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The Italian Gringo

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Greetings, Gringos! The weather is mild and pleasant and I wish you were here.

Jack Schaap, the former pastor of America's eleventh largest church, appeared in court today in a prison jumpsuit, had his rights explained, and was taken back to his cell. He will be sentenced on January 15, 2013, for having sex with a minor. A Christian guard has told friends that Schaap is lonely, walks by himself a lot, and has been seen crying. When Satan promises us the joy of sin, he doesn't tell us about the consequences. Like many others, Schaap apparently thought that God would sit quietly by and do nothing. He is likely to receive ten years in a plea bargain agreement. Why did God do this? Jack Schaap is a born-again Christian, and he won't be having any more sex with minors.

For centuries, the United States has believed that church problems are best solved quietly, and usually, that is a good idea. But over time, some people have learned that churches are a safe place to commit sex crimes. If caught, they deny everything and go somewhere else, where they repeat their crimes. It's taken time, but many churches have learned that sex crimes need to be reported to the police IMMEDIATELY. Starting in the 1960's, Dave Hyles became the most successful church sex criminal in US history, and he has never served a day in jail. With the statute of limitations safely passed, he is currently staging (another) phony restoration as he tries to return to a paying ministry. I have sent Dave a letter, warning him that too many people are closing in on him, and that he is provoking God with his activities. If someone back in the 1970's had gone to the state police about him, all kinds of grief would have been prevented.

And I want to remind people that in the Penn State scandal, one mother went to her local police, and she's the one who brought the whole thing to a stop.

And now, back to Mexico. Two Sundays ago, a drunk loaded five kids onto our church caravan, but he was sober this week, so they didn't come. But we still had 24 kids. On Monday, I took some of the La Ola kids to the park, and they wore me out, but they had a good time. We've actually got a seminary down here: a real one. Some of the missionaries have signed up to work on their Masters degree, and are learning that post-graduate work is a lot tougher than regular college. Me? I got my Masters degree three decades ago. It did me a lot of good while I was driving a fork truck at the paper mill.

See you next week,

Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Flowers are blooming everywhere in our tropical paradise, and I wish you were here.


A failed scientific expedition turned into a good youth activity this week. The city put up a park with a fantastic view on a high mountain nearby. Some of us went up there, and there was a fantastic view of the full moon rising over the lake. But none of us had a camera. We returned the next night with cameras and binoculars and encountered some of our caravan kids, so we had to take them. Unfortunately, the moon moves backwards 48 minutes per day, and the kids were getting pretty antsy with the moon still not up, so we went home. But the kids had a great time, and you can see pictures on my Facebook page.


Last Saturday, Coast Guard Academy won a football game 59-0. No wonder our coasts are safe.


A nearby Mexican Nazarene church is aggressively stealing our people, and they've had some success. A woman didn't like our pastor's preaching on submission to authority, and she is aggressively recruiting our Mexican families to leave. We've taken a hit, but we had exactly 100 in church last Sunday, so we're still above water.



I was surprised to learn that one of our faithful readers graduated from Moody Bible Institute. Despite its size, I have only met two Moody graduates in over forty years. Like most Bible colleges, most of their graduates have no ministry after a few years, and most stop going to church. Moody provides a good Christian education for its students, however.



Some Christians are upset about the upcoming Presidential election. Folks, I'm 59 years old, and I want to tell you something: America will survive, just as it always has. Serve God and trust Him to take care of things.



I've found some old friends this week on Facebook. If any of you would like a free subscription to The Italian Gringo, please send me your e-mail address.



See you next week,



Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! My wife and I have just returned form a walk at the park, along the shores of beautiful Lake Chapala. Fifty-five miles long, Lake Chapala is big enough to appear on a world map or a large globe, and that's where we are. Is retiring here a mistake? The weather is better, crime is lower, the streets are safer, there is no air pollution, medical care is better and less expensive, the food is cleaner and cheaper, and it is a wonderful place to live.

There's a lot of fighting going on at some Christian forums over the question of whether we should cover up sin "for the good of the ministry" or deal with it. Ephesians 5:11 tells us "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." Folks, let's face reality: churches are going to have scandals. Jesus had a scandal: one of His Apostles was a thief. The Apostle Paul spent a lot of time praising the church at Corinth for their Godliness, but he also rebuked them for covering up a sex scandal. Forty years ago, the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, was the world's largest Sunday School, and they consistently practiced cover-up of scandal "for the good of the ministry." Cover-up turned into lying, and lying turned into slander. Because sin corrupts you, eventually their entire staff became corrupted, and no one could hold a leadership position unless he was corrupt. Today their pastor is in prison for having sex with a minor. If sin had been dealt with when it occurred, the way the Bible commands, this would not have happened.

