Paul Alton MBA

Welcome to the New Year. We are in Harlingen, Texas this month.

They say you should begin as you hope to continue.

We had a quiet day.

Midday we drove to South Padre Island. It was busy for that beach. Juanita relaxed, reading in the car. I walked on the beach, first south then north to the next access point. It was busy at the walk-on access point we were parked at. It was even busier at the next access point which is both walk or drive onto the beach. I handed out a few curved illusion tracts in English and a great many in Spanish.

We drove home for a quiet evening.

We met at the warehouse for the staff meeting and chapel. Juanita and I have been mostly taking Fridays off, but Brother Ben and some others are heading to Guatemala on Saturday, so we wanted to get a heads up on anything he wanted us to do while he was gone. The drive through food bank reopened today after the Christmas pause. It wasn’t too busy. Oscar did not speak at chapel today.

After chapel, Juanita and I went out to the Training Center. We applied a coat of joint compound to both sides of the wall, applying tape to some seams. We had lunch and drove out to the mall in McAllen. It was very busy with cross border shoppers from Mexico. On the way past we noticed the RGV outlet mall was busy as well. The Macy’s and other McAllen stores were busy, although the Macy’s Home store was showing signs of winding down.

Juanita drove the old highway back to Harlingen and Sam’s while I read. At Sam’s we bought fuel, salad fixings and a couple of hot dog combos for supper.  

We had a quiet morning until about 11 when we roused ourselves from vegging and surfing to go to the Iwo Jima Memorial museum. Outside it has the statue which was used to cast the bronze version of the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Inside there are maps, displays and a video about the battle of Iwo Jima.

Then we went to the library on our way to the Jackson Street Market. The first Saturday of each month Jackson Street is closed for a street market. This was our first visit to it this winter. We learned today that there is an indoor market on Jackson Street that is held every Saturday. We wandered around that a bit. We sat in one of the booths so a friend manning it could take a bathroom break, then we meandered out into the sunshine.

We had a couple of bunless burger and soft drinks at a Whataburger. Sounds innocent, but at $CDN 39 it won’t be a regular habit. The actual cash outlay used to buy my first house was $32. Time and inflation march on.  

After a brief trip to Walmart we visited the local Harlingen mall. What a contrast to the McAllen mall. There was still a JC Penney’s but it looks like it was on its last leg. The stores in the mall were absent or in obvious hospice watch. Thus inspired, we went home and took it easy

Mike spoke in church. He mentioned that before Christ was charged the high priest declared that one man should die for many. He wouldn’t quote him in everything but he would in this.

Bildad the Shuhite in Job 25:6 – “In comparison, people are maggots; we mortals are mere worms.” Mike expounded on how there are two different types of worm. The word for the second type relates to the word for scarlet. A worm that they dry and crush and use to dye clothes red. The life cycle of this second worm - When a mature female worm is ready to give birth, she climbs onto a branch and lays eggs between her body and the branch. When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat their way out through their mother. Mike related this as a picture of Christ’s sacrifice – “if you don’t eat my flesh…”

It is easy to get distracted and forget that we are in Him.

We had lunch at home then drove to Port Mansfield, looked around, admired the small deer that wander freely through the town. We drove back a  different way and checked out the Port of Harlingen before driving home to relax.  

Oscar Brooks spoke in chapel about group think beginning in 1 Samuel 30. In pursuit of the captors of David’s wife and children there were two hundred “too tired”. In verse 21 - How is David working with “wicked men”? They don’t want to share with the “tired” ones. David insists otherwise and that is the ordnance still. David is an example of a lot of good things and a lot of bad things. This an example of a good thing.

Not everyone we work with is perfect. David didn’t choose them. The worthless men didn’t want to share the spoils. Earlier in the day they wanted to kill David. He did not allow the worthless men to run the group. That is the power of working with people who may not be the best people. Worthless people will speak of worthless things.

A group has to work with those God gives them. But they don’t get to run things.

One of today’s big projects is fencing in Byron’s work area. This is inspired by recent thefts and a couple of willing volunteers from Byron’s home church here for part of this week. Another project inspired by thefts is to clear sight lines and remove the aftermath of some homeless housing out back.

