Hello. Sorry this blog post is so overdue. The last week has gone by so fast! Rebekah, Rachel from Pennsylvania, and our mentor's family made it safely back to the US last week. Simone, Beka, and Rebecca made it back from a successful camping trip around midnight on Saturday. The two boys who have been living at Sobre el Puente ending up staying in Guanajuato for an extra week after the others left, to continue doing activities at the camp; they should be back in Acapulco in the next few days. This is a great opportunity for them to continue to grow, and it shows how much they have already grown, that the Sobre el Puente staff now trusts them this much.
One of our teammates, Rebecca, has especially bonded with the kids and staff at Sobre el Puente. In fact, although she was scheduled to return to the US this past Monday, God provided a way for her to stay in Acapulco for three extra weeks to work more with Sobre el Puente. She will be moving out of Casa Hogar to live at the house of the Sobre el Puente director. I believe this is the first time Sobre el Puente has ever had its own intern. Praise God for providing this exciting oportunity for Rebecca, and pray that God will use her in these next three weeks.
Monday morning was a sad time for Rachel, Annie, and April. We rose early, packed our bags, and by 5:00 that afternoon, we were on the ground in Atlanta, Georgia. The three days that we spent at MTW Debrief were awesome. We reunited with MTW staff members as well as interns from sites all over the world, many of whom we had met at Pre-field Training; it was great to catch up with them and hear stories from their summers. During the days at MTW, we worshiped together, reflected on the summer, wrapped up loose ends in our financial paperwork, and listened to several lectures on adjusting to life back at home and sharing our stories in an effective way. We look forward to sharing some of our stories with you as we meet with you personally or in our churches.
Thank you for your support of all of us, through prayer, financial support, and encouragement. Praise God for a successful journey for the half of our team that is back home now. Please continue to pray for Rebecca, Simone, Amanda, Beka, and everyone else who continues to work in Acapulco.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Traveling tomorrow
This is just a quick reminder that eight of our team members will be flying back to the US tomorrow: Rebekah, Rachel from Pennsylvania, and our mentor and his family, Doug, Julie, Ruth, Cal, Drew, and Anna. Please pray for safe and smooth travels for all of them. Praise God that Rachel finally has her passport! And pray for them as they transition back into life in the US, reuniting with family, starting new jobs, picking up old jobs, returning to school, and processing through everything they have learned this summer.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
You can be involved in Acapulco
So, if you have been reading our blog for the past several weeks, you are obviously interested in what is happening in Acapulco, and maybe you would like to stay involved in the future. If so, I am going to share a few ways in which you can do that:
1. Pray- the most important thing you can do. If you are already praying for us and work going on here in Acapulco, thank you! Unfortunately, after Simone and Amanda go home in a couple of weeks, there will probably not be any more updates to this blog, but you may occasionally find updates on the Casa Hogar website. Also, there plenty of prayer requests for Acapulco that remain fairly constant:
• Pray for the city, that God will soften the people's hearts and make them open to the gospel. Pray for the church, that God will grow them not only in size but especially in their passion for Christ, that they can be a light to the people around them. Pray that the church would remain true to God's Word and God's purposes, as they are surrounded by many of the same worldly influences that face the church in the United States.
• Pray for the kids at Casa Hogar, that they would grow strong spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Pray that God would give them an understanding of His deep love for them. Pray that He would heal their emotional scars and would allow to grow into healthy, Godly adults.
• Pray that God would provide for Casa Hogar financially, that they can continue to serve these children.
• Pray for the staff at Casa Hogar and Sobre el Puente, that God will encourage them in their work, showing them fruit for their labors and giving them strength to persevere and trust Him when the work becomes discouraging.
• Pray for the kids Sobre el Puente and all of the street kids of Acapulco. For those who are Christians, praise God and pray that He will continue to grow them in their faith, give them strength to resist the temptations of their old lives, and give them the means to get off the streets. For those who are not Christians, pray that God would work in their lives through their circumstances and through the witness of the people at Sobre el Puente.
2. Another way that you can be involved in Acapulco is by supporting Casa Hogar financially. Through their child sponsorship program, Promise Project, you can send $30 or more a month to offset the cost of caring for a child. Not only will you be helping Casa Hogar financially, but you will also be able to pray for and encourage one particular child. Sponsors are extremely important for Casa Hogar! They help pay for food, clothing, and a quality education, from elementary school through university or trade school. For more information, go to the Casa Hogar website and click on the Promise Project link.
