Don’t miss the contest at the bottom of this post, friends!

Although we have never adopted, when author Cheryl Ellicott offered me a review copy of This Means War: Equipping Christian Families for Fostercare or Adoption, I jumped at the chance! You see, I had read the first chapter of the book as a sample she offered a group of fellow authors. I had seldom read anything so honest and practical about the spiritual warfare a Christian family can face and I was dying to read the rest of the book.

Cheryl Ellicott, an adoptive mother, speaks from experience in her upcoming book, This Means War. Remembering how ill-prepared she was to deal with the very real spiritual warfare she faced in trying to rescue children and give them a family, she reaches out to prospective families and helps them to gird up their spiritual armor and be prepared for the fight of their lives. I don’t know why we should be surprised that Satan doesn’t readily give up the children whose families he has devastated, but many adoptive parents are, according to Cheryl. This book should be an essential part of every Christian family’s preparation.

Full of first person accounts and excellent advice, This Means War is grounded on the Word of God and the recognition that what we do makes a difference in the spiritual realm. Although some families may be discouraged from fostering or adopting after understanding the challenge, those who press on will be much better prepared to accomplish the ultimate goal in adoption – to rescue a child not just physically, but spiritually. Cheryl explains everything from the physical and emotional effects of the disrupted situations these children come from to the tactics our enemy tends to use to distract and discourage us along the way. This is wise counsel for families thinking of imitating the Lord in adopting one of these little ones.

Those aren’t the only ones who will find this book helpful, though. The first couple of chapters give the most practical explanation of what spiritual warfare looks like in family life that I have ever read. Seriously. I have thought about what this books says many times since I read it as I more readily recognize what’s going on when strife, or distraction, or Sunday morning chaos strikes our family. I would love to see Cheryl write an entire book on this subject alone. This is good stuff! Highly recommended.

This Means War: Equipping Christian Families for Fostercare or Adoption, Sweetwater Still Publishing, 172 pages, October 15, 2010, $14.99.

Sweetwater Still Publishing gave us a free copy of this book in return for our honest review.

Get a prerelease copy at Sweetwater Still Publishing with free shipping! And fan them on Facebook, too.

Want to win a copy??? Leave a comment on this post! Get additional entries by posting about the contest and linking back to this blog on Facebook, Twitter, your email loops or blogs — just be sure to leave a comment telling us that you posted. Contest ends Wednesday, August 4th at noon.

I hate that we are so far behind in posting these updates for the Richardsons in Mexico. We’ve been away at Hal’s family’s lake camp and in contrast to previous years, the internet service was so wretched we were not able to do nearly what we needed to online. Please be in prayer for our brethren in Mexico!

From: “Mike Richardson”

Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:59:30 -0500

God is good, all the time.
All the time God is good.

This morning we had church at a house in San Juan. Only the people from
close by were able to attend. There were perhaps ten of us, including two
unbelieving married daughters of Don Chuy and Elvira.

We had a sweet time of fellowship. Everyone shared their stories and then we
sang, prayed and studied Hebrews 12 — looking to Jesus the Author and
Finisher of our faith. The words of the author of Hebrews spoke volumes to
our hearts. Veronica was very attentive during the service. I sat down
beside her after church and we talked for about 10 minutes. She told me that
she was thinking about asking the Lord to forgive her but that she didn’t
know how to pray. We talked about prayer. Then she prayed a simple but
heartfelt prayer through a flood of tears.

Praise be to God. He has already brought good out of this bad event — for
you see she would not have been at church if it had been in the normal place!
This one event makes all the extra worth well worthwhile. Thank you for
praying. Your prayers, I believe, helped to open her heart to the Gospel.

After church Isaac and I went to the last four houses to document the
damage. We had a total of 13 houses damaged. Three were damaged
significantly. Five had a moderate amount of damage and five were slightly
damaged.

Clestino lives way up the mountain. Isaac and I rode as far as we could on
the three-wheeler and then walked the rest of the way. When we arrived I
opened my backpack to get out the camera. It was not there, I had left it at
the house! I went ahead and reviewed everything with them and then we
returned for the camera. On the way down everything looked the same. I asked
Isaac if we were lost. He said, “no we just don’t know where are right now!”

We finally found ourselves and went on down the mountain! Isaac, very
kindly, made the return trip to take pictures by himself.

I have just finished writing up the damage reports on the houses. I will
make a trip into town tomorrow to turn those into the presidencia.

Thanks for your prayers as well as your emails. They are very encouraging to
us.

