Some People We’ve Met Along The Way

Don & Ginger Smith

Don & Ginger Smith retired from Houston and moved down to Mexico about 24 years ago. Many think of retirement as rest and relaxation. That’s not exactly what they got. They bought a 2,500 acre ranch and Don figured since he had a college degree he was smart enough to know how to run it. He now laughs about that and says he’s still learning every day.
Ginger is one of the sweetest, toughest ladies we’ve ever met. Though she still has the beauty, it’s hard to imagine that she use to be a beautician. She’s not afraid of spiders or scorpions and she’s definitely not afraid to get her hands dirty doing a hard days work.
Rancho "El Rayo" is an amazing place to visit. It’s just about 4 hours south of the border and they are currently setting it up as a place where hunters can come and stalk all the wild turkey they can dream of. Let us know if you’re ever in northern Mexico and we’ll help you connect with them. The days we spent there becoming friends with Don and Ginger will never be forgotten.

Super Cream Breakfast

The morning we left Aldama we had breakfast at a popular restaurant called Super Cream. As we were finishing up the manager, David came over and started a conversation. Once he found out we were missionaries, he openly shared with us about how his grandparents had been missionaries. His mother also had been a missionary and in her day she would walk for days only to reach a village and have her message rejected, and be chased out of town.
David admitted to us that he too felt a call of God on his life, but he was afraid to respond. As far as Mexican standards go, he has a pretty cush job and three young sons to provide for. We shared with David about how long we had fought against and struggled with the idea of being missionaries. We shared with him about the fear we had to overcome and about how faithfully the Lord had met us along the way. Please pray for David that he would be released into the ministry that the Lord has waiting for him.
About an hour outside of Puebla, we ended up staying the night at a motel that normally caters to a more questionable clientele. Let’s just say, you can rent the rooms by the hour. The manager, Fernando and his staff seemed thrilled to have a family stay with them and went out of their way to make our stay comfortable. Fernando took us on a tour of his private garden and was very proud of the fact that he came over from northern Spain.
Davis and I took a walk before bed and prayed over the grounds of the motel. We asked the Lord to move mightily in that place and in Fernando’s family.
As we were pulling out in the morning, Fernando sent one of his workers running after us. We thought he may want more money or something. As it turns out, he was so glad to have us as his guests that he wanted to give us a parting gift of some glasses and some ash trays. We were humbled by his gift. Please lift Fernando and his family up in prayer that they would come to know the Lord.

Grandpa Jim with Diego

Grandpa Carol with Zaisy

Finally, but certainly not least, we got to know a couple that we’ve known for years. Jim and Carol Nowlin. We’ve always known them as the quiet servant-hearted parents of my good friend Jim. In Mexico, we got to see another side of them and enjoyed every minute of it. They shared with us from their great wealth of wisdom, though they’ll never admit they’re wise. They delighted us with their humor and blessed us not only financially, but with fellowship and in many other ways they’ll never know. They treated us as if we were their own children.
Thanks Jim and Carol for everything! You’re the best!