I manned a chainsaw to cut down the trees and shrubbery that have been obscuring the sight lines when the police drive by the back of the warehouse. After the trees were cut I helped drag branches to the pile and picked up trash ledt by the homeless people. Juanita worked in the office until lunch then helped pick up trash.

We had the oil changed in the car before we headed south for the winter. That’s a lot of miles ago. Time for an oil change again. When I went to book the oil change the dealer said there was a recall. Today was the day. If the recall goes well, they will reprogram the ECU, test drive the car and the ECU will say things are fine. If things go poorly the ECU will say the car needs a new engine. A new free engine would be nice, but that will tie up the car for a while, while they order and install an engine. In preparation we have emptied the tools from the car.

We drop of the car at seven and wait for a shuttle to take us to the warehouse. The shuttle is ready about 7:30 when the morning bookings rush dies down and there is somebody available to drive it.

Oscar spoke in chapel about fighting the wind of the Holy Spirit.

East vs West wind, Why did Jesus say wind of Holy Spirit you don’t know which way?
Exodus 10: 13 East wind brought locusts (judgement).
Jonah 7&8 The worm ate his vine. The East wind took away the little comfort. He wished he was dead
Exodus 14:21 East wind. Blessing to Israel. Judgement on Egypt
Exodus 10:19 West wind - removes locusts

Wind is a natural thing. Something in nature that God uses in a supernatural way. There are times in your life that you find yourself fighting the Holy Spirit. God says, “No. You’re going the wrong way.”

Don’t fight the wind of the spirit.

Juanita helped in the office. I helped with the fence with a break to go pick up the car. All is well.

After lunch we reached choke point with the fence. Not much I could help with. We went to the training center, applied some corner bead. Tried another repair but found evidence of past efforts. I have questions. I sorted tools. We put them back in the car.

After a shower we went shopping, and for steps at Sam’s.

Oscar spoke in chapel this morning. A few days ago, he spoke of the East and West winds. Today, he spoke of the South wind, a wind of warmth and discernment.

Job 37:16 sweltering in clothes. Psalm 78 – the quail (remember the locusts of east and west winds), a wind of provision, coupled with the east wind. Luke 12:54, 55 you say it’s going to be warm. But you can’t tell the time you are living in. What’s happening around you. Acts 27:13 Sailing based on the south wind, but lacking discernment.

God using nature to teach us something supernatural.

After chapel, Juanita helped in the office until lunch time. I helped complete the fencing around Byron’s shop area. After lunch she joined me helping put away stuff in the newly defined work area. On the way home we stopped at Sam’s to pick up some salad fixings.

On this year’s schedule, Friday is our day off. Juanita headed to the laundromat early on while I puttered at the keyboard. We missed Oscar’s message but were able to access it here on Facebook.

I spent most of the day in shorts and tee shirt puttering at the keyboard. I did some packing for Nicaragua next month. Finally, in the afternoon, I put on some long pants and went outside, rearranged drain hoses, carried some bricks to support the drain hoses better and drained the holding tanks.

We went to Home Depot for steps and paint. Some visiting volunteers had stayed at the local Country Inn and Suites. They recommended the Holy Smokes food truck parked in the parking lot there. We recommend it too. I had a brisket sandwich. Juanita had the brisket salad.

Then off to HEB for more steps and shopping. Major changes under way in their main store. Stuff isn’t all where it was last week (yesterday?). Searching for stuff that had been moved added to the steps.

Home for routine.

There was a strong north wind all night. The neighbours’ wind chimes rejoiced loudly. I didn’t rejoice at all. They kept me awake. Grumpier than usual this morning. I listened to a Tucker Carlson podcast interview of Mike Cernovich while keyboarding this morning. That successfully competed with the wind chimes.

The keyboarding was mostly adding picture to the January blog for 2012. There was a problem with picture nomenclature in the blog database that I became aware of in January 2012. It took a while for the obvious workaround to become obvious to me. That, plus we were in Nicaragua using hotel lobby computers with no USB outlets. Until this month the only pictures on the web site for that month were taken by someone else. Ratifying that has been on the list for a while.

