Last week Oct 1-8

It was a great week as our children both at AGAPE and Casa Hogar are starting to use their English word bingo games and also the sentences to further their abilities.

They have moved little Fatima into the nursery area so she doesn't accidentally get hit in the mouth while playing. So when I walked into the nursery she was playing or helping the staff with the little babies. Bu I could tell her little mouth operation was uncomfortable as she was not her bubbly self. But upon seeing me she flew across the room into my arms. (tears). I always tear up because of the horrendous thought of someone intentionally burning little Fatima at age 3. But once again thank you Doctor Saldano as we know soon Fatima will be just like any other adorable loved 4 year old.

But today I had my older children 6 to 14 years old do two sentences using " I can" and "I want". I giggled because I think everyone of the children when filling in the blank said "I want ice cream". Hehe. The level of skills are very different among the children. Some girls are brand new like Lupita ((5) & Amelda (6) and never have been to school. But some of my children are very bright. Today Elena (11) was the first to complete the wok and it was absolutely perfect. She has been one of the children that had attitude and demeanor problems. But because of the constant love and uplifting praise we shower on all the children they slowly come out of their shells. Even Maria (14) who has many emotional problems and has been shipped from the orphanage to AGAPE and then back to the orphanage again is making slow but beneficial progress. Of course as a teacher I have my favorites such as my two different Kimberly's. One I have had for three years and the older Kimberly for just a few months. It is interesting that both Kimberly's one I call big Kimberley (8) and small Kimberly (6) are two of the brightest children and also the most polite and sweet personalities. I am blessed by an assistant named Orley which is a high school teenager whose mom is on staff at the orphanage. Orley & Itzel are twins and they are gorgeous & bright and also are learning English in their schools. So helping me helps them.

I will add some pictures as soon as I figure out the process. Thanks for your comments & prayers for the children.

A great week

What a great week. Not only are we almost completely cured from our cough's but now no runny nose etc. Faye is completely healed and I have a slight cough (almost gone). The reason the week was so good was the children at Casa Hogar Orphanage are really starting to pick up English. I wrote a bunch of English words on the white board and various members of the class could tell me in Spanish what they meant. Wow, they didn't forget in our absence. There is hope. Hehe. Now if only their old teacher could remember the Spanish as easily. Hehe. I have started them on their first sentence i.e. "I can". I then put a bunch of action verbs on the board in English and they filled in the blank for five sentences of "I can". Then I had them tell me in Spanish what they had written in English.

We also found out that little Fatima (burned mouth) was going to have her second operation yesterday, Saturday Oct. 1st. This operation was to cut through the scar tissue and make her little mouth bigger. This will now allow her to eat with a spoon. Praise the Lord. I can't wait to see her tomorrow. And a big thank you to Pamela Thompson for coordinating and Dr. Saldano for the surgery and covering the costs. What angels and saints we have around us.

On Saturday we teach at AGAPE from 4 pm to 6 pm. We were blessed last week when a gentleman named Bob gave some brand new fans from his condo to AGAPE. So thank you David, Pamela & Freda for doing all the leg work to make sure we received them. We were surely blessed when we turned them on Saturday for our English and Bible classes.

People ask me all the time what we need the most. Well it is not hard nor real costly to fill our needs. The children (boys & girls) need your prayers at both facilities. Secondarily we need volunteers to help us teach. Our schedule is not demanding. We teach Monday, Tuesday & Thursday from 11 am to 12 pm at Casa Hogar and 4 pm to 6 pm at AGAPE Home for Abused Girls. You would not believe the difference when I can take a volunteer to teach simple English like counting one to ten and also show love and interest in that child. I will guarantee once you do it you will never be the same as they will capture your heart. Call me at 322-113-0205 or see me at church and sign up there. I am only asking for a little of your time and I know for sure the Lord will bless you mightily. If your concerned you do not qualify, don't be as the only requirement is that yous speak English. We have even used Herb with His Majesty's (Queen's) English. Hehe.