Mike

The "Road" to Baratillo

From: “Mike Richardson”
Subject: More info on Mexico
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:42:32 -0500

This morning Timothy (10) and I made a trip through the valley and met with
some officials in San Juan. One fellow, whom I had not met before, asked me
if I was Mike. When I said yes he said that he was the governor’s
representative. Then he went on to tell me that he was leaving to review the
damages in some other places and would be back here the first of next week.
He asked if I would take him on a tour of the valley. I still don’t know
what his actual job is but I am glad that that more people are aware of the
situation.

Then I stopped and met with the engineer in charge of repairing our road.
He now has a team of eight people working on the road. Although they are
making slow progress he confirmed that they were planning to stay until the
roadwork was complete.

We had made an agreement for me to take him on a tour this afternoon.  Since
I had a few hours I thought I would come home and rest.

God has been doing some very interesting things in my heart these days.
Prior to the hurricane I was developing the routine of trying to pray an
hour a day. The devastation and the recovery work broke that routine.

Instead of resting I went outside to pray. I was literally overwhelmed with
emotion. I cry out to the Lord –not about the physical conditions here but
about the spiritual condition of the people. Four hundred and fifty people
live in San Juan and less than one hundred live in the valley. Of those we
have thirty to thirty-five at church most weeks. While that is over 5% of
the population, it is not enough. I believe that God has brought this
situation at this time to do his work in the hearts of the people.

As I lay before the Lord I begin to cry and ask him, “Would you give me 100
people? Would you bring 100 into the kingdom from here?” Then I thought, “If
God can bring 100 into the kingdom, why not ask for 150?” God tells us in
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

I have lived and worked in this valley for ten years. Even thinking about
reaching 100 or 150 people for the Lord out of 650 seems absolutely
ridiculous. That just couldn’t happen. But I know my God. It could happen
because he is a powerful God. I am asking him to start a revival among my
people that is inconceivable — even to me.

I have been formulating some thoughts and ideas in my mind. I will share them
another day. In the meantime please pray for my people.

After I finished praying I ate and then left to meet the engineer.

We rode through the upper end of the valley. When we arrived at the
beginning of the worst part he said that he had seen enough for the
day and returned to San Juan.

Then I went to a family’s house that has a baby. While I had taken them food
several times I had forgotten about the baby. Sure enough they needed
diapers. I put that on my list of things to do tomorrow.

In the evening I came home I took my shirt off and lay down on the bed. I
was thinking about taking a shower but really didn’t even want to get up to
do that. Pam was sitting in a chair close by; we were chatting while I was
half asleep and half awake. After a few minutes my dear sweet wife asked me,
“When was the last time you went to Dona Amelia and Poncho’s house? I had
gone on Friday and sent Isaac on Saturday.

A few minutes later I rolled out of bed, put my shirt on, and told Pam, “I
am going to see Poncho and Amelia. I will be back in a little while.”

In Christ,

Mike

From: “Mike Richardson”
Subject: A little more progress
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:26:07 -0500

Monday

Today when I went through San Juan I was told that two drivers came instead
of the promised three. Then one of the tractors broke down so the driver
went to town to get a part instead of sending someone else and using the
other machine. Needless to say I was more than slightly discouraged.

Then I went to town and took my reports on the housing damage to the
appropriate people. They told me that tomorrow I would have an answer about
“when they can give us an answer”. It looks like the government will help
SOME people. While we don’t know for sure it looks like those who receive
help will be given some of the materials that are needed to make repairs.
They will be responsible for the rest of the materials and the labor cost.

When I returned to San Juan there were three tractors working. That’s right
three — count them one, two, three. Needless to say the sight of them all
working lifted my spirits. The engineer who is responsible for the canyon
was there too. After talking for a while I found out that he was a believer.
He told me that they will work Monday through Friday on the valley until it
is done. HE estimated two more weeks to get to our house. He could not give
me an estimate on the rest of the valley since he had not been to the other
end. I offered to take him the entire way tomorrow. I am not sure if he will
take me up on it or not.

He also gave me some sad news. I have been told that this work crew would
do the entire valley even though the last 1/3 is another state. He told me
that they would just go to the state line and that Nuevo Leon would need to
do the rest.

The reason that is sad is because Monterrey was damaged severely. It is the
largest city in northern Mexico. Since Nuevo Leon is trying to restore
services to the greatest number of people they are concentrating on the big
cities. So it could end up being a very long time to actually get the entire
canyon open.

I was unable to pick up and deliver food today. I plan to make every effort
to get that done tomorrow.

Thank you for your prayers.

