Transformer, Ninos and Missions...

I remember the day when it was quite easy to blog and update everyone on the things taking place here at the Casa de Bendicion.  However, it seems like nowadays it is more challenging with every month that passes by.  Most likely it is because of the sheer busyness and chaos that takes place these days.  The month of September flew by, and now we are halfway through October.  Needless to say, all is well and we are very thankful for both the blessings AND challenges that come our way.  Actually, I should correct my statement, because we know that challenges DO BRING blessings!

Let me take a moment to fill you in on some of the things that have gone down the past month and a half.  September brought us another wonderful and fruitful missions team from Lowry City, Missouri.  Back in April, I was able to fly out and preach/share at Park Grove Christian Church about the ministry.  It was at that point that God opened the door and put together a team of 8 brothers and sisters to come down and serve with us.

We absolutely love having missions teams for so many different reasons.  It is such a blessing to our staff and especially to the children.  My wife and I love and appreciate the fellowship and encouragement that teams bring.  The focus for our dear Lowry City friends was our new offices.  The guys did a great job of framing the whole inside as well as laying out the footings for our new director's house.  The ladies stayed busy helping with the daily chores as well as paint projects.  Most of the team had never been on a missions trip before, so it was great to see the impact it had on their lives as well.

September also brought us 3 new children: Idaly (7 years), Angel Jesus (6 yrs), and little Gladys (3 yrs).  I was actually up in the States when these lovely children came to the home.  I took back the missions team to El Paso, flew up to Idaho for meetings, and then went on to Washington for our annual Missions Dinner, the NW Pastors Conference, and teaching at a wonderful church, Calvary Ballard.  It does seem that whenever I am gone, both good AND bad things happen.

One of those bad things was that the transformer at our well basically blew up, burnt out, gave up its ghost.  Fortunately, it didn’t effect our power at the orphanage.  It did mean, however, that we would receive no more water from the well.  We were very blessed to have the town water truck come out once a week to refill our water tanks.  So, even though we were without the well, we still had water.  Thankfully the transformer was fixed two days ago and now we are back up and running.  Thank you to those who donated to help pay for the fix.

Our newest additions are adjusting well.  We successfully enrolled them in school and they are learning more then ever before.  Angel and Gladis are brother and sister.  Both their mom and Idaly’s mom approached us asking if we could help care for them.  Like all the mothers, no fathers are involved in the children’s lives.  Both of their moms work full-time at an apple factory in Cuahtemoc(about 1 hour away).  These three have been a wonderful blessing to our family!

Idaly

Angel Jesus

Gladis

Currently, we have another missions team from Puyallup, Washington and Rio Rancho, New Mexico.  The four of them have been working away at our new offices.  They finished framing, installing the electrical and insulation, and are now finishing up with the sheet rock.  Their wonderful assistance has allowed our staff workers to concentrate on our new Director's House.  It is so exciting to finally see it coming together.  They are almost finished with the outer structure of block.  God is good!

The outer structure of our new directors home!