Window guards...
and more window guards...
already assembled.
Gary welds...
and Andy cuts and sets up. They make an unbeatable team!!!
Chandra and Mark watching their girls on video from last night's service. Mark & Jean Riley...Jazmine is on the video too!
Chewy...a great kid! Gary and I deeply love this boy!
God...your creation is amazing...
Brenda and Barb.
Sweet Katie. She thinks she is going home next week...we are trying to figure out a plan to duct tape her to a palm tree so she will have to stay!!! :)
Pillow Talk!!!
Night night Gary! He's always so excited to get his pic taken!
Fred...thinking he is going to sleep...silly boy!
Mark before...
and after :) oh my!
FBC Family fun!
Barb going back through pictures before going to sleep.
Chandras phone is always going...her link with her precious kids back home.
Getting ready for bed...little did we know...no one would sleep!
Doc Hasty should be proud...Mary is keeping us on track!
Julian enjoying a trash can ride from Nohema
Suprise donations...always a blessing...always on time!!!
The famous puppet show!
The stars? Pastor Mark (left)...note the similarities :) and an African Black Monkey who is now white!
Brenda and her new soon-to-be Dad and Mom!
Oliver and Oscar...two great boys!
Andy has been working...he's not normally so dirty! Hey Beth...he really misses you!
Preparing for the puppet skit...
Wed. night devo service...a full house with several visitors!
Mary having fun with the kids on the bus ride to school in the morning...
Maggie and her school friend!
Blue van down again....
Luckily the white van was down for only a few hours...
thanks to Gary and Santana
Andy and Marcella enjoying the singing during night devos
How many Americanos does it take to change a Mexican light bulb? Mark is standing up on a chair while holding Andy. (Good thing you weren't here Beth!) Maybe we have discovered some future cheerleader coaches. :) Oh yeah...this was BEFORE Mark got sick.
Handsome Javier!
Silvia, Marcos and Daniel on their way to school in the bus
Jesus and Ever...great guys!!!
Sweet David
Johanna
Mary is still holding the children...and soaking up every minute!
Erika and Julian
Cecilia and the popular teeth. If you only knew how many mouths they had been in during breakfast...
We're all alive...and that is good. Let me give you an idea of what last night was like. :) We tried to get to sleep around 9:00 last night...but no go. I think it started when Mark finally crawled out of bed...around 8:00 p.m. to get in the shower. He must have still been delerious from his fever...because he tried to 'adjust' the shower head to point it away from the side wall. Silly boy. The next thing he knew he was holding it in his hand. After the service Gary found a new shower head and began to install it when the whole pipe ended up in his hand. So...showers were delayed...and thus our evening. Then, we have the constant chorus of coughing, hacking and then Mark's gaging...before the barf. (I'm sorry...is there another word for it that sounds nicer???) This of course continued through the night...but now you have to add in the factor that Fred sleeps next to Mark. :) Whenever Mark started the coughing and you-know-what routine...Fred bounced right out of bed and walked outside to get some fresh air...because he has "his mother's weak stomach". Let me say...the door does not open and shut quietly...which effected the room where the ladies sleep even more. The final wrench that was thrown into the mess was LOLA...the beloved barking dog that Gary and I affectionately refer to as 'the enemy'. (She is nice to the kids and Mama and Papa...but hates everyone else.) Things settled down around 3:45...just in time for everyone to get up for the 4:15 staff devotions (which a couple of us missed). Fred said that after making several trips outside, he finally didn't take off his coat and hat...and woke up with them on this morning. We all look like a sight. Mary and Gary's cough are a lot better, I only have a plugged up head (Roger...it is NOT the way I usually am!), and Mark cleaned up really good this morning for his appointment with DIF. We have him pumped full of medicine and Chandra was determined to get some 'hair products' on his head so he can make a good impression. Poor guy...he still isn't doing that great. Please pray for his quick recovery from that flu. Oh yeah...the shower? I actually like it! A huge bubbling waterfall pours out from the wall...sorta spa-like. I am just imagining I am in a romantic, luxurious suite with my husband...and 6 friends! :)
So, how are we doing with 'everything'? We're really O.K. and happy because as Rick Warren puts it, "It's not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose...and until you understand that...life will never make sense." Gary and I try to review this book once a year...and I think that after we finish 'Follow Me' we will begin 'The Purpose Driven Life' again.
Last evening our group presented a puppet play that the very talented Barb wrote. I am hoping they can present it at our church Sunday! It was very clever and the kids loved it! Before the service, we also made a huge batch (24 dozen) of cookies...so everyone was happy! The guys have the roof prepared for the new spray on roofing for the office building. They are also busy cutting and welding together window guards for the new boys dorm. This has saved the orphanage hundreds of dollars! Thank you, Jesus!!!
