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City of Refuge Reynosa - Roy and Rebecca Busby

We would like to share about the ministry God has entrusted us to lead here on the Texas/Mexico border. When we first came to this particular colonia in Reynosa, Mexico, we had no idea what God had in store. We really believe that God only allows us to see what we as humans are able to handle, because if we could see more, we wouldn’t be able to grasp it all.

God has allowed us to build approximately 200 homes for people who would never in their lifetime, be able to have a home of their own. Through building these homes, we have been able to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the families who would be living in them.

This past summer, we felt strongly led to build a home for a family who we were very sure was involved in prostitution. While building the home, the group was ministering to these young ladies. By the end of the week, the whole family, including the step father, had accepted Christ as their personal savior! Then, the following Monday, the step father was tragically killed in a car accident. We definitely know it was God’s will for us to reach out to this family and share the love of Christ with them.

Amazing mission teams have come from all over the United States and Canada to provide the funds for and to help build these homes. Some of these groups have returned year after year to build more homes and more relationships, leading to a feeling of a family reunion each time they meet.

We have been able to facilitate in acquiring sponsors for school scholarships to help keep these kids in school and off the streets.

There is a young lady named Cielo, who wrote us a letter asking for help so she could go to middle school. Her mom couldn’t afford to send her little twin sisters to primary school, and also pay for her middle school fees. We asked the middle school and high school kids that were here on the mission team to help this young lady with her school fees and supplies. We were overwhelmed with the response from the teens who were willing to help someone who desperately wanted to continue her education. We were able to get her enrolled in her classes, buy her supplies, and watch as God continued to work in her life and in the lives of her family. We were able, each year, to raise the funds needed for Cielo to stay in school until she graduated from high school.

These are only two stories out of many that I could share with you. It is always amazing to look back and see how God put all the pieces of the puzzle together. We are so thankful that our task is to simply be obedient, to daily follow Christ, then He handles the rest!

Luke 9:23 says;

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Blessings, Roy and Rebecca Busby


James Padley on the 2009 Amazon Trip

We just got back from the Amazon trip. It was a great success. After the conference, where Dad, Judson, Greg Handel (who was a great asset to our endeavor) Gregorio McNutt and I taught and ministered, we headed out to the tribal communities. Our first stop was a new drilling sight were another missionary had attempted to drill once and failed. Our team of resident missionaries in Maués drilled another well and before they were able to get all of the supplies on sight it caved in. This was the third attempt and the natives were beginning to lose patience. It was affecting our ability to minister in their village. We prayed together, along with the prayers of so many brothers and sisters who were unable to make the trip. We are certain that it was in answer to these prayers that this third and last attempt went smoothly and the Lord provided this community with clean water.

This helped us establish open doors to minister in this village and restore their trust that God was sending us to minister to them. We all rejoiced with the conclusion of this well.

Our second stop was no less up-lifting. We returned to the village where our first team, with Lamb of God Fellowship, drilled in August ‘08. As soon as we set foot on the ridge of the their village we could see the results of last year’s efforts. The “Tuiçá” (chief) Victor greeted us saying “We reunite in the strength of “Tupana” (God Almighty)”.

I had a conversation with a young man from a neighboring tribe from which several members were visiting the community for a soccer game. He happened to have been one of the participants of the Passage Ritual we witnessed, when the Men-to-be placed their hands in a glove full of poisonous ants called “tucandeiro”. He told me that since our visit, this community hasn’t had any more traditional rituals. He thinks they lack courage. I explained that I believe they show great courage, to give up spiritual activities that could offend their new found convictions, knowing that the other communities would criticize their decision. I asked him if he agreed… the youth look vaguely up and answered that this is true. I could see that this made him think. I told him not to worry because we want them to preserve the important cultural traditions, like their community lifestyle (which functions very much like an eldership) and their love for their families. It is also important, I explained, to know how “Tupana” loves us and that He wants to open our eyes to things that are not good for us or hurt us like the ant bites, and that some changes are good.

I left him in deep thought.

It turns out that Tuiçá Victor had been praying for a week for “Tupana” to bring us back to fix their well. It simply needed a valve washer replaced. We replaced it, and established plans for our team to make scheduled visits to the wells we dig for maintenance. We could sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in this village and we enjoyed hearing how God had led them to make changes in their lifestyle, without our “Traditional Evangelical” input. We have worked hard at being sensitive to what God would really want to change and what should be preserved as their culture. Our experience has been that God is faithful to place the right convictions in their hearts as long as we stand against sin and show Christ’s unfailing love for them.

We then returned to Maués and spent a day encouraging and sewing into the lives of our missionaries and local brothers and sisters who have received us into their wonderful fellowship.

Finally, after 15 days of living out of a boat (a few of our team spent three or four of these on land in Maués), and after much labor and success, we headed upriver on the 30 hour boat trip to the capital, Manaus. I was the last to leave for home having accepted invitations to minister in two churches. I was really blessed to see God continue to move.

I arrived home today. We are all well: no sicknesses (other than the occasional cough and cold); no losses; just the Mighty Hand of God, and His manifest presence, reminding us how worthy He always has been of our true devotion and praise.

Give our love to all!
His peace!

James Padley