Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Yes, I know it's still September, but we've begun thinking about Christmas already, and we would love for you to do the same. Our annual Christmas outreach at Kilometer 33 will be held on Saturday, December 15th, and we are in the planning stages for our toy drive.

Over the past five years, we've seen the smiles on thousands of children's faces as they received what was for most of them the only Christmas presents they would be given, and we've also seen the smiles on the thousands of people who have taken part in this exercise of generosity and love to a child in a poverty-stricken environment. I'm truly not sure who is more blessed as a result of this act of kindness, the giver or the recipient.

We've had family after family come up and tell us the joy they experienced in taking the focus off themselves and their children during this season and shopping for someone else as a family, putting feet to their faith and loving the least of these in Christ's name. This is truly a way to underscore to our children that Christmas is about giving, not about getting, and that loving others through giving to them demonstrates the love God showed to us in sending Christ for our salvation.

The concept is simple - we ask people to fill a bag or a shoebox with gifts for a girl or boy in Mexico. The cost doesn't have to be exorbitant, but we do ask that you spend at least $10 on one of the gifts that will be included, reaffirming the message that we teach these kids all year round, that they are of value to God. The box can contain all sorts of little items in addition to this gift - crayons, pencils, toothbrushes and toothpaste, Barbies, action figures, balls, costume jewelry - anything that would bring a smile to a child's face.

We collect these toys for three weekends, November 25th, December 2nd, and December 9th. The toys are then shipped to Juarez, where we spend several days organizing the gifts into age- and gender-appropriate categories, and they are given out as part of our Christmas outreach event on Saturday, December 15th. We have a large group of medical and dental professionals who come along on this trip and provide clinics free of charge for several days surrounding the outreach event, and we provide food, fun and gifts for the kids in the community, but the most important factor of this entire outreach is to share the gospel with these kids and their parents that attend. Each year, we see God move in marvelous ways, and hearts are opened to Him and respond in surrender to His call on their lives.

We want to open up this opportunity on a grass-roots level to anyone that wants to take part in this outreach. If you are interested in presenting this opportunity to your church, small group, Bible study, or even your work place, please let us know and we will be happy to supply you with information that you can pass along. We know that others are blessed as they give, so we make no apology for asking people to be involved in this very hands-on way of being Jesus' hands and feet to others who are in need.

In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day,...or Monkey Poo On Your Shoes!

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is the title of an inspiring little book we just finished reading. The book is about a brief but interesting story in 2 Samuel 23:20 about Benaiah, who amongst other fearless acts of bravery, literally chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed him. The overall theme of this book is to take on the lions in our lives with boldness and courage. This book is a godsend to us personally, because over the past couple of months we’ve been surrounded by a whole pack of hungry lions!

After we rescued Mariquita, who was abducted from Kilometer 33 this past July, the Tarahumara Indians have been trying to cause us problems because they believe we overstepped our bounds by getting involved in their private affairs. Others are jealous that their children cannot live at Una Esperanza and are trying to cause us problems. Some are angry because we now close the ministry center early each day so that the girls living there have at least some privacy during the day. Maria and Alicia’s (Mariquita) absent and abusive father is threatening to take them away from Una Esperanza. A few months ago the person who has provided an aircraft for this ministry over the past two-years decided to sell it, so we are currently an aviation ministry without a plane. Our funds are getting dangerously low and we have a ministry center, seven staff members, and a girls home to support! Lions everywhere!

Looking at our current circumstances, I suppose we could chose to live in fear, with doubts, uncertainty and despair, questioning why are we even fighting this battle? After all, we’ve poured out our lives (and a great deal of money) into those we’ve helped over the past five years, and for what? A pack of angry lions trying to tear us to pieces?

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is about examining how we as Christians should react to the lions in our lives. We have to make a conscious choice on how we are going to react to these lions. When faced with these ferocious man-eating killers, we can run, cower and live in fear, or we can pick up the sword and go on the offensive! God’s word is this sword as described in Eph 6:17. We can choose to believe what God says about us and our situation, and we’ll be empowered to take on these lions with boldness and confidence knowing that we will be victorious!

We’ve chosen to pick up this sword and go on the offensive! We’re marching on with a boldness like never before in spite of our circumstances. Throughout all of these challenges we truly have peace, joy, courage, contentment and confidence. This ministry belongs to God and He has assured us that it will go forth, and nothing that the enemy can throw at us can stand in the way of victory. After all, the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. He is first and foremost a liar and his fate is sealed.

Lesli describes the recent attacks by the enemy as being similar to going to the zoo and having a monkey throwing poo at you when you walk by his cage. The enemy spends a great deal of time hurling poo at God’s children, hoping that some of it will stick. It makes us laugh because when we choose to stand in God’s truth, it is as if God raises up such a wind that the poo blows right back into the monkey’s face!