Please pray for the Fekkens and Huizengas. They are now in a taxi with all their paperwork...trying to go through border crossings. They are trying to meet a 3:30 flight back to Michigan...but regardless...they should be on U.S. soil by this evening...even if it might be Texas soil. God is good. I'll be sure to let everyone to know about their airport arrival in Grand Rapids. They need a huge welcome!!!
Please help me pray about the 'orphan status' of these precious kids. I know they all can't be adopted into homes with their own mommy and daddy, but some can be! I have only a little more than a month here...and I am feeling a time crunch. I am praying that DIF will sense it too. Right now most of the children are in school and things seem pretty normal. Sometimes I ride on the bus to pick them up from school...and that seems pretty normal. We do homework, eat and play around together in the evenings. That's normal too. But when we send them to bed after the evening devotions...and they walk into the big rooms where all the beds are lined up...that's not normal. They should be walking into their own room and get tucked into bed by a mommy and daddy. In the morning when they wake up I want them to crawl into the arms of a mommy and daddy while their groggy little eyes are waking up to face the day. Please don't ever think I am not happy with the work Mama and Papa are doing. Quite the contrary. I am thrilled that they have rescued all these precious little children and are caring for them so well. The kids think they are in heaven...until they glance out the bus window and see a family walking along the street together...or sitting next to them in church. Once in a while I catch the children wistfully watching a 'normal' family and then I see their little heads turn away and their eyes look down as if they are living their rejection all over again. I want to run up to them and tell them they are special...they're beautiful...they're wanted...they shouldn't feel sad...but in reality...I would be feeling the same way if I were them. The bottom line is they are living in an orphanage.
UPDATE!!!! Celebration time!!! The Huizengas and Fekkens are in Texas. Flights have been cancelled so they are driving home. They have rented a GMC vehicle (not good) and are driving straight through. So, don't try to meet them at the airport tonight! Pray for their safety while driving home.
8 comments:
Yipee!!! that'll be a looong drive... one we KY girls know too well. praise the Lord they're on their way. :)
two things:
1. Gary welds?! Seriously, you married a stud. There ain't nothin' that man can't fix. ..said with my redneck twang.
2. There are multiple other ways to say "barfing" but i love that no other word came to mind. you are clearly showing the side effects of living with children.
Have I ever mentioned that I'm thankful for you guys? Cuz I am.
I'm at work so I only had time to see the pictures and captions...will read later. Mary Ellen's 2 thoughts are identical to mine, I kid you not. Weird that we would think alike, isn't it? 1)Didn't know that Gary could weld. I'm amazed, once again. 2) I love that you said barf; it really does show you've been at Lily for a bit. Whenever we would want to write about our health issues on the blog, we'd always ask each other, "Is this appropriate to say?" And we'd write it anyway.
I was so excited when my mom emailed me this link that she found! This is Katie, my husband John and I were living at Lily when you guys were visiting in October, and it has been such a blessing to see all the pictures and hear the updates on the kids and the goings on of the house. Sorry the group's been so sick, but I love all the pictures! Please give my love to all the children. By the way, are both Miriam and Leticia, the girls who work in the girl's laundry room still there? If they are please give them big hugs for me.
Hi Katie...good to hear from you. Yes, both girls are still here...and yes, they'll get the hugs! Everyone misses both of you. I am ready for more of John's Beachboy's singing...
Thanks for the pictures of Madre a Padre Hernandez.. hum padre must be the older one.. with the winter jacket on..lol
Looks like a lot of work got done despite all the sickness..
Prayers for your strength and re-newed health..
Maybe some pictures of samuel and bino with mom and dad to before they leave
Thanks
Abuela Judy
Hi, my name is Sharon and I've been to Lily of the Valley three times (I'm from WEFC in Massachusetts - or I grew up there, anyways). I just found your blog and it's been great reading it, brings back so many memories of one of my most favorite places. And oh my gosh, the pictures of Jazmine! She was one of the cutest little girls when I was there, gosh, well, the first time was probably seven years ago or so. I was with the first group that came from Westfield. I think it's the same Jazmine - sure looks like it!
Anyways, just thought I'd say hi. :) I'm hoping to make it back down to the orphanage with a group from our church this summer - but I'm not sure if it will work out.
Praise the Lord! Ramon and Marta were introduced to the FBC family in church this morning.
Tonight is a report from the group which just arrived home. We're looking forward to it.
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