At lunch time we drove to the corner for tacos at the Lardo Taco company, Then to the Harlingen Sam’s Club for steps. And the Brownsville Sam’s Club for steps. Then to the Brownsville mall. Like McAllen mall and unlike the Harlingen mall it appears alive and well. I don’t know why but have guesses on two factors. It lost one of it’s anchor stores when Sears died. The other two malls still have their anchor stores. Second, both the Brownsville mall and the McAllen mall are across from metro Mexico areas. People come across the bridges to where they can walk and shop safely. Harlingen is across the river from a mostly rural area of Mexico between Matamoros and Reynosa.

While walking through the mall we noticed a kid sloppily dropping bills. We picked up a ten and a twenty and a couple of one-dollar bills. We caught up to him and returned them. Then we went into Dick’s sporting goods to look at some shoes. A couple followed us in and gave a ten dollar bill the kid had dropped. Juanita went looking for him. I stayed in the store to look at some shoes. That didn’t take long. They don’t carry that brand. I went back out into the mall to look for Juanita. Nope, didn’t find her. I found the “kid” (about four foot ten tall with a mustache) he said she hadn’t found him with the ten, but she should just keep it, dropping it was his own fault.

Still no Juanita. I bought a replacement screen saver for my phone and kept an eye out for her while it was installed. She texted. We met up and walked through the mall back to the car to drive home for a quiet evening.

I slept better last night despite continued north winds and happy wind chimes. Ear plugs and a sleep mask with headphones playing white noise will do that for you. I had a quiet time before chapel while Juanita visited with a friend for coffee. Somewhere in there I managed to cut my hair and take a shower.

Mike preached with about an hour’s notice. Since he had heard nothing about chapel, he assumed Ben had arranged for Oscar or somebody else to speak in Ben’s absence. Nope. A nine o’clock phone call destroyed that assumption.

Rather than recycle a previous message, Mike began with Luke 12:24 – “Consider the raven”.

We did.

People shared what they knew about ravens and Mike shared a few things he had learned in the last hour.

Ravens were the first animal off Noah’s Ark.

Ravens are black. Well, only to us. If we could see the range of the spectrum they could, we would see they are quite colourful. When we look at others, we see what’s on the surface. What we are willing to show each other. God has hidden the beauty of the ravens. Likewise, we are more than others can see. Can judge our selves to harshly or too gently.

Just because they don’t sow or reap doesn’t mean they are lazy. Ravens are in constant search of food. 1 Kings 17:6 The ravens brought Elijah bread and meat.

Don’t concern yourself with what you wear. Be like the ravens and wear what God gives you. Also be like the raven don’t be passive and sit and wait for Gods blessing. Raven in a cage isn’t worth much and we’ve caged ourselves pretty well at times.

Proverbs 30:7 “…neither poverty nor riches…” There’s a danger in comfort in being provided for. Hand feed a raven for long enough won’t be able to provide for self. If I only concerned with my needs and my family’s needs how am I any different than anybody else. That path leads us to spiritual poverty.

Consider the raven.

We had lunch at home. After lunch we went to Harbor Freight to redeem some coupons that would expire after today. We dropped by Sam’s for gas and a few things then were home for a quiet evening.

In chapel, Oscar spoke on the Four winds beginning with Ezekiel 37:1

The valley of dry bones. They are very dry. They have been there a long time. Prophesy unto the wind. All four of the winds. This is a message to Israel, but we can get things out of it for us.

How does God work in you?

After chapel, Juanita and I worked on a mod to one of the gates to the maintenance shop in the warehouse. Then we went out to the training center and did some mudding on the wall we have been working on. The drywall compound takes a while to dry in this climate. Normally what would be done with a day between coats works better here with two days between coats.

After what could be done on the wall for today, we moved on to another task. I realized it was a big task in time and dollars. I reached a natural stopping place. It will probably stay at that point.

After work we went to Sam’s to pick up salad and finish off the 10k a day step count.  

Oscar Brooks spoke in chapel about the North Wind beginning with a passage in the Song of Solomon 4:16.

Proverbs 25:23 - North wind/rain gossip/anger

Ezekiel 1:4 The North wind speaks of change. Ezekiel had turned 30. It is time for big changes in his life.

After chapel we ran some errands for Byron (unsuccessfully) then took an early lunch before going to the staff motel. I troubleshot one clothes drier and ordered a part for it. We then took apart one that was not blowing hot air and replaced a bad component and got it running again.

