"Basement Friends" by Ashleigh

Rosa: This is the best picture I had of Rosa. People in Mexico don't smile for pictures. So even though she looks serious know that she always has a ready smile. :)

This past week Rosa and Mark have been gone on the crusade. While Rosa is gone Magda attempts to take over the huge responsibility of cooking for all of us as well as all of the laundry. Lucy and I have tried to help as much as we can to lighten her load. It also provided the opportunity to cook some american foods. :) However, we all are very greatful when Rosa returns and resumes the cooking responsibilities.

Rosa has been a wonderful addition to the staff here at Refuge Ranch and I have been increadibly blessed to have had the privilage to get to know her. She is quite and very attentive to what is going on around her. She makes the perfect live-in grandmother. :) She is a wonderful example to all of the children on being a hard worker and taking the inititive as she is never found not working throughout a day. If she isn't cooking, she is helping with laundry, mopping the floor, or cleaning the bathroom.

As I am getting better in my Spanish I have also had the opportunity to sit and chat with Rosa and sometimes Magda in the evenings. On ocation we are all making cups of hot tea or coffee at night and conversation will just start about something that happened that day. It is a little blessing that I am so greatful for to be able to connect with them even in little ways.

Toilet Paper Tactics

By Lucy

When we first crossed the border into Mexico, one of the first things Victor did was buy a roll of toilet paper. He tossed it to us, laughed, and said, “You will need this in Mexico.”

I am learning just how true that is. Whenever I leave Refuge Ranch, I always carry my own roll of toilet paper with me. It is useful for blowing your nose, wiping grease off of your hands, silly pranks (as you can see by the picture), and yes, for going to the bathroom. In Mexico, most public bathrooms do not have toilet paper. If you’re lucky, someone will be standing outside the bathroom with some, and you may purchase a couple of pieces from them. Also, the toilets do not have toilet seats on them. The first bathroom I visited also had another difference. The toilets didn’t flush! After using a toilet, you went outside where there was a bucket of water, and “flushed” the toilet with the bucket of water.

Toilet paper seems like such a minor thing, but when you don’t have it, you realize how important it is, and how useful! It may seem like a major hassle to carry it with you, but when you look at the bigger picture, it is just a minor inconvenience. It’s very different from back home in Indiana, but I am learning like Paul, “to be content, whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11. And like the Boy Scouts, I’m learning to “Always be prepared!”

Just a note to Mom and Dad: After toilet papering Ashleigh’s room, I folded up all the toilet paper for another use. I knew you would be proud!

An Interpretation of Interpretive Dance

"Then maidens will dance and be glad.

young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning into gladness

I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow."

Jeremiah 31:13

These verses, along with many others in the Bible, talk about dancing before the Lord or dancing for joy. For some, the pure joy of what the Lord has done for them leaves only one option - to dance before Him!

Last fall, our oldest girls and I started a liturgical dance team at our church. It was such a joy to dance with them, especially knowing where they have come from and what they have suffered throughout their short years of life. Living with them as the Lord restores their hearts and lives is a privilege and honor, but that restoration is not always an easy or pain free process. So, trying to explain what I feel as I watch them dance with joy before the Lord is truly beyond words. While their joy is expressed through dance, my joy is expressed through tears of gratitude.

Since last fall, another young lady has taken over the group and I have stepped down (to care for the rest of the children!) and Angie has moved on to being a Sunday School teacher. However, Diana, Martita and Jocelin continue on the dance team, as well as Erika, the daughter of one of our staff members (Magda). In fact, Diana has taken quite a bit of leadership within the dance team, learning and teaching new routines. The younger girls on the team really look up to Diana and Martita and the dance team has given them another purpose to live for, an opportunity to express their worship and gratitude, as well as opportunities to show responsibility, discipline and to serve as role models for other young women and girls. Praise God!

The following video was taken by a proud Grandfather (my Dad) about a month ago as he and Mom were visiting here. I pray that you may worship the Lord as you watch this short video and thank Him for all that He has done.

