Boyles Family On Mission

Hasta Luego Nos Amigos!

2010-03-12T11:26:00.028-05:00

Time truly does fly when you're having fun! As I write this it is nearing one year since Brad and I flew to Mexico to find a place for our family to live, and in the blink of an eye, it seems, we are back. Although our time in Reynosa was shorter than we would have thought, we know that the Lord has led us home. Some of His reasoning is clear to us now, but we know some will not be revealed until later.

I know that my words here could never convey all that the Lord showed us and taught us during our time in Mexico. I cannot begin to share the multitude of blessings He bestowed on us. But that won't stop me from trying.

When God called us to this mission, we had grand ideas of the ways He would use us to further the Kingdom. We dreamed of the ways that we could help orphaned children and bring lost Mexicans to a saving knowledge of Christ. We hoped for changes in our family and growth in our faith. We wondered if God would lead us to yet other foreign mission fields.

What we didn't imagine is that we were selling our God short. We were keeping Him in a box. You would think that by this time in our journey of faith, we would know Him better than that. Yet, much like the Israelites in the desert, we so easily forget what Yahweh is capable of. Not only did He do all that we hoped and imagined, He did SO MUCH more! God didn't just take us out of our country, He took us out of our boxes. He grew us in ways we didn't realize we needed to grow. Over the months since we left NC we've talked often about the "surprise blessings". Brad and I agree that, hands down, time was the most surprising and most precious blessing we received. Being back in NC for just four weeks, I already long for the Mexican pace of life. The extra time and the slow pace we were allowed in Mexico not only caused us to rethink the "Great American Race" we were so accustomed to. It also brought our family together for a time of regrowth. God gave us time away from all that normally fights for our time and attention. We spent quality time together as a family daily. Even more importantly, we spent quality time with the Lord and in His Word daily.

Another result of the extra time and the slower pace is that Brad and I were able to realize a long-time dream. We've written a book! Wow, that's the first time I've written that! Neither of us have ever considered ourselves gifted writers. Nevertheless, God has given us both a longing to write a book that would point others to Him. Thanks be to Him, we have co-authored a book entitled Your Last Breath. We are in the process now of having it published and we are just so excited! We'll keep everyone posted concerning the release and other details. In the meantime, we covet your prayers. Please pray that we would be led by the Lord and that He would give us favor in the publishing process.

Leaving Reynosa was bittersweet for our family. Although we know it is God's will and we are thrilled to be back with family and friends, saying "Hasta Luego" to our friends in Mexico was very hard. I tell everyone that I would have brought all 56 children back with me if I could and I truly mean that. But we have great peace knowing they are being cared for by men and women who are the hands and feet of God.

The week before we departed for NC ,our friends at the Children's Home gave us a going away party. One thing we learned about the Mexican culture is that they LOVE to honor people and make them feel special. When you are the "honored guest" at a Mexican fiesta they go all out for you. Our farewell fiesta was no exception. The House Parents and the children from each individual "casa" put on their own presentation for us. Some sang, some did drama, all made us cry! We were once again reminded of the love of God as these special people poured it out to us.

I have posted several pictures from our last week in Reynosa that will speak for themselves. But let me close by saying thank you all for your prayers and support of our family over the last year or so. Please continue to lift us up as we strive to do His will and to share the Love of Christ with all. FYI: Brad is now working for our church in a lay minister capacity. We are thrilled for the opportunities that the Lord is giving us to serve him.

What a JOY!

2009-12-15T10:02:00.033-05:00

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:31-40

What an awesome privilege it is to be vessels of blessing for our Lord! We've all heard it said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. But when we allow God to do the giving through us...WOW! Last week our family was, once again, reminded of what it's all about. People, relationships, love, and compassion, these are the things that really matter. When our lives on this earth are over, these are the things that will endure.

Probably many of you participate in some sort of charitable giving during the Christmas season. Maybe you take an "angel" from the tree at the mall. Maybe you take food to the soup kitchen. Maybe you volunteer your time and talents in some way. Our family has also tried to help those less fortunate over the years. Most of what we have done has been from a distance. By this I mean that we never actually met the recipients. Whatever donations or gifts we gave were delivered through an organizing group. This year, however, was different!

Our home church in NC organized a shoe box ministry to which our members donated around 500 plastic shoe boxes full of fun and useful gifts for boys and girls. JOY boxes they are called. Various times in the past our family has participated in such programs. It was always a lot of fun gathering items that could fit in the boxes and would thrill some little soul somewhere. We imagined the faces of these children as they opened maybe the only Christmas gift they would receive. This year we were contacted to see if the JOY boxes could be distributed in Reynosa. Of course, we were thrilled. So, after lots of work collecting boxes on their end and planning for places of distribution on our end, last week the time arrived.

Our Pastor, Marcus Redding, associate pastor Bobby Farmer, and fellow church member, Ernie Buecker flew down to Reynosa on December 8th and we spent the better part of the week passing out JOY boxes to needy children. I am going to let the pictures speak for me, but just let me say that it was nothing short of AWESOME! To be on the delivery end of this mission was a privilege we will never forget. We gave out around 400 boxes in three different locations. Our first stop was a pre-school in the neighborhood adjacent to the orphanage. Two girls, fresh from college, are teaching about 30-35 kids in two houses in the neighborhood. They have not been paid yet and they travel over an hour one way, by bus, to get to work each day. Wow! These kids were so thrilled to see us, let alone to receive gifts. We were all reminded of the verse in the Bible that says "Suffer the little children to come unto me."Mark 10:14.

Our next distribution was at one of the colonias. This colonia is a sort of refugee camp for men, women, and children who have tried to get into America and have been sent back. Brother Hector is the leader of the colonia and a man of God! He gathered close to 100 children in the chapel. They sang songs of praise and Brother Hector told them that God had sent them some gifts that their American brothers and sisters were delivering. Amen!

Our third stop was at a small mission church of about 40 members. This church is pastored by a very good friend in Christ, Jose. The members live in a tiny community surrounding the church. Even though it is in the city of Reynosa, they do not have city power or water. The whole community is run off one generator. They are too far out for buses and they are several miles from town. If the children want to go to school, they have to walk to the nearest bus stop which is 2-3 miles away. Despite what we would consider horrendous conditions these people are JOY-FULL!!! After Marcus preached and we gave out the JOY boxes they served us hand-made tamales. YUM!

The next day we still had at least 50 boxes left and we weren't sure where we would distribute them. Brad knew of another colonia with lots of children. He prayed that God would lead us and that He did!! When we pulled up into the colonia we just opened the van door and as the children came out of their homes we gave out the boxes. As we were driving through, another van came behind us giving out heaters. To make this long story short, God introduced us to Bruce. He and his wife Paula moved to Texas about 2 years ago to work full time in the colonia, building houses for the people there. In two years they have built 36 houses! What a privilege it was to meet these people and see the work God is doing through them. We were able to give out all of the remaining boxes and met some gracious brothers and sisters in the Lord.

We have a remaining 100 or so boxes that we will be distributing to the school children at the home during their Christmas party on Friday.

We are so thankful for our church family at Hulls Grove and their donation to the needy souls of Reynosa. Along with each box we gave out gospel pamphlets and many, many Spanish Bibles. We had many opportunities to witness for the Lord and many opportunities to remind these precious people that "Christo te ama!".

Thanks also to our brothers who came down to help us. Having them in our home and sharing Reynosa with them was more of a blessing than we can express. These men love the Lord with all their hearts, and we were encouraged and uplifted greatly by them.

Please pray for all the children who received JOY boxes and their parents as well. Pray that the Lord would work in their hearts and draw them closer to Him. Pray for the teachers of the preschool to give their lives to the Lord if they have not and to be blessed in their work with the children. Pray for Brother Hector as he ministers to the destitute on behalf of the Lord. Pray that the Lord would provide for his ministry physically and spiritually. Pray for Brother Jose as he ministers to God's people and reaches out to the lost of Reynosa. Pray for Bruce and Pam as they minister as the hands and feet of God. Pray that God would bring revival to Reynosa...

Arriving at the preschool! Ann-Marie with some of the preschoolers. Pastor Marcus receives a welcome hug. Bobby, Marcus, and Ernie Pastor Marcus speaking while Brother Hector interprets. Some of the children at Brother Hector's Colonia open their boxes A boy from Brother Jose's church Distributing to the 2nd colonia A mom takes a box for her son. Pancho, one of the young men from the children's home was able to help. No words are necessary. A family walks away happy! Jackson and his buddies, Ernie and Marcus Vaya con Dios to our brothers from Hull's Grove!

Thanksgiving with Wyomians in Mexico

2009-11-29T21:07:00.007-05:00

Unique. That's how we would describe Thanksgiving 09, the most unique holiday celebration we've experienced as a family. We had the awesome privilege of spending it with a mission team from Wyoming. Part of their mission for the week was to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal for the Home. The women from the group planned and cooked the best meal anyone could ask for and the fellowship was even better. It was such a joy to see the children lining up for heaping piles of food and smiling all the way to their seats.

