ICE SKATING IN MEXICO!!  if that sounds crazy... it was. We had the opportunity a few weeks ago to go ice skating down town with kids from 3 different casa hogars.  For almost every single kid, this was their very first time ice skating and first time ever seeing an ice skating rink. As you can imagine, most of the kids (staff included) spent a lot of evening falling and sliding on the ice but the kids loved it.  They had SO MUCH FUN and so did I.  They'd fall and laugh and then get right back up, very determined to be good at it. Below is me and Cesar.  Enjoy...

More photos of kids with their Christmas presents and decorating their trees:

Answered Prayer!! I posted on my blog back in October asking for prayer for Casa Hogar Bethesda.  They were in the process of getting kicked out of their rental home and were searching for a new home.  Well... here it is.  It's 4 stories and HUGE!! The inside literally looks like a castle and for the first time, the kids have a yard to play outside in.  There is a lot of work that needs to be done on the home- for example, they currently have NO kitchen and need monetary donations for a kitchen but are currently living here WITHOUT one with 28 kids (pictured above, along with their current director Patty- please pray for her as her job is stressful)

This home is absolutely huge and easily 6 or 7 times larger than their former home.  What blows my mind is how God answered prayer through this new home.  I prayed for a castle and the home has crown molding trim all along the ceilings, it's HUGE, and kind of old, has granite floors throughout the entire home, and a HUGE yard for the kids to play in.  In the very back of this photo is their new fireplace and christmas tree.
The tall large window on the left lights the stairwell on 3 floors.  This is the tallest home in the entire neighborhood.  The owner came down on the asking price -- he lowered the price almost $1000 U.S. a month to make this happen.
To the right is one of the many beautiful children who live at Casa Hogar Bethesda.  This is Citlali and she is one of the younger sisters of Laura, the girl in my blog's profile picture (top right of my blog).  

"The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."  Psalm 145:17-18

"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving."  - Psalm 62:11-12

FELIZ NAVIDAD from all the beautiful Mexican children to you!!  The following are just the beginning of many photos from the week we celebrated Christmas with all the casa hogars.  To the left are about 1/3rd of the kids at Casa Hogar Douglas praying before lunch.  
The women's group purchased live Christmas trees for every orphanage we serve.  At each home, the women decorated ornaments with the kids and helped the kids decorate their tree.  Before we left our property each morning the women baked several hundred christmas shaped sugar cookies for the kids to eat while they decorated the tree.  No detail was left unnoticed.  It was honestly an intense week- but one of the sweetest of my entire life.

Ever wondered what JOY looks like on a little orphan's face?  Well wonder no more... it's been captured here with Josue as he ran through the tunnel of women cheering for him as he received his Christmas present.  As awesome as a big expensive present is.... it's nowhere near as important or impacting as feeling special and loved-- if even for a moment...
To the right is Angel with his new Rayados jersey.  This is a "jersey culture" in many ways.  Mexicans love soccer and they love soccer jerseys more I think.  They are kind of expensive and pretty much the most awesome Christmas present ever for a kid in a Casa Hogar.  He was stoked- about 5 boys at this home got Rayados jerseys and after the christmas party they went outside and played a game. 
Meet "The Women's Group"!!! Most of these women hail from Cincinnati, Ohio.  Spending the week with them was possibly my favorite week in all of the 4 months I've lived here.  We laughed, we cried, we shopped, we hugged, we baked, we wrapped, we sang.... it was beautiful.
To the right is what I like to call "Santa's Workshop."  This group of women flew down presents for every single child at each home we serve.  One of my first B2B staff assignments when I moved here was to go to each home and ask each kid what they wanted for Christmas.  Seeing them show up in December was almost unreal for me.  I can't even imagine how the kids who received them felt.  What is crazy though.... is that for a lot of these kids- these were their first ever Christmas presents.  God's up to something- and it's kind of extravagant. 

Check out Tenth Avenue North's song called "God with Us" and think of my kids... 

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God."  - Isaiah 9:6

He is the maker of heaven and earth, the holy one, our saving son...

"The LORD reigns, let all the earth rejoice." - Psalm 97:1 

the children lift up their hands.....

 to Yeshua: God of love 

Emmanuel: God with us