I was trained in college to cover-up sin in the church. The argument was that exposing the sin would do more harm than good, and besides, the church would deal with it quietly. But churches eventually grew reputations as safe places to molest children, because no one would go to the police. Small sins multiplied in two directions: more evil people started committing sins, and the seriousness of the sins grew. It is better to obey God's Word and correct sin immediately, rather than hide it.

On the other hand, we had a good day last Sunday. Our evening church jumped from 21 to 35, and we had 23 kids on the van. I arrived at La Ola on Monday to find that a teacher hadn't shown up, so I let the girls go onto my Facebook account. If any of you receive messages in Spanish this week, I didn't send them.

We came home frm a walk to find a giant rat trying to open our front door. Folks, I've seen Chihuahuas that are smaller than that rat. Our heroic dog Anna, descended from German wolves, attacked, and I even managed to hit it with something, but it got away.

Adios, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Things are calm after last night's police action, and I hope they're calm with you.

I was called to the door last night by heavily-armed police, and three of them, carrying automatic weapons, came in and searched my back yard. They were very polite and apologized for coming in. The guy they were chasing got away, however. And through it all, my dog Anna stayed hidden under a table, not making a sound.

Meanwhile, the kids at La Ola love going onto my Facebook account, and although I watch them, there are three computers running and I have to step out to check on the little kids watching cartoons. One of them friended me with someone I don't know, but I unfriended her. But mostly they contact former workers, and the workers enjoy hearing from them, and the kids like getting replies. Seven of them rode the van I drove to pick up the school kids, because I guess they like me and they enjoy going for a ride, and besides, I buy them all icicles.

We've got a new orphanage of sorts here in Chapala, and I'm trying to help them. The woman who used to run Love in Action has six kids whose parents cannot earn enough to support them. She gets some money from parents, some from donations, and some from family. Finances are pretty bad, and I gave her some money and I'm trying to help.

Folks, I am blatantly disgusted at the hypocrisy of Christian orphanages. They are not in the Bible, and there's a good reason why not. They need money, and they have to engage in frequent wrong conduct in order to get it. The founder of Love in Action is one of the worst slanderers and sneaks I have ever met; she took the credit for the work that her sister and others did, and she exploits the other orphanages for her own ends. The two orphanages I am involved in are both untruthful with me about their connections with her, because I'm one of several Christians she routinely slanders. But the kids need help, and I'm happy to do what I can.

Meanwhile, in our third Sunday night church service, we had 44, and then we had a barbecue! The next day, our pastor tore up his ankle, but he should be all right in five weeks.

We're having church in a nearby park this Sunday, and we're hoping for a big day. The church caravan was down pretty badly last Sunday because many of the kids had to help harvest corn, so your prayers are appreciated.

Adios, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! It's Halloween night, and we're hiding from the neighborhood goblins. We took four friends to a mountaintop for pictures and then went shopping.

Last Sunday was fantastic, with 182 in church and 61 riders on the caravan. I had to return for more, even though we had five vehicles. We took everyone to a park and served hamburgers.Folks, it's wonderful to be in a church where God is doing something. Love in Action Orphanage asked if they could bring their kids for the hamburgers, but they attended their own church so I'm not counting them. The kids who were there when I was a volunteer were glad to see me and wanted me to come back.

Meanwhile, I found out why the girls at the La Ola Orphanage like to go in the van with me to pick up the school kids. They enjoy sticking their heads out the window at 55 mph. They also love to go onto Facebook, especially when they receive messages. If you wan to send me Facebook messages in Spanish on Monday mornings, the kids can read them. They have a tendency to sign up new friends whom I don't know, but they're generally well-behaved. The two new girls are doing well, and the overall behavior is much better than last year's.

In case you missed it, Jerry Sandusky, the Penn State assistant coach who destroyed the lives and dreams of many people, was sent to a maximum security prison today. He will be allowed out of his cell one hour a day, five days a week, for exercise. He will eat and receive visitors in his cell, and will stay there for at least thirty years.