Mike

From: “Mike Richardson”
Subject: A lesson Learned (I Hope)
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:43:28 -0500

Wednesday

On dirt roads in Mexico the government has a 6 meter (20 feet) right of way
on each side of the center of the road.

There is one washed out area were the engineer decided to move the road over
about nine feet. His thought was that it would be a more secure road and
less likely to wash out again. So they begin digging away at the embankment
on the side of the road. The owner of the property, Kiko, was right there
watching. After they had dug about three feet of the embankment the owner
announced that they couldn’t dig anymore. The tractor driver talked to him
and then the engineer talked to him to no avail. I asked the engineer if he
would like to talk to him together. He looked at me and said, “you can try.”

So as Timothy and I walked over to him we said a quick prayer together.
“Lord, give us favor in Kiko’s eyes.”

We chatted for a few minutes and then our conversation turned to the road. I
asked him if he would mind if I showed him what they wanted to do to the
road. We walked over and I showed him how they would cut down the side and
give us a nice “land bridge” to cross with tubs and then even put concrete
on top to prevent future erosion. After thinking about it for a few minutes
he looked at me and said, “Go ahead and do it.”

He had just needed someone to calmly explain the situation to him and give
him time to process it. I patted him on the shoulder, looked him in the eye,
and told him he was a good man and we all appreciated his help.

The tractor returned to work.

After using my words to calm this situation, the Lord reminded me of some
harsh words that I had spoken to a neighbor the day before. Not out of anger
but out of frustration and being tired. I knew what I had to do.

This afternoon while Joshua (11), Timothy (10), Benjamin (8), and I were
delivering food I went to Javier and told him that I was very sorry for my
harsh words and that there was no excuse for me speaking that way. Then I
looked him in the eye and said, “Would you forgive me?”

He quickly said that he would and then looking at the mound of food that I
had on the back of the three-wheeler he asked, “Would you like for me to
help you deliver that food?” With that he took the food to the nine families
at the far end of the canyon and I came home and took an early shower while
Isaac delivered the last packages to Baratillo.

God has, once again, taught me an important lesson about the tongue. My
prayer for today is that God would use my tongue for good and not for
evil — to bless and not to curse — to be a giver of life.

In Christ,

Mike

From: “Mike Richardson”
Subject: Richardson
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:20:32 -0500

Friday

Isaac and I traveled through the entire canyon as well as the next one over
this morning. The repair work in our valley is substantially higher quality
than the work being done in the Los Lirios valley.

I met with the engineer today. They have decided to put down a 3-4″ cap of
sand/gravel mixture on the part of the road that they are repairing. While
they are advancing slowly, they are doing a very good job. I am grateful for
that. I had Anna make zucchini bread and took it to the worker as an
expression of our gratitude.

I have the final Board meeting before our conference tomorrow. We will have
church in San Juan on Sunday. Then on Sunday afternoon and Monday I will
travel to the border and back to pick up supplies for the conference. Unless
something unexpected happens I will not send another update until either
Monday or Tuesday.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Mike

From: “Mike Richardson”
Subject: Mexico update
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:38:10 -0500

Saturday

We made a quick run through the valley today. The workers are doing a fine
job of repair and improving our road but the work is slow. There are still a
lot of very damaged areas left to repair. We are estimating that it will be
a week before they get to our house. The company doing the repair work on
the roads is a private contractor. We are currently negotiating with them to
repair the entrance to our property. Since they are here and doing a good
job on the road, I thought they would be the best option to repair our
damage too.

Back in the olden days when I was a CFO for a manufacturing company we
implemented a JIT (just in time) inventory system. It allowed us to reduce
our overhead and produce at very efficient rates. I feel like I am doing a
similar type thing with our conference equipment. If all goes well, we
should be able to get our equipment out of the offices here in the mountains
just in time for the conference.

The tractors have advanced far enough that I can now get my truck out. It
will be very useful in moving around the area.

We will be having church in San Juan again tomorrow. We are hoping that by
next week we will have safe access to our church building.

In addition to our conference preparations we have now set up twitter
accounts for both ministries. You can join them by following VNMinistres and
ElHogarEducador on your twitter account.

On a more personal side, Benjamin (8) was cutting some cardboard with a
knife. The knife slipped and sliced his eyelid open — from the eyelashes up
and over about half of his eye. He was very fortunate that the eyeball was
not damaged. We took him to one hospital and two doctors before we were able
to get the damage repaired. He has now learned, the hard way, why you should
always cut away from your body and not toward it.

