Sunday lunch at CHD

After church at Douglass one Sunday we held a cookout for all the kids and any family members who were visiting. It was beautiful to see kids with their moms and dads. These parents don't currently have the means to support their children which is why the kids are at the children's home. On Sunday we invited all the parents to church! It was a great time of fellowship, food, and fun! Some kids with thier parents. Kevin and his mom!
B2B staff hanging out.

Provision and Peace

Many of you already know about the need that one of the homes we work with, ERJ, has. This children's homes recently lost a lot of financial support and has been going through a really tough season. Some days it has been hard for them to put food on the table for their 23 precious children. Last Friday myself and several other B2B staff drove 45 minutes south out to ERJ with two cars loaded down with food. Several people from the states had donated enough money for us to go and cook a huge and nutritionally satisfying meal for the kids! We were so privileged to be able to bless them so. We served spaghetti, fruit salad, bread and butter, and the kids' favorite...veggies and dip. I have yet to meet a young kid who does not like to dip things!!! We ended our evening with a bonfire and a S'MORE roast! For most of the kids this was their first time for good 'ol American S'mores!

Children from ERJ enjoying thier meal.

I spent most of my evening with the directors, Martha and Carlos, who have become dear friends. Last I had talked with Martha the situation their home is in was constantly stressing and worrying her. This time as we talked she shared about how this whole experience has been teaching her and the children such good things. "It is much different relying on God instead of on a person to supply your needs," she told me. She continued to tell me that time after time when they do not know where the next meal is coming from, or how the next bill will be payed God continues to come through. "He always give just what we need right when we need it," Martha told me. The sense a peace she has is incredible compared to the last time I talked with her. Praise Jesus! He is the provider as well as the finisher of our faith! Thank you all for praying for ERJ! God is hearing!

Martha trying her first S'more!

Beautiful faces at ERJ!

SMCA Slave Simulation Day

Over the past several weeks my students and I have been studying slavery and the other events that led up to the Civil War. I really wanted my students to have a clear picture of what life was like for slaves working on plantations in the south. I ended up creating a slave simulation day in which my students acted as slaves, their parents as slaves masters, and myself as the slave trader. I remember doing an activity much like this years ago with a history co-op I was involved in. I knew that if I remembered that day so well, that my students would remember a similar one too.

In order to give the most life-like feel I dawned some leather boots, chaps, and a hat and put on a real southern accent. I then preceded to march my students out to the "auction block" where I auctioned them off to very eager parents/plantation masters. From then on, the students worked at various jobs. Some hoed gardens, others had to cook and clean, still others had to sweep and bring water to the other slaves. The parents did an amazing job acting out their parts. As I walked around to inspect I heard several parents saying they were "going to eat some cereal while I watch my slave boy work." The kids got a very real view of what slave work and life were like.

"Slaves" lined up to be auctioned

Here I am auctioning off a slave to the highest bidder

Along with understanding slave life, I also wanted my students to experience an escape on the Underground Railroad. I had it set up with a friend to use her house as a stop on the Underground Railroad. She hung a quilt outside her house as a sign that it was safe for slaves. When my students got the signal from me they were allowed to attempt an escape to the UR house where they would then get directions on how to get to "Canada".

Hoeing the garden

Getting a dipper-full of water

Many slaves attempted escape, but were caught again by the slave masters and set to do even harder work. Eventually all made it to Canada.

Slaves hard at work

The simulation day turned out to be so much fun! At the end several students thanked me for giving them the best day of school ever and asked if we could have slave day again sometime... perhaps they didn't understand the grueling aspects of slave life as well as I had hoped :)

El Rodeo

Well, I just recently had my first experience at a Rodeo! Yee haw! I've never seen anything quite like a rodeo in Mexico... I mean we are talking there were cowboys, cowgirls, horses, bulls, and my favorite... bucking broncos!!! A B2B staff family, the Garcias, invited me to go with them to see their daughter compete. I had the time of my life! Here are the cowboys and cowgirls lined up and praying before the rodeo began... interesting! I guess this is what they do at every rodeo, kinda like how we sing the national anthem before our sporting events. I soon was praying for them too... bucking broncos can be rather dangerous! Take a look:


There were also some interesting events for the kids. Here is a boy racing a goat!!! Who would have thought....

