We're all here!

Another week has flown by! Beka, Amanda, and Simone have all arrived safely in Acapulco, so all eight of us are now together. We had our first Acapulco rain on Friday morning, amidst the excitement of the first World Cup match, Mexico vs. South Africa. We actually didn't get to watch the match due to a power outage, but the kids all watched it at school, with painted faces and all! The final score was 1:1, and we are all looking forward to the next Mexico match this upcoming Thursday.
Rebecca and Rachel returned from camping on Thursday. We had a great time, and were trilled to see God working in several of the kid's lives. During the devotion Tuesday night, several of the kids prayed aloud, and it was amazing to hear the evidence of their faith in their voices and prayers.
Yesterday morning we took 11 little boys to the beach and had tons of fun! We went to a closer, less crowded beach with smaller waves, so the kids were able to play and swim without any problems. The older boys (about 10 years old) enjoyed swimming and throwing water balls with some of the interns, while the younger boys splashed in the water near the shore, looked for pieces of coral, and dug a big hole in the sand.
Last night some of the interns went out to dinner with the only college-aged girl here at Casa Hogar for some older-girl time. This young lady has been a great help to us here. She has been helping us learn some Spanish, and we have been helping her learn some English.

Praise God for the good relationships we are building with the children! Please continue to pray for the children's well being, especially spiritually and emotionally. Many of the children have some family outside of the orphanage that they miss. Pray that God will comfort them and that they will come to understand God's love for them. Also, please pray for the financial needs of Casa Hogar. A decline in the Mexican economy over the past several years and the rise of education costs puts a constant strain on the orphanage's finances. If you would like to help financially with this ministry, you might be interested in the child sponsorship program, the Promise Project. As a sponsor, you can help with the cost of operating the orphanage while praying for and encouraging one specific child. Thank you for all the prayers and support you have given us thus far. You are a great encouragement for us working in Acapulco.

Pato Pato Ganzo (Duck Duck Goose)

Right now, the five of us (Rebecca, Rebekah, Rachel, Annie, and April) are sitting in the covered courtyard at Casa Hogar reminiscing about the past three days. We met last Monday in Atlanta, and arrived in Acapulco on Friday after a few days of training in North Carolina. We are thankful for safe travel despite the craziness that is the airport of Mexico City. The kids were waiting for us at the gate to welcome us in. Our first night was a whirlwind of names and Spanish.
Saturday, the English teacher intern showed us around the city and told us which buses to take. We had our first authentic Mexican meal and experienced Walmart, Mexican style!
Sunday, we enjoyed worshiping in Spanish and English at Jesus de Nazaret Iglesia (Church) along with everyone from Casa Hogar and the first short-term team of the summer.
Today, while the kids were at school, Rebekah, Annie, and April helped the team with construction at Casa Hogar, tearing down more of the old building in preparation for a new boy's dormitory. Meanwhile, Rebecca and Rachel went to Sobre el Puente, the street children's ministry here in Acapulco, to help them organize from the recent move to a new building. Thank you all for your prayers and support, and thank God for giving us this opportunity to work with the church here in Acapulco. Please continue to pray for us as we strive to break the language barrier and build relationships with the people here.