We know that the reason the enemy has been throwing so much poo at us lately is because God is getting ready to do something incredible through this ministry, and the enemy hates it. We also know that God will provide all that we need in His timing. He will provide protection for our children at Una Esperanza, the financial resources to continue the ministry, protection from lies, and a new plane. In the meantime He has provided us with a poo-shield to fight off the attacks of the angry monkeys and a sword to slay the ferocious lions. We’re confident in Him and His word and we will be victorious!

Update:

As of today, Maria and Alicia (Mariquita) are still living at Una Esperanza, praise God! Please continue to pray that God would protect them from the threat of being taken away and that they would remain safely at the ministry center.

Pray For Our Girls!

We have another urgent prayer request!
After we rescued Mariquita, who was abducted from Kilometer 33 this past July, we’ve found ourselves at war with some in the Tarahumara Indian community. The Tarahumara do not like anyone getting involved in their affairs and that’s what some of them believe we have done by rescuing Mariquita. They don’t really care about these children, they are just offended that we do care, and some of them have been trying to cause us trouble ever since. We’ve been around the Tarahumara long enough to know that rescuing Mariquita was bound to cause a war, but we also knew that rescuing this precious child was worth everything the enemy (or the Tarahumara) could throw at us. We know that those opposing us are without Jesus, and we really shouldn’t expect them to act any differently.

Maria and Mariquita (who now chooses to go by her given name, Alicia) have lived at Una Esperanza ever since the rescue and both are very happy and adjusting well to the transition. Their father abandoned the family years ago and left them and their mother for another woman. This man has not been in these girls’ lives for years, but he was actually involved in the planning of Mariquita’s abduction. He now lives in Chihuahua City, Mexico and we’ve learned that he is threatening to go to Kilometer 33 and take the girls back to live with him.

Alicia (Mariquita) is only six years old, so we’ve spared her the news of this, but we thought it best to explain the situation to Maria. Maria is terrified at the thought of being forced to leave Una Esperanza to live with a father she doesn’t even know. We know that if he takes them, it will equally traumatize Alicia. We’ve heard stories of how abusive he was when he did live with his family. It’s vital that his plans are thwarted and the girls remain safely at the ministry center.

Please pray for the protection of these precious girls! Pray that this man would have no success in removing these girls from Una Esperanza. Pray that God would send His angels of protection to form a hedge of thorns around them.

I Like This Mindset...

"Truly I prefer by far this life of almost constant trial, if I am only able to roll all my cares upon my Heavenly Father, and thus become increasingly acquainted with Him, to a life of outward peace and quietness, without these constant proofs of His faithfulness, His wisdom, His love, His power, His over-ruling providence, etc." -- George Mueller

Free To Receive...

Well, we've got a prayer request to lay out before you, declaring once again our dependence on God and expecting to see His mighty hand at work in this ministry. Kingdom Flight is without the actual flight part right now. The Kingdom part will always remain. For the past nearly two years, we have been provided with the exclusive use of a Beechcraft Baron through the generosity of a gentleman donating its use for ministry purposes, but the decision was recently made to sell the plane, and so we are without a plane right now. We had known of the probability of this situation for several months, so it was no surprise when it came to pass, but it does put us in the position to see God at work in miraculous ways again.

When we began Kingdom Flight five years ago, we owned a little four-seat, single engine Cessna that was woefully undersized and underpowered for this ministry, and we felt God leading us to sell it to fund this fledgling ministry. We have never regretted that sacrifice, and God has always supplied a plane for us through the generosity of people He has raised up. We were blessed to use a Piper Warrior for several years until it was sold, and now we have been blessed to utilize this Baron as we travel back and forth to the mission field and bring assistance to people in remote areas.

We are praying that God will supply a new plane for this ministry, and we trust that He will bring it to pass. We know that this is a God-sized problem, but we also know that we have a God who loves to work in situations that only He can solve and where He will receive glory. It's been neat to see how God has not only supplied airplanes, but each one has been an "upgrade," so to speak. We know that God is not obligated to go bigger and better each time, but we also know that God gives His best to those who leave the choice up to Him, and we look to Him as our provider.

While the aircraft has never been a focus of our ministry, it is nonetheless an integral part of what we do, and this lack of aircraft could greatly limit what we are able to do as a ministry. We pray that others would not be adversely affected by this deficit right now, and we pray that God would fill this need soon.

We would ask that you would bring this request before God on our behalf as God lays it on your heart. We are encouraged by God's faithfulness and the knowledge that where God guides, He provides, and we also take courage in these words of Hudson Taylor, missionary to China in the late 1800s:

God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.

Free To Give...

I thought I'd share today's daily devotional from Henry Blackaby. Sometimes it just makes you laugh when God speaks to your situation directly through others!


"Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8b)
There is no room for misers in God’s kingdom. When we begin to struggle in giving what we have to others, we have forgotten where we received our possessions. Every good thing we have ever received has come from God (James 1:17). All that we have acquired has been dependent upon His grace (1 Cor. 4:7). Job accurately summarized our condition: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, / And naked shall I return there. / The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; / Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

We easily assume a sense of ownership of our possessions, as if they were things we earned ourselves, thereby giving us a right to them. Jesus reminds us to be prepared to give our possessions as freely and joyfully as we received them. It should be a pleasure for us to give what we have to others (2 Cor. 9:7). We ought to be a conduit through whom the Lord can pour His blessings, knowing we will disperse them to everyone around us. Sometimes we claim we are trying to be good stewards of our resources when actually we are being selfish.

If you struggle to give freely to others, you have become more attached to the gift than to the Giver. The account of the rich young ruler shows the tragedy of becoming too attached to worldly treasures (Luke 8:18–24). Meditate on all that your Lord has given to you (John 3:16). Resolve to express your gratitude to Him through your giving.

Free to Follow...

There's a peace that comes from taking the step of faith that God has put before you. We've declared our dependence upon Him and Him only once again, and the freedom that has brought is wonderful. Sometimes when He takes us through a trial, we have to "clean house," so to speak, and we've done just that. We want to remove anything that could limit God in the work He wants to accomplish through us. We believe God is about to open some new amazing doors for Kingdom Flight, and can't wait to see where that leads.

Along those lines, here's a picture of Brad the day he flew the new Kodiak plane up in Idaho this month. The Kodiak has the perfect profile for what we want to accomplish, and will take off and land on dirt strips with ease while carrying any cargo we might need to haul. It is our prayer that God would supply a plane such as this to help us reach the lost and needy in remote areas in the days to come.

Truth or Consequences

I love truth. I really do. I used to live a life that was overshadowed by deception. Not so much on my own part willingly deceiving (although I'm sure I did that, too), but by believing Satan's deceptions. Even as a Christian for many years, I did not understand that Satan's primary role against believers is to be the accuser of the brothers (Rev. 12:10). He hurls lies against us and whispers them in our ears all day long, and many of us believe those lies and live in defeat - God could never use you. He's finished with you. You've blown it too much this time. He won't come through for you this time - you'll have to take care of yourself. What if God takes it all away? There's too much going on in the world for Him to care about my life.

I thank God for the day I finally got it that Satan always lies, God cannot lie, and I could discern between the two by measuring it up to the truth of God's word. I love the liberty of living in the light and in the truth. Satan's lies make us want to shrink in shame and avoid God and others. God's truth sets us free from shame.

With all that's been going on with us, while we were spiritually and physically exhausted, Satan has tried overtime to heap shame and fear upon us, but I thank God for His truth that casts out those lies. II Corinthians 10:3-5 are some of my favorite verses in the Bible:

3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We are choosing to take every thought captive and not just let it go wild by ruminating on it. We are choosing to live in the truth of what God says about us, not what Satan would want us to believe. God is still sovereign. He is our provider. He is our defender and vindication. I thank God for the peace that comes from listening to Him and not to the accuser. He is good and faithful, and His love is overwhelming.

Okay, sermon over. I'm not a preacher, and I don't pretend to be, but I just wanted to share what God has been teaching and reminding us. Maybe you're battling Satan's lies, too. Don't believe them!

Changing horses mid-stream, we wanted to share some of the pictures from the fundraiser we enjoyed at Irvine Sports Park right before we left for Mexico a few weeks ago.


We had a great, sunny day at the park, and we met lots of people with great hearts who were interested in getting to know the ministry of Kingdom Flight and support the Casa de Una Esperanza girls home. Our friends Mary and Crystal offered to host this event and did such an amazing job of organizing the whole day and providing lots of food for everyone! We had egg races, three-legged races, water balloon tosses (which of course erupted into water balloon fights!), and my favorite was the watermelon-eating contest. I tried to represent true Southerners to the best of my ability, but I got edged out by Samantha, whose mouth I just cannot compete with!


Brad has posted a new gallery on the Kingdom Flight website, and you can also enjoy pictures on our friend Iggy's blog. We truly appreciate all who came out and supported us, and we look forward to what God will do as a result of this purpose-filled day of fun!

Brad and Lesli and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week...

Anybody remember this book from their childhood? Substitute the word "day" for "week," and that's pretty much been our week. We returned from Una Esperanza yesterday afternoon, and I must say, it was one of our toughest trips ever.

