. In that moment, there were about 50 kids running in all directions back home (it made me giggle)! One by one, they returned to me from north, south, east and west, with big smiles & holding their beautiful flowers up to the video camera! It was so sweet to see them handing Vonda their gift, as she handed each child a well- deserved certificate of participation. Hearts were melting and dripping with love & joy that night! Vonda also had given them each 2 Jesus fish necklaces as a gift (1 was to give to a friend of theirs & share Jesus at the same time). It was a God-incidence that the closing celebration was on “National Children’s Day” (April 30^th)! Also, that they were on their Easter vacation that week! Bless Vonda’s heart abundantly for all the preparation, effort, and money that she invested in the Ek Balam kids!

Just before our trip to the village, I heard of a 30 year old man named, Rafael, who lost a lot of weight and was at the point of death. Rafael told me that he thought God was punishing him for not going to church… but I assured him that our Father is not a punishing God! A couple of hours after praying for his stomach, intestines, muscles, and ear; I stopped by to bring him a bible. He said that he could hear clearly again out of the ear (it had been muffled)! He happily received the Lord that day!

The update on Armando is that he is on the waiting list for a job at the ruins. His oldest son broke his arm, a couple weeks ago. Although it has only been a few months since his wife passed away, he is doing better. He said that he must keep moving forward at church and not return to a vice. He knows that God is trusting him with the responsibility of raising his 4 kids. I handed him a photo, of his mother with the family that gave a C.P.R. course, last November. Armando said he remembered that they bought a hammock to help with the medical & transportation bills. Andrew (C.P.R. trainer) wrote a letter to tell him, that his 2 year old daughter collected $200 USD in birthday presents for Armando’s family! Armando agreed that we will have problems in this life; but “ni modo” (oh well), God is with us & He is the only option we have to get through things. He said that the words in this letter were very special. I’m the fortunate one who got to see his expression of appreciation for Andrew’s family!

Once again, I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your prayer support. Missionaries truly can’t survive out on the field without it! I also couldn’t be doing this work, without financial support. Please continue to pray about partnering with me in this way. Health insurance has gone up this year, so even occasional gifts when the Lord leads, will make a big difference! I really appreciate all of you & will keep you in my prayers too! :)

Visitors

March 2011

I brought my 101 year old great Aunt Lucille a little piece of Ek Balam & she absolutely LOVED it! She even has a picture of Guadalupe (my adopted mom), who made the little hammock. My Aunt Clem flew me up to Massachussettes to "grandma sit" while she took her vacation. It was such a blessing to be able to pray over & minister to my 94 year old grandma! I was the only one in the family who could take the time out of the normal daily routine to be there. This reminded me that being a missionary is the BEST work ever! My aunt's friend was drawn to come to the house and introduce herself. She was so excited to meet a missionary! I told her it was a divine appointment, because she received Jesus in her heart that night!

The Oregon men's group is asking me to do a little more research on the land, before they go ahead and make a decision. Prayerfully, I will have some time to check into some of that when we go to the village next month.

I have a prayer request for the proposal for financial assistance, from the Federal Government to be approved. Marta, (my Dentist’s sister) who is a grant writer affiliated with the Fed. Gov’t, came with us for the follow up meeting with the Community Board Members. She explained a prerequisite to the agreement with the Gov’t is that they would be willing to set aside a portion of the land to be protected from animals being hunted and trees being cut down. There were 9 men who opted to donate a portion of their land to be conserved. We drove through 5 kilometers of overgrown dirt roads to take measurements of their land with her G.P.S. machine. At the end of the day, the Board Members signed the proposal request. We will have a response from the Gov’t in May. Prayerfully, they will be sending money for us to get started on a few projects that they will approve!