Not only was it a wonderful Thanksgiving, but working with the Wyoming group all week was truly a blessing. We will never forget these faithful servants of Christ and we thank Him the opportunity to serve alongside them. We pray God's blessings for them as they continue to serve Him and seek His guidance.

The men carve turkeys and the women prepare to serve the food.

Tio Alfredo assisted group members Nancy, Jenna, and Alex with some songs.

Sisters, Julie and Kassandra and their "perrita" Kere!

Me No Likey Hikey!!

2009-10-18T15:40:00.022-04:00

Copper Canyon.....check! As I've said before, we have a mental checklist of places we would like to see while in Mexico. Well, we can now check off another item from our list. The last weekend in September we set out on an adventure like none we've ever had. Brad, being the travel guru of the family, had done hours of research online and in books. He had it all planned out from the route we would take for the 16 hour trip to where we would stay when we arrived. In the process of looking for a horseback riding outfit in the Canyon, he happened upon El Aventurero and guide, Norberto Rodriguez. What a "God thing" that turned out to be.

Norberto and his partner have a ranch in the town of Creel which is situated right on the edge of the Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon). There is a cabin on the property that will house around 15 people and we had it all to ourselves! What a blessing this was for our boys. They were able to be outside throughout our entire visit. They hiked in the mountains behind the cabin, rode their bikes, and built bonfires every night. It was like being back home in NC!!

We planned to go on a 4-5 hour horseback ride to the Canyon on our first day there. The boys' excitement rivaled Christmas! We headed over to the barn at 9am to saddle up and Jackson kept saying he wanted to ride his "own horse". Norberto didn't think this would be any problem for him, but Brad and I were biting our lips. Jackson mounted his horse and it took about two steps before Jackson was saying, in a panicked voice, "I want to ride with my Mom!" After switching horses and trying to ride tandem, Brad and I decided it would be best for Jackson and I to stay behind. We were both so disappointed! When Brad and the boys left we went back to the cabin and cried on eachothers' shoulders for about an hour. Then we got over it and made the best of a beautiful day in beautiful surroundings. When the guys returned they were beat and had great stories and great pictures from their trip. Brad also informed me that he had arranged for me to go on another trail ride with Brandon and Miller the next day.

At this point, I need to interject an important piece of information. I know this will come as a shocker to many of you, but I really am quite prissy! I know, I know, I hide it well. That said, a trip to a canyon is a stretch for me. A horseback ride through the canyon is taking me completely out of my box! But a trip to the Canyon, a five hour horseback ride, and a hike into the Canyon...I think you get the point! I was more than a little apprehensive about the day, but I had prayed about it and I didn't want to go back home knowing I had missed this opportunity that I may never have again. So around 9am we set out.

My biggest fear was that I would fall off the horse. So when Norberto asked me if I liked to gallop, I was honest and said "I'm fine with slow!". The boys have still not stopped reminding me that the ride took longer because "Mom wouldn't gallop!" Sorry!! As we headed out that morning I felt like I was in a cowboy movie riding through the old west. To say it was beautiful would be a pitiful understatement. Living in Reynosa, we don't see much grass or trees. We often talk of how much we miss the NC landscape, with its rolling hills, green grass, and tall trees. Well, there were times in the Copper Canyon when we felt like we were back in NC. Although the Canyon is said to be four times the size of the Grand Canyon it doesn't look anything like it. Picture the Grand Canyon with green river valleys and Pine covered mountaintops.

As we rode through the valley,we were crossing property belonging to the Tarahumara Indians. These people have lived in this area for hundreds of years. They dress traditionally and many of them live without electricity or water in the valley or in caves within the mountains. They come into town a lot to sell hand-made traditional crafts. They reminded us of Eskimos in their look. It was fascinating to see them and quite humbling to see how they live. Brad and I agreed that in some ways we envied their simple life and in others we did not.

After riding throught the fertile valley , dotted with Tarahumara cabins, wild horses, cows wearing bells, and herds of sheep tended by children, we gradually climbed into the mountains on our way to the canyon. It was awesome when we arrived at the edge! The sounds, scenery, everything changed. Norberto tied up our horses and led us to the drop-off. Then he started walking down!! Brandon followed right behind him and out of sight. Miller and I looked at eachother. Miller just said, "No way!! I'm not going down there." I encouraged him as much as a chicken hearted priss can.

I will not bore you with the details of the hike down, but I will give you the highlights. First of all, Norberto literally walked down the mountain without so much as holding on. If he were an Indian his name would definitely be "Sure Footed One "! Miller and I stayed very close together and I just kept saying "Don't look down!" As scary as it was, the view was indescribable. At one point we stopped so that I could get my camera out of the backpack and we nearly lost the backpack down the mountainside. Fortunately Sure Footed One grabbed it just in time.

The reason for our hike was to explore some cave drawings that are hundreds of years old. At each cave along the route we stopped so Norberto could point them out and give us the details on them. Our last cave was the largest. It was obvious that someone had lived there. We sat here and rested a while and enjoyed some get-to-know-you conversation before heading back to our horses and the ride back.

Before we began our hike, Norberto warned us that he had seen more snakes in this area than anywhere. He told us to be careful. I just started praying! On our trek back up the mountain, he stopped us to tell us another bit of interesting info. Miller was just about to sit down on a rock when he said "Snake!" Sure enough, right where Miller was about to put his hand a rattle snake was coiled up. It was a very small snake. We thought it was a baby, but Norberto told us this particular rattler is small. He deftly, picked it up with a stick and sent it down the mountain. At the same time I sent up a prayer thanking our Protector! Norberto said he didn't know how Miller had seen it....but I knew. After much huffing and puffing on my part, we made it back to the horses and started home.

On the way back Norberto asked me how I was doing and I said "Wonderful!" He said, " I hope you still say that tomorrow!" We met Brad and Jackson at the cabin and shared our adventure with them. I told Brad I was very proud that I had taken this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, but I also shared that I already had the title for the next blogpost...."Me No Likey Hikey!!!" This has become my "tagline",if you will. Anytime I feel it appropriate I remind my family of it.

We've been blessed as a family to take many wonderful vacations and trips, but we all agree this was our first "Adventure". We made memories that will last a lifetime, we saw parts of God's creation that amazed us anew, we stepped out of our comfort zones, and we had the privilege of meeting the Rodriguez family. Norberto is a superb guide and a pleasure to be around. Our trip would not have been the same without the help of him and his family. Gracias a Familia Rodriguez!

I'm going to post some of the pictures from our trip here and the rest are on my facebook. I also wanted to just catch everyone up with what is going on here in Reynosa. The boys are keeping busy with their schoolwork and helping Brad at the the home. Brad has been continuing to paint the inside of each of the "casas" where the children live. What an improvement it is! Only 2 casas left and the job will be complete. I have been busy with school and with some English tutoring. Two different children have asked for help with their language skills. One is a 12-year-old boy from the home, Jonathon. Please pray for Jonathon. He is not able to go to school because he is so far behind. He just came to CHI about two months ago. Before that his grandmother was raising him. His mother has passed away. He is a very sweet young man with great potential. He just needs someone to teach him. Pray for me that I will be the influence he needs and that I can help him to catch up even a little. My other student is a nine-year-old girl whose aunt lives across the street from us. Her name is Ivana. She has been over a few times to play with Jackson. A couple of weeks ago she came over and asked me if I would help her with her English. Ironically, I had been praying that the Lord would help me with my Spanish comprehension. As usual, He answered my prayer...in His way!! Jonathon and Ivana have helped my comprehension so much! Thank you God!

We have been here six months now. Sometimes it feels like six weeks and sometimes six years! We thought we knew what God had in store for us here, what He had for us to do. We are realizing more and more everyday that it isn't so much about what we are doing for others, but what God is doing in us. He has changed us tremendously in the last six months and we know he will change us even more. Please continue to pray for us that we seek His will and His glory above all else.

As you know, we are supported here completely through donations from friends and family. God has moved in the hearts of many of you to give what you can and we are very thankful. At this time we are still short of what we need to cover our yearly expenses. If the Lord leads you to help out in any way you can send a donation to our church (address is listed at right) or directly to us (address also at right). We thank you for your prayers and your donations on our behalf. Please know that you are all in our constant prayers. May God bless you ...

The Boyles

Sure Footed One!!

The Alvarez Hermanos(Brothers)

2009-10-04T20:51:00.006-04:00

These four brothers are very special to our family. They are Juan(13), Dan(9), Pablo(7), and Miguel(5) Alvarez. I had the pleasure of meeting Juan with Pastor Marcus on my first trip to the home in April of 2008. Our family met Juan and the other boys in June 2008.

Pray specifically for each boy and their mom. This is their second time at the home. They were able to go back home with their mom last year but she has been sick since early 2009. Pray that God will heal her and the boys will be able to return home with her soon. The boys arrived back at the home in May, 2009 just when we arrived to start our work. We were so happy to see Juan, Dan, Pablo, and Miguel! They have adjusted so well at the home.