Caution - this is not a post for those who believe Christians are supposed to have it all together and never have a bad day. WE ARE NOT PERFECT AND NEVER WILL BE PERFECT OR PRETEND TO BE SO. I think I still have grit in my mouth from being knocked down in the dirt. It's been hard to get up out of the dirt for the last few days. I feel like I'm only struggling to my knees in faith today.

We are under attack from every side. The Tarahumara seem to be upset with us for rescuing Mariquita and say we have overstepped our boundaries. Others are upset that we have chosen to close the ministry center to the public during certain hours in order to maintain a safe home for the children living there right now and provide a home atmosphere. Some are jealous that their children are not living at the ministry center and are trying to cause trouble. There are border problems that are now forcing us to wait two hours each day to get back and forth across the border. School starts for the girls next week, and the expenses far outweigh our current resources. I lost my Bible. There are other attacks that I can't even mention right now, and this all came to a climax on Thursday, which happened to be our 11th anniversary. I know I'm whining. It's just exhausting sometimes to try to help people, and no one even says thank you as you give and give, and then get knocked down. It sobers me to know that this is how I must treat God sometimes, forgetting to thank Him and just looking at my own "rights."

When we left Una Esperanza the other day, Chelo said one word that pretty much sums it all up - "Guerra" - war. It is warfare, and we recognize it as such, but that doesn't make it any easier to bear this week. We're not out of it yet, and it's still coming from all sides. We need some clear-cut direction from God on our next steps. We're tired and have no strength in ourselves. Prayers on our behalf would be readily appreciated...

Today, I'm deciding to go on the offensive. The enemy has declared war, and that's okay, I'll stand in the truth against his lies. He has already been defeated on the cross of Calvary, and all he can do is spread lies that don't stand up to God's truth, so I will speak truth from God's word as His sword is my offensive weapon. I will take up the shield of faith when I can't see exactly where the fiery darts are coming from. I stand in the knowledge that it is God's will to bring all to a saving knowledge of Him, even if they don't know it yet. I will stand in the knowledge that God is always good, even when I can't see His hand at work in my situation. I will praise God for His faithfulness and His sovereignty, even when my emotions would shout lies that my life is out of His control. I thank God that He has equipped us for every good work, even battling the lies and schemes of the enemy.

I've lived in fear in the past, but I refuse to live at that address anymore. I've moved, and I'm not going back to that neighborhood, even for a visit. God is faithful, and He will deliver us and He will be our defender as we humbly seek to follow Him through this valley.

The one bright, shining moment of this trip was that Noah learned to swim...so I thank God for that today.

EDIT ADD: We did have a wonderful fundraiser at the park the day before we left on this trip - I'll report on that later!

Snug as a Bug in a Rug...

Well, I'll try not to complain when Brad and I get stuck with a standard-sized bed in a Mexican hotel anymore. These six kids and a 15-year-old "big sister" have been sleeping on these two twin mattresses on the floor for about a week, and will be doing so until later this month when the bunk beds are delivered.

We just returned from a quick, five-day trip to Una Esperanza to check on the kids and get things moving on our new convenience store. Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), a student organization from Texas State University, is partnering with us and funding a neighborhood store to help foster self-sustainability in Kilometer 33. Despite thunderstorms and lightning, Juan and his sons broke ground the other day and the footings and concrete floor should be in place by now.

In addition to the four girls we had before, we now have another eight-year-old girl, Juanita, and her almost three-year-old brother, Victor, living at Una Esperanza full-time. Little Juanita has lived at the ministry center off and on in the past year, and she seems to be so happy living with the other girls. We hadn't planned on a boy, but Victor's smile is heartwarming and he seems to be adjusting well also.

We brought the girls two new bikes and a wagon, and boy did they have a ball playing with them! Chelo took the girls downtown and got them all haircuts, and they looked so adorable. While we were there, we also had a de-licing day, trying to get that issue under control, which is an ever-present problem. The kids really are responding well to their new routines, and the girls are so enjoying wearing clean clothes each day. Mariquita used to wear the same outfit for four or five days when we would be at Una Esperanza. She was so dirty much of the time. Now, we have to restrain her from wanting to change clothes two and three times a day!

Many, many needs come along with feeding all these mouths and washing their clothes. The actual cost of this room has far exceeded the projected estimate, so we are just trusting God to provide for these kids. He keeps reminding us that this is definitely beyond our ability or capacity, and He is our provider! We went to Sam's Club and spent a bunch stocking up on food for the kids and trying to introduce some healthy food into their diets. Chelo's outdoor washing machine broke while we were there, so we'll have to get her a new one. She still dries the clothes on a clothes line, but the thunderstorms last week kind of negated her efforts to stay up on the laundry!

