Sit back and watch what God can do !

Time sure flies when you are having fun! So, many things have happened since the last blog.

I'll pick up where I left off.... I had ask for prayers for the Africa mission trip. What a trip that was! One of the most exciting mission trips I have yet to be on. They are all good, but this one was so busy.   God is so good !

I will start by telling you that trip consisted of a lot of praying before hand, years before. To be honest I had a hard time and was running the other direction. Sound familiar?  I needed to know that it was 100% God and none of me. You see, I had no interest in seeing wild animals or being stuck in a broke down van at night in the middle of AFRICA.
LIONS, TIGERS AND ELEPHANTS, OH MY !! lol

I started talking with God. My mind was going non stop. I was thinking about all the things I could do with the money that it would take to purchase a ticket to Africa. Bibles, as you know are a big burden of mine. I could send bibles to the missionaries. I could help with school uniforms and school supplies, send money for food, discipleship material.... And that's a lot of I's !!

I was making myself sick. The trip was to long, it was to far, to much money for one ticket, what if something happened while I was gone, what would I do while I was there and on and on it went.

Till that one day when my mind was going 90 miles an hour. You know how that voice speaks to you? Yes, the one that is so small and soft as a whisper but, so loud that it takes your breath away!

                                                     That is not why I send you.

Head dropped. I knew right then 100 % it was not me. That was my sweet Jesus !

 I was at Wal-Mart sitting in the parking lot not wanting to get out of the car when the cell phone rings. Now, if you do not have a prayer partner you will not know what I am talking about. Its a God thing, really!

I look down and see the name on the screen. Normally you wouldn't think much about it but, we do not talk that much, mostly just to ask for prayers or when God puts one of us on the others heart. My prayer partner says what are you doing and I said just sitting in the parking lot. Then says you know your suppose to go to Africa right?  Silence.  Again, RIGHT?

My prayer partner says to me, you need to say it out loud to God and me, just say it.  I already knew and after a few moments I did. God, here I am I will go where ever you call me to go. I need you to take care of this, it is too big for me. I was not expecting to hear what was next. Laughter.  My prayer partner was laughing hysterically!!   But, the next words I will never forget.

"Now, sit back and watch what God can do !"

My, my ! The next few weeks everything just starts falling in place. Dates are set, money is there, God is putting the team together. Oh, did you get that ,,,,GOD is putting the team together. Only way to do that and get it right!

From here, I just don't know where to go. I cry just thinking about it. Life time friends made, devotions, churches, bible crusades,  preachers training, street preaching, women's conference, foot washing, bibles, worship, weddings, 5K run, campus, sharing the gospel at lake Awassa and villages, praying in widows homes, praying with HIV mothers, schools, orphanage, prisons and most important souls saved.

Eyes black as coal, so much anger. Heads bowing. Eyes opening, full of light and life.

Asking for boldness  He sent me Mesfin, a murder. Watching him come up from asking Jesus into his heart was worth it all !

Faces I can't wait to see when we get to glory ! ( Lord willing maybe before) :)

We have since been to Honduras, love it there! Just beautiful ! We installed water filters in homes, shared with each family and presented a bible to those homes, poured concrete floors, built two latrines and stained desk for clinic, bible lessons, church, fluoride treatment at the school and souls saved. And more life long friends.
We are getting close to returning in a few months.  So much happening there at El Ayudante in Honduras. Can not wait to see our friends there and the progress the clinic has made. It is so exciting to see God at work!

Please keep this team of 20 that God is putting together in your prayers. It will be the biggest team we have taken.  Pray for safety and health. Pray that hearts are already being prepared as I write. Just makes me want to shout ! Think I will....

Oh, and by the way the van did break down not once but twice! Insert here smiley face with big eyes !!

 One of those times it was just Marvin and I with one African driver and a African church leader we had never seen before. Having to wait for next van to come while I sat alone in the van watching the men walk by my window. Where the men out number the women 20 to one! lol  I had plenty of time to think ( you can just imagine)and lots of praying.  The second van comes.... a two hundred year old van ( don't want to even know what happened inside it ) with two new strange men. yikes! They spoke not a word of English and we had no clue where we were or how to get back if we had to.

