Hey! We're flying back to Ohio today!! We are at the same time really excited and really sad... We've loved being down here and becoming a part of this community, but we are really missing our friends and family back home...
Sorry about not posting... We've had very spotty internet service down here... I was planning on getting all caught up yesterday but there was no internet at all in the afternoon! We will finish detailing all of our experiences down here... It just might not be until early next week!
So now we're off for final packing and hugs and tears...
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Tuesday, July 17th...
Tuesday was an interesting day! We got started way late because there were a lot of people sick in the groups… We had a mini LDM workday - cleaning and bleaching and wiping everything down with Clorox wipes… We couldn’t really tell if one of the groups here was really getting overwhelmed with the sickness, or if they were just tired and run down… The people who were throwing up definitely had the sickness, but there were also people laying on the concrete patio wrapped in blankets… It was weird… Anyway, there was no one sick in our group that was headed to Rayitos de Luz so we were helping with the cleaning… The plan was to leave for Rayitos de Luz at 10:00AM, but that got pushed back to 11:30 or so… Flexico!
On our way to Rayitos de Luz (Little Rays of Light), we stopped at Sam’s to get a bunch of food… Sam’s is really cool here in Monterrey, they sell all kinds of stuff there… They have a motorcycle aisle! They sell delivery motorcycles, scooters, and even big cruiser bikes… so cool…
So we finally left Sam’s and headed on… When we got there Antonio (B2B staff) walked us around the house and explained the situation… When Jen and I came to Rayitos de Luz a month ago there was 1 bunk bed, 1 queen bed, and 1 twin bed… Now they have 5 bunk beds and 1 queen bed… They’ve gone from 4 mattresses to 11! That’s still not quite enough for 17 people, but it’s much, much better than before! Here is a picture of the bunk bed I helped the last time we worked here… It’s still the most sturdy bunk bed in Mexico, but now the wood is stained and sealed beautifully!
We fed lunch to the kids and ate the leftovers… There are 2 new people in the house from the Rio and they wouldn’t eat our sandwiches because they didn’t know what peanut butter and jelly was… Can you imagine! These kids had never even had a PB&J sandwich before! They’ll grow to love this delicacy, it’s just a matter of time…
So we walked around, assessed the situation and quickly got to work… We decided to take all of the kids to a nearby park just so we could have some breathing room to get some work done in the house…
Antonio put Tripp and I to work on fixing a bad water situation… They have a covered patio that doubles as their laundry room, but the drain is about 3 meters from the washing machine… So every time they do a load of laundry, all the water spills out onto the floor, eventually making it to the drain but causing a flood in the process… Can you imagine all of your laundry water just spilling out onto the floor each time you washed your clothes?
So we brought some PVC pipe and routed the water over to a different drain that was nearer to the washing machine… Needless to say, they were very grateful! Some of the other guys built a desk and a shelf in the front room so the family had some functional workspace… They have a table outside where the kids can do homework or projects, but there’s not really a place inside that the family could set up a computer or anything…
Antonio sent Rob up on the roof to seal around a glass block window that was leaking… Rob put several coats of Thermotek sealant on one area of the roof while Antonio looked up from below… Rob said each coat of sealant took 3 minutes to apply and 15 minutes to dry, so it was the job for him!
When Rob was not on the roof he was “schooling” Charlie at the celebrity game… The celebrity game is where one person says the name of someone famous and the other person has to think of a celebrity whose name starts with the first letter of the previous celebrity’s last name… Charlie is clearly just making up names in this picture…
You may recall that the last time we were at Rayitos de Luz we were with the Northstar team… A lot of the guys worked on securing a fence to make it harder to break into the house… The fence is now finished (with the exception of a spot over the door)… So a big thanks to all the NSV team members who put a lot of work into something that was impossible to finish… We are now standing on your shoulders!
So while we were working at the house, a group of folks took the kids to a park a few blocks away… Jen went with them because she couldn’t wait to spend the afternoon playing with Jose! This little kid is amazing… His smile is like a diamond in a coal mine!