We also have made room for big Juanita, a 15-year-old girl who has been on our staff at the ministry center since January as a helper with a feeding program. Juanita is one of the few Tarahumara who have accepted Christ as their Savior and is serious in her walk with God, and she's kind of going through the fire, so to speak, right now. Her dad is an alcoholic and left the family several months ago to live with another woman and start another family. In response to his actions, Juanita's mother began an affair with another man and moved out, leaving Juanita to take care of her two brothers and a cousin who lived at their house. No one in the family has been supportive of Juanita's decision to follow Christ, and many in the community have become outright hostile toward her because of her stance for Christ. She has recently received threats of physical danger because of her decision to follow Christ, and she is now living at Una Esperanza, acting as a big sister to all the little ones and taking care of them during the day.

Please keep Juanita in your prayers. I truly believe that Juanita is a catalyst for change in this community. We prayed and held her the other day as she cried. She is so burdened for her people to know Christ, and it's not easy for her to respond with love to people who are physically threatening her and attempting to disparage her reputation in the community. I believe that the love they see through this changed young woman will win others to Christ.

I'm reading a book titled Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli right now, and it's really impacting me. Truly living our lives to know God and demonstrate Him to others is messy. Thank God He doesn't require "perfect" Christians who have it all together. He sees our hearts and sees beyond our failures and our trip-ups. He loves us and can still use us. As I look around our little community of Kilometer 33, I see some who are trying to look "religious" and are of absolutely no use to the cause of Christ, and then I see those who are faltering and embarrased when they fall, but at least they're authentically trying to know God and follow Him. Those are the people I want to hang out with, to call my friends. I thank God that He still chooses to use me even when I mess things up and don't appear very "spiritual."

On a lighter note, Noah finally lost his first tooth on this mission trip and was quite proud of his snaggle-tooth smile! You can see many more photos from this trip at the most recent photo gallery on our website. Thanks for your prayers and support!

Building a New Life...

Brad and I have been dealing with the after-effects of our trip to go rescue our little goat-herder, which have manifested themselves in a nice case of the dreaded Mexican Goat Cold. I guess if you hug on sick kids, you're going to share in their colds... :) This is a rather tenacious cold, but it's got to get better eventually, right?

We've posted a new video and a photo gallery from our adventure with Mariquita on our homepage. It's amazing to me to watch this video and see how God led us each step of the way...

I just wanted to give a quick update on life at Una Esperanza. Mariquita, Maria, Dulce and Jessica all seem to be settling into a nice daily routine while living with Juan and Chelo's family. These girls have been so used to roaming the streets on their own, without any accountability, we had worried that it might be a tough transition to be "tied down" with rules, but they actually seem to welcome the security of having to live within parameters.


Here's the room where the girls will live until Casa de Una Esperanza is built. Juan had the four walls up by the time we brought Mariquita back, and he's expected to be pretty much done with the room by the time we return to Una Esperanza next week. While we were in Juarez, we purchased a new refrigerator for Juan and Chelo's home (I'm pretty sure the model they had was from the 1970's...) as well as mattresses, bedding, towels, clothes, a dresser, and Barbies for the girls.

It's interesting to note how closely the Tarahumara in our community are watching us right now. They all know Mariquita's story, and they are watching to see how we deal with the kids, and if we will be true to our word to provide a better life for her and watch out for her. We know this is a crucial time in our ministry to the Tarahumara, and we ask for your prayers as we live out our daily lives in plain view. They live such a separated lifestyle, and want nothing to do with "outsiders."

I was so reminded of Romans 10:14-15 the other day:
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
And again in verse 20:
"...'I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."

There is such unrest in the Tarahumara population in Kilmeter 33. The women are out fist-fighting in the streets. They attempt to stone one another in their anger. The men are drunk or absent much of the time. There is jealousy, envy and malice toward each other. There is a definite spiritual battle going on, and they don't seem to know their lives could be different. I'm not talking about poverty. I don't believe that to be the underlying problem. They are given free food, but it doesn't solve the root problem, which is a lack of Hope. However, the concept of Hope sounds rather academic until they see life change in people they know. We are praying that God will bring about that life change in the Tarahumara that have accepted Christ as their Savior. All our words mean nothing until they see love in what we do.

P.S. I learned about half-way through this story with Mariquita that I had been mis-spelling her name, so I've attempted to correct it in all the prior posts...

Rescued!!!

Wow. Where do I even begin? The last two days have been such a testimony to God's guiding hand and protection. As you can tell from the picture to the left, the bottom line is that Mariquita is back with us, and as I speak, she is out splashing in the pool at the Holiday Inn Express.

Let me backtrack a bit. We left Juarez Thursday morning and drove about ten hours into the mountains, still trying to pinpoint exactly where she was in these mountains. Patsy had gotten the names of some larger towns around the place she was supposed to be, but we also had to take into account the fact that (1) sometimes Tarahumara simply refer to the region in which they live, (2) many of these towns are not actually on any map, and (3) every town seems to end in "-chi" and they all sound remarkably alike.