See you next week, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! I just finished checking the map, and the United States is still there. The prophecies of disaster we heard four years ago were as false as the ones we're hearing today. The biggest crisis I'm facing is recovering from all the chicken and potato chips I ate last night while watching the returns.


People ought to listen to me! I have successfully installed Windows 8 Pro on my computer for $40, and it runs even better than the free Preview Edition. But it's the installation I'm talking about. I had partitioned my hard drive so that I was running Windows 7 and 8 on separate partitions. This used to be a difficult feat, but Windows 7 has a built-in partitioner, and easy-to-follow instructions are all over the internet. Then I installed the free Windows 8 Preview, which is available until January 15. Then I upgraded it to Windows 8 Pro. Yes, it's legal, and my copy of Windows 7 is legal as well. If you install Windows 8 Pro on top of Windows 7, it will probably work or you might lose everything. And if you are successful, your copy of Windows 7 can never be used again. People on the tech forums think I'm a genius.


And once again: if your computer was built from the ground up for Windows XP, don't upgrade it. There is a huge technology gap between XP computers and the newer ones. If you are running Windows 7, you don't need to upgrade--7 will continue to work fine. But get ready--touch screens are no longer the wave of the future; they're the wave of the present. I don't have one, but the people who do say that they work just fine.


With 36 riders, our church caravan had its third-highest day ever. La Ola Orphanage passed a difficult health inspection, and Elvia's new orphanage is doing well. See you all next week.


Adios, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Keep on keeping on! Romans 12:6 begins a passage that tells us to keep on using our spiritual gifts no matter what happens.



There is an overall decline in Christian church attendance in the Gringo Zone for a variety of reasons, but I knew the good times wouldn't last forever. It seems that built-up frustrations are emerging and a chunk of people have quit showing up. The orphanages are having financial problems and my own church is not meeting its budget. So what do you do? You keep on serving God.



I took 14 of the La Ola kids to the park, and six of the older ones asked to go to a nearby refreshment stand, and then they disappeared. They called a wealthy donor and told him that I had abandoned them (They were a ten-minute walk from the orphanage), hoping that he would take them out to eat. He took them home, they all got grounded, they're mad at me, and the other girls think it's wonderful, because now they can go on the computers without having to share with those six girls. Aren't children precious when they do things like that?



Meanwhile, I showed a Christian cartoon at Elvia's Orphanage last night, and all six of the kids loved it. They have also taken in a crippled girl (who is now in her twenties) who grew up at the Love in Action Orphanage but was booted out by the new management. And a few days ago, we had a great evening when I brought over Easter Egg dyes that an American reader mailed to me. Only one of the orphans had even heard of dying Easter eggs, and they loved it. Then came the horrifying moment when they learned that the three eggs they had dyed were their dinner--Mexicans do not hard-boil eggs. But after I ate one and survived, they dug in.



Hopefully, the new dog shelter will open in the first week of December. They have bought a pet motel that boarded people's dogs, and the place looks pretty good.



Gotta leave for Thanksgiving dinner (I know it's Wednesday, but Thanksgiving isn't a holiday here, and today was the best day for all of us).



Adios, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Man, it's cold, with night time temperatures dropping into the fifties!



Elvia's Orphanage is getting along well, with limited money, six little angels, one partially-paralyzed young adult, and a spotlessly-clean home. Last night they had potato tacos for dinner. This morning I brought them a bag of oranges. We watched a Christian cartoon and had a good time.



The girls at La Ola Orphanage think I'm wonderful because they are allowed to go on Facebook if I'm watching them. They have five working computers for 14 kids, so there are some hurt feelings when I chase a load of them off so the next group can go online.



And we had 28 kids on the church caravan last Sunday! I was able to teach the mid-week Bible study and taught on spiritual gifts, and it went well.



The Mexican government has put out a new bunch of rules for foreign residents, and it is going to hurt the Gringo community. I can meet the new requirements, but some Gringos are already returning or will return because they can't meet the new rules. Prayer is appreciated here. I'm taking Nancy to the doctor again today, and we could use some prayers for her health.



Thanksgiving turned out to be a visit to a restaurant, but we've already attended one Christmas party. People have decorated their outdoor trees all over the place.



And that's the news, Folks! See you next week! Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! It's hard to believe that daytime temperatures are not reaching the 70's, but we're toughing it out.



