Chief Cornerstone...

We had another blessed and successful work week.  The whole crew, 8 men, started Monday morning at 7:30 AM with a time of prayer and Psalm 127.  I  had asked Jose to read Psalm 27, and wanted to share a few thoughts from it...but...he thought I said 127.  It was totally the Lord, because the first verse in that Psalm is one that we have constantly been quoting this past month... "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it..."

It was perfect that the Lord worked out that little mistake.  With that verse in mind, the men went right to work and worked hard and fast!

Chayo and Jorge...mixing concrete for the footings...

Alejo, Eloy and Florentino pouring the concrete footings...

The footings were finished and dried by Friday morning.  It was then time to begin to lay the blocks and build the walls.  The most important part of the wall is the "cornerstone".  Its the first stone that you lay.  That sets the stage for how every block afterwards will turn out.  If the cornerstone is off...then the wall will be off.  If the cornerstone is level and set just right...then all other blocks that follow will be fine.  What a beautiful picture of Psalm 118...

"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone" (Psalm 118:22)

Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 21 when speaking to the chief priests and elders.  He was referring to Himself as the Chief cornerstone.  What a wonderful picture of the importance of Jesus in our life.  With out that cornerstone (without Jesus)...everything will be off in our lives.  However, with Jesus as our CHIEF cornerstone...everything will be just fine.  I'm so thankful for those physical reminders of His glorious truths!

Here is Eloy and Alejo, setting the cornerstone...the first block of sum 8,000 blocks...

On Friday, the team laid 369 blocks.  Our goal is to average about 300 per day...so we are off to a wonderful start.  On Saturdays, the team works a 4 hour day, 7:30-11:30 AM...and yet they were able to lay close to 150 more blocks.  If they keep this rate up, we should have the outer walls and structure completed in 4 weeks....WOW!  This reminds yet of another passage of scripture...where Nehemiah and his crew, who had a "mind to work," finished building the wall in 52 days!

Here's what it looks like after a day and a half of working...

Another view of the wall...workers...and beautiful sunrise...

Saturday is pay day, which is probably the highlight of the day for the men.  After work, I handed the brothers their envelope with money.  I was blown away when immediately after opening their envelopes, 2 of the men handed Pastor Luis money...telling him they wanted to tithe and give to the church.  Jackie was standing next to me and said, "wow...talk about giving of your first fruits..." We finished the day with a sweet time of prayer and then as we were leaving, a number of the brothers said we'll see you tomorrow at church.

What a wonderful way to end the week...thank you Jesus!

For such a time as this...

It seems strange that I have been down in Mexico for over a month now.  How fast the time has flown by.  It was just back in April that we were down here for our vacation and the Lord began to change our world and everything we know of...for the better.  He began to open our eyes for a need and opportunity to care for HIS children down in Bachiniva.  Watching how He has worked things out and continues too, has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.  And now, the day has come, to meet the orphans that we will be caring for in the coming months.  Tomorrow we head up to Creel to meet Ray Wilson, current director of Black Buffalo Ministries...which has been ministering to the orphans of Creel.  We will be meeting him for lunch at the hotel to talk, pray and seek the Lord in how to share and convey all the exciting things that GOD has done and will continue to do in the lives of these children.  Yesterday morning, I was drawn to Psalm 27, and the Lord reminded me of one of my favorite verses... "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me" (Ps 27:10).

Its actually the LORD who has been caring for these children all along.  He has simply just allowed Ray and company...and now us...to share in that blessing and opportunity.  How good it is to know that even in times when we fail, mess up or things change...the Lord remains faithful and He will be the ultimate One who will watch for, care, protect, provide and minister to these precious lambs!

Here is the tentative schedule for the next few days...

Wednesday - lunch with Ray and then heading to the orphanage.  Pastor Luis will be translating as Ray shares the plan and future for the children.  Jackie and I may or may not be there, depending on how the Lord leads.  We are not sure how the children and overseers will take the news.  We want to be sensitive and lead of the Lord!  When the time is right, we will meet the children, either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.

Thursday - spend the day at the orphanage...meeting the children, spending time with them, getting to know and playing with them...AND...start loving on them!

Friday - We will be getting all the information of the kids, names and photos of ones we don't have yet.  We will also take inventory of all that they have and that will be coming with them.  Praise the Lord that everything, beds, dressers, tools, equipment, etc...has been given to us....WOW!  We will drive Ray back to Chihuahua to catch his flight and then head back home Saturday AM.

Saints, PLEASE be in prayer over the next few days.  We know that this is completely and totally of the Lord and his leading.  He has opened every single door and led our every step thus far.  He has confirmed on Ray's heart, his family as well as his board of directors that this is a God ordained change.  We have been praying and praying for this moment.  We have been praying for Leno and Lupe, the onsite overseers who have faithfully cared for these children.  Please pray that their hearts would be opened and ministered to as they see and hear what God is doing.  We have been praying for all the children, young and old.  We have asked that God too would prepare their hearts for the upcoming transition.  There is a sense that some of the older ones may choose to stay....which if that is what the Lord wills, we desire that too.  Praise God a number of them have acquired and maintained jobs...something we have also prayed for.

"Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward your holy sanctuary" (Ps 28:2).

Here are the names of the children....

Victor Luna, Javier Willochi, Annabelle Gonzalez, Rojelio Cobos, Anna Guillermina, Mary Cobos, Suzanna Batista, Alma Franco, Gabriella Nunez, Jaunita Cobos, Marie Isabel Willochi, Cesar Castillo, Marta Batista, Rosa Willochi, Betia Ramirez, Viri Ramirez, Gabriella Franco, Valaria Martinez, Rosa ester Franco, Jesus Nunez, Juanita Batista, Gerardo Cruz, Blanca Jil, Carali Jil, Jose Valancia, Lili Cobo, Luis Cadena, Saul Cadena, Juan Safiro, Rey Batista.

Thank you for your heartfelt prayers and petitions...!

Building Project...Phase 2

We had a great first week of working on the building project.  We have broken the whole project down into 5 phases.  The first phase consisted of purchasing the land and filing all the paperwork.  Praise the Lord that is almost finished.  We started phase 2 on Wednesday.  We hired a gentleman named Horatio to come out and survey the land. This enables us to have the correct measurements to help us put up fencing to separate our land from others and wild animals.

We also hired Tony and his backhoe...or as they call it here "mano de chango" (monkey claw)...to clear the trees where we will building the orphanage!

The land before the clearing...

Tony and his monkey claw doing its thing...

The end result...AMEN!

We had two of our workers, Eloy and Alejo help us on Thursday to square the land and mark it off so we can begin to dig the footings and pour cement.  One of the requirements for the hired workers is 20-30 minutes of devotional and prayer before starting work.

Pastor Luis praying for the day with Eloy and Alejo

Squaring the land...

Digging the footings...

So, after 2 full working days, a lot was accomplished.  Next week the whole crew will start on Monday at 7:30 AM.  We will begin laying rebar and castillos and then pouring the cement.  Lord willing, it will only take 2-3 days and then we can begin the monstrous task of laying over 8,000 cement blocks for the shell of the orphanage.

Thank you for your prayers and please keep them coming....!