Alfredo Praise

March 2011

Alfredo has a praise report: "I've discovered my hands & voice! I am grabbing and reaching for many things now. My therapist & mom have caught my attention with these flying, shiny bubbles! They put other things in front of me to wake up my sense of touch like oil, shampoo, baby powder, shaving cream and putty! It makes me smile & it's fun! I like to wave, & practice moving my fingers a lot. Everyone says I'm more alert now. Maybe I just got THEIR attention since I've been making new sounds & saying a few words every now and then (just to see if they are listening to me... and they are!!)! Oh, I am starting to crawl, and with a little support, I can stand with the strength of my legs now too! Some day, I will do many things on my own. My mom loves me so much, that she is taking me to these therapists in Cancun, and practicing with me at home, also! My mom was so happy today, because they told her that I'm improving! I'm proud of her too, since she is learning how to use a cell phone, cook on a real stove, and she even took a cross-stitch class! She loved it! She likes learning too! Thank You Jesus for all that You are doing in our lives! We love You!"

Growing team

February 2011

Eduardo, the dentist, recently shared his heart with me, about E.B.. He said that he has missed out on opportunities to make a difference in small villages, in the past. He has been called and now he is ready! He & his wife, Geidis, would love to buy a piece of property to build a small house & be able to visit on a regular basis. They want to put their time & energy into the people of E.B.. We have been brainstorming ideas, & have put in a proposal for financial assistance, from the Federal Government. It was important for us to discuss our ideas with Goyo, the head of the Community Board. Interestingly enough, we found out that out of 15 projects that Goyo & the Board Members already had for the village, almost all of them were on our list too! Sounds like confirmation to me! We explained to Goyo that we only want to help them if they are interested & that we are not wanting to pressure them. The idea is to combine their current lifestyle with new civilization, so that we can learn from each other. Marta, Eduardo’s sister who is a grant writer affiliated with the Fed. Gov’t, came with us for the follow up meeting with the Community Board Members. She explained a prerequisite to the agreement with the Gov’t is that they would be willing to set aside a portion of the land to be protected from animals being hunted and trees being cut down. There were 9 men who opted to donate a portion of their land to be conserved. Lalo then drove us through 5 kilometers of overgrown dirt roads to take measurements of their land with her G.P.S.. At the end of the day, the Board Members signed the proposal request. We will have a response from the gov’t in May. Prayerfully, they will be sending money for us to get started on a few projects that they will approve.

A special thank you goes out to David from Maine for being one of our drivers and also for donating medical supplies & vitamins, which are of great need!! Eventually, we might even turn Leity’s medical supply section of her house, into a real pharmacy!! Thanks again for your heart to help David!

Expansion

January 2011

One of the long term goals for Ek Balam has been to build a worship center, which could become a church in God’s timing. Dani, Andrea, Lalo & Mauricio have accompanied me on several day trips to E.B. to do research on purchasing land. There are several lots for sale; but many of them don’t have titles. I have seen about 8 different pieces of property in total. I know that God has already chosen the right spot from the beginning of time! Luis, the leader of the bible study, is a lawyer and has offered to help with paperwork when the time comes. Bless his heart. Please pray with me for His wisdom & for all the details to work out in His perfect timing.

After my Pastor & a few others from Lighthouse Church, came to visit to the storage palapa that I’ve been staying in for the last few years (thanks to Guadalupe & Don Andres, my adopted parents), they decided to set aside $1000 for a “missionary palapa” to be built in 2011! God is good! A few of us have been brainstorming with the villagers, as to the best way to design this “casita” (little house). In many ways, it will be similar to the palapa that I live in now (in PDC)! We plan to add a second bedroom, so that there will be a place for visitors to stay at too!!

