Dear Friends in Christ,                                                                                        February 2011

 It gives me great joy to update you on the Children’s home in Mexico and my health.  After a difficult year for my family and myself, I would like to thank the Lord for your faithful prayers.  He has never left my side.

Thankfully my on-going chemo treatments have worked well and exceeded the expectations of my oncologist.  Due to my bone cancer I had a hip replacement and had a short stay in a rehab facility.  Thankfully, the Lord allowed me to be home for the holidays with my children and grandchildren.

Now, I am looking forward to continue the calling my husband Marcus and I received 40 years ago.  My desire is to finish my race and complete what the Lord has called me to do.  I’m praying that He will allow me to return to Mexico this summer with the help of my daughter, Talitha and her family.  She has been a great help to me in overseeing the home since my illness.  There’s not a day that goes by that my heart is not burdened over the work and I want do what I can to help with the needs of the home.  I’m truly thankful for the many faithful supporters of the work and for those who support me personally.

We have been in close contact with the children and Ernestina, who has remained faithful in managing the home.  I’m happy to report that everything is going well there.  The children are eager to see me and each take turns talking with me when I call.  The children had a good Christmas and have begun the New Year by resuming their school activities.  They are taking music lessons and we would like to buy them some guitars and other instruments to be used for the children’s choir.

Again, I would like to thank each one who has remained faithful in supporting the work.  Only the Lord could do this!  I’m very grateful for our mission board and Pastor Nixon, at Brookside Baptist Church in Bristol, TN.  They have helped this ministry to continue operating during this difficult time.  We were the first Mission started by Rev. Fred Potter and I’m so thankful our paths crossed many years ago.  What a privilege it has been for me to see the Word of God spread and change the lives of many children who have come through the home.

On a closing note, we are still using Marcus’s 20 year old pick-up truck which needs to be replaced.  It is no longer able to transport the children to their school activities, doctor’s appointments, and grocery shopping.  Also, the home is in desperate need of many repairs.  We would like to ask you to please pray that the Lord would provide for these needs.  He said He would never leave us nor forsake us, and we thank him every day for all He has done, is doing and is going to do.

         Your missionary for Jesus’ sake,   Judy Padgett

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”But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 19:14
 

Dear Friends and Loved Ones, Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus!                                                                                August, 2010

It is a joy to report that everything is going well in the Children’s Home in Mexico. Regardless how we feel physically, God is still on the throne.

The support was down a little last month, but we know God is able to provide and we will depend on him. The children are all back after their vacations with family. School has started and we are now in need of school uniforms, clothes, shoes, etc. Once again, we will trust the Lord to supply these needs.

We had two girls who came back unexpectedly. They are in school once again and we will have to pay for transportation for them to attend. This is an added expense to our already tight budget. As we have mentioned in the last letters, the truck at the home still needs lots of repairs. This is very necessary need as it would help us in the transportation of the girls to school, thus eliminating the extra expense that we now have to pay. It will probably take around $1,500 to get the clothes for the children and to fix the truck. We would ask that you make this a matter of prayer. If you aren’t able to help, please pray that God will touch the heart of someone who can.

Ernestina and Jose have been faithful to keep the home running in my absence. The Lord blessed me to have them soon after Marcus died and they have been a wonderful help to me. They love the children and the work and have done a wonderful job taking care of the home during my sickness.

Please pray for our little ones. We are trusting God for their salvation and we want you to help us pray that he will start dealing with their hearts now. They are from 5-12 years of age, so we are really burdened for the older ones.

After a ten day stay in the hospital during which time I had to have two units of blood, the doctor said everything was looking good. Continue to pray that my blood work will stay steady and that the chemo will continue to work.

We ask you to continue to pray for my health. We look forward to the day when the doctors tell me that the cancer is in remission. I am making it a matter of prayer that this will happen before Christmas. I would love to be able to spend another Christmas with the children. I have good days and bad days but it seems that better days are now more often than the bad days for which we praise the Lord. The cancer has spread to my bones and is at stage four. After the initial shock, I now have faith to believe God is able. There have been many, many prayers around the world prayed for me and I can certainly feel the results.

Pray that God will give me wisdom to know exactly what to do concerning the work. At this point, I feel no desire to change anything concerning the work and how it has always been. Also, please pray for my personal support. It has been down, and during my illness, it has taken much more for medicine and doctor’s visits.

My daughter, Talithia, has been such a blessing to me during this time. She has worked very hard to keep the work running in Mexico while being at my side to help me. Until next time, I remain.

Your missionary for Jesus’ sake,

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Dear Friends and Loved Ones,                                                                                                              April, 2010

 Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus!  It is good to report that everything is going well in the Home.  The children are more than halfway through the school year.  Our little miss, Jollette, won a contest for Queen of Kindergarten.  She is four years old and has been with us for two years.  We were very proud of her and she was beside herself with joy.  The people in the ranch said that she could not win because she was an orphan; everyone was very surprised when they announced she had won. 

 Juan and Jessica have been in the home nearly all their lives.  Juan was 18 months old and Jessica was 2 ½ when they arrived.  Juan is now 13 and Jessica celebrated her 15^th birthday this year.  No family member has ever been back to check on them since they came to the home.  They are struggling in their teenage years and we feel that this has played a big part.  I ask you to pray especially for both of them.  They are not sure of their salvation. 

 We have some needs in the home which we ask you to pray about.  Our truck is a 1986 Ford.  We really need a new vehicle for the home.  The most urgent need right now is tires and a tune-up for the truck.  I think that the tires and tune-up for the truck will be around $500.

 We also need sheets and bedspreads for the beds.  It has been about 10 years since we’ve had new sheets and bedspreads and the cost for this will be around $400.  We would ask you to take these special needs to the Lord in prayer.

