Zapatos Para Los Ninos; Shoes For The Children

Blessings In The New Year

2012-01-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

Meet Nancy (in the orange dress) and her little sister. Nancy's mother is blind and Nancy is constantly seen leading her mother to her school in the morning. Once there, Nancy's little sister leads mama home. They are a beautiful sight to us and a wonderful example of caring for others in life. We pray that in the New Year, you may be blessed to hold the hand of someone in need, or that someone will see your need and hold yours! We always take comfort in knowing God's hand is constantly stretched out to us. He is our ever present Help in time of need. Loving Him and you in the New Year, Greg and Natalie

Christmas Shoes

2012-01-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

We want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year, and to thank each and every one of you who have been a part of Zapatos Para Los Ninos! On Christmas Eve we were able to deliver almost 300 pairs of shoes, and for the first time, every child who came for shoes got them! Whoo hoo! We had many generous helpers who brought shoes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, new clothing, hats, blankets, and special gifts. It was a real festival! Our local friend, Manuelin, blocked off the road so he could set up several piñatas. Chairs lined the street, a few of the local ladies made tamales for everyone, and then Santa Claus showed up for a visit. It was so special to see the children all dressed up in their best clothes, and excited for new shoes. When we first began delivering shoes to certain parts of the island, almost none of the children wore shoes. Now when we go to deliver shoes, we are more likely to replace an old worn pair! Praise the Lord!And thank you to Kirk Blackburn for putting together this slideshow!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke up to 54 degrees and 90% humidity. Cold to say the least for Isla Mujeres. Downtown in the plaza the decorations are going up and homes around the Island are starting to glow with a Christmas theme. We are gathering quite a bundle of shoes and assorted goodies as we prepare for our annual Christmas outreach. Such an exciting time for the kids here in anticipation that Papa Noel (Santa Claus) is coming to town. As Christmas approaches we are reminded of the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Christ and the price He paid for us. A gift given with unmeasurable love and our desire is to share this love with every pair of shoes. Blessings during this wonderful Christmas season and thanks for all you do.

Blessings

2011-10-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

What a blessing for us to be able to stand back and watch others love on the kids here. We struck up a conversation with a group of ladies we had met before on the beach the other day and they informed us they had shoes. A few days later they asked us if we could go with them and help out. Of course we said yes, and set the time and place to meet. They went down to central and bought shoes from Ely, our favorite store owner and helped her make rent once more. Upon meeting with the group, we found out that 5 of them were from Milwaukie, Oregon where we had just been for 3 weeks visiting family. Small world and God is so faithful in bringing folks such as these to love on the little feet here. Over 100 pairs of shoes were fitted that day by loving hearts and gentle hands. Simple acts of caring and giving bring big smiles and memories for these kids. Thanks for sharing your time in helping us love on the precious feet of Isla Mujeres.

TIME

2011-10-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

We have referred to this word many times in our past postings, and it is still one we find worth pondering. Time never stops moving forward. We can not turn it back as much as we would like to sometimes. "Timing is everything" is a favorite phrase in our society. "Time just got away from me... where did the time go?... I don't have the time. We use it in many ways to either excuse ourselves from not keeping an appointment or recognizing that time really did get way from us and wonder how it happened. We just returned from a 3 week visit to Oregon to see family and our wonderful son graduate from The Art Institute of Portland in Photography. Sitting down this morning I realized it has been a "Long Time" since the last posting. We have had folks from around the states contact us and deliver shoes here for the kids. Met many new visitors on the beach and given the chance to share why we are here and what we are doing. We took one family into a new colonial to hand out shoes and the need is great everywhere. We are still amazed at the response over a new pair of flip flops or sandals for those precious little feet. So many parents let us know that we came at the perfect "TIME" as their other shoes had just fallen apart. As we continue to share and show others our journey here, they have taken it upon themselves to come again and go hand out shoes on their own. Praise God for their love for the kids and desire to keep impacting them in little ways. We keep seeking out God's will with each rising sun and He continues to leads us to new families and friends.

A WILLING VESSEL WITH A SERVANTS HEART

2011-08-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

A SERVANTS HEART: I read this morning in Luke how Jesus came to serve and His example of humility is what we should all be desiring in our own lives. We were touched by our friends from New Jersey once again with their love and serving towards the kids of Isla Mujeres. Debbie, along with her family came down with shoes, little flashlights, glow sticks, Frisbees, and a whole lot of other stuff for the kids. We were blessed by getting to go with them and take photos as they loved these precious souls in the name of Jesus. She is the C.E.O. of the Original, "JERSEY GIRLS" that we have written about in past blogs. This trip she brought her 2 daughters and husband to join her first hand in what she has been doing the last couple of years. They have heard all the stories and seen the photos from past visits but this time, they came and experienced it together. What a blessing they were to the kids as they marched right in like they had done it everyday and loved on them as they handed out all the goodies. It is great for us to stand back and allow others to take home a changed heart, experiences of a different culture, and most of all, their testimony as to how God used them to serve others. Our desire here on the Island is to be "WILLING VESSELS WITH A SERVANTS HEART" as we continue with the work God desires to do through us. The GLORY is all His and we are humbled by the folks He directs to us for the furthering of His Kingdom. Thanks Joe and Debbie for sharing in this journey with us.

More shoes and lots more love

2011-07-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

We see from our last post that a month has already raced past and August is coming sooner than we want. We handed out shoes last week and saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd. It was a special day for us since school is out and the kids were all there to greet us. When school is in session, we miss 1/2 the kids since they go half days and strange hours throughout the week. As we loved on the kids and handed out shoes, we were reminded of how fast they are growing up. These two guys were 9 when we met them and not very big but wow, what three plus years will do for a growing kid. We have seen a swing in the older ones in the way of fashion desire. It is very cute to see that they become a little bit more aware of styles. It is not that they are not grateful but we want to be sensitive to their surroundings and love on them none the less. Crocs... or a pair of flip flops with some bling on them is all we are talking about and the price is the same. The little ones still like the kick off in a hurry style so that when they want to run fast or rough house, off go the shoes and away they go. They are still kids at heart and such a joy to watch when they interact here. They create silly games to pass the time and you hardly ever see them quarreling. We have visitors coming in August with shoes and lots of love to share. Thanks for your prayers and support as we continue to march forward and love on the kids here.

Is it June already?

2011-06-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

It is simply amazing to us here on Isla Mujeres that time slips away so quickly. We have had a very busy past month with shoes and visitors. We can't thank the faithful supporters of our ministry enough for their sacrifices in giving so we can provide shoes for the children here. Knowing that times are tough for everyone to make ends meet blesses us beyond measure as the support continues to comes in at the perfect time. A group of 16 just left this past weekend from Missouri that came down to do other missions work yet found time to bless us with over 180 pairs of shoes. The non-profit Organization, P.E.A.C.E. here on Isla Mujeres gave us enough money to buy 50+ pairs of shoes and then our core supporters sent in their monthly support as well. We took the group up in Guadalapana and let them experience our world first hand and what a blessing they were. We keep loving on the kids here and are so gladdened to be riding down the road on our Moto and hear our names called from the kids walking around. We were overwhelmed by Manuelin the other day when we handed out shoes with the group from Missouri. He told them that a lot of people come and live here on the island, spend a ton a money but not to help the families of the Island. He then told them that we are always helping the kids here and that they are grateful for us because of the love we show to the Island. That love he spoke about is because people from all walks of life give freely to the ministry so we can be conduits for the Lord in sharing His love. We are preparing for another round of shoes soon and will post more when we complete the task before us. Life has slowed down to a crawl here with the tourist season in the down swing but the folks keep smiling and are thankful for what they have each day.

The Shoes finally Arrived

2011-05-25T09:29:00.001-07:00

Well, as we have stated before, "Nothing happens fast in Mexico." The shoes for Fernanda and her brothers finally got here. Her cousin that is living with them received a pair as well as we saw it only fitting for her to be included. Thanks to the support from faithful people, we took them to the shoe store and let them pick out a special pair. Mom had a lot of input as well and then we had to wait for them to arrive. Here are the photos of the kids with their newly purchased shoes and much thanks included. We have a group coming from U.S.A. the end of June that are bringing $100.00usd each to buy shoes and go with us to hand them out. There will be a total of 16 people in the group. Hope we can fill the demand as the Island is preparing for the off season and might not have the quantity on hand to fill the order. God is good all the time and we will continue to trust in His provisions as the time approaches. The weather is warming up early this year and no rain for 3 months to speak of. We are always learning new aspects from the locals about this wonderful culture and continue to fall deeper in love with them.

