We've been busy. Praise the Lord!

Since our last update progress has been made. We finished the bodega (storeroom/playground bathrooms/shop area), installing the last commodes in the upstairs school restroom in preparation for the new school year, (on a side note; we now have a total of fourteen (14) commodes and two urinals in the home). We have built and installed the front double door screens, built and installed an awning for what is now the front of the house, installed two French doors on Luis & Lucy’s living area, built a 12’x12’ fire pit, and rebuilt and taken in a commercial 60 inch EXmark mower.

   I have made known in my last update that we needed, or you can say I believed we needed a NEW 60” zero turn mower to maintain the 3.5 acres around the children’s home. With all the trouble you may have in taking in materials and equipment I did not want to take in anything less than what I believed was a mower in excellent condition, a new one fits that description. But a new one runs from 8K to 13K.
  Here is how God works and I do believe it was God. A person that has expressed interest in the home and is a friend of mine had an older (1995) Exmark 60” zero turn mower. A year earlier he had put a new engine on it and replaced all the deck spindles bearing and blades including the mowing deck pulleys. When he put it back together it would not keep the main drive belt on so in frustration he just parked it in his barn and purchased a new one. He had at that point spent a couple thousand dollars on it.
 At this point it did not run, but he asked me if I wanted it. The electrical system, fuel system, hydraulic system were all not working or were in need of some kind of repair. The front tires were flat and in fact the only things I saw that might make it worth looking into was the work he had done prior to putting it in the barn and the rear tires, they had been replaced fairly recently and were in good shape. So I felt that I should at least try to see what it would take to put it in excellent shape. I made it my summer project and “poof” no telling how many hours and $2000 dollars later we have a very excellent 60” zero turn mower. A big thanks to Exmark for their technical support in helping me to identify the model so I could get the right parts. The serial number or model number were long gone but thanks Trinity Valley Tractor for selling me the parts at a discounted price. I was amazed that all the parts except for a muffler shroud were available for this old of a machine. Not what I wanted for a summer project but I was pleased with the outcome. Now pray with me the equipment that has been taken in will be taken care of. For two & half years I have been preaching “Someone sacrificed time and money for the children’s home to have this equipment, it belongs to God and is only in your care and custody, treat it as such.  We needed a tractor with a bush hog mower on this zero turn mower to keep the place in looking presentable. God gave us what we needed.

There is one need I want to mention. About ten year ago Luis & Lucy were given a used F-150 super cab pickup. It’s now 23 years old and simply “wore out” even by Mexican standards. We need to replace it with something 5-8 years old but in excellent condition. A crew cab would be beneficial, nothing fancy, just a good dependable truck. A regular single cab truck would work but the crew cab could serve dual purpose.
 
If you will indulge me I want to repeat the last paragraph of my last update and personally thank each person that has given a penny to this children’s home project. Only eternity will reveal the lives it will effect for Christ. This is our purpose, our drive and our passion!  Not by just preaching, but by “doing”.   In the following scriptures God shares some truth’s that we should never forget.  Proverbs 22:9 “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. And in Proverbs 19:17 “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.” (NIV) This is not why we give, we give because we realize all that Christ has done for us! It’s just something God said he wants to do for us as his obedient children.
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this, praying for the children’s home and LaVerne and I.
We thank God for you and your compassion for the children.