A nervous busload of teens going to the church's Valentine's Day Party
Our kids!!!
Youth from the church.
Waiting for the music to start.
Enjoying the Valentine fiesta
Recent produce purchased...thanks to a Michigan church. This generous gift will provide fruit and vegetables for 2 months!!! Thank you Jesus!
Thanks to Al and Dorothy for supplying money for our youth night activities. The storage cabinet is full of goodies...and it costs only 16 dollars!!!
Silvia...we love you!!!
Maggie...you're a cutie!!!
Boni loves soccer...and he's good at it.
Fabiola and Silvia
Springtime blossoms on our trees. They're beautiful!
Jesus showing off his muscles.
Hey Roger and Luanne...Ramon knows how to wash vehicles!!!
The proud daddy and his beautiful girl!
Cielo cooling off her tongue after eating some fire hot takis!
Katie's sister Tammy (left) is here to visit for a week.
Mark and Ramon...working on the bus.
Ramon...he's even handsome in blue work gloves!
Andrea getting a drink at the preschool water fountain.
Empty bus...on the way to pick up kids from school...
A bus load...headed home after a long day at school.
Gary and Josmar love to horse around.
Lupita...you're too cute!!!
Oh yeah...we also made brownies for Valentine's Day...but they had to wait until the next morning to enjoy them. They didn't mind!!!
Please pray for Brenda as she carries a huge load. Sometimes it's almost too much.
Daniel and Ramon
Valentine's evening was special...the valentines are handed out!!!
Jazmine loved hers!!!
Jesus thanked me over and over....
Katy and her treasured Valentine
Jean and Brenda
Rolling the old water tank to the back of the property.
They got the job done and had a great time!!!
Ramon Oscar, Kati and Armondo
Little Lorena and her big smile.
Bonita Brenda!
One cute cowgirl! Johana
Jr. High in Aldama where 7-9th grades attend.
Another view of the Jr. High. Most kids quit when they reach 9th grade. That is all that is required for jobs in Mexico. Only 1/6 of kids go on from there.
Marta and Jennifer
Lovely Leslie
Praise and worship time!
Marta and her homework
Friday morning sunrise.
Time is flying by...but this afternoon is our day off, so I'll try to catch everyone up.
Valentine's Day was a huge success. Gary and I were in charge of getting the pre-Kins off to school, so we took advantage of the trip into town to buy a Valentine's Day cake for the staff meeting. Then, we stopped into the floral shop and bought a rose for each of the adult staff ladies. They were thrilled! So, the day was filled with lots of expressions of love. In the afternoon, Jean stopped by to help me make 120 valentines out of some construction paper I found. Then we attached a piece of candy to each valentine and wrote a message of love to each individual (children and adults). At the end of the day a large box in the cafeteria was opened and some valentines were handed out to those who had money or paper to write down something. But, this year everyone received a valentine and it was fun. I really think that the childen actually treasured a handwritten expression of love more than the candy. Many of the children still have the valentine!
This weekend I was able to go to the fruit market with money sent down here specifically for fruit and veggies from a church in Michigan. They sent enough money for us to buy fruit and veggies for 2 months. So, yesterday I was able to get bananas, oranges, tomatoes and avacados. They are stored in our house so the older kids won't get in them and eat them all at once. I plan on visiting the fruit market 2 times a week to get the freshest fruit we can buy! Last evening the children were able to enjoy a juicy orange...and they loved it. A special thank you to the church that made this possible! They also sent some extra money that was used to purchase meat...which was much needed. God is faithful to supply needs.
Last evening was our first youth outing. We had some tenative plans, but the church we attend has a special Valentine's Day fiesta for the teens and Ed felt we should attend to support the church (they do a lot for the orphanage). So, we packed 35 teens in the bus and headed to Chihuahua for the party. The kids ended up having a terrific time. They really enjoyed the singing with an awesome praise band, food and then game time. By the end of the evening we were exhausted, but thankful to see the smiles on all their faces. Gary and I didn't realize how old we're getting! :)
There were some things I noticed with my heart that I'd like to share. When we arrived at the church, our teens were hanging off to the side of the church entrance...pretty much huddled together. The 'regular church teens' were all dressed up in their stylish clothes, hair highlighted, expensive jewelery, cell phones, fancy purses...the guys were even slicked up. I realized immediately that our kids were feeling the 'orphan' hurt. On the bus ride into town, we stopped at several intersections and people strain their necks to see the 'poor orphans' in the bus. I never noticed it before...but it happens. I wonder what they are thinking when they look out the windows and see families together in cars, shopping together, etc. It has to tear at their heart. I ache for them, just imagining their hurts. Anyway, back to the party. Our kids looked really great...they just didn't have the newest clothes...some of them were ripped...but clean. Our girls were beautiful with their sweet smiles and pretty hair. Gary and I were very proud of them so we gathered up our kids and walked right through the other kids and sat down in the sanctuary. Of course our kids wanted to sit in back, but we sat with them right near the front. Originally Gary and I thought we'd stay in the background and just watch them from the back...but they needed us to be their cheerleader. Before the service began, we goofed off with them, took silly pictures and made them feel special...because they are!!! By the end of the night, I think our kids felt like normal teens...and not orphans. They experienced a church party and I think, for a few minutes, felt like 'normal teens'. Please help pray for our teens. It's hard enough to be a teen today...but to be a teen in an orphanage...I can't imagine the deep pain. By the way...a fun note...one of the games was 'musical chairs'. There were probably about 75 teens at the party...but our kids were experts at this game. We were the champions...because our kids know how to 'fight' for a chair. :) It's just a way of life for them.
I also wanted to share with you about Brenda. She is in charge of things (along with Nohema) when Ed and Rosa have their day off. Well, last Friday I was asked by Tia Selsa to take her into Aldama for a meeting. I asked Brenda if I should take her in immediately or wait 30 minutes for the next school bus run into Aldama. Brenda said, "I choose to show mercy. Please take her in now. I would rather error by showing mercy." What wisdom from a young lady. I was humbled by my thought of being 'practical' and not thinking about mercy. Thank you, Jesus, by choosing mercy for me throughout my days.
The big mercedes bus is down with another blown out tire. The person repairing the tire is doing it as a favor...so we have to be patient while waiting for it to be completed. So, today we were down to one bus and two vans (if you can count the dodge which has the horrid transmission) for church. About 30 minutes before Gary was to drive the bus into church, a large puddle of antifreeze was discovered under the bus (never a good sign). Gary found a loose hose clamp, filled the bus up with water and we took off to church. Well, since the hose clamp was now tight, a hose sprung a leak and we limped back home after stopping to fill up with water. Gary said that all of these vehicles are held together by a thread. It reminds him of the widows jar of oil...how there always seems to be alittle bit more left in them. Please help us pray for replacement vehicles.
Rosa told me this morning that the money for the men's conference (with Jim Cymbala) in Juarez this next weekend is out of the question for our 5 guys. Apparently there was going to be funding for this...but it didn't work out. I guess the total cost was going to be about $500.00 Gary and I can always attend things like this...so it is no big deal to Gary. But, I feel horrible to see the disappointment in the other men. This was a chance of a lifetime. I asked Rosa when the registration deadline is...and she said we would have to have the money by Wednesday. So I am putting this out to you. If anyone would feel lead to make this possible for the men, let me know and we will make the arrangements. God is big. Sometimes we just need to ask Him.
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