HOSPITAL STAY

The first four days in October I spent in a hospital somewhere. Several reasons landed me there: My EKG tests didn’t turn out well. My pulse was erratic and unstable. Growing shortness of breath. My feet were thick and swollen, and I’m almost 90 and we could go on and on.

The exciting part was that I landed there in an ambulance, My niece said that if I came in driven by ambulance I would get a bed and single room rather than a gurney in the hallway.

As soon as I arrived I was smothered with wires ... I felt like a meatball smothered with spaghetti. Then started test after test, pill after pill and again test after test.

My pulse is still independent (Somewhat Like I am.) it averages around 70 beats per minute. They got the pooled liquid from my feet and lungs back where it should be.

Once again I can count my toes. Swollen feet are a sign of congestive heart failure. That’s a chilling thought.

They discharged me with a passing grade and four pills to take daily. I was back to work in Mexico the following  day. Nothing that serious happened.

The only exciting thing that happened?  The third night a little bat flew in. I didn’t understand why such a little thing could cause such a big uproar. Nurses hate bats! Most nurses are women and women hate bats! The room was quickly vacated!!, I mean quickly vacated with the head nurse yelling to me ... did it touch you? Did it touch you?? The bat was traumatized, and the nurses were tranquilized ... the big night passed quietly on.

WHEN LIFE TURNS DESPERATE!

Generally when a man comes to us for help he’s a drug addict or "desperate". Thankfully Jose didn’t take his own life: a friend talked him out of it and suggested he talk with us.

His first big blow was his wife leaving him and their kids, while she pursued her romance with her girlfriend.

His wife’s new relationship was a tough blow to a macho Mexican man. Part of his job at the restaurant was delivering take-out food on a motorcycle.

A month ago while delivering food he was hit by a truck and his leg crushed. No job, only a Social Security pension of $20 a week.

He’s been asked to leave the two rooms in which they live because he hasn’t paid the rent. School uniforms and school shoes are out of the question.

His Doctor says he can go back to work in two weeks. Until then can we help this fragile little family of four? What would Jesus do?

A THANK YOU NOTE

When we come into this world, we come in unique in every way from temperament to physical abilities to whatever. Some things are natural to us, where many things we have to learn. All of us come in selfish, look at our first words. No. Me. Mine. Give me! No normal child has to be taught to be selfish. It's in him. It comes with the package.

But am I wrong when I say no child enters the world grateful. Thankfulness, gratitude, appreciation have to be learned. And in order to be learned they have to be taught, and taught at an early age when their mind is a sponge for learning..

Selfishness and self-centeredness are like gravity. Always with us, and always pulling DOWN! That's why "an attitude of gratitude" has to be developed, learned and constantly reinforced. Gratitude makes for happiness.

To form the attitude of gratitude takes a lifetime.

I'm surprised at how many kids aren't thankful! I'm surprised at how many do not appreciate what they have or who they are or ... who's they are.

Many parents don't understand why their kids don't respect them and appreciate them. (Some parents are so dumb!) Kid's have to be taught to respect their parents.

Go to several old folks homes, as I have, sit with an old lady, bring up the subject of their children ... and soon there will be tears. "My son lives near here, but he never comes to visit me ... maybe on Christmas. My daughter and my grandchildren live a short distance away ... but they never visit me!" Tears. Mama you never taught them to love and respect you! Here's a Kleenx.

Rest assured the flowers along with thankfulness, will kick in ... at your funeral.

Teach your kids to be grateful!

YOU THINK LIFE SUCKS?

Little four year old Josue was tragically burned in a car fire so Mexico Life Flighted him to Shriners Burn center.

70% of his body was burned.

He's a living miracle. His hair, eyebrows, ears and nose were literally burned off; his hands burned into fists. Even now Josue goes across the border regularly, where top cosmetic surgeons do their best. Many, many, painful trips. We've followed him with visits, gifts, and encouragement along the years ... his brothers and sisters are very good looking!

Josue is older now, and a faithful working part of our team of ten teenage boys. Half of these boys are handicapped in one way or other.

I came in the other day to see the boys all seated with their Bibles open listening to Lucas teach. So encouraging.

