Sobre el Puente

Hello everyone, Rachel here! I don't have a lot of time this morning, but I wanted to give you a quick update on what we have been doing. In addition to hanging out with the kids from Casa Hogar in the afternoons, Rebecca and I have had the blessing of going to work at Sobre el Puente, the street child ministry sponsored by the church here in Acapulco. They offer food, clothing, showers, counseling, encouragement, and love to street children, generally between the ages of 12 and 20. Along with the hunger and health risks that come with living on the streets, these teens struggle with drugs, pregnancy, and lack of education, which makes it difficult to find jobs. Some have been living on the street since they were young children. However, in the midst of this bleak picture, I thank God for the compassion and service of the people who work at Sobre el Puente. This ministry gives hope to these kids' lives. Several of the kids are professing Christians, filled with the knowledge of Christ's love for them.
In addition to getting to work at Sobre el Puente, Rebecca and I were surprised on Friday by an invitation to go camping with them this week. After discussing it with our leader here at Casa Hogar, we accepted, and we will be leaving later this morning. We are going to an area about 2 hours drive from Acapulco, and we will stay until Thursday, camping, fishing, and doing other activities with the kids. This is an amazing, unexpected opportunity to interact with these kids and share the love of Christ with them!
In conclusion, here are some prayer requests: please pray for the street kids of Acapulco. God knows the plan that he has for each of them, so pray that he will work in their lives to bring them to Himself. Pray that God would protect His children from harm, give them strength to resist the pull of drugs and sex, and bless those who are trying to find employment so that they can get off the streets. Also, please pray for strength and encouragement for the people would work at Sobre el Puente. Their work is hard, and there is the potential for them to become discouraged, so pray that they can see God's hand in their work. Finally, pray for the camping trip this week. Pray for health and safety for everyone going, and pray that Rebecca and I would be able to use this week for God's glory, encouraging the staff and building relationships with the kids. Also, pray that we will be able to communicate effectively with our Spanish skills; street Spanish is very different from the classroom Spanish we know!
Thanks for all of your prayers and support; so long for now!