GREAT NEWS!!!

The Riley adoption is complete and they are driving down to Mexico to pick up their 4 new children...Angel, Yazmine, Raphael and Manuel. Please cover them with prayer as they will be spending the next few days is Juarez to finalize paperwork to cross the border as a family. This is a day we've all been praying for! Thank you, Jesus!

Mama and Papa are planning on putting out a monthly newsletter via e-mail to keep you in touch with Lily. If you would like to receive this newsletter, please send your e-mail address to: kacochra@cord.edu

It's Video Time from Lily!

Nohema does great eyebrow dances! How I love her!


Samuel tried his best to make his eyebrows dance...but he ended up jumping instead to get the same effect! We always have fun at Lily!


The multi-talented Sergio!!!


Nohema with her dancing eyebrows and Sergio with his dancing nostrils. MEXICO...You've Got Talent!!!!


A great game!


Oliver on the guitar. I brought this old broken guitar down to Lily in January, but he has really taken to it and is awesome. I'm praying for a nicer guitar to bring to him next January! He is very gifted in music and I'd like to encourage this gift he has!


Watching the Mexico play in the World Cup!


Mexico scores!




Ahhh...Antonio!


Almost!!!!


Houston...we have a successful touch-down!



Briza and Cielo after ice-cream! Mark and Chandra...you might want to watch the sugar intake!!!! =)

Well, I will have to wait until the Michigan team arrives home from Lily since the mobile uploads didn't make it. Hopefully by the middle of the week I'll have more stories and pics.

The Michigan team is on their way home!

An Early Departure...

Marcela and Vicki...such special girls!!!




A sleeping beauty....Bethany!




The VA invasion!




The Princess and the Pea...oh wait there are no peas in Mexico that I've seen. The Princess and the Pebble! The only difference is that this Princess is soooo tired that she wouldn't be able to detect a bolder under her mattress!




I respect this gal!




Lupita & Jackie loving on their brother, Carlos!




Barbara and Jazmine




Lucinda, Ashley and Adriana




Taking the female staff out to eat! What fun. Was Ben pouting??? ;) Maybe he wanted another 'guy'night!




By this point, we were all whipped!




Brenda...my girl!




Westside + Female Staff - Chip in the pic




TACOS!!!





Julietta...she is a treasure!





Staff Dinner





Judith and Alex. We invited Alex and his family to join us for the evening.




Zulema and Judith and Alex




Judith and me!




Oh my....!




Judith...she looks like an angel!




Alex sharing his testimony




Alex's beautiful wife and daughter!




This is the "I just brought a team to Lily and we've been here for 1 week" look. Ya sleep a lot when you get home...and cry.




Final night to share together.




Some 'Chip' shots!




A storm Monday night left us without electricity water...etc. but that didn't stop nurse Christie from doing a shot by her 'head-light'. Christie had the greatest attitude. Love her spirit!




Ahhh...Ramon and Tony are together again.




This is Laura from the Michigan Team holding Jackie. Note Jackie's BIG smile! Love this pic!




Berta




Beatrice




Good-byes are hard.



I'm home...physically. I am sleeping here but in my dreams I see the faces of the children and I'm speaking my terrible spanish (if you could even can call it that..Ben you have to agree!). I hear the sweet giggles of Berta and the raspy voice of Jackie and they're calling out to me. My heart is full of joy as I hug Vicki, hear Fabiola say, "Oi...Linda!" and tickle Luis. I want so bad to wake up in Mexico but then the dreams fade into the reality of a quick flight home, Dr appts, IV's for the next 7 days and total fatigue. It's then that I just close my eyes and I'm thankful for the dreams of Mexico. I am also thankful for a strubborn son who double-teamed with my husband to fly me back early (probably wouldn't have made it otherwise)and the strength the Lord gave me to make it home. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Here is the schedule I set up for the Michigan team before I left. Wednesday morning, the mountain team was traveling with Nikki Lopez to their mountain destination. Since her mother has not heard from her...that is good news and that means they made it fine. They will be ministering to the people all day today and heading back to Lily early Friday morning. Meanwhile, the rest of the team had the Wednesday evening devotions, made sandwiches for the children...ate at the boys dorm on Tuesday evening and will have a party, craft, sandwich night with the little girls and little boys in their dorms. On Friday night, the group will take the teen girls to Sombrero Burger (so JEALOUS) for supper =) and maybe icecream. Saturday the entire team will be preparing a special American dinner for everyone at Lily at 2:30. It will be grilled chicken (thanks to Pollo Feliz), mashed potatoes, corn, salad and dessert. Later in the day they will be spending time hanging out with the children and enjoying their last few moments. Saturday evening they will be saying their 'Good-byes' during the evening devotionals. 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning the Michigan team will be heading back to Michigan.