Blessing a whole family

2011-05-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Fernanda and her family have been our friends for about 3 years here on the Island and such a sweet family they are. We first met them when we handed out shoes to the "Hillside Gang", a group of kids that are always out playing on the hillside when we pass on the Moto. We first took Fernanda down to a little shoe store and blessed her with new school shoes a few years back. One day, they were gone and we could not locate them. The neighbors around them said "No they do not live here any more." Well, for those of you that have spent time in this culture know what that means. They answered our question correctly, and we forgot to ask the next one. "Do they still live here on the Island and if so, where?" As we were on our way home a couple of weeks ago, enjoying the beauty of the Caribbean to our left we heard of yell to our right. There across an undeveloped lot stood Fernanda and her two brothers yelling "Natalie... Gregorio", jumping up and down with radiant smiles beaming. We had found their new location and decided to bless them as a whole family this time. We took them down to the shoe store and let them pick out shoes. They all ended up having to order them from the catalog, but they got what they wanted. (With a lot of guidance from Mom.) We will update as soon as they get the shoes and let you see the results. The photo with Natalie and the lady is Fernandas Mom, Maria

Helping Hands

2011-04-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

We feel the Lord's blessing from top to bottom when we are enabled by our supporters to buy shoes, and then with the Helping Hands of others who care, distribute them.
A profound thank you to all. You know who you are, and most importantly, God knows who you are. His Word clearly mandates caring for the poor and needy. It is simply the right thing to do however one undertakes to do it. These are some photos of just one small way to care for others. (We often remark that what our beautiful friends lack in worldly goods, they seem to more than make up for in close family ties and joyful hearts. Monetary poverty is difficult, spiritual poverty is depressing. Our longing is to make the journey less difficult, and to restore a vision of heaven in hearts that have lost their way. Please join with us in prayer for this.)
Love Always In Jesus,
Greg and Natalie

What are you well known for?

2011-03-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

"Si, Natalie y Gregorio usted es bien conocido en Isla." This is what we were greeted with one day as we paid for our umbrella on the beach. She was smiling with great delight as she said this to us and we were not sure what she had expressed. Natalie whipped out the dictionary as she always does, eager to learn a new word or phrase and we were humbled upon learning what she had said to describe us. We had talked to her once before several months back and wanted to refresh our memories with her name. She told us it was Karina and then as Natalie started to tell her ours, she stopped her and Said,"Yes, Natalie and Gregorio are well known on Isla." It gave Greg something to ponder for the rest of the day as we sat and watched the world pass by us on the beach. What are we well known for here on Isla? It is a reflection of Christ? Is it an example worthy of following? Is it one of kindness, patience, gentleness? It made me think about the years past and the stops we have made during our journey with God. How will we be remembered in those places when we cross their minds? We can all be well known in the community, whether it is for good or bad. This little island has the ability to let your actions be known from one end to the other in very little time. We try and live a quiet life and mind our own business here on Isla Mujeres as we go about seeking to do His will as He has laid it before us in our ministry. This statement Karina shared with us was very encouraging as she smiled and reassured us that she knew who we were. How well known are you in your neighborhood or community? Maybe your whole town or city knows of you. Is it good to be well known for who you are and what you do? We have a heart to love these kids here and do all we can to share Jesus with them however that may be. Shoes, playing a game with them, buying them a bottle of water on the beach, or stopping along the road as they walk home from school and give them a high five. We give the glory to God for all that He is doing here through us and the folks that keep coming to the Island that He puts before us to share with. With all the travelers we have met, gosh, we could be known around the world..... and we pray that it is more for the good deeds than bad.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

2011-03-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

Nearly one hundred and forty pairs of shoes were distributed last week. Each foot is so precious. Jesus said, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news." Beautiful feet. We are becoming obsessed with them. We want to take care of them, cover them, protect them, and see those who own them know the love of their Creator. Here's just one more photo of one of them.

What's for Breakfast Papa?

2011-03-03T05:36:00.000-08:00

When you get up every morning, what do you fix your kids to start the day? Cereal, bagels, eggs, oatmeal? As parents, we want to send them off with a good breakfast so they are energized and ready for the activities that they will encounter during the day ahead. As we were riding in the taxi the other night and having our normal round of talk with Victor, our number one driver when we need one, he informed us as to what he gives his son each morning. Aldo just turned two and is the cutest little guy you will ever meet. Victor told us that Aldo is the first up every morning at around 5:30 or so and comes in to wake Papa up to get the day rolling. Every day his routine is the same. Papa, Papa get up and fix me breakfast. Victor arises and honors little Aldos' request with his favorite foods. Now, truly, what have you imagined that a two year old likes each morning? You have probably come up with quite a list that you decided would be best for someone his age, or what a kid his size likes. Well, each morning Victor gets up and greets his son with his favorite meal.......... Aldo looks forward to sitting down at the table with his Papa, just the two of them and having "COFFEE and COOKIES" to start the day. We will have to follow up on this and ask if he likes it black. :) Natalie and I could not believe it yet Victor acted like that is what every Papa does in the world for their two year old. Another culture clash for us and we just giggled and went along with the rest of the conversation. Victor and Anna are the best parents you will meet. They love their kids to death and are raising them in a home filled with love, patience, gentleness, and understanding. We have to sit back and wonder if coffee and cookies are the best thing for a kid in the morning, or even if coffee at two is a good thing, but we drink it as adults, eat cookies in the morning or sweet rolls. If it is O.K. for us, then why is it not good for our kids. We keep experiencing this culture to its' fullest and loving each page of life as it turns. We could of interfered with our conclusions on how to raise their kids but one verse in the Bible keeps coming before us as we live among these beautiful people God created as we as us. "LOVE NEVER FAILS". We simply keep loving on them and learning some important lessons along the way.

New Feet; New Shoes; Warm Hats;Happy Hearts

2011-01-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

December outreach and Island life

2011-01-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

Well.. 2011 is here and off with a bang. The island has been pretty quiet for almost two years since the Swine Flu episode. This Holiday season has been a great one for the locals as the Tourists have returned to the Island. It is so nice to see the businesses flourishing once again. The day is filled with laughter down at the beaches as folks enjoy the warm weather and crystal clear waters of Isla Mujeres. Our final shoe fitting was a wonderful time as we were joined by Natalies sister and her husband that came to visit. We were also blessed by Betsy Snider (no relation to us) who made 80 plus hats for the kids. It was a grand early Christmas party for the precious kids in Guadalapana as we distributed clothes, shoes, toys, and hats. The year was a blessing for us as folks supported the shoe ministry which allowed us to love on the kids here. ...THANKS EVERYONE...

We keep learning so much from these kind and gracious people here on the Island as we continue to make friends and further the relationships we already have on a daily basis. One particular young man comes to mind for this posting. We have watched him for the last 3 years sprint up and down the beach trying to etch out a living by selling his goods. He always has a smile and a kind word when he passes. His English is flourishing as he asks questions about the usage of certain words and then off he goes practicing on the next group down the beach. Such a joy to watch. The other day we got another lesson in life as Natalie was trying to find out when his birthday was. As the conversation continued, I was starting to realize that he had no idea what day he was born. All he knew was that January 1, he was going to be 18. Does it really matter if he knew his date of birth? We guess it would if you needed to get some official document, apply for a job, or get a loan. Here, in Mexico, we were once again reminded of the simple yet rewarding life many lead without all the details that can tend to bog us down. He is happy to have a job running up and down the pristine beaches of Isla Mujeres, learning a new language, and meeting folks from all over the world. He is so full of life each day and we so look forward to seeing his radiant face coming down the beach. He always leaves us with a "God be with you" in both Spanish and English as he heads off to try and make a few Pesos. We hope that this new year will be one living a simple life, being content in all circumstance, and full of joy. We are off and running with the shoe ministry as another wonderful supporter has blessed us with a donation for the kids. Happy New Year everyone.

