Our counter offers have been rejected.

For those of you who have been following our attempt to purchase a house, we have the following information. Remember we won the winning bid at the auction of $26,000.00. The bank rejected that bit and said they would accept $45,000.00. We have made two counter offers, $30,000.00 and $35,000.00. The bank is holding firm on the $45,000.00 figure. We have until noon on December 23 to either stop the negotiation or increase our bid. We are asking for prayers and wisdom as we pursue this purchase. Part of our problem is funding. We have been approved for a loan at 4% through the USDA. They see no problem in financing but, until a permanent budget is passed by congress, they will not be able to fund the loan. The bank wants funding within 30 days of a signed contract. Please keep this in your prayers.

An Unusual Christmas Verse

This morning I will be preaching in Spanish at the Iglesia de Cristo, Loma Bonita. I have been filling in there from time to time for several months. I have picked out a verse for my Christmas message which is not in the Gospels, does not mention Mary or Joseph, Angels, Shephards, Bethlehem or any of the other elements we think of as part of the Christmas story. But the essence of the Christmas story, past, present and future is found in thee words from Titus 2:11-14.
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say `No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good."

My message this morning is "Getting Ready for Christmas. We need to:
1. Commemorate the Past (Verse 11)
2. Consecrate the Present (Verse 12)
3. Contemplate the Promise ofthe Future (Verse 13)
4. Concentrate on our Purpose (Verse 14)

The message of Christmas is found throughout the scripture, not just in Matthew and Luke. Think about it!

We are waiting for an answer to our counter offer on the house.

As you may know, our winning bid at the auction was rejected by the bank. The bank countered our $26,000.00 off with a price of $45,000.00. Yesterday, we submitted a $30,000.00 bid in response to their counter. We are waiting for an answer. It appears we have permanent financing arranged. Please keep this in your prayer!

Progress in San Carlos and Zaragoza

Yesterday, Rosa and I made a regular visit to San Carlos, Zaragoza and Acuna. Because of the distances involved, we traveled about 200 miles. The majority of the travel was in Mexico. Once again, we praise the Lord we had no difficulty and saw no signs of problems from the Drug Cartels. In Zaragoza, we met with Carlos and Josefina. They are doing very well. Carlos in encouraged with the progress he is making on the property. They are getting new visitors to the services. We laid out plans for the laying of block and plumbing for the restroom and storage unit. I will be able to spend some more time on the project next week. We hope to have the restrooms, storage unit and a makeshift kitchen usable before the group from West Towne Christian Church in Knoxville visits next spring. We plan to have them stay in Zaragoza and work in both Zaragoza and San Carlos. In Zaragoza, we will have VBS type activities in the evening and we will be doing construction on Jose and Ana's house in San Carlos during the day.
After our visit in Zaragoza, we traveled to San Carlos and were very pleased with the progress on the house project. Block work had begun when Caleb and two friends from Knoxville were here after Thanksgiving. When they left, the block was up only ab out 5 rows on three sides of the house. Jose and Ana have laid considerable block since that time and it looks very good. I left Jose enough money to purchase 4 more 110 pound bags of cement. H should have the block up almost to the top by next week. The group from Knoxville wants to install windows and doors, put up the roof and do electrical work in March. Getting this accomplished will depend on getting the site ready for them in time. Here are a few pictures showing the progress in San Carlos.

After visiting in San Carlos, we were encouraged in a meeting with Antonio Preciado. Antonio is doing a great work in Acuna and San Carlos. However, two years ago, he lost his employment because of downsizing. He was a mid-level manager in a plant which produced seat belts for American cars. The company downsized and he had not had permanent employment since that time. He now is working with commission sales through Tel-Mex, the Mexican communications giant. He is offering internet service in new areas. He is excited about the prospects. He is preaching at two locations in Acuna as well as San Carlos. He is also supervising a couple of his "Timothy's" in two other locations in Acuna. We have been assisting him financially as we have funds available. Our commitment to Carlos in Zaragoza is our primary responsibility however.

Please keep these three projects in your prayers!

May the Lord Bless!

OUR AUCTION BID WAS NOT ACCEPTED!

When I made the winning bid at the auction, I was told the bank had the right to refuse the bid. They have made a counter offer, $45,000.00. Our bid of $26,000.00 was not accepted. We are in negotiation. The terms have changed. Pray for our progress. I will keep you informed!

Update on House Purchase

The contract has been signed and the down payment made. We are now waiting on the Bank to approve the offer. There was a condition at the auction which gave the bank the right of refusal. Here is some more information: The property was being offered in October by a Realtor for about $65.000.00. The value of the land without improvements is about $30,000.00. Our winning bid was only $26,000.00. An additional $2,500.00 buyers auction premium is added to that price. If the bank does not accept our bid, we loose the opportunity. If it is accepted, we will have 30 days to close. We are working with a local bank and USDA for long term financing. In addition to the main house, there is a second house on the property. It will take about $5,000.00 to get it fixed up enough to make it a decent rental property. If we can close using short term funds, I can refinance with some additional cash allowing us to fix up the rental and create some income. Please keep this in your prayers. There is more information on a previous post. Any assistance you could provide either in the form of a donation or a short-term loan would be very much appreciated. We can be contacted at 830-776-2020 or by mail at: PO Box 2541, Eagle Pass, TX 78853. May the Lord Bless!

