How much do I love you?

Growing up whenever I ended a phone conversation with my dad or if he tucked me into bed, he would always ask me, "Boo, how much do I love you?"  And I would respond "More than anything in the whole wide world."

They are little things like that from your past that stick with you.  The nicknames.  The expression of love.  The little inside jokes. The "one on one" time.

I'm feel like I'm really learning how to build these types of relationships with the kids here at the orphanage: Niños en Victoria.  

Robby is one of the cutest little boys I have ever met.  He is pure sticks and bones, but has the cutest smile ever. He came to the orphanage wearing dirty rags for clothes, smelled of body odor, had over 300 lice in his hair, and hadn't eaten in a while.  He said the most horrible words you can imagine.  He flicked people off.  Bit people.  Spit in faces. Smacked girls butts.  You name it and he did it.  He has come from a background of abuse and violence, but God has truly done a work in his life and has changed him.

Earlier today I was at the orphanage in the office working on organizing the kids' legal paperwork and one of the older boys brought in Robby crying.  Apparently one of the boys had hit Robby in the head.  He couldn't stop crying.  I didn't know what to do.  I didn't know what to say to him.  So I just picked him up and hugged him.  He is small enough that I was able to sit down and cradle him like a baby.  I sat there with him on my lap crying for a good 10 minutes and I prayed for him out loud.  After praying he looked up at me and smiled.  I told him that I loved him.  And I asked him "How much do I love you?"  And then I explained to him how I love him more than anything in the whole wide world.  Then I told him that Jesus loves him more than anything else in the whole wide world too.  And I closed off the conversation by asking Robby, "Who is in my heart?"  And I think he got it, because he told me, "Robby and Jesus!" :D

It is so much fun to build these relationships with these kids and truly learn how to love them and help them grow.

We are learning so much on the administrative end of how to run a "casa hogar" (orphanage), but I feel that they are the experiences like this one that happen daily that fill me with the joy and excitement of being able to have our own "casa hogar" shortly down the road!

Thank you for your prayers and financial support that allow for me to serve here in Guadalajara!

A New Year, A New Stage

I am so excited for what this new year has to bring!  We are really starting to find and discover new ways that we can receive training to start our orphanage.  The past 8 months have been focused on really getting our hands dirty in learning how to take care of children.  We have been helping out in 2 boys orphanages (Niños en Victoria and Ministerios de Amor) learning how to raise, correct, teach, etc.

These next 8 months we are striving to focus on some of the other aspects of running an orphanage as well.  We will be helping in the same 2 orphanages, but we will also be going to a girls orphanage (Kamami).  This will be a great experience in working with girls and learning how to raise girls to become women of God.

We are also going to focus on reading various books/articles/sermons on raising children/youth in the Lord such as: Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, Instructing a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, Bringing up Girls by Dr. James Dobson, Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, the Celebrating, Instructing, Educating, and Correcting Children sermon series by Mark Driscoll, etc.  If you have any suggestions on material to study, please let me know (erika@enfoqueciudad.org)

We recently finished a diploma course (with Consejo Estatal-State Board/Council) on how to work with children who have experienced violence and we are going to start taking other courses with different government and non-government associations: Vivir para Compartir (a non-profit that offers courses to other nonprofits), DIF (protection of children's rights), Consejo Estatal (state board/council), IJAS (Institute of Social Assistance to the state of Jalisco), etc.  These courses range from how to manage a non-profit in Mexico, the rights of children, orientation to the family, working with children from the streets, etc.

We are also in the process of designing the orphanage that we are starting.  It is such an exciting time of really planning and organizing what we want it to look like.  We are able to design it so that these children will feel like they are at home with their family rather than designing it as an institution.  We are able to take what we have seen at the various orphanages we have visited and change/adapt certain aspects to our design.  We are designing bedrooms, bathrooms, study rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens, offices, soccer fields, basketball courts.  It is so much fun to really start working on our project by pulling together all that we have seen in our attempt to make a home for these children where they feel safe, welcome, and most importantly where they are loved and truly experience the love, grace and truth of Jesus.

Thank you all again for supporting and praying for us down here in the Lord's work of caring for orphans.

Here is a fun video of one of the kids I am blessed to work with daily!

Feliz Navidad!

Feliz Navidad!  Merry Christmas!

Christmas down here in México has been so much fun this year!  Although it is different being away from family and friends in the US, we have had such a blast here with all of the kids at Niños en Victoria!