After finding a name that looked like what the Tarahumara were saying on the map, we headed for Creel, which is kind of like a gateway to Barranca del Cobre, and has a very large Tarahumara population. There were ominous storm clouds overhead and it was raining as we drove through the twisty mountain roads, and as we rounded a corner about 30 kilometers from Creel, we saw a car coming from the opposite direction go off the road and dive down a 20-foot cliff at full speed. Knowing full well these roads weren't very populated for long stretches, we pulled over to try to help. As I sat in the minivan with the kids, Brad and Patsy walked back to where the car had gone over, and their first view was very gruesome. Besides several people with obvious head injuries and others throwing beer bottles out of the car, they were met by a very drunk man bringing a little girl about three years old up the embankment. He asked us to take the girl and go get help in a town about 15 kilometers away. Miraculously, this little girl was without a scratch, even though several others in the car probably died. She was in a state of shock, but we got her to the police station and notified them of the accident, and then got back on our way, a bit shaken and even more grateful for God's protection.

We spent the night at a Best Western motel in Creel, and talked to more people in the area, and discovered that the region Mariquita was in was about 100 kilometers away, only accessed by a dirt road. Keep in mind, dirt roads are not well-marked, and we had to stop many times during our four hours driving over this dirt road and even had to turn around a few times. The things we saw along these dirt roads were priceless, I must say. We saw the Tarahumara in their native setting, without any of the tourist sites. It is truly gorgeous, and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful area to go searching for a lost little girl.

After these four hours on the bumpy dirt road, we got to the region we were more certain of, and we knew the name of the town (more like a village, really) she was supposed to be in (which was a different place than when we set out Thursday). Once again, this village wasn't on any map, and we were starting to wonder if the Tarahumara had a different name for it than anyone else did. As we were nearing the town we knew was close, we happened upon a family sitting under a tree at a fork in the road, and stopped to ask if they were familiar with San Jose Baqueachi, and they were. They told it was 40 kilometers down the road to the left of the fork in the road. I honestly wonder if they were angels God placed there to give us direction.

So, we headed down this new dirt road, and that 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) took us three hours to travel. I would never have believed a minivan could get over these mountain roads with huge rocks and standing water from recent thunderstorms we had to pass through. Respect the van, indeed! Many times, we bottomed out and thought we would get stuck, but somehow God got us through!

When we finally got to this village that wasn't on the map, we asked some women sitting by the side of the road if they were familiar with this lady whom Mariquita was supposed to be with, but no one had heard of her. They told us to drive around the village to the clinic, and ask about her there. We couldn't find the unmarked clinic, but we did find a little store, and went in to ask if anyone there had seen them or knew them.

Brad and I were so discouraged at this point. We had driven ten hours one day and seven hours a second day, and this was the only place we knew to look. If we didn't find her here, we would have to return to Juarez and re-group and think of another way to find her. I can't even describe the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. We had been praying every step of the way, and felt like we were at a dead end.

After Patsy and the Tarahumara girls talked to the store owner and described the woman, her name, and where she was from, they offered to drive us up to a ranch that might be the right one. They said it was "just up the hill." "Just up the hill" turned into another 20 minute drive OFF the dirt road and through the rocks. We would never have found this place had it not been for these women leading us there. I am convinced of that. The hurdles getting up to this ranch were even more treacherous, if that was possible.

As we arrived at the ranch, Maria recognized it by the steer's skull hanging on the gate, and we praised God that we had finally found the ranch. We found the woman, but Mariquita wasn't there at the ranch, they had her out herding goats. At first, the woman was very resistant to us taking Mariquita back with us, but through a combination of things - our having her birth certificate with us, the peer pressure of the local women with us, and her speaking with the Tarahumara girls with us, she hesitantly agreed to lead us to where Mariquita was watching the goats. Brad and I did a lot of praying while Patsy was negotiating with this woman and even as we followed the lady to the pasture. We prayed that God would change this woman's heart and grant us favor in her eyes. She had said initially that she didn't want Mariquita to see us, because she would want to go home with us.

We drove back about 10 minutes from the ranch, and then from the top of one of the ridges, we saw this little girl among many goats in the distance. She looked so tiny out on that field. I've never been so happy to see a dirty little girl! When we stopped and got out of the van, she ran to Brad and held on to him with tears in her eyes. I couldn't help crying when I hugged her, and somehow seeing Mariquita's reaction to us softened that woman's heart, and she agreed to let us take her.

Not waiting for her to change her mind, we thanked her profusely and gave her a monetary gift for her trouble, and took Mariquita and headed for the hills. As we drove out the dirt road again for the next three hours, we gave Mariquita food and water (she was pretty ravenous), put her in clean, new clothes, and she slept peacefully in Brad's lap as he drove (this is Mexico...).

