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Dear
Friends in Christ, |
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Many
of us across the U.S. dealt with extremely
cold temperatures this month. Ice was everywhere
and it was quite beautiful. The power was
out at our Texas home for thirty hours; a
very minor inconvenience for us. Yet for
many of our Mexico friends, it was very difficult.
With dirt floors, living under tarps and
wood scraps with no insulation, the days
and nights are very cold. With Pastor Santos' guidance,
OSM was able to help several families with
heaters and take note of other needs for
us to attend to at a later date. Our son
John was home for a short visit from Ft Bragg,
NC, he and Kenny went to check on a sweet
elderly couple, Roberto and Julietta, who
we had donated a heater to a couple of years
ago. They noticed that the heater was gone
and their house was quite cold. When Kenny
asked why, they told him that they saw a
family who needed a heater more than they
did, so they gave their heater to them. We
were touched by their sacrificial love. They
also informed us of a few other families
in need of heaters, so we got them another
one and took care of the other family's
needs. |
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Working
in Nava is usually very rewarding and January
was no exception. The Lord provided funds
through a faithful supporter to purchase
and pass out 60 dispensias (food bags). As
always, work for the fathers is scarce, but
with the addition of very cold weather, many
families were in great need for food and
warmth. Pastor Santos announced at church
that he would be passing out dispensias on
Monday and after church there were 60 families
on a list in a short time. Monday we got
to work early, purchasing and preparing the
food bags. Several members of the John 3:16
Church came to help with the work. These
food packages will last up to 2 weeks or
more, depending on the size of the family. |
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As
we went door to door to give the families
their food, Pastor Santos would share with
them that this was a gift from the Heavenly
Father. Pastor Santos always uses these opportunities
to witness Christ and this was excellent
timing with many men at home. We worked till
10:00 p.m. getting the food packages to all
the homes. What a blessed time!
In the newest and poorest colonia, Nuevo Imagin, many of the families were sitting
outside their homes by fires to stay warm. One elderly woman said her daughter
was out at the dump trying to find scraps of plastic to put around their house
to help keep out the rain and cold. |
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A
teen-age girl we know named Rosie, recently
lost a baby and we were told it was due to
the cold. Rosie has some mental problems
and we are not sure of all the details around
the death of her baby, but the church did
reach out to her and her family during the
time of her loss. This news was so sad especially
knowing it may have been due to the weather. |
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Another
project we worked on while in Mexico was
assembling a few bunk beds to distribute.
We purchased bunk beds at the Habitat for
Humanity surplus store here in San Antonio
and took them into Mexico. We gave one to
Julius Ceasar's family
who has 3 beautiful girls and his wife is
expecting another baby soon. The other bunk
bed was for Jose's family
of 4 children. The children were all very
excited about having new beds. |
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Some
of you who have been on teams in the past
may remember Maria who made delicious doughnuts
for us. She also made tamales and empanadas
for teams. We have known and worked with
her and her husband Luis for about 5 years.
She shared with us how difficult these cold
months have been for their family with 3
children. We were blessed to be able to take
her grocery shopping. She bought food for
her family as well as extra supplies so that
she could once again get her doughnut business
going. |
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The
weather in Mexico can remain cold sometimes
through March. If you would like to donate
funds toward heaters ($300), or food dispensias
(for 60 the cost was $800), or bunk beds
for children (with mattresses $360), or funds
for blankets, we would be happy to deliver
these items for families in Nava. |
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The
Lord continues to cover us up with His love
and goodness. We are very grateful for your
love, prayers and support. Thank you for
allowing us to work in Mexico and Haiti on
your behalf. It is our desire to represent
Christ to the people we serve. |
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Because
of Christ, |
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The
Kennedy Family |
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