November Thanks

2010-11-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

Last week we brought about 200 pairs of shoes to needy families, and although all the shoes found new homes, not all the little feet found shoes to protect them.
However, the children never seem to be too sad, but just ask when we are coming back!
Thanks to many of you, we will be returning just before Christmas with not only more shoes, but some small toys, and items of clothing, that have been donated.
We thank the Lord so much for you, and your prayers and partnership, in the mission of putting shoes on the children of Isla Mujeres one foot at a time.
We were greatly helped on one of our “drops” by our new friends from North Carolina, Ron and Christine Harlacker, and Zoey, Joey, and Alex from the island. The many hands made the shopping, transport, and delivery so much easier! THANK YOU!
When the Lord first led us into this ministry, we would drive into certain Colonia’s on the island, and not see hardly any shoes on the children’s feet. Now, two years later, we find more children with shoes than not! We are more likely to be replacing an old worn out pair, than giving a child their first pair. It is so rewarding to see and we wish you would share in this season of thankfulness with us. There are many diseases and dangers in the environment here, which a simple pair of shoes can offer protection from.
We just celebrated Thanksgiving with some other “foreigners” and are happy to report that we actually got turkey and cranberries! It was DELECTABLE!
However, as thankful as we were for the feast, we are more than ever thankful for the Lord’s grace, and the peace that he supplies. We are thankful for you! Without you, we would not be able to go and to give. Without you we would not have the prayers to cover us and help us with discerning what other needs are to be met. Without you, there would be fewer Bibles in the hands of the hungry, fewer concrete floors to replace dirt, fewer roofs that don’t leak, fewer homes with light, fewer smiles.
So, from us to you, again thank you! Thank you for loving the Lord, and extending your hands to the poor. It is a constant testimony to us that this world is not your home, but that you are seeking a world that is yet to unfold.
Happy Thanksgiving, and may,
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.”
Num. 6:24-26

All glory to Him and love to all,

Greg and Natalie

Prayer Requests:
• More shoes for Christmas distribution
• Wisdom and discernment as to where we should distribute the gifts
• That during the Christmas Holiday we would truly communicate why we
do what we do and that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, would be magnified
and glorified through it all
• John 1:4 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Thankful for the body

2010-10-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

We are back from our trip to Oregon and thankful for the body of Christ that supports us here on Isla Mujeres. Our main purpose for the trip was to help move Greg's mother from her home into a retirement community. This allows her to be closer to his two brothers and her grandson,and she does not have to maintain the homestead. She is settled and happy, and we are back on the island with the gifts folks back home lavished upon for the people here. We continue to see the importance of the body of Christ world wide. It is a body that needs to keep reaching out and serving one another no matter the title they worship under. As the Bible says in Ephesians 4:4-6, "There is one body, one Spirit". We need to do all we can to preserve that unity. We met with folks whom we had worshiped with when we were living in Oregon and since then, they have gone different ways and fellowship at different churches. However, when we were gathered together in a home, they loved each other, gave gifts for the Island as if they were still in the same fellowship together. What a wonderful act of love and serving it was for us to experience. The multitude of heavenly hosts are rejoicing in your act of love towards us. Muchas gracias to all. The Bibles that were given went to Pastor Armin so that he can continue to reach the youth here as well as keep ministering to the prisoners around the area. He has an outreach ministry for several prisons in the state of Quintana Roo as his heart is drawn to the men inside those concrete walls. Please pray for him as he goes into unknown territories to preach the word. Please pray that he would see the harvest from his faithfulness. As you can see by the photos in his church, he has a small meeting place but he believes God's word. Jesus said, "When two or more are gathered in my name, there I am also."

We also have many pairs of shoes, toys, games, and a suitcase full of beautiful girl clothes that our 10 year old 2nd cousin donated. She had the choice of taking them in to sell on consignment or giving to the kids here and she did not even waver. Thanks Calli for your act of love and kindness. These are the examples of support and love that keep us moving ahead with this little ministry, and those who receive from it are overwhelmed by the thought that strangers keep giving in the capacity that they see. We are quick to point out that we are just the deliverers of the goods and that our loving friends back home and abroad are the true heroes. We say thanks a ton from here on Isla.

Touching Families for His Kingdom

2010-09-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

As most of you back in the United States are starting to see the change in the weather, we are experiencing a change in the flow of tourists. Our weather does not change all that much compared to yours, so we see the changes in other areas. It has been in the high 80's-low 90's during the days and COOLING OFF to the low 80's at night. Today it is 73 but expected to reach 91. What a change for us, 73 to start the day, are you kidding me? We know it will not last for long but we rejoice in the Lord for the wonderful morning to enjoy.

The Island is seeing the big swing in tourist as September through November is dead time here. With this season upon us, the locals are hopeful that they were able to put away enough to live on until Thanksgiving or even Christmas. It was not a strong season for them here compared to the years past so we hear and see the effects around the Island in greater numbers. The Lord provided through our faithful supporters enough to help a couple of the families we know in a simple but profound way. One of the families is a single mom with 4 children and she makes a living making and selling jewelry on the beach. She starts her day by making sure those kids are taken care of first, the daily chores around the home, and then after the kids return from school, she goes out around 3pm to try and sell her goods. Anyone who has visited the Island has seen that by 3 pm, the day trippers are loading back up and headed back to Can Cun. She misses the bulk of the visitors each day but her first priority are her kids and we admire her for that. She shared with us a few weeks ago that her oldest child was the only one going to school this term since she did not have enough to buy the supplies required for the other 3. Prayer request went out, God answered it and we were blessed to be able to go and buy all the supplies for her 4 children and they started school with the rest of the Island kids. Simple acts of love that are impacting families for the rest of their lives. Thank you Jesus.

The other family we got to love on through you has been a long process but so rewarding. From a "Purpose Driven Life" book to begin with, to new roofing and a cement floor in the house, Benito and family are so grateful to God for the love shown them by you. We have watched this house transform into a home full of joy and contentment from your gifts of love. Benito searches for a steady income on the Island to meet their daily needs as the little day jobs keep finding him and he keeps trusting in Jesus to meet these needs. Such a testimony of ones faith which is always good to see as a reminder for us as to where everything comes from in the first place. We were able to bless their oldest son Angel with school supplies as well to start the year. The photos tell the story, such joy in little things. Paper, pencils, pens, calculator, erasers, glue sticks, compass, and a chance to better their future by attending school another term. Thanks for the support as well share with you some of the adventures we get to take because of your love and support. Until next time, we keep our fixed on the Lord as He leads us along the road of life.

Special Blessing For A Special Family

2010-08-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Isla Mujeres. We are still charging ahead with the task that has been put before us here on the Island which is seeking out kids and fitting them with shoes. The hardest part of this ministry is knowing that by the time enough support comes in, almost all of them once again need a new pair. The elements here on Isla take their toll yet God is faithful in bringing us enough to keep blessing the kids in special ways.

This post is about a very special family that we have known for over 2 years. They have from the start allowed us to use their home as a base for handing out the shoes in Guadalapana. Even on short notice, they graciously welcome us in and serve us over and over. With the funds that came in this month, we prayed about what to do with it and the Lord showed us it was time to bless this one family in a special way. After a week or two of trying to get connected with them we finally got to take the family down to the local Zapataria and let the kids get some special shoes. When we say special, it means that they got to pick out a pair they can wear to school and for special events. They love getting dressed up for occasions and the Zapatos we hand out on the normal basis don't complete the fancy outfits. We told them the store was theirs and to get whatever they wanted. As we shared in a previous post, the shoes you see on the tables is it. No other sizes or styles, so hopefully on that day they have a pair that you both like and in your size. This did not happen for either of them but no problem, we have the catalogs and can have them here by Thursday. The whole family had a good time finding styles that the kids and parents thought would best fill the months ahead and we got them ordered. We are so grateful for another chance to impact a family with Gods love and to send two kids back to school with smiles on their faces.