The Lucky Dog animal shelter opened Monday, and it is going well. I brought over three dogs from Pepe the veterinarian, and one got adopted the first day. Pepe receives no government funds, and he keeps animals in very clean cages, but they are only big enough for the dogs to stand up in. Those dogs wee thrilled to be taken to a shelter where they have a running yard. I also brought over a terrified, starving mongrel that someone brought to the cat shelter, and it is doing much better. "Rocky" is an ugly-looking pure pit bull who absolutely loves people but not other dogs. I am afraid of pit bulls, but I took him for a walk and we got along fine. Today I took five of Elvia's orphans to the shelter, and they got all excited about playing with the puppies, which got all the dogs excited, so it wasn't too good an idea. But if you go to Vincent Massi on Facebook, you can see the pictures I took.



Monday was a good day at La Ola Orphanage, and they even had me stay for dinner. I let one of the girls play my online game of "Hello Adventure," and she promptly used up a bunch of the items I had painfully acquired, but that's okay. And the Christian cartoon I showed last night at Elvia's Orphanage went well. My church is now lending Christian cartoons to a Mexican church to use on Sunday mornings, and it is good to help others.



Early Monday morning, I was at the open air market when I ran into Elvia's orphans, who promptly started going through my shopping bag. All I had was squash, so they left it alone. I bought them a bunch of bananas, which they took along with some strawberries, but that's okay. God has blessed me with a good home and a good wife, so I can spare a few strawberries.



My wife Nancy is working away on costumes for the Christmas pageant, and you're all invited.



Meanwhile, I am steadily learning more about Windows 8, and it is an excellent operating system. It boots up about five times faster than Windows 7 and has built-in security features that keep it safer. Don't be afraid to buy a new computer loaded with Windows 8--it works great.



To my amazement, North Korea actually put a rocket into space this week, something I had predicted would fail (like all their past attempts). In real life, this is what happens when a nation is ruled by Atheists--their people are starving slaves while their leaders spend money glorifying themselves. Communism fails everywhere it has gone, except for university classrooms.



And that's the news! See you next week!



Adios, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Night time temperatures are so cold that I had to spend $10 on a sturdy, well-made, Christmas-decorated, queen-sized blanket that was made in China. During the day, however, we're back into the 80's, so we ought to make it.

We have a lot to be thankful for: I've never raised money for anything except schools I was attending, but we have a few donors for Elvia's Orphanage. She has been evicted (bad) from their house that has no hot water, and they're moving onto my street in January into a bigger house. There are better sidewalks and nice neighbors, so we have a lot to praise the Lord for. And yes, the new house has hot water.

We had 29 kids on the caravan route last Sunday, with one couple bringing 9 kids in their sub-compact. Nancy is working away on costumes for the Christmas play this Sunday at noon at our church, and you're all invited.

Mexicans love Christmas, and they decorate their houses even more often than Americans do. We're going to our second Christmas party the day after Christmas, because it was the only day that everybody could make it.

Remember Rocky, the pitiful pit bull that had his tail chopped off and was in a lot of pain? He's doing better, and I'll be taking a crippled girl to the animal shelter tomorrow to meet him.

Have a Merry Christmas, and I'll see you next week.

Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Nancy and I hope that all of you had a Merry Christmas. I just got back from a Christmas dinner that we had the day after Christmas, because it was the only day we could all make it.

I need your help and it won't even cost you anything. Elvia's Orphanage is called "Aunt Elvia's Home" by the kids who live there. This week, a donor gave them a one-month supply of food (literally). Two of my neighbors have made contributions, and I give what little I can. They'll be moving into a house on my street next week, and my neighbors are happy about it. Last night I started a Facebook page for them, and I need thirty people to "Like" the page. Then, Facebook will give me free assistance in improving the page. If you could go onto Facebook and then go to www.facebook.com/AuntElviasHome. and "like" the page, it would help. I plan to have photos up within a few days, but I'll post every time I go there, so you'll be able to know what's going on.

Gringos, I have never done anything like this before. An American friend has mailed them a check (which should arrive in January), and friends here in Mexico are helping out. I have learned that Mexican orphans love bananas, which are much cheaper here than in the US, and they'll plow through a bunch of bananas as soon as I bring one over. Elvia receives only room and board, and I am trying to get enough money to put her on the National Health Insurance program. Your prayers are appreciated, and "liking" their page will give you an opportunity to help her. They receive no government funding, but so far they are doing well. God can do anything, and right now He is blessing this place.

