A LOOK BACK AT 2012

January, 2013

Dear Friends,

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

I don't want to presume to add to scripture however, as we begin this new year, it is a time to look back and then to look forward. In looking back, we were able to make many advances in the Lord's Kingdom as a result of the gifts the Lord has provided through His people. You are a part of our work!

Physically, it is exciting to see the improvements completed in both Zaragoza and San Carlos. The church building in Zaragoza is continually becoming more useful in God's Kingdom as we expand the facility. All work has been done on a cash basis. The entire facility is more functional as the fellowship area is taking shape. One restroom is functional, the roof, back wall and concrete floor have been installed. Permanent lighting and ceiling fans have been installed in the auditorium. It is a blessing for the congregation to have a functional fellowship area in addition to the worship facility.

In San Carlos, the house for Jose and Ana is also much more functional. The windows and doors have been installed. In Mexico, the glass is not normally included when the windows and doors are ordered. The glass is also in place. The house is much more secure and comfortable. When Caleb first began his relationship with Jose and Ana, they were living in the shell of a full sized van. It has taken a long time but, they are much more comfortable.

Our son, Caleb and Jonathan Branson built this house several years ago. It was a huge step up from living in the shell of an old full sized van.

 
Jose and Ana's new house is not elegant but it is much better than what they had a few years ago. As you can imagine, the health of the family has improved along with the house.
  
Spiritual growth is much more difficult to quantify. As the facility in Zaragoza is becoming more usable, the congregation is also becoming more stable. Carlos and Josefina faithfully continue to serve. The ministry is to some degree moving from home studies to more activities at the church building. Jose is growing in his faith and has begun some "fill-in" preaching as the Lord provides an opportunity.
 

VIOLENCE IN MEXICO CONTINUES

Our last blog was posted in May of 2012. It is time for several updates. I will be posting several blogs today to get things up to date with the Bakers of Eagle Pass, Texas. 

While I was in Zaragoza with Caleb and a team from Illinois and Indiana on Monday, November 5, Rosa had to stay in Eagle Pass instead of spending time in Zaragoza. She had piano lessons in the afternoon. She likes to go to the Eagle Pass flea market on Monday and made her regular visit. During her visit, a gun fight broke out in Mexico, just across the Rio Grande from the flea market. Some stray bullets made their way to the flea market parking lot. The Eagle Pass police did not allow any one to get their vehicles and leave the area. She had to watch and hear the shooting for about two hours. She was safe but needless to say shook up. She did not o back to the flea market for several weeks. However, when our daughter Frances and her family visited us for Thanksgiving she made a return visit and has been back several times since.

The above picture was printed in the local Piedras Negras Newspapers.

Your prayers are needed as we continue to serve on both sides of the border. The situation in Mexico is very fluid. We seem to have periods of calm and then without warning, something new comes up. There are weekly and almost daily reports of shootings and other activities which are drug related. While Rosa and I were away from Eagle Pass, there was a gun fight in Eagle Pass less than a mile from our house. I am still convinced the only answer to this situation is the Gospel. However, all indications are that this situation will continue until the return of our Lord!

News Update From the Baker's

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Our last blog was dated September 26, 2011. We have had a lot of things happen since that post. This post will be a little long, so bear with me.

In late October, after working in Mexico for two days during the same week, I noticed severe swelling in my right leg. I had a regularly schedule Doctor visit scheduled for Monday so I decided to wait two day and mention this in my regular visit. On Monday, my Doctor sent me to the hospital for a sonogram. The sonagram indicated I had a large blood clot in my leg. I spend three days in the Eagle Pass hospital and was referred to a specialist in San Antonio. In February, it was determined it was not a blood clot but an aneurism. Since we had a a rather full schedule until the end of March, surgery was planned for late March.

We were able to make our trip to Nebraska and assist with the memorial service for Howard and Virginia Roseberry. They were true and faithful servants of the Lord and both Rosa and I felt honored to be a part of their farewell celebration. Above is a picture of the Roseberry Family after the service.

