Sunday, May 13, 2012

Short Needs List

As I look around my area of Mexico, which is basically the northern part of the Baja Peninsula, I often shake my head and just think, ‘the needs are so big, what can I do?’ The answer to my question is, not very much. That is, without your help. I do pray every day for the needs I see and I believe and know that the Lord hears me and that He is extremely concerned with these people’s hardships. “For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always,” Matthew 26:11. I understand as I read the Bible and learn the heart of the Lord, that He is not happy that there are poor people. One can see from the Scriptures that in the Old Testament the Lord had a working and effective ‘welfare’ program for the poor. The Holy Scriptures teach us to think about the poor and how to meet their needs from what the Lord gives to us. "Now when you reap the harvest of your land you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit from your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God,” Leviticus 19:9-10. As well, in the New Testament, we see how the church was feeding the poor, primarily meeting the requirements of the poor and nurturing the saints, and they remembered the destitute and needy, Acts 6; Gal. 2:10. When someone asks me, ‘Why are there still poor people?’ My answer is, I am not sure. I think about the ultra rich multi-billionaires who could easily send everyone in the world, let’s say, just Fifty Thousand Dollars, to help stop extreme poverty, and knowing that they don’t, well, it just makes my heart shudder, Matthew 19:23. At times I get asked for a ‘needs’ list that people could read and work at filling to help meet the necessities of the poor and hurting and the supplies at Rancho Santa Fe Mexico Mission. And, to tell you the truth, not much ever happens after that. I am not sure why. But, generally, that’s as far as their concern ever goes. Of course, some people do answer the call and then send down or bring with them needed items and for that, I always rejoice and thank God for their valuable and kindhearted aid. It’s a wonderful thing to have someone come along side you to help you make your mission work more of a blessing than it would be without their help. So, here on my blog, I am going to place a small but detailed list of some of the needs we face daily. And, as the Lord leads, I hope and pray that there might be some people touched and guided to help meet these needs. Spanish language Bibles & Spanish language Christian movies, VHS or DVD Men and women’s clothing, especially children’s clothes, including shoes Bedding of all types and sizes, including pillows School supplies Candy & PiƱatas, Christmas presents for boys & girls aged 0 -16 Cake mixes & frosting, boxes of pudding and Jell-o Pots & pans, plates & flatware and other kitchen supplies To keep this list short, I will leave off writing at this time and put this in the hands of the Lord. If anyone is interested in sending anything to the mission base, it must first be sent to California, and then it will be brought down into the country as quickly as is possible. Sending directly to San Vicente, at this point in time is not safe, nor possible. We don’t have mail service, and packages often come opened and have missing items. Contact me at: ranchosantafemax@aol.com “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching,” Hebrews 10:24&25
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