New Opporutinities

January 2011

I have decided to get involved in a Jail ministry in PDC. This ministry has been in my heart, ever since I went to the jail in Cancun a few years ago. I felt called to visit a friend of a friend a couple of times, to share the good news with her! The bible study in Spanish (that I have been going to for 2 years) invited me to join them. This ministry began 3 years ago, and there are about 140 inmates participating now! The Holy Spirit has a way of drawing people. One man was working in the Carpenter’s area, watching the ministering team walk by every week. The group was always friendly with him as they passed by, on their way to the courtyard where the service is held. One day, he decided to attend, and now he shows up happy to sing, clap and worship the Lord! There are a few inmates, who lead us into worship once everyone has arrived. One plays the guitar, another plays the organ, while the others sing. It was a joy to hear their voices. The leader of our bible study (Luis), is doing a teaching on the beginnings of the Christian walk. He asks a few of us from the group, as well as the inmates, to read scriptures, pray & give testimonies. I like the way Luis gives many a chance to be involved. Testimonies are always encouraging & strengthening to both those who share and those who hear! I enjoy seeing their expression of emotions & praying the words God gives me throughout the entire visit. In the end, each person receives some bread (both spiritually & physically), along with either a roll of toilet paper or another toiletry. They are always so excited to shake our hands, smile at us, & exchange a few words. I know that God’s love is flowing through us to them. I believe that many of them now have new hope & will have a rock to stand on when they are released from this jail! Bringing some light into a dark place is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Liboria

January 2011

Last night, I asked Liboria (Alfredo's mom), “when we met 5 years ago, did you ever imagine that you’d be staying with me one week a month in Playa?”. They had been staying with her 3 sisters; but Norma has moved back to E.B., Sandi found a boyfriend and moved to Cancun, and Mini is living at the hotel where she works. God had it all planned out, and this week, they are staying with me for the first time! Liboria’s response was that not only did she never imagine coming to Playa; but that she doesn’t know how she could ever thank me enough for all I’ve done for them. She said that if it wasn’t for me, she’d still be sitting in that little house in E.B. not knowing what to do with Alfredo. I told her that her gratitude, and prayers were more enough for me!

Anyways, I get blessed just being able to watch his process of learning how to eat with a fork, turn over on his own when face down, crawl & even stand up (with help of course). We had a lot of fun together, making some tactile stick items that the “daily living activities therapist” asked us to make. These tactile sticks of different textured materials, will help improve the elasticity & stimulation of his skin, while he practices grabbing them. We realized that we have something in common: doing creative art.

Christmas season

December 2010

Brownsville, Texas here we come… with 2 cars, a trailer, 2 kayaks & 2 small dogs! Holly & Steve Taft are moving to Mexico (missionaries bringing a discipleship program to Playa). They asked me to be their interpreter at the border. After almost 5 hours of paperwork & going back and forth to several offices, we made it through with a green light. If that wasn’t enough excitement for us, a few seconds after crossing, there were 2 guys shooting window cleaner at the front window & climbing onto the car with big smiles, in hopes that we’d pay them for this service! In “just” ten days, we drove through several cities and small towns, all the way from Oregon to Playa! Mission accomplished! PTL!

‘Tis the season to be jolly! Angel Notion had their annual “Toys for Tots” event! For almost 2 weeks, several volunteers were holding Barbie dolls and soccer balls in their arms, while explaining to the passer-byers that for only 50-100 pesos ($5-$10 USD) they could support a child, this Christmas! This side street off of 5^th Ave. was quite festive, with Christmas trees & lights, a slide show of past missions on a big screen, special needs children singing & signing to Christmas carols, popcorn popping, and a “chubby” man with a white beard, all dressed in red, inviting people to sit with him and have their photos taken. On the morning of Dec. 24^th, 10 trucks from a small nearby town were sent off to the farthest ends of Playa, full of toys to be delivered in the streets. Some of us had the privilege of connecting hearts of elderly people & families in need, with the tourists who chose to “adopt” them! One family from Canada bought a small fridge, toys, food & blankets to a single father. Tears rolled down his face when his 2 small children excitedly opened their surprise gifts! The children were so anxious to show the Canadians their bedroom & all their artwork on the wall! Once again, Lavana and all who participated in this event, have brought smiles to many faces (thanks to all the volunteers for bringing the gift of happiness & to Jesus for the gift of JOY and eternal LIFE!)!