My friend Cheque Garica and I watching the game... Luckily he let me borrow his hat. Before this I really did not fit in with the crowd at the rodeo. Everyone was dressed in plaid shirts, cowboy boots, hats, huge belt buckles... the B2B staff jacket was not quite cutting it :)

Most of the Garcia family, some of the teen girls from the Hope Program that live with the Garcias, and a visiting missionary friend from L.A.

We all ended up having a great rainy day at the rodeo! I was able to visit with the Garcia family as well as really connect with and council one of the teen girls living with them. This gal and I ended up having a really good conversation on the way to and from the rodeo. Who would have thought that a rodeo and counseling would go together!!! God is so creative!

Encargada for a night....

Tonight was the funeral for Fernando from Casa Hogar Douglas. Several staff members and a group of college students from Florida went to the children's home to watch the kids while the encargadas were at the funeral. I went later in the day after school to help out.... Man! The job of an encargada is amazing! There were close to 20 of us watching nearly 80 kids and it was a lot of work. I spent most of my time with the little boys. There are 12 of these boys between the ages of 4 and 8 and they had more energy than a bolt of lightening! I loved it! Most of my life I have been living and working with little boys (thanks Masseys!). It was a joy to jump right into the chaos once again. My new friend Daniel and the book we read together.

During the chaos of the day I saw Daniel sitting my himself reading. I plopped down next to him and asked him if he would read to me. We had some great conversation about reptiles and he told me about his favorite animal... the shark. After our reading time Daniel made sure to say hi to me throughout the day... I'm realizing how important it is to take of these moments to be one on one with a child even in the midst of chaos. I'm excited for this new friendship :)

After a very active dinner, I and several gals from the Florida team took the little guys to there dorm to get ready for bed. By the grace of God we got 11 little boys in and out of the shower (and they used soap!!!), dressed in PJs, and reading their Bibles before bed... we did have a little incident of a bloody eye after a fall, but besides that the night went seamlessly.

Group member reading to cute kids!

Reading in the boys dorm.

My best helper was Tere. She is 18 and has lived at Douglass most of her life. While she assumes the role of encargada, she is so young at heart and desperately wants attention as well...

Tere and me

Tonight has opened my eyes to the life of an encargada. Wow! What a job. I can't imagine doing that every single night by myself... and that is what they do. Praise God for these caretakers and pray for their strength and encouragement!

Francisco

Please be praying for us and specifically for Casa Hogar Douglas these next few days. Just today a man named Francisco who has lived at Douglas all of his life passed away. He was 41 years old and abandoned as a child because he had some mild mental disabilities. He has spent nearly all of his 41 years living and working at the children's home. Today he was out working when we believe he experienced a seizure, fell, and died. He was found this evening. Please pray for the near 100 kids at this children's home who loved him dearly as well as the encargadas who felt like his parents and friends. The kids are pretty much in shock right now, but I am sure grief will soon set in. When you live in a casa hogar with not much to do, it can be hard to pull out of grief and move on. Please pray that these kids are able to grieve in a healthy way and are able to move on in good time. Pray for us as we try to be of help and comfort. I am sure that Francisco is experiencing more life in Heaven right now than he ever experienced on this earth... pray that the children will be able to understand that and will come to know there Father in Heaven even better as a result. To Him be the glory.

Thank you.

The Marco Museum

Two Saturdays ago I got the opportunity to take a new friend to a contemporary art museum in down town Monterrey. Edith just turned 18 and is a apart of the Hope Program on our campus. She and her sister have been living here for about a year. Edith really wants to learn English and I Spanish... we have been trying to get together and talk... she in English and I in Spanish. I feel like Edith is someone that God has placed in my life for a purpose. I am excited as I get to know her more and learn who God has made her to be. I want to encourage her in who she is in the Lord and i His plan for her life. Edith loves art and is super creative. We had some great discussions about art and faith at the museum and during our Chinese dinner afterward. I'm excited to see her become the woman God has designed her to be.

Edith at the Marco


Mountain view from the museum