This summer I have gotten the opportunity to love on the little boys at one of the Childrens' Homes - Casa Hogar Douglas. Our staff has been helping out as they look for a new caregiver. I have been able to be there at bath time and then bedtime. How precious to give them hugs and love on them for that time. With 14 in one room it can get pretty chaotic! Also, I was able to use the talents God has given me to paint on the walls some promises of God. It was so special to me when they got home from school and were reading them and asking about them.

Summer Outreach

This week a group went to Casa Hogar Manatial de Amor and did an outreach with them. This is so neat to me because we are taking these orphan children and taking them out to share the love of Jesus with others. We walked into their neighborhood and brought lunches, clothing, and toys. The kids and the American group first invited people to come and then they played soccer for a while. After that we shared about God and then handed out the things. I loved it! My favorite part of the day was when I was folding tracts and a woman asked if she could help. So we sat together and talked about God. She knew a lot and seemed to have a relationship with him. We came from different worlds but we are the same inside. She even invited me to her house for dinner one day. I don't know if I'll ever see her again but I was blessed by Natalia.
Other new friends..

One of the girls from Manatial

watching the soccer game




clothes ready to be handed out

SMCA graduation 2010

May 27 was our last day of school and this year we celebrated in a new way. We had a program for the parents and then were at a place like Chuck E. Cheese but bigger. The kids could play and have fun and celebrate. I loved being on the bumper cars with my class and just laughing with them. It was a great year with them!

And you wonder why I can't leave this place!! Thank you God for the beauty you surprise us with!
This was my view tonight as I sat at the picnic table playing Spanish Scrabble with 2 of the teen girls:



This was in the rainy weeks!

fun with the Pikes

I was blessed again to have a visit from a good friend, Jolynne Pike, and her daughter, Kailyn. I enjoyed showing them my life and the children we work with. They collected a ton of donations to bring down and enjoyed handing out toys to kids! They were an encouragement and a joy for me!

What's happening in Sierra Madre Christian Academy

We have just finished a unit on the Rainforest. The students did a wonderful job with their final projects - a Rainforest Diorama!



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We had a fun time at the Zoo this month. We went in the morning and the animals were very playful and fun to watch!

Breakfast Pancakes at Casa Hogar Douglas!

The other Saturday we got up early and headed off to Casa Hogar Douglas with a group to make a special breakfast for the kids. I went early with some staff to get started and mix up the pancakes and start the griddle. We made about 200 pancakes! It was a lot of fun to serve together and watch the kids get excited and ask for more!

We have such an amazing group of teens living on our campus with all their different personalities! God has given me a heart for them all and it makes me so happy and full when they are growing in Christ. There has been a lot of that going on this year. God is moving on this campus and in their hearts. Many of them attended a youth conference about 6 weeks ago about learning to fly and being all that God has created them to be. This past weekend about 11 of them went to a conference on inner healing and more. On Sunday I went to the church to greet them at the end of the retreat. Each one of them spoke about what God had taught them and there weren't a lot of dry eyes in the place. They meet regularly on campus with Antonio and Priscila Garcia and some of the teens are actually mentoring younger ones. Praise Jesus for what he is doing in the next generation here!!

At the conferences!

I have been struggling lately with feeling down and then that spirals in old struggles of my life coming back...Through it all I am having a hard time getting excited about anything. This morning I heard a great sermon about perseverance that helped put things in perspective again. In Hebrews 12: 1-3 it talks about running our race with perseverance and fixing our eyes on Jesus so we don't grow weary and lose heart. Pastor Greg defined perseverance as courage stretched out. When ministry is hard we are to think of Jesus and remember his example and reward. He persevered because of the joy he was looking forward to. My joy here is to some day stand before the Lord and hear him say 'well done', to see lives transformed here in Monterrey, and having the hope of being at the right hand of God.

Family Visit

I am so thankful to have a family who loves Jesus and understands why I serve. This past week I was blessed to have my dad, mom, aunt Marie, and uncle Harold take time out of their lives to come down and spend time with me. It was the first time for Marie and Harold and second for my parents. They had to be flexible, and definitely were, as they stayed in a dorm, had new experience and new food, and dealt with cold. We got to visit some Childrens' Homes together and Saturday we went to a poverty area and did crafts with the kids, served a meal, and saw what life is like for those with less. They got to see my school and my life and I was so glad to have them here!

Having dinner on Valentine's Day!!

Cutting out hearts on the way to the Rio

Mom serving peaches to the children

Marie playing play-do with the children

Dad and Harold putting on a door

Mom, reading to my class



At Cola de Caballo waterfall

compassion

Like my pastor always says "hurt people, hurt people'...Jesus used compassion to heal...Where there is no compassion, there will be no change. "And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them..." Mark 6:34 (also Matt. 9:36, Matt.14;14, Mark 1:41) We see a lot of hurt people, especially the children. Actually everyone has a little bit of damage but I want to make sure I always respond with compassion. When I am loving on the children in my class or in an orphanage, I am building their future and also maybe building the house I may have to live in. When I am with the teens on our campus, I need to remember that you can't expect a hurt lion to jump through hoops but we can love them unconditionally. Lord I pray for walls to be broken down and for healing to occur. That they may climb into your arms and just let you hold them!

Time for a change...on my blog!

Well I'm going on 3 years with this blog and my life in Mexico. Every year I write about what I'm doing and post lots of pictures about my life, but I haven't put a whole lot about what God is doing. I have been challenged lately to write more about my spiritual life. I was pondering why I haven't and at first I was afraid of looking like I am too spiritual. I was taught all my life to not think too highly of myself and I'm trying to break out of some of those thinking patterns. Maybe it was pride and wondering if what I have to say will be written well or make sense. But no matter what was then...God has been speaking to me that I need to do more. I want more opportunities to share about what he's doing in my life - my testimony is right now!
I am starting a study on Daniel and I am very excited. Daniel set himself apart from the rest of the men in Babylon and didn't give in to the influences of the world. I can't wait to learn!

One of the highlights of my life is my niece, Mia! I was there the day she was born and we have had so many fun memories together. Until I moved to Mexico, I lived nearby. But she is always in my heart and my prayers. I am so proud of the girl she is. She is a friend to everyone and has a kind and considerate spirit. Being away from her is the hardest thing about being in Mexico. I love you Mia!!!!

A dear friend, Joanna Martino Beasley, planned a fundraiser for me on New Year's Eve. It was a wonderful time of being with friends, sharing my life, listening to music, and playing games. I spoke about the blessings of 2009 in Back2Back:
3 college grads from our Hope Program, 4 high school grads, spiritual growth of teens, each childrens' home had a new room or new project finished, a new church at Casa Hogar Douglas, and many financial blessings, protection
Also, the blessings of 2009 in my personal life: my support, new experiences, trip to Mexico City, the school, quality time with teens, improvements in Spanish, visitors, health, safety,and protection
I am thankful for the prayers of my supporters - I can feel them just when I need them.



Evelyn spoke about how Back2Back has changed her life

Praise the Lord I had a wonderful visit to the US at Christmas! I was blessed to be able to take 2 of the girls in the teen program, and ones that I have gotten close to over the years. Evelyn and Jazmin were able to get a Visa for the States and traveled with me there and back. They spent a week with me and a week with the Merrills, who are like parents to them. They got to see snow and we tried to give them many new experiences. I feel like we were able to deepen our relationship and it was great to show them life in a different culture!

at the airport!

playing "Rock Band"

making a snow man with my niece, Mia



In Chicago with Heather!!