Where the Walls Were!

The walls are down and we have the beginning of a platform.....we need to get the thermostat back on the wall and carpet on the addition to the platform. We are moving ahead!

And the Walls Come Down!!!

I went to church early this morning to pray. It was such a beautiful, country drive to church. And, then I drove into the parking lot to see a truck with 2X4's sticking out the back parked next to our fire exit. Yes, the walls came down.....the men are making our closets into more platform/altar space. Instead of praying right away, I was taking things out of the remaining closet before the guys could get to it. What does this tell you? We have not even been in our new building for six months and we already need more room...... I am thinking that there is revival in the land. And, I prayed for God to help us to walk gently in the midst of revival and keep our hearts and ears atune to His Voice.

Credit my Visa? I don't have a Visa!

Okay, I don't like to go shopping.....well, actually, I love grocery shopping when I play two games. One is "how much can I save on coupons?" and the other is "how close can I come to the amount I budgeted for this grocery shopping trip?" And, I really like Wal Mart because I can find most everythng in ONE store and pay ONE bill! But, honestly, I am NOT a shopper, especially NOT a window shopper.

That is why I am a catalog shopper. I like the catalog to come in mail so I can sit in my recliner and make decisions at 11 p.m., change them three or four times, figure out how much I can fit into my budget, and then order. I love waiting for those packages to come in the mail too! Am I crazy?

Well, someone is crazy! Yesterday, I received a package from a company I did NOT order from. It contained three items that I definitely had not ordered.....two super large t-shirts with low cut necklines in white and coral and (get this!) a pair of size 28 petite capris in a very busy sunflower pattern. Now does that sound like me?????? The order was in my name, to my address, using my customer number, and was charged to my Visa account. Oops! I don't have a VISA card or account!

So, I called customer service. They verified the order number, customer number, my address, catalog numbers of the items in the package, and that it was paid for by my VISA card. I told them that I had not ordered anything from them since last September, the size of the items was all wrong since I do not wear a petite nor a 28 (thank goodness!), nor do I ever wear capri pants, and that it could not have been charged to my Visa account since I do not have one. The sugary sweet customer service rep told me there was no problem. I can just send the items back in the same container with the return post-paid label included with the packing slip and the reason why I didn't want those items by marking one of the choices on the return slip. That is just fine except, I told the sugary sweet customer rep, there is no choice that says I didn't order the items or they must have been sent to the wrong address. Sugary Sweet says, "Well, just mark whatever. It doesn't really matter. And, tell us if you want a different size or color and we will correct the order." "Sorry, Sugary Sweet, I didn't want the original order and I don't want a different size or color." Sugary Sweet says "Well, ma'm, then we can refund your money." Me: "What money? I didn't pay anything for this. It is an order sent to the wrong place." Sugary Sweet:" Okay, I'll tell you want we can do. We can just credit your Visa account." Me: "What? I don´t even HAVE a VISA ACCOUNT and so it was NEVER charged to my nonexistant account." Sugary Sweet: "Just a minute ma´m, let me check with my supervisor." I wait. Sugary Sweet comes back with the perfect solution. "Okay, Ma'm, my supervisor says that we can just send you a refund check."

Frustration! and a silence! Sugary Sweet says "Ma'm, are you still there??" Me: "Oh, yes. I am just trying to figure what part of "I have NO VISA account so you have NOT charged ME anything so you do not need to refund anything!" you don't understand." Silence. (I guess he didn't get it.....EVER!) Me: "How about if I just return the merchandise and we call it even?" Sugary Sweet says "Well, I guess that might work. Let me get my supervisor's approval." Me: "No, let's just call it even. Otherwise, I think you will be out money anyway you look at it." Sugary Sweet says, "Well, if you are okay with that, I guess it is okay." Me: "I´m good."

Sugary Sweet says (I think he was reading a prompt!) "Well, thank you and is there anything else I can help you with today?" Me: "No, I think I just helped YOU.....so is there anything else I can help you with today?" Sugary Sweet says "What?" Me: "Do you need any help?" Sugary Sweet says "No, thank you." and hangs up.

Who hired that guy?????? And, maybe I should try shopping in stores instead using catalogs................

If you think Easter was great......

If you think Easter was great at Nueva Vida, you should have been there yesterday morning! We had another wonderful service where God was in control and touched many lives! I can't wait to see what will happen next!!!!!!

Special Visits

Having my aunts, Dad's two sisters here for Easter was really special. In the 40+ years that I have lived in Texas and Mexico, only my immediate family has visited. Then Uncle Jim and Aunt Eunice started spending their winters in the Valley and we have been able to spend a lot of time together over the past 10 years or so. Now to have my Aunt Gladys come to visit for a week was just extra special. I enjoyed visiting with them, going out to eat with them, having them come for a meal at my house, and of course, having them join us for our Easter service and picnic last weekend. It is a privilege to have relatives close by. Since mine live far away, this has been an extra special time for me!!!

Easter Sunday

Our Easter Sunday at Asamblea Pentecostés Nueva Vida in Lasara, Texas was really special. One of the ladies who has just started visiting us brought two pretty Easter lily plants for the altar. The praise and worship was awesome! We had a good altar service too before the children presented their part. They had prepared a drama using puppets and actors. They did so well! Three of the children read poems and they sang two songs. The whole group sang "Alive, Alive, My Jesus is Alive" and it was exceptionally good. Then a group of girls sang "Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate" in both English and Spanish! I am so proud of the children and their teacher, Sis. Tammy Gonzalez.

Following the service, we had a picnic lunch at Bro Alberto's ranch. The food was great!--brisket, rice, beans, bread, sodas, cake! The kids had so much fun playing, hunting plastic eggs, and breaking "cascarones". I even got one broken on my head!!!

A special blessing for me was having my Uncle Jim & Aunt Eunice and my Aunt Gladys at church and at the picnic to celebrate this special day!! Uncle Jim & Aunt Eunice winter in the Valley and attend our church often, but Aunt Gladys just came for a few days.

(We had 73 people in attendance at church and then 92 at the picnic....some relatives came from other places including Harlingen and the Brownsville UPC. Numbers are not the most important but it is so exciting to me when we have visitors and when new people become regular attendees. God is blessing us!!!!)

I love my church family! Each one of you is so special to me!!!

Aunt Gladys is visiting in the Valley

How exciting it is to have Aunt Gladys visiting here in the Valley. Uncle Jim and Aunt Eunice went to the Harlingen airport to pick her up on Tuesday....and I met them there. We had a subway lunch together. Then on Wednesday, they came to my house for dinner....and we took a couple of pictures. It was so fun to show Aunt Gladys things that I have in my home that my grandfather (her father) and my Dad (her brother) made. Opie really liked having Aunt Gladys at our house too!! On Thursday, I met them for Chinese food....and we had another good visit. Now we are all looking forward to celebrating Easter tomorrow at Nueva Vida Church and then having a picnic lunch and egg hunt, cascarones, and lots of fun. I am sure I will be posting more pictures soon!!!! Thank you, Aunt Gladys, for coming to visit us!!