Here, is where I did have to stop and remember who sent me and why.  This is where I had to totally put all my trust in Him and where He showed me what faith is. I had heard this most of my life and right here is where it finally hit me. Where there is fear there is no faith.

 We all have a purpose and that my friend is to tell as many as we can about our sweet Savior and to enjoy Him !

Thank You Jesus for letting me be a small part of your big plan. What an awesome journey it has been !


Jeremiah 33:3                                                               Phil 4:6
Heb 11:6                                                                       Duet 31:6
Phil 4:19                                                                       Jer 31:3
Rom 8:28



Please remember to pray for missionaries across the world sharing the gospel. 
God Bless You
Trix                                                                     

Update

Hi world, it's been awhile since we have blogged ...there has been alot going on since we were here last. The mission trip back to Tamarindo in June 2011 was a success once again. We had 11 team members. We took mostly supplies for our missionaries, Bro Ron and his family. On this trip we went to a new area to hand out 50 bags of food...dresses, had VBS and discipleship classes, but most important to share my Jesus ! To return here and be with those who excepted Jesus into their life just months before. To see them in discipleship classes learning so they too can one day lead others to a saving grace. To watch so many lifes being changed forever, right before your eyes ~ there are no words. Thank you Jesus

Please, be in prayer for Bro Ron,,,they are very much in need of a church van. The rain there is very heavy and it gets very muddy. People there have to walk to church and get very wet and cold. This then makes them stay indoors....afraid of sickness,thus missing church services. If Bro Ron had a church van he could pick them up on the days the weather was bad.

On Saturday, September 10 the Second Annual Ride For The Bibles was held at South Carrollton Baptist Church. We had 24 bikes and raised $3100.00.  WOW !! That is 1000+ Bibles!! Thank you to all those who worked to make this all possible.

I will get you up to date as of today ... Bro Ron is planning on handing out 400 to 500 Bibles New years.  This gives me so much joy !  Praise God !!!
Without you this would not be happening...May God Bless You

 We are now in the process of planning the trip back to Tamarindo in Mar. Marvin will be leading a team from Pace ,Florida. This will be a crusade at the square in Matapalo. We are very much in need of prayers for this to happen. The enemy is at work

We are also in the stages of getting ready for the trip back June 19-26. If you are interested please contact us.
Also, I ask for your continued prayers for Marvin and myself as we have committed and said yes to a mission trip to Africa. May God bless each of you in a special way.

Go ye therefore................

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

 First, I would like to thank my Lord for a very safe trip and for the the souls saved while we were there. Also, for the souls continuing to be saved .

I want to apologize for taking so long to blog. With the holidays it has been a little crazy and just now settled down.

Our trip really started months ago...a lot of fundraising with the team giving their all.  Yard sales, fish fry, Sunday lunch, dime drive, cook books, tshirts, sewing dresses and some just gave.We had a lot of sweet people give their time and prayers. We thank you and God will bless you.

 On Monday Nov 22nd, the team loaded two vans and headed to Louisville to spend the night in order to be at the airport by 4:30 am. We had with us 14 check bags all weighing 50 lbs each and 14 carry on bags.  That is 700 lbs of supplies ...God is Good !!

The flight was great ,but don't ask Kathy lol !!  Seeing the Drokes at the airport (so glad they made it haha) was the highlight of my day ! Arriving at Bro Rons we had a lot of work to do before lights out .We filled 100 bags with enough food to feed a family of five for one week. We then sorted everything in the 14 suitcases that held the supplies. I do not know how we got all that stuff in those suitcases. REALLY, it was like the story of the widows oil in the bible, there was no bottom it just keep coming out !
I was speechless to see it all laid out in front of us !

Walking in Huacas, a community of 2000, we went door to door sharing the word of God and handing out food bags. That evening we went to Villarreal for prayer service.The greatest thing about this day ( as said by Sherry) 36 more brothers and sisters in Christ !!  Praise God !!

Thursaday, Thanksgiving Day.  Bro Ron took us to Tamarindo Beach and it was beautiful ! Then a tour of the town and back home to Thanksgiving dinner. So much to be thankful for, families back home ,new friends, sharing the holidays with the Drokes, and souls being saved !

