Planning our banquet for 2012!

Tonight I met my banquet planning committee at IHOP!  We had dinner together and started to plan next years banquet. 
We went over do's and don'ts for next year to see how we could better our banquet.  We had a great time planning, laughing and eating! :)

Thank you ladies for all your hard work !

Sandra Guzman, Laura Arevalo, myself, Magda Gutierrez, Yolanda Vazquez,
Mirtha Rios & Belinda Tamayo

Mothers Day Sunday!

We had a wonderful day today in church with an attendance of 349.  We had close to 80 mothers present.  A gift was given to each mom to show appreciation for the love and care that they give to their famlies. 
It was also the last day of the campaign ending with several salvations and baptisms.  Andres, my youngest son had one convert that got baptized.  He brought 13 visitors to church throughout the 4 week campaign. 
I ended up with 10 girls in my class today!  I really enjoy teaching them.  I have the 15 through 18 year old girls.
I hope your Sunday went good as well!

Andres' convert getting baptized

My Sunday school class

***GO MAVS!!!!!  :)  (I couldn't help but put that in since we won the 4th straight game in this round of the playoffs against the LA Lakers today!)

Happy Mothers' Day!

I want to wish all the mothers who read my blog a Happy Mothers' Day!  I hope that you have a great day and enjoy being with your families!  I was just thinking today that next years mothers day will probably be the last mothers day with at least one of my children with me.  At least for a while.  Andres will be going to college a year from this fall.  I definetly will miss them not being around but I know that in the future there will be some years that one of them may be in town.  I'm just thankful that they are serving the Lord and are in God's will! 
Enjoy your children while they are still at home!  Time goes by fast!!!!
I want to especially wish my mom a wonderful Mothers Day!  I love you mom and thank God for you!  I hope you have a wonderful day!  I hope you liked your gift!  :)

May God bless you all! 

Jazmin Rios graduates!

This evening we went to a graduation at Grace Christian Academy.  This is the christian school that all our children have attended since living here in the Flower Mound/Lewisville, TX area. 
Jazmin is in my Sunday school class and is very faithful.  Every Sunday school campaign that we have she strives to do her best in bringing visitors to church or leading souls to the Lord.  I am very proud of her. 
Please pray for her as she is making plans to go to a christian college. 

Appreciating what we have!

Today I had the priviledge of meeting a young widow who is also a mother of two young children.  I went to her home with the sole purpose of helping her anyway I could and to give her a book that I thought would be a help and a blessing to her.  This book was written by a young widow and mother of two children as well. 
As I sat and talked to her I could see how much she loved her husband and missed him dearly!  Her husband was a strong healthy young man and at one time played for the Dallas Cowboys.  He began to feel ill when they soon found out that he had cancer.  He only lasted 44 days! 
As we talked and agreed that God is in control of everything I began to think how much we take for granted our health, our safety and our loved ones.
I will not post any pictures or anymore details for the privacy of this sweet christian lady.  But I will ask that you pray for her.  It's been only 3 months that he's gone to heaven and I know that she has a long road ahead of her.  Please pray for her and her two children!
I want to encourage you all who read this to always appreciate your spouses, children and other loved ones.  Sometimes we do unnecessary complaining!  Thank God we have husbands that leave their shoes in the middle of the room or pants hanging on the bedposts.  Or children who need to be told several times to clean their room, finish their food or do their homework.
I have to say I left her home feeling that I had been helped.  I realize that all that I have is but for a time.  Let's not take for granted what we have!

"Her children arise up, and call her blessed"

Last Friday night we held our 7th Ladies Banquet, "Her children arise up, and call her blessed".  We had a total of 107 ladies, teens and little girls  registered.  We had a great time! 
Our speaker this year was Mrs. Billie Sloan, missionary in Chiapas, MX.  Mrs. Sloan has just completed 50 years on the mission field!  What has been a personal blessing to me is that her and her husband (now in heaven) have 8 children.  They are all married and all are in full time service for the Lord either as pastors or missionaries. 
Mrs. Sloan did a wonderful job speaking and encouraged us all to be better mothers and daughters.
The following are some pictures of our banquet.

Every table was decorated with lace, oil lamps, fans, dried baby roses, pearls, the theme verse and photos of the Sloan Family.

My banquet planning committee from left to right.
Yolanda Vazquez, Magda Gutierrez, Sandra Guzman, Laura Arevalo, Belinda Tamayo, Mirtha Rios
and myself.

My servers for the night, which by the way did a great job!!!
From left to right:
Pablo Landeros, Jose Gutierrez, Rene Rios, Jose Valencia, Nic Tamayo, Julio Vargas Jr., my wonderful husband,
Julio Vargas and my son Andres.

Mrs. Billie Sloan, her daughter Elizabeth and her grandaughter Sophia.

Elyssa, myself and Gabriella! :)

Recognizing our servers for doing a great job! 
Hmmmm!  Was my husband serving or eating????

Games for the girls......

...and games for the ladies.

"The drama"
Brenda Ruiz & Maria Carpenter

Mrs. Billie Sloan

Everyone received a program with the order of the program for the night, a song that we all sang, a game about the qualities of the Proverbs 31 lady and a note from me in the back. 

We also had tickets which are shown in the picture below.  As a gift, we gave each one a fan with the banquet theme on it.  At the end of the banquet during the invitation time we handed out laminated bookmarkers and permanent markers so that they can write their decision on it and keep it in their bibles as a reminder.

Jared and Elyssa buy a house!

Last Friday Jared and Elyssa signed the papers for their new home!  They immediately began moving that same day.  All weekend with their responsibilities at work, church and bus route they were able to clean the house and get the majority of their things moved in.  Last night they completed their move and spent their first night in their new home!  We are so happy for them!  Especially because Gabriella is going to have her own room! :)

               Congratulations Jared and Elyssa!