We were also able to spend some time with my brother in Longmont, Colorado. He looked good however, the prospects of his getting out of the nursing home are not very good. As you may know, he had a hip replacement in October of 2010. Since that time he has either been hospitalized or in a Nursing Home. Your prayers on his behalf would be appreciated.

Apart from that trip, our plans for the balance of March and April did not see fulfillment. While we were in Nebraska, we received word of a major battle between the Zeta drug cartel and Mexican authorities in Piedras Negras. The "official" report indicated that only one female police officer was killed. Through private sources, we confirmed it was much, much worse.

We have learned the situation began when the Mayor of Piedras Negras tried to put the Zeta Cartel head in Piedras Negras in jail. When the authorities made the attempt, they were not able to capture the head of the cartel. However, they did place his entire family into custody. In retaliation, the cartel head had his men take over several of the busses in Piedras Negras. His men simultaneously began shooting up the passengers of the busses. Then the Mexican authorities entered into a full-fledged shoot with the Zeta members. Pictured at the right are some of the guns confiscated after the battle. Severely injured were flown to Monterrey and Saltillo for medical attention. We were able to confirm from several independent sources that over 200 people were actually killed and about half of them were civilian. Here is a picture of some of the guns confiscated during that battle.

You can imagine our concern for the safety of a group from Knoxville, TN which was scheduled to arrive within a week. We would be responsible for the safety of approximately 45 individuals, including two of our own infant grandchildren. After intense phone conversations, we canceled the mission trip. The group had sent down $6,000.00 for materials in advance. We had windows and doors custom made for the house in San Carlos and the roofing materials had been special ordered and waiting for pickup in Del Rio, TX.

Our son, Caleb decided to still make the trip. He, Kelly and their two girls were able to spend some time with us in Eagle Pass. But for safety reasons, they did not cross the border into Mexico. Caleb did help pick up the roofing materials for the church in Zaragoza. They were stored in Del Rio for later delivery.

We were grateful however because they were able to be with us during my surgery in San Antonio on March 28. I had the bypass surgery in my leg. The surgery was a lot more invasive than the hip replacements four years ago. Everything went well and I have had two follow up appointments with the surgeon. Although medicare is covering the majority of our expenses, we will still be short about $3,000.00 to cover all expenses. We are making payments as we can. The Doctor recently gave me a good bill of health and said he doesn't want to see me again until mid-July.

Since the last appointment, I was given the go ahead to get back into Mexico. I have made two trips into Zaragoza and San Carlos. It felt good to be able to travel in Mexico after an absence of almost three months. I was able to manage much of the work "long distance" and get funds moved through Western Union during that time.

We are now in the process of getting the roof installed on the addition for the church in Zaragoza. In San Carlos, Jose and Ana are also installing their new doors and windows. The well they have been digging by hand on their property has reached water. This is a big blessing for them as well!

Your prayers are needed as we continue to serve on both sides of the border. The violence in Mexico is not abating. Every week we hear reports of additional killings. We have several friends who have been affected. Most are not talking about the situation because of the fear of reprisal. We hear of people who have disappeared while riding on commercial busses from the interior to the border. It seems entire busses are disappearing! This war is real! I am convinced the only answer to this situation is the Gospel. However, all indications are that this situation will continue until the return of our Lord!

It's Been A Long Time!

I haven't shared anything on my blog since April. That's too long! The treatments for Rosa and the Swine Parasite are going well. I have not noticed any new seizures for several months. We were able to spend the month of June in Montana, preaching at Fort Benton Christian Church and assisting with three weeks of Church camp at Little Rockies Christian Camp. We had several vehicle problems during that trip. But that will be something for another blog. I want to share some updates on the work in Mexico in this post.

We were blessed last week with a visit from George Martin, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Willie Drake, Wheeler, Illinois. They have been making annual motorcycle trips to visit our work for several years. This year, they accomplished many good things. Thanks to their diligent effort and financial support, they were able to paint the church building in Zaragoza.


George, Rosa and Willie just before George and Willie headed back north on Friday, September 23.

