Pure Religion

Baby Lester is doing well at home, though having 3 (fatherless) needy babies in the house is a bigger crunch on the budget, and time resources than expected. Special formula for 2, diapers for 3, medical, ect. Its been 20 years since I did this… it’s even more expensive now, and the other 8 new (fatherless) children all in need somehow, all need clothes ect. But since coming here we have never had enough to do the task before us, yet by God’s grace the tasks always get done. Like having a gallon of gas to make a 1000 mile journey. Just put up a sail and wait for the Spirit to move. How many people take their shoes to a cobbler? We take our shoes 2-3x before buying another pair. I’m just glad we have cobblers that sew shoes back together.

Lisa (or Alba) seems to have brought a bug home from the hospital that has kept her down for a while and it is moving through the house. Took all the kids out yesterday for playtime in the city parks to give Lisa a longer rest time. Made it back just before the rains hit. Then the kids continued playing in the rain and mud. Lisa was feeling a bit better and took photos of the kids mudding up the waters. Our back retention wall got a hole in the water cannel and water began to flow heavy under it, so the kids packed it full of rocks and mud… Good thing kids are not dry clean only. Just hose em off and presto.. The kids played so hard yesterday several kids came to me last night complaining of the blisters on their hands (merry-go-round)… I tried to show sympathy really I did, but the smile and giggle made it of no effect and the hand sanitizer I gave them to clean their wounds, erased what might have remained. Oh well, it was fun to watch. House motto … No blood no pity. J

In the last couple of weeks talking with supporters, I have gotten wind we might be loosing a lot more of our support around the first of the year due to the economy ect. Could be as much as 50% so need much prayer there. But on the other side, Directline Ministry has begin raising some funds to help purchase food for the Children’s Lighthouse, Lisa uses that extra once a month to market shop in bulk. Amen! Plus there is a promise of funds to help purchase a much needed new vehicle. Need about $8000 more for a new kia, it is still the most useful option. Though with our enlarged house we looked into small buses. New is really expensive (lacking $40,000 or more), saw 2 used ones yesterday. A small conventional snub nose school bus 13 years old…$13,000. A kia mini bus 250,000 miles, 11 years old for $19,000. I was liking them but thinking the prices were real high for that old, maybe wait and talk them down… they both sold in one day. Hmm Yikes.
I keep making trips up the mountain hauling materials, but hold my breath each time if the Kia will make it or not. So many patches holding it together. Needs another set of tires and brakes as well. Would not bother me so much if it was just a 2^nd work truck, but it is our only (family/ministry) vehicle and when it breaks we struggle just to keep drinking water in the house. Need to haul many loads of hard pack fill material for one church property before it can be built. (For road building and foundation.) Pick axe it out of a quarry, hand load it on the kia and spread it to make a road to enter the site with the kia. With my full strength and veteran tire man swing, the pick axe only enters the material about an inch each swing.. Ie lots of work for younger men. Rains picked up and the ground has turned to a deep slurry mess. Jr put up a perimeter wire fence around a church site and the mud sucked his boots off his feet just walking in it. We were also able to acquire another church property, so at a future point another church plant we are working will bloom… amen.

Some seem to think children are a burden, but the Bible says they are a blessing. Truth be told, had the LORD not put the children into our ministry mix I might have given up under the strain long ago. Do you know what it is like to have 2 fatherless children wake up early and in gratitude make you a special breakfast? Every bite has a sweet savor no matter what they make. Or as the burdens of the day stream through your mind and doubt or worry dance about your brain as you work at the computer; only to have a child come up behind you and give you a hug and say “I love you Papi”. Poof there is order to the chaos of your mind and purpose to your sacrifice and work. One of our national pastors realized this last week as he and his wife were helping care for baby Lester in the hospital. He read on a poster about the compassion of Jesus and he began to think. He saw children all around him suffering and being comforted by a mom or dad. All natural and good, but who was to comfort Lester the fatherless one, where was the true compassion of Christ? And it dawned on him the weight and power of the scriptures. The things I had said and taught rang true and he wept. Most all care for their own, but who will go a little further and care for others, who will be the father to the fatherless? …. That is the Spirit the LORD gives and it is pure and undefiled before the Father of Heaven.
James 1 is a mighty chapter in the Bible. If one can master this one chapter in the christian walk they would do very well. Just verse 27 is hard but we keep trying…

Church was canceled today as one of the youth in the neighborhood passed away suddenly. His heart just stopped at only 14. He had been to numerous services and heard lots of preaching on salvation. He was one of the quiet ones that would only partially raise a hand but not come forward, so one never knows. Our church went to comfort the family and do what we could. But we were not welcome as a church assembly due to the religious background of the family. We stayed as long as we dared and handed out tracts and books of John. Several men were drunk already and one was even passed out in front of the door. Rather heartbreaking and sobering for our kids who went to school with him.
Prov 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.