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.

Home, how sweet it is

We arrived home August 9th, and Nirvanna and the kids left our car in the airport as they left when we were arriving. Thank you Nirvanna, Esprit & Ame for taking care of Bella and the house. Sorry you had some plumbing problems but glad Mario (our handyman) was there to bail you out. Hehe. Sorry that Bella ate your IPhone cord. Must of had peanut butter or something on it. Hehe. Thanks JD for allowing us to steal your family for 6 weeks. I hope it was as much a blessing for you as it was for us knowing Bella & our house were in good hands. I am so sorry to hear about the robbery of your home that took place after you got home. I guess you should consider coming here to live as we feel much safer here than in the states. Hehe.

Bella sure misses you guys. For the first two weeks she kept looking for you to come through the front gate. But now she knows you aren't returning and has returned to loving us again. Hehe. Know that you folks are welcome to come again to this safe environment. Hehe.

Napa, no wine before its time

Here we are once again in Napa as we slowly digress towards the Sacramento Airport. Kathy and Ted aren't home as usual. We let ourselves in because they have told me where to find the key. After a day or so they call me and tell me they are heading home from Oklahoma and would arrive in about three days. I couldn't believe it, they left the refrigerator absolutely empty. Some hosts. Just kidding, Kathy was afraid the food may get spoiled so she protected us from poisoning ourselves. But Napa is known for fine food and drink so we knew we would just have to go out to dinner and then go to a grocery store to replenish their larder. And Ted only left one beer in the frig. But Ted makes up for it in other ways as his ministry is to cart all our belongings and others to the many churches & missionaries throughout Mexico in his truck and trailer and won't even take gas money for his efforts. What a couple of saints they are. Kathy is a massage therapist and obviously gave both Faye and I hands on treatment to our ailing bodies. See I told you God blesses His workers.

Well after a few days it was time to sort all the stuff for Ted to take and for us to prepare for our journey home. So I got Ted up a 4 am for our trip to Sacramento airport. What a saint. On the way their Ted said I should figure out what kind of a used car I need to replace ours in PV. As you folks know our old 1999 Ford Explorer is starting to fade away as the cobblestone streets take their toll. We have received some seed money on our travels and now its time (if the Lord says so) to start looking for a car. Unfortunately, used cars are expensive in Mexico and it is required that we have a Mexican plated car due to our visa. So we are trying to find the best way to get a newer car and Ted is willing to help us through some of his contacts in the states. So we will see and will keep you all posted on our efforts.

Heading down hill

Our border is a lot more difficult to cross than going into Canada. But at least they didn't make me take my shoes off and fondle me at the border. Maybe they wouldn't even have stopped me if I hadn't put that funny towel on my head. Hehe. Just kidding.

Now the very long 9 hour trip to Roger & Clerese's home in Bend, Oregon. You remember the Five Star (5*) recreational storage shed for their motor home? They were waiting with libations and a wonderful and welcome smile as these weary travelers crawled out of the car. We were just plain beat. I guess it is a sign we are no longer as young as we think we are. Early to bed and off early in the morning for our long drive to Alameda to rest overnight for our presentation the next morning. Golly it is so great to once again be winding our trip down as the old horses look to return to their barn in PV.

Now the presentation at two services at our church which went quite well as they were eager to receive two of their own back in the fold. After the services we were made welcome to a prepared lunch where we were able to bring the members an update on all the Lord is doing in PV. Then after many fond farewells and hugs back to Alameda. Our dear friends in Alameda have always been there for us for over 30 or more years. Sharon is one excellent cook and baker and oh my pants are getting tighter & tighter. Ed & Sharon Glennen
would let us move in probably if they had any additional room but they already provide a home for Ed's mom and sister so I guess we will just have to put that thought on hold. Hehe. Sharon took her very long time girlfriend (Faye) under tow and shopped her until she dropped. Well now the time is getting short and the car is loaded for Napa. More to follow.