As we drove back out through mountains, we came to a little stream, and we felt led to build a little altar out of some rocks and thank God for all He had done. We explained this to the girls and had a prayer of thanksgiving with Mariquita, then got back on our way, praying that God would hold off the thunderstorm until we got back on paved road.

After about nine hours total driving time yesterday, we got back to Chihuahua and found a Holiday Inn Express and got rooms. Mariquita took her first bath in a real bath tub with hot water, and she actually cleans up pretty nice!

It's so nice to hear her giggle again and see a huge smile on her face. I think it's beginning to sink in that she has been rescued, and she slept peacefully last night. Juan has begun construction on a room that will be used for she and Maria as well as two other girls who were left by their family at the ministry center, and when we get back to Juarez, we'll go shopping for beds and dressers and clothes for these little ones. We still desparately need the new facility, but we cannot wait until it is built to start providing a home for these girls. Good intentions won't keep these girls safe. They need security and protection and love now.

During this whole trip, I was reminded of several things by the Lord, but the most prevalent picture that came to my mind was that of the Shepherd leaving the 99 sheep and searching for the one sheep that had been lost. I guess that applies to goats, too, huh? There was a lot of cost involved in this trip to rescue her, but it was worth every cent. She is so precious and loved, and God has given her value that many people have failed to recognize. We love our little goatherder, and are so glad to have her back with us.

Thank you to all of you who prayed unceasingly for us in this expedition. Your prayers were truly felt, and God honored them all. I'm so emotional as I realize that hundreds of people all over the United States were raising up this little girl in prayer. God is good, and He does perform miracles. We witnessed one yesterday.

Mariquita update #2

We made it to El Paso tonight, so after strategizing and debriefing with Patsy, we head across the border early in the morning. We finally have the name of the town she's in, Basaseachic, and even found it on a map, which is quite a feat in Mexico. It will probably take most of the day to get there, but we're hopeful.

Please pray for safety for Mariquita, for us, and that God would work in the circumstances to make it possible for us to take Mariquita with us. We're not exactly sure what we could be walking into, but we do know that God goes before us. It's possible that we may be unable to get internet access for a few days as we go into the canyons, but please continue to pray for God to lead us every step of the way.

Mariquita Update

I just wanted to give a quick update on the situation with Mariquita. We've received permission from her mother for she and her sister Maria to live at our ministry center, under our care. That's a big praise God!

The next part of this adventure is that we have to go get her and bring her back. She is somewhere in the Copper Canyon region, which covers roughly 50,000 square miles, with many little villages in the mountains and canyons. About 50,000 Tarahumara Indians live in this canyon system, and they are largely cut off from modern society. There is no phone number we can call and locate her. Mariquita's sister thinks she knows where they are, and we're trying to pin down what town she is in and finding the fastest way there.

At this point, our plan is to fly out on this rescue mission Wednesday afternoon to Juarez, pick up Maria and Patsy, our on-site missionary from El Paso, and head down to the Copper Canyon region. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will just lead us like a tracking device to that little girl to bring her home. Locating her could be like finding a needle in a haystack, but we've seen God move so mightily in this situation already, we have to take the leap of faith and just go. He is mighty to save, even little five-year-old Indians.


We will put the girls on cots in the ministry center for right now, but Juan (the pastor of our church down there) will begin constructing a stand-alone room in the only remaining open space on the existing ministry center lot. The chicken coop is getting booted to make room for girls! He thinks he can build this room for about $2000, so in faith we're having him begin the construction in the next day or so.

We've received so many encouraging e-mails and comments on the blog, and I can't express adequately how that has encouraged us in the last 24 hours. When God's people truly pray, He works! We're not out of the woods yet (and neither is Mariquita), but at least we're seeing some daylight. We would ask you to continue to lift this situation up to God in prayer - specifically for Mariquita's continued safety, for guidance and protection as we head down to find her, that the Lord would cause us to have favor with the woman who has her (that she would let her go without a struggle), that we would recognize and obey the Holy Spirit's leading as we proceed in this adventure, and wisdom to deal with all involved in a Christ-like manner.

Many of you have indicated that you would like to help out financially, and that is always welcomed. Please feel free to donate through PayPal on the Kingdom Flight website, or you can mail a check to the address on our contact page. Thank you for helping save this little girl, one of the Least of These mentioned in Matthew 25.

Mariquita

My heart is so absolutely heavy as I type this post this morning. This is not an attempt at manipulating anyone. This is a cry for help and for prayer. The picture you see here is Mariquita. She was one of the girls highlighted in our last newsletter, presenting the need for a girls home that we need to build. Mariquita is five years old.

