Middleman Ministries

Rosie Gonzalez
 

780 North Bonham Street

San Benito, TX 78586

956-341-1095                                                               middlemanministries.org

September 2010

Dear Family:

It seemed an impossibility to have our Christmas party as it rained continually for an entire week.  That Wednesday before the party on Saturday, it quit raining but the grounds were saturated with water and sooo muddy.  We thought about canceling the party but everyone that was there to help for the party decided we should continue with it. 

I had asked for prayer at my church for good weather for the party.   I was asked what kind of weather? When I said 72 degrees with a slight wind most everyone laughed as it had been raining all week.  Doug Allen got an idea as we were making the Christmas packets, talked to the men and staff and acted upon it.  They started to cultivate the dirt which took a day and a half then he got our truck and took our old fence gate, tied it to the back of the truck with several blocks at the end of it, his brother Cork drove up and down that land and by Friday afternoon it looked amazing.  Saturday January 2, 2010 we held the party.  Our property was about the only dry one in the area and didn’t know if people would show up.  It was a beautiful day, 1554 people attended, 81 people gave their hearts to the Lord.  Nothing is impossible even though it seems that way.  We PRAISE GOD for His faithfulness.  I asked someone if they knew what the temperature was that day.  They told me they thought it was about 71 degrees and we did have a slight wind.  Hallelujah!  Our Christmas party for this year will be the Saturday after Christmas which is January 1, 2011.  There is so much preparation and costs in putting on a party as we do each year, but if it were for one person to be saved it is worth it.  Thank you all for your donations during that time.

Woodie Stiltner of Romeoville, Illinois faithfully drove his semi down once again to bless us with all the drinks  and many items for the gift bags.  Thank you Woodie for your faithfulness to Middleman Ministries and to the work of the Lord year after year.  We would like to thank the following for their faithfulness and financial support of Middleman Ministries:  Curves for Women (Curves International) Gary & Diane Heavin-Waco, Texas; Larry & Laura Nelson-Mokena, IL; a special couple from Reno Nevada; Pathway Christian Fellowship-Shoreweood, IL; Shiloh Methodist Church-Shiloh, IL; Calvary Chapel-Lockport, IL; Jay Harper-Cherryvale, KS; Diamond Springs Wesleyan Church-Hamilton, MI; Bernie & Sally Grassmid-Fremont, MI; Wendell & Ruth Maness-San Benito, TX; David & Cicily Hanawa-San Benito, TX; Alfred & Jerry Pack-Sioux Falls, SD; Erin Rambo-Milton, Fl: Joseph & Cecilia Finger-Corpus Christi, TX; In Our Father's House-San Benito,TX; Peter & Eva Hoekzema-Harlingen, TX.  THANK YOU ALL for believing and partnering with us in what God has called us to.  Your monthly support allows to continue with the vision God has placed in our hearts.  You are such a vital part of what we do.  Thank you for your faithfulness to God and His Work.

We thank Love, Inc. of  Hudsonville, Michigan for the bicycles they donate and have donated over the years.
Many many thanks to Darrel W. Johnson of Affordable Attic Valley Wide for donating hundreds of roof metal.  Our pavillion and two homes built have the metal on them and we have enough for a few more homes.  Thank you for putting a roof over someone's head.   Thank you also to Mack & Deborah Harrell of All Valley Unit Step for donating all the iron bars on my rebuilt home.  They had to totally be redone.  Thank you so much!  The bars make my house look even more beautiful.

I cut my travels short last year due to a change of leadership in our church in Mexico.  I usually travel about 5 to 6 months a year.  Last year I traveled a total of 4 weeks.  I have really felt the difference in not going out on the road.  Besides missing everyone I see every year, the funds that usually come in during the travel time really made a dent in our ministry.  God can restore that which was lost and know He will. 

In June of 2009, Hill Country Fellowship from Burnet, Texas came and blessed our new pastor and his family with a beautiful 20 x 28 home.  They also had a medical clinic for the community and vacation bible school for the area children.  They did an excellent job as always.  This June 2010 they came back and blessed us by bringing a reality drama from Mexico City called “Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames”, built a beautiful stage for the drama, did vacation bible school again this year, build a 18 X 28 home for a family and had an eye clinic for the community giving away reading glasses as well.  The week they were there 161 people gave their hearts to the Lord.  Attendance at the drama was 1200 people in four nights.  Thank you Hill Country Fellowship for all you do.

In October, Concord Church of St. Louis came and blessed us with 2 -16 X20  homes.  One for a wonderful retired pastor and his wife and another for a family of four from the area.  They also build us a beautiful rod iron fence with cement columns.  It  makes the complex look so nice and we are so proud of it.  It is so well done and they did it in a week 400 feet of rod iron fence.  Concord donated $3,500.00 towards the fence project and Janice Fulbright of Pratt Kansas donated $5,000.00.  Thank you all for your generous offering.  Someone at my church said I have never seen a woman so excited about a fence.  It is pictured under Pictures and Videos so you can see for yourself.  Concord also had a medical clinic that week and built us a new set of stairs for our missionary apartment.  Our head carpenter had an accident which would have been very bad if God hadn’t intervened, a 4X4 fell on his head at about 40 mph.  We rushed him to the hospital and Praise God he is doing great.  Once again an awesome job, thank you Concord for your faithfulness each year!