Saying Goodbye Is Never Easy

2010-07-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday a very dear family to us left the Island. Victor, his wife Anna and 3 kids left Isla Mujeres to return to his home state of Veracruz. Victor was the first Taxi driver that we connected with over 2 1/2 years ago. It started with a few words of English back then on our rides to town. Today, Victor is teaching English to his kids and his younger brother who has come to the Island to try and better his life as well. Victor left because the tourists visiting Isla have slowed way down and hopefully they return at the end of November. We do not know what the future holds for any of us and Natalie and I may never see them again. With this in mind, we lift them up to our Heavenly father that does know the future and we trust in Him for the outcome. We are so grateful to Victor for allowing us into his family during the time we had together. We pray for their return in November so we can continue our relationship with him and his family. Birthday parties, dinners at local restaurants, serving our guests when they arrive, he always has a smile and kind word. It is a gentle reminder to us why we are here. "ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE." We also get to plant seeds and love on those God brings to us during the time we have. May this update find you planting seeds and loving on those that you greet today because today is all we have.

Family Affair

2010-07-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

Our son and niece came to visit for a couple of weeks and had the opportunity to join us in our ministry. It was a very special day for us with the kids, as everyone got a pair and we even had some left over. That was a first for us. I should say every kid that showed up for shoes got blessed. The best we can estimate, without going in and counting, is that there are around 250 homes in Guadalapana. We have no way of knowing how many kids are there but we do know that every pair of shoes that are handed out are appreciated. To be able to have them all leave with shoes and not see a sad face walk away was so rewarding for us. One of our friends, who came to help as well said, "Greg, I sat here and watched God multiply your shoes right before my eyes." Praise the Lord! A second blessing was that our little friend from Bend, Oregon decided that she did not want any gifts for her birthday but wanted everyone to donate towards shoes for the kids here. Reece and her family came down for three weeks in January to lend a hand and she saw a need. Way to go Reece, we sure love you. We continue to build relationships with families and see God move in hearts on the Island. People turning to Christ, prayers being answered, and smiles put on the faces of the kids. Thanks everyone for simply giving as we continue to share His love and do His work.

Another chance to love the kids

2010-06-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

We went to Karen's home on Wednesday to celebrate her 4th birthday. We had a great time with her family and relatives as we laughed, sang, and enjoyed the great food we had gathered around the Island. We made several laps on the Moto to find everything, and we arrived on time,(remember we are in Mexico so "On Time" takes on a whole new meaning.) As the 6 adults and 6 kids sat around in the little 10x10 kitchen/living room area, everyone wanted to be in front of the fan, so musical chairs were in order throughout the night. Karen has a great love for her pinatas so this year we decided not to attack it with a big stick as memories from last years party danced in our minds. Fun, fellowship and love were shared by all as we took delight in blessing this special little girl that God connected us with 2 1/2 years ago. God keeps providing so many opportunities for us as we walk by faith and simply love on those before us. The Temp. is rising and the tourists are dropping so please continue to pray for us as we are faced with so many choices for ministry on the Island. Love is the greatest of gift all and it does not cost us anything but time.

The Gift of Giving

2010-05-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Simply giving. The Jersey Girls came to simply give. They gave time, they gave shoes, they gave precious little gifts, they gave smiles, they simply gave. They gave from their hearts. They gave to God's precious little ones, and some of His precious big ones! They gave to us encouragement, and a helping hand. They gave us a reminder that, "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,..." James 1:17
Their giving was a reminder that all we have is given to us by our loving Father, and is ours only as we open our hands and let Him give to others through us. These are ours because only what is given back to Him can be taken to heaven when we go. All the stuff we call "mine" on earth will surely pass away, but on that final day, when we step out of time into eternity, the gifts we gave will be found again in His eternal treasure store.
Thank you all for the gifts you have given, we are blessed beyond measure to pass them on for you.

Lending a hand where we can

2010-04-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

We were blessed a few weeks ago with a family that came to Isla Mujeres and joined us in the shoe ministry. After handing out the many shoes they bought and brought with them, God opened up another opportunity for them to touch a family in Guadalupana. We were talking with the host family, who allow us to use their home as a base to distribute the shoes, when the family that had joined us went looking for their son who had wandered down the road. He was visiting with a man we have come to know, and grown to love dearly. His name is Benito. Benito is growing in his faith and reading through the "Purpose Driven Life" book we gave him. We all gathered in front of his home and he made a request to us for prayer that God would provide for him a new roof. He said he didn't want money, but that He learned from reading his Bible we should make our requests for prayer known to each other. He wanted us to pray for a new roof because his children get wet when it rains in the house! We said we would pray and visited for awhile longer.
A few days later, I sent a thank you note to the family that met Benito while out blessing the locals with shoes, along with a few photos of their adventure. Shortly thereafter, I received an e-mail from them stating that they had prayed about Benito's request and felt led to help out. Benito said that he would need 8 sheets of metal at 8 feet long to repair the part that leaked the worst and that the little drips were no problem. They just rearrange the home when it rains and put buckets under them. Our friends in the States were obedient to the amount the Lord had laid on their hearts and we gathered up Benito to go order him some roofing. To his surprise we ordered him 12 sheets of the 15 foot ones. This will re-roof his entire home!
As we were heading home, after ordering the roofing, Benito said to us, "Take a photo of these". He held out some shells he had found at work that day, and after the photo, he handed them to us as his way of loving us back "UNCONDITIONALLY". He gave all that he had to offer us and that was a lot. Through shoes for the children, God allowed us to be a part of touching this entire family in the community we reach out to. We continue to see the Scripture come to life as folks in the body of Christ come and serve in "LOVE". Shoes... Books... Bibles... Roofs... whatever it may be, without "LOVE" it is empty, but with love, the gospel is fulfilled. We know that if we are not living the gospel we will have no power to share it. Thank you for giving the greatest gift of all to these wonderful people of Isla Mujeres, "UNCONDITIONAL LOVE".

Hanging out with the sisters

2010-04-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday was an exciting day for us. We met Sandra and Monica down on the beach for an afternoon of fellowship. Sandra was the first girl Natalie got to start meeting with downtown to teach her English. Her sister Monica followed in her footsteps after we got Sandra enrolled at the English school with classes. They have learned very quickly so this was a special day for us. We played volleyball and then watched the sunset as we talked in English. They wanted to know how to use certain words in the past, present, and future tense. That filled up 2-3 hours with laughter and learning about each others language. We discovered that you should not use the word "Silly" describing someone in the Spanish dialogue. There are things that do not work in their culture that we use on an everyday basis. It makes us stop and think about what we are about say which should be a good rule of thumb in any language or conversation. Am I going to build this person up, encourage them? A thought for us to ponder today as we move forward with our relationships on Isla Mujeres.

Our mission on Isla Mujeres

2010-04-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

This free slideshow generated with Smilebox

Because Of You Gods Love Shines Through

2010-04-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Every day is a gift, and we are so thankful for the ways God shows us how to share it. Some wonderful new friends came to the island from the U.S. and donated shoes, and their time, to help rescue little feet from the glass and rusty metal dangers of the neighborhood! Thank you so much for giving! Your presence lingers long after your departure!

All in the family

2010-04-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings once again from the land of sand and sun. The weather has turned for us... we believe and it feels like the warm season is starting to take hold. The winter has been a chilly for the locals of Isla Mujeres but they faried well and survived it with smiles as always. Greg's mother and our son Ryan came for a visit and what a blessing itwas to spend time with them. We took them around and they helped us distribute shoes in some of our favorite places. To see their hearts moved by the hand of God as they shared in the ministry God has given us here was a blessing beyond measure. Mom reconnected with many of the vendors that she got to know during her first trip here a year or so ago. They all remembered her and as usual, blessed her far beyond anything she was expecting. They lavished her with many items from the goods they sell here but would take no money for it. They kept telling her, "For Gregorio's mama, gratis". We had to keep reminding her that the right thing to do is simply receive it and to thank them. We keep being reminded of how Jesus loved people and the Epistles emphasis the fact that love is the greatest gift of all. We get hung up on the other facets of life and have to be reminded that love is the basis of everything pertaining to life. Our son was refreshed during his break from another term of college and we were blessed by his freshness in the way he views life. Thanks Mama Snider and son for coming down and loving on us in such a marvelous way. We are heading into Easter Weekend where we are to meet up with a family for the service and then go buy shoes with them. Another blessing from God for a family that we have never met, yet through the moving of the Holy Spirit, found us and want to lend a hand. We are excited as we keep pressing forward for His glory here on the Island and seeing His will being manifested before us and we walk in obedience. May your Easter be one of reflection as to why Jesus went to the cross and how the love of God keeps being poured out on His children each and every day. blessing from the little rock in the Caribbean of Isla Mujeres.