So Jen and Jose played on the swings for a long time… It’s just always amazing to me that these kids are so happy with so little… A swingset in a dirty park, some sidewalk chalk, a soccer ball…
For the kids who didn’t want to be active (it was really hot) some of the ladies set up a craft area… The kids drew pictures, colored with crayons and markers, and made cards for their house parents… What a wonderful way to brighten the little wall space they have!
After we were done working and playing in the park, we took the kids to McDonald’s to get sundaes and play in the playland area… The kids were filled with such joy and excitement (sugar)… They ran around and climbed and wore out the plastic yellow slide… It was so fun to watch them have so much fun!
On the busride back from McDonald’s the kids were worn out… Shortly after this picture Jose was asleep in my arms... It’s such an interesting experience to hold someone in your arms that you believe in so strongly, but who’s experiences you will never be able to guide… I wonder who Jose will become… I wonder if the world will succeed in beating this joy out of him… I take great comfort, though, in seeing how God has already provided for Jose… And I know that His arms will always be able to reach farther than mine…
On our way to Rayitos de Luz (Little Rays of Light), we stopped at Sam’s to get a bunch of food… Sam’s is really cool here in Monterrey, they sell all kinds of stuff there… They have a motorcycle aisle! They sell delivery motorcycles, scooters, and even big cruiser bikes… so cool…
So we finally left Sam’s and headed on… When we got there Antonio (B2B staff) walked us around the house and explained the situation… When Jen and I came to Rayitos de Luz a month ago there was 1 bunk bed, 1 queen bed, and 1 twin bed… Now they have 5 bunk beds and 1 queen bed… They’ve gone from 4 mattresses to 11! That’s still not quite enough for 17 people, but it’s much, much better than before! Here is a picture of the bunk bed I helped the last time we worked here… It’s still the most sturdy bunk bed in Mexico, but now the wood is stained and sealed beautifully!
We fed lunch to the kids and ate the leftovers… There are 2 new people in the house from the Rio and they wouldn’t eat our sandwiches because they didn’t know what peanut butter and jelly was… Can you imagine! These kids had never even had a PB&J sandwich before! They’ll grow to love this delicacy, it’s just a matter of time… 
So we walked around, assessed the situation and quickly got to work… We decided to take all of the kids to a nearby park just so we could have some breathing room to get some work done in the house… 
Antonio put Tripp and I to work on fixing a bad water situation… They have a covered patio that doubles as their laundry room, but the drain is about 3 meters from the washing machine… So every time they do a load of laundry, all the water spills out onto the floor, eventually making it to the drain but causing a flood in the process… Can you imagine all of your laundry water just spilling out onto the floor each time you washed your clothes? 
So we brought some PVC pipe and routed the water over to a different drain that was nearer to the washing machine… Needless to say, they were very grateful! Some of the other guys built a desk and a shelf in the front room so the family had some functional workspace… They have a table outside where the kids can do homework or projects, but there’s not really a place inside that the family could set up a computer or anything… 
Antonio sent Rob up on the roof to seal around a glass block window that was leaking… Rob put several coats of Thermotek sealant on one area of the roof while Antonio looked up from below… Rob said each coat of sealant took 3 minutes to apply and 15 minutes to dry, so it was the job for him!
When Rob was not on the roof he was “schooling” Charlie at the celebrity game… The celebrity game is where one person says the name of someone famous and the other person has to think of a celebrity whose name starts with the first letter of the previous celebrity’s last name… Charlie is clearly just making up names in this picture…
You may recall that the last time we were at Rayitos de Luz we were with the Northstar team… A lot of the guys worked on securing a fence to make it harder to break into the house… The fence is now finished (with the exception of a spot over the door)… So a big thanks to all the NSV team members who put a lot of work into something that was impossible to finish… We are now standing on your shoulders!
So while we were working at the house, a group of folks took the kids to a park a few blocks away… Jen went with them because she couldn’t wait to spend the afternoon playing with Jose! This little kid is amazing… His smile is like a diamond in a coal mine! 
