Starting off the New Year...

ORPHANOS:

I apologize for the late update.  This has been a busy holiday season as we transition into a new ministry and I wanted to wait on the update until things had become more official and finalized.  I am excited and proud to announce that Orphanos (a non-profit focused on serving orphans) has accepted me as a missionary.  I am now a part of the Orphanos family!  Please check out the website to see where we are serving and to read more about the organization.  http://www.orphanos.org/

It is such a blessing to see an organization like Orphanos that is so dedicated to serving and loving orphans and missionaries around the world.  If you are interested in supporting financially please visit the Giving Site.  The easiest and most cost-effective way for us to receive donations is through the "Electronic Fund Transfer".  If you have any specific questions, please let me know.

These past few months we were in the process of starting our own non-profit, but during the process we realized the great amount of time and work needed to dedicate to running the non-profit administratively.  I feel that God is calling me to dedicate my time to working with the kids and to continue networking here in Guadalajara as we seek to start an orphanage.  It has been such a blessing to find Orphanos who is dedicated to sending out missionaries and doing all of that administrative work of a non-profit FREE OF CHARGE so that we as missionaries can do what God has called us to do without being bogged down with admin stuff.  So 100% of your donation goes straight to the field.  What a blessing!

ACTIVITIES:

Michel doing HW

Things are moving right along down here in Guadalajara as Tania and I seek out new opportunities to serve and train with orphanages and kids in poverty. We continue to serve at Kids in Victory orphanage and are currently planning a meeting for this month with all of the volunteers at the orphanage.  We the volunteers to share about how they are serving and what ideas and ambitions they have for the upcoming year.  We want to unite the volunteers so that we can serve together and encourage each other as we love these kids.

PEN-PALS:  My best friend is a high school Spanish teacher and each year her students write letters to the orphanage boys to practice their Spanish and to get to know the kids.  The kids absolutely love having pen-pals!  Check out some of them writing their letters:

Coby writing his letter

Rodrigo writing to his new pen-pal

Miguel reading his letter

THE BOYS ABSOLUTELY LOVE DOGS!!!

Jorge

Luis

FUN ACTIVITIES THAT REMIND ME OF MY CHILDHOOD:

Pogs!  or better known as "tazos" in Mexico

Building forts with blankets and boxes

matchbox car ramps

fire pit-roasting marshmallows

Hanging out with Coby, Jorge & Rodrigo

With Maicol

CHRISTMAS WITH THE FAMILY:

Proud of my not so little brother

I have been truly blessed this Christmas season.  For the past 4 years I have spent Christmas in Mexico.  And please don't get me wrong; I love being spending the holidays in Mexico, but especially around Christmas it is extra special to be with family.  This year I was fortunate enough to spend Christmas in the US with my family.  I flew back for my younger brother's graduation from the Marine Corp.  It was an awesome experience to see him accomplish his goal of being chosen for the MOS Field of Intelligence.  I had shared with orphanage boys about my brother joining the Marines and they were honestly more excited than I was!  They asked me a million questions.  I think the Marines gives people a sense of belonging.  It shows them that there is something greater to fight for and strive towards.  It gives them motivation to go forward and to seek justice.

My family

The Marines and being a follower of Jesus actually have a lot of similarities if you think about it.  However one grand difference I noted: the driving motivation.  The marine recruits in boot camp are motivated by fear.  Fear of punishment and fear of humiliation by the drill instructor.  They strive to earn their identity as a US Marine and during boot-camp their drill instructors motivate them towards this identity through fear.

However we as Christians are motivated by love.  First God gives us our identity as His children; we don't earn it.  We are consequentially motivated by His love for us.  We are motivated to love others because we have experienced a love greater than any fear and greater than any love we could ever imagine.

Thank you for your constant prayers, support and encouragement as I seek to love these children as God has loved me.