3. Finally, you may feel that God is calling you to actually go to Acapulco. If so, here are two opportunities, and there may be others that I am not aware of.
• You can come work at Casa Hogar for anywhere from one week to several months. You can come by yourself or with a large team from your church. You don't have to know Spanish!!! The majority of the people on the teams that have come this summer didn't know Spanish, and they got along with the kids just find. The kids actually know more English that they let on, and you would be surprised how much you can communicate with nothing but body language.
• If you are interested in teaching, you can come teach at New Horizons Christian School here in Acapulco. This is the PreK-6 school that many of the Casa Hogar kids attend, and they are always happy to have Americans come and teach for several months or longer. Once again, you don't even have to know Spanish to teach here! Laura, an intern who left a week after we arrived in June, had been here during the spring semester, working at Casa Hogar and teaching at New Horizons. She knew only a tiny bit of Spanish when she arrived, but she made a great English teacher!
If you are interested in these or other opportunities, pray carefully about God's will and contact MTW. They can help you plan a trip to Acapulco or to a variety of other places. MTW has missionaries all over the world (at Pre-field Training, we met people going to Wales, Germany, Greece, Kenya, Ethiopia, Thailand, Peru, and even an immigrant community near Atlanta, Georgia), so if you are interested in missions in any region of the world, they can help you get there.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for your involvement already this summer, through your prayers and support of all of us interns. We have all had a wonderful summer so far, and some of us still have a few more weeks to go! Your support and prayers have been an essential part of everything we have been involved in.
1. Pray- the most important thing you can do. If you are already praying for us and work going on here in Acapulco, thank you! Unfortunately, after Simone and Amanda go home in a couple of weeks, there will probably not be any more updates to this blog, but you may occasionally find updates on the Casa Hogar website. Also, there plenty of prayer requests for Acapulco that remain fairly constant:
• Pray for the city, that God will soften the people's hearts and make them open to the gospel. Pray for the church, that God will grow them not only in size but especially in their passion for Christ, that they can be a light to the people around them. Pray that the church would remain true to God's Word and God's purposes, as they are surrounded by many of the same worldly influences that face the church in the United States.
• Pray for the kids at Casa Hogar, that they would grow strong spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Pray that God would give them an understanding of His deep love for them. Pray that He would heal their emotional scars and would allow to grow into healthy, Godly adults.
• Pray that God would provide for Casa Hogar financially, that they can continue to serve these children.
• Pray for the staff at Casa Hogar and Sobre el Puente, that God will encourage them in their work, showing them fruit for their labors and giving them strength to persevere and trust Him when the work becomes discouraging.
• Pray for the kids Sobre el Puente and all of the street kids of Acapulco. For those who are Christians, praise God and pray that He will continue to grow them in their faith, give them strength to resist the temptations of their old lives, and give them the means to get off the streets. For those who are not Christians, pray that God would work in their lives through their circumstances and through the witness of the people at Sobre el Puente.
2. Another way that you can be involved in Acapulco is by supporting Casa Hogar financially. Through their child sponsorship program, Promise Project, you can send $30 or more a month to offset the cost of caring for a child. Not only will you be helping Casa Hogar financially, but you will also be able to pray for and encourage one particular child. Sponsors are extremely important for Casa Hogar! They help pay for food, clothing, and a quality education, from elementary school through university or trade school. For more information, go to the Casa Hogar website and click on the Promise Project link.
3. Finally, you may feel that God is calling you to actually go to Acapulco. If so, here are two opportunities, and there may be others that I am not aware of.
• You can come work at Casa Hogar for anywhere from one week to several months. You can come by yourself or with a large team from your church. You don't have to know Spanish!!! The majority of the people on the teams that have come this summer didn't know Spanish, and they got along with the kids just find. The kids actually know more English that they let on, and you would be surprised how much you can communicate with nothing but body language.
• If you are interested in teaching, you can come teach at New Horizons Christian School here in Acapulco. This is the PreK-6 school that many of the Casa Hogar kids attend, and they are always happy to have Americans come and teach for several months or longer. Once again, you don't even have to know Spanish to teach here! Laura, an intern who left a week after we arrived in June, had been here during the spring semester, working at Casa Hogar and teaching at New Horizons. She knew only a tiny bit of Spanish when she arrived, but she made a great English teacher!