With love, from a very grateful mother and servant of the Lord,

Julie Zaragoza

"Opportunities for Worship" by Ashleigh

Listen...can you hear it? It is a quiet yet very persistent calling and it is coming from the general direction of the house. You can't hear it? Oh, well then I guess it is not intended for you. Maybe that's mine name that is being called...yes, it's clear now and I know what I am hearing. However, I think I am going to ignore it just a little bit longer. You see, there are seven crates of tomatoes calling my name and they would like to be turned into pizza sauce and other yummy things by this evening. They want my time and my attention and they really can't wait.

The truth be told, I am really rather excited to start today. I know it will be a long day full of work but that doesn't bother me. So often my days are filled with continual interaction with people and projects that demand my time that the day will be over before I blink. It is then that I think to myself, "Did I stop even once and admire Popo (the volcano) and praise God for His majesty?" Sadly, the answer is often "no". Today, I plan on putting on my music and worshiping while I work, maybe meditate on some scripture, and throw up a few prayers while I'm at it. I have the sneaking suspicion that the kids will leave me alone as they might get roped into work if they come near. :)

Psalm 29:2 says, "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name, worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." How often do we run about our days and never stopping to worship? Be intentional today to make room for some worship time, it's worth it!

The Marshall and Monarch Migration South by Lucy

Photos from our trip to Refuge Ranch

We have been here almost 3 weeks now, and I wanted to share a little about our trip down here in October. We were traveling at the time of the year of the monarch butterfly migration to Mexico. If we had come by plane, we would have missed them, but we drove, so they became part of our story. While driving through the mountains, we saw hundreds of them. I wish I had a picture to share of that, but we were traveling too fast and there was no place to pull off to get pictures. Some of the butterflies were killed by the traffic. The others just kept moving south, soaring on the wind as they pushed onward. I felt like there was a lesson in the butterflies for us.

You see, the timing for us to be in Mexico has been long, and at times, rather difficult. We have known since 2006 that God was calling us to here to Mexico, but it needed to be in His perfect time, not ours. So for 3 years, we have been preparing. Mark was in school, and just last May graduated with a degree in Bible and Ministry. We talked with Aaron and Joanna, and gave them time to adjust to the idea of moving (which was actually one of the easier parts), and we began learning Spanish. We spoke to churches about God's work in Mexico, and maybe the scariest thing of all, we put our house up for sale, sold a bunch of our "stuff," and quit our jobs.

At times, we wondered and questioned if God were truly calling our family to Mexico. After all, it was a pretty crazy idea leaving the security of jobs, home, and family. But every time we doubted, God sent someone to us to confirm the call.

The last week before we moved was the toughest. We started the week with cold rainy weather, and needing to turn on the furnace. We woke up Monday morning to a very cold house, and a strange sound coming from the furnace. It wasn't working! That really wasn't a problem though because Mark is a handyman and can fix anything! But after spending the whole day working on it, he found a large hole in the heat exchanger. That is a BIG problem if you don't know anything about furnaces (like me). We needed to replace the furnace in a house we were moving out of in a week! The cold weather continued as we made plans to replace the furnace, and continued packing. Of course, we questioned, "Why? Why us? Why now?" But we praised God that it didn't happen after we moved when no one would be there or know about it.

On our last Saturday, we had family and friends over to help move some big things out of the house. About an hour into our day, our friend, Mark Musall, fell about 15 feet from our porch roof while helping move a mattress. 911 was called and he was lifelined to Fort Wayne where they found he had a fractured vertebrae, some cracked ribs, and a partially collapsed lung. Once again, we asked, "Why? Why him? Why now?" But we praised God that they expect a full recovery for him, although it will take time, God's time.

We truly felt all of this as a time of testing for us. We wanted to be with Mark as he recovered from this accident, but God told us it was time to go, so we went. We left the following Monday morning, leaving the house, furnace, and Mark in God's hands, fully knowing He would make everything right in His time. (Mark is home now and working a few hours a day as he recovers.)

Now what does all that have to do with Monarch butterflies? Well, they don't question how long or hard the trip south is going to be. They just hear God's call, and they go. Now that is faith! There is definitely a lesson in it for all of us, and I pray we learned it well. I know there will be many other trials as we walk the path He has put us on, but I will remember His butterflies, and have faith.