Our winter Michigan friends came back last November and stayed until April.  Doug & Marilyn Allen, Morris (Cork) Cornell (Doug’s brother), Richard and Faye Billman, Omer and Ann Hayes(Ohio), Clint Williams (Chicago), and Jim & Glenda Joseph(Michigan) were here for 2 weeks.  Were they busy, they not only did maintenance work at the complex in Mexico, they blessed several families in the area with much needed home repairs.  They worked on my house also, it is finished, and absolutely beautiful, looks like a brand new home.  In about a month and a half, Doug, Marilyn, Richard & Faye made 6 to 8 trips a day crossing over $6,000 of lumber and over 300 sheets of metal for the building of the pavilion in June. They are missed already but know they will be back.  Cork also taught English to the people in Mexico while he was here.  They miss him terribly. Dick Davis of  Rives Junction, MI., Dave St. Louis  &  Vic Provost both from Ontario Canada and several of their friends came back again this year.  These men are professionals at their trade.  Electricians, plumbers etc.  They have been coming to bless Middleman Ministries since we started 7 years ago.  We consider them not only good friends but part of our family.   There are several ladies at Tradewinds RV Resort in Mission, Texas (The Quilt Room Ladies) where Dave and Judy St. Louis stay in the valley that have sewn hundreds of beautiful quilts for us every year which are given to the families in the community.  Thank you ladies for your act of  love.  Thank you guys again for all you continue to do for Middleman and for the Lord. Our winter family keeps growing.

Peter and Sally Cook have truly organized our warehouses.  I know some of you need to see it to believe it.  They have done and continue to do a great job.   They moved from Indiana down to the valley to work with Middleman.  They also work  in Mexico and have  established a very special bond with several families in Mexico.

My sister Ruth continues to help Middleman especially when a work team arrives.  Ruth and my mother, Cecilia, join me for services on Sunday’s in Mexico which are a blessing.  They have grown to love the Mexican people as I do. 

We have been experiencing some violence in Mexico.  We ask you to pray for the peace of Mexico.  I have been told countless times not to go there anymore, but that is my life and God is in control of my life and I will keep going and have faith God will protect me and those that He sends down.  The violence in Matamoros has not been as bad as other places in Mexico but we never know when something will happen.  We covet your prayers.

Personally, I am doing good.  My knee is functioning well, I am doing things that I had not done for sometime.  In February though, I truly thought I was going on to be with the Lord.   I could not breathe and did not know what was happening.  The group took me to the hospital and they couldn’t find anything wrong.  I went to 3 doctors and finally my physician referred me to a lung specialist and he found I had chronic bronchitis.  It took a few months to finally get better.  Praise God for His mercy.

Burnips Wesleyan Church of Burnips, Michigan was here in June to build us a 40 X 100 foot pavilion.  The pavilion is awesome and was told by another group that it was very well build.  It will be used for concerts, community events, church services and much more.  Was already used this June for the reality drama.  Thank you Burnips Wesleyan for the huge blessing.  Burnips Wesleyan also labored in insulating our church, what a difference it has made.  It was so hot before, it was almost unbearable. 

Doug Allen was here in June to help with the back to back groups in June, thank you Doug for your heart and thank you Marilyn for sharing him.

I just drove one of our old faithful vans from Mexico and hadn’t realized the terrible condition it was in and sadly had to put it away.  Every vehicle that has been donated holds sentimental value to us.  We have had to led go of  four vehicles in the last few years.  Our newest vehicle is a 2001.  We are in desperate need of another 12 or 15 passenger van or a suburban and a small pick-up truck.  As many of you know, they are put to use in a tremendous way.

I am in Illinois as I write this newsletter on the road again.  It has been a good trip.  Have gotten so much rest.  Financially, not as good as other years, to be expected because of the economy.  God is in control and He will restore what has been lost.

For the last 7 years we have received hundreds of friends and thousands of candy canes from a beautiful lady in Coffeyville, Kansas, her name is Lucille Christmore.  Thank you, Lucille for your beautiful heart and your continued faithfulness in blessing the people of Mexico, especially the children with all the friends you send every year. They are not only stuffed with padding but with your love and compassion to your family in Mexico.
 

Please visit our website, it has been updated with current pictures and videos.  Also, please note we have a new mailing address.  Thank you Scott & Jan Stephenson for teaching me how to update the website.  You have been a tremendous blessing.

I know economic times are hard, but God said He would never leave us nor forsake us and His promises are true.  So much around the world is happening.  Never before have we seen such times.  We need to remember God tells us those times were coming.  Are we truly ready to meet Him.  I pray you are and that you are preparing your loved ones to also be ready to meet Him. 

Can we make a difference for God?   Countless times I sit in our church in Mexico and just look around at what God has done.  The 2 acres of property and 8 buildings but most of all I look at the people sitting around me and get tears in my eyes as I see people that I personally have known that were drunks, had a fowl mouth, bad to the bone, drug addicts and now see them raising their hands and praising God it is over-whelming.  He has used someone like me that does not know much but am willing to learn -to make a difference.  That is what I would pray when I got saved, “Lord let me make a difference.”  I now see what He has done and is continuing to do and He uses people like you to be part of  getting the good news out to people that have no hope.   Middleman is now 7 years old and we are making a difference.  You can see what God has done the last 7 years, HE is Amazing.   Thank you all for your continued faithfulness to Him and to Middleman Ministries.

Until next time, you are all in my prayers and forever in my heart,