What Governs You???

Twins...Ever with his spiked hair and his broom!




A beautiful sunset brought...




snow-capped mountains!




A handsome Samuel




Brian...one of our new boys!




Cielo and the soup she didn't like....




Her sister Andrea had the same problem!




Lewis and Ever...I love these boys!!! Such gentle hearts!




Brenda helping prepare supper...




Lupita again...all dressed up for ice cream!




Briza and Alberto




A sleepy Chewey!




Marcos...what have you been eating???




A new Jazmine!




Pastor Ben...you have inspired Santos with your music!!!




Leslie...my partner in food delivery! On the way back I forgot about the speed bump...our heads still hurt! I never knew the white van could stay airborn for so long!!! :)




A creepy unwelcomed guest!




Ice cream fun!!! Mexico even has bright ice cream colors!!!




Nancy




Karla




Jazmine




Esmeralda





Horse rides for everyone!!!



SHAPSHOTS OF TEAM ARKANSAS!!!























Partners!




Looking for a Marcella smile...




A beautiful picture of a child's trust...







Jesus and Oliver...kitchen duty!



Last night I had the privilege of taking 11 children to the ice cream store to reward them for their hard work. Boy was that ever fun! There were 9 girls and 2 boys. They are the crew in the mornings that faithfully get the dishes done before school with big smiles on their faces. Anyway, they all got dressed up for me to take them...it was a big deal! We had a great time and some of the girls even rode the horse with a couple extra coins I had. There were a couple of children who never had been to an icecream store before and were amazed at all the different flavors/colors of ice cream to choose from. It's so fun to take the extra time with different children and let them experience some things that our children in the states take for granted. When you think of it...what amazes our 10-12 yr old kids in the states? What takes their breath away? I'll bet you anything it's not a simple ice cream cone. I love the simple pleasures down here! We are all so spoiled. We need to get back to the basics of life. It's not a choice down here...it's the lifestyle.

Yesterday morning as we walked into the cafeteria we saw a very sad Marcella. She ALWAYS has a beautiful smile on her face...but not then. Gary did every trick he could think of to find her smile...but it was deeply buried. After asking a few questions...I discovered that the relatives that 'promised' to pick her and her brother, Sergio, up for the Easter holiday never came. In fact, they haven't come hardly at all the last year, Rosa said. It completely devestates the kids. What angers me is that these same relatives will not release the children to be adopted. They want them to live at the orphanage like an animal boarded at a farm to be there whenever they decide to visit and play with them ...but they really don't care about them at all. There have been many other children who were hoping to go to a relatives home for the holiday...but no one has come so far. I better change topics because I feel my blood pressure rising several points and I'm hitting the keys on my keyboard a little harder than normal. The good news??? I am working on 'orphan status' for precious Marcella and her brother...and many other children. Right now, things seem to be rolling along pretty good. When you think of it, please pray for Alex. He is on the front line...working with the government officials to make this possible.

The Arkansas team has been working hard! They have spent the last 2 days at the new boys dining hall...digging trenches for the water septic lines. Remember...it is mostly rock out there...so it is very hard work. But, they seem to do it with a smile and are very willing to help wherever needed. Around 3:00 in the afternoon they come back and spend time with the kids...which I think is their most important work of the day. Tonight the team will present the message for our Wednesday night service and the kids are really excited about it. It's amazing to me how teams come with just the thing we need. Pastor Ben...your group was a real blessing to Gary and I especially. Thanks for being so encouraging and sensitive to the Spirit!

Gary and I have started up again reading the 'Follow Me' book. I think we just finished chapter 24. The title of the chapter was "What Governs You?" It said "We can either be driven by fears or governed by fear. Fear-driven lives are out of control. Fear-governed lives are surrendered to the everpresent supervision and compansionship of the Lord of all. The fear of the Lord lifts not only our eyes but our lives above our circumstances." Living a surrendered life is something that Gary and I are striving for...but it is a daily...moment by moment struggle. We have failed more times than I care to count...but God's grace lifts us up each time. We want to be totally governed by Him! Almost every chapter in this book has challenged us and stretched us. Thank you, Pastor Mark for sending it with us!

One last thing. This awesome luxury came into our lives last week...but I am still so pumped and excited about it that I can hardly contain myself! My mom and dad sent down sheets for our 'bed' last week. I know that most of you have realized by now that I am completely nuts, but I am so excited to have soft cotton sheets to sleep on! In fact, throughout the days I find my mind drifting toward those soft sheets. We had a double bed here for about a month and then donated it to the new boys dorm home for the workers from Tennessee. Gary and I bought sheets down here for that bed...but they were horrid. We even went to Walmart to buy those crazy sheets...but they were made in Mexico. These sheets were so little! On the fitted sheet it was only 3 inches deep...so you know that nothing kept tucked in. But...one can live with that. The real problem is that once you wash them...they are no more. They came back from the laundry all pilled, picky and MUCH smaller! So, we just used wool blankets for the remaining of the time...which isn't bad unless you're allergic to wool...like I am. But...thank you, Jesus, we have real sheets now!!! My mom apologized in the note attached to the sheets that they were really old...but they are soft and (OK Merm...I have to use the word...)WONDERFUL! These sheets are a faded out blue and white polk-a-dot...and I LOVE THEM!!! Thanks Mom and Dad!!! Our luxurious bed consists of two twin mattresses on the floor side by side with an awesome blue and white polk-a-dot king size fitted sheet over them and a matching sheet on top...so it looks like we're living in the Hilton! I love it!!!

I was just told that Paloma is coming over so we can meet. I have been wanting to meet with her and find out if she has any connections to get our truck/trailer across the border for our next time down. Anyway...I glanced down at what I was wearing and thought...I guess I'm presentable. Then my eyes were opened....I am wearing dusty blue jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a hoodie. BUT...my hoodie..which I have worn only 2 days is caked with pancake batter that flew out of the blender this morning and dried snot from several kids I hugged the past two days. I also noticed that several pieces of cooked rice have been stuck to me along with a couple other unidentifiable things from taking the meal out to the work crew. Maybe I'll change the hoodie. :)