Our family loves “treasure hunting”. We love going to “Segundas” here in Mexico. A “Segunda” is like a thrift store, but less organized, and where there is one, there are many, like a flee market.  A few weeks ago, on a Saturday afternoon, we were at lunch and I asked Ryder if there was anything in particular he wanted to try and find at the Segundas.

“I want a HULK costume!!”

So, I believe, being prompted by the Holy Spirit, I encouraged Ryder to ask Jesus for this costume. He did, and with Childlike faith, and simplicity, he prayed, “Jesus, can you help me find a Hulk costume?”

The Sugundas we went to that day, are huge, there’s probably about 30-40 little shops, all together, with small halls connecting them like a grid. Ryder and I had been searching for his costume, and after looking through about half the shops and not seeing a single costume of any kind, I asked Ryder again to pray.  He prayed this way…

“Jesus, can you show me now where the costume is?”

Instantly, Ryder said to me, “Jesus is saying we should go this way.” He pointed with enthusiasm down a long hall. I followed closely behind him, at a cross section of two halls, he pointed again, “This way!! Jesus, says this way.”

Every shop we passed, I was peering in hoping to see a green costume.  Ryder on the other hand, didn’t look left or right, but walked strait on, eyes forward. Then he stopped, and without hesitation pointed into a shop, “There, Jesus says it’s in there.”

As we walked in, my eyes were searching for anything green, and then I saw it.  Sure enough there was the perfect Hulk costume, in “like” new condition, complete with padding to make the child look like he has big muscles. Exactly what Ryder wanted.  Both of us were so excited, (Ryder for the costume, and me, as a mom, seeing God speak to my son, and he listening and obeying), we began to share what had happened with everyone in the shop.

Jesus talked about having faith like a child to enter the kingdom of God, and that day Ryder demonstrated exactly that.  What I saw was a little boy simply listening and obeying, with out doubting, eyes fixed on the words of Jesus.  I also saw, how the Creator of the Universe cares about the little desires of a four year old boy. He cares about mine, and he cares about your’s. We only need to trust him like a child.

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.”

Later, Ryder was all dressed up, and in character, and he shouted, “”Hulk is soooo strong but God is the strongest!”

On his way to work the night shift, Amado was waiting at the bus stop. He couldn’t stop thinking about some people he met that day. He couldn’t believe what had really happened.  For a long time Amado and his family had been praying for help.  However, there was always doubt in their minds, was God really listening, did He even care?  There he was waiting for a bus, exhausted from working all day building his new house with a group of people he had never seen before.  Even though the staff at YWAM told Amado and his wife they would receive a home, it was hard to believe. Too good to be true. What kind of people just give someone a home? Would they really be able to do it in just two days?

As the bus pulled up Amado’s thoughts were on God. Was He really the one giving his family this new home? Climbing into the bus, and moving towards the back a stranger hands him a piece of candy and says “Endulzate la vida” an expression in Mexico, sweeten your life.  Amado took the candy, and those words sunk deep in his spirit, sweeten your life.  Sitting in front of him were two people, their conversation was vulgar, their language was profane.  Behind him sat the man with a kind heart and an encouraging message, sweeten your life. Amado knew he was at a crossroads in his life, would he go back to his old ways, or would he turn to God, and allow his life to be sweetened by His goodness.

The next day Amado had shared this story with Omar. They sat up on the nearly finished roof nailing shingles and talking about the ways of God.  It was then that another YWAM staff member drove up to bring supplies. He got out of his truck and walked over to Omar and Amado, handed Amado a box of cookies and said “Endulzate la vida”, sweeten your life.  Amado new God was calling him to a better life only found in Him.

Ryder got a taste of his first house build last week, and here is his experience in his own words…

“What was the house build like?”

” Ummm, uhhh, kind of really cool, but it was kinda messy. My hands were messy from the paint.”

“What was really cool about it?”

“Somebody helped me putting the nail in the house, and I did the rest myself.”

