Rosi, a Single Rio Mom

Rosi and her baby.

Single moms have been on my heart and mind for a few weeks now. It all really started with Rosi. Rosi has come on and off to the soup kitchen for awhile with her three small children. About 2 weeks ago I sat down and started talking to Rosi about her life situation and her children. 

Four months before, Rosi's husband walked out on the family. Rosi has a seven month old baby, a 4 year old boy, and a 6 year old girl. Rosi, once a stay-at-home-mom, suddenly found herself without an income and in need of a job. She moved in with her mom, but still was unable to meet the needs of her small family. Rosi told me that she had gone to one of the children's homes we work with to look for a job. "I want to stay with my children," she said, "but that greatly limits my job opportunities." She went to the children's home hoping to find a job where she could work and care for her children at the same time. The children's home was going through it's own problems and was unable to hire her. 

"I want my children to be with me," Rosi said. I could tell from the way her children ran up to hug her and her soft responses to them that she really did care for her children and that they really did love her. Rosi told me that if she wasn't able to locate work soon, she would have to go back to the children's home and simply drop off her children. I told Rosi that we really didn't want that to happen. I shared with her the detrimental effects of abandonment on children and encouraged her to seek every other possibility first. I encouraged her to seek the Lord and ask Him to provide for her family. 

I began to pray for Rosi and her situation and began to think that she is just one of many, many single moms in the same position. Here she is a loving mom who cares for her kids, but simply cannot find a way to provide for them and keep them at home with her. How incredibly sad. I also began to think about the ministry we have in the Rio. We are ministering in the Rio community exactly for this reason: to support families and prevent children from being dropped off at children's homes. We do many things to help, primarily introducing parents to the Great Provider of their needs, and also helping with medications, food, clothing, and school expenses. However, when it comes to desperate situations like Rosi's, we really don't have anything to offer her. This has been bothering me a lot. Rosi is the reason I do what I do, and when she asks for help there is not much I have to give her.

Thankfully, Rosi kept trying and went to another children's home we work with to seek a job. There she was able to locate work and is now taking care of her own children plus 10 other little girls. I saw Rosi and her family at the children's home last week and asked how things were going. Rosi told me that she was still getting used to the work, but that she was thankful to be there with her kids. Praise Jesus that Rosi has a job and that her family is still with her.

My heart continues to be burdened for those single moms who are not as privileged as Rosi. It is not uncommon for us to receive requests for work from Rio ladies and single moms, showing that there are many women in Rosi's same situation. Nearly every week the children's homes we work with are bombarded with women who feel they have no other option than to drop off their children and look for work. I know that single moms are on the Lord's heart and mind as He promises to be a Father to the fatherless and the Defender of widows. I want to be open and creative to the many ways our Lord might want B2B to respond to this great need. I spent last week fasting and praying for our staff and our ministry. I'm encouraged and inspired with ideas of how we might come alongside single mothers, but ask for your continued prayers. This is a big need that I am convinced God wants to meet. Pray for His inspiration, creativity, connections, funding, and most of all for His heart for single moms to be impressed upon us all. He is Faithful and True and His love knows no bounds. I am expectantly waiting for His answer. 

Rosi's 4 year-old son, Efrain. 

Milagros Update

A few months ago I wrote about a Rio teen named Milagros who B2B is helping to support through cosmetology school. Milagros was born deaf, but has been excelling in her classes. Here are a few recent shots of Milagros at work at her school. Milagros is coming down the home stretch of her studies. She is finishing up a unit on hair dying and currently her biggest need is models. Milagros needs a certain number of real models to come in so she can practice before she will be allowed to graduate. It has been hard for her to get all the models she needs. These pictures are of Milagros dying Maru's hair (Cheque's mom). Please help us by praying for Milagros to get all the models she needs to graduate. 

Dying Maru's hair. 

Maru went for a new look with red highlights! Here Milagros is styling her hair after the dying. 

Maru and Milagros after a job well done. Maru was a trooper as it took nearly 4 hours from start to finish. It takes quite a bit of time because Milagros' teachers are teaching, explaining, demonstrating, etc the whole time. 

Milagros (middle) with her teachers and the director of the school. 

Introductions

I want to take a minute and introduce you to some of the sweet faces of the Rio. These are the faces that I am privileged to interact with each week. These are the faces of children, women, men, friends, amigos, students, grandfathers, mothers, servants, sister's in Christ, equals... who I am privileged to live life with, with whom I am privileged to serve, from whom I am learning, and with whom I hope to spend eternity. I hope you enjoy their faces and stories as much as I do :) 

Diego

Diego is two. He comes to the soup kitchen early with his mom who helps serve. His favorite thing in the whole world is a guitar. A neighbor made him one of wood and he joins in the worship at the soup kitchen with it. One of his favorite people in the whole world is Memo. Memo is a teen who recently graduated from the Hope Program and has volunteered his time on Saturdays at the soup kitchen for over a year. He is Diego's hero! Namely because he plays the guitar and has spent hours sitting next to Diego playing cars, guitar, etc. Diego has been known to even have dreams about Memo. They have a strong connection. We all think one day Diego will be a famous musician. Pray for him to reach the full potential God has for him.

Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn is two as well. She is Meme's youngest granddaughter and is often in the Rio visiting. She is the youngest of four girls all very close in age. Kaitlyn likes to stick close to her mom and can be seen almost any day of the week wearing pink. Pray for Kaitlyn to grow in the love and grace of the Lord.

