Episode #3 of "Really exciting things worth getting pumped up about:"

We filmed an episode of the TV show on TLC called 'Clean Sweep' right here in Monterrey, Mexico!! Okay not exactly... but this day could have totally made the show.  Mom, remember when I was little and my idea of a fun saturday afternoon game was to "organize my toys"???  haha  well on this day at Rays of Light, an awesome group of ladies did exactly that with a storage room that several weeks ago was full all the way to ceiling with trash bags full of stuff (i dont have a before picture so use your imagination).  And look at it now!!!! Clearly, this made my heart very happy.  Yay team Clean Sweep!

My Offer to You

ERJ thanks you for dinner Bible Sisters!!!  

A couple of nights ago, I had enough time during the day to bake 24 vanilla cupcakes and 24 chocolate cupcakes and make 2 gigantic bowls of fruit salad thanks to some monetary funds from my Bible study sisters in Cocoa Beach (and i thought about all of you all day as i shopped and chopped and baked- miss you all and I'm so thankful for your support and prayers)  I went to ERJ with Tim (another b2b staffer) to grill steak tacos for the kids.  They told me in spanish that carne asada was "the food of the heavens."  Coming from my nutrition background... i thought long and hard as to what I should cook for them-- what would be healthy?  What food groups do they eat very little of?  I know they are lacking in fruits, vegetables and meat.  So I bought them a ton of steak and decided on fruit salad with a few marshmellows thrown in.  Surprisingly, all of the kids thought the fruit salad was the best thing ever- perhaps even a bigger treat than the cupcakes i brought.  The entire evening spent with the directors and kids was a true blessing for me- awesome fellowship... it felt like a retreat.  I was so filled up when I left.  This children's home is still struggling to make ends meet financially and I plan on going out, I say out because it's an hour's drive one way, to cook for them at least once a month.  The directors are truly amazing, encouraging and joyful people.  And the kids are so well behaved, hard workers at school, and fun.  And sisters.... we cooked so much food that I'm confident they had steak and fruit again for lunch and possibly even dinner the next day.  And you better believe I told them all about all of you in my best spanish.

So here is my offer to anyone who will take it-  If you pay for it, I'll shop for it and cook it.  Any donation of $75 to $115 will buy a nutritionally sound meal for some hungry kids.  Email me if you are interested and I'll give you the details on how to get the money to me (sending it to my staff account with b2b wont work).  

Perhaps the next meal will be something italian or home made pizzas?  I'm not sure.  What should we cook next?

Loving where I'm at... (once again)

Yesterday was another flipping awesome day "at the office." I found out via computer phone that Owen got into UF-- all of heaven's gators are celebrating- I almost cried I was so stoked for him.  ok time to get back on subject.... yesterday I was able to bring new clothing to a little girl who was just dropped off at douglas last week.  She came with one set of clothes and wore it for almost a week before someone put a new outfit on her.  I went through our donations and picked out some awesome stuff and had her try on some jeans to make sure they fit-  she's super tiny for a 6 year old.   It was possibly the most new clothing (most still had tags on them) that she's ever received, in fact i'll almost guarantee that it was.  She then decided to put on immediately a pair of straight leg cool girl jeans and a new pink long sleeve shirt.  She walked around for the rest of the night like she was a model.  And she is beautiful - she looked like a princess but then... that's only fitting because she IS a princess and for just a few moments she got to feel like one too.  4 beautiful casa hogar douglas kids made valentines for me -- how's that for being single, feeling kinda lonely in a foreign country, away from your friends and family (grandma your email brought me to tears) on valentines day??!  These kids are so sweet and with each passing day that I'm with them, I find myself falling more and more in love with them.  And to top it off, I got to help grill steaks, yes i said STEAKS, for the kids.  For those of you who know my dietary preferences.... i'm not a big fan of any kind of meat but yall- steak tacos is where it is at!  I love it, the kids love it, the group loved it- this doesnt happen but maybe twice a year for each of the homes we serve i think.   It was overall, a joyful day and I'm loving my job which doesn't really feel like a job most days... feels more like a dream.

