Nayelly and Marisol
Maria Elena...a great co-pilot!
Some of our High Schoolers!
Elvida...Christina's sis. We need to pray for an opportunity for us to find Christina and talk to her about April and her new baby boy.
Luce and Fabiola
Things a van driver can do while waiting for kids....
My Chewy!!! I love this boy!
Samuel and his music!
The fine art of bean sorting!
Mary...Alondra keeps asking for you. It's too hard to tell her maybe next time. My eyes filled with tears along with hers. You made her feel special!
Gustavo and his new specs! Soooooo cute!!!
Belem and Johana...
Lorena
Armondo and his sis, Katy
Ahhhh...Andrea
Cuties enjoying their breakfast!
Katy and Briza
Too cute Tonito!
The rat slayer enjoying her breakfast!
Philipe making tortillas
Marsela is so beautiful.
Karla helping in the kitchen. She is really growing up so fast! Vito...you'll see!
Leslie and Boni...future FBC buds!
Lovely Leslie... aka Daddy's Girl!
Little Jackie!
Lucia and Yazmine
Samuel and Sergio
A peaceful cat napping in the sink...until the teen boys turned the water on...
Mark and Jean...it's your boy...Angel!
I love Israel...and so did the girl's markers!
Brenda and me!
Isael
Teen boys. Angel...the boy on the right bottom of pic, is leaving our care because he has been too difficult for Ed and Rosa at this time. My heart breaks because he just came out of a drug rehab and was doing great. A deep anger keeps resurfacing...and now he is being returned to a 'mother' who will turn him out into the streets again. Please pray for Angel. His siblings are still with us.
High School boys going to their dorm after school.
They don't care if they block the road...
You just gotta watch out for them. Luckily they are not as fast as deer!!!
Julian is walking!!! How cute!!!
Katy hasn't quit asking me about 'HER' tio Gary. I'll gladly share you with her!
Brenda y Brenda treating a horrible infected foot. Keri....we need you!!!
Future tortillas and their creators...
Isn't he adorable???
Briseyda, Lupita and Nayelly...angels! They were in a special school program and got to be a princess for a day!
Teena learning the fine art of tortilla making!!!
Look who was spying on me....Tonito!!!
Sis, Bro, Sis!
Brenda y Brenda!
Briza y Cielo
A couple of new cutie pies!!!
Luis and his treasured marbles!
Lupita!
Marcela and Ruby...buds!
Greetings from Lily, home of 115+ beautiful children minus one (as of yesterday!!). The blue skies are filled with plenty of sunshine. Temps are cool in the morning so you need a light jacket, but by 10:00 in the morning, you are running around in short sleeves and feeling warm. It's a welcome change from the snow flurries in Michigan last weekend. Ahhhhh!
We had a great flight and arrived in Chihuahua late Wednesday night to plenty of hugs and kisses. The first night we didn't get much sleep as we got up for the group devos at 4:30 in the morning. The problem is that we didn't realize there is a 3 hour difference at the moment...so we were up in the cafeteria praying at 3:30 wondering where everyone was. :) Needless to say a nap was taken late morning. After that I felt human again!
There is a spirit of sadness here. It has broken my heart because I can see it everywhere...from the youngest to the oldest. After evaluating the situation and talking to many kids and staff, I believe it is because the family here is trying to function under the tremendous stress from Ramon's hospitalization, but it is draining everyone and taking a toll. Mama and Papa are sharing the duty of being with Ramon at the hospital during the daytime hours. The kids don't have them here together very often...and it is a real loss. Normally this is hard for any family, but these kids are taking it very hard. They have had too much loss in their lives and they aren't doing well with this. The good news is that Ramon has 1 more minor surgery on Monday and then the hospital believes Ramon will be able to come home 2 weeks after that. Pretty cool, huh? There is light at the end of the tunnel, which gives hope. But, they are just limping along now. Please pray that we can bring them joy through Jesus. I've spent the last 36 hours giving tons of hugs and kisses to children that are soaking it all in. When the MI-KEN-OAKIE (Michigan, Kentucky, Oklahoma) team comes down, they can help pour on the love!
I want to share with you an area that the Lord is speaking to me. A very dear friend of mine and I were together at a meeting before I came down here. In this meeting there was a prayer request for "unsaved loved ones"...which is always mentioned. When my friend closed the meeting in prayer, she prayed for "unloved saved ones" (...an easy mistake when you're over 40). I snickered to myself when she said it, but God has used that to speak volumes to my heart. All around us are 'unloved saved ones' that are easy to pass by or not spend time with. (I'm sure you don't struggle with this, but I am ashamed to admit...I have.) These people are all around us, wanting to 'belong' but we keep passing them by in our hurried schedule. The week before I came down, the Lord pointed out many of these precious people to me and challenged me to love on them. I knew I needed to reach out even before I left...and I must say...it was pretty cool. I now have more FRIENDS and I am deeply blessed. It's fun and 'easy' to come to Lily and love on the 'unloved', but purposing to do this in my own community is just as awesome. Thank you, Jesus, for not giving up on me and opening my eyes.
Silvia still has her smile from surrendering her life to Jesus. Some of the children are still reading their bibles and growing strong! Great changes have taken place, but there are still children who need Jesus. God is working.
On the adoption front, I am hoping to get to DIF and get updates on our pending adoptions. Since my arrival, there have been several sibling groups and some individual children who want to talk to me 'in private'. I haven't had the heart to do this yet, because I know their 'secret' agenda...they will be begging me for families. One of these days I will sit down with them and listen to their pleas...but I have to wait until my heart is stronger. My first few days here are very emotional and usually filled with tears as I live among the results of sin. Please pray for these precious children...that they will find peace through Jesus...even though that may mean spending all their childhood days at Lily and never being adopted.
Hey everyone...I'm loving on these precious children for you!!!
My dear Prince, Tim, Calle', Charles and Chrissy...thanks for being a family that cheers me on and encourages me to chase lions! I love you.