In the evening we made a trip to visit the discipleship class from First Baptist Church in Villarreal. What a blessing. The classes are held in front of Carlos house, on a dirt floor under a tarp for a roof ,so that they would not have to discontinue class because of rain. That tarp took those men 9 weeks of chipping in what they could to buy it, about $26.00. Think about that for a while... outside in the dark with bad lighting, rain, dirt, no bibles, mosquitoes,animal noises and drums playing in the background and what they had to give up to chip in their money.  How many of you would have been there?  

I am so thankful I was !

While there I met Izaac and he blessed my heart. He talked about all the hours he worked and how much he wanted to be in church and help.To be in and do Gods will. We talked about the pebbles being thrown in the river and how they make ripples...that's when he said "I can not be pebble in the river making ripples, but a stone in the ocean making waves ". I believe he will.  WOW, I want to be a stone like Izaac! Izaac also asked prayer for his mother in Nicaragua who does not know Jesus. Her name is Brittany.

Friday and Saturday we held VBS at 1st Baptist Church of Filadelfia. Over 200 in attendance for the two days. All in two little rooms about the size of your kitchen.
Saturday night was youth group at Villarreal. Gave each member a tote bag full of goodies.
Sunday we went to church at 1st Baptist Church of Villarreal. Pastor Nelson preached a wonderful message from Matt 7:24-29. Many came to the altar. Bro Ron told us this was the first time in over three years that anyone had come to pray.

Monday we went door to door in Matapalo. This day was to be our last day before leaving and talk about a sweet one. This day was a gift from God that has not stopped ! We had such a feeling about this place and  I could see Bro Ron's wheels turning. The people were coming out into the streets running after us wanting to know about this Jesus. Tracking us down in their cars and getting out even after all the food was gone,they still wanted to know. The girls were even talking about swimming across a river to get to a house that desperately needed that last bag of food (and I know they would have). Thank God for providing a way. When we were close enough to see that the water was down and rocks big enough to walk across. The yellow house we call it, where Dona Ana lives. She asked Jesus into her heart that day. Praise God !

This makes me think about all the first Marvin talked about the last night of our trip ...and now all the firsts at Matapalo that has happened since we left...all those steps Sherry walked up and now a whole family one by one has each asked Jesus into their heart and life... discipleship class at their house,,, The First Baptist Church of Matapalo....the first VBS ....80 year old Don Feliz saved that same day, his first time in church...discipleship at his house...discipleship class at Dona Ana's house...the first baptizings in Matapalo ....they are Dona Ana, Laurie, Katherine, Wendolin and Michael ..first youth group just started on Friday nights...and it just keeps coming !  What a blessing !!

Oh my, if we could have only known the friendships that were going to be made that would last a lifetime. Gringos and Ticos, strangers at that moment, but already brothers and sisters in Christ. By the end of the week, dear friends that had laughed, sweated, prayed, and cried together. Brothers and sisters that did not say good-bye, but see you soon.

The Riverside Team would like you to remember Bro Ron and his family... Esteban and the rest of their team. The hard work starts after we are gone. They contuine with the follow ups, the going back house to house doing discipleship classes, youth groups and church. They need our prayers.

I want to say Thank you to everyone...those who gave money to buy  Bibles and food ...those who made dresses ...sent toys and supplies...for prayers... we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I would also like to say thank you to our team...for an outstanding job of letting those see Jesus shine so brightly thru you . Riverside you were well represented.

Thank you for obeying God and going to serve and to love His people so far from home. One day we will get to see all the waves that were made. May God Bless you all !

Ride for the Bibles

On Sat, September 25, 2010,  25 bikers and members from South Carrollton Church met for the first annual "Ride for the Bibles". All the money raised will buy bibles for our mission trip to Costa Rica where the majority of them will be placed in the schools. Bro Ron Droke, missionary in Tamarindo, Costa Rica ( home town Savannah ,Tenn) has asked to teach the Bible in the schools and permission was granted. Praise God !!!

 I am so excited at what God is doing in our lifes ! Our passion and burden is to see bibles put into the hands of precious people who long for a copy. To share the Gospel so they in turn can also share it with others.
I can not put into words the feeling inside when you place a bible in someones hand and they go to their knees crying and thank Jesus for it.

We would like to thank everyone who made the "Ride for the Bibles" possible. To the bikers who returned their prizes only to be auctioned off a second time. Thank-you sweet friends. You raised $840.00 and have touched so many. Also, we would like to thank South Carrollton's youth, they raised over $300.00 during VBS for bibles going to an elementary school !!

