The giggle is in the relationship of the gift..........

This is a child from a casa hogar receiving a gift from his sponsor in the US. The sponsor has been praying for him, visiting him when she can. They send photos back and forth. He prays for her and her family also. This year for his birthday, she wanted to give him a gift he would love. With a little investigation, we found out he was longing for a tech deck skate park. These toys have been around for awhile in the United States and now are really popular here in Monterrey with the preteen boys especially. As you watch the video, listen for his giggle and excitement. Things don't bring happiness, it is the people behind the gifts that bring happiness. I am convinced that his anticipation came because his sponsor swam with him last summer and sat with him to do a craft or color in a coloring book. She prayed with him, and loved on him. His sponsor often closed her letters reminding him how special God made him. Because of their relationship, he knew to anticipate something special.
I think God giggles like this as we offer gifts to him. Worship songs, acts of service, our own control, whatever it might be that we offer to give to him. God giggles knowing we think He is special and we want to gift him a gift to show him.

Milagros yet another proof that she was rightly named....

Milagros means miracle in Spanish. I know her mom has seen her name come true in many times throughout her life, including a Sunday about a week ago. Milagros graduated from beauty school with help from many Cincinnati friends who answered a leading of God's voice. This journey began about 3 years ago when an audiologist came to visit the Rio community where Milagros lives. He met her and her mom and was moved by God to help Milagros. During the course of three years God provided her with hearing aids to help her hear sounds for safety. She attended school to learn sign language. After about 1 1/2 years in beauty school, she has graduated and got her degree. She very well may be the only one in her community who has graduated from anything.
The day was full of presenting her work, judges results, dinner, along with mingling with teachers, friends and family. Milagros was quiet, humble and yet exuded confidence as she presented her model who had makeup, hair, nails, etc. all done by Milagros. Her teacher spoke for her to explain to the judges all Milagros had done. You could see communication had not been a problem between her friends and teachers. When she went up to accept her diploma, there was not a dry eye at our table. God clearly has a plan for this girl. Now we are trusting that he will lead her to a trusting employer. Because of her unique style of communication Milagros needs to have a secure place to work. A place where someone won't take advantage of her. Pray that God will lead us to this place, as we are trusting he will.

just a few things of what God has done this year.....WOW

So since the year is winding down, I have been reflecting back to all that God has been up to this year and feeling blessed that Greg and I get to be a small part of it all. Here's a list of just a few of these things.
God has
-rescued three kids out of the hand of a witch
-restored a runaway to his mom
-given me a miraculous 5 hours of clear thinking with my mom who has Alzheimer's
-beginning to restore a family in the Rio
-given the opportunity for a teenager who is deaf from the Rio graduate from beauty school. She just might be the first in her community to graduate from anything.
-brought many to himself through a saving faith in Jesus Christ
-freed many visitors here from bondage of things like depression and fear just to name a few
-done a work in our own family to bring about unity and openness that only comes through Christ
-touched the hearts of many to provide a new property and facility to bring a children's home with three locations down to 2 locations.
-supernaturally continues to heal emotional and spiritual trauma at the children's homes that we serve.
-He has been comforting teens that in return have been used to comfort other kids on two different mission trips
-given our family the opportunity to befriend three boys. And from these relationships we have been enriched.
-continued to do a work in our lives to show us the authority and gifting we have in Jesus and the Holy Spirit
It goes on and on and on. Praise God for the many things he has done and how we somehow get to be privileged to be a part of it in any small way possible.

Ministered by my mentee........

For over a year now I've been meeting with a teenage girl who is in our Hope Program. We often meet together to talk about it "all". Sometimes relationships, boyfriends, friends, family, school life, the usual "goings on". dreams and admirations. We pray sometimes talk about Scripture. I've come to really enjoy her and often look forward to our time together. Recently I had been going through a spiritual low. Like I have had a cloud over my head. Spiritually attacked I have struggled with my time with the Lord and holding up my commitments. One night I was suppose to attend a staff women party and really felt so sad that I new that if I had gone I was going to cry without the ability to hold it together. So I didn't go. However the rest of my family had things to do. I found myself alone and really feeling sorry for myself. Then she came to the door. My mentee. She came in and immediately knew I had been crying. After asking me how I was and hearing me out, she prayed with me. She encouraged me by sharing a time where she had fallen away from the Lord. At that time, God spoke to her in the shower encouraging her to spend time with Him. When she did she was covered with the peace of Jesus Christ. She prayed for me and my relationship with Jesus. After she left I knew that night I had been the mentee and she was the mentor. Praise God for how He uses us. I think that night we both felt blessed for the relationship that God has given to us.

"Bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes......."

This is Dalia and her grandmother, Olga.

Isaiah 61
The Year of the LORD’s Favor
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
God is in the business of restoring, of comforting, proclaiming freedom, giving a crown of beauty instead of ashes, giving oil of gladness verses mourning,and clothing us with a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Dalia, her two sisters and her grandmother were living out of a car a couple of months ago. To say her life has been hard is an understatement. But God has a plan for the lives of these three girls. In the only miraculous way God works He brought them to Manantial de Amor children's home in August and last night Dalia celebrated her 15th birthday in style. God had introduced this family to B2B and through which they met a family from the states some 6 or so years ago. Dalia, her sisters and grandmother were living in a poor community we serve and on a mission trip this family fell in love with the girls. God touched the hearts of the girls and this family and began a strong love relationship. Through the years this family was able to help the girls with school fees and necessities while visiting and writing back and forth. About 1 1/2 years ago we lost contact with Olga and the girls and it seemed to be a sad ending to such a great relationship. However just a few months ago, they fell on the hardest of times and showed up at Manantial de Amor. God is good and restores his own. The girls don't like being away from their grandmother however they feel loved with the MdA family. They also get to see Olga every weekend. Just last night Dalia was a princess for a day with the help of the supporter family in the states. Dalia celebrated a time that all Mexican girls dream of however not all get to have. Praise God that we can glorify His name in the great things he has done for Dalia and her family.

Prayers needed for Manantial de Amor

A girl from Manatial de Amor trying on a dress for her XV.
Here in Mexico the government is trying to better regulate the laws for children's homes. They are trying to protect and provide for the children better. This system was poorly put in place originally so all the changes can be both overwhelming and seem impossible. Will you join with us in prayer for Manantial de Amor and other casa hogares in Mexico as they feel the pressure to make these changes.
Pray that family members get the paperwork that is needed to keep the kids safe and provided for.
Pray for the workers that can feel overwhelmed to begin with because of all the work they need to care for the kids and now they are asking more from them.
Pray for continued dependency on our Lord Jesus Christ who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. As you can imagine this added work requires added money, and time. Manantial have already added 4 more kids to their home from children's homes who had to close because they couldn't keep up with what was needed.
Truly the family unit is the best place for a child to grow up. However so many of these kids would not have any place to be if it weren't for Manantial de Amor.
Currently they have children that were living out of a car, one boy who was living between sisters and unable to go to school because of the changing back and forth. God has used Manantial de Amor as a refuge from life storms and a light to guide them to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers.

So blessed by Michael

Luke and Mark are so blessed this year to have a male teacher. When you are in a large elementary or middle school there are few opportunities to have a male teacher. But with just two teachers in their school our boys have yet to have had this experience. We have been truly blessed as all his students are boys as well.
It has only been a little over a month already into the school year but you can already see the impact he has had on our boys. Mr. Michael often wears ties to school. The boys have noticed this and their first opportunity to give a presentation in class, unsolicited all the boys decided to wear ties.
Last week Mr. Michael taught on the topic of table manners. That night it wasn't me pointing out who was talking with the mouth open or not waiting to eat until everyone was seated.
Our family has been blessed in the past 5 years to be blessed with great teachers
Katie Housh (now Zayner), Rubi Moyer, Hope Maglich, Jessica Biondo, and now Michael Schreiner and Laura Westaway.
If you happen to be blessed with a great teacher I encourage you to take time out to tell them how special they are. As a parent I pray for others to be apart of my boys' lives. I'm grateful for the godly influence that these teachers have on my kids. Praise God.