The Smile Says It All

2010-03-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

"And He called a child to Himself...." Matthew 18:2

Blessings in the little things

2010-03-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

We had the pleasure of spending time with our dear friends Brian and Joyce from Truckee California the other day. They came by and spent 41 hours with us on their way to Belize to see the missionaries they support there. As we took them around the Island to introduce them and show what the Lord has us doing for His Kingdom, we went into Guadalapana, the small community of families we spend most of our time at. We wanted to take some progress photos of where the fire was a couple of weeks ago that destroyed 19 homes. As we strolled through the area, as normal, we drew a crowd of the kids running around filling their day with adventure and laughter. We stopped and laughed with them as they showed us their newest inventions. Pieces of PVC pipe with balloons on one end to shoot rocks out of. They let us give it a shot, :) and hit everything we aimed at. They never stop amazing us with what they can do with the things laying around the Island. The biggest blessings was as our group said goodbye to the 8 or 9 kids with us was something we both noticed and it sure touched our hearts. We looked at each other as we made our way down the jungle trail and asked if we had noticed anything about the group. Being liked minded that we are since 30 years of marriage and seeking the Lord first in our lives does that, we had both been blessed with the fact that all 9 of them had shoes on their feet. This was the first time we have gotten to experience that sight since we have started putting shoes on the feet of the children of the Island. It is because of the faithful giving folks keep sending our way that we are starting to see fruit from our trips up and down the lanes here. They seem to want to save them for special trips downtown or gatherings they attend but we keep telling them to put them on and get with it. We know that this was a special sight and that every kid will not be protected from the elements of the Island with shoes, yet God gave us this special blessing to encourage us that we are or should I say, you are making a difference in the lives of the kids here as they know that we hand them out in the name of Jesus. We can't thank you enough and we have a hope that comes from above that another pair will be handed out with love and another life will be blessed as we continue to march on day by day here with these beautiful people of Isla Mujeres.

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

2010-02-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

Shoes keep getting put on the feet of the little ones here on Isla Mujeres and relationships keep growing, as you continue to share in the ministry we are a part of. We had visitors that came to buy and build a playground station but when they arrived, God changed our direction and they bought 60+ blankets for the families of the Island. What a treat for them as it has been a cold winter for us. We know that it sounds silly to call the weather in the Caribbean cold, compared to the winter you have been having, yet low 60's- sleeping in a hammock in shorts and a tee shirt- no blanket- 80% humidity, it becomes cold very fast… especially in tar paper shacks. Blankets, shoes, literature, no matter what the means we have to reach this community for His Kingdom, we seek out the truth in the Scripture, to fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that His name may be glorified.

They other day we rode down the street on the Moto, Greg, as usual, looking for trouble ahead (as most of the cars here have no brake lights or lights at all for that matter) and Natalie looking at the feet of the children and praying for opportunity to minister. Natalie gave the command to turn around as she spotted a kids flip flop laying on the sidewalk. Greg asked why and Natalie let him know that she saw the foot that it belonged to further back in the arms of a mother walking down the road. We gathered the goods and pursued them around the corner. As we reached them, the other flipflop fell off with mother not knowing she had lost both shoes! She was so thankful for our kindness and Greg was so blessed to have been exposed to what Natalie really does on the back of the Moto as we go about the days here. Little things done, so that His name may be glorified.

Our main outreach, area here on Isla, is the community of Guadalapana. It is a shanty town of about 250 families huddled together in their tar paper shacks. We completed a large outreach there last Thursday with the Perkey family from Oregon and were blessed in many ways. Then we found out on Saturday morning that a fire had broken out Friday night destroying 20 homes. In the rubble, we stood praising God for no injuries or deaths, yet saddened to see these families with nothing. We bought shovels and rakes, rolled up our sleeves,(figure of speech of course since we were all in tee shirts) and helped them remove the ashes. With the Perkey’s help, we also purchased hammocks, blankets, clothing, shoes, and toiletries to help meet the most immediate needs. It did not take them long to clean up the mess since tar paper and wooden poles burn pretty clean. We were amazed at how God put us in this particular spot at the perfect time as Natalie spotted some files of melted plastic about ready to go into the trash bag. She retrieved them and saw that they were photo albums. We asked Cynthia if we could take them home and try to save some photos. We spent yesterday prying open the pages and were able to save all the photos except about 10. Wedding photos, birth of their twin girls, birthday parties, etc. You know, their whole family history and the most treasured thing they owned. Handing her the new photo album, and a few other things we had gathered around the casa to bless them with, was so humbling as we sat and watched Cynthia with some of her friends pour over the photos with joyful tears and laughter. She has invited us over for dinner as soon as their new dwelling is up and secure. It almost has a roof on it and then we pray for material for the walls. We are continually humbled to observed the love they show by simply putting up another set of hooks for an extra hammock, breaking bread together when they hardly have enough to go around for their own families, and how they invite us into their homes and hearts. Another connection made by the grace of God.

We keep pressing on for His glory each step of the way as He leads us day by day. Our hearts long that everything we do will glorify His name. The photos attached are from the outreach and then what it looked like 2 days later. They keep moving forward with smiles on their faces even in the midst of tragedy. We see people living out scripture before us even if they don't realize it. "Gods mercies are new every morning and His grace is sufficient" Do we truly trust in His unfailing love even when disaster strikes us? Do we truly get up every morning and rejoice in the Lord for ALL things that might come our way? Do truly do all things as unto the Lord so that His name might be glorified?
Do we trust Him to bring beauty from the ashes?

We continue to learn so much about life on this Island from the beautiful people here as we interact with them on a daily basis. We continue to see the importance of the words to "Be still and know that I am God", in the midst of our busy world. Love has no boundaries and ours keep expanding as He leads us each day to new relationships and ministry.

We can't express the love we have for all of you warriors that are fighting the good fight on our behalf. Blessings from Isla Mujeres as we fix our eyes on the Creator of all.

Seeking and serving in Mexico:

Greg and Natalie

Ministry where you would least expect it

2010-01-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

As we continue to pursue the things that God has for us on Isla Mujeres, He continues to show us His ways are bigger and better than we could ever imagine. As we were down on the little beach club in front of our home yesterday, a gentleman came up to me and wanted to know if I could help him. He had been looking for a boat to take him and his friends fishing and could not find one. The Lord brought to mind our friend who is a captain on a boat but has been laid up for 5 months from a Moto accident. I told him I would call David and ask if he could line up a boat for them knowing that he would get a commission for his efforts. David is trying to get enough money together for the surgery he needs to remove the 12 rods in his leg from the accident and every Peso that he can get is a huge blessing. Well, we made the deal and they gave me $150.00 for the deposit and I gathered the information for them as to where and who to meet for their trip. Taking this over to their house they answered the door with sorry but our friend has already booked a trip and paid in full so please cancel our trip. I said no problem and will return with your deposit. Since we have lived here, God has guided us not to miss an opportunity to share our testimony with all we meet when asked, "How did you end up on this Island?" I had shared the story and added a few other details about our life here while on the beach earlier before they had left. Well, As I was about to leave to get the deposit, they said, "We want you go give that money to your friend to help with his medical bills." I stood in awe of how God uses us to help those in need. So today, David is calling the doctor to set up his surgery date and get the rods taken out. We praise God for allowing us to witness such amazing things as this and we press on for His glory and honor with shoes for little feet and hearts to touch with His love. I almost forgot, which is easy to do most of the time since God blows us away every time we turn around is the detail that is very amazing in all of this story. The folks that gave the money are from Bend, Oregon, our home town. AMAZING... AMAZING... AMAZING God we serve.

2010-01-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

The New year has started off with great things already as God continues to open the doors for us here on the Island. We returned from our trip to Oregon where we spent Christmas with family. Two days after being back, friends from Bend, Oregon arrived with blessings of fellowship and support for the locals. We bargained with a local shop owner and ended up with 60 blankets to hand out. This was the best need, as the weather here on Isla Mujeres is some of the coldest they have had since 1967. You forget that temperatures in the 60's makes sleeping in a hammock uncomfortable. We brought back with us shoes, toothbrushes, paste and clothing from Oregon to hand out this next week and continue our task of just simply loving on these wonderful people. The tourist trade has not really surged back up to where it used to be so they struggle along here day by day but we are, as always, touched by their gracious attitudes and warm welcomes. Please pray that Gods favor continues on our ministry and we apply ourselves to truly learning their language so that the message of Christs love for them is plain and clear.