Marvin and I can not wait for the second annual "Ride for the Bibles"  to see what God has already got planned for next year !  We are also taking new and used bibles in English and Spanish, for here in the states. We have been in contact with a local pastor that does mission work at Indian reservations in Montana. The need for bibles is great.
If you are interetsed in helping with bibles e-mail us at tmefford78@yahoo.com

God put us smack in the middle of a Biker Magazine ...who would have ever thunk it ?
                                                             HE DID !!

John 3:16

God is Good !

 Marvin and I have been very busy, praying about leading our first team in to Tamarindo,Costa Rica Nov 2010. We have joined JSM Worldwide with Bro Jerry Spencer as Regional Directors,Short Term Missions. Wow, I have to stop here and SHOUT for a minute ... Tell me my God is not AWESOME !

Please, help us pray as God is putting our team together that we will be found serving Him and that His will be done. Pray for health, protection, funds, guidance, and strengh as we are getting prepared. Also, for our families and for our team that will be here praying for our safety and for hearts to be ready to recieve the Gospel.
 "Team Riverside" ...Marvin, Trix, Jeremy, Amanda, Sherry, Kathy, Sheila,  .. we are praying to our Lord for guidance and that we will be found loving, serving and obeying.

May God Bless Each and Everyone of you !

LITTLE IS MUCH

I believe in divine appointments. We have our agenda and God has His so, when our plans do not go as planned we often forget that He is in control and He has everything already laid out. This is something I am working on ...waiting on Him and knowing if it is for His glory it will all come together.
Romans 8:28.

On this mission trip to Nicaragua I have learned alot of things; one is always when I get on the plane..a divine appointment is waiting. I have already learned that God is going to make sure I sit in the middle seat. :( 
He knows I do not like it. :)

On the plane ride from Houston to Nicaragua I sat by a young lady about 20. I already made my mind up that I was going to sleep...I had forgot about the appointment.  I knew He was not going to leave me alone untill I asked her if she was a christain so I started the small talk. Her name was Lydsney, she was with a small group from college doing some site seeing and college work for credit. We talked all the way to Nicaragua airport. I asked her ...she anwsered back...scientology. I take a deep breath, look across the aisle and Eddie is reading a book about Different Religions ! Oh, why could'nt Eddie have sit here !! I told my husband I need to go to the restroom..haha, he grinned and said you are doing fine, just my luck. I am not very good at talking, I sat there and thought you know I am never going to see her again ...but, I will see her again so, we talked she told me that it better suited her values. WOW !!  I asked her where she would go when she died ? She said back to the earth and life would go on but, she did believe that there was something out there. We contiued to talk and I told her that Jesus die for her and He loved her. I then gave her a track before she had to depart.
Divine appointment


Being at the farm and getting to know everyone on the team is an awesome experience. You get to meet new friends that you have for the rest of your life. Missionaries from every trip, translators, preachers and just dear friends. Some of the most precious people God has put in my life I have met on mission trips.The clinics, crusades and the feeding and playing with the children I could do everyday. I did alot of watching to see how things worked and went throughout the day.You just never know what God has in store for you next!

I guess what I will remember most was the day we were suppose to go to the orphange it was a long ride and we could not go in ... I was a little disappointed for some of the girls. We headed back to the farm. We then loaded the bus with 450 bags of food heading to the big garbage dump and going to try to make it to the crusade on time. Once again, no go. God had our route already planned. Not being able to go there they then  decided to go to the Masatepe garbage dump. Oh my, here is where He broke my heart...I will never be the same. I started handing out toys and stuffed animals from the window, at the end there was one liitle boy left. I looked down in the suitcase knowing there was nothing left and in the bottom laid a dime. I thought, oh well why not, so I picked it up leaned out as far as I could and placed it in his little dirty hand. He looked at it flipped it over , closed his hand tight and looked up at me, smiled then took off running. I thought no more about it.