Mike

The King’s School is the oldest independent private academy in Australia.  The headmaster of the all-male, K-12 boarding school, Dr. Tim Hawkes, presented a paper at the International  Boys’ School Coalition conference in Toronto, Canada, a few years ago, starting his presentation with this observation:

When the philosopher, Aristippus of Cyrene, was asked some 400 years BC, what boys should be taught, he replied:

“Those things which they will use when men.”

Imbued with ancient wisdom, this response threatens to make a mockery of much which is taught in schools today.

Tragically, rather too many schools have lost sight of those things which will be used by our boys when they become men.  We have lost our focus on education in favour of a concentration on the esoteric, the political and the convenient.  Rather too much teaching is packaged in artificial curricula delivered in artificial settings giving artificial help for the future.

He identified ten life skills which are typically, if not universally, overlooked in the schools:

The ability to live in community and to forge good relationships.

The ability to communicate well.

The ability to know yourself and what you believe.

The ability to handle intimacy and sex.

The ability to control emotions and impulses.

The ability to manage financial matters.

The ability to do practical things, to clean, cook, make and mend.

The ability to be good mannered and to know etiquette.

The ability to accept responsibility.

The ability to be resilient and to deal with grief and loss

I’ve read the whole 23-page paper, and while I have some reservations or downright disagreements in some areas — I wouldn’t want my sons given a secularized, make-your-own-choice-just-be-polite form of sex education, for instance — I have to say he’s on target in many ways.  In fact, we address all of these issues in our book, but from a Biblical standpoint, not just a philosophical one.

(Interestingly for a secular educator, he suggests that a formal coming of age ceremony is a useful thing – another point we address in the book.)

One thing he doesn’t address — and in fact, he does at least touch on the necessity of some sort of spiritual training, though not specifically Christian — is implied in the very existence of his school and the IBSC organization.  In nearly every one of these topics, a boy will approach the issue from a distinctly different perspective than his sister … or his mom.  The desired educational goal may be the same at the end — he or she can cook, he or she can deal with disappointment, he or she has internalized and personalized their moral and spiritual frameworks.  However, I think we have to pull our kids out of the ditches on the opposite sides of the road.  I, as a father, have to step out of my “instinctive” response to effectively reach out to my young daughters; I have to speak more gently, deal with different emotional reactions, and so forth.  Mothers have to do the same to reach their sons.

And both mom and dad need to ask themselves — are we going to do any better job of teaching these life skills than the schools do?

(A more concise version of his presentation is available on The King’s School website.  This article omits some of the more debatable or objectionable ideas I found in the conference presentation.)

Another update from Mike Richardson, missionary in Mexico in the area devastated by Hurricane Alex:

Subject: God is good

Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 23:06:24 -0500

Early this week I was asked by the government disaster relief agency to all the damage to the orchards here in our valley. Then they came back and asked that I also document the damage to houses. Timothy (10) and I went out this morning to begin that process. We rode five hours, on the donkey, to reach the farthest houses. This time I borrowed a different donkey. He had a ranchero saddle — a homemade wooden saddle with no stirrups.

I was so very glad when I was able to dismount!

After we finished the eastern end of the valley, Joshua (11) and I took off on the three-wheeler and started the process of documenting the western end. The three-wheeler is not able to travel on the eastern end of the valley because of all the rock slides.

God miraculously saved the houses. There was only one with significant structural damage. While many do have water damage, I would not consider any to be severely damaged. There were several people who have mattresses and things like that with water damage. The mold is also starting to set in.

Even our house, which did not leak any, has started to develop mold on the eastern walls. Pam and the kids moved the furniture and washed everything down with bleach.

Two more pieces of equipment were brought into the valley today. Unfortunately they did not bring any drivers! The one driver who was here left around 2:00 and said he would be back on Monday. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part when I thought he would work on the weekend!

I made arrangements for another five day supply of food. I will pick it up on Monday and try to get it delivered that same day.

On my way home from San Juan something very interesting happened. There was the largest rainbow I have ever seen. It went from one side of the canyon to the other and was so close I felt like I could touch it. Juan and Joshua were both on the three-wheeler with me. I turned to Juan and told him the story of Noah. I kind-of felt like God was saying to me, “It is going to be all right. I am with you.”

I don’t know how to explain it but I really feel like God has been so good to us the last ten days. These challenges have given me a fresh new outlook on life. I had a friend who would say: “God is good.” Then his class would respond, “All the time.” The he would say “All the time.” And his class would say, “God is good.”

That is so true. Say it to yourselves.

God is good all the time.

All the time God is good.

