A special gift of love...

A very special soccer team.





The proud soccer team with their Papa and their big trophy!







Tonito and Hosea with their go-cart!





Teena wanted to get the dishes CLEAN...





Our future FBC kids watching the adoption DVD








A happy dad!





All the kids like to talk with Fred.





Maggie!





Rosa graciously entertaining guests.





Cute Karla...just for you Vito!





Lucia and Leslie...buds





Andrea sneaked some donated milk out of the cooler.





I let her drink it all!





A sleepy girl.





The little boys parlor with 'family' pictures!





I was able to teach several cooking techniques...like using your hands to mash potatoes. Works faster than a flimsy metal hand masher!





I also had banana bread duty!





Rosa had head lice duty.





Teena had fingernail duty...





and toenail duty.





A tired little Jazmine





Riley's Yazmine





What's cooking? Spaghetti and garlic!





Belem...our chef for today.





Papa with 50 tickets to the video arcade. He was pumped!!!





Who's are whos???





Kittys!





What a crew!





Oh Jackie...





Movie night! We watched Old Yeller...and many of us cried!



You will never guess where the 6-12 year old kids are right now...at a big video arcade. The owner gave Papa 50 tickets for the kids to come and spend about 5 hours. They were so excited!!! I wasn't brave enough to go...and neither was Fred (shocking, I know) but Roger did. I bet you when Roger comes back his eyes will be permanently crossed! I'm working on several projects which includes another 4 large pans of banana bread. About 12 boxes of bananas were donated to the orphange the day before yesterday...but they were at their peak...or beyond. Quite often they just would throw out the bad bananas, but I'm trying to sell them on the banana bread idea. The kids seem to really like it...and it's a filler for them.

My heart has been torn right out and I am bleeding from the depths of my being. Oscar, Armondo and Katy's brother has changed. He used to be such the gentleman and sweet boy and now I see him so different. Their mother has not been around in months...and it is taking a toll on these sweet kids. He has become an angry boy...and it breaks my heart. With Fred's help, I was able to talk to him tonight...and he admitted that he is angry. Can I blame him? I asked him to surrender his anger and his life to Jesus. Will you pray for him? These kids don't deserve abandonment. Why couldn't it have been me? Oh God, please heal the broken hearts, hopes and dreams of every child. I need you to show Yourself in a big way to them. Please don't let anger rule their lives. Let it be You.

I will never be the same. It is hard to find words. Today the soccer team from Lily finally received their big trophy. ( They finished second in the league...we thought it was first.) They came driving up in the van hooting and hollering with the biggest smiles on their faces. I ran into my house to grab my camera...and then waited outside Mama and Papa's house because I thought maybe he was having prayer with them. Suddenly the boys burst out of the house with their trophy and I took their picture. Then, they gathered around me and wanted me to read the back of the trophy. It said that they love Gary and I and they are thankful for us supporting them and attending all their games. I couldn't believe it but they were giving their first big trophy to Gary and me. I couldn't accept it...and I began to weep. They are the ones that went from 'that orphanage team' to a highly respected team in the city league. They went from last to the top. How could I take something that they worked so hard for? But when I saw the joy on their faces, I knew that I was experiencing a very common thing down here. A generous gift of love. I took it and kissed them all...telling them that Gary and I will cherish it forever. It was a special moment I will never forget. Thank you, Jesus!