Today... I got to go to church at douglas - which in my opinion is the most awesome thing of the year here with B2B.  It was standing room only on top of the hill today.  In the afternoon, I went to one of the squatters villages we serve and helped a group mix and pour some concrete, play with billions of kids, and feed a hot meal to the people.  As our bus arrived, a ton of kids swarmed our bus because they knew the "americans" were coming today.  I was the first one off the bus and was greeted like a celebrity.  Kids threw themselves on me.  Each time I go to this area, I have rather mixed emotions.  It's a horrible part of town.  No one wants to go there, including the police, let alone actually live there.  It's like a giant town garbage dump with shacks, livestock, and a horrible stench.  It is a very dark, poverty stricken place- home to abuse of every kind.  But Olga and her husband had vision- a vision of something else for these people and I LOVE any opportunity to see this vision come to life.  We play with kids who just want to laugh and be kids- jump, run, play, giggle, be silly, smile.  As I joked around with one 6 year old little boy... reality hit me.  We were joking back and forth and at one point I asked him how he was doing.  His response hit me like a ton of bricks.  He said, "I'm good.  But my grandma and grandpa are beating each other up right now."  I had him repeat himself b/c i thought perhaps I just wasnt' translating what he meant to say correctly.  But he said it again and so matter of factly.  He got to get out of the house for the afternoon and forget his troubles in a place of safety.  That's what God is building through Olga.  He's building a refuge.   

Your Dream Day

Ever spend your day doing something and then sit back and think to yourself, "dang i'm living the dream!"???  That's pretty much how I felt today.  I spent all day at Casa Hogar Del Norte.  I began my day playing football, jumped on a trampoline with a bunch of little boys, played with pre-school kids for several hours, fed a bunch of babies lunch, held a 5 month old baby boy for a while, joked around with all the older kids after they got home from school, ate the same thing the kids ate for lunch - which was awesome, met 4 older people's from north carolina, cleaned a bunch of stuff and then went home.  Holding those kids and being someone consistent in their lives is the reason I moved here.  I got to spend my day literally living out my dream from a year ago.  The photos are Enrique, Sarai, and Josue.... my mental pictures of the day

What is your dream?  What do you wish you could do?

Issue #2 of "Exciting new happenings worth getting pumped up about":

Bethesda got some of the funding needed to start putting in a kitchen!!  Here are some photos of the new cabinets and appliances.  Several blog posts ago, I posted photos of the before if you'd like to compare.  The directors of this home are still hoping and dreaming of a stainless steel countertop and are awaiting the funding needed to purchase it.  

Issue #1 of "Exciting new happenings that are worth getting really pumped up about":

Church at Casa Hogar Douglas!!  This home is about a mile from our B2B property and is home to anywhere from 80 to 100 plus kids.  Traditionally around here, a children's home of this size would find it near impossible to attend a local church for two reasons:  1.  Transportation for 100 plus on sunday morning is extremely difficult  2.  most churches do not want that many children without parents to help with sunday school or child care.  Apparently, we assumed that the bible college next door to this home was putting on a sunday morning church service each week for the home... we assumed wrong.  God laid this burden on the hearts of Jim and Betty Betcher and they have recently gone into action.  B2B is now holding a worship service every sunday at 11 am.

Douglas already has a pre-existing chapel building (in desperate need of repairs) on top of a big hill on their property which we are using for the services.  So far, we've met 3 weeks in a row and the average church attendance is around 110 people.  I can't begin to tell you how huge of a DIRECT answer to prayer this is!  AND God has provided a family to lead worship every sunday and they are AWESOME - the main worship leader is a graduate of the marcos witt worship leading school (i think?).  After worship, the kids are split into 2 different age groups for a time of teaching appropriate to their age level.

Prayer Requests:

-  we are inviting any family members who are involved in the kids lives to join us at these sunday services

-  the worship leaders to stay with us

-  teaching in spanish

-  receptive hearts

-  for emotional restoration to occur in each child, they have a lot of hurts

-  no rain, the roof isn't waterproof at all

-  praise because this is AWESOME and it's only the beginning

PSALM 146:

Praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD, O my soul.

I will praise the LORD all my life; 

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes, 

in mortal men, who cannot save.

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; 

on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed is he who help is the God of Jacob, 

whose hope is in the LORD his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth, 

the sea, and everything in them- 

the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed 

and gives food to the hungry.  

The LORD sets prisoners free,

the LORD gives sight to the blind, 

the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,

 the LORD loves the righteous. 

The LORD watches over the alien 

and sustains the fatherless and the widow, 

but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The LORD reigns forever, your God, 

O Zion, for all generations.  

Praise the LORD.