Juan is your typical big brother and takes very good care of his younger brothers. He has started middle school this year and lives in house #4 with Teo and Elisa. He is quiet, speaks good English, and loves to read. Pray that the Lord will give him wisdom and strength in his teen years. He loves to talk and learn English with me(Brad).

Dan is the fireball and pistol of the brothers. He loves to talk, run, play, and have fun! Dan is very loving. He spends a lot of time playing and wrestling with Miller and Jackson. He also lives in house #4 with Teo and Elisa.

Pablo and Miguel are very much the younger brothers. They are quiet and keep to themselves a lot. They are very loving also and spend time playing with Miller and Jackson. Miguel lives in house #4 also and Pablo lives in house #1 with Alfredo and Veronica.

Our family has spent a lot of time with these boys in the past 6 months. We love on them and fellowship with them as often as possible. Dan made my day about 2 weeks ago when called me "mi Padre" (my dad). All the boys want is someone to listen, love, and hug them! That is a very easy task for us! Continue to pray for the Alvarez brothers daily! The Boyles Family

Fiesta Fun

2009-09-24T00:28:00.017-04:00

Phew!!! The time since our last post has flown by. Seriously, does anyone know where September went? It's been a fun couple of weeks here in Reynosa. We took the opportunity to celebrate all the children, staff members, and volunteers who had birthdays in July, August, and September. Unbeknownst to the children, the local movie theatre had donated free movies tickets to our entire group! How awesome is that!! The only thing CHI had to pay for was popcorn and drinks. To say the children had a great time would severely understate it. I wish I had taken my video camera (No, not so that I could pirate the movie!). I would love for everyone to see the faces we saw that day in the theatre. We were so blessed to be able to experience this with the children. One boy in particular was unforgettable. He had just arrived at the home that week. He had lived with his Grandmother who is on her deathbed and did not want him there to see her die. Unlike most eight year-olds he did not attend school and play with other children. Instead he took care of his dying Grandmother. Just to watch him that day was a precious reminder of what the Lord does through Children's Haven. He was so happy to be there and we are so happy to have him!

Another cause for celebration this month was Mexican Independence Day. We celebrated a day early this year so that we could make it a school activity. Just like Americans, Mexicans go all out to celebrate their independence. One difference, however, is their emphasis on the heroes of their liberty. To commemorate those who fought for Mexico's freedom throughout history, the children dress as different characters and heroes of the past. This year, after giving a short presentation for parents and guests the children loaded into the vans. We drove them to the adjacent neighborhood where many of the students live. They then proceeded to parade through the streets with songs and shouts of "Viva Mexico". We thoroughly enjoyed it! Incidentally, the fiesta gave me an opportunity to wear the dress that Tia Elsa so graciously made for me. I was a little nervous to wear it at first, knowing I would stick out like a ...blonde Americana! But once I arrived and saw most of the women and girls in similar attire I was proud to be a part of it all.

We continue to grow in countless ways as we acclimate to this "foreign place". But I must be honest and say that sometimes we feel so out of place and we long for home. However, God in all his goodness and his infinite wisdom reminds us that this is how we should feel. As long as we're on this earth, we should long for home...our Heavenly home with Him. If we don't feel foreign and out of place in this world then we're comforming to it rather than letting Him transform us.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12:2

Sightseeing, School, and September

2009-09-05T11:04:00.016-04:00

It has been a week of firsts for Familia Boyles! We experienced a long awaited sightseeing trip to the city of Monterrey complete with our first stay in a Mexican hotel. We completed our first week of homeschooling and were blessed far beyond our expectations. And, along with all of you, we rather reluctantly ushered in September.

As a family, we have an unwritten list of all that we hope to do during our time in Mexico. Among other items, it includes all the places we would like to see; places like The Copper Canyon, Mexico City, Tampico, The Colonial Heartland, and Monterrey. We can now mentally check off one of those items. Last week we had the opportunity to travel to Monterrey and spend the night. Monterrey is the third largest city in Mexico. It is about two and a half hours Southwest of Reynosa. We have all anticipated this trip since we arrived because, for one we've heard so much about the city from various sources and, two because we were dying to see the mountains!! Suffice it to say, Monterrey did not disappoint us. We had originally planned to make it a day trip. But when we looked online and found that nice hotels were only $60-$80 per night we decided to take advantage. When we arrived we knew we had decided wisely. We would not have been able to experience nearly enough in a day trip. We stayed in a Holiday Inn right in the heart of downtown which made it perfect for our sightseeing endeavors. Most of what we wanted to see was within walking distance and the rest was a short taxi ride away. On our first day we checked out the pedestrian shopping area known as the Zona Rosa. It was very modern and yet very Mexican which is quite an oximoron. We did lunch at VIPs which we knew from Reynosa. It is the Mexican equivalent of Dennys! We checked out one of the MANY parks in the city, Parque Hundido. One of the sights I really wanted to experience was the Barrio Antiguo. It is the "Old Town" part of the city with cobblestone streets and colonial architecture. We followed our tourist map to the area and headed up one of the antiquated streets. At first it reminded me a bit of downtown Charleston. But the further we walked it started to remind me more of downtown New Orleans, namely Bourbon Street! As we made our way we noticed men peeking out of doorways staring at us. We've grown accustomed to being stared at wherever we go, but this was a bit unnerving. Couple that with the fact that nearly every sign we saw contained the word "bar" somewhere on it. We made a U turn as soon as we realized our mistake, but in true Boyles family fashion it was anything but inconspicuous. As we were crossing the street to make our hasty retreat Jackson tripped on the curb. "Man down! Man down!" Those of you who know Jackson, know that he is the clutsier of the Boyles Brothers and these sort of incidents are not at all uncommon. However, we're in the middle of "Bourbon Street", with an audience that is growing by the minute, and Jackson is screaming that his toe "burns like fire!!!". I'd like to tell you that we all came to his aid with sympathy, but actually it was more like "shut the kid up and move FAST!". I think Brandon and Miller must have just started sprinting when they heard Jackson go down, because when I looked up they were about a block ahead of us. Brad was not far behind them and I was desperately trying to drag the injured child up the street. Just another day for the Boyles! I am happy to report that the remainder of the trip was without incident.

For dinner that evening, we found a restaurant that was recommended in our Mexican Travel book. La Puntada was just a block away from our hotel and was supposed to be a popular spot for locals. It turned out to be just what we had hoped for : good food, good atmosphere, kid friendly, and CHEAP!

On Friday Brad decided we would take a taxi to another park called Parque Ninos Heroes and visit the Museo de la Fauna y Ciencas Naturales (basically the museum of natural history). We had a great time! This was the first time for all of us in a Mexican taxi and what an experience it was! Our driver was Jaime(sp?) a fifty-year resident of the city and a very nice man. He took us to the park and offered to come back for us at whatever time we chose. We took him up on it. At the park, which has a botanical garden, an aviary, a lake, several musuems, and several sports facilities,we found our way to the Museo de la Fauna which cost a whopping 50cents for admission. It was a small exhibit so we were only there for about thirty minutes. That left us thirty minutes until our taxi returned so we took advantage of the row boats on the small lake. Brad and the boys rowed around in two boats while I stood on the shore and took pictures.

At 12:00 Jaime returned to pick us up. As we were riding back toward our hotel I asked him if he would recommend a place for us to have lunch. He,very excitedly, said, "El numero uno en Monterrey!" and told us all about a place where all the locals go and you can get "comida del dias" (daily specials) for about fifty pesos. He told us that the specials included soup, beans, rice, a meat dish, and tortillas. I think his mouth was watering as he described it! He then, eagerly pulled up in front of the restaurant...La Puntada! We all just gave eachother knowing looks and giggled to ourselves. We enjoyed the delicious "comida del dia" and commended Brad on choosing "El numero uno en Monterrey" the previous night. Thank you Jaime!!

After lunch we headed back "home" to Reynosa and laughed as we recounted our first adventure in Monterrey. We are already anticipating our next trip.

Since returning from Monterrey we have completed our first week of school. Most of you know I have been earnestly praying that God would guide me in this endeavor and that we would bring glory to Him. I am thrilled to report that we had a wonderful week and the grace of God was more than sufficient. I know that He has a blessed school year in store for us and I plan to enjoy every minute that I have with the boys. That doesn't mean, however,that I will stop praying. I will continue to seek His guidance and His grace daily to be the Mom and teacher He wants me to be.

Thanks to all of you who are praying for us. Please do not stop!! Pray that God would show us the work he has for us here, not just at the children's home but everywhere in Reynosa. Just this week a parking lot attendant whom Brad has befriended asked if we knew anyone who would hire his wife to "clean up". Her name is Maria. Please pray that Maria would find work and that she and her husband Ernesto would know Christ as their Savior.

Please know that we pray for all of you regularly. We pray for God's will to be done in your lives. We pray that He would bless you with wisdom to know His will, strength to do His will, and love for Him above all else.

Looking Ever to Him,

The Boyles

Row, row, row your boat!

