December outreach and Island life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.