Penitas, TX – Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2025

Charles E. Moody was a gospel songwriter and musician from Gordon County, Georgia. He was a member of a 1920s string band, Georgia Yellow Hammers, and wrote over 100 gospel songs.   Two of his more popular songs are “Drifting Too Far From the Shore” and “Kneel At The Cross.”  His songs have been recorded by many famous artists including Jerry Garcia, Emmylou Harris and Hank Williams, Sr.

Kneel at the cross,                                   Christ will meet you there,
Come while He waits for you;             List to His voice,
Leave with Him your care                    And begin life anew.

Kneel at the cross,                       Leave every care;
Kneel at the cross,                       Jesus will meet you there.

As the work on the MDS response in Penitas, Texas moved into the second half of the planned time, one would not be far wrong to think this is an Ohio MDS project.  All but 5 of the 23 people hailed from Shiloh, Ohio.  Those six long termers and twelve weekly volunteers made up the majority and many were familiar faces from prior MDS trips to South Texas.  Two Texans and four Michiganders did their best to give a little variety in the accents heard around the tables. It was a great week!

We had several delays and frustrations due to material deliveries being late, not compatible with what was already installed, or incomplete.  In the midst of those issues, progress was achieved well beyond what had been projected.  Lots of kneeling and prayer left the concerns in our rearview mirror.

Our first two houses moved along at a good pace despite the delays.  The dedications are planned for March 13 and March 20, just two and three weeks away.    Countertops, plumbing fixtures, lights and ceiling fans all got installed at both houses.

Kneel at the cross,                       There is room for all,
Who would His glory share;                Bliss there awaits,
Harm can ne’er befall                Those who are anchored there.

The second two houses also saw a lot of work accomplished.  House number 3 ended the week with all of the drywall finishing complete and the interior walls painted, ready for flooring on Monday.  House number 4 ended the week ready for drywall finishing to start.  Both houses passed the rough-in plumbing and electrical tests with flying colors, drywall hanging went very well at number 4, and the nice weather allowed the exterior siding and porches to be completed.

Kneel at the cross,                       Give your idols up,
Look unto realms above;          Turn not away
To life’s sparkling cup,              Trust only in His love.

Clearly the highlight of the week was the Thursday evening feast provided by the families of houses numbers 1 and 4.  Sra. Maria said they’d invited a few family members to come also.  Our dining room was absolutely filled with volunteers and family members.   Tables that normally would seat 6, had 10 people squeezed in where they enjoyed mashed potatoes, rice, barbecued chicken, sausage and beef.  To top everything off, Sra. Ingrid provided a huge cake for everyone to enjoy.   I guess the real topping was the words of appreciation from the two families, translated between English and Spanish. A firm count of the attendees in the fluid crowd was not made, but the visitors easily outnumbered the volunteers.  It was a blessing to see the dynamics of family love in this small town in South Texas.

With this being the last week of February, it is a transition weekend for long term volunteers. We say farewell to six from Shiloh and one from Rosebush. It would have been hard at the start of the month to predict what good friends the February group would become.  There are proposals for gatherings in Michigan this summer to renew the friendship.  It is unlikely those relationships would have happened if not founded on time spent kneeling at the cross.

From the MDS Response at Penitas, Texas in Harlingen County
Brenda, Bernice, Joanna, Melissa, Jay, Jason, Layne, Laura and Carl