Parque Hundido

This guy was stationed outside of our hotel!

Elsa

2009-08-24T23:51:00.010-04:00

(Elsa at center in pink)

Although I know that the language barrier is coming down slowly each day that we are here, it remains my biggest struggle. I keep praying and studying, praying and studying! But the longer I'm here and the more I pray about it God reveals to me all that I am learning through what I view as a deficit. Pride has always been a big stumbling block for me. But when you're in a foreign country and you don't know the language you can kiss your pride goodbye! If I had a peso for every time I had to say "no comprendo" or "no hablo espanol" !! And even when I do understand and I respond I ALWAYS get that look. You know the one someone would give an alien or a two headed person.

Patience obviously is another lesson I'm gleaning from my struggle. I have so many hopes and aspirations for our time here and many of them simply cannot happen without some Spanish fluency. But, fortunately, I'm also learning to just jump in and trust God to do the talking.

Being the Mom of three boys, I've come to appreciate silence over the years. But awkward silence is different! When you're having a conversation with someone who speaks a different language there are MANY awkward pauses! But I've learned that if I'll stop trying to fill the silence God does a fine job of it. He's so cool that way!!

Elsa is one of the house mothers or "Tias" at the home. She and her husband Teo have two sons of their own Felix 15 and Tomas 12. They are in charge of a house FULL of boys. I think they have about 8 or 9 at this time. Elsa is one of those women who just emits the Holy Spirit in everything she does. I knew right away that I wanted to get to know her better. Thanks to our beloved intern Eliza, we found something we have in common. We both love to sew! We also both have a passionate desire to learn the other's language. We decided we would get together and do some crafting "one day". Well, "one day" arrived last week . Our family was all at the home doing some work and Elsa came and asked me what time I would like to come over to her house. I assumed we would visit and try to teach eachother some language skills. I was quite excited for the opportunity to do some bonding! Elsa, however, took me to one of the storage bodegas on the campus where she does sewing. She asked, "What do you need?". She was standing in a closet where fabric and other crafting supplies are kept. Long story short she did a little sewing, I did a little sewing, and we did a little bonding. There were MANY silent pauses and I was just fine with them! I learned that she grew up in Reynosa and has four sisters. Her Mother still lives in town and her Father has passed on. She went to seminary school in Monterrey and before she became a "Tia" she was a stay-at-home mom just like me! We sewed and talked for about 2 and 1/2 hours. But the sweetest part was when she asked if she could take my measurements because her husband wanted her to make me a dress. "ME?" "Si!" Apparently there is some big celebration that goes on in Mexico in September and Teo did not want me to be without the proper dress for the occasion. It will be the traditional white flowing skirt and puffy blouse with red and green ribbon trim. How great is that!! I definitely went home feeling that God had blessed my "deficit" that afternoon. I can't wait to spend more time with Elsa and her family.

P.S. Just wanted to let everyone know that the Boyles Brothers now have their own blog! Just go to www.3sonsofthunder.blogspot.com

Las Senoritas Sleep Over!

2009-08-17T23:45:00.006-04:00

"Pizza, peliculas, and popcorn". That's what the senoritas from the home said when I asked them what they wanted to do for our first PJ party at Casa de Boyles. ( Peliculas are movies, by the way! ) So I stocked up on the three P's and we had a blast!!

Getting to know the teen girls here has been something I've looked forward to since we knew that God was calling us to CHI. I've had dreams of PJ parties and trips to the mall and girl talk and bible studies. But, to be honest, I'm more than a little insecure about my Spanish skills. How could I have the girls over or do anything with them if I can't communicate with them? Then God gave me Silivia! No, Silivia is not new, but our relationship is. I've known Silvia since my first visit here last June. She is almost 16 and she speaks very good English! Over the last 3-4 weeks God opened the door for me to begin to forge a relationship with her. Before really thinking it through I asked Silvia and some other girls one night if they knew what a pajama party was. She said "Yes, when can we have one? Tomorrow?" That very night we started making plans and as we neared the date I still felt very apprehensive. Would the girls enjoy themselves here? Would we be able to have girl talk with a language barrier? Would it be them laughing and having fun while I stood back not understanding anything? Then one morning I read my devotional and it said we can't wait until we think we are fully prepared to do everything God wants us to do. If we felt fully prepared for everything when would God get to show up and save the day? I realized that I had been thinking in the flesh and had not acknowledged God as the author of this whole thing. After all He is the one who placed the burden on my heart for these girls. He is the one who opened their hearts to me. I gave it over to Him that morning and on Friday night He was right there in the midst of it all.

He showed me that I have learned more Spanish than I realized . He showed me that it wasn't just about me pouring into these girls lives but about them opening the eyes of my heart and blessing me more than I can say.

We ate pizza (6 larges!!), drank "Coca", watched movies(4), talked, laughed and talked some more until 4am! That's not as easy at 39 as it was at 16! The irony of it all is that in all my apprehension I never anticipated what it would be like for them to leave on Saturday. When everyone was aroused around 9am one of the girls asked me, "Can we stay until the afternoon?". I didn't take them back until 4pm and it was very hard. A couple of them joked that they would like to live with us. What they don't realize is that we wish we could keep them all. Satan tried to use that moment to make me feel that we can't really make a difference in these kids lives as long as they still go home to an orphanage at the end of the day. But the Holy Spirit of God reminds me that these are His children and he has plans for them. Anything that we do for them in His name will not be in vain. We may not be the ones to see the harvest but we will have plenty of opportunities to plant seeds.

I have a new outlook and a renewed sense of purpose now. My God has changed me in miraculous ways and blessed me beyond measure. If I can be a witness of this to even one child while I am here then I will have brought glory to my Savior.

Please pray for "Las Senoritas" of the home: Angela, Silvia, Selene, Jacqlin, Maritza, Isabel, and Lola. And pray for me that I would continually point them to the Cross.

P.S. I just want to say "Thanks" to my Mom for always having the PJ parties and doing all the girly stuff with me....and for pointing me to the Cross!!

Silvia Rivera

Pray For Nelson

2009-08-17T18:35:00.005-04:00

I have been wanting to post some pictures of the boys that are here at the home. Above on the left is Nelson(17 years old), Brandon(13 years old-my son) and me on the right. As you can see in the picture, Nelson is a joker! His tooth is colored in with a black marker because he knew alot of pictures were going to made on this day.

Please pray for Nelson daily. He has a good heart and reads the bible verses every Sunday night in devotions at the home. He has a younger brother and sister who live with his mom. He also has an older brother. Nelson is a hard worker and has become good friends with Brandon since we arrived. Pray that Brandon and I will be able to help Nelson grow in the Lord on a daily basis.

Nelson will graduate from high school this coming year and wants to go into the Mexican Army after graduation. Pray that the Lord will guide him and give him direction in his life. The next 12-24 months will be an important time of decisions for him.

There are many more boys whose pictures I will post in the future. Here is a small list of boys that you can pray for: Uriel, Daniel, Josue, Salvador, Oscar, Ivan, Jorge, Juan, Dan, Miguel, Franscisco, Jorge, Felix, Pablo, Brandon, Thomas, Johan, and Johnny. These are not all the boys but a good list to pray for. God Bless You and remember to put God first in all you do! Brad Boyles

Manana is finally here!

2009-08-06T22:41:00.016-04:00

A very popular word in Mexico is Manana. Everything will happen "manana". This one word sums up the basic mindset of a country. There is no hurry. We found that out when we waited 10 weeks to get our belongings, when we waited 2 weeks to get our gas turned on, when we waited three weeks to get our cable tv. So when we signed up for internet and were told one month we were not surprised. However, when we returned to check on things 6 weeks later we were told it would be two more months! Okay, if you know me, you know I'm a slow poke all the way so I like the pace down here. But even I like things to move a little faster than that!

Well, I'm thrilled to report that manana is finally here! We finally broke down and went for what we thought would be the most expensive route, a wireless card from the cell phone company. Turns out it is no more expensive than going through the cable company. Praise God!

We all feel so much more connected now. The first thing I did was download SKYPE and call my mom! The boys were salivating over my shoulder waiting for their turns to surf. You can expect a lot more posts now and lots of pictures so check back often. ;)

Since our last post we have said goodbye to our last TEAM, hello and goodbye to Brad's mom, Donata, and goodbye to our beloved interns BJ and Eliza. We are still very excited about being here but also a little sad about all the goodbyes. We will be changing gears now that the summer is over and we have no TEAMS again until November. The boys will begin homeschooling the first of September so that will take up a good portion of our time. We also have plans to work as a family at the home making some much needed improvements to the "casas" and just help out wherever needed. But what we look forward to the most is spending time with the children. This summer has enabled us to get to know them so much better. We are forging relationships and finding so many opportunites for encouragement and godly influence. We are planning several "extracurricular" activities with them. Next week I'm having all the girls 12 and up over for a PJ party at our house. There are about 6 girls in this age group and I can't wait to get some real "girl time" with them. Brad is also planning to take the boys 13 and up on a camping/fishing trip to the beach in the next few weeks. All the kids, ours included, are very excited.