Jesus said, "Don't be afraid. Just believe." Mark 5:36b NIV

Awesome Opportunities

As many of you know, just a few weeks ago Victor returned from a two week trip to the United States to begin promoting the Yahweh Rapha Medical Center project that the Lord has led Fishers of Men to launch. He travelled with several other people from Mexico. Dr. Ricardo Escamilla is a retired Mexican military colonel and doctor and volunteers as our medical director for both the crusades and the hospital project. Dr. Gisela Kovacs is a Mexican doctor who volunteers on many of our crusades. She was raised in the U.S. and is bilingual, so she travelled with Victor as his translator. Finally, Francisco Martinez is the Mexican architect who is volunteering his time and services to design the medical center project.

Yahweh Rapha Medical Center Promotional Team

L to R: Victor Zaragoza, Dr. Gisela Kovacs, Dr. Ricardo Escamilla, Francisco Martinez

The Lord truly blessed the team's time in the United States as they visited different churches and made many connections that we trust, in the Lord's time, will bring fruit to make the Yahweh Rapha Medical Center project a reality.


Thanks to connections through several Fishers of Men supporters, the team was able to visit The Toledo Hospital and share with many people there, including administrators and board members, the vision the Lord has given us for the Yahweh Rapha Medical Center. The Toledo Hospital is already saving medical equipment in excellent working condition to be installed in the hospital as soon as it is built!

The promotional team on their visit to The Toledo Hospital

The team also visited the Medical Mission Hall of Fame founded and directed by Dr. Larry Conway where used medical equipment is also being held for the medical center project.


Among the unique opportunities that the Lord provided during the team's visit, was that of a television interview for channel 24 news in Toledo, Ohio.

The team being interviewed for the local news

The story that the news team chose to highlight was that of a member of Julie's Dad's church (Dave Claassen pastors Mayfair Plymouth Church in Toledo, OH) who collects scrap metal to help support Fishers of Men after being inspired by the story of our daughter Martha. It was the perfect story to share as Martha's story shows the beautiful integration of the Evangelistic Medical Mission Crusades (EMMC) and Refuge Ranch. Martha joined our family here at Refuge Ranch as a direct result of an EMMC.


The story also illustrates how your support directly impacts and affects the lives of hundreds of people by making the crusades possible, which affords many the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and, on several occasions, has given a child the opportunity to become a part of our family. Your support also makes daily life at Refuge Ranch possible, which results in children's lives being transformed one day, one hour at a time. Now your support, and that of so many others, will make the Yahweh Rapha Medical Center a reality and thousands of more lives will be changed here on earth and for eternity. Thank you!


Click on the following link and enjoy watching the TV interview for yourself! We praise and thank the Lord for each one of these opportunities and pray that His name would be exalted and glorified and His kingdom would continue to grow here on earth!


http://www.toledoonthemove.com/news/video.aspx?ist=~\news\lists\videos&id=363652

"Contruction Experience" by Ashleigh

I thought you all would enjoy a photo blog about the cement pour that we had yesterday to finish the roof of the basement. I do not work much with the construction aspects of the ministry but my knowledge has definitely increased since living here. I couldn't even begin to tell you how large amounts of cement is poured in the United States, this may be similar...and it may not be. :)

The first thing to arrive at a little before 7am was the pump truck. The cement trucks dump the cement into the pump truck which them pumps it to the location you want it.

This next picture is of the man who was overseeing all of the work. He controlled not only where the "arm" (I really have no idea what it is really called) of the pump truck but also the flow the cement that was being pumped.

This man was directing the end of the "arm" of the pump and making sure that it was spreading evenly.

Mark Marshall was running a vibrator through the poured cement to make sure that their was no air pockets in the cement. Victor was also on the roof moving the small generator around behind Mark since that is what was powering the vibrator.

We hired several men during the last couple of weeks to help with getting ready for the pour. John (in the white shirt) is one of our core Crusade staff down here. Because of all that he and his wife do for the ministry they are not able to hold full time jobs. It was nice to offer him the opportunity to work for several weeks with the construction. In this picture John and Cirino are leveling the poured cement.

And I chose this picture as the last one of the "finished" pour as well as Lucy photo journalizing the monumental event with me. :) I figured all the Shiloh people would appreciate it!
So, that is what happened yesterday. If I remember correctly (which may not be) the forms have to sit for two weeks before they can start taking them down. We are all excited to see the progress that has been made toward the finishing of the Marshall's apartment and the laundry room for Refuge Ranch! Thank you all for your prayers for provision and safety!