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Newsletter: Summer 2009

June 23, 2009 by Rancho 

To catch you up on what has been happening over the last few months, here is our most recent newsletter.

Celebrating 40 Years

With grateful hearts we thank the LORD for His grace and mercy that He has poured out on the children and staff of Rancho 3M since 1969. Pancho came here when he was 8. The Lord saved him, and when he grew up he became a staff member. He recently testified with tears in his eyes, that after being here over 30 years, not a day has gone by that we have had to go without meals, clothing and a place to sleep. Several other staff members who grew up here also shared old stories that day with the children of how God has been faithful over the years. God is still the Father of the fatherless, always providing for the needs of His children, spiritually and materially

Moving On

Sonia Edith

This past November, I had the privilege of walking Sonia Edith down the isle as a pure bride to be united to her long awaited husband, Jason. Thank you to all of you who played a part in encouraging purity and modesty in our young ladies here. God has used your prayers, long talks, examples, and translated materials on the subject, to help us train them in godliness. Thank you.

Sonia & Brenda

Our other Sonia and her twin sister Brenda (not-identical) have been blessed tremendously to have the opportunity to live with a loving Christian family who is making steps to adopt them. They are living in Northern Illinois attending Mike Bullmore’s church and learning English at a local college. Though they have had many challenges in adapting to family life and life in the US, God has been good to them along every step of the way.

Construction Projects

Clean Water

Water has always been an issue here. For most of Rancho 3M’s history we have been blessed with well water (before that, they used to walk to a nearby river that is now dry). Over the past few years we have had the huge blessing of being able to often tap into the city water, which is far less salty and less damaging to everything it touches.
Recently our water was tested by a fellow Christian, Mark B. who owns Living Water LLC in Albuquerque. His tests revealed that our water contains some harmful materials that we were unaware of including arsenic. He told me that it is possible to purify our well-water using a filtration process called reverse osmosis—clean enough to drink. We could also purify the city water we take in by using another simpler filtration process. This would save us a tremendous amount of money in what we spend to regularly replace all of our water fixtures and appliances (water heaters, swamp coolers, washing machines, etc.) due to extreme salt water corrosion. Not to mention what we would save on drinking and cooking water and our clothes.
It sounds like a dream come true, but it ‘aint cheap! To get both systems would cost us a total of $35,000. We already have $12,000 committed. If God has put it on your heart to join in helping pay for these filtration systems for fresh water here at the Ranch, please just write “water” in the memo of your check —Thank you. It would make a HUGE difference in the lives of many people.

Completing the Fence

Due to an increased concern for the safety of the children, four years ago we began the construction of a perimeter fence on our 18.8 acres of land. And thanks to many of you, the fence project is coming to a close! The last 7636 welds were made and 109 panels were installed by the determined Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax, VA. Thank you to all of those who over the years have gladly given themselves to make this fence possible by being post-diggers, cement mixers, skin-stained painters, and of course thank you to all the welders! All that is left are a few details such as paint, caps, etc.

Baby Home

We have had a desire for over 8 years now to be able to accept infants and toddlers at Rancho 3M. There has been an attempt in the past to get this idea off the ground, but it apparently was not in God’s timing. However, over the past several months, there has been a surge of interest in seeing the Baby Home come to fruition.
The physical building will progress in a number of phases. This August will begin phase 2. Please be in prayer for us— we are venturing into yet another unknown territory. Receiving the babies will probably be the easy part, but being able to adopt them out is what we especially need the Lord’s help in. There will be much red tape and legal paper work to be done for the babies to be adoptable.

American Workers

Matthew & Lee

Matthew and Lee Dwinells had committed to 3 years of service here in preparation to fulfill their plans of moving to the Philippines to serve where the Lord leads them. Matthew is the English teacher, Lee is the office assistant and they both do other staff duties around the Ranch as well. With their 3 years complete, we have been making preparations to fill their many responsibilities. Though they will be missed, we are grateful for their years of dedication and sacrifice in order to care for those who are so precious in God’s sight.

Missy

Due to many outstanding qualities that we have seen in her, we have asked Melissa Schlax from the Sovereign Grace church in Raleigh, NC to be Lee’s replacement in the office and to be the “dorm mother” in the girl’s dormitory. To our delight, she had already had a strong desire to work here. We are thankful to the Lord for sending her to us— she has a real heart to love and serve the children here, and she has already helped get us hooked up on a blog so we can keep you up to date!

Flash

David Ford (AKA Flash) has been a huge blessing to us this school year, although he had to return to New Orleans for the summer. Over the past 8 months he has been carefully discipling the older boys— teaching them the Bible and how to follow Jesus even in their most challenging times of trying to become young men without their fathers. He has been a wonderful example for them and we look forward to his return in August.

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Mexican Holidays

Mothers’ Day

In Mexico, they celebrate Mothers’ Day like they do in the US, except— it’s a lot more elaborate. Everyone makes a big deal of it. This can be a bit awkward at an orphanage, so many of our kids give cards or small gifts to the ladies who work here, looking to them as their spiritual mothers. This year our older kids surprised each of the ladies by serenading them through their windows at midnight before Mothers’ Day with a traditional Mexican Mothers’ Day Song and roses!

Kids’ Day

Why not! They celebrate everything here in Mexico! It’s kind of like New Orleans! Kids’ day is usually celebrated with fun activities, food & candy at each grammar school. But this year school was out. Mexico had closed all public places of 30 people or more for over 10 days due to the swine flu scare. So we at the Ranch had our own celebration— complete with space walks, new bikes, and menudo, a traditional Mexican soup made with pieces of the lining of a cow ‘s stomach—the kids, by the way, chose that meal themselves! Special thanks to the Treeby Covenant Group at Lakeview Christian Center  for the super fun space walks that even us adults enjoyed jumping in, and to the San Angelo church for the slick new bikes that have given the kids an exciting outlet for all of their energy!

Cousins’ Day

Just Kidding! Thanks for reading this entire newsletter!

Other News

The Children

The kids have been well. We are daily reminded of our need for God’s grace in training up and discipling the children in the ways of Jesus Christ. Virtually no one has been sick for a while. Thank God! We are gearing up for graduation at the end of this month. We have just received two very abused little boys. One of them even has serious mental health challenges.

The Staff

Spiritually, because of His grace we are growing together for the glory of God. Recently, the staff went through a teaching on suffering lead by Mark Mullery (Fairfax, VA). Also, we just finished a seven week course on the gospel given by one of Carlos Contreras’ intern pastors from the Juarez church. And most recently we had a weekend teaching by Billy Raies (Midland, TX) on marriage. We feel privileged to have received such great teaching. The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more in awe we are of the great love the Father has for us.

Prayer Requests

1. That He would pour out His saving grace on all of the children of Rancho 3M, including the staff kids.
2. Dealing with the government regarding the baby home.
3. That God would help the two new little boys learn to obey and that He would heal and save them.
4. That the Lord would grow us all in patience and wisdom in dealing with the new boy with mental health challenges
5. That the kids would see the gospel in our (the staff’s) marriages
6. That God would continue to supply all of our needs as He kindly has for the last 40 years
7. That He would give knowledge and understanding to our translator, Antonio Canchola Castro, from the Juarez church, as he translates, Shopping for Time for us.
8. That the Lord would bless all of the Ranch supporters and teams that so kindly partner with us in the advancement of His kingdom.
9. That He would provide a pastor for the church that will, Lord willing, eventually be planted here.

Comments

• CONTACT

  Mexico Multiple Missions
  P.O. Box 3660
  Fabens, TX  79838

  915.204.5526
  info@rancho3m.com

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