This morning, we learned that Mariquita's mother gave her away to another woman (whose son is a known molester) and Mariquita has been taken by this woman to the Sierras (Copper Canyon). The reason her mom gave her away is that she simply didn't want her anymore. She has previously done this with an older daughter. Right now I am so angry that this little girl is being cast off like some old clothes and being placed into the hands of a molester. I'm angry because I want this girls home to be built so that we could have taken Mariaquita in, to save her from certain harm.


Mariquita and her sister Maria and brother Benito have been part of Una Esperanza from the very beginning and have been a crucial part in helping bridge the gap between the Tarahumara and Una Esperanza. This morning I am praying that this woman would be compelled to bring Mariquita back to Juarez, that she would have no rest until she is back with her brother and sister. I am praying that God will put a hedge of protection around Mariquita and that she would not be touched by this molester. If she is returned to Una Esperanza, we will try our best to "buy" her from her mother so we can protect her. I am begging God to raise up someone who cares about this girls home and will enable us to get it built.


This need is so far beyond what Brad or I can accomplish, but I am even more convinced that this is in the heart of God to protect these children and give them a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 is no less true for this little girl in Mexico than it is for the suburbanite in the United States. He has plans for Mariquita for good and not for harm, for a future and a hope. God, please let her live to see that future and that hope. She loves you as much as she knows how to right now.

I'm also including a link to the recent drawings that we received for the girls home. This needs to be built now, not in three years when we have enough money. We are crying out to God to provide for this need and protect these girls NOW, not when it's too late for Mariquita.


Please, please, please pray for Mariquita right now, that God would protect her and return her to us. Please pray that God would provide for this need. His hand is moving so mightily amongst these people, but Satan is working overtime to sustain his grasp on them.


I would ask you to take the time to watch the Casa de Una Esperanza video included in the links to the right of this post and pray for Mariquita as you are led by the Holy Spirit.

Perspective Adjustment...

I'm not sure if it's possible to post videos on here, but I believe every American child (and their parents) needs to see this one. 'Nuff said.

Home Again, Home Again...

We've just returned from a six-day trip down to Una Esperanza, and it's always nice to sleep in our own beds again. Lots of cool things happening down in Kilometer 33. We flew to Santa Barbara and picked up Dylan and Matt, two architects who are helping us out with drawings for the girls home and overall site plan. These two guys have such great hearts and just jumped right in, playing with the kids and giving of themselves.

We also brought down a blow-up pool and had hairwashing/bath day (wearing their shorts), which was a fun time for the kids. We could only fit 10 kids in at a time, and by the time we got all 60 or so through there, you should have seen the water! Definitely makes me give thanks for a hot shower and clean water. Please keep a well in your prayers. Right now, we depend on a truck to deliver water once a week (when they actually come), and due to the many mouths we feed and drinks we supply for the kids, many times we run out several days before the truck is due to return. We've been told it would cost around $30,000 to drill a well. That's a lot of money, but the need for a clean water source is so evident.

We established a new friendship with a little girl, Anna, who lives in one of the broken-down buses across the street from our playground. She's four years old, and just a little heartbreaker. Like most of the Tarahumara kids, she's tough and takes care of herself, but when she allowed us to take her in, she slept like a baby in Brad's lap for several hours. It's amazing to me to see how these kids actually rest when they feel safe.

We also took about 30 of the kids to the nearby aqua park, as many as we could fit into a minivan and the back of a small pick-up truck. With temperatures near 100 degrees already in Juarez, this is always a big hit with the kids. We brought five pizzas and chips with us, and even introduced them to making 'smores on the barbecue - always a hit in any language.

So, that's a bit of what we've done the past week or so...

We've had several children accept Christ as their savior in the last few weeks, which is such an encouragement. It's awesome and humbling to see what God is doing among these people.

Also, we just wanted to pass along a link to a podcast that has been so encouraging to us. As we fly back and forth to Juarez, we often listen to sermons by Francis Chan, and we would thoroughly recommend him if you have a little drive time to listen or even if you want to watch the video podcasts online. You can either subscribe through iTunes or go to the church website and go to the media section to download for free. God really has His hand on this man, and he speaks very passionately and bluntly about loving God and living for Him. He doesn't pull any punches, but is so biblically sound. And he's pretty darn funny, too.

Oh well, over and out for now...have a blessed Father's Day!

Here We Go...

Here's a new experiment - a Kingdom Flight blog! I've been keeping a private blog for a few years, but we were thinking that this could be a new way to interact with our ministry partners and let you know what's going on with Kingdom Flight on a more regular basis. Sometimes we'll post what's going on at Una Esperanza or with Kingdom Flight in general, other times we may share prayer requests, and we'll probably have some posts that are just things percolating in my mind. We'd love for you to interact, so please feel free to comment and get the conversation going.