Mike Richardson

Dear Friends,

The following messages are from our dear friends, Mike and Pam Richardson, missionaries in Mexico.  Their area has been devastated by Hurricane Alex, some dear brethren losing their entire source of support, their orchards.  We thought you’d want to be praying for them and would also enjoy hearing about how Mike’s sons have stepped up to the plate and are doing men’s work in this crisis.

Thank you so much for praying!!

Hal and Melanie (comments in italics are ours)

A Road, Not a River, Despite Appearances

Hurricane Alex Report

When we started hearing about Hurricane Alex, on Wednesday, I was not concerned. I was up in the mountains and felt safe. Samuel was flying out of Monterrey on Thurs. and Mike decided to leave on Wed. night in case the roads were bad. Sometimes when it rains, it is hard to get through the mud. Little did he imagine that on Thurs. the roads would be washed away, along with many orchards…

Pray for [Mike] as he meets with officials to get things moving out here in the valley. One person told me the people here were the “olvidados” before we came. That is the forgotten ones. I told her you were never forgotten by God. One precious couple who lost their entire orchard reminded me that it was God who met her needs not the orchard. What a wonderful reminder that God is good and HE does care for our needs..

In our lives tragedy often runs along side great joy. There is so much to be thankful for.
Please remember the people here.That they will see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

Pam, July 4

This morning, I corresponded with Mike and he sent us the update below. He also told me that they are in desperate need of a four wheel ATV – the roads are completely impassable for nearly 14 miles that must be cleared. He also said that their generator has stopped working and it is too cloudy for the solar panels to work – they have no other sources of electricity.

Mike writes:

Many of you already know that Hurricane Alex came through northern Mexico where we live. I wanted to share an update on our current situation.
I was in Santa Catarina (near Monterrey) when hurricane Alex hit. I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of the water’s powerful grip in that area. But Hurricane Alex did not only have an overwhelming effect in Monterrey it also reached its powerful hand into many of the outlaying areas of Arteaga-the ranchos and villages.
Here are a few pictures from Monterrey.

While we do not live in Monterrey, I was there and these pictures will help you get a better overview of the destructive force of the hurricane.

Pam and six of our children were isolated when the roads were damaged in the fairly remote area of Arteaga where we live. She wrote, “I went to sleep on Wednesday night and slept well. I was aware of the rain, but it seemed nothing major. I woke up to a roaring sound. I thought it was wind, but I looked out and the trees were not moving. It sounded like a big roaring river. It WAS a roaring river. We are high up in the mountains. The water was rushing down the mountain and the low spots were filled with very rapidly moving water. The destruction was shocking. Whole orchards were swept away. It is hard to tell where the road used to be. There were many rock slides and mud slides. There is no way to get out either direction.”

While Pam and children are cut off in the valley that runs from San Juan de los Dolores to Baratillo and then on to El Alto, there are many other areas with similar devastation. Arteaga is putting all its available resources and efforts into the opening up access to this valley. Pam and twenty-five other families have been isolated since last Thursday.

I have been meeting with the Presidente, the director of Public Works as well as other state and local officials. We are trying to get machinery into the valley in order to open up access to the valley. The Lord has been opening doors for me to help the public officials with their planning. I have been able to help them document the damage to the roads, orchards, houses as well as delivering food to the people who are cut-off by packing it in on donkeys. It has been my pleasure to offer my services to them-helping in any way possible.

After finally getting out of Monterrey, we put together enough food to last the people three days. I drove the food in as far as possible and then with the help of neighbors, we delivered it by donkey to all the families in the valley.

Three days later, we were able to quickly pull together enough food to distribute to the families who unable to get in or out. I was also able to have a short meeting with the Presidente Municipal. He told me that he would be in San Juan late this afternoon and would see me there. Upon arriving in the valley, I left Isaac in charge of making the food distribution. After a short wait the Presidente and the state Public Works official came to San Juan. He had a brief meeting on the side of the road with about 25 of the local men. The Presidente then turned to me and said, “Mike let’s ride to the next valley over and look at it. I would like to hear your opinion about the situation.” After seeing situation the Presidente has agreed to send tractors to both ends of the valley to begin the digging out process.

It has continued to rain so the damage has gotten worse but all the people are safe. Isaac, our 14 year old son, has been with me the last two days and has proven himself a man who is up to the task set before him. Today Isaac stayed in the valley to help while Joshua, 12, went with me to check on the machinery and meet with the Presidente.

This is the road into Baratillo, not a stream bed!

