Benefit Concert – If any of you live near or would like to visit New York City, there will be a benefit concert to support our children’s shelter, Casa Hogar. The name of the concert is ‘Songs for Shoes’. We would love for you to be able to attend! It will be on November 8th at St. Mark’s Church in The East Village. Please let us know if you would like to attend or if you have any questions.
Elotizas
In our town there is an elote (grilled corn on the cob) season. It lasts about 3 weeks max before the corn gets too hard to prepare this way. During that time, Chuy likes to invite large groups of people over to enjoy this once a year treat. One of the groups that came was our church from Guadalajara. About 120 people in all attended, not only from church but also some of the youth of our home town of Camichines. We had a volleyball tournament and it was a blast! The next day an orphanage from the city came for the afternoon, ate elotes and played on the trampoline. In total on those two days 700 elotes were eaten or taken home!
Visitors
This month Lacy arrived! She will be here for 10 months! She is a huge help and has adjusted quickly! The Thennes family is also here visiting from McHenry, IL! They can only stay for a little while but we are thrilled to have them here!
Youth Group
Youth Group has been great! Last week, 22 youth (ages 12-18) attended! This was the most yet. This week we had the Ramirez family come from Guadalajara to lead youth group. It was good time!
Kids Club
Kids Club is also doing well. We have some new kids coming since we had Vacation Bible School in August. There are an average of 40 children that come every week. Wow! Those kids are sooo cute!! Right now they are learning about serving others according to Christ’s example and about being salt and light in this world. We always try to give ideas of how to behave like Christ. Please pray for the children as they really undergo much teasing for coming here. Our prayer is that the changes that occur in their lives will be why more children want to come and learn about Jesus and how much He loves them.
Construction
This month we didn’t do very much construction. We did work on the outer fence quite a bit, but that’s about it. We are trying to finish the fence before moving on to other projects because, if we don’t have a fence, Casa Hogar will not pass inspection.
Children
Please pray for the children who are in our care at the moment. Laura, Luis, Javier and Pati (siblings) have now been here over 9 months. They are doing very well and learning to read and do basic math. We saw Luis finally turn a corner this summer and become a bit more confident. He really is terribly nervous and always seemed afraid but we see much change in him, Praise God! We still do not have any birth certificates for them. This means that, according to the government, they do not exist. That means we cannot ever place them in a school (not that we mind home schooling), or find families to adopt them. Their mother disappeared in February but we feel she may show up when the new municipal president gets into office and try to claim the children. Please pray that all the papers will be in order so that she will need to get the help she needs before they even think about letting her see them. The new president of our municipality is one of the people responsible for the slanderous article written about Eirene A.C. (the non-profit organization with which we work) and Chuy. They claimed that DIF only took her children away because they were poor. This is not the truth, as you know. They were very neglected and abused.
Tessa has been here since June and is thriving. We are at a critical point with her situation (and her sister Hannah who is still with the Cummings family). It will not be possible for the Cummings family to adopt the girls due to the girls’ family members causing problems and not allowing the mom to get birth certificates for them nor sign them over for adoption. We now have to press formal charges for the abuse the children endured before they were rescued. Please, please pray the officials will see the truth, do their job, and allow the girls to stay here. The other options are that they will have to go to an orphanage in the city or back with the family that caused them so much pain.
Our Psalm of Encouragement in these matters…
Psalm 37: 3-9 - Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
Prayer Requests
Please pray regarding all the above mentioned situations and that:
We will be sensitive to following God’s plans and not our own.
We will be continually in His Word.
God will work in the heart of those needed to serve.
God will supply volunteers to teach, care for children, and most urgent, help finish the construction.
All will stay healthy during the present cold season.
God will heal Chuy’s wrist, Amy’s back, and T.J.’s knee.
God will bless the Cummings and their new baby with rest and health.
The new plant of the church in the city will go smoothly. For wisdom for the Robertson family in this process.
Kooky Beliefs of Camichines: If you eat cucumbers and drink milk in the same meal you will surely die.
Elotizas
In our town there is an elote (grilled corn on the cob) season. It lasts about 3 weeks max before the corn gets too hard to prepare this way. During that time, Chuy likes to invite large groups of people over to enjoy this once a year treat. One of the groups that came was our church from Guadalajara. About 120 people in all attended, not only from church but also some of the youth of our home town of Camichines. We had a volleyball tournament and it was a blast! The next day an orphanage from the city came for the afternoon, ate elotes and played on the trampoline. In total on those two days 700 elotes were eaten or taken home!
Visitors
This month Lacy arrived! She will be here for 10 months! She is a huge help and has adjusted quickly! The Thennes family is also here visiting from McHenry, IL! They can only stay for a little while but we are thrilled to have them here!
Youth Group
Youth Group has been great! Last week, 22 youth (ages 12-18) attended! This was the most yet. This week we had the Ramirez family come from Guadalajara to lead youth group. It was good time!
Kids Club
Kids Club is also doing well. We have some new kids coming since we had Vacation Bible School in August. There are an average of 40 children that come every week. Wow! Those kids are sooo cute!! Right now they are learning about serving others according to Christ’s example and about being salt and light in this world. We always try to give ideas of how to behave like Christ. Please pray for the children as they really undergo much teasing for coming here. Our prayer is that the changes that occur in their lives will be why more children want to come and learn about Jesus and how much He loves them.
Construction
This month we didn’t do very much construction. We did work on the outer fence quite a bit, but that’s about it. We are trying to finish the fence before moving on to other projects because, if we don’t have a fence, Casa Hogar will not pass inspection.
Children
Please pray for the children who are in our care at the moment. Laura, Luis, Javier and Pati (siblings) have now been here over 9 months. They are doing very well and learning to read and do basic math. We saw Luis finally turn a corner this summer and become a bit more confident. He really is terribly nervous and always seemed afraid but we see much change in him, Praise God! We still do not have any birth certificates for them. This means that, according to the government, they do not exist. That means we cannot ever place them in a school (not that we mind home schooling), or find families to adopt them. Their mother disappeared in February but we feel she may show up when the new municipal president gets into office and try to claim the children. Please pray that all the papers will be in order so that she will need to get the help she needs before they even think about letting her see them. The new president of our municipality is one of the people responsible for the slanderous article written about Eirene A.C. (the non-profit organization with which we work) and Chuy. They claimed that DIF only took her children away because they were poor. This is not the truth, as you know. They were very neglected and abused.
Tessa has been here since June and is thriving. We are at a critical point with her situation (and her sister Hannah who is still with the Cummings family). It will not be possible for the Cummings family to adopt the girls due to the girls’ family members causing problems and not allowing the mom to get birth certificates for them nor sign them over for adoption. We now have to press formal charges for the abuse the children endured before they were rescued. Please, please pray the officials will see the truth, do their job, and allow the girls to stay here. The other options are that they will have to go to an orphanage in the city or back with the family that caused them so much pain.
Our Psalm of Encouragement in these matters…
Psalm 37: 3-9 - Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
Prayer Requests
Please pray regarding all the above mentioned situations and that:
We will be sensitive to following God’s plans and not our own.
We will be continually in His Word.
God will work in the heart of those needed to serve.
God will supply volunteers to teach, care for children, and most urgent, help finish the construction.
All will stay healthy during the present cold season.
God will heal Chuy’s wrist, Amy’s back, and T.J.’s knee.
God will bless the Cummings and their new baby with rest and health.
The new plant of the church in the city will go smoothly. For wisdom for the Robertson family in this process.
Kooky Beliefs of Camichines: If you eat cucumbers and drink milk in the same meal you will surely die.