La Cena Navideña (Christmas Dinner):
For the first time in my life I prepared Christmas Dinner!  For 30+ people!  In less than 4 hours our team prepared: 2 turkeys, 1 ham, mashed potatoes, corn, french bread and a cake for all of the kids and workers at Niños en Victoria!  It was such a blast cooking for the kids a real Christmas dinner!  There is a Mexican saying "Ya estás lista para casarte." "You're now ready to get married."  And basically they say that to you when you know how to cook a good meal.  All of the kids told me that on Christmas night!  I loved it!  So apparently, I'm now ready to get married... haha ;)

Posadas, Posadas, y Más Posadas (Parties, Parties and More Parties):
The kids have been celebrating Christmas for about 2 weeks now!  They have had about 2+ parties daily!  These parties include piñatas, candy bags, gifts, and amazing food!  These kids have a better Christmas than I ever had growing up!  Christmas parties daily with 30 siblings!  I love it!

Christmas Gifts:
We've been planning a "Christmas Project" in trying to get some basic things that the kids at the orphanage need and God provided!!!
-new bunk beds + new mattresses
-new sheets, new pillows, new down comforters
-new lockers
-basic cleaning supplies for the orphanage (toilet paper, trash bags, etc)

The kids are so excited!  Before there were a bunch of kids sleeping on the floor and a lot of them without blankets.  Also, there was always the problem in the orphanage of kids losing and/or stealing other kids' things, because they have never had a special place for them to store their own stuff.  So we were able to buy them each a locker where they can store their clothes, new Christmas gifts, etc.  The kids are so excited to really have a place that is "their own"!

Also, the surprise Christmas gift of the year was 2 goats!  hahahahaha Only in Mexico does a father give his 5 year old son 2 goats for Christmas!  The goats have been running around the patio since Christmas Eve.  There are just some things that I'll never understand about Mexico!  :D

Once a year vs. Throughout the Year
These kids have been so blessed this Christmas!  Numerous groups have come to visit and be with the kids and give them gifts, but one group has really stuck out to me.  Every Saturday at 2pm a family comes to the orphanage.  52 Saturdays a year.  They never miss a week.  They come to spend time with the kids and to serve them the "comida" (the biggest meal of the day).  They buy and prepare the food and desserts and drinks and everything.  And they serve the kids.  Every week.  This family is so dedicated to these kids.  They have been coming for a few years now and have really immersed themselves into these kids' lives.

Yes, the groups that came for Christmas have really blessed the kids and it has been great, but I was really challenged by this family that comes weekly.  They are committed.  Even though it may be difficult at times, they are committed to loving and blessing these 30 kids.

Thank you all for being so committed to supporting me financially and prayerfully.  Even though it may be difficult for you at times, I truly appreciate your commitment.  I appreciate your commitment to sending me down here to Guadalajara to start an orphanage.  God sees your heart and your commitment.

"You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." 

Psalm 139:1-6

Martial Arts Class with the Kids!

Internship @ Pan de Vida in Querétaro, México

We recently returned to Guadalajara from a 3-day internship at another Christian orphanage in México.  We traveled to Querétaro which is about 4 hours away from Guadalajara to visit an orphanage called Pan de Vida (Bread of Life).  The orphanage has about 80 boys and girls.

This is one of the best run orphanages that I have seen.  They are so organized and orderly.  The majority of the orphanages that I've been to are either super organized with a very strict regiment and almost military style schedule or the complete opposite with no structure at all.  We want our orphanage to have a healthy balance between the two styles.  We want structure, order and organization, but also want it to be balanced with times to relax and hang out as a family and bond.

The first night at this orphanage was what most impacted me.  I got to spend the night with the girls.  One thing that I definitely miss is working with girls (the 2 orphanages we work with in Guadalajara are all boys).  Before going to bed, we all stood in a circle and held hands and took turns praying.  It was so amazing to get to hear a little 5 year old girl pray.  The prayers of a child are so simple but are truly from the heart.  I loved it.  And then one of the girls wanted to sing, so we started to sing with all of the girls for a good 30-45 minutes.  It was so much fun.  After singing one of the older girls said that we should all sit down and share our life-stories.  So we all sat down in the circle and went around sharing about our pasts and how God has changed our lives.

We sat in a circle.  5 year old girls. 10 year old girls.  18 year old girls.  All of them so different.  Coming from different pasts.  Some of them raped as young girls.  Some of them beaten by their parents.  Some of their parents in prison.  Grew up in poverty.  But all of them one family.  In all of these girls you can see one thing in common.  The presence of Jesus in their hearts.  I have never seen children like this.  Children who really love Jesus.  God is truly working in their hearts.  His work is evident in their lives.  These girls are real.  They are genuine.  I walked out that night talking with the other girls on my team and I kept repeating that "these girls are so real".  My teammates laughed at me.  But it is true.  These girls are real.  They are transparent.  They are genuine.

During the trip we were also able to make contact with another Christian orphanage in another city about 2 hours away from Guadalajara.  They invited us to do an internship with them, most likely in January.  Overall this trip was incredible for us to really continue forming our vision of how we want our orphanage to look like.  Taking the pros and cons of each orphanage and mixing together what we feel is best and most effective for the children.