 I stepped off the bus to join the team, some in tears others busy handing out toys and food.  Bro. Sonny preached the word and many held hands high.  After, a young woman came to me trying to tell me something over and over I could not understand her and I knew I needed to hear what she was saying. I found Sara and she transalated.  The young woman held my hand and prayed and told me she knew it was from the heart and that LITTLE WAS MUCH over and over !  Thats when I saw the little boy standing beside her. I could not hold back the tears.  She held me and consoled me. As we were getting on the bus to leave she would not let go of my hand. Looking out the window at her she held her hand up and made the sign telling me once again that little is much.   I will never forget her.

Thinking on the bus ride to the crusade it hit me the song that we sang that morning "Little is Much when God is in it". GLORY !!  Gods Plan ! Now every time I see a dime it takes me back and I think about them and how small a dime is but how big it was that day because God was in it! So now, I cannot spend my dimes and I put them in my jar I bought while in Nicaragua with hopes of doing something for her someday. Lord willing.
Divine appointment.

In the airplane going home, guess where I get to sit !! An eldery gentleman is sitting by the window. He is from Nicaragua, so you know he speaks spanish, great I get to sleep. Divine appointment. I can not sit still ,I was getting mad because my spanish is not good. After about 10 minutes I lean over and look out the window,he was wiping his eyes. I said ,God help me and then I said Hi, how are you? He smiled and said I'm fine how are you?
His name was Francesco, he told me he was a christian and was a citizen of the USA and has lived in California for 23 years, that he was a truck driver and every year he flys to Nicaragua to visit his 98 year old mother Wilma and his son Lukus who is 45. When he saw my shirt I asked him if he had heard of Bro. Sonny Holland and he shook his head and wiped the tears. He wanted to know how many times they went and the more we talked the more he wiped. He tried to help me with my spanish until we could see the coast of the US. He looked out the window and said beautiful water, beautiful and cried. My heart was breaking once again. As I was getting off the plane I said Francesco, May God richly bless you and your family...you will be in my prayers.
Divine appiontment.

  I have learned that little things are much when God is in it !

God has so blessed me with so much.  I pray I will be found using it for His Glory ! I believe God will use you if you are willing . He will be your mouth if you just open it. He will be your eyes to see and He will guide your feet to go and your hands to help others. I believe in divine appointments now more than ever. It is His plan not mine. I am only here to LOVE, SERVE AND OBEY

Here I am...send me

  It all started at a church one night, they showed a film about a mission trip and the burden was there. As far as I know it never went away. I was married and had a small son 6 years old and we lived like everyone else day to day. I prayed about it and have kept this going over and over in my head...it is too far...your husband would not agree to it...you do not  have connections...money...or anything to offer. You know people will laugh at you and tell you that your crazy.  WOW!!  God is so AWESOME !!!

  My husband was saved in 1996, and little did we know that God was fixing to put two very important men in our lives.  Bro Mike Chambers, a man of God, (who without I would not be where I am today) with a tape ministry reaching around the world, teaching the death, burial and resurrection and not knowning that we were being prepared to share the gospel with other parts of the world. We also had been with Doc Jerry Spencer several times at conferences in the Smoky Mountains...who just happens to be a great mission minded man and has been all over the world preaching to thousands. Both of them pointing men to the Cross. I still did not know the significance of what God was doing in our lives.           

  In 2007, 20 years after watching that film things start to fall in place one piece at a time. I could not believe it, I was preparing for my first mission trip to Costa Rica. Marvin did not feel the burden but, I knew if I could get him in the air God would take care of the rest. It was the most humbling experience of our lives.

I never thought I would get another chance to go but, once again... God knows more about these things than I do and in 2009 we took our second trip back to Costa Rica and before we landed, while in the air, the next mission trip was being planned.  You know God  has a plan and He is so Powerful and Almighty!!

On March 16, 2010 we will be taking our third mission trip this time to Nicaragua and while on this trip I hope He has our fourth one already in the works.

 All of that because, 23 years ago I said... here I am...send me.  God is in control.  He has a plan for my life if I turn it over to Him. We are all a piece in the puzzel, we all have something to offer, we all have a purpose in His plan.  He will take care of your needs and He will use you if you are willing.

 You know, He did make us to Love, Serve and Obey.

 Please pray for our team Doc Jerry Spencer and Evangelist Sonny Hollond (S.H.E.O). There will be 30 of us going.  Pray for a safe trip...health...strengh... that we will be found loving, serving and obeying our wonderful Lord and Savior.   Lord help us to point them to you