If you are interested in these or other opportunities, pray carefully about God's will and contact MTW. They can help you plan a trip to Acapulco or to a variety of other places. MTW has missionaries all over the world (at Pre-field Training, we met people going to Wales, Germany, Greece, Kenya, Ethiopia, Thailand, Peru, and even an immigrant community near Atlanta, Georgia), so if you are interested in missions in any region of the world, they can help you get there.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for your involvement already this summer, through your prayers and support of all of us interns. We have all had a wonderful summer so far, and some of us still have a few more weeks to go! Your support and prayers have been an essential part of everything we have been involved in.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Another Camping Trip!
Hola! We have almost reached the end of a great week. The big team that was here this week has been wonderful; it is great to see them interacting with kids who they have built relationships with over the years. We know the kids will be sad to see them go tomorrow, but we also look forward to the arrival of another team tomorrow afternoon.
Tomorrow (Saturday), Beka, Simone, and Rebecca will be embarking on another camping trip with Sobre el Puente. They will be gone for an entire week, returning next Saturday. The camp they are going to this time is in the state of Guanajuato, north of Mexico City. This is a new camp that MTW missionaries are helping to build, and hopefully they will meet a couple of the missionaries who were in Acapulco with us the first week we were here, who are now in Guanajuato. This will be an exciting week for them, as they get to spend lots of time with the kids they have been getting to know all summer. Pray for a good week of fellowship and growth for the kids who are going, and pray for health, safety, and fun for everyone there.
Finally, be praying for eight Americans who will be leaving us next Thursday: our mentor, Doug, and his wife, Julie, and their four kids; intern Rebekah; and Rachel, the girl from Pennsylvania who has been here waiting for a new passport. It will be a bittersweet day for them, as they leave everyone here at Casa Hogar and head back to their homes and families. Praise God that things are almost worked out with Rachel's passport, and she should receive it in the next few days.
Thank you all for your prayers! We look forward to seeing many of you in a few weeks!
Tomorrow (Saturday), Beka, Simone, and Rebecca will be embarking on another camping trip with Sobre el Puente. They will be gone for an entire week, returning next Saturday. The camp they are going to this time is in the state of Guanajuato, north of Mexico City. This is a new camp that MTW missionaries are helping to build, and hopefully they will meet a couple of the missionaries who were in Acapulco with us the first week we were here, who are now in Guanajuato. This will be an exciting week for them, as they get to spend lots of time with the kids they have been getting to know all summer. Pray for a good week of fellowship and growth for the kids who are going, and pray for health, safety, and fun for everyone there.
Finally, be praying for eight Americans who will be leaving us next Thursday: our mentor, Doug, and his wife, Julie, and their four kids; intern Rebekah; and Rachel, the girl from Pennsylvania who has been here waiting for a new passport. It will be a bittersweet day for them, as they leave everyone here at Casa Hogar and head back to their homes and families. Praise God that things are almost worked out with Rachel's passport, and she should receive it in the next few days.
Thank you all for your prayers! We look forward to seeing many of you in a few weeks!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Great stuff is still happening!
Buenas noches! I am sitting here a few minutes before bedtime, watching Rebekah play cards with a couple of the boys. A large team arrived yesterday- 26 people! The kids are having a good time with them, and we made lots of progress this morning, clearing tree branches out of the construction area. A small team of guys continued work on demolishing a gate from the outside street into the construction area, and it looks like that will be done soon, so that they can bring in trucks to haul off all the rocks. We have teams now through the rest of the summer. Thank God for all of these willing workers, and please pray for the team's work here this week. Pray that they would stay healthy and be safe, especially during construction; that they can minister effectively to the children; and everything goes smoothly as they leave at the end of the week and another team prepares to come.
We have one update on Pedro, one of the boys from Sobre el Puente who we have written about before. He was living at Sobre el Puente briefly, but left after having a fight with one of the other boys. April and Rebecca saw him Saturday when they were out in town. They didn't get to talk to him for long because he was with a bunch of his friends, but they told him that they had missed him at Sobre el Puente, and that they hoped he would come back. Please pray that God will continue to work on his heart and remind him that he is loved and welcome at Sobre el Puente.