“What was the family’s old house like”

“A square. It was little, teeny. It was too small for a family to live in. And they lived in the dirt, they had to make a house for themselves, but they couldn’t make a house for themselves because they didn’t have money. My favorite was putting the nails in.”

“How did it make you feel”

“Doing what He (God) is telling me to do is cool, God is happy that I did what He told me to do. Building the house for some sad people who don’t have a house.”

“Do you want to do it again”

“YES!”

Here is a link to the YWAM website to read more about the family’s situation.

Recently Omar and I were able to host a team from various parts of the US and build a home for a family. This family is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, and work as migrant workers. Maribela, the wife, is pregnant with their 3rd child, she is only 20. She had their first daughter at age 14. It’s very common for the indigenous of Mexico to marry so young, life is very hard for them and most never really experience many joys of being a child. They start to work in the fields with their parents when they are 4 or 5 years old and like the mom we built for, they marry very young and the cycle continues. Something that amazed me about Maribela, and makes her an exception among her people, is she is a stay at home mom. They have made great sacrifices to live solely on Clemete’s (the father’s) income. She told me she wants better for her kids then what she had.  And already they are getting that chance. With their new home, they are living on concrete for the first time, a real roof over their heads for the first time too. As Maribela and I talked she told me how happy she was to spend her day in her new house. Before in their tarp covered “lean-to” the tarp made it unbearable hot, and she and her children would spend all day outside in the sun. She had been praying for over a year for God to help them, and when she heard that ywam was going to build the house she thought it was just to good to be true. We were able to talk a lot about Christ, and I shared my testimony with her, and what it means to be a Christ follower. And she shared with me the things God had been teaching her. It was such a blessing for Omar and I to be apart of this miracle that God has given this sweet family, and I hope you feel the same. Thank you for helping us build this family a home and to encourage them in their walk with our Lord.

About 5 days after we finished the house Omar and I returned to visit with them.  It was so sweet to see them in their new home.  The team in addition to building the home also bought them a new bunk bed, table, stove, and much more. I asked Maribela what she liked most about her new house. Besides the house it’s self she was most excited about the bed. She had never had a bed before, just a mattress on the floor. And she never dreamed she would have a new mattress. All her life she had been given or bought used, old, uncomfortable mattresses. This pregnant momma was so happy to sleep comfortable for a change.

We made it to Ensenada Mexico after 30 hours of driving. What should have been a 22 hour trip was stretched out because of our very HEAVY load and old vehicle.

About a week after being here in Mexico our car died. We took it to our friend who is a Mechanic. The starter had gone out, but as he listed and looked a little more he began to see some big issues.  The timing belt was so loose that he was amazed the engine was still working and the spark plugs were drenched in oil.  He told Omar, “God must really love you!” We should not have been able to make the 1,100 mile trip with the car as it was. We are praising God for yet another miracle he has made for us. Thank you for ALL your prayers, they were answered!!

Three years ago we had to leave Mexico to pursue Omar’s U.S. citizenship. Why? Well, to make a very long story short, Omar was unable to get a visa to enter the U.S. because he was married to an American.  Our only option was to get Omar a green card. Having a green card requires living in the U.S. After three years the green card holder is allowed to apply for U.S. citizenship, which we have done, and Omar got it!  So now, we get to leave the U.S.

Ironic right? Now that Omar is a citizen and has a U.S. passport, he can leave and return to the U.S. without any problems.  We are free to move back to Mexico, where we feel called to serve as full time missionaries.  We are returning to work with Youth With A Mission in Ensenada.

One of the main ministries we will be serving in is Homes of Hope. Through building homes, low income family receive a home for free, meeting their immediate need of shelter. While simultaneously receiving the gospel, seeing tangibly the love of God demonstrated, and hearing the amazing news of the saving work of Jesus Christ!  We are very excited to work with these needy families, to have a small part in changing their lives forever.

Check out this video and see a family’s life transformed!