Activities in Mexico

Yesterday, Rosa and I met with Carlos and Josefina Garcia. They were in Piedras Negras while I was assiting in moving Rosa's old 7 foot grand piano. By meeting with Carlos and Josefina in Piedras, we saved about 100 miles of travel in Mexico. We laid out a few plans for future events in Zaragoza. Carlos is planning a special service for Sunday, December 26. We have ordered some special craft items for the evening. Carlos will begin laying some of the block on the restroom/storage unit which is going up. I plan to help him on Friday, December 17  with rough plumbing. We want to have two restrooms servicable and a makeshift kitchen for a group from West Towne Christian Church in Knoxville, TN in March. They will be putting the roof on a house in San Carlos and hosting an outreach program in Zaragoza.

We were in Piedras Negras to move a piano. Rosa had been working with the choir from the church in Ejido Piedras Negras on a special Christmas cantada. A performance was made at a combined ralley on the Mexican campus of Colegio Biblico. We had moved her old piano from the church to the auditorium on campus last week. There were over 500 in attendance for the performance. Since the piano has been moved back to the church building, a command performance is planned for Sunday Evening, Dec. 19. The previous performance was excellent. There were several responses to the invitation at the close of the program.

A Scary Situation

Throughout our ministry, Rosa and I have invested in people rather than things. god has blessed us in many ways. When we moved to El Paso to our ministry with Spanish American Evangelism, we sold over $20,000 worth of printing equipment to the ministry for $1.00. We helped establish a Spanish Congregation in El Paso and assisted with the development of an orphanage in Chihuahua, Mexico. during our time in El Paso, we distributed literally millions of pieces of  Christian literature in Spanish. Rather than building dynasties, we have striven to establish a work and "turn it loose." We eventually took a located ministry in Wellington, TX and told our supporters to send their missionary money elsewhere. After three years in Wellington, we felt God's call to return to Eagle Pass. The primary purpose of our return was for Rosa to assist her foster mother in her final years. Our support did not return to the previous levels when we returned to Eagle Pass. We found ourselves living from the proceeds of the sale of property. I began working secular. Since 2004, we have assisted with the development of Iglesia En Brazos de Cristo in Eagle Pass and have been working with several preachers in Mexico in new church evangelism. We currently have projects underway in Acuna, San Carlos and Zaragoza Mexico.

At the age of 60, we find ourselves renting and have been trying to get into a "home of our own." Three years ago, we were able to purchase a home and shortly after closing, I lost contracts with two companies who were servicing Radio Shack and Dollar General stores. I lost about $1,500.00 a month income over night. We ended up selling that house and have been struggling since. Today, I placed a bid on a foreclosed house in Eagle Pass. It was offered by a realtor in October for almost $70.000.00. My offer of $26,000.00 was the winning offer. Long term financing is available but I need to find interim funding in order to close on the auction. I can cover about $13,000.00 using short-term plastic. I will need to raise the difference to close in about 40 days. If you would like to help us, a gift of any amount by pay-pal to: bbaker78853@stx.rr.com would be greatly appreciated.

That was 1970 here is 2010!

How the family has grown since 1970. All of our four children had grown and begun families of their own. They are all actively involved in Ministry. They are scattered far and wide. Billy and Laurel Baker and their four (Austin, Tamila, Aaron and Travis) live in Huntington Beach, CA. Billy is on staff at First Christian Church in Huntington  Beach. Barbie and T.J. Waters and their four (Micah, Ariella, Ethana and Shirah) live in Lexington, OH. T.J. is the Senior Minister at the Lexington Church of Christ. Frances and Scott Williams and two (Elijah and Yantan) also live in Lexington, OH. Scott is the Associate Minister in the same congregation. Caleb and Kelly Baker and their two (Rylie and Dakota) live in Knoxville, TN. As a special 40th anniversary present, they all made it to Eagle Pass for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Time has passed quickly.

How do I begin sharing about a ministry which has filled our lives for over 40 years. My first visit to Mexico was in 1968. I traveled from Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Saltillo with three other students from Platte Valley Bible College in September. We made the trip in less than 24 hours. The decision was made about midnight on a Wednesday night and we left about 6:00 in the morning on Friday.  We had Mark Northrup as our guide. We visited church services in Mexico and then made our way to San Antonio, Texas for the National Missionary Convention. Mark and I aboth dedicated our lives to the Mission Field during the closing session. Rosa played the piano for the convention. That's when I met her. She didn't meet or should I say "Notice" me until August of 1969. I had spent first part of the summer in Mexico and after just a few months on the field, I was the camp missionary at Camp Neb-Wyo-Dak in four Corners, Wyoming. My mom was the head cook. Rosa and her family were doing migrant work in Lyman, Nebraska and friends from the church convinced her to come to camp as kitched help and also be a camper for as much as her schedule would allow. She became at student at PVBC that fall. We were married on August 14, 1970. We have been active in the Mexican mision work since that time.