 This month is 10 years since Marcus went home to be with the Lord.  For some reason, it has been especially hard this year.  I ask you to pray for me.  I will be 69 this year and I am so thankful that the Lord has given me the strength to go on.

 I want to thank all of you for your continued prayers and support for the home.  The Lord is faithful.  Until next time, I remain.

Your missionary for Jesus’ sake,  Judy Padgett

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 Dear Friends and Loved Ones,  Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus!                                                                                          November, 2009

We would like to let you know that everything is going well at the home. We want to thank all of you for your continued support after the passing of our director, Brother Fred Potter. You have been faithful to support the work over these years and without you the work would not go on. We thank God that He is faithful.

We would also like to inform you that we now have the deed to the home which has taken us ten years to acquire. Thanks to each of you who have prayed and given to help us accomplish this. This means that the government will not be able to take the home from us for which we thank the Lord.

We want to thank each of you who sent encouraging letters to us and prayed about the work. We would also like to thank each of you who sent money for the uniforms and shoes for school.

On October 16, we celebrated Jessica’s 15th birthday which is a tradition in Mexico. Jessica has been in the home since she was two. No one has ever come to see about her all these years, so we felt a need to make this a very special event for her. We bought her a pretty dress, had a big cake made, and had a meal. She was very excited over all of this. Jessica is in Junior High and we would ask you to especially pray for her. We are not sure of her salvation.

Christmas is right around the corner. We ask you to pray concerning the Children’s Home when you start your Christmas preparations. Without your financial help, these children will not have much of a Christmas. We have to depend on the Lord for each and every aspect of the Home. All we can say is that He is faithful when we are faithless.

Until next time, I remain. Your missionary for Jesus’ sake, Judy Padgett

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Dear Friends and Loved Ones, Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus!                                                                                     July, 2009

School is out this month.  We will be starting back in August.  The children will need uniforms and shoes so I would ask you to pray about this need.

Everything at the home is going well.  We will be getting some new children before school starts.  We would ask you to start praying now for these children.  We are happy that all the problems at the home have been taken care of and things are running normal again.

We had an unexpected blessing last month.  A local motorcycle club made up of doctors and their families, visited the home and wanted to know some needs.  They bought new mattresses for the beds, new toilets, and a new water heater, as well as new cabinets for the kitchen.  We really praise the Lord for these new items.  You never know how the Lord is going to meet the needs, but he always does. 

Our truck at the home is a 1986 GMC and we need to replace it.  We use this truck to go to town to get groceries, take the children to the doctor, take the junior high students to school, and whatever else we have to do.  My plans are to take my 1992 van to the home, which will leave me without a vehicle.  Please pray about this need.

Our hearts were broken when the Lord called Preacher Potter home in April of this year.  After 35 years of him being founder and director of the home, we expect the Lord to continue to bless and meet the needs as he has been faithful to do all these years.

Please continue to pray for us.  We thank you for your faithfulness through the years.

 Until next time, I remain.  Your missionary for Jesus’ sake,   Judy Padgett

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Prayer Letter            June, 2006

 Dear Friends and Loved Ones, Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus!

It is a joy to report to you again from the Children’s Home.  The children are getting ready to finish up their school year.

We will have one to graduate from Junior High and two who will be graduating from the 6^th grade.  As I’ve said before, this is a real accomplishment for our children.  Most of the children in Mexico do not go to school after the 6^th grade, so to be able to send our children on for further education is a real blessing.

The graduations are very important to these people and they go all-out for this occasion.  Of course this means an added expense for the Home, but we are glad to be able to give our children this memory and we will trust the Lord to supply the money.  Not only will we need extra money for the graduations, but when school starts again we will need to have the money for uniforms and school shoes.  The Lord has never failed us in all these years and we will rest in his promises.

We will need $1,000 for the uniforms and $500 for shoes.  There is also an added expense for the children who will go on to Junior High and High School.  In order for them to attend these schools we will have to buy their books and pay for their tuition.

 We would ask you to prayerfully consider these requests.  Whatever you can send would greatly be appreciated.  Please make sure that you designate your check for uniforms and shoes.

I want to thank our faithful supporters.  May the Lord richly bless each of you.

 Until next time, I remain your Missionary for Jesus’ sake.  Judy Padgett

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December 2001

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus!

    It is a joy to report that all is going well in the Children’s Home.  We received a newborn, just hours old during the month of September.  He is growing and Ernestina and Jose have taken him in as their own.  That makes two babies they have taken in.  They get plenty of love and attention from them and the children in the Home.

    The Mission work is going very well.  Missionary, Jerry Shaw and his wife Delia are doing a great job.  We now have a national pastor and the work is really growing.  We recently had five saved!

     The young people from the Home and Mission recently were in a Singing and Bible competition, and won.  I’m very proud of them and so thankful they are growing in the Lord.  I’m really very excited over what the Lord is doing here.  We’ve been at the Children’s Home for 28 years and in Mexico for 30 years.  It’s wonderful to know the Lord is still working.

    I am enjoying driving the van the Lord gave me through Bill and Judy Campbell.  It drives like a Cadillac to me after driving the old van for so long.  It is really nice and I am truly thankful for it.

    We had an added expense for school uniforms of $700 in November.  We had not planned on this and it does not fit into our regular budget.  So, I’d ask you to pray concerning this.  Also, Christmas is here and we’d appreciate it if you would remember the Children’s Home in Mexico when you give this year.  Remember, the children in the Home depend on you for their Christmas.

    I trust all of you will have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  Until next time, I remain your missionary, because He was born.

Your Missionary for His Sake.     Judy Padgett

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