On the way home we wen to the park. I fed the ducks and walked while Juanita went to run errands. Then we both went to Sam’s for last the 2k steps and some coleslaw.

Woke up to what passes for cold around here. The furnace had stopped working. The stove burners didn’t light. I went outside to switch from the empty propane tank to the full tank. It didn’t switch. Huh? I guess both tanks are empty. That’s a surprise. I thought we had been running off one tank and had closed the valve on the full one so I would know when it was time to get propane but wouldn’t be without propane while we got it. Microwave breakfast today.

Oscar began his chapel message “What moves you?” with Isaiah 6:1-4 Be aware of the greatness of God. This is what moves not just the posts of the temple but moves Isaiah.

When and how did he upturn my life? What is it that moves you?

Something like that is happening to Isaiah here. The book of Isaiah reads like one of the gospels more so than like one of the prophets.

After chapel we went out to the training center. I helped Byron with unplugging a sewer line and digging up the cause of a wet spot in the ground. He installed a coupling on the leaking pipe and went to buy a cap for the coupling. I went to get the empty propane tank filled. The other was full not empty as I had thought. I was not familiar with this design of regulator and hadn’t switched it properly. Learn something new every day.

After lunch we installed the coupling and filled the hole back up. We loaded bricks onto his truck and he left to work on other things. I did some mudding on the wall.

After showering and changing we picked up some mortar mix on the way to Sam’s where we bought gas, celery and salad fixings. Home to veg and a video call with grandson, Ezekiel for his birthday.

Oscar’s chapel message was “Why do you want revival if you haven’t changed?”

1Samuel 2:12-17 You can see the environment. Why the people of God lost the ark of the covenant. Lost the presence of God. This was a disaster for Israel.

1 Samuel  4:5; 1 Samuel 4:12; 2 Samuel 6:5

Why do you want the ark back if the reason for its loss hasn’t changed? When you ask for revival - is there a broken heart? We have a desire to see the presence of God in our churches. The question from heaven is - “have you changed”?

Thieves have been getting into the warehouse and stealing tools, etc. There are two holes in the wall on the backside of the warehouse. The holes don’t allow them to access parts of the warehouse where there is anything to steal, but closing the holes will at least stop them from trying to get in that way and causing other problems while they are there.

Juanita helped clean a temporarily empty area of the warehouse to make it ready to receive a shipment due to arrive on Saturday. I set up to brick in the two holes. I carried half the bricks from Byron’s truck to the first hole. Then carried water and mortar mix. I found a piece of wood from a pallet to use as a straight edge and removed nails from it.

 The actual brick laying started at 10:00. The first hole was finished at 12:40. I may not be good but I’m slow. We broke for lunch. Then Juanita and I carried bricks and set up at the second hole. We got two courses of a needed six or seven done then cleaned up and quit for the week and headed home.

I laid down for a while before having a shower. Juanita went for coffee with a friend.   

We went for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. That leaves enough money on our Christmas gift card for a future dessert. I used a birthday coupon that arrived by email from Texas Roadhouse for a free appetizer. Most United States restaurant apps don’t load onto a Canadian iPhone but some offers still come in by email.

We picked up some stuff at HEB on the way home. There are more efficient ways to shop but finishing off the daily step count is a priority over efficiency many days.

Day off. Juanita headed to the laundromat. I headed to the keyboard. We missed chapel but listened to the message here. This will be Oscar’s final message at chapel for some time. Tomorrow, he heads to Guatemala for the missionary training school. Soon after that he is scheduled to speak in Asia.

Juanita came back. We had lunch. I dumped the holding tanks. Then we met a friend for coffee for about an hour and a half. Then off to Sam’s for steps and a froyo before coming home to supper and a quiet evening.

I was up early keyboarding. We left about 9 for Costco in Pharr to avoid the lines. At Costco we walked and tried samples before buying some items Sam’s Club doesn’t carry and or Costco is much cheaper than HEB.

After Costco we went to Sam’s Club in McAllen for more steps, more samples and lunch, Then we drove to Edinburg and visited the Museum of South Texas History.