Finally, pray for us as we enter our last two weeks here at Casa Hogar. It has been a wonderful summer so far, and we know that God will continue to do amazing things in the next two weeks. It is amazing how quickly six weeks have gone by! Pray that we will persevere to the end and be content at the end of the summer, knowing the work we have done will be fruitful according to the Lord's plan. Once again, thank you for all of your prayers!
We have one update on Pedro, one of the boys from Sobre el Puente who we have written about before. He was living at Sobre el Puente briefly, but left after having a fight with one of the other boys. April and Rebecca saw him Saturday when they were out in town. They didn't get to talk to him for long because he was with a bunch of his friends, but they told him that they had missed him at Sobre el Puente, and that they hoped he would come back. Please pray that God will continue to work on his heart and remind him that he is loved and welcome at Sobre el Puente.
Finally, pray for us as we enter our last two weeks here at Casa Hogar. It has been a wonderful summer so far, and we know that God will continue to do amazing things in the next two weeks. It is amazing how quickly six weeks have gone by! Pray that we will persevere to the end and be content at the end of the summer, knowing the work we have done will be fruitful according to the Lord's plan. Once again, thank you for all of your prayers!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Sobre el Puente Update/ Introducing Rachel
Hola! This is Rachel. For the past three days, I have been going to Sobre el Puente, and I want to give you a quick update on how things are going there. It has been good to get to spend time with a few of the kids I got to know back at the beginning of June. Many of the kids that were there a few weeks ago haven't been coming, but in several cases that is good news because kids have gone back to live with their parents. The two boys who are still living in the house are doing great, but there is still no word on Pedro, who I wrote about last week. Andres came today, and he seems to be doing okay, but he still doesn't want to live in the house. There are several kids coming now that I didn't meet before.
I have a special prayer request for all of the pregnant girls who are living on the streets in Acapulco. Two of the girls who have been coming to Sobre el Puente this week are pregnant. One of them, who I will call Alejandra, has been coming with her one-year-old son and is pregnant with her second child. She is nineteen and works washing windshields for money at the stoplights on the highway. Fortunately, she has been living at a friend's apartment since the baby was born, but she still doesn’t have a lot of money to buy food, and she doesn't know a lot about how to care for a child. Please pray for health and safety for Alejandra, her son, and the baby growing inside her, as well as for the other pregnant girl who has been coming to Sobre el Puente and all the young mothers in Acapulco. Pray that these young women would come to Christ and be able to raise their children in godly homes, and pray for the wonderful ladies who work at Sobre el Puente, that they can give love and guidance to the young mothers who come to them. God really can work in these young women's lives, as shown by the life of another young woman who came to visit Sobre el Puente Tuesday afternoon. This young woman was coming to Sobre el Puente when I worked there back in June, and, she was in a situation similar to Alejandra's except with her one-year-old son living in a children's home here in Acapulco. However, I was trilled to hear her talk about Christ as her savior. After going camping with us, she went back to live with her parents. When she stopped by on Tuesday to say hi and pick up some shoes she had left there, she brought her son with her. Praise God for working in her life, and pray that He will do the same in these other girls' lives.
Now changing the subject, I would like to introduce you to Rachel from Pennsylvania, who unexpectedly joined our group here at Casa Hogar. Rachel came with a team from her church two and a half weeks ago and expected to leave after one week, but God had other plans. She lost her bag with her passport on the way from the airport to Casa Hogar, and, due to complications with paperwork, was unable to get a new one before her team left. Her mother and brother stayed behind with her for one week, but they left this past Saturday, hoping that her mother could better manage the paperwork situation from within the US. So, Rachel is now scheduled to fly back to the US two weeks from now, and in the meantime, she gets to hang out with us! We are all happy to have her here working with us, and we know that God will do special things with her in the next two weeks. However, she is several years younger that most of us, and she definitely did not plan on this happening, so it is difficult for her to be away from her family in a foreign country for so long. Please pray that God will give her peace and strength; pray that He will use her time here for His purpose; and pray that the passport situation will finally get worked out in the next two weeks.
Thank you for your prayers and support of everyone living and working here in Acapulco!