Progressive Connections

2009-11-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

One day, while driving the moto past a hillside of rubble, rocks, glass, and a chicken or two, we saw a gang of kids playing. We dubbed them “The Hillside Gang” and prayed about bringing them shoes, as we saw none on their feet.

The next time we passed by we stopped and struck up a “conversation” with a few of the kids, traced their feet on paper, and promised to return with zapatos. After some quick shopping, we brought several children brand new zapatos, and they rewarded us with huge smiles and hugs. It was fun driving by “The Hillside Gang” after that, and seeing them running around with shoes on their feet.

After a few months, we stopped by again with shoes to replace the ones that were falling off their feet, and many of the parents came to meet us. We noticed a little girl in desperate need of new shoes for school. We took her photo, and prayed for money to buy

her some school shoes. The next day, we got word that some dear people sent us shoe

money! One problem…. we didn’t know the little girls name, we only knew the area she lived in. But, we had her photograph and knew what she looked like.

On a random errand to buy something from a local store, Greg was surprised to see the little girl in need of school shoes standing next to him, so he was able to get her name. The very next day we saw her walking down the street with her mother, and we were able to set up a time to take her shopping for shoes. Her mother entrusted her into our care, and she went with two virtual strangers to go shopping.

That excursion led to 2 more school shoe shopping excursions, with parents entrusting their children into our care. From that experience, we were invited into the home of one of the children, and soon after that we were invited to a birthday party.

From total strangers, to occasional contact, to being entrusted with the children of others,

to an invitation into a home, to a family party, God is making connections for us.

As we seek to be used by God, to be an extension of His love, He is going before us and lighting our way. We marvel that He would use a couple of incompetents like us to do His will, and are humbled beyond belief by His grace in doing so.

One glance, one child, one foot, one shoe, one life… in a sea of people, He continues to make the world a beautiful place transforming one heart at a time.

Connecting, connecting, connecting!

2009-10-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

These photographs are all about connecting!
One of our connections has been Benito and his family.
As we go into the communities here, our constant prayer is that we will connect with people on a more consistent and long term basis. God blessed us with one such connection in Benito.
As we handed out shoes with the "New Jersey Girls" , one man approached us and asked in very limited English if I (Natalie) was a Christian. After a brief and hilariously stunted conversation, we said goodbye to our New Jersey friends, and Benito led us through a maze of houses. (Well, houses is a relative term here. They were more like little tiny rooms sprinkled all over with maybe a wall or two and a hammock!)
Anyway, we visited Benito's "dwelling" and as the smoke from their cooking pit kept the pests away, he proudly showed us his sons certificate of baptism and explained he and his wife are recent Christians. He also showed us a family photo album, minus a cover, and his prize possession, a Bible. Benito's shoes were barely staying on his feet, and although we usually just supply shoes for children, we promised to return with shoes for their whole family.
One sweet connection!
Another picture shows Miquel. We had no shoes for Miquel, but he gave us gifts of little shells he collected and glued together in the shape of small animals. We returned to bring Miquel shoes, and he gave Gregorio a prized stuffed animal. How can we out give a heart like that? He is another sweet connection.
Finally, there are two photos of Ajani, one with his sister Maria. We have supplied shoes to them several times over the last year and a half and never met their parents... until last week! We finally met their mother who was so very thankful that Jesus came to send the gift of shoes to her children through a couple wacky gringo's. Another sweet connection.
One foot, one shoe, one word, one heart at a time... we keep connecting! Thank you so much for your prayers and giving.

"And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;" Matthew 18:5

Blessings from another Country

2009-10-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Isla.

As we enter another season on the Island, God keeps blessing us with shoes from all around the country. We had three ladies from New Jersey come down with 60 pairs and also clothing for a special family. It is always fun to watch others bless the community here and take photos of them. We get to interact with the recipients rather than have your head down and fitting shoes. Another donation came in from Oregon that allowed us to buy from the local merchants around 120 pairs of shoes. That was such a neat evening as Elly usually sees us line up 25-35 pairs of shoes in one buying spree, but this night we just kept lining them up and she thought we were joking with her. We finally ran out of the types of shoes we feel are the most durable for the kids and told her we needed more. She was almost dancing in the street as we handed her the pesos and told her we would be back when she got more in. With this approach, we have found that it is a double blessing as we bless the shop owners by spurring on the economy here and then give them away around the Island. Our one purchase paid her rent for the month and then some.

We were blessed this past weekend with a visit from our dear brother and sister in the Lord from Truckee, CA. They have moved to Belize and are ministering to the locals and helping out in the school. Jim and Anna encouraged us more than they will know with thier fellowship and worship over the weekend. They went and did a shoe drop with us on Saturday night and then had church here in our casa. Thanks you guys and we hope we can come to Belize and bless you half as much as you did us. A few more tourists are starting to show up but is is really slow here. We keep noticing the beach vendors are disappearing one by one as they return to thier home towns since the trade is almost at a standstill. We pray that they will be able to come back and reconnect with us as we have made some neat friendships and miss seeing them coming down the beach from day to day. We continue to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord and do what He asks of us each day, which is to LOVE these people. This is what we want to do as we keep trusting in Him for our provisions.

Awesome video!!!

2009-09-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hq8lBgIO9o

We Can't Do It All But We Do What We Can

2009-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is a difficult time for the people of Isla Mujeres. Between August and November, the people struggle daily with earning enough money just to feed their families. They never complain, but they share their hopes that perhaps "tomorrow will be better", and they will ALWAYS say, "It is a good day, I have my family." Family means everything to the people here, who don't have many material things. They believe that their family ties make them rich! And to watch them, we know that it's true! They cherish each other in beautiful ways, and spend most of their spare time together playing and hanging out. They do, however, share their concerns that they may not be able to keep their kids in school during the "slow season" here. School is not free, and they must have uniforms and shoes to go. That is where we come in! We were blessed, not only to bring a load of practical shoes to a new community last week, but we also found out about 6 kids who needed shoes for school. What a treasure to be able to provide that basic need. The kids were THRILLED with their new shoes, and we want to thank all of you who have made it possible for us to go and do shoe ministry. Your donations enable us to reach out into the heart of the communities and the people. The parents are also mightily blessed when their children benefit from shoes. The close family ties make them want to provide for their children, and although giving them a pair of shoes may seem like a small thing, in the end it frees them up from one more financial burden. Giving shoes to the children says to the precious people here that we care, and your regular giving enables us to maintain a constant presence. We can't thank you enough for your prayers and support. The children always look forward to seeing Gregorio and Natalia drive up on their moto with new shoes for little feet.
Like the title says, "We can't do it all, but we do what we can." Helping people get one more day down the road of life.
Sending Love From Mexico,
Gregorio y Natalia

Time Management

2009-08-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well, another month has almost passed and new adventures keep coming our way. Since the passing of my father in June, we have had some down time to look at life with a different view. Thinking about the things that weren't said, the things that should have been said, or just the things that seemed important to get done with my father that did not happen. The final week that we spent with him was remarkable to say the least. Nothing really mattered anymore except to love on him and to enjoy every passing minute we had together, knowing that his final days were near. Now that we are back in the groove of things here on Isla Mujeres, we find ourselves approaching life in a whole new way.

Removing anxiety from our lives is a big one, as Mathew says in Chapter 6:25, "Do not be anxious for your life." Mathew 6:34 says"Do not be anxious for tomorrow." In Luke 12:25 the scriptures ask, "And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?" I feel that Philippians 4:6 says it best, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

We worry about a lot of trivial things during our life span, and to no avail, it usually comes out differently than we had assumed, predicted, or desired after we mulled it around for hours, days, even weeks at a time, and for what? Hoping for a better, easier way of life here on earth? Desiring our walk be a bed of roses all the time? Maybe a truck load of money will be dumped into my garage today and everthing will be OK. Our children will never do anything that might rock my pride among the community members.