The language barrier is slowly coming down! Brandon seems to just soak it up. He hangs out with the teenage boys alot and they have been like his own private tutors. He is definitely the most advanced in the language with me right behind him. The sad thing is I have to study daily and he has never picked up a book. I guess that is the difference between 39 and 13! Miller and Jackson are learning alot as well, they're just not as eager as Brandon and I. Brad has started using my books lately. He says he is better at listening and understanding than at speaking. I must say, though, it is pretty cute to hear him speak in his NC drawl!

We continue to covet your prayers. I really need your prayers concerning homeschooling. I know that it is the Lord's will, but I know how hard it can be and I have to lean completely on the Lord. Please pray that I will not be overwhelmed and God will strengthen me daily. Please also pray for our boys that they will walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. Pray that God would give them diligence and perserverance in their work.

Please pray for Brad as he leads our family and seeks to do God's will. Pray that God would give him wisdom and discernment. And please pray for all of us to be protected from the onslaughts of Satan. We feel him battering us constantly and we need strength.

Last, but not least, please lift up the children, house parents,and staff of the home. School will be starting in 2 weeks and lots of the children will be going off to new schools. Pray for their safety and for strength to be godly examples in their schools. Pray for the house parents to be the examples they should be for the children and to walk closely with Jesus.

Thanks to all of you who have sent emails, cards, and facebooks comments to encourage us. We are very grateful for all of you. God bless you!

P.S. The count is now up to three for number of times we've been pulled over by Mexican Policia!! 1 for me, 2 for Brad but all in my car. Our new tactic is to witness to every policeman who pulls us over!! We'll let you know how things go...

Eliza Johnson our sweet intern from Minnesota on her departing day!

Brandon and our other intern BJ on a trip to the beach
Donata, Jackson, Elsa (house mother), Eliza, Isabel, Brandon,and Miller
Brad and the very lovable Dan!
All the "Muchachos" hanging out! Some of the CHI children performing for BJ and Eliza on their last day in Mexico.
We will miss them both so much!!

On your mark, get set, GO!!!

2009-07-09T14:39:00.013-04:00

Okay, I know, it's been a month!! I've been mulling over this blog for about a week now. We even tried a video blog so that we could report everything that has gone on here in the most efficient way. Let's just say we'll try that again some other time! So, in an effort to hit all the hilights and not leave anything out I'm just going to give a quick, short run-down for everyone. If you just can't live without the details email us or leave a comment and we'll do our best to fill you in. Suffice it to say, God is sooo good! We've been residents of Reynosa for four weeks now and the transition could not have gone better. God has once again poured out his grace on us and we are continually thankful. We know that everyone is praying for us because we can feel it and we ask you to keep on keeping on. We need continued guidance and wisdom to do His will here. Please pray also for the leadership at the Home and, of course, for the children.

Okay, are you ready, are you buckled in? Here we go:

We moved into our home June 5th,

Miller's 11th birthday was June 6th. We celebrated with a trip to South Padre and dinner at the Japanese Steakhouse,

The first week I took Malena and intern BJ with me to acquire cell phone service, cable and internet. Less than one mile outside the children's home I was pulled over by Mexican Policia and ended up paying the officer 6oo pesos to keep from going downtown and having my car taken for 2 days. My crime? Exceeding the speed by 25km/hr. Translation: Being an Americano in a nice car!

A team of 11 from Missouri came down and put on VBS for the children and did some painting around the home.

We took our first trip to a Mexican water park to celebrate birthdays for April, May, and June. Imagine an American water park with no life guards and very few rules. We had a blast!

Interns BJ (17) from Colorado and Eliza (20) from Minnesota arrived for the summer

Jackson learned to ride his bike without training wheels

Brandon and Miller discovered OXXO, the convenience store 2 blocks from our house which they now visit daily on their bikes

We all discovered Taco Ducks, the AWESOME restaurant 2 blocks from our house!

After trying 4 different grocery stores I found one I am happy with...Soriana

Eliza's church brought down a group of 34 and got LOTS of work done as well as celebrating graduation at the Children's Home.

We made another trip to South Padre where BJ was stung by a sting ray!

BJ's family came down for a week and we had the pleasure of getting to know these great people

We made a trip to Falcon Dam for July 4th

We finally registered our Mexican visas and our vehicles

We made our first trip to the beach in Mexico...Playa de Mezquital

And that brings us up to date. When I write it all down it sounds like a lot....come to think of it, it was a lot!!

Now how about some photos...

Reynosa Here We Come!!

2009-06-04T20:23:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone!! Just wanted to post a quick note to let you know that we will at long last receive our belongings tomorrow morning at 9am! It has been nearly 11 weeks since we left our house in Vale and began living life from suitcases. It did not seem that long at all. However, I must say that the last 2 weeks have made us all very antsy to get officially moved. We've been crossing the border nearly everyday and with each crossing we have grown more eager to just be able to stay. Praise the LORD now we can! The past six weeks in Pharr have been a lot of fun and we know that it was all part of God's plan. We are thankful for the time here at the headquarters and time to fellowship with Randall and Betsy. I think Jackson will really miss running next door to play with Benjamin every afternoon. Incidentally, Saturday is Miller's 11th birthday. We had planned to take a trip to South Padre Island for a day on the beach. However, Miller is gladly forgoing the trip to be able to finally move in to his new bedroom.

Thanks so much for all of your prayers and please don't stop. On Sunday the first mission team of the summer will arrive, a group of 11 teens from a church in Missouri. They will be conducting VBS for the home all week and doing some work around the grounds. This will be Brad's first official shot at TEAM leading. Please pray that things would go smoothly and God would be glorified through it all.

We will update you again as soon as we get internet hooked up in Reynosa. Hopefully it won't take 6 weeks!!

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow...

That's Just How We Roll!

2009-05-26T21:42:00.005-04:00

Me painting at CHI

CHI children at Peter Piper's Pizza

I really cannot believe it has been two weeks since my last post! Although we are still staying in Pharr (yes, that means our belongings have not arrived!) we have spent most of the last 10 days in Mexico. One day we spent driving around Reynosa looking for carpentry shops. Our kitchen in Reynosa has no upper cabinets! What's up with that!!! Long story short, Betsy was our guide and interpretor as we drove randomly around the city looking for signs indicating cabinetry/carpentry. This also happened to be the first time Brad drove in Mexico and I must say he did an awesome job! The whole day was an adventure, to say the least. In Mexico the big super stores have not completely taken over like they have in the U.S.. There are still tons of little Mom and Pop stores and businesses. Watching the boys' reactions as we dragged them from shop to shop was priceless. It was one more cultural experience under our belts. And Senor Juan Carlos will be installing our cabinets in about a week. :)

Another day we were able to go on a "field trip" with the children from the home. In Mexico, April 30 is the Day of the Child. Because of the swine flu scare their celebration had to be postponed and on May 15 we all went to Peter Piper Pizza in Reynosa. It is a place much like Chuck E Cheese (minus the annoying mouse!) The boys had a great time as did all the children.

Last week was a week of painting! On Monday and Tuesday, Brandon and I painted the living room in our house. We decided to take advantage of the time waiting for our trailer! Then for the rest of the week we all joined Brad at the home for some painting, drywall work, painting, and did I mention painting! Brad has started calling us Boyles Construction Company. We've been having a lot of fun and the boys are doing a great job of helping out. We figure by the time we are through here they will have more on-the-job training than most adults.

We usually leave Pharr about 8am and by the time we cross the border and drive through traffic it is 9-9:30 when we arrive at the home. We work until about 2:00 most days. However, traffic at the border going back into the U.S. is always bad and we sometimes have to wait an hour to get across. The shortest wait we have had so far is 28 minutes. Not to worry though, in true Mexican form there are people all over the bridge trying to sell you something. Picture four lanes of traffic with circus vendors weaving in and out selling anything from a windshield cleaning to a statue of the Virgin Mary to melon with chili pepper sprinkled on. Miller begs to use some of his pesos here! I know we'll eventually relent.

Another fun thing that happened last week was eating out in Reynosa. We've eaten a dozen times in various restaurants in the city, but we've always had Betsy or Randall or both to do the ordering or at least to tell us what is on the menu. This particular day, however, was just the Boyles!! Randall had told us about a good gordita shop and we had not been yet so we headed over to Dona Tota. I got a little panicky when we stepped up to the counter and I didn't recognize any of the items listed on the menu. Couple that with the fact that we can't even say "What is ...?". It was a strange feeling, to say the least. We were just about to order two combos we saw listed on the wall. We were banking on the odds that since the combo consisted of several different items surely there would be at least one we would like. But, just in the nick of time, a picture! I glanced right and saw another combo with pictures showing the different items included. Jackpot! Just point and say "Dos" ! We were so proud of ourselves and we LOVED the food! Bonus!

