The Lockwood Family: January 2013

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Where to begin....

Happy new year! A bit late :)

Our blog has been lonely, huh?

It seems the busier life becomes here, the less I update.

But I love to share and always have so much on my heart and there is always so much the Lord is doing! Working in our hearts, in the ministry...He is so faithful and so good!

And anytime I have a few free moments and think, "I should update the blog", I never quite know where to start since it's been so long.

So today I thought I'll just start with today.

Today we are going down south 6 hours to San Jose del Cabo to see a medical specialist there. We have been battling a skin infection, most all of us, off and on for several years. We have seen doctors here and in the USA and been put on many medicines and are still fighting with this.

You know the difference between when you pray about something and then when you really pray about something.

When you have nowhere to go but to the Lord. When you fully know He hears and you cast your all on Him and then surrender your heart to His will whatever it may be. He is so loving and so good.

And that is what I did.

It breaks a mommy's heart to see her children suffer. My suffering or being sick is hard sometimes, but doesn't hurt as much as when your "babies" hurt.

A week after I prayed, Daniel was asked to preach in a church in Cabo. We went down as a family for the conference and there we met a sweet lady. She invited us to her house for lunch that day and through the course of conversation, one of our children having an active infection again, we found out that she was a doctor... not just any doctor but a specialist in dermatology and wanted to help us.

Today, we are going back down to Cabo. We'll all get our blood drawn early tomorrow morning and they'll begin to do some tests. We'll see Dr. Braulia later this week.

I don't know what the Lord has planned, but I know He hears our prayers. My heart was so blessed just to meet this doctor right after I prayed.

Will you pray for our safety as we travel today and

also for our time there that the Lord will give the doctor wisdom and for healing?

Thank you!

Your prayers are so precious and an encouragement to our hearts!

Time to finish packing.

Of course, I have to put up a few pictures...they don't have anything to do with the post...just some from the past month or so. :)

Have a wonderful week in the Lord!

Benjamin, Nehemiah, Abigail, Josiah

Here's the birthday boy! He turned 6 years old December 18!
Lost his first tooth on Thanksgiving day.
Has had that great smile and eyes full of life for years!!

Samuel, Noah, Nehemiah

Birthday pancakes for breakfast

Children's class out in Ensenada Blanca.
A lady there accepted Christ as her Savior yesterday!!!

A special project sent to us from some very dear friends!
Make your own t-shirt!

He gets it from his mother...that's for sure!!

Waiting to get gas at the gas station

Getting ready to teach ladies class

Church service in our church here

Monday, January 07, 2013

These smiles and thank you's are yours

This time for one of my favorite posts of the year!
To all of you who gave, this post is especially for you.
I try to get a picture of each child we give a box to. Sometimes I miss a few pictures, but every single box we get is always placed into the hands of a child, telling them that there was somebody thinking about them this Christmas. Telling them that Jesus loves them.
All the hugs and thanks I was given, I give to you.

"Please tell those who gave these gifts to our children, 'Thank you. Thank you for thinking about us.'"- Guadalupe- Mom to 5 children ages 10-1

"Thank you. These boxes are the only Christmas gift our children ever receive."- Ester- Mom to 2 in the village of Jesus Maria

"I still have everything that you gave me last year....except for the candy."- Alondra- 10 year old girl who comes on our bus route

"Please tell the people thank you"-

Jesus Apolinar- 10 year old in the fishing village of Ensenada Blanca

When I first posted about this years Christmas Box ministry, I asked the Lord to let enough boxes come in to at least give to the 2 villages where Daniel regularly preaches as well as to the children of our church families and bus routes.

We would need about 70 boxes. The last time we had to have the boxes sent to us here in Mexico, we received around 40.

So we waited and all at once, the boxes began coming in.

On December 18th, we drove out to Ensenada Blanca where we've been holding services each Tuesday for a couple of months now.

And we gave out boxes to the children there. A place where we've never given boxes before.

Then on the 23rd, we had our Christmas service at church.

Between the children of our church families and the ones who came in on the bus routes, we gave out another 45.

Daniel and the boys drove out to Jesus Maria, a village surrounded by many ranches where Daniel has preached for over 2 years. They handed out boxes to the children there.

And we still had more boxes...and more came in.
The flu hit our home hard and we were down for a few days.

But last Friday, Elijah loaded the rest of them into our car and Rebekah and I went to Clemantina's house.

Some of you may remember her from last year...the Grandmother with the many, many grandchildren who use to not even let us talk to her. She received me with open arms, a hug and we spent about a half and hour there handing out boxes to all those children, watching them play with their new toys and gifts, sharing Christ with Guadalupe, the mother of 5 of those children.

Praying that the love of Jesus will soften their hearts and they will someday come to know Him!

That these children will know we love them. That Jesus loves them.

We continued driving to the homes of many others, giving out gifts, and receiving many hugs and thanks.

Those hugs and thank you's are yours.

Thank you so much for your sacrifice and love in giving.

Pray for these children. Pray the Lord will continue to use us here to reach them for Him.