I was able to get through to the next valley and visit Marcelo. He and a few other men had shovels and were trying to clear a small path through what used to be the road. A rear leaf spring on the van broke into two pieces. Since this is the only vehicle from our valley that is not stranded by the washed out roads, I spent three hours at the shop getting it replaced. When I arrived in the mountains the promised tractor had not arrived. Then it rained all afternoon, causing more damage.

Not much road left…

I was asked today to travel through the valley again-this time to review the damage to the orchards and take additional pictures so that the Presidencia can document the damage in the farming communities.

After nearly week of meeting and checking on others, I was finally able to make my way to my house and spent the night. While it was nice to be home, I will be heading out the following morning to continue working on getting some normalcy back to our valley.

Our valley can be reached from both ends. The government sent equipment to the far end yesterday. They are going through the valley “opening” the road. “Opening” means clearing enough debris and filling in enough holes to make the road barely passable. They have the road open to Don Santos house now. I drove down that way today. I had to stop for about an hour while a lot of us guys helped free a truck that had gotten stuck on the “barely passable” road. When the tractor got to the worst area in our canyon they left and decided they should go work in another canyon that was not as bad as ours. The tractor began work this morning on the San Juan end of the valley.

In addition to praying for the isolated families and the Richardsons please be in prayer for our upcoming conference. It is scheduled to take place in less than five weeks.

Mike wrote yesterday that over 1350 apple trees have been washed away in the half of the valley they have surveyed. The folks of the Baratillo area depend on the apple orchards for their living.

Several people have asked what kind of help we need. Prayer is our biggest need right now.
Mike and Pam: That God would use their lives to be a light in the dark world.
Our elected officials: That they will be able to coordinate relief efforts.
Isaac: That God would use him in mighty ways during these uncertain times.
Josue: That he will be able to shoulder the responsibility of being the “man of the house” in the days to come.
The Church at Baratillo: That the members will be encouraged in the Lord.
The stranded families: That they will have sufficient food and that God would use these struggles to draw them to the Lord.

Beyond prayer there is much else that can be done right now by those living outside the area. The government is covering the cost of opening the roads and we have sufficient resources in hand to get the food to the people for the next couple of weeks. However, once the roads are open then we will begin the restoration process. I am unable to give you an estimate of the cost but I can say that without doubt it will be very high and that there will be great need.

Thank you for your continued prayers. I will try and keep you informed.

If you would like to contact us, Mike can be reached at vnm@hughes.net and Pam at mikeswife@hughes.net.

Mail from the USA can be sent to our US mailing address:

Mike & Pam Richardson
1001 S 10th St., G-529
McAllen, TX 78501

Mail from Mexico can be sent to:
Mike & Pam Richardson
APDO 487
Saltillo, Coahuila 25000

We have known Mike and Pam for 12 years and have seen their faithfulness in ministry to the church of Baratillo and to the homeschoolers of Mexico, as well as Spanish-speaking homeschoolers worldwide as the publishers of El Hogar Educador. We hope and pray that you will pray for them and the people of their valley and help in any way you are able.

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My dear young friends,

I am writing because I have been through what you are going through. My father died when I was 14 years old. I felt so sad and confused and frightened. I wondered where we would get the money to live on and if we’d have to move. God provided all we needed and we stayed right there in our house and my mother still lives there – and it’s been 30 years!! Now my children go to spend the night in my room. I was afraid that everything would change, that we wouldn’t be a family any more without Daddy. Although Daddy wasn’t with us, and we missed him awfully, everything didn’t change. Mama was still Mama, we were still a family, we still celebrated holidays as much as we could like we did before – and we had lots of happy memories of Daddy to share.

I was also sad. I was sad that Daddy wouldn’t see me graduate or be able to walk me down the aisle when I got married. God wiped away my tears and comforted me. I know my Daddy is in heaven and that our Lord is telling him all about us. I know he can’t wait until we all get to heaven and he can meet my children. When I graduated, all my grandparents came, and I knew Dad was proud of me, even though he couldn’t be there. When I got married, my brother gave me away and I never loved him so much as I did then. It drew our hearts together. It was beautiful and special and nothing spoiled it.

I also felt funny when Dad died. Sometimes I wanted to cry and cry and cry. But sometimes I wanted to laugh and be carefree and pretend that awful things never happen and I was worried that people would think that I didn’t love Daddy if I did that. It’s okay! When you feel like crying, cry. And pray to the Lord for comfort. When you feel like laughing, laugh. Anybody with any sense knows you love your Mom and she wants you to be joyful. We are Christians and we shouldn’t mourn like the pagans do – with no hope. My father is in heaven – perfectly well, enjoying the Lord, and I know he wants the same for me. Don’t ever be afraid to be joyful!