We are having so much fun and we are so thankful for these little experiences God gives us to learn a whole new culture. I'm studying my Spanish voraciously now because I want so badly to communicate better with the children and the house parents. Please pray for all of us that we will be able to pick up the language quickly. Our trailer has made it through the initial inspection by the customs broker and now we are waiting for Mexican customs to give it the green light. This Friday will be 5 weeks since we left NC! We just laugh at how God had a whole different plan for these 5 weeks than we did. Thankfully His grace has been more than sufficient and He has blessed us with the patience we need. We definitely know that He has reasons for this delay and we trust Him.

Thanks so much for your comments and your emails. We love to hear from everyone and we miss you all. Please continue to lift us up in prayer and we will all of you.

Looking to Him,

The Boyles

"Kicks" for Colonias

2009-05-12T12:07:00.009-04:00

Brother Hector

Emily and Bri and a new friend

On Saturday some new friends arrived at the CHI Headquarters from UNC Chapel Hill. We knew that being Tarheels they HAD to be good people. But we didn't know what a blessing God had in store for us. Emily, Bri, and Emily's Mom, Jill came hauling a UHaul trailer full of athletic shoes which Emily and Bri have been collecting over the course of several months. Their project was called Kicks for Community and they have gathered over 1,000 pairs of shoes for the needy. Among several other places, the Lord led them to CHI to distribute some of the shoes. Yesterday we went unannounced into one of the poorest communities in Reynosa with the hopes of offering some of the shoes. Brother Hector is a missionary/pastor who has been led to develop this community known as a "colonia" to help these people in the name of Christ. The community is located on the Rio Grande River which marks the border with the U.S. Many of the people here are refugees from other Central and South American countries who have tried to get into the U.S. and have been deported. They come hungry, dirty, and hopeless. Brother Hector tries to meet their physical needs as he ministers to their spiritual needs.

When we arrived they were having Bible study in the "chapel". CHI Director, Betsy, went in and asked Brother Hector if it would be possible to distribute shoes and he said most definitely. As I said, this was an unplanned trip. However , after he introduced us to the group of about 50 he testified that just an hour earlier a man had arrived with shoes that were full of holes and far past their prime. Brother Hector requested that he be given some shoes and was told there were none. They prayed that the Lord would meet this man's need. A little more than an hour later we arrived. Isn't God AMAZING!! It was such a blessing to see God use His people in such a tangible way. Because Bri and Emily were willing to do what God laid on their hearts back in Chapel Hill the needs of souls in Reynosa were met. And not only were the people of the Colonia blessed, but ALL of us were blessed.

Brother Hector then took us around the community and showed us how it basically runs, what they have done already and what they are planning to do to improve the quality of life for these people as they minister to them spiritually. I believe if you looked up "Faith Based Ministry" in the dictionary you would see a picture of Brother Hector and the Colonias. He said that from one day to the next they do not know where the food they eat will come from, but they have never gone without a meal. God is all sufficient!!

The boys and I were talking about the experience last night. We agreed that these people with "nothing" all seemed happier than most people who have everything. We look forward to many more experiences such as this. And, even more, we look forward to the changes these experiences will make in our spiritual lives.

Looking ever to Him...

Still Swine-Free!

2009-05-05T20:45:00.004-04:00

Well, the hand -washing is not in vain. We are still swine flu-free in South Texas! Aside from the "pandemic" taking over local news things here are quite normal. While we continue to wait for our belongings to pass through customs we are really enjoying being at headquarters.

Brad has spent a lot of time preparing for the mission teams that will start coming in June. He has had to calm some fears regarding the swine flu and recent drug violence. His gift for encouragement has served him well in these situations. He has also made a few trips to the Children's Home and been able to get some work done there. At this time we are working to complete an addition to the school and a new dormitory.

The boys just amaze me! They have acclimated so quickly to so many changes. Their typical day consists of sleeping until about 8am, eating breakfast and heading to the Thrift Store to see what they can do. They have all three become fast buddies with Jesse Curtsinger, one of the volunteers here. He and his wife, Darlene, are here everyday taking care of the thrift store and all of the donations that come in. Jesse makes a lot of pick ups from people wanting to donate items and the boys like to go with him. Let's just say they're all on the same page! Jesse has a sense of humor any boy would relate to. And Jackson loves him because he let Jackson mop the Thrift Store! If you know Jackson at all, you know that Jesse will be his friend for life. I'm proud of the way that we've seen the boys just jump in and help out . The other day we looked out the front window of the offices and saw Miller helping an elderly lady carry her purchases to the car. They were carrying on a conversation like they had known eachother forever. Another day Brandon spent an hour or so stuffing and stamping envelopes for a mailing Betsy was sending out. This is the kind of stuff you can't get in school. I just praise God that he is at work in the hearts of our children. To Him be ALL the glory!

I have enjoyed the past nine days more than I can say. I would have thought that it would drive me crazy waiting this long for our belongings. But, I know with certainty that God has given us this time to continue to prepare us for all that lies ahead. We are gaining an understanding of the business side of the this ministry that we wouldn't have otherwise. And, most importantly, we are forging lasting relationships with wonderful Christians brothers and sisters.

I'm also having fun because of the projects I get to work on while here. I've started repainting the tired and faded Thrift Store sign that hangs out front. You all know that's right up my alley! I also have the privilege of updating the CHI website. I'm learning lots of new computer skills and putting my creativity to work. I can't wait for you all to see the finished project. One more task I hope to accomplish while here is to redecorate the lobby of the headquarters. This is the room that visitors first enter upon arrival and it also is looking a bit tired and faded. I can't wait! Visions of paint chips are dancing in my head!!

We will continue to share our adventures here with you and as soon as we get our computer we will begin adding pictures and videos. Thanks for your prayers, emails, phone calls. We love and miss you all...

Looking to Him,
The Boyles

Wash Your Hands, Wash Your Hands, Wash Your Hands!!!

2009-04-29T21:22:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we have arrived safely in Texas. Our furniture is still going through customs in Laredo. We were expecting that we would arrive before our belongings and with the situation right now in Mexico we are seeing it as yet another way that the Lord is leading us and protecting us. Although the health situation in Reynosa is not that of Mexico City we are being cautious. The boys are avoiding any eye contact with me for fear that I will make them wash their hands again! That is my new mantra "Wash Your Hands! We have to be cautious!!" You can all rest assured that we are taking this seriously and, most importantly, we are seeking the Lord's protection.

In the meantime, we are staying at the Children's Haven Headquarters in Pharr, Texas. They have a one bedroom trailer that is used for just such purposes. It is cozy and, best of all, air conditioned! But really the best part is that we are situated right next door to CHI directors Betsy and Randall and their three-year-old son Benjamin. They are so gracious and have made sure that we do not get lonely. We've been able to share some wonderful fellowship and meals with them and the boys have taken Benjamin under their wings.

The headquarters, along with the administrative offices, houses a Thrift Store that benefits the children's home. It is run by some wonderful volunteers who have also been more than gracious to us. Today the boys and I had the opportunity to work in the store for a couple of hours and we really enjoyed it. I think this is something we will continue to help with as often as possible. Although, I'm not sure if the boys like working or shopping there more. In just two days Miller has added three new hats to his collection!

On Monday we were able to take the boys to see our rental house in Reynosa and they love it! It was a blessing for us to see their excitement. They have been such troopers through all of these many months and many changes. We are very proud of them and we know that the Lord has very special plans for each one of them.

Another fun thing we did was go to the grocery store in Reynosa. Wow! The variety and the prices thrilled me. I decided, however, that between the peso/dollar conversion and the pound/kilogram conversion that I will have to use my iPod to know how much things actually are for a while. I'll be the slow American girl holding her iPod and a pencil through the store!

I want to thank all of you for praying for us and ask you to please keep them coming. Aside from the obvious health issues, please pray for our belongings to get through customs soon and for us to quickly learn the language. Also, please remember the children and the house parents at the home. Pray for their health as well during this time of concern.

We will let you know as soon as we get to move into our house. Until then, God bless...

"Semi" crazy!

2009-03-31T08:36:00.008-04:00

Just wanted to post a quick update for everyone. The moving truck arrived yesterday afternoon. By the grace of God and the help of my Mom I was able to get most of the packing finished over the weekend. Brad and a friend from church loaded appliances, couches, and beds. Today we will continue with the rest of the furniture and the many, many boxes. Because we are crossing the border, EVERY box, piece of furniture, item, every last thing that goes into the truck has to be labled in English and Spanish with its contents and a number. Then these numbers go on a master list for the customs agents. Needless to say, we are "semi" crazy! However, the biggest blessing of the day came around lunch time, when a young lady called to ask if she could come see the house. She was interested in renting. Brad told her it was fine but she would have to maneuver through the boxes and the chaos. I believe my exact words were "Just our luck!". Long story short...we have renters!!! And the best part is they don't need to move in for about a week. Phew!! Once again, God shows up and takes care of business. And, yes Brad, I was being a pessimist!