On the way home we stopped at the Sam’s in Harlingen for salad and gas. At home I finally finished posting pictures on the January Update page. January 2012, that is. At that time I used computers in hotel lobbies when we travelled. They had the USB ports blocked so there was no practical way to upload pictures. I meant to get to get to it later. Later, it is. One month down. About ten past months to go.

One windy day walking on the beach at South Padre Island I picked up a couple of common little white shells plus a most unusual blue shell. Juanita was in the car reading. Windblown sand and contact lenses are a bad combination. She says she is happy on windy days to stay in the car, reading while I walk on the beach and hand out tracts. I returned to the car and proudly displayed my finds. She said it doesn’t feel like a seashell. I looked closer. It was a blue, screw-on bottle cap that had been squished into shell shape and had a couple of tiny barnacles attach themselves.

Things are not always what they seem.

Most evening a flock of small green parrots appear in the tree and on the power line above where we are living for the moment. It is a happy sight.

Stayed in bed with a cold for most of day mostly sleeping. Juanita went to church and came back. She went out to buy cough drops and cough syrup once then later went out to buy something to settle my stomach which was sending threatening messages. It all helped.

Slow moving this morning but moving. Helped with taking down some fencing in the warehouse. Juanita was helping sort stuff that was in one of the fenced areas. When the fencing was down and rolled up (about 11:30) I went home and took it easy. Juanita carried on working and got a ride home with our neighbours.

We went out briefly to pick up an item on the last day on sale at Harbor freight.

Quiet evening

Slow off mark today. After chapel I decided I was not up to anything in my work list. Juanita brought me home and went back to work sorting eyeglasses for Africa at the warehouse

I moped and napped.

By the time Juanita got home the same nasty cold had settled onto her. She stopped at Sam’s for gas and food on the way home. We went out briefly to HEB for cold meds.

Neither of us up to going to chapel. We slept and moped most of the day away. Juanita went out briefly for some groceries.

I’ve included some pictures and narrative of the rest of the month below. What we did isn’t worth a blow-by-blow daily write-up if it ever is.

We were both hit by a bug that seemed like a bad cold, but somebody has labelled as Influenza A. We did what we had to. If somebody had been paying union wages and trying to keep a client happy, I would have dragged myself in most days. Or if the ministry had been in dire, urgent need of something and we were the solution we would have been there. Fortunately for all involved everything was low key. We helped when we could and rested when we could. It was uphill but as the month closes, we are over the hump.

While trying to find a place that offers sweet potato fries I ran across the Black Bear Diner on Google Maps. We went there for my birthday Sunday Brunch. It was past my birthday but neither of us were particularly interested in food on my actual birthday. Apparently, it is chain that started in Shasta, California. Based on the food it deserves to have grown. Based competitors’ prices it is not highly expensive. Based on me being really old it is still a shock for brunch for two to be twice the cash outlay involved with the purchase of my first house. I waddled out next to Juanita carrying her excess food in her to-go box. The online review that complained of small portions must have ordered different menu items than we did.

The Hole in the Wall was a spot up Powell Lake when I was a kid. It probably still is. The hole in the wall referred to here was the second of two holes in the back wall of the way of the Cross warehouse. They were unlikely but potential access points for the thieves that have been stealing tools from the warehouse. I finished closing one in with bricks earlier in the month and got two double rows done with the second one. Weather and lack of ambition delayed filling in the second, but it got done. One less thing on the never-ending list.

We did some clean up of a homeless encampment behind the warehouse earlier in the month. I regret not taking a before picture. Toward the end of the month, we cleaned up a tiny corner that was left of the original mess. It was a box spring and some rubble next to the neighbouring business’s fence. There was no forklift available so we cut the box spring into pieces and carried the pieces and other junk through the warehouse to a dumpster on the other side of the building. It helped the area look a little better and added to the daily step count.

We are usually early risers, not needing alarm clocks except for planned events. After effects of the bug kept us sleeping late on laundromat day. Juanita usually makes my breakfast. (Bless Her!). On this occasion I said could handle my own breakfast and she rushed off to get there before somebody got to the washers ahead of her.

It would appear that I happen to be able to survive with starving if forced to cook for myself. Picture proof is shown above.

We plan to fly to Nicaragua on the second of February. Hopefully there will be more interesting stuff to write about. See you in the next update