Philippians 4:7 gives us the support we need from being anxious, so read verse 6 again from above and then meditate on this one for awhile. It says in verse 7, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehesion, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." That is a promise we can dwell upon until we see Jesus face to face, yet one thing is still required of us to have this truth dominate in our life. We must apply verse 6 day in and day out. We take those anxious thoughts and turn them towards heaven in our prayers daily, with thanksgiving. Life might not get any easier, but we sure can enjoy Gods peace through it all.

Time Mangement you might be asking? We all have the exact same number of hours per day to try and achieve our goals, missions, fulfill our dreams, etc. Are we doing it with Gods peace each step of the way or are we striving in our own strength, abilities, or desires? The two of us have taken the approach of starting the day saturated in Gods word each morning, praying, and then deciding between the two of us, what is the most important things we have on our plate today. Natalies job is always on the front burner so that we can continue to reach out in the name of Jesus to the the locals here. After that 4 hours is set aside, we get to ask God to bring us ministry each day, large or small. He has shown us that all we need to do is simply step out the door and be a conduit for His love to flow through. I know that everyone does not have the same work loads as we do, yet we wonder if we are all willing to allow Gods' love to simply flow through us no matter where we are? Can it flow freely if we are anxious, stressed out, burdened with the worlds problems, struggling in our marriages? That can only be answered by each of us as we take it before Him and ask him to fill us with His peace that surpasses all comprehension so that it will guards our hearts. Time Management, lets see, if I can remove 2, maybe 3 things from my plate today that are not pressing, and they each might be a 1 hour job, oh my goodness, I have an extra 3 hours to spread out and use for the other tasks at hand. I might be able to stop and show "The Toms and Sarahs of my life" a peace that dwells inside of me by actually taking a few minutes to talk and love on them.

Time management here on the Island to truly different than anywhere we have lived. We still face the struggles of life, just on a different level. No matter the level, Gods word still stands firm for us in these trying times we face. Finding time to observe the drag races they held last weekend on the air strip. Time to hold Natalie's hand and stroll along the beach with her to hear her thoughts and in the midst of that, still take the time to say hello to each person we meet as we walk.

It is a special time for Natalie and I here on the Island as we continue to seek out His will in our time management. We don't want to miss the wonderful things He has for us due to our trying to keep up the "JUST GET 'ER DONE" mentality that is so easily slipped into during our walks of life.

Here are a few photos from this last weeks TIME MANAGEMENT we got to experience. Hoping your time is being managed in a wonderful way as the days continue to slide into the FALL SEASON of 2009. Oh no, did I say Fall? Yes another year is headed for the history books and we hope is has been a good one.

You are now my true Mayan sister

2009-08-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Oh what a treat to have gotten invited over to Alex and Cecilias' home for an evening of sharing and giving. We brought back some very basic gifts from the States for them as a gift of love and as usual, we are the ones that walked away blessed. As we were giving them the shoes, a basketball, necklace, and other little things we brought them, they were filled with anticipation for something that blew us away. As soon as the opportunity arose, I looked up and saw Cecilia , with her older sister dressing Natalie in an authentic Mayan outfit. They took such pleasure in wrapping her all up from head to toe and then stepping back and saying,"Now you are my true Maya sister." They are a Maya family that believe in Jesus and attend the Assembly of God church here on the Island, so this was a very special moment for us to be a part of. We have birthday parties to attend in the days ahead, had Samuel and his precious family over for pizza and gave his two daughters new shoes the other night. These connections continue to provide us with avenues to learn more about this wonderful culture as well to love on them in the name of Jesus. Little Thomas.. the young boy who we had reached out to many times just down the road from our home has left the Island along with his family. They sold seashells along the road at this end of the island and we always looked forward to waving to them everytime we rode pass. One day, they were not there... no biggie, we will see them tomorrow... well some 14 tomorrows have passed and we have seen a new elderly man there selling shells in their place. They have had to move on to who knows where to make ends meet, and we are once again reminded that we need to make every opportuniy count because we might never get that chance again in Gods economy. We pray for the seeds we planted and that they are well. We are finally getting back to the Island pace of life after being in the U.S.A. for almost a month, between the two trips made in June and July. Life is very slow here and we realized how precious it is once we were gone from it. It was great to see so many faces of the past and we look forward to the future that is held in the palm of Gods hand for us, when we will all be reunited for the final call to sit and worship Him for eternity. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Images of Isla

2009-07-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

We are in the states today, catching up with friends and family, but ever mindful of the friends on the island. Cecilia, on the far left, is a Mayan woman we have the joy of knowing. She has 3 children and is married to Alex. Thanks to God and His precious people, we have been able to provide her children with shoes. She walks the beach all day selling handcrafted goods from Chiapas, and some days goes home without a sale! But... she believes in Jesus and that He is a rewarder of those that seek Him. Her attitude is one of love and joy and trust. A true gift to our hearts. The little boy with the blue shoes just wanted to hug his new sandalias!

You can see video games, la isla style, on the left, and our new friend Enrique. Enrique has been a recipient of the shoe ministry and, as a result, the door to connect with his grandmother has been opened to us. We pray for connections with people every day. People are all that matter, and so we continue to go because you continue to give. We thank God for you all everyday!
We thank God for the brilliant Blaine and Bethany Franger, who supplied us with a few of these photos!
Please pray for us as we sojourn in the midst of Mexico, and travel for a short time in the states.
Hebrews 13:20-21

2009-06-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

We hope that all is well with everyone and that your summer is warming up. The thermostat has been turned up another few degrees here on the Island as our home stays between 85 and 87 24/7. We are trying to stay away from the air conditioner as much as possible but sometimes it must be used. We have had a few events since last updating the sight. My father(pictured above) graduated to be with the Lord on June 8, 2009 after living out an outstanding life before us for one week short of 87 years. He was a hero to me as we were able to be home with him and my family for his final days here on earth. He invited in with peace and dignity his final walk here and took the hand of Jesus with confidence to sit at the foot of his throne. See you soon Dad. We have returned to the Island but are getting ready to go back to Central Oregon for a previously scheduled trip from July 2-16. The shoes that so many of you have blessed us with are still seen running around the Island and we keep returning to the locations that we handed them out in to see if they are in need of another new pair. We are connecting with a dear friend Marisa and her husband to meet with new families. She has an inside track to alot of the poorest of the poor here so we shall use her as another means of reaching out in the name of Jesus.

We thank you for your prayers and support as we press on for His glory and honor. We will be back the middle of July and kick off another round of shoes for the children.

outreach ministry to Rancho Viejo

2009-05-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

Well... today we went to Rancho Viejo, the providence of Isla Mujeres over on the main land back of Cancun. We took Rance, Bender, and Andrew, the three young men from the States that came down to do missions work. Alfonso, the minister from a church in cancun picked us up, took us out to his church where he dropped us off, left. We were in the midst of strangers for the next 4 hours. What a treat is was to come along side of fellow believers who were there in the little church to serve food and share Jesus with the 30 plus kids that we gathered outside of the school and walked them over. We made friends on the way, even though the Spanish is not happening from my perspective, but God is a God of universal languages and love. He broke down the barriers, we loved on them none the less and had a great time watching and helping. The photos speak for themselves as we sat and listened, danced and sang with them, and then ate. Afterwards we went out and played soccer in the street, since we were pretty much in the middle of a jungle but the street was a wonderful soccer field. Lots of laughs today and warm smiles from all. The staff there are true servants of the Lord as they ushered in the kids, taught the word with the felt board, fed the hungy little tummies, and then off they went after a little bit of legos and soccer. They even had Vegie Tales in Spanish for them. Sweet stuff since it has been many years since we have watched Larry boy go for it. God is so amazing as we see new things, meet new brothers and sisters in our walk down here. Enjoy and talk with you soon.

2009-05-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

Evelyn Gidalti Colli... Her Grandpa works down at the beach club here in front of our Casa. He wells up with tears each time we talk about her over his excitement that she is getting the opportunity to learn English at the La Gloria English School. (www.folges.org) I was able to get her a sponsor so that she can go free. What a blessing to see her blossom as she learns new words and grows in confidence when using them. Another chance to see how God is using us to touch and reach these precious kids on Isla.