We continue to wait for all the necessary paperwork to come for our visas, but we learned yesterday that they do not have to be in hand for the truck to leave for Texas. That's great news because we really want to get our stuff down there asap.

We are staying at Brad's parents for the next two weeks. Then we will head down to see my parents for a few days after Easter. Then back up here for our final adieu. We still have a lot of work here, but God's grace is sufficient. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement. Please continue to lift us up. Pray for us to keep our focus on the Lord and for our family to remain peaceful despite the stressfual circumstances. We praise God that our house rented in His time and we continue to pray for the sale of the Corvette, the Gator, and our cows.

We will try to keep the blog updated over the next few weeks, but it will, undoubtedly be sporadic. God Bless for now...

419 Sierra Niltepec

2009-03-24T08:50:00.010-04:00

Well, we've been praying for months now that the Lord would lead us to the street and the house that He had prepared for us and, praise be to Him, He has...419 Sierra Niltepec! Aside from a long day of delayed flights on Thursday we made it safely to Reynosa on Friday and by Sunday afternoon we were signing our lease. We could not have done it without our good friends and Children's Home directors Betsy and Randall. Randall had graciously set up appointments all day Friday for us to see houses in a variety of areas, price ranges, and sizes. I'm not exaggerating when I say we probably looked at 10-12 houses in one day!

It had become a bit of a joke between Brad and I that while I was praying for safe, big , and pretty, he was praying CHEAP!! Well God heard us both! We could not ask for a better place for our family to experience Reynosa. The Lord has blessed us with abundantly more than we ever expected. He never ceases to amaze!

Now, the countdown is on. In four weeks, Lord willing, we will be on our way. We've had a few snaffoos with our visas which are a requirement to have our belongings moved. However, we've got the ball rolling again and we know God will get them here in the right time.

The tractor trailer which will carry our belongings is being delivered on March 30th! That means we need to get everything packed to go asap and we will be staying with Brad's parents until we leave on April 20. (Pray for them!!) We still need to rent our primary house and sell the animals and Brad's Corvette, so please pray for us in that regard.

Thanks to everyone who has prayed for us to find our house. Please continue to keep us lifted up as we get closer to d-day. We will need abundant grace to get everything completed. Pray also for our parents and our friends and family here that they will have the peace and comfort that only God can provide in this situation.

I'm attaching a video tour of the house in Reynosa. Please don't judge me too harshly! Brad called me the HGTV girl... :)

(Be sure to pause the Playlist on the right so you can hear the video!)

God bless!

"If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land ..."

2009-03-11T10:36:00.005-04:00

I think it is safe to assume that most of us know the story of Moses and the Israelites. Many have watched Charlton Heston lead the Hebrew slaves across the Red Sea on dry ground with the Pharoah's chariots closing in from behind. We've seen Moses standing at Mt. Sinai holding the stone tablets etched with God's ten commandments. But there is lot more to the story. Yes, the Lord delivered His people from the bondage of Egypt but they were not yet willing to free their minds from bondage. God promised to make Israel His chosen people and give them a promised land "which flows with milk and honey". He performed miracle after miracle before them and provided their every need from the moment they departed Egypt. All the while they worried and complained and fretted and fussed. But the saddest moment came when they were about to cross over to the Promised Land. The Lord told Moses to "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan...". They were instructed to basically scout the land and bring back a report along with samples of the crops growing there. So for forty days 12 men explored Canaan and when they returned they reported that "It truly flows with milk and honey..." and they brought evidence of the bountiful crops growing there. However, of the 12 scouts, 10 declared "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." Only Joshua and Caleb reported differently. They "tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying ' The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.' " Joshua and Caleb were not super saints. They were ordinary guys just like the other 10. The difference was in their focus. The 10 were, like so many of us, focused on the problem at hand, a land full of giants who looked like they could whip 'em! But Joshua and Caleb looked beyond the problem to the ultimate problem solver...GOD! They were not stupid. They knew that they had no chance against the people of Canaan, but they knew God had their backs! They remembered all the miracles they had seen since they left Egypt. They remembered how God had provided their every need. They knew He would not desert them now. The sad part of the story is that the doubt and unbelief of the Isrealites cost them dearly. God sent them wandering through the desert for another 40 years. God promised them that Joshua and Caleb would be the only ones of their generation to enter the Promised Land.

As most of you know the news is littered with stories of Mexico and border towns and drug cartels. Many of you have voiced your concerns to us and admittedly we have had some moments of fear and doubt. But we are not going to be one of "the 10". We "know whom [we ]have believed and [are] convinced that He is able to guard what [we] have entrusted to Him for that day." Our God is not surprised by recent happenings in Mexico. We can have faith and trust that He who called us to this goes ahead of us and takes care of every detail. We can't choose to trust Him in some areas and not in others. We are not oblivious and we do not have our heads in the sand, we just choose to focus on the Problem Solver and not the problem.

Looking ever to the cross,
The Boyles

Mexico sounds better everyday!!!

2009-03-02T11:43:00.005-05:00

Flashbacks of Michigan spring have been haunting me all morning!! I have a March birthday and I remember celebrating many birthdays with an inch or more of snow still covering the ground. But that was Michigan! This is my beloved North Carolina and she is not supposed to do this to me!!! Oh, don't worry I'm only a little serious. What I really wonder is if this isn't God's way of making Mexico sound better everyday.

Since our last post we had the mammoth moving sale and it was quite the success. Aside from people knocking our door down beginning on Friday morning (the sale was Saturday !) and calling to ask if they could come at 5:00am it went very well. We sold a lot, gave away a lot, and most importantly we have nothing big left that we have to haul away. We also had fun telling our story to so many who asked where we are moving. We even got to share with some families who moved here from Mexico!

Our next big event on the calendar is speaking at Hull's Grove North on March 15th. This is the satellite location of our home church. We're looking forward to sharing our story with these Brothers and Sisters and seeking their financial support for our trip. Please be in prayer for us that we would share what God wants us to and He would move in the hearts of His people on our behalf.

March 19th Brad and I will fly to Reynosa for 4 days to find a house to rent. We know that the Lord has a specific house in a specific location for us and we are praying that he will lead us to it. Issues that are important are safety, cost, and size. Betsy and Randall Chacon, the orphanage director and her husband, will be our guides and translators. Please pray that we find just what we need in the time we have.

We have been researching our options for moving our belongings and we think we have found the best choice. Because we have to go through customs it is not an easy task. It looks like we will be sending a tractor trailer down three weeks before we actually move because there is a possibility that it could get held up in customs for that long. This means we have to have everything packed and loaded on the trailer by April 1st!!! This stresses me out because that is three weeks less than I was expecting to have for packing. Please pray that the Lord will pour His grace out on us and we will be able to get it all done. Also, please continue to pray for the rental of our primary house and the sale of our animals and Brad's corvette.

Thanks to everyone who continues to send in financial support. We are very close to reaching our goal. You are such a blessing and we know that the Lord will bless you as well. We will do our best to keep you all updated as the weeks go by and we get closer to d-day!!

God Bless...

Jehova-Jireh

2009-02-18T08:39:00.002-05:00

"Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, Jehovah-Jireh(the LORD will provide); as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided." Genesis 22:13-14

In the scriptures God is given many different names. Each name is a reflection of some part of His character. Jehovah-Jireh translates "the LORD will provide". We have certainly seen this aspect of God's character throughout our lives. But Sunday evening He not only showed up, He showed off! Brad and I had the opportunity to speak before our home congregation on Sunday about our calling. We shared our testimonies and some of the details of our mission. Our Pastor challenged the church family to prayerfully consider how they could help us financially and make committments. We were confident that our brothers and sisters would help and support us, but we had no idea how God would move in the hearts of his people on our behalf. The committments we recieved far exceeded anything we had hoped for. Once again, we found that we had underestimated the power of Jehovah-Jireh. We give Him all glory for this amazing show of support. We also thank our precious brothers and sisters at Hulls Grove Baptist. May God bless each and everyone of you for allowing Him to be His hands and feet as He furthers His kingdom.

2009-02-09T18:29:00.002-05:00

Reckless Faith?

As I write this post the Huss family is moving into the farmhouse. Praise the LORD! We praise Him not just for sending renters, but for sending the right renters. No, the Huss's are not the people I told you about in our last post. That family took the lease home to look it over and sign it and never returned. Brad put the sign back out on January 31 and by February 1 it was rented again! We don't know why the first renters didn't come back, but we know God had something to do with it. We can get all the information in the world about someone on a piece of paper but in the end you're still taking a chance. We can only depend wholly on God's judgement. We prayed for Him to send honest, dependable renters and we believe he has. Thank you, LORD! Please be in prayer for the Huss's and their children that the Lord's will would be done in their lives.