Meanwhile, La Ola Orphanage put on a great Christmas play at a local church, and our caravan kids put on a great play at our church. Nancy and some other women did a LOT of hard work making a great set of costumes, and I want to thank everyone who was involved in making both plays such a success.

Rocky the pitiful pit bull is still struggling along. When a veterinarian amputates a dog's tail, he leaves a flap of skin to stretch over the bone. But someone just chopped Rocky's tail off, and even medical care cannot relieve all the pain he is suffering. But he's a friendly dog with a lot of personality, so we hope that he makes it.

And we had 41 riders on the church caravan last Sunday! Three packed vehicles and a lot of fun, because this is what God wants us to do.

Adios, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Nancy and I had a good time at a New Year's Eve party, and we hope that you're ready for a good year as well.

A two-day storm dropped miserable weather on us, getting many of the kids at Elvia's Home sick, but between cough syrup and space heaters, we've got it under control. I took a cripppled girl and her friend to the dog shelter today, and took the five smallest ones to a park in the afternon. Honest to goodness, all of them were well-behaved.

Elvia's Home has been so successful that her sister decided to seize control. Annabelle is the founder and ousted director of Love in Action, which started out with Elvia doing most of the work for room and board. I suddenly found myself on the wrong (actually, the right) end of a smear campaign as Annabelle began lying that she was the founder and director of Elvia's Orphanage. The four donors who had been contributing pulled out, two Godly Christians whom I have been friends with for years are now enemies with me, and Elvia is dumping girls who had not gotten a proper education at Love in Action (Elvia ran off dozens of people who wanted to teach and tutor, including me) into Elvia's Home.

I posted a short series on Facebook about Facebook Slander, and the essence is: Don't enter a fight without talking to both sides, don't enter a fight that is none of your business, and don't justify disobedience to God's Word by claiming good intentions. Fortunately, Annabelle's testimony is bad enough that most people have rejected her slanders, but she seems to have control of Elvia's Orphanage. Me? It's clear to me that God really did start the orphanage, and He really did call me to help there. The results show that God is blessing, so I'll do what I can for as long as I can.

Meanwhile, La Ola Orphanage continues to do well, and we're having a big fifteenth birthday party for one of the girls this Saturday. Rocky, the pitiful pit bull, seems to have recovered from having his tail chopped off, and he is happy to be at the Lucky Dog Shelter. So, things are pretty good overall.

Adios, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Temperatures are dropping into the fifties at night, and we're FREEZING down here!



Watching God do miracles is an interesting past time, and He's doing one now at Elvia's Home. For reasons of His Own, God chose Elvia, a cook, to start a successful orphanage. There has been anger and envy at God's choice, and I can see why: He passed over some people who have looked down on Elvia for a long time.



We had the kids over last night to watch cartoons, and they were fascinated by our bathroom. God has blessed me with opportunities to help, and that has also produced some anger and envy. I have never been a fund-raiser, and yet donors keep popping up in response to my Facebook posts.



Why do some Christians try to serve God, and they fail, while God blesses others? I'm doing a Biblical series on "Great Principles of Failure" at http://theitaliangringo.blogspot.mx/ and I hope that you'll drop in for a visit.



Rocky the pitiful pit bull, had to be put to sleep at the animal shelter. Someone had stolen this loving, affectionate dog and chopped off his tail. Despite everything the vets and the workers did, the pain was driving Rocky mad, and he finally became dangerous. But we've had several adoptions, and things are going well.



La Ola Orphanage has two Canadian missionaries staying for a month, and they are getting things done. I allow the Mexican girls to go onto my Facebok account while I'm there, so if you get any messages in Spanish from me, I didn't send them.



Do you realize that after 2,000 years of reading the Bible, we still can't find any verses telling us to baptize babies?



Adios, Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Winter is over, although the nights are still cold, but most of the day we're in the seventies and eighties.


The kids at La Ola Orphanage were happy that I bought a copy of Ralph the Wrecker, and after they get done with it, I'll take it to Aunt Elvia's Home. One of the teens there comes over regularly to go on Facebook, I mean, uhm, to do her homework on my computer, and Nancy and I enjoy her company. This Saturday, I'll be going on a fifteen hour trip (if we're lucky) with La Ola. The children from Aunt Elvia's Home rarely get to go out unless I take them somewhere. But both orphanages are clean, happy places.