So Jen and Jose played on the swings for a long time… It’s just always amazing to me that these kids are so happy with so little… A swingset in a dirty park, some sidewalk chalk, a soccer ball… 
For the kids who didn’t want to be active (it was really hot) some of the ladies set up a craft area… The kids drew pictures, colored with crayons and markers, and made cards for their house parents… What a wonderful way to brighten the little wall space they have! 
After we were done working and playing in the park, we took the kids to McDonald’s to get sundaes and play in the playland area… The kids were filled with such joy and excitement (sugar)… They ran around and climbed and wore out the plastic yellow slide… It was so fun to watch them have so much fun!
On the busride back from McDonald’s the kids were worn out… Shortly after this picture Jose was asleep in my arms... It’s such an interesting experience to hold someone in your arms that you believe in so strongly, but who’s experiences you will never be able to guide… I wonder who Jose will become… I wonder if the world will succeed in beating this joy out of him… I take great comfort, though, in seeing how God has already provided for Jose… And I know that His arms will always be able to reach farther than mine…
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Monday, July 16th
Monday started off pretty crazy! Jen had been getting ready for the big VBS launch and the time was counting down... Everything came together wonderfully though (as always), and the kids absolutely loved every second of it!!
The theme for the Vacation Bible School is Lava Lava Island... Everyone got dressed up in their favorite pajamas (since it was pajama day) and headed to Todd and Beth's backyard... The kids were divided up into 3 groups: the Fiji's, the Maui's and the Tiki's... I (Chad) had to get into character to lead worship... My name is now Chief Mahalo... All the kids call me Chief Mahalo now around LDM...
There were several stations for the VBS - storytime, crafts and games/snack... Brilliant! The kids loved each station, and as they went from station to station they chanted the names of their tribes the whole way!! You could here them from a mile away, "Fiji! Fiji! Fiji!!" It was so great... There was truly a buzz around campus because of the excitement of the kids! I hope they are as excited about church functions in 20 years...
After I, Chief Mahalo, led worship for the kids I ran to change and walked to Casa Hogar Douglas just up the road... The group left to go to Douglas while Chief Mahalo was leading worship, so I was about 15 minutes behind all of them... I was about to learn that there was plenty of work waiting for me there! 
When I got to CHD the group was shoveling gravel and cement to make concrete for the steps on the side of the palapa... Todd worked on making the forms for the steps while the team mixed and brought the concrete over... 
I worked on cutting down 3 trees that were hanging over the playground... The trees were dead or dying so we wanted to get them out of there... Todd is going to build a treehouse across the top of the three stumps of the trees... We cut the trees off at about 7 feet off the ground, so it was pretty precarious! We had to remove some of the fence so we didn't destroy it... This was quite an ordeal, so ask me about it sometime!
When we finished with the trees they were finishing the steps as well... We took a break for lunch, then everyone cleaned up their area for the trip home... 
On the way back to LDM we encountered some huge ant hills... These are about 5 feet wide! Charlie is standing next to one of the anthills (he's 5'4")... Everything is extreme in Mexico! The heat, the rain, the sickness, the anthills!!
While I was at Douglas, Jen went to go see her little girl at Del Norte... We found out that her name is Daisy! They cut her hair really short so Jen didn't even recognize her at first... A lot of times they will cut the hair of smaller children so that they can control lice... Even though she didn't have hair, it didn't take long for Jen to recognize Daisy's smile... Here's a picture of Jen holding her...So that's it for now... we're hoping to get fully caught up tomorrow, so stay tuned!!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Super Duper Hubers!
We got a fun surprise around 10:45 pm last night (Saturday). Our sweet friends from home, Brian & Tanya Hubers, and their 4 kids - Annika, Elise, Leyton, and Ashton, sent us a HUGE bag of brownies! We love chocolate, but the better gift that came was a super encouraging letter to both of us and then one from Brian to Chad. (They have friends who came last night to be here for the week and sent these fun things with them!) You guys are incredible and we are so thankful for your friendship. Thank you for encouraging us with this yummy gift and for all your amazing, life giving words in the letter. We were thrilled to hear from you!! We're excited to see you soon! (& the rest of our family and friends!)