2009-05-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

Pinatas and Faith

2009-05-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

We went to a birthday party yesterday. Karen was turning 3! We had the great blessing of bringing a pinata filled with candy! Although we mumbled our way through the social event, played with the children, and smiled a lot, we were constantly aware of the struggle to fit in! (Natalie, perhaps more than Greg, as many of the men speak a bit of English, while the women seldom understand a word!)It's a little awkward at times and helps us understand why, at the tower of Babel, the people who spoke French moved to France together, the Spanish speakers headed toward Spain, and the English huddled trying to figure out how to make their language a universal one!
However, when it came time to put up the pinata, although we could only sing a few lines of the pinata song, we felt like part of the family. As we all joined together in celebrating the life of a sweet little girl, we felt an overwhelming sense of God's faithfulness in allowing us to connect with this precious group of people.
And, we really felt like we fit in!
God has reminded us once again that we need to take one step at a time, trusting Him to make "all things beautiful in His time", and rejoice in the little treasures He provides along the way. It was so good to feel like we fit in, when most of the time we know we don't!
It was a reminder of how God tells us that, by faith, we can move mountains. Our "outsider" status is like a mountain that we long to move! I remember asking the Lord about that scripture once. It seems that there are so many mountains we have wanted to move. And in his still small voice, He spoke these words of courage and hope.
"Yes, faith does move mountains, but sometimes those mountains are moved one bucket at a time. Grab a bucket."
God is so good! Today is filled with hope for our future here as we grab our buckets and walk by faith.

Loving My New Shoes

2009-04-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sojourning In Mexico

2009-04-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

One thing we have noticed, while sojourning in Mexico, is that when we have visitors our normal life routine stops in its tracks. We still have to take care of “business”, but guests in our humble home cause us to relax, and re-enjoy the beauty of our island home. There was some guilt feelings about not doing more shoe ministry, while enjoying Blaine and Bethany Franger’s company from Hood River, and in taking that before the Lord, He reminded us, in the sweet way that He does, that life doesn’t need to be constantly busily engaged in “outward ministry” to be lived right in His sight. We have the privilege to host people that come from busy lives in the states, and if we can supply them with time to relax, re-energize, re-new, re-commit, be re-stored, re-focus on the precious treasures of life in Christ, then we need to realize that we are fulfilling His plan His way.

That said, we have been doing outreach into new areas of the island in our spare time. While driving by a mini-super store, we noticed several children playing on a small hillside covered with glass, metal, rocks, and other unmentionable items. Of course the first thing we want to check out is their feet! No shoes! So we pull over the moto to call to them. Shy at first, they slowly make their way to us as we introduce ourselves the best we can. Greg is great at making them feel comfortable as his antics make them laugh. When we get their names, we let them know we would like to give them some shoes, and ask if we can trace their feet on a piece of paper. It seems like a game, and they always laugh at the sight of their foot outlined on the paper. (They probably have no idea what the crazy gringos are up to, but they do understand us when we say we will return soon.)

After getting “feet” measured, and names written down, we make the trip to town to peruse the shops in hopes of finding the right sizes for the little adorable feet we traced.

This requires prayer as shops may or may not have shoes and we can wander for hours just trying to find them. (Plus, when they give us shoe sizes, if it is Mexican 17, how does that convert to European or USA sizes?! And, was that children or adult? These three different measuring systems are not even close to each other.) We have no Wal Mart, Costco, or PayLess Shoe outlet promising shoes, only little mom and pop stores that stock up now and then. As we make our way around town, people wonder why we are buying so many shoes, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to share Zapatos Para Los Ninos!

Once we have managed to “score” our shoes, we then return to find many happy and anxious faces awaiting us, usually accompanied now by moms and dads.

As we put feet into shoes we tell them that as God has given to us, we give to them, from our hearts, because of Jesus.

Just another day in the life!

Thank you, as always, for your love, prayers, and support. We go because you give.

Love “mucho”!

Greg and Natalie

Happy Birthday Gregorio!

2009-03-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

God's love in Isla Mujeres!

2009-03-02T14:15:00.001-08:00

This blog spot was created to put friends in touch with the things that the Lord is doing in Isla Mujeres through our friends, Greg & Natalie Snider!

They have now been in Isla for over a year, and God has opened up a door for them to minister to the kids who are in need in a tangible way...through shoes!!!! These children are simply precious, and Greg & Natalie have devoted their lives to sharing God's love and going wherever He asks them to go!

Many people have visited the Snider's in Isla, but until you get there, you have no sense of the enormity of God's plan for their lives! It is inspiring, encouraging, and contagious! So much so that people from all over the country are now supporting what they do!

If you want to support Greg & Natalie, prayer is always the most key! They never forget their purpose in Isla Mujeres, but prayer for safety, provision and endurance to run the race would be mucho mucho great! Tangibly, there is a church that is their covering in Trukee, CA and are taking donations on their behalf:

Calvary Chapel of Truckee
PO Box 2691
Truckee, CA 96160

Please designate on the memo, “Shoes For The Children” & a sticky note that says, “For Greg and Natalie Snider, Isla Mujeres, MX”

Also, if you haven't received the latest newsletter from Greg & Natalie, I'll post it below.

Please check in from time to time to get updates, pics and a slice of life in Mexico!

Blessings,
Oregon Friends!

Snider’s Mexico Adventure Newsletter Jan./ Feb. 2009

Hello and Happy New Year!

We have had a wonderful start to our new year by having 3 weeks of company! Aimee Bailargeon and Nicole Perkey came down from Bend, and endured the tropics in some of the coolest weather we have had in a year! We actually had to wear sweatshirts! They also joined us on a short “Zapatos Para Los Nino’s” excursion, and they will probably never know just what a help they were. It was great to see them swarmed by children putting out their little feet and hoping they would find a fit.

Natalie’s folks from Manhattan came as well, and we feel so blessed to have been able to spend time with them. Life changes dramatically for us when we have guests. We use visitors as an excuse to do a little at home “vacationing” ourselves and it is so fun to introduce them to our new home and new life. Outside of that, it is the little things that challenge us and encourage us day by day.

When we are not “vacationing” with friends and family, we walk through life very slowly here on Isla Mujeres. Greg continues to be involved with La Gloria English School on a daily basis, while Natalie works half days, and the rest of the time we just ask God to make us available. Available to Him, as He works in and through us the things that are well pleasing in His sight. It is marvelous to know that it is God’s work, pressing through the weaknesses of humanity, to bring about the beautiful things He purposes for human lives.

Sometimes we suppose all that really matter in this life is how lives connect and we touch each others hearts with God’s healing and grace. One little boy that continues to touch our lives with joy and healing is from the tar paper shack community called Guadalupana where we distribute shoes. He hasn’t gotten a pair yet, as we never seem to have his size right, or he comes too late and the shoes are gone, yet he always flashes us a radiant smile and hopes for a pair the next time. Some children weep, but he dazzles us with a smile and runs off barefoot with an “hasta luego”. Maybe next time, little friend, but thank you for your joy. It has touched our hearts with Gods healing grace.

Greg’s availability has led to another opportunity to touch the life of a man going through a difficult time in his marriage. Greg has been consistent in reaching out to him and always takes the time to sit on a rock somewhere to talk. Last week he was at our house and confessed to Greg that he doesn’t understand the Bible at all, even though he tries to read it. He asked Greg if he would meet with him on Sundays to teach him how to read and understand it. Timeless truths to bring him healing and hope for the future, while Greg is touched that God would use him to help another fellow human being walk a few more steps down the road. A special grace for Gregorio.

We are humbled every day by the grace of God. We are astounded by His desire to bring healing to a people, including us, who are desperate for something that transcends this earth. Everyday, He tells us, His mercies are new, so we cling to Him in our weakness, thank Him for His strength, and say, “Here we are, God. Use us. Use us to do the impossible, use us to do what only You can do. Use our lives to connect with others and touch them for eternity.”

Thank you all for your prayers and support! We love you and thank our great God for you. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to renew our visa’s, and please pray that we will be open to whatever He has for us. We are still struggling along to learn the language, but love has no language barriers, so we ask that you will pray for us to love well and live right.

May you be blessed today, and everyday, as you remember the greatest love connection of all. Jesus.

Hasta Luego, dear friends!

Greg and Natalie