Friday, March 24, 2017

Papa Villaneva-99 Years old


On March 22, 1921, my grandfather was born in Mexico. Papa was born as a premature baby. He was told by his mother he looked like a rat. They did not know he was going to live but he did live after 96 years. 

His story on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NMyMco_8Ek4  in Spanish. 

My grandfather is living the American dream. My grand father generation is call the, "Greatest Generation," because as one said, " Men and Woman fought not for fame or recognition, but because it was the "right thing to do." My grand father is a man of doing the right thing for his family and also a man of respect. 


I was honored as his granddaughter to know my grandfather almost 39 years of my life. I looked to my grandfather as my 2nd dad. I spoke a little Spanish but we communicated to each other somehow. We laughed, smiled, sang,hugged, prayed, sat together in quietness & ate together. We created many memories together for a lifetime. Papa taught all of us to always put family first. To reach out to others, love others, and pray for them. Sharing the Gospel. Worship and look to Jesus. My papa lived the American Dream. In my Papa’s early years, he was motivated to find a better life in the great state of Texas in 1949 with his family. Papa worked hard in the fields of America with his family. Later on in his life he worked in a factory with his family & my grandma. Papa didn’t read really well in Spanish and learned to read the Bible at age of 53. He loved the Lord. Papa retired to be a farmer and a missionary to his local community with my grandma. As a child during my summer visits it was my papa who sang and preached the Bible. At the end of the service papa would pray for many people after church or in his home during the day or night. Many people would look for my papa to pray, including myself. Papa would quote a verse then pray for you. You would feel papa’s prayers through the Lord. When papa lost my grandma in 1997 my papa went to visit all of his family members and traveled all over Mexico. My papa preached & prayed for many people. I found out later papa supported & helped build a church in Reynosa, Mexico. Papa was a very humble man. He impacted us grandchildren to do something great in the Lord, our family’s lives & in our jobs.

¨He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”


Psalm 91:1 ESV


My papa's life was very interesting before he found the Lord. 


One of my papa's favorite mariachi songs is, "One Day at a Time", https://youtu.be/Jqmf_nf6uyg.




Living By Faith

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