Friday and Saturday highlights... (July 13, 14)
Friday and Saturday went so quickly here! Usually the teams leave early on Friday and then the rest of Friday is spent relaxing with the staff...then once Saturday at 8:30 comes...it's time to dive back into the schedule again!
On Friday, we met as a staff at 8:30 am to discuss some of the highlights from the week prior and then to talk about the new week ahead. We spent a lot of time praying...there's been quite a bit of the 12 hour flu bug here amongst the teams and the staff...and we also prayed for the Merrill's and Cooper's who are soon to have some teens from children's homes come live with them in the houses on the new property. After that, I (Jen) met with the nannies to plan out the VBS for the staff kids. We are using Group's Lava Lava Island - Where Jesus' Love Overflows...it will be fun...
After that meeting, John Guckenberger (staff member here) made egg sandwiches (AWESOME!) for us and the Halls (from NSV) for lunch. Immediately after that, Courtney (Todd and Beth's nanny - the directors) was baptized in the pool! Beth read some words from Courtney that she wrote out prior to the baptism, sharing that she's ready for the adventure to begin...she's ready to be a fully devoted, passionate follower of Jesus...it's all or nothing...and she wanted to be baptized by her Uncle Todd and her dad to tell the world that she wants to lay her life down and pursue all that God has for her. I love this girl...it was really fun to be with her for that moment...
We took a picture of the girls in red..it was funny that we all walked out for the morning in red tshirts and black shorts...oh the things that girls get excited about and love to take note of! :) Courtney is on the right... I've had a lot of time to connect with the high school/college aged intern and nanny girls here...I've always been drawn to this age...their fiery spirits and excitement for life are contagious...it's been so fun hearing their stories of how God brought them down here and their journey with Him over the years...I've loved every second of it! That age just feels like home to me...they have so much promise ahead of them...so much potential...so much that they are expectant of God to do...it's contagious...
Afterwards, I went with Corrie (John's wife, in the yellow) - are you confused yet??! - to go shopping for the VBS stuff that I couldn't fit in my suitcase or that were too big to bring down. That was a fun 3 hour shopping trip with Corrie and her oldest daughter Sarah. She has wisdom beyond her little 8 years and it was fun to be near her. Chad and I are in love with that family!
Friday night Beth and Todd had us over for kabobs, grilled potatoes, salad, and brownies! Todd is such a great grillmaster. It was a feast!! Their hospitality has been amazing. We are incredibly blessed to count them as friends.
Afterwards, once our stomachs settled, we all went to see the movie Die Hard 4. I am not a fan of action packed, gun shooting, Bruce Willis movies...but I have to say that it was really good! Totally unrealistic and unbelievable of course...but really good! I also appreciated the 10 second love story at the end... :)
Saturday went by in the blink of an eye. I spent the day sorting VBS supplies into stations for each day and typing up notes for parents, schedules, signs, etc. and worked with Courtney on making posters. Kristine Hall painted this beautiful mountain with lava oozing out of it for the kids on a shower curtain for the entrance into our area. She is amazing! It's been a joy having a familiar face here from our home church. She is a deep thinker and I love that...
Chad spent the day with John getting him ready for his big date out with Corrie...I thought girls went shopping together...these two are inseparable...but's it fun to have a couple we BOTH connect with...it's been a huge gift...
I guess that's it for now! We are all caught up! I'm looking forward to visiting Del Norte this week and holding my (ok, their) sweet little girl! I have many onezies to dress her in! We are also looking forward to going back to the Casa Hogars and building more for them as well as loving on some more kids... As tiring as it gets, you just can't stop here...it's an atmosphere where you can feel the Lord on the move and you just want to keep up with Him...you just want to stay in step with Him. Our constant prayer is "Lord, help me to see what you have for me today and dive in...help me not to miss it!"