Although I was able to see the group at Lily for only a few moments, I saw the joy on everyone's faces. Scott and Kim...if you could have seen the joy on Ramon's face when Tony 'found'him. Oh my goodness! Stacy...the same with Gustavo and Taylor. The reunions were very special. When people return again...there is a very special bond of trust that goes deep. Oh yeah...I have to mention Roger seeing Lorena and his granddaughters. (What a softie that guy is!!!!) Probably my most memorable moment was watching Ramon and Brenda return again to their former family...as Americans. They had grown and matured...and know how to minister to these kids better than any of us. They lived the Lily life for several years as 'orphans' and now they have a forever family that adopted them and showed them Jesus' love. I am so excited to see the BIG plans our BIG God has for them! Thank you, Jesus!

The Michigan team had several hurdles to cover...but the Lord was right beside them. There was paperwork issues at the border and then one of our vans broke down just past the military check point (in the middle of the desert in Mexico. The Lord sent a man to help Roger Fekken and this angel drove him to a part store and within a few hours our guys were able to drive the van to Lily. Isn't God faithful?!

I have to give a shout-out to Beth Sellers. She was a tremendous help to me when the Michigan Team arrived. She was my hands and feet when I couldn't go any farther. Thanks, Beth, for your servant's heart. I will see you again at Lily many times!!! =)

I am hoping to have more updates on the Michigan team by Saturday. Hopefully Barb Hernandez will be able to send me some pics as well. I do have some videos that I should be able to post within the next few days as well. Thanks for your patience.

The Virginians are swimming and the Michigan Team is driving...

Gary, we're adopting him too! Ben is a giant in my eyes. Chip...meet your new bro! How many kids will that make for us, my Prince???? 129???? No problema!!!




A crowded bus ride to church yesterday. There was 4-5 in a seat with the aisles full! The trick was to avoid red hot sauce and green ice on your clothing! I was almost successful! ;)





It was warm on the ride into Chihuahua. You can tell by the beads of sweat on sweet Ismael's face.




Look who sat on my lap? Adriana!




Lorena enjoying the lime ice.




Adriana's mom came to visit her yesterday during visitation. They seemed to enjoy their time together.




Me and Eleaseo...our miracle boy! (Mama took the pic for me...and by the time she finally figured out the right button...he was ready to go!)




Briza, Cielo and their grandmother. Even though they are being adopted, the grandma likes to stay in touch. The grandmother was very instrumental to get their orphan-status. We have spent a lot of time together!




Birthdays, special honors & hard workers were treated to banana splits yesterday.




...and the kids loved them!!!!!!!!!!





Ruby and Ewing!




Lucinda




What flavor?????? Each child got to choose 3 different scoops for their banana splits.




Playing games at the ice cream shop!




Adriana and Ruby




Looks like Paul is enjoying a mango drink. Delicious!!!




Cielo and Briza




Luz and Lesley




Lupita and Mama's babies! What an armful!




The truck had a flat tire so the girls walked down for devotions.




VA Group sharing their "Good-byes". The hardest part of coming is leaving!




My little angels...Marcela and Vicki!




Nikki...one hard worker! Martha and Adrian...she is a reflection of you and I am blessed!

This has been a busy week for everyone. The Virginia Team is winding up their final day at Lily by taking the graduates swimming at Tio Alberts water park and eating out with the male staff tonight. We are also awaiting the arrival of the Michigan team. Right now Papa is having his cornea transplant and we are getting new children in. (Sounds pretty typical for Lily, actually.) Tia Christie is getting ready to leave for Juarez and Katie is moving to Chihuahua and staying at Lily only on the weekends. Pretty crazy! I have had to change my plans and Gary is flying me home tomorrow afternoon because my infection is getting worse. (Been in bed most of the time the past few days.) I am finally here...and now I have to leave earlier than anticipated. I certainly don't understand...but I trust my loving Father.

It is very hot today. In my room it is around 100. Not a breeze anywhere. I am hoping that the clouds will roll up and bring some rain to cool things down a bit. The Virginia team is sharing my apartment tonight so it is tight quarters! They have been a great team and represented Jesus well. Their only desire was to bless Lily...and they have along with many other brothers and sisters in Chihuahua who were hungry.

The 4 girls from Lily, Fabiola, Julieta, Luz and Elvida, have been 'officially' accepted in a program to study in China for a year. They will be leaving in August, the Lord willing. This is some type of program that was begun last year and as soon as Rosa heard about it, she had 4 of her girls apply...and they were accepted. Right now they are working on getting passports for them. Their primary expense will be their airline flight. It sounds like everything else will be provided. The tickets could be quite costly (approx. $2300 for each girl) but they have decided to pray it in and do some fund raisers. What an opportunity! The reason why everyone is SOOOOO excited is that Lily has been praying for orphanages in China for years and now the girls may have opportunities to visit them. Isn't God good?!!!!!

Hey...just had a big gust of wind. Perhaps a storm will come! Rain in the desert is a BIG deal! Showers of blessing and refreshment. Jesus, refresh our hearts as your rain refreshes the parched earth down here! We are ready!


Rosa and I wept in eachother's arms this morning. We are sisters and we treasure our time together. Ed is looking forward to some Gary time when we return in November and then again the first of the year. It is hard living down here. The climate is rough, the living conditions are different and ...it's Mexico. Need I say more? Things happen just because it's Mexico and the biggest problem? Satan hates orphans and we love them. That's why we desperately need eachother... to help carry the load!