This is a picture of Pastor Jesse at the top of the stairs to the left, speaking to people about Jesus in the town square of Villa Corona.  The Mayor of the town, who is walking by in jeans & a white cowboy shirt, has given Jesse permission to do this every week at "Market Day".  He is a Christian, & he & his family attend Jesse's Church.  He & his family need lots of prayer, because he has been targeted by a very mean group who want him eliminated.  They kidnapped him & his wife for 12 days to try to force him to sign documents that he didn't write, while their 6 children -ages 3 - 16 yrs. old were at home alone. They now are together &  have "around the clock" military protection" for the entire family everywhere they go. (two guards are behind him in this picture).  Please pray for this special family that we have known for several years, and that they would grow closer to our Mighty God who loves them.
    Unfortunately, we are seeing more violence all over the world, and feel we are living in the last days before Jesus returns for His Own.  As we are on our way home, we pray that all Christians everywhere, will reach out to those who need to hear the good news of Christ, and share your faith with them.
    Thank all of you who have made this missions trip possible for us, and we have seen HIS perfect timing and many answers to prayer!  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge HIM, and HE will direct your paths." Prov. 3:5,6

                                                           Your Partners in Christ,
                                                           Peter & Carole Borgman

Our plans are to cross the border on Thursday, the 30th.

One day Pastor Jesse's wife, Jill & I bought lots of raspberries and made 8 pies to pass out to people from their Church.  It is so fun to work together & then being able the next day to visit with the families. This is our 3rd year doing this together, and we challenge our Christian friends to reach out to their neighbors in so many different ways, and share & pray with them as well.
    I forgot to take a picture of those delicious pies, because we were so busy making them!  There's never a dead moment in their house, as their dog birthed 8 puppies, and their cat had 3 kittens within three days!

Peter & I visited Pastor Miguel's Church two times, & enjoyed taking Pastor Jesse's son, Rey, with us- (he has been studying for a few years to become a pastor). He didn't know he was to preach until we got there! 1st Peter 3:15 says to always be ready with an answer of the hope that is in you, and more than once, we've seen Pastors in Mexico just take that VERY literally!  Rey did a great job, & we were proud of him.  The Pastor asked Peter to speak the following week, & he was thankful for a notice ahead of time!  In the picture of the 3 men together, "Jose" is the one with the plaid shirt.  He only became a Christian 7 months ago, and is already enrolled in a Bible school to learn more about God's Word, & wants to be prepared to set up a rehab center for men!  Pastor Miguel came to Christ many years ago & asked Him into his life while he was in jail!  These men, (including Peter), are such an inspiration, as they share Christ with others & follow His Word.

This is Pastor Jesse from Villa Corona, who took Peter to a migrant camp one day.  There are about 28 families who live in this concrete compound with a single room for each family - most of which have only dirt floors. There is a communal bathroom, and an outside kitchen that they share.  Most of the parents work in the sugar cane fields, where they cut down the stalks of cane after the fields have been burnt, and take the stalks for processing. The workers come home absolutely black all over their bodies & clothing.  Pastor Jesse sends a van to pick up children & parents to attend his Church on Sundays.  There are so many opportunities right here to witness and reach out to these families, but the workers are few.

We treated Paco & Mary's 3 kids for fun on the beach, pizza & fresh fruit, & ice cream cones. The daughter has been living with her older brother at another family's home, & it was special for all of us to have these three together. Please pray for their parents that they would choose to walk with God every day & be a good example for their children.

Today we were invited to go with 14 other "season" campers (they stay here for 4 to 6 months), to go to a really neat "hideaway" on a bay in a town an hour away.  It was a fun experience & the food was delicious & lots of it.  When I asked Peter to take some pictures for me, this is what I got - not the people we met - but the red snapper fish that fed the whole crowd!

On Tuesday, March 7th, Peter celebrated his 77th birthday! Carlos' family came to where we are in Guayabitos, & we had a little party for him & delicious birthday cake.  Carlos is still here in Mx., and his student visa FINALLY arrived!!!  We were told that this visa was only good for two years, but when it arrived at their home, the dates show that he got a 4 YEAR student visa!!!! It was beyond our expectations, but that is how our God works.  Carlos also came to the "party" on crutches, because he was in a motorcycle/car accident, and the front of his right leg suffered a large cut that required over 20 stitches! Please pray for him on Saturday as he will be leaving Mex. on a flight back to Charlotte.

This is Mary, who I had asked for prayer last year as she had been in such dire need. We drove to her run down living quarters as soon as we could, only to find that she had moved.  We were about to leave the area, when her little boy came walking up the road, and when we recognized him, he ran to us and we gave hugs! He got in our vehicle, and showed us where he lived now.  When we got there, we got the shock of our lives as his father, who had left their family 2 1/2 years ago came walking out of the one room house they were now living in, and we just hugged him & sat down to have a good talk!  We knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was the hand of God, as we thanked God for answering our prayers for Paco coming back to his family, and his little son being there as we drove up to their old house!!  God has provided funds for us to be able to help them purchase a small, used refrigerator, and food to go in it, and to encourage them to make new plans for their family and not to give up.  Last year Mary asked me, "Carole, WHERE is God? I ask Him, do YOU remember me God"?  It's hard to see people in poverty, and losing their focus, but we will be seeing them often while we are here, and would appreciate your prayers as we meet with them on Saturday for a meal & Bible discussion.  Hebrews 13:5b says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

This past Friday was our last day of Bible study, where we showed another Billy Graham 30 min. DVD on "Heaven" in Spanish, and gave out whole Bibles to all the ladies, and extra Bible studies for them to each study on their own - or - even TOGETHER, as we encouraged them to continue to meet together for prayer, fellowship, and just sharing what God is doing in their lives. We gave out prizes to all who were there every day, & (prizes for just showing up even one day). There was so much to thank God for, and the miracles we all witnessed, as Nyla's little 10 year old boy, who can't speak & had never been to school in his whole life (because thousands of kids who are handicapped are not put in school unless the parents have $ to send them to a special school) was accepted into "Casa Conner" for handicapped kids FREE to poor parents & run by several Christian leaders! And a teen-aged girl I had looked for, for over  three years showed up in my Bible study with her Mom & has been asked to be a volunteer helper at "Casa Conner", and for healing Irma from an illness that sent her to the hospital two times while in our class, and for broken friendships being restored, and even for one of the younger girls, who had helped with translation, is having a baby in 6 months!!
     Today, we left Puerto Vallarta, and started on our slow way home.  We're stopping for at least a week in Rincon de Guayabitos, and we will fill you in as we have more time.  Praise God with us, as we see HIS hand working in so many lives!!  Thank you for praying & keep those prayers coming!

After our Church service in Mapache, the little girls could hardly wait to try on a pair of shoes we had brought with us. we had to lay them on the dirt, because of no tables available, but all went well, and we gave the remainder of them to the Christian couple who invites everyone to their back yard (or should I say FARM). So many children stood in line to receive Bibles, & we ran out after emptying a whole box, not expecting such a large crowd.

One of the fun ministries we do is to drive some friends & workers two hours away to a town called Mapache. Another car drove the Pastor & other workers, and we have "church" in a couples back yard. I wish you could have been there last Sunday with us, because right in the middle of the message, I heard loud clanking of pots, & a snorting hog (who had been happily sleeping & chained to a tree), only to find the wife of this property deciding to feed the hogs at this exact time!!  I felt sorry for the poor Pastor, since all 100 or more people turned their heads to see what all the fuss was about & I just laughed as I grabbed my camera!  Somehow, the Pastor gained control & finished his message!  It's never boring as we do missionary work!!