I worried about my Mama, too. She seemed so sad and worried. I wondered how I could take care of her and help her. Now that I’m a mother, I wouldn’t want my children to worry about me. I am stronger than they are, both physically and spiritually. I would want my children to trust me to take care of them. How can you help your father? Be honest with him. Tell him what you are thinking about. Share your feelings. Remember your Mama that has gone to heaven and help him teach the younger children about her and share those memories with them. Obey him and do your school work and chores. Give him lots of hugs and don’t worry if he just has to cry sometimes. That’s a great time to pray for him.

It has been over 30 years since my father died, when I was fourteen. I can see the truth of God’s Word when it says that God would be a father to the fatherless and a judge for the widows. He has taken care of my mother and brother and me in a great way. We miss Daddy and we will never forget him, but we are happy adults. God has been so good to me! He has loved me and saved me, given me a great husband, blessed me with eight wonderful children. I wish I had known when my Daddy died, that everything would be okay, that I would be happy again, that my life would turn out just right. That’s why I’m writing to you. I thought it might encourage you to hear from someone who has suffered what you are suffering and has seen God’s mercy. He is faithful. He has taken care of me and He will take care of you. He promises to do it and He always keeps His promises. I love you all for your father’s sake and I’ll be praying for you.

With much love and concern,
Melanie Young,
daughter of “Bill” Smith, 1940-1978

The always thought-provoking Douglas Wilson (author of Future Men) has an interesting post on getting boys engaged with music, particularly to worship God but in other aspects as well. His first point?

1. It is more important that your boys grow up masculine than that they grow up musical. You don’t necessarily have to choose, but if you have to choose, you should know which way to go, and should go that way without hesitation.

I doubt anyone loves music in worship better than Doug Wilson, but his point is well taken.  If we’re raising our boys to be men, we expect them to be men in whatever they do – hunting elk, changing diapers, and if so inclined, singing madrigals.

He’s also right to suggest that the problem, for those of us concerned, may not be interesting our sons in music, per se, but in particular kinds of music.  He touches on the role of discipline, the importance of role models, and our own humility and wisdom in getting inside our boys’ heads on the question.  Read the whole thing! (And scroll down through the comments as well … some of them are pretty insightful.)

Someone on ChowHound asked for the 50 things you ought to eat in North Carolina and I couldn’t resist. Thought you might enjoy it. I’d love to hear your area’s not-to-be-missed foods, too!!

We’ve traveled all over the world and eaten some awesome food, but North Carolina still can’t be beat. Here’s my list of must-tries in the Old North State:

Chicken Pastry (Your best bet for this is your grandmother’s house or a church potluck, but for years Strickland Dail Dining and Catering in Snow Hill/Farmville, NC has had wonderful real homecooking – it’s been awhile since I’ve been there, but that’s my first choice if I don’t make it myself)

Tenderloin Biscuits (Must be real, whole, fried tenderloin chunks, not the factory mess they serve most places. Flo’s in Wilson has the best biscuits in the entire world, bar none – also try their…)

Cheese Biscuits (Should be hoop cheese gooey in the middle of a yummy biscuit, not cheese throughout the biscuit dough. Try Flo’s above for the best ever.)

Liver Pudding

Fried Okra (not the heavy breaded grocery store and restaurant variety, but the kind you slice, stir in buttermilk and coat with cornmeal and a tiny amount of flour, then panfry).

Bread & Butter pickles, preferably homemade

Tomato Sandwich, fresh out of the garden, on white bread with Duke’s mayonnaise

Fried Fatback

Speckled Butterbeans (very rarely found at Farmer’s market, usually have to have a friend with a garden)

Half-Runner Green Beans, also called snaps, home-canned, then cooked with fatback

Pimento Cheese (If you can’t make it yourself, try The Creamery in Wilson for the closest to homemade I’ve had.)

Grits, if you don’t like them, you haven’t had them made right

Crowder Peas, served with ketchup, homemade relish and cornbread

White, not-sweet Cornbread crumbled into buttermilk

Corn Pudding, homemade from fresh corn

Real, Air-dried Sausages – Try Smith’s Red & White in Dorches, the best, though you’ll have to take them home and cook them. They make them the way they used to be made on the farms.