I know that this post will not fully convey to you the excitement the LORD has put in our hearts this week, but I'll give it a try. Getting the farmhouse emptied and ready for the renters was a huge load off of us. Until I began I did not realize how much we had accumulated in this house that we use primarily for guests. But I can say with confidence we will be having one MAMMOTH moving sale in two weeks! We have come to the realization over the past few years that having a lot of stuff is a lot of burden. We know that part of what God wants us to learn through all of this is that we don't need very much at all . As I am going through things I have three categories: Mexico, storage, and moving sale. Sounds cut and dry. It's NOT! The nagging question in my mind is "What if I need this in Mexico?" But then the Spirit whispers "Let it go!". I'm getting there. (Just a little side note. Brad IS there!! If it were up to him I think we would go with backpacks!!) See, I knew I wouldn't be able to convey the excitement. But just know that all this letting go and checking things off of the to-do list each day are HUGE for us. We know that everyday we are closer to this adventure beginning and we can't wait.

A good friend from church gave us a book yesterday called Reckless Faith by Beth Guckenberger. Brad and I both finished it today!! It is about Beth and her husband Todd who are missionaries at an orphanage in Monterrey, Mexico. I felt like I could have written parts of this book about myself. It encouraged us and spurred us on in our work more than I can say! God is so AWESOME like that! Our friend had been carrying the book around for us since December. When she apologized I said, "God knew when we needed it." We had been feeling a bit discouraged by people and the things that some have said to us, but He reminded us that we are not doing this for people. We are doing this for Him and for His glory. None of it makes sense in human terms. But Brad and I want our family to have a "reckless faith". We don't want to live by man's logic or worship a God of our own making who does things OUR way in OUR time. We've learned enough times that our way is usually not so great. But when we put our trust in Him and act on faith it's nothing short of miraculous.

We feel closer than ever to God at this time and we are daily amazed at how He is revealing Himself to us. We still have much to accomplish in just a few short months, but we know we can do it through His power. Thankfully, we have received some more letters of financial committment and we praise Him for that. We will be making a presentation for our church on February 15th about our trip and we will be asking for committments then. Please be in prayer for us that God would provide the remaining funds necessary.

We also need prayers concerning the rental or our primary house, the sale of Brad's corvette, the sale of our animals, the sale of our John Deere Gator , and a successful moving sale. Please leave us a comment here and let us know that you're praying for us. We really love to hear from everyone.

God Bless!!

Time Marches On...

2009-01-11T21:57:00.008-05:00

Let me start with my apologies for the delay in posting. A few people have commented on my lack of updates. I won't mention any names (Jenny and Doug!) because I'm sure they are only looking out for us. ;) Seriously though, we are just like all of you...way too busy! That coupled with the fact that we haven't had any "news' to report until lately is the reason for the quiet blog.

As usual, our timeline and God's are very different. Although relatively speaking we have not been waiting long it has been longer than we thought it would be. When we heard God call us and then saw so many doors of opportunity open so quickly to us we just assumed that things would continue to move at a fast pace. Needless to say, the Lord needed to do a little more preparing both physically and spiritually.

Our original plan was to sell our farm. We listed it in August. This in itself was a huge step because we love the farm and we know that it was the Lord who led us here in the first place. However, our desire to do His will outweighs all of that and after much prayer, discussion, and , I must admit, a few tears we put it on the market. Although the housing market went south about that time we know God can do what man cannot.

Well, time marches on and continuing in prayer and discussion we soon realized maybe the sale of the farm was not what God wanted, but just to know that we are willing. Most of you know the story in Genesis of Abraham , father of the Israelite Nation. At roughly the ages of 100 and 91 he and his wife Sarah finally had their promised son Isaac. God had made a covenant many years earlier with Abraham promising him that his offspring would be numbered "like the stars" and that they would become a great nation. Sometime later when Isaac was preteen age God essentially told Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord. Abraham did not question God. He went in absolute obedience to the place God had told him to go and went as far as lifting his knife to kill his promised son. However, at that very moment the Lord cried out to him and told him to stop. God said, "Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." (Gen. 22:12) God didn't mean for Abraham to give up Isaac, he only needed to know that Abraham was willing and obedient. It was a test of faith and Abraham passed with flying colors.

As we continue to seek Gods will and his guidance daily He may reveal to us that we do, in fact, need to sell the farm, and if He does we are fine with that. However, at this time we feel led otherwise. All that to say that we have rented our farm house/guest house beginning February 1st. We put out a "For Rent" sign and had it rented within a week. Our plan at this time is to finish up with all that needs to be done here, rent our primary house and leave for Mexico around April 15th. (wow, that looks real easy in writing!!!)

Since our last post we have sold our Honda Civic and LOTS of pigs. We've had one yard sale, but we'll definitely need to have another. And most importantly, we have sent out the majority of our support letters. All I can say is WOW!! God is so good and we are so humbled. Many of you have already given of your means or pledged to help us monthly while we are away. We know that God has this all planned out and He knows who will give to our ministry, but we get to be surprised! We are truly thankful to have such loving and supportive friends and family. We pray for you that you will be doubly blessed and that God's will be done in your lives. We are still far from what we need financially but we know that God will provide in His time.

As far as our to-do list, we still have a LOT to be done and we really need your prayers. Please pray that we do not become overwhelmed. Pray that we are led by the Holy Spirit and do nothing in our own strength. God has called us to this mission and we know that He will equip us, but we also know that satan does not want this to happen. So please pray for our spiritual, physical, and emotional protection.

We will do our best to keep you updated, but if it takes us awhile you'll understand....

In His Time

2008-09-24T08:32:00.005-04:00

We can check two more items off the list!! About two weeks ago we sold our bull calf to a man from South Carolina. Selling the calf was a blessing on its own but it gets better. The gentleman who bought it was a fellow believer who has been to Reynosa with his church!! Wow, God is cool!! When he asked where we would be moving to and Brad told him our story he explained that his church went down to work at another children's home in Reynosa. They were a little disappointed in the trip because they did not get to stay at the children's home and therefore did not get much interaction with the children. After hearing about Children's Haven and the chance to really impact the chilren there he is going back to his church to present the possibility of visiting us there next year!! I just continue to be amazed at how God has blessed us so much already and we have not even left yet. He's just paving the way for us.

Oh yeah, number two on the list ....the tractor. We have a dear family friend who helps us with the animals whenever we travel and sometimes borrows the tractor. When he found out Brad was ready to sell the tractor he was immediately interested. Yesterday he said he wants the tractor and all the attachments. This is a big relief for Brad and again, it puts us one step closer to the goal.

We were talking about things last night and how we can see now that God has been preparing us for this all along. For me, one of the biggest blessings of my relationship with Christ has been the "aha!" moments He gives me. These are the times when I can look back at times in my life, good or bad, and see how He has used it. At those moments I am thankful for even the struggles because I know that they have prepared me for all that he has planned for my life.

A year ago if someone had asked me about the possibility of giving up all the "stuff" and becoming a missionary I don't think I could have imagined it and yet today I can't imagine anything else. I thank God for changing our hearts and molding our wills to be His.

Chipping away at the to-do list!

2008-08-31T16:51:00.002-04:00

We were able to check three big things off of our to-do list this week. Yesterday we received our passports in the mail. We feel so official now! And we can't wait to get that first stamp. On Friday we sold our Honda Civic. Yippee!! And, best of all, we were able to get a storage unit for everything that we won't be taking with us. But what makes it so great is that we got it for FREE!! Some very kind Christian friends of ours own a storage facility and have graciously offered us a unit for the length of our stay. It is their donation to our mission. Is that cool or what!!

We were getting a bit discouraged about all that has to be done before we can leave and, as usual, God reminded us that He has everything under control. Although we still have MUCH to do we know that God does not expect us to do it in our own strength. He will be right there every step of the way. And we'll just keep chipping away...

2008-08-26T17:09:00.007-04:00

We've read Jesus' Great Commission(Matthew 28:19-20) many times, but we never imagined how much His words would come to affect our family. Over the course of the last year the Lord has been burdening our hearts for the lost. In the spring of this year we both finally voiced what we felt He had been telling us individually. We realized we were being called into missions. Although we knew what the Lord wanted us to do, we had no idea where. We prayed earnestly for guidance and for doors of opportunity to be opened. Both of us felt a particular burden for the people of Mexico and South America. In April Brad had the opportunity to take a mission trip to a children's home in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. To make a very long story short, God opened a door! The children's home needs a full time construction manager to oversee renovations and new construction on the property. We were able to return to Reynosa as a family in June and God made it clear that this was the "where".

We will be working in the city of Reynosa with over 500,000 people. The city is right across the border from McAllen, Texas. It is a growing city and has many opportunities to share Christ. We will be working at Children's Haven International, a Christian children's home with 52 wonderful children. The home needs a lot of remodeling and they have plans to add 3-4 buildings in the future including: a school, daycare center, medical clinic, and a church.

Not only will we have the opportunity to minister to these precious children and the house parents who care for them, but we will have great opportunities to impact the community for the Lord. We do not know at this time how long we will be in Reynosa, but we know that God has a plan for us and we are very excited to begin our journey.

Please pray for our family as we embark on this adventure. It will mean MANY changes for us. Pray that we keep our focus on the goal...telling others about our Savior, Jesus Christ.