Twelve days

After one week of teaching Faye and I ended up real sick with a cold, fever and persistent cough for twelve days. Just now starting to get over it. We were so bad that the staff at both Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo Quiroz Orphanage and the AGAPE Home for Abused Girls told us to take a week off but it ended up being two. Just a little residual cough now and started back yesterday. The children have changed (to the good) so much in the six weeks we were gone. They are taller and also sweeter than I remembered. Maybe it is distance makes the heart grow fonder. I know that both Faye and I missed our children. Faye now has about ten in her class and I have about 13 in my class. Boy, if any of you love kids please volunteer because then the kid's English really progresses. We have some new children and I need some volunteers to teach them to count to ten, then twenty and also love on them. Our schedule is really not demanding. We teach at the Orphanage on Monday, Tuesday & Thursday from 11 am to 12 pm. I am willing to provide transportation arrangements if you are willing. I guarantee you that your heart will burst from the love you receive. We are only teaching basic math (counting and a little addition and subtraction) & simple English. No Spanish is needed but you will learn Spanish as you teach English.

Then on Saturday afternoon from 4 pm to 6 pm we attend the AGAPE Home and teach English and a bible story. Again you will be blessed as we invite not only the girls at the home but also the neighborhood children and also the mothers. Remember the only thing the Lord requires is for us to be available and He handles the rest. Call me at home 322-113-0205 or on my cell 044-322-123-0629. 

AGAPE

We returned to a very warm welcome at AGAPE and many of the children had been returned to their families. There are presently 16 girls from 8 to 18 years old. They have completed the new dorm and only a little work is left to do in the new bathroom. Faye & I then became very sick (12 days) of cold, fever and persistent cough & bed rest. So we missed teaching & tried to recover our health. Now finally on the mend with just the cough. Saturday we had a wonderful day at AGAPE. We had some new students those terrible abuse rocked us deeply. A child of 14 molested from the age of 6. Another child now 20 molested by a drug gang family since she was 3 years old. How can we allow this to happen. The world has lost it's moral compass.

The first week back at the orphanage

It was with great excitement when we returned to our children & staff at Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo Quiroz Orphanage on September 5th. The kids & staff swarmed over us like we had been gone years instead of six weeks. I had my little children hanging off all my extremities and smiling big smiles. Of course we we were bringing gifts for all donated through the many sponsors of the Lords ministry we call His Will,His Way Ministeries. My dear friends the impact you help with here should leave you also smiling. The first day we passed out gifts & food and just loved on the kids. In our absence some of the kids have been returned to their families and some new ones have arrived. The greatest gift God has given us is His deep unabiding love which we are then able to pour out to these damaged poor children. So my dear friends I challenge you in your walk to return what was so freely given to by our Lord. Faye and I need your support. What does that mean? We are constantly looking for volunteers to help us love and teach the children. So if you are here in Puerto Vallarta for a week, a month or a school year won' you join us? More to follow. God bless

Time to rest & take stock

It's funny how the mind & body not only craves rest but also just plain routine. After a very busy trip it's hard to slow down & take a breath. Face it we have been collecting thoughts & things for six weeks. You can't just arrive home and throw your bags down and say your tired because you first have to dig out your shaving gear. Then you wander around the house with Bella jumping on you & she is saying "Hey, you owe me as I was abandoned to strangers". Hehe. So you feed & water the dog & provide a lap & lots of petting. By then you have totally lost your momentum. Oh well,it's now 8 pm and it has been a long day. We grab a snack and fall into bed, suitcases sitting where we dropped them. And yes that includes our needing Bella planting herself between us on the bed. But who cares. Snore. The next morning I am up with the roosters & it's still dark. Let the dog out, start coffee get the shaving gear out and start the day to day routinen. Then it takes a few hours of fiddling (didn't know I was musical hehe) to get the computer working and all the good/and spam messages sorted. I then prepared breakfast for my ascending queen. Then it was time to dig in and put everything away thus achieving normal routine status. Now we have to take care of our personal accounts such as paying bills and going shopping before we dig into school preparations. More to follow.