Growing Alfredo

December 2010

Many of you have met “baby Alfredo”, who was born pre-mature & has been very ill ever since. Well, he is now “growing Alfredo”! About 7 months ago, this 4 year old boy was diagnosed with cerebral palsy by a Doctor in Playa (via Angel Notion). Eduardo, the dentist who periodically goes to E.B., recommended that we take him to a rehabilitation center in Cancun (C.R.I.T. Foundation: Center of Rehabilitation for Infants/children of “Teleton”). There are many professional doctors and therapists working with about 900 children, with a variety of handicaps. This foundation is well known in Mexico & is funded by the state government, events & donations from large companies. There are 17 CRIT locations within the country, right now. After an interview, it was decided that Alfredo’s family would only have to pay between $.50 and $1 USD per appointment. Liboria is very comfortable with the genuine concern, friendly attitudes & high level of respect from all of the people within CRIT!

Each month, I drive them to & from Cancun for 3 consecutive days (thanks to Kate, who has let me borrow her car for over a year now!). Alfredo’s mother, Liboria , has been meeting with professionals in areas such as: social integration, pediatric, nutritionist, neurologist, psychologist, & human communication. Alfredo has been meeting with therapists in areas such as: speech, physical, visual stimulation, swimming (water exercises), & daily living activities. It has been such a blessing to be able to watch both of them improve & grow in many ways! Alfredo’s muscles are developing, he can sit in a chair, he can say “mama” & is using hearing aids now! P.T.L. (Praise the Lord)!! I am so proud of Liboria, because now she can follow the schedule & is leading ME around the building. She communicates directly to the doctors with confidence & asks questions when she has doubts. She is now learning how to use a cell phone (thanks to Kate for the donation!). On top of all this, I get to watch them experience many things for the first time, like using a stovetop, going on an escalator & getting on a big bus! Liboria travels 3.5 hours by bus to Playa & is becoming a “city” girl at the age of 27! We have also made time for some fun activities like eating at a restaurant, going to see the dolphins, & attending bible studies & church services. Her 2 daughters (8 & 9 years old), came on their school vacation for a week, to play in the sand and swim in the ocean for the first time! What a blast!

Angel Notion had another mission with doctors from Michigan, and Alfredo finally got his hernia operation, in November! All went well and he recovered quickly, PTL! His parents were trying to get the surgery done in Valladolid City since he was 2 years old; but each time that they brought him in for a consultation, they were told that he was not ready. They were so relieved by how fast, easy, and successful the procedure was in Playa! Most importantly, he is not experiencing the pain that he used to when he coughs (which is quite frequent!). Thanks to Dr. Manzana, Lavana & all the employees at Angel Notion for making a difference in Alfredo’s life!

Liboria brought a hammock to the “Hamaca Arte Store” in Playa to pay her part of the operation ($3000 pesos total). It hasn’t sold yet, so we will go to other stores & schools to see if they would be willing to display her hammock.

Ana, Peter & family have decided to help the children in the village. On their first visit to E.B. they heard about the mal-nutrition infants & toddlers. They have been sending money to purchase baby formula, baby bottles & soy meat. Recently, Ana told me to put some of the money towards the operation for Alfredo! This family has decided to continue to support the children in the village – MUCHAS GRACIAS!

God connections

December 2010

God never ceases to amaze me, in how He connects people. Through my Pastor’s friend, we were introduced to Andrew Price via cyber-space. After several emails, he decided to take a trip to E.B. with a plan to teach CPR & First Aide to the villagers. One November afternoon, I met Andrew and his family, walking down the street, in the center of town. I introduced them to Leity, who we later gave all the extra medical supplies to, along with tri-fold CPR 1^st Aide information (in Spanish).

Just a couple of hours later, there were people in the government building waiting for us! We set up real quick and got started. Willy, a young man from the village, helped me to translate. Another local volunteered to be the “dummy”. About 40 adults and 40 children attended. They were quite attentive & some even took notes! Their laughter was a good sign that they were interested and having fun! Andrew’s wife, Amber, gave the teaching on how to give CPR to an infant. At the end of the training, Andrew commented that he came to teach them how to be part of saving someone’s life on earth; but also, he wanted to share with them how their lives can be saved eternally! He gave a salvation message and we passed out some “tracks” in Spanish. Every family received a 1^st Aide kit to bring home! PTL! As a closure, we asked some review questions & the 1^st person to answer correctly got a t-shirt! That was a great way to confirm that they learned a lot! Everyone went home with smiles on their faces! Thanks to Andrew & Amber for choosing to spend part of their vacation serving the Lord and for collecting the medical supplies! Hopefully, we will be able to do a follow-up at least once per year.