Today (Sunday), Chad and I have the day off...Chad led worship this morning...he's helping me fine tune some VBS stuff for tomorrow, and then we are off to spend the day near the mall and have an Italian dinner! Yum! We're excited to rest, relax, and read and just hang out together...
Hasta luego! Thanks to all of you who are keeping up on the blog and posting comments! It's so encouraging to know that you are with us and for us miles and miles away!
Love to all of you!
On Friday, we met as a staff at 8:30 am to discuss some of the highlights from the week prior and then to talk about the new week ahead. We spent a lot of time praying...there's been quite a bit of the 12 hour flu bug here amongst the teams and the staff...and we also prayed for the Merrill's and Cooper's who are soon to have some teens from children's homes come live with them in the houses on the new property. After that, I (Jen) met with the nannies to plan out the VBS for the staff kids. We are using Group's Lava Lava Island - Where Jesus' Love Overflows...it will be fun...
After that meeting, John Guckenberger (staff member here) made egg sandwiches (AWESOME!) for us and the Halls (from NSV) for lunch. Immediately after that, Courtney (Todd and Beth's nanny - the directors) was baptized in the pool! Beth read some words from Courtney that she wrote out prior to the baptism, sharing that she's ready for the adventure to begin...she's ready to be a fully devoted, passionate follower of Jesus...it's all or nothing...and she wanted to be baptized by her Uncle Todd and her dad to tell the world that she wants to lay her life down and pursue all that God has for her. I love this girl...it was really fun to be with her for that moment...
We took a picture of the girls in red..it was funny that we all walked out for the morning in red tshirts and black shorts...oh the things that girls get excited about and love to take note of! :) Courtney is on the right... I've had a lot of time to connect with the high school/college aged intern and nanny girls here...I've always been drawn to this age...their fiery spirits and excitement for life are contagious...it's been so fun hearing their stories of how God brought them down here and their journey with Him over the years...I've loved every second of it! That age just feels like home to me...they have so much promise ahead of them...so much potential...so much that they are expectant of God to do...it's contagious...
Afterwards, I went with Corrie (John's wife, in the yellow) - are you confused yet??! - to go shopping for the VBS stuff that I couldn't fit in my suitcase or that were too big to bring down. That was a fun 3 hour shopping trip with Corrie and her oldest daughter Sarah. She has wisdom beyond her little 8 years and it was fun to be near her. Chad and I are in love with that family!
Friday night Beth and Todd had us over for kabobs, grilled potatoes, salad, and brownies! Todd is such a great grillmaster. It was a feast!! Their hospitality has been amazing. We are incredibly blessed to count them as friends. 
Afterwards, once our stomachs settled, we all went to see the movie Die Hard 4. I am not a fan of action packed, gun shooting, Bruce Willis movies...but I have to say that it was really good! Totally unrealistic and unbelievable of course...but really good! I also appreciated the 10 second love story at the end... :)
Saturday went by in the blink of an eye. I spent the day sorting VBS supplies into stations for each day and typing up notes for parents, schedules, signs, etc. and worked with Courtney on making posters. Kristine Hall painted this beautiful mountain with lava oozing out of it for the kids on a shower curtain for the entrance into our area. She is amazing! It's been a joy having a familiar face here from our home church. She is a deep thinker and I love that...Chad spent the day with John getting him ready for his big date out with Corrie...I thought girls went shopping together...these two are inseparable...but's it fun to have a couple we BOTH connect with...it's been a huge gift...
I guess that's it for now! We are all caught up! I'm looking forward to visiting Del Norte this week and holding my (ok, their) sweet little girl! I have many onezies to dress her in! We are also looking forward to going back to the Casa Hogars and building more for them as well as loving on some more kids... As tiring as it gets, you just can't stop here...it's an atmosphere where you can feel the Lord on the move and you just want to keep up with Him...you just want to stay in step with Him. Our constant prayer is "Lord, help me to see what you have for me today and dive in...help me not to miss it!"