Josue has had a rough life, in many cases he's had to fight his way through. At every stage schooling was rough and he learned to be quick with his fists. We encouraged him to stick it out.

Now he has a group of buddies that don't look at him as odd but for who he is. Josue is quiet, polite and very helpful even though he has no hands, just burned fists. The years of growing up, stretching skin and muscles, have him still traveling to Shriners on a regular bases.

Soon the skin around his eyes will be worked on. Glasses needed.

But, there are still those dark moments where he feels worthless and he searches for the meaning of all this. Why me? It's hard convincing Josue of a loving God. Your prayers are needed and very much appreciated.

THE LORD IS UNFAIR!

THE LORD IS UNFAIR!

At least that's the way The Grape Pickers Union looked at it! There was a full on demonstration! There was anger. There was yelling! Protests. He's unfair! A Rich Man against the poor!

What right has the Lord hiring some local "scabs" for a few hours work and paying them same wages as those who had worked the whole hot day! It isn't fair, the grape workers chanted! The Lord bi-passed the Union and no one, but no one does that!

And even today, by our human standards, sometimes it looks like God, "The Rich Farmer," is unfair!

When will we, God's own children, get it through our thick human heads God thinks and judges differently than we do, and I might add, He has every right to do so! (Is.55:8)

Surprise! He changed the rules that evening in favor of compassion. He had compassion on the poor who needed work, the few who would have worked that hot day but weren't given opportunity ... after all, He said, "it's my vineyard: it's my money and I'll do with it what pleases me." And compassion pleases Him! It's sad that Godly mercy, compassion and grace doesn't seem to filter through to His earthly family.

God has the right to bless whom He wants, the way He wants, when He wants, and wherever He wants ... so be it GRACE! (Matthew 20:1-16)

DESTROY THE LIGHT!

I've spent a lot of time in the missionary's world, mostly tribal missions. Talk about parachuting into enemy territory.

MISSIONARY is a term most often cast in a lonely context. Christians leaving home to become the light to a people in darkness. Sent to be spent. A light sent into darkness.

Missionary: A God sent Light; sent somewhere into the darkness of Satan's domain.

Matt 5:14 "YOU ARE THAT LIGHT!" I don't read that we missionaries have the light, send the light, or carry the light or even bring the light. These verses are pretty clear: we are the light. 24/7 We re not to make it shine but let it simply ... shine.

24/7 darkness reigns over the Barros in which I minister. 24/7 thick dark smelly evil and evil doers are at work. I'm not bringing the light to these captive people, I am His Light 24/7. (Matt 5:14) My power source lives 24/7. Evil tries 24/7 to suffocate my light. To shoot out my light. As Christians we are newly born into a struggle ... a war. Oh that Missionaries understood the need to grow and maintain a large backing of Prayer Warriors or as I call them my "artillery."

CALL IN THE ARTILLERY In the military we had access to an unseen power. Heavy artillery awaiting our call. Just give them the enemy's location. We had air-strikes dedicated to our call. Just give them the location! Our responsibility was simply communication, letting the rear echelon know what was going on and where and when we would need them. Missionaries: Believers daring to parachute into enemy territory behind the enemy lines. And shine baby shine!

GARAGE SALE?

Of course in our world across our border we don't have garage sales. Many of the houses or shacks aren't even as big as a garage. We well know garage sales are where people exchange the junk they no longer want for money. These Garage Sales or Yard Sales are very popular.

In several of our more remote areas families will set a large piece of cloth on the dirt street in front of their little shack or an old fence and place their items to sell on the cloth or hang on the fence. Simply a curiosity to the passing Gringo ... but hardly a "garage sale".

But the truth?

What's really going on in many of these ground level one day "stores" would break your heart. Families, desperate for money, are selling anything they have, to get some pesos. Of course a few worthless items will be there but on that same cloth may be their little propane stove and gas bottle ... it's up for sale too. Reasoning? We need the cash and we can cook outside. On that same cloth may be children's clothing; their own children's clothing. Often a cup or maybe two chipped plates. Sometimes the little kids will place their smaller cloth on the ground too, placing several of their old toys up for sale. Today the poor will do almost anything for a little cash. Food, water and school are the priorities.