Pig-Pickin’ Cake

Eastern North Carolina Barbecue (There’s probably better barbecue than Parker’s in Wilson, but I don’t know of any other places that serve it just the way they did when I was a child. You have got to go there! If you’re in a group, order family style for a pigout session like no other. If you’re alone, order a large combination and fill up on these not-to-be-missed NC specialities, too:
*Chicken fried in pork lard…. yum, yum! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
*Eastern NC slaw (extremely fine mince, sharp, clean taste that’s the perfect foil for the barbecue.)
*Brunswick stew (a red stew with chicken, barbecue, corn, lima beans, and a knock-your-socks-off taste)
*Boiled potatoes, with a dash of Eastern NC barbecue sauce added.
*Corn sticks, eschew the hushpuppies, those are for seafood, try the real deal here./
*Sweet tea that would attract hummingbirds
*Get a York Peppermint Patty on the way out the door for the perfect capstone to a classic meal.

Sausage Gravy on Biscuits – anybody know anyone who serves it like we make it at home?

Lexington Barbecue, be sure to get with it:
*Their unique Barbecue Slaw, and
*Hushpuppies

Fried Chicken Livers (Bill’s Barbecue in Wilson is a great place for these)

Porkchop Sandwich (I hear the Snappy Lunch in Mt Airy is good, but for my money, you can’t beat White Swan Barbecue in Four Oaks for these – and their barbecue and chicken is great, too. Say hello to owner (and town mayor), Lynwood Parker, a real Southern character.)

Real Banana Pudding, homemade from milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla, ripe bananas and Nilla wafers, with meringue on top. Any substitutes are gross, the real thing is a joy. Strickland-Dail’s is good.

Real Macaroni and Cheese, homemade from small elbows, eggs, milk, butter, salt & pepper, and way more than you think Extra Sharp Cheese, baked until the cheese on top begins to get crispy around the edges. Pure heaven.

Hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Look for the “Hot Now” sign and drink cold milk as you eat them. Order more than you think

Fried Seafood Platter — all brown, all good   I like Silver Lake in Wilson. Get fries and slaw for your sides to be authentic. Ask them for extra horseradish for the cocktail sauce. It’s Calabash style and lots of folks go down there for it.

Fried Herring during the herring run. This is one I haven’t tried, but folks rave about.

Red Wieners – Carolina Packer’s “Brightleaf Hotdogs” are considered the classic in Eastern NC and folks around here won’t eat a hotdog unless it’s Carolina Packers.

Watermelon pickles and okra pickles

Cheerwine

Just made Pork Rinds – not to be compared with the bagged variety

Cornbread made from Stoneground, local cornmeal. We like Atkinson Milling Co. We took the children there on a field trip and they still grind it with water-driven stones!

Johnston County Country Hams, Smithfield, NC  Wow. Cook the old fashioned way — soak the whole thing and bake it whole (so yum), or the fast and easy panfry an unsoaked slice for salty strength of flavor.

Asheville barbecue — tomatoey, very different from Lexington or Eastern-style. We like Three Little Pigs. Hushpuppies are the thing here.

For hamburgers, oh dear, don’t miss the Char-Grill in Raleigh. Get a Steak or Steak Junior, with chili and cheese. And a chocolate milkshake and fries, oh how delicious!

Anywhere in North Carolina, we enjoy Cook Out, a NC chain that has terrific milkshakes (try Banana Fudge!) and great burgers.

My dh loves Cooper’s Barbecue in Raleigh for their pork rinds.

Awesome bulk breakfast sausage, for grocery store varieties, try Bass Farms, Nahunta or Neese.

You have got to get yourself invited to a real Pig Pickin’. Honestly, there is no substitute. Uniquely wonderful!

Blackberry cobbler, homemade with vanilla ice cream.

Peach cobbler, also called peach snook. The kind made from fresh peaches, pour melted real butter over them, then poor the batter over that and do not stir! Cook until crispy. Just had some last night and it was exquisite!

The collards at Bill’s Barbecue & Chicken in Wilson are the way they ought to be done — my children say they’re like a green pig (so much pork flavor)…

Also love strawberry rhubarb pie, but I haven’t seen rhubarb around here in ages. Curse of the chain groceries, I guess.

And Seven Layer Salad – haven’t seen but a few restaurants with this, but there aren’t many holiday tables without it around here. Crisp lettuce, peas, sweet onions, green peppers, bacon, cheese, and mayonnaise (I like salad dressing type) with brown sugar. Oh yum!

I can go on and on about South Carolina foods, too…

Another scientific study to prove what you already knew:  As the lead researcher observed,

“They really can eat.”

Reuters reports on a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found boys 8-10, offered a buffet lunch, ate 44% more than girls at the same stage of development.  While girls’ appetites caught up as they entered puberty, the boys ended up eating nearly 2000 calories at lunch as they hit their growth spurt around 14 to 17.

So see, it’s not just yours.