Today (Sunday), Chad and I have the day off...Chad led worship this morning...he's helping me fine tune some VBS stuff for tomorrow, and then we are off to spend the day near the mall and have an Italian dinner! Yum! We're excited to rest, relax, and read and just hang out together...
Hasta luego! Thanks to all of you who are keeping up on the blog and posting comments! It's so encouraging to know that you are with us and for us miles and miles away!
Love to all of you!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Thursday (Chad's Version, then Jen's)
Jen and I split up on Thursday, so we have different accounts of the day... But both of us started the day with this little dude... They call them rhinoceros beetles and they're huge... They are the size of at least 2 quarters laid next to each other... Jen said that one almost ate her...
So Jen went to the zoo (more on that later), and I went to the pool... We drove through the mountains to Cadereyta and picked up some kids that we took to the pool nearby... We did a bunch of work that morning (essentially finishing up everything for House 3), so John and his son Gus were both really tired on the bus ride!
Cadereyta is a relocation project... Basically all the people who were knocked out of their home during Hurricane Emily had no where to go... So the government designated this piece of land for those people, which gave them a place to build a home... 
There are good things about Cadereyta and there are some not-so-good things... One good thing is that it's relatively cheap... The government pours a slab of concrete that the families rent and can build on... One bad thing is that Cadereyta is pretty far out of town... It's basically located on the furthest outskirts of Monterrey, so getting places can be really hard... There is a pastor who is living there and investing in the community... He has chosen to stay there, immerse himself in their context, and spend his life serving and meeting needs in Cadereyta... He's a really great resource for letting us know how we can help the people there...
So we loaded up the buses and drove everyone to this oasis pool about 10 minutes from Cadereyta... It was huge! We played and played and it was wonderful... Then we grilled hot dogs and cut up watermelon and made a meal of it! 
The group from Horizon was great, great! Here's a picture of Matt McKee (He's Daniel McKee's brother)... It was great to get to know him a little during the trip! I didn't tease him at all about being a hillbilly, even though I wanted to...
There were enough hot dogs for seconds and thirds, so everyone was definitely well fed... Gus Guckenberger was manning the watercooler... What a stud!
Gus worked with us in the morning, played in the pool all day, and still found the energy to help serve... I love this kid...
It was great to talk to these people and watch them enjoy one another... They looked like totally different people, like something was lifted off of them... Their faces softened, their eyes brightened, and their laughter grew louder and louder... There's something magical about this kind of joy...
Right before we left we lined up for a group picture... I took the picture because I had the big camera, so I'm not in there... We loaded onto the bus and headed back through the mountains... 
On our way back I got a good shot of this cave... It holds one of the largest bat populations in the Western Hemisphere... I wonder why they all hang out here...Alright, onto Jen's version of Thursday...
We loaded up at 10 am and went to Rayitos de Luz...the smaller, new orphanage that NSV has fallen in love with! We picked up Puri & Esteban (the house parents) and their 16 kids in a couple of buses and went off to the zoo! We brought lunch with us and ate inside before splitting up and scurring around to see every animal possible -- oso grizzly (grizzly bears), tigre (you can figure that one out), monos (monkeys), and elefantes (I'm sure you have that one too). 
These kids had never been to the zoo...so literally we sprinted from one area to the next to visit with the next animal. The animals were a lot more up close and personal...strange, but really fun. 
I got to be with Jose again...he was so excited to be near these animals he could hardly stand it...he kept saying "no lo veo" - "I can't see it"...so i would lift him up so his feet could be on the edge of the fence, practially in the space where the animals were. I asked him if he wanted to live with the elephant and he said he wanted to ride it! :) 
After the zoo we took the kids to McDonald's for dinner and to play in the playland. They played for 2 1/2 hours. I sat with some ladies as Jose and his friends climbed through tunnels and down the slides...and about every 4-5 minutes, he would make his way back to my table, give me a hug, steal a couple of papas fritas (french fries) and a sip of my coke and run back to play. It was precious. I'm beginning to taste motherhood...it's welling up within me...I am enamored by these kids...I can't imagine what I will feel for my own. I'm beginning to sense how deeply the Lord loves me as I can't help but love the fatherless...that is something there are no words for...it's indescribable...but I love how it feels...I guess that is just a sliver of what God feels moment by moment...
