Spoke To Soon!

In my last posting I was bragging about the old 84 Ford van. Well I guess I spoke to soon! It didn't make it from Las Minitas to Osobampo for church services last Sunday night. After service they told us it made it about halfway and we had to tow it back to the ranch while Brian took the people home in his pickup. This week we filled the battery with water (empty), replaced the starter solonoid, both battery cable ends, new brake pads, packed the wheel bearings, and replaced the strut arm radius bushings on the drivers side. While getting ready for a test drive Wed. the transmission shift linkage broke inside the steering column. There was an old parts van on the ranch that I was able to get a used column from but we didn't have a key for the ignition. After taking the column and old key with tumbler into Navajoa for repair, I finally got it put back together yesterday and Marco came and picked it up today. He asked if we also fixed the broken exhaust pipe. We gave him 100 pecos (10.00) so he could get it welded in Navajoa!

Jo is cooking more and also teaching the older girls science. Everyone seems to be enjoying it. Dan and Ana are enjoying their visit in TN. If you don't get her updates and would like to, let me know and I'll forward them to you. Most of the people on the ranch stayed up last night for a campfire. Jo made Smore's with the girls. I went to bed early! This was a alternative night for their "day of the dead" in Mexico. (Halloween).

Frank Sanders and his team from South Carolina leave Sunday morning to head home. They have been such a blessing to have here. Paul and I have had devotions every morning with them from 7 am to 8 am. The cleaned the melon vines out of the orchard, cut brush, mowed grass, redecked the wood on the trailer, and built 11 benches for two of the bible studies and here at the ranch...One of the two washing machines broke and they also helped Dan purchase a new one. They didn't get to work on the ministry house but they have another team coming back in February. They have asked us to hire some electrical help and some stucco help. Plumbing is also still needed.