Good things for those who love Him

December 2010

Florinda , Armando’s wife, was transferred to 4 different hospitals and was in intensive care (in and out of a coma) for about 2 months. She had an operation, in order to clean the infection from her stomach. When I visited the family, Willy translated my prayer into Maya for Florinda’s mom. We read Mark 2: the story about the man who was lifted through the roof, and when Jesus saw their faith, He healed him. The family drew closer to the Lord & their faith grew through these hard times. The day after her brother-in-law, Pedro, told the family to think positive and pray, she spoke a few words and became more alert & stable for a few days. When the infection spread to her brain and other parts of her body, the doctors said there was no hope. Three family members began texting me for encouragement and prayer. I was blessed that they reached out to me, that they were seeking God & claiming scriptures over her life. It was an honor to be part of their prayers, growth & unity. At the same time, it was heart-breaking to not see the miracle that we were praying for to come to pass. Unfortunately, Florinda passed away just before Christmas. It’s hard to understand why a 35 year old woman would leave behind 3 small children & an infant; but we know that God’s timing is perfect and He is in control. It is comforting that the family knows that she is in heaven now without pain (she and Armando accepted the Lord about 10 months previously, just after his motorcycle accident!). Thank you, ENE, for purchasing a hammock from this family, you have helped them to pay off Florinda’s hospital bill!

Willy, her brother-in-law, was really affected by Florinda’s illness. He came to Playa with me, in November, to look for work in order to help the family. On the bus, he opened up and shared a lot. He is thankful that the Lord has given him the strength to be alcohol free for over 1 year. He said that often times, people get closer to God when they have struggles; but he has just decided to follow Jesus in good times and bad! He also talked about reading his bible more and wanting to be baptized! We arrived to Tulum and went directly to the Lighthouse Church service, which he enjoyed very much. God is always turning things into good for those who love Him!

Bus update

November 2010
The new mayor, Gregorio, became the chauffeur for the 1^st school bus in E.B.. He began driving 4 handicapped children to the special needs school in Temozon (20 minutes away). He was also transporting 15 kids to the secondary schools, every day since September. Some kids have returned to school, just to be able to ride the yellow school bus! Isn’t that awesome!? PTL! Well, the bad news is that it only lasted 1.5 months. The government had agreed to pay for the gas; but then when the new President came into office, he said he was only willing to pay half. The parents are pitching in, a total of 100 pesos per week. They still need to raise 600 pesos (about $60 USD) per month, to be able to start using the bus again.

This special needs school has been helping these 4 children to learn & grow, since they inscribed a year ago! At age 13, Jose is now standing, on his own and walking with a walker- a huge accomplishment! Ronda, Vonda & Cindy (from Oregon & Idaho) were so excited to be there to see Jose walking & to be greeted with a big smile and bear hug from Maria-Imelda, Jose’s sister! These ladies purchased a hammock from Jose's mom, to help with the expenses for their education (every hammock purchased makes a BIG difference, so thanks ladies!). Some of you may remember a couple of years ago, a mission team purchased a tricycle for them, because they were using toddler bikes to strengthen their legs. Their grandfather used to ride with Jose into the woods to look for firewood (before passing away 2 years ago). The two handicapped girls, Maria and Celena , are improving little by little. Please be praying for the gasoline to be provided so that these children can continue attending this school!

Opening doors

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted! To bring you all up to date on what is going on in my life I will be posting a few separate blogs straight out of my journal from the past several months. Starting with November..

I saw Arnufo (plays guitar at 7^th day Adventist Church) in the park and he stopped to chat with me. He wanted to thank me for all my help, through the various projects that have been done over the years! He mentioned how useful the work boots & shoes have been. He also said that the hammock sales have helped the families a lot. Then he told me that about 50% of the men have a drinking vice. Celebrate Recovery (AA) would be a great asset to EB.! Pray that there is an opportunity to bring this ministry to EB!