The last picture here is of Jim (a full time B2B staffer) who fell in love with a sweet Mexican woman here, Betty. There were engaged during the two week period I was home...they came with us to the zoo with Betty's two daughters...such a cool couple with an awesome story on how the Lord has begun to weave their lives together...Friday and Saturday are coming soon!! :)
Friday, July 13, 2007
Wednesday, July 11th...
Forgive us for being a couple of days behind…we promise we’ll catch up! It’s been a busy, busy week…we have record of it all, but it’s just trying to find the time to write about it!!
On Wednesday, Chad and I both were helping at House 3 so that Matt and Julie Cooper, the house parents, could move in before the end of the week! I had a team of 6 ladies who split up to do a bunch of finishing touches and 2nd coats of paint on doors. We also painted some plywood that covered the top of a clothing unit in both of the downstairs bedrooms for the teen boys who will be staying there. Dad, you would be so proud! I got to work with Courtney – Todd and Beth’s (the B2B directors) nanny. She is an awesome girl and I’ve grown to love her in just a few short weeks! Mom, she can’t stop eating your cookies…no one can! You are famous here! (Check out the comments on the blog!) Chad was busy installing appliances and working through a 2-page list of final items that needed attending to. We worked for about 3 ½ hours and were so crazy busy that unfortunately don’t have pictures from that…sorry!
The 2nd part of the afternoon Chad stayed on campus to prep for the evening and I went with a team out to the Rio. As you probably know, the Rio is one of 2 squatter’s villages that B2B visits frequently. The first picture is right when we got there, shortly after unloading the supplies.
The 2nd picture is of Junior, one of the teen guys from the Joshua house – the 1st ever teen home, and one of the teen girls from a team up for the week. She was sharing her story of how Jesus has been real to her even from a really young age. Junior was translating for her. A lot of the team members shared their story of how Jesus has impacted them and caused them to live, move, and have their being differently…
The little girl I am holding was sitting with her mom in front of me. She was more interested in playing peek-a-book and giggling than listening…she eventually came to me…I think it was because we had hot pink in common.
We served dinner to all 85 people, and then we did a give-away. We gave all the kids in school some new school supplies. They were elated. Toward the end, the line was still incredibly long and we were worried that some sweet little ones would be disappointed when it was there turn to receive a bag and there was nothing left to give. Immediately we thought of the fishes and the loaves story and prayed that the Lord would just make it work! It’s true that the orphan is close to the heart of God…He does in fact maintain their cause and incline His ear toward them…because not only did we have enough, as in the fishes and the loaves…we had extra…enough for the 5 people who came toward the end of our time there. Isn’t it cool how God is in the details of our lives? And if He cares enough to provide pencils and erasers and notebooks for His kids, surely He cares about our families and friends and everything else. I love how He chooses to show up.
Here’s a picture of some girls playing… The smiles here seem to be more beautiful because the circumstances are so bad… I guess the darker the room is the more you notice the smallest of lights!
I took a picture of the sweet little one in the stroller to ask you to pray. This little girl is 2 and ½ and has 2-3 seizures a day. She can’t crawl or walk. She spends most of her time lying in her mom’s arms and is in a constant state of discomfort and look of sheer pain. She hardly eats anything which only complicates the issue. Please pray for her…her family…and her siblings. Sometimes God allows in His wisdom what He could easily prevent in His power…I know He is utterly trustworthy and utterly good…I just pray that this sickness will be used to allow her to know and love the Lord one day. Pray for that day!
Three of Todd and Beth’s kids met up with us later for dinner at Pollo Loco (the Crazy Chicken). They have a nacho bar…then we order chicken on the bone and pull it off to make delicious soft tacos! Emma (right) is their own…and Lupita (middle) and Carolina (far left) are 2 of the girls they’ve adopted. They all got their hair done that day (typical Mexico tradition) and joined us after the Rio for dinner. They are incredible people with incredible hearts…which I am sure you have gathered being that they have 9 kids (only 3 of which are biological) and they still have a thriving marriage, ministry, and life!
