Penitas, TX – March 16-22, 2025

We are entering into the eleventh week of the MDS response in Penitas, Texas.  This is the fourth year of working in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, also known as RGV, or just “the Valley.”  We’ve learned that water is a precious commodity in this area. About 100 years ago, water irrigation districts formed and changed the RGV from an area deemed to be hopelessly unsuitable for settlement to an area that provided vast amounts of fruit, vegetables, sugar cane, cotton and grain for “el norte.”  The jobs created led to large and small cities being founded, all supplied with water from the extensive water irrigation districts that pumped water from the river.

That time is almost gone, as drought and diplomatic conflicts have reduced the flow of water in the river to near record lows.  The last sugar cane mill closed in 2024, and many hundreds of acres of citrus orchards have been dozed due to no water.  Those jobs have also gone away leaving many families facing economic uncertainty.  Cities are having to scramble to find reliable sources for their domestic water needs.

The gospel song, Jesus Gave Me Water, was first recorded by the Soul Stirrers, with Sam Cook. I’ve heard it performed by the California group, Marley’s Ghost, but after hearing John Cowan’s version on Music City Roots in 2010, that is the one that sticks with me.

Well, there was a woman from Samaria, came to the well to get some water

There she met a stranger who did a story tell

Then the woman dropped her pitcher

She drank and was made richer

From the water that He gave her and it was not in the well

Yes, He gave her water, Jesus gave her water

Jesus gave her water, I wanna let His praises swell

Jesus gave her water, He gave that woman water

Gave her living, loving, lasting water and it was not in the well

During this past week, we had no short term volunteers.  As a result, our long term volunteers put their hands on the tools and achieved two major goals.

One was to get our second house, for Sra. Aurelia, ready for dedication. It was a smaller than typical event, but a joyous occasion nonetheless.  Wide smiles and a multitude of expressed thanks made this dedication as blessed as any other.  Then, she brought out the Vera Cruz style tamales, wrapped in banana leaves, and the event took on a new life.   Even the volunteers who avoid eating meat sampled the contents, convinced they were worth the dietary detour.

Well, on that woman He had pity, she ran back to the city

Crying glory Hallelujah and did His wonders tell

She left my Savior singing, she came back to Him bringing

The times she’d had water Lord, and it was not in the well

The second achievement was to bring progress to our fourth house, for Sr. Victor and Sra. Victoria.   The flooring installation was finished by some heroic on-their-knees efforts by the LT volunteers.  The interior doors and most of the trim was delivered, and by the end of the week, these were painted and ready for installation by next week’s group of weekly volunteers.

Without the short-term volunteers, the week was absent the responsibilities of crew leading and feeding over twenty volunteers twice a day.  The eight long termers were able to relax more and took two fun outings.  One was to watch a UTRGV university baseball game and the other was an hour-long boat ride on the Rio Grande River.

The narrator on the boat provided a lot of information and history about the river.  It was very peaceful on the water, in contrast to the political news about immigration that paints the southern border as a dangerous place.  Along on the boat ride and lunch afterward was Abram Diaz Alonzo, MCC Immigration Border Program Coordinator.  He gave the long term volunteers some up-to-date information on the situation along the border.   We left that time with a better understanding of how we might help, even in our home communities, to provide support and spiritual “water” to thirsty people along their journey to safety.

Yes, He gave her water, Jesus gave her water

Jesus gave her water, I wanna let His praises swell

Jesus gave that woman water, gave her that love and lasting water.

Water, water, water and it was not in the well

From the MDS Penitas response in Hidalgo County, Texas

Judy, Joanne, Jonelle, Elvin, Donna, Brian, Laura and Carl