Valeria

Valeria is seven. She lives with her mom, dad, and teenage brother in the community that borders the Rio. She has come to my class at the soup kitchen for over a year. Every week Valeria likes to show me the gaping holes in her mouth where she has lost teeth and then likes to wiggle every other lose tooth in her mouth. We have a running joke that one day she is going to show up at the comedor with no teeth at all! Pray for Valeria to know and delight in the Lord's love for her.

Don Chewy and Calet

Don Chewy recently became a grandpa when his grandson, Calet was born 5 months ago. Calet is the son of Lucero who is about to turn 15. Don Chewy lives in the Rio where he provides for his family by fixing broken trash carts. Recently Cathy and myself had the privileged to sit down with Don Chewy and hear his dreams. In high school he learned some woodworking skills. Fixing trash carts is not bringing in the income he needs, so he is thinking about a career in woodworking. It is sadly not often that I see a man in the Rio who has a dream and is working on pursuing it. Don Chewy is the exception. I spent hours listening to him talk about the things he wants to make and sell, seeing his examples, and hearing about how he is going to go about the detail work. It is refreshing to see him so inspired. He needs a few more tools before he can begin. Pray for Don Chewy's passion to last and for his needs to be provided for.

Eduardo

Eduardo is the oldest of three. He lives with his parents and siblings in the community that borders the Rio. Him and his brother are faithful attendants to the comedor class on Saturdays. Eduardo has a sense of humor and is constantly trying to play jokes on me. His smile is infectious and he is one of the few that has the verse memorized each week. Pray for Eduardo to encounter the Lord and follow Him all the days of his life.

Jesus

Jesus is 10. He is the oldest of three and one of my biggest challenges on Saturdays. Jesus is a roamer. It is hard for  him to sit down and pay attention. I've found the best way to keep him engaged is to give him a job and make him a helper in the class. Jesus has a beautiful smile and likes to accompany me to go invite the kids each week. His mom is worried about him as he enters his pre-teen years. Jesus has a call and purpose on this earth. Pray for him to follow the Lord and not get sucked into the world.

Monse

Monse is one of my best friends in the Rio. She is seven and can be quite a handful, but I find myself constantly drawn to her. Monse is a middle child, sandwiched between an older sister and younger twin sisters. Sometimes I think Monse feels forgotten.  She likes to help her mom with her younger sisters and is often seen riding her bike to and from the small neighborhood store.  Monse has trouble in school and often fights with the other kids. She often acts out negatively to get attention, but deep inside she has a soft heart. Monse loves to sit on my lap during worship, or hold my hand. I know God is fighting for her heart. Pray for Monse. Pray that she surrenders to the Lord and comes to trust Him as her Father. Pray for Monse's mom to give her the attention that she needs. Pray for Monse's heart to be whole.

Frida

Frida is a beautiful child. She has green-brown eyes that seem uncommon in a country of predominantly black or brown eyes. She is the youngest of three girls. This past fall I was invited to her house for lunch one Sunday. She showed me the video of her kindergarten graduation, the blue dress she wore, and the dance she did. Precious! Recently Frida's father left their family. They are living with an uncle nearby and her mom has had to seek work. Please keep Frida and her family in your prayers. Pray that they find their hope in the Lord and encouragement from Him.

Fernando

Fernando is Meme's brother. He has helped serve in the soup kitchen for about a year now. His specialty is salsa and he takes great pride in making it. We had Fernando teach a salsa making class to a group from the States. I was surprised at how much he knew about the history of the chilies. If you come to the comedor you need to  try Fernando's salsa. In this picture Fernando was introducing me to his oldest granddaughter. He has around 14 grandkids. He likes to update me on their lives often, but this was one of the first times I actually met one of his grandkids. Pray for Fernando to know and believe the love the Lord has for Him. Pray for him to know in the depths of his heart that it is Jesus' blood that saves, not any good work that he can do.

Chofero

Chofero is one of the oldest in the Rio community. He lives rather far from the soup kitchen and because of his health rarely makes it up for a service. Chofero has a colostomy bag and often complains of knee pain. Every time we take a group with us to go invite we try to stop by and encourage Chofero with a prayer. Chofer's wife works collecting trash to support the family and his children sometimes come to the soup kitchen classes. Just looking at Chofero's face you can tell that he has stories to tell and has lived through much. Pray for complete healing to come to Chofero. Pray for strength for his wife and children. Pray for them to enter into relationship with Christ, if they don't know Him already. 

These are just a FEW of the Rio faces. Please use this entry to pray for these ones specifically. We can't fathom how much Jesus cares about each and every one. Thank you. 

Rio Christmas Party

I know this is long overdue, but here are a few shots from the Christmas party we hosted at the Rio! We had quite the turnout with nearly 100 kids and over 50 women. We were joined by a local church who provided worship and teaching for the adults. What a great day! 

A women in worship

Priscila teaching the youngest kids about the Nativity

A Nativity play put on by B2B staff and jovenes. Here Mary and Joseph celebrate their baby boy. 

As a continuation to the Nativity story, we showed the Children how Jesus grew up and conquered evil. This is the same skit we did with the children's homes in Cancun. 

Priscila gives the Gospel message to the kids. 

Our yummy Christmas meal!

All the kids lined up for a swing at the piñata. 

We were blessed with the resources to give each person a gift to take home. Here are some Hope Program students handing out the presents.