I have a special prayer request for all of the pregnant girls who are living on the streets in Acapulco. Two of the girls who have been coming to Sobre el Puente this week are pregnant. One of them, who I will call Alejandra, has been coming with her one-year-old son and is pregnant with her second child. She is nineteen and works washing windshields for money at the stoplights on the highway. Fortunately, she has been living at a friend's apartment since the baby was born, but she still doesn’t have a lot of money to buy food, and she doesn't know a lot about how to care for a child. Please pray for health and safety for Alejandra, her son, and the baby growing inside her, as well as for the other pregnant girl who has been coming to Sobre el Puente and all the young mothers in Acapulco. Pray that these young women would come to Christ and be able to raise their children in godly homes, and pray for the wonderful ladies who work at Sobre el Puente, that they can give love and guidance to the young mothers who come to them. God really can work in these young women's lives, as shown by the life of another young woman who came to visit Sobre el Puente Tuesday afternoon. This young woman was coming to Sobre el Puente when I worked there back in June, and, she was in a situation similar to Alejandra's except with her one-year-old son living in a children's home here in Acapulco. However, I was trilled to hear her talk about Christ as her savior. After going camping with us, she went back to live with her parents. When she stopped by on Tuesday to say hi and pick up some shoes she had left there, she brought her son with her. Praise God for working in her life, and pray that He will do the same in these other girls' lives.
Now changing the subject, I would like to introduce you to Rachel from Pennsylvania, who unexpectedly joined our group here at Casa Hogar. Rachel came with a team from her church two and a half weeks ago and expected to leave after one week, but God had other plans. She lost her bag with her passport on the way from the airport to Casa Hogar, and, due to complications with paperwork, was unable to get a new one before her team left. Her mother and brother stayed behind with her for one week, but they left this past Saturday, hoping that her mother could better manage the paperwork situation from within the US. So, Rachel is now scheduled to fly back to the US two weeks from now, and in the meantime, she gets to hang out with us! We are all happy to have her here working with us, and we know that God will do special things with her in the next two weeks. However, she is several years younger that most of us, and she definitely did not plan on this happening, so it is difficult for her to be away from her family in a foreign country for so long. Please pray that God will give her peace and strength; pray that He will use her time here for His purpose; and pray that the passport situation will finally get worked out in the next two weeks.
Thank you for your prayers and support of everyone living and working here in Acapulco!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Two weeks without teams
so this is the second week without teams here at casa. It has been busy that is for sure. Last week the interns who were at casa worked with and did activities with the older kids, while the younger kids were having their last week of school. There were planned lessons and activities. I think the kids most enjoyed our week long soccer tournament. It was awesome just everyone gather together on the cancha and playing soccer. The winning team was rewarded with a dinner out. ANd second and third place recieved small prizes as well. Last week we had special people arrive who are great for the kids and are gifted in talking with children. These two wemon are very gifted counselors and I think it would be great if we could all be praying for the time in fellowship and devotion that these two women are going to be spending with the kids this week. This week begins their devotionals everynight and talking with the kids. The past two nights have been successful and the kids seem very attentive and focused on their talks with the women. It has been great to be here watching God work through visitors and loving these kids. Also this week, the interns in casa have been concentrating more on working with the younger kids, since they are finished with school. Every morning its a different bible lesson and craft followed by game time and lunch. Devotions have been every night after dinner. With our time hear drawing closer to the end all of us have been sentimental to say the least. But we are continuing to pray for perseverence and commitment to loving and ministering to and learning from these kids for the remainder of our time here. Though our hearts are heavy, we continue to go through each day with a God's peace and a strength we didnt realize we had. This week has also been at time for all of us to think and reflect on things that have been happening and Gods work changing things and hearts this summer.
For those who have been going to sobre el puente, the ministry has been going well. Although some kids espcially need prayers, I praise God that so many more children have been coming to eat, worship and learn with the staff and interns at sobre el puente. Please pray for the both the ministries of sobre el puente and casa hogar and that God would be at work and changing hearts and providing for us all. and that we would have the faith and trust in his goodness and grace.
For those who have been going to sobre el puente, the ministry has been going well. Although some kids espcially need prayers, I praise God that so many more children have been coming to eat, worship and learn with the staff and interns at sobre el puente. Please pray for the both the ministries of sobre el puente and casa hogar and that God would be at work and changing hearts and providing for us all. and that we would have the faith and trust in his goodness and grace.
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