In addition to painting the building, they provided the funds for the materials to complete the electrical work on Jose and Ana's house in San Carlos and provide for the electrical entrance and panel on the church building in Zaragoza. They provided approximately $1,500.00 dollars in materials. These materials will allow us to work on site for the next couple of weeks. Thanks, George and Willie for all you have done for the Lord's work in Mexico!

George beginning to paint the side of the building.





The building really looks good!

  We are still short the funds needed to purchase the electrical meter for the church. Currently, we are "borrowing" electricity from the parsonage. that entrance is only a 60 amp 110 meter and it is wholly inadequate. The new meter for the church will be 100 amp 220. About $150.00 are still needed for the purchase and installation of the meter loop.

Our next group will be a team from Summit Christian College, Gering, Nebraska. They will be arriving on October 16. We plan to work with a short VBS type of program for the neighborhood children and also continue with the site development.

Your prayers and support are much needed at the present time. The political and economic situation is still very fluid. We hear daily of reports of drug related killings in our area. The Lord has kept us safe thus far! Today, when leaving Zaragoza, there were three military "hummers" in Zaragoza with about 30 soldiers. The soldiers have a big job to do, keeping our region safe. The problem is the drug lords have more money and bigger weapons than the government army.

Special Prayer Needs

For several years, I have been concerned about Rosa's health. She has been having a series of seizures or blackouts. I have not been able to share this publicly because it has taken a long time for Rosa to accept she has had this problem. We have seen a Doctor in Eagle Pass but, because of limited funds, we have not been able to fully check it out. She did have a test some months ago. The results were inconclusive. Additional tests on this side of the border would be several thousand dollars. We have been wanting to go to Monterrey for further tests but, because of the problems with the drug violence Rosa has not wanted to make the trip. Yesterday, April 5, she had another spell and realized she had the spell. We have an opportunity to attend a wedding in Monterrey over the Easter weekend. An appointment can be made for extensive tests following the wedding. We are not sure what the test will cost. But we do know the trip will more than we can afford at the present time financially. Our papers for the car will need to be renewed. We will have to spend a couple of days in a motel prior to the wedding. After the wedding, we can stay in a private home. Our finances have been extremely low during the past several months. We have also been using some of our personal funds to keep up with expenses in Mexico. Please pray the Lord might provide a way for us to make the trip and get the required tests for Rosa!

Jose and Ana's New House

A group from West Towne Christian Church in Knoxville, TN spent a week with us in March (March 12-18). West Towne has been a major supporter and contributor of the work we are doing in Mexico. They provided the funds for the purchase of land and poured the foundation in March of 2010. During the past year, we have been able to get the supporting walls up and this year, they were able to put the roof in place! Jose and Ana have 8 children. They had been living in a cardboard and pallet hut with no floor, water or electricity. They love the Lord and God has been blessing them with this new house. Much needs to be done but they are excited with the progress. Jose helped make the block used on their house and together they laid the majority of the block for their new home. Praise the Lord! Here is a picture of their original house and progress on the new one. The group also made substantial progress on a well near the new house.

Progress in Zaragoza

It has been several months since I have added anything to our blog. There are several items I need to share and have taken it upon myself to update our information today. I will be posting three blogs. Two concerning the work in Mexico and on concerning personal needs and opportunities. I will begin with the work in Zaragoza. Work has been continuing on the expansion of the church building. A foundation was prepared in November for the construction of two restrooms and a small storage/workshop.  The foundaton was set up in line with the current building but about 50 feet away. Plans call for completing this unit and then "filling in the gap" with another room. The additonal room will include a kitchen and provide additional space for activities. A group from Northwest Hills Christian Church in San Antonio helped our a 10 X 18 slab roof over the restroom on Saturday, April 2. We are making progress but the funds are very short at the present time. I have been trying to get Carlos $200.00 per week salary. He has been a faithful worker and is deserving. We currently are out of funds for his salary and will be curtailing further work until funds become available again.  Here are a few pictures showing the progress and a combined service which was held on March 13.