Orphanage Land Purchase.

“It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.” (Deuteronomy 1:25)

Land for Future Orphanage

We've been working in Guadalajara for over 2 years now and we are so excited to announce that God has opened up a door for us to start building our orphanage!  We are excited to see the impact that this program will have for Jesus here in Mexico.

Our team has spent the past few years praying, serving, visioning and fundraising to purchase this land for our orphanage project.  Our nonprofit, Enfoque Ciudad, has purchased a piece of land measuring 1.24 acres or 5,000 m²    

The land is on the outskirts of Guadalajara in a town called Tonalá.  It is located about 5 minutes off of the main freeway, near schools, other housing developments and is located in a generally safe area.  It is near the Parque Barranca (park + cliff) Oblatos Huentitán and overlooks the Río Santiago (The James River). 

Thank you for your generous contributions allowing us to further this work in starting an orphanage.  We couldn't have down this without you!  

Check out the following 3-D DESIGN RENDERINGS for the construction:

Side View

Bird's Eye View

Street View

There will be 2 houses built for the boys + girls as well an administration building (kitchen, offices, etc).  Spread around the land will be: a soccer field, a basketball/volleyball court, swing-sets, playground equipment, a lake, a gated swimming pool, tether-ball court, wall-ball court, benches, hammocks, trees, grass areas, etc.

THE TEAM:

Enfoque Ciudad Team

In these past 2 years I have really learned the importance of a team.  We are all very different and gifted in various areas.  To be completely honest with you, I had no involvement in the land purchase.  And that is probably a good thing!  The team leaders (Darren + Justin) are amazing businessmen and are very wise leaders who took charge.  I am so thankful for them and how faithful and devoted they were to finding this land and doing all of the work in this process of buying the land.  I could not have done it.  That is why I think it is so cool to see how God brought together this team with such strong leaders and brought me to the team to help and serve them in the little things.

THE VIEW:

I'm not going to lie.  The view is breathtaking.  Many people generally think of Mexico as being pure desert and horses or as a huge dangerous city.  And yes, there are big cities here and every now and then a horse does walk down my street!  

However "como México no hay dos" (Like Mexico there is not two).  Mexico is an absolutely beautiful country.  I am so excited to raise and take care of these kids at this location.  It is such a healing environment and a true refuge for these kids who have suffered and been abused.

We have really been blown away at how gracious God has been to us in this.  And we want to thank you for how committed and faithful you have been in financial support and prayer.

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." 

(Philippians 1:3-5)

Valentine's Day, Transformation, Redemption

VALENTINE'S DAY:
In Mexico they celebrate Valentine's Day as "The Day of Love and Friendship".  We had a lot of fun with the kids.  We had a pizza party and made the kids little valentine's with personal notes.  They were so excited to read them!

Also, some of the kids made me little cards as well :)

For each kid's birthdays I try to take each of them out with a friend to the movies, coffee, lunch, or something fun that they want to do.  One of the little boys, Brayan, doesn't have a birth certificate and so he doesn't technically have a birthday.  A couple of months ago he asked me when we were going to celebrate his birthday.  So I told him that he would be my "date" on Valentine's Day.  So on Valentine's Day I took him and a friend out to breakfast.  They loved it!  They are not used to going out to eat so once we were done, he asked me "Where is the kitchen?".  I asked him "Why?".  He said that he wanted to take his plates to the kitchen to wash them!  :)  Too funny!  The waitress got a kick out of it as well!

Valentine's breakfast

JESUS ADRIAN ROMERO CONCERT:

The group at the concert!

Last week one of the most famous Mexican christian singers (Jesus Adrian Romero) came to Guadalajara.  We took 2 of the older boys, Christian + Nestor.  It was their first concert and they loved it!  We chose these 2 kids because we have seen the most transformation in them over the past few months.  You can really see that they are seeking Jesus.  Throughout the concert the singer shared with us about certain life struggles, battles, victories, etc.  Before the last song he shared about the importance of forgiveness and the role of a father.  This impacted the entire crowd, especially the 2 kids.  He shared how our biological father really affects our view of God as our Father.  He asked for forgiveness as a "father" to all of us, saying..

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to listen."
"I'm sorry I was there physically, but wasn't there emotionally for you."
"I'm sorry I hit you, yelled at you."
"I'm sorry I didn't provide for you as I should have."
"I'm sorry I didn't love you as I should have."

It was an emotional time for the kids.  It really reminded me that you granting forgiveness to somebody is you deciding to forgive and giving the control over to God.  For these kids they grew up being abandoned by their fathers and their family.  They were physically, emotionally, sexually abused by the people that were supposed to protect and love them unconditionally.  Forgiveness and redemption is something very difficult for these kids to grasp onto.  But these two kids really left impacted by the singer's words.  After lots of tears, hugs and praying for the kids we all left the concert transformed.

The boys: pensive and reflective after the show.

REDEMPTION GROUP/BIBLE STUDY:

Over the past year God has really put on my heart abuse victims.  I attended a conference last year put on by Mending the Soul about working with abuse victims and I am currently studying a Master's degree online in Family Counseling at a christian mexican university (in Spanish) that my dad has generously offered to pay for.  Over the past few weeks I have really seen that training/studying come into play.  A couple of the older kids we took to the concert have confided in me about their past and how they want to address it and seek healing in Jesus.  I had the opportunity to share with them the following verse:

Deuteronomy 7:7-8
⁷ It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,  

⁸ but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

For these kids it is almost unfathomable that somebody would choose them, that somebody would love them.  Their entire lives they have been rejected and thrown away as if they were nothing and had no value.  I love the translation in spanish because it says that the Lord "se encariño" (grew fond of you).  He did this because "te ama" (He loves you).  It really paints a beautiful picture of the fact that we're really not anything great or special, but that God sees us and sets his love on us and chooses us, because He loves us.  He keeps His word.  He does not lie.  He is strong with a mighty, powerful and yet loving hand.  He redeems us from slavery.  He redeems us.  

We talked a lot about what it looks like to be redeemed.  What it means that God is our Redeemer.  He pulls us out of slavery and frees us, but He also redeems us.  He gives us something better.  He gives us a purpose, freedom, identity.  He gives us a new life.  He gives us Himself.

The kids loved the conversation so much that they asked if we could do something like it everyday! This week I'm starting a "redemption group" (bible study) with them.  We're going to look at different aspects of God (His love, wisdom, sovereignty, holiness, justice, faithfulness, eternity) and how abuse distorts our view of God and the truth about God that we find in the Bible.  I'm excited to see how God will work in their hearts and in mine.

OTHER EVENTS THIS MONTH:

For Chuy's 18th birthday we went to a nearby college campus and had lunch.  After completing high school, he wants to study at this university!!!  He had a blast and said that this was the best birthday he has ever had!

University Visit

Playing baseball with the kids at the park!

Hanging around

Playing in the backyard

I took the girls out the other day to a Arts + Craft Store!

They had a lot of fun putting together a b-day gift
for their grandma (orphanage director's wife)

The orphanage directors-We took all of the kids to the circus!

Orphanage Family Photo!

Thank you for playing such an important role in the transformation of these kids' lives!

Also, check out other ministry updates on the Jesus Storybook Bible fundraiser, etc at: http://darrenhurst.blogspot.com/