This week, I received a generous donation for Elvia's Home from a friend in the US. When I took it to her, a local American was there to pay the month's rent. Needless to say, it was a good day. We bought medicine for the kids who had the flu, filled a grocery cart to overflowing, and had some left over. If you go to my Facebook page, you can follow the progress of both orphanages.


God's choice of Elvia to start and direct an orphanage has caused some bitterness and envy among people who have looked down on her for years. Elvia is a cook, laundress, cleaner, etc., as well as a Godly Christian. People who are helping her lead her orphanage are getting blessed, while critics hope from the sidelines to see a failure.


When Jesus described the failure of a man who did not build on His Words, Jesus explained "and great was the fall of it." I'm doing a series on "Four Great Principles of Failure" at http://theitaliangringo.blogspot.mx/ and I hope that you'll drop in for a visit.


Windows 8 continues to slog along, gathering about 2.25% of the world's computers at the end of January. But the few people I know who have it all like it. It's easy to use and it has a lot more capabilities than Windows 7. Don't be afraid to advance out of the past when you get your next computer.


See you next week,

Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! We're basking in the wonderful Mexican sun down here, and I'm getting ready to plant some tomatoes.

La Ola Orphanage took us on a wonderful full-day trip to see the butterfly reserve near Mexico City. On a mountain range full of pine trees, hundreds of thousands of Monarch butterflies head south for the winter and go to a single pine grove. They come from all over the US and northern Mexico. The air was thick with butterflies, and I posted a video on my Facebook page.


In a comical side event, a girl from Aunt Elvia's Home has supposedly been sending messages to friends at La Ola, urging them to run away so they will be sent to Aunt Elvia's Home. We've letting her go onto Facebook on our computer, so I've had to make her stop. But these things happen when you deal with kids.

A poverty-stricken baby from our church caravan is staying at Love in Action for a while, and she is improving and gaining weight. We had 27 kids last Sunday, including the baby, and we pray that things work out.

And I got what I wanted for my birthday! A smoked turkey. I'll probably share it with my wife, though.

Please drop in at http://theitaliangringo.blogspot.mx/ for a series I'm writing on "Four Great Principles of Failure" to gain some valuable knowledge in serving God successfully. See you next week,

Vicente
 
Greetings, Gringos! Sorry I'm late, but I spent the day in jail.

At 9:30 this morning I was driving to the animal shelter, when a Mexican friend came running up asking for a ride. I let him in, and then four angry men with rocks came charging up, yelling for me to stop. My friend yelled for me to get away, and fearing that it was a drug deal or something, I floored it. They broke my windshield and a side window. Once we got away, my friend wanted to get out, and the police stopped me on the way home. I told what had happened, and then they arrested me.

My friend had been fleeing plainclothes security guards who had seen him shoplifting. I was handcuffed and taken to the police station, where I explained what had happened. The colonel was a very nice fellow, but he explained that I had broken the law by picking up a stranger. I explained that we were friends, and all the cops broke into smiles. I was informed that this made me an accomplice.

They politely refused to call the American Embassy or my wife, and I was taken to a fairly clean 9' by 7' cell with two concrete beds. I was fined about $45 in a trial that I did not know about, and the police stole all the money in my wallet. Since it was now 8:30, I had had enough of pacing my cell, so I signed a statement that everything was returned.

We had 28 riders on the church caravan last Sunday, and some good days at La Ola Orphanage and Aunt Elvia's Home. And now I'm looking into starting a jailhouse ministry.

See you all next week,

Vicente
 
I like that the Lord is working in all things. Sorry to hear of you being a jail-bird though. Ahhh... I'd have to dig back more than 20 years, but could say, "welcome to the club". Glad to hear it was quick and relatively painless, hope it is good feeling to be "on the outs" again. ;)
 
Reba, it isn't a joke. I went back today to visit my former cellmate. He's been sent off to the prison, but they let me leave some Spanish Chick cartoon booklets for the prisoners.
 
I did not think you were joking .. I did not mean to make light of the ministry ...getting nab the way you did just seemed like such an introduction . You be careful .... I fully believe in trusting in the LORD you got way more guts then I do but use your head also....
 
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