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  In January 1996 we traveled to Puerto Penasco Mexico to spend a couple of weeks. We had been told it was a quiet easy going Mexican fishing village on the coast of The Sea of Cortez, some maps also have it named as the Gulf of California.

  Upon arriving we soon discovered indeed it was quiet and peaceful. The inhabitants were also warm and friendly..

  Having made several new American friends along with some new Mexican ones,we stayed our 2 weeks and decided to stay until April.

  It was really hard to leave in April as we had gotten so attached to some of the locals, but we promised to return in October .

  In October of 1996 we did return to Puerto Penasco and stayed in an RV resort that was right on the Sea..We could set and watch whales and dolphins swim up the coastline from the comfort of our motorhome. Although American foods was not to be found in town, their were plenty of places to eat local foods and very reasonable. Vegtables were plentiful and very inexpensive as was seafood. Perhaps once a week we would buy a large grocery bag of vegtables and take it out to the "barrios" and give it to someome who looked in need. That was pretty much the extent of our effort to help the poor.

  We stayed in the RV Resort until April of 1997 when once again we said goodbye with promises of returning the following October. Upon our return we would rent a private lot in town from a local. It was not set up for an RV, so lots of work would need to be done before our RV could be parked on it...

  Our impatience to return got the better of us and we headed out from Alabama in July to return to Mexico. The RV park that we normally stayed out was closed because of the extreme heat in summer there. We got accommodations at another park for a few weeks until I could ready the lot in town...It was extremly hot and humid and I was having second thoughts about coming here in the middle of summer. By 10:00 o'clock in the morning it was already 100 degrees and by late afternoon it could be 110-114 degrees...We had water lines ,electric and 90'feet of sewer pipe to bury too complete our hookups. After much sweat and work we finally moved onto the lot in August of 1997. Now we are thinking it's time to relax a little...........not going to happen....    

  Yes, Hurricane Nora hit Puerto Penasco. The first such happening in this town in recent memory. None of the locals had any idea what to expect and not all were aware it was coming or what it was.
We had went out into the barrios and warned all of our new found friends to board up the best they could and stay indoors.

  As for us, we hunkered down in the motorhome and our mexican neighbor and her 4 children stayed with us. They all were very frightened and we were a little concerned also. We did have access to our satellite tv and the weather channel. Very few of the locals had any of this information. We sat there and watched the tv weather and could look outside and see sheets of tin and other debri flying through the air.

  After several hours of this , the wind finally subsided and we stuck our heads out to look around. It had been a strong storm and lots of trees and power lines were down. Lots of roads were blocked and mountains of sand had piled as high as our jeep across some them. We went to the barrios to check on our friends. The difference before and after the storm was amazing. The little houses of cobbled up  peices of wood and sheetrock were all virtually destroyed. It looked like the desert floor had been swept by a large broom. The people who had very little , now had almost nothing.

 

  It was the catalyst that God sent for us to begin a major blessing in our lives and the birth of Esperanza De Vida.

 

  Connie and our neighbor lady started cooking soup in a couple of 5 gallons pots. We would take this out along with water and serve it out of the back of car. This went on several days. The people in the barrios had no food, drinking water or electricty, very little protection from the elements. They could not leave the area for fear of what few remaining belongings they had would be stolen.

 

  After relief agencies started showing up providing food and water on a daily basis we slowed down on our efforts. It was at this time that the idea of giving these people some food for their soul.

 

  After a series of circumstances that only God could have created we started ESPERANZA DE VIDA (Hope for Life )  Each Saturday we would have bible class taught by local Mexican Christians, afterward we would feed all who attended..It would normally mean feeding around 200 each Saturday.

 

  As time went along  their was lots of interest from Americans who stayed there and others who heard of our efforts. Help was coming in from everywhere to provide food,medical care, medicine,clothes housing ,and schooling. Our brother-in-law Pastor Ken Hinkley was at Friendship Baptist Church in Rome, Georgia at the time. His church heard about the needs and sent a LOVE offering to help with purchasing building materials. It was a seed of more blessing to come.

 

   After the hurricane, we lived in Puerto Penasco year around for 5 years and continued to have our saturday bible meetings and meals afterwards. It would not be possible to name all the family members, friends and people we don't even know who made all this possible. And most of all we Thank God for all these blessing he bestowed on us.

 

   In Febuary 2002 it  became necessary to leave Puerto Penasco. It was not easy and was a sad time for us. A new chapter in our life's pages were beginning.

 

  Esperanza De Vida is still ongoing and we long to visit all our friends. We were there when a baby was born, when a family member passed away, birthdays, and special times.We saw children grow up. It's all a part of our family. 

 

 Below is some links to a small portion of our life there. Turn Your sound up and enjoy.

                            GOD BLESS YOU