Flexibility

God has been teaching me a lot lately about letting go.  Letting go and realizing that I am not in control.  This past month has been a whirlwind and has flown by.  I've had a lot of learning moments and opportunities.  Living in a foreign country is absolutely amazing and I wouldn't trade it for a thing, but it is not always as glorious as it may sound.


PAPERWORK IN MEXICO...
About 2 weeks ago I went to the downtown offices to renew my health insurance here in Mexico.  After traveling 1 hour to the office on the bus, waiting in line for a number for 30 minutes and waiting another 2 hours until my number is called to talk to an associate, I am told that I need to go to another office to get a few tests done before I can renew my insurance.  So I jump on a bus and travel another hour.  Ask 5 different people where to get the tests done.  They send me from office to office; nobody has the answers.  Finally I decide to go upstairs to talk to the director.  After talking with the director I am able to set up appointments with the appropriate people.  That day I left the house at 6am and got home at 5pm.  Just to do one thing-renew my health insurance.  Welcome to a normal day in Mexico!  Paperwork takes about 5 times longer here than it does back in the US.  I'm a perfectionist.  I like to do things well and efficiently.  God is definitely refining me and teaching me to simply let go of the things I cannot control.

SICK
Later that same week I got really sick.  Tortas Ahogadas didn't agree with my stomach :(
I spent 3 full days in bed.  I literally slept the entire day and night for 3 days straight.  I was completely useless and couldn't do anything.  I wanted so badly to go to the orphanage or El Humedo or to complete the things on my 'to-do-list'.  For me it was a frustrating few days being sick, because I wasn't being 'productive'.  But God kept reminding me that I can do nothing apart from Him and that it doesn't depend on me.

Later that weekend when I was finally starting to feel better some friends came over and made pancakes.  They also brought over a guitar and we were able to sing worship songs and praise God.  It was what I needed.  So reassuring to know that God knows exactly what I need even when I don't.

Singing worship with friends

7/11
That weekend I wasn't feeling 100%, but I really felt like God was telling me to go to El Humedo that Saturday.  My friends from church normally pick me up at the 7/11 near my house on to way to El Humedo.  So I got there at the normal time, but later got a call that they would be a little late.  Now in the US 'a little late' is normally 5-10 minutes, but in Mexico you never know how long; it could be 15 minutes to 1 hour.  So I wait and about 45 minutes later my friends arrive.  I'm not going to lie, even though I've lived in Mexico for 3 years now I still have that 'gringo' side that appreciates timeliness.  But God had a different plan for those 45 minutes.  I went into the 7/11 to buy a coffee for my friend and a little street boy, Alonso, followed me in asking me for change.  I told him that I could buy him something for lunch and he agreed.  After perusing the 7/11 for a few minutes he decided on a burrito, a coke and a candy.  A well-rounded nutritional meal for a 6 year old haha

We went outside and sat down on the curb and started talking.  Not 2 minutes into the conversation and his friend Christian comes over and joins us.  Alonso shares his lunch with Christian and we talk about their families, how they clean windshields to make money during the day, how they want to go to school, how Christian used to live in an orphanage, etc..  I shared with them about how I work in orphanages and how my dream one day is to start my own.  They were pretty surprised and asked why?  I was able to share with them how much God loves them and how He has also given me a great love for kids like them  My friends pulled up to the 7/11 and I said goodbye the the boys and we drove off.  Christian and Alonso returned to the streets to wash windshields.  As we pulled away Alonso jumped up and down waving goodbye with a huge smile on his face.  I'll never forget him jumping around like a crazy kid at the 7/11.  Seeing Alonso's joy in being able to have lunch and talk for 45 minutes really reminded me why I'm here in Mexico- to serve and love these kids as God has loved us.

Our team in El Humedo

EL HUMEDO

Some of the girls

That same afternoon we arrive at El Humedo and realize that we don't have the keys to get into the house.  So we had no way to get inside where we had all of the materials and projects.  And of course this day we are short 5 teachers and have twice the amount of kids as normal.  We don't have any of materials, arts + crafts, etc. to give the class.  There is a huge dust storm outside with dirt flying all over the place.  Despite the irony of the name of this little town "El Humedo" (Humid), this town is nothing but dirt and dust.  God is good though.  Amidst all of the craziness, He makes it all work perfectly.  It may not have been the class we had planned on giving, but it turned out to be one of the best.  The kids payed attention and had a great time.  Each kid ran home to bring crayons, colored pencils and paper to do the craft we had planned.  It was really exciting to see the kids come together and unite in working together in sharing their materials.  These kids literally have nothing.  They barely make it by eating rice and beans and yet they were willing to share their prized school supplies with the other kids.  

The younger boys + girls in El Humedo

The older girls (10+ years) in El Humedo

CONFERENCE:
Next week I have the opportunity to attend a conference put on by Christian Alliance for Orphans and Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, MX.  Speakers are coming from both the US and Mexico and will be discussing the following subjects:

• global orphan crisis
• fatherless generation
• child development in orphans
• beyond the walls of institutions
• children's homes in mexico
• the spectrum of orphan care
• helping without hurting
• panels of social workers + gov't officials on orphanages, adoption, etc.

I am more than thrilled for this opportunity to learn and network with other orphanages in Mexico.  I am also excited for this trip because two of the directors from an orphanage in Chapala will be attending the conference with me.

ORPHANAGE IN CHAPALA

As I mentioned a couple of months I have been in contact with the directors of an amazing orphanage in Chapala.  I visited them again this past Monday to talk with the directors and observe.  Thank you all for your prayers for direction and discernment about possibly moving to Chapala to work with them.  Every time I meet with them it is a constant confirmation that He is calling me to serve there; so many little details coming together that truly surprise all of us.  They have shared with me various needs that they have and what they are looking for and it is honestly scary how God has given me the various abilities and skills to fill their needs.  They have the same vision of being a gospel centered orphanage focused on holistic care.  Starting this week I am going to be traveling to Chapala every Friday to start working more with the directors and to start implementing a new program with the volunteers to train them on how to work with orphans.  This will be a great opportunity to start working with them on a more regular basis and to get to know the kids better.  My plan as of now is to continue pulling out slowly of my various activities here in Guadalajara; as I look for others to continue the work at Kids in Victory orphanage and in El Humedo, I plan on moving to Chapala to work with this new orphanage sometime in the near future.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

~Please join me in praying that God would provide more people to serve at Kids in Victory orphanage.  Praise God that He has brought this group of women (in the picture below) to focus on the kids' education at Kids in Victory.

Exhausted after a 7 hour meeting planning and organizing with these amazing women committed to the education project at Kids in Victory orphanage

~Pray that He would provide more people to serve in El Humedo.

~Pray for this transition as I slowly start to get more involved in the children's home in Chapala.

~Pray that God would open my mind at the conference and that He would provide networking opportunities.

~Pray for a project at our church this week.  Joni and Friends has come to our church and is giving away wheelchairs, walkers, etc to children and adults who live in poverty from all over the state of Jalisco.  This week I am translating for the different therapists and orthopedic surgeons who have come from the US to head up this project.

Maicol

'Calolo' came back to the orphanage after 2 years!

 

Coby fishing

El Humedo- building the city of Jericho after reading the story of Joshua

El Humedo- Carol drew all of the kids + names on the whiteboard