Later that evening, John & Corrie, Beth & Todd and some of the other summer staff, along with Chad and I went for a late night Tacos Fede run! YUM!
More is coming soon!
On Wednesday, Chad and I both were helping at House 3 so that Matt and Julie Cooper, the house parents, could move in before the end of the week! I had a team of 6 ladies who split up to do a bunch of finishing touches and 2nd coats of paint on doors. We also painted some plywood that covered the top of a clothing unit in both of the downstairs bedrooms for the teen boys who will be staying there. Dad, you would be so proud! I got to work with Courtney – Todd and Beth’s (the B2B directors) nanny. She is an awesome girl and I’ve grown to love her in just a few short weeks! Mom, she can’t stop eating your cookies…no one can! You are famous here! (Check out the comments on the blog!) Chad was busy installing appliances and working through a 2-page list of final items that needed attending to. We worked for about 3 ½ hours and were so crazy busy that unfortunately don’t have pictures from that…sorry!
The 2nd part of the afternoon Chad stayed on campus to prep for the evening and I went with a team out to the Rio. As you probably know, the Rio is one of 2 squatter’s villages that B2B visits frequently. The first picture is right when we got there, shortly after unloading the supplies. 
The 2nd picture is of Junior, one of the teen guys from the Joshua house – the 1st ever teen home, and one of the teen girls from a team up for the week. She was sharing her story of how Jesus has been real to her even from a really young age. Junior was translating for her. A lot of the team members shared their story of how Jesus has impacted them and caused them to live, move, and have their being differently…
The little girl I am holding was sitting with her mom in front of me. She was more interested in playing peek-a-book and giggling than listening…she eventually came to me…I think it was because we had hot pink in common. 
We served dinner to all 85 people, and then we did a give-away. We gave all the kids in school some new school supplies. They were elated. Toward the end, the line was still incredibly long and we were worried that some sweet little ones would be disappointed when it was there turn to receive a bag and there was nothing left to give. Immediately we thought of the fishes and the loaves story and prayed that the Lord would just make it work! It’s true that the orphan is close to the heart of God…He does in fact maintain their cause and incline His ear toward them…because not only did we have enough, as in the fishes and the loaves…we had extra…enough for the 5 people who came toward the end of our time there. Isn’t it cool how God is in the details of our lives? And if He cares enough to provide pencils and erasers and notebooks for His kids, surely He cares about our families and friends and everything else. I love how He chooses to show up. 
Here’s a picture of some girls playing… The smiles here seem to be more beautiful because the circumstances are so bad… I guess the darker the room is the more you notice the smallest of lights!
I took a picture of the sweet little one in the stroller to ask you to pray. This little girl is 2 and ½ and has 2-3 seizures a day. She can’t crawl or walk. She spends most of her time lying in her mom’s arms and is in a constant state of discomfort and look of sheer pain. She hardly eats anything which only complicates the issue. Please pray for her…her family…and her siblings. Sometimes God allows in His wisdom what He could easily prevent in His power…I know He is utterly trustworthy and utterly good…I just pray that this sickness will be used to allow her to know and love the Lord one day. Pray for that day!
Three of Todd and Beth’s kids met up with us later for dinner at Pollo Loco (the Crazy Chicken). They have a nacho bar…then we order chicken on the bone and pull it off to make delicious soft tacos! Emma (right) is their own…and Lupita (middle) and Carolina (far left) are 2 of the girls they’ve adopted. They all got their hair done that day (typical Mexico tradition) and joined us after the Rio for dinner. They are incredible people with incredible hearts…which I am sure you have gathered being that they have 9 kids (only 3 of which are biological) and they still have a thriving marriage, ministry, and life! 
Later that evening, John & Corrie, Beth & Todd and some of the other summer staff, along with Chad and I went for a late night Tacos Fede run! YUM!More is coming soon!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
