The Battle is the Lord's

Thanks for your prayers for my trip...it was a good one! (Despite coming down with chills and a fever for the second week of it...)

Feeding the horses at Middle grove with Matt...

Trying on Matt's snowboarding case at our family Christmas...

Bridesmaids waiting for pictures at Emily's wedding...

Regrettably, I did not do a good job of taking behind the scenes photos, so this is the best I can share.

The wedding was special and heartwarming beyond expectations. All my congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchel Cooksey!

Second time taking Megan to "The Hog Trough" for breakfast. Let's make this a tradition!

Justin's date...Bass Pro Shops of course and a quick look at the Illinois river.

I was blessed to spend my last weekend with Philip in Kitchener, Canada and flew back to Tucson from Toronto.

We visited a farmer's market, a book store, and his work. This clock at the Farmer's market reminded me of Dr. Seuss.

I learned that you take your shoes when you enter a house in Canada. However after reading the instructions on Ingrid and Joni's door in multiple languages, I proceeded to march into the house with my boots. Apparently I was more interested in the languages than the content.

"In Canada we remove our shoes to enter the houses. Please leave your shoes at the entrance."

Pau, Marce, and Nicole gave me a special welcome at the airport, and we celebrated Marce's first trip to the US since receiving her visitor's visa.

Second-hand shopping...of course.

My transition back ended up being the most difficult I've experienced, a lot of anxiety, depression, and basically Satan's lies.

After two weeks, I'm thankful to say that I have learned something more about my thoughts and the importance of keeping focused on God's truths. Also, GOD IS MORE POWERFUL! 

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

2 Timothy 1:7

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:13

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Romans 8:37

A few of God's many promises to me and to all of us!

There are so many thoughts that I could share, but I'll share one from yesterday. As I felt the burden of what I'm called to do here, the worries of the future, the responsibility weighing on me, I remembered the phrase from "What a Friend." Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer...

"So, wait...I can give my burden to the Lord. Yes, I need to be responsible in my work, but He's got it all under control. He knows the way ahead. I don't have to figure it out. He doesn't measure success like I do and what He asks of me is to be faithful in this moment. He has a perfect purpose. This is His plan. These are His boys. This is His battle." 

The same lesson we all learn again and again wherever and whatever God has called us...that our God is in control and we can trust Him with this moment and with our very lives. Help me remember this Lord when the future looms and when even the moment seems too big to handle. 

So praises for the ways He continues to work in my life, in Marce's life, in our house, and throughout CVE and the community. Prayers that I would let God fight the battle instead of beating the air with my own fists.

On Saturday, the youth choir sold breakfasts, so I spent the hours from 6-9 AM making pancakes...many, many pancakes.

And then I enjoyed them with Marce and my boys.

Saturday night we had some great joy building time with glow in the dark balloons, a gift from Kaleigh Schipf.

Speedie, Whiz, Zoom , and Tag holding their balloons on the couch.

They were a blast!

This week Bill and Joan are moving back to Peoria. So prayers for them and us as we all adjust are much appreciated.

Also an important announcement is that Speedie has become a part of our little family, so now it is Marce, me, Speedie, Zoom, Whiz, and Tag. Speedie turns 12 the beginning of next month. I continue to do therapy with him in the mornings and well, here we are, two women and four little boys, seeing what the next day brings...

The Leaves have Changed Color

First of all, I apologize for not updating for such a LONG time. In August we learned that we should no longer post recognizable pictures of the children here at CVE, so I have not attempted writing since then. However, we have adjusted to this new rule and I now have an abundance of "media-approved" photos I can share, so here goes...

I would like to introduce you to the three boys I help care for along with Marce, a single sister originally from Ixtlan.

Zoom (center) is six years old and has lived here for two years. He is in 1st grade. Whiz (on the left) is also six years old, has lived here for almost four months, and is also in 1st grade. Tag (on the right) just turned four, has lived here for four months, and goes to kindergarten half a day. Whiz and Tag are brothers.

All these boys have lots of energy, hence the names. Please come visit so you can learn their real names and faces! :)

The big boys gave us their old Tonka trucks.

They all love to color and draw. Here is Tag coloring while waiting to head to kindergarten.

Whiz built this impressive block fortress.

Zoom getting his hair styled by the neighbor girl.

Julian who works in the shop finished making this "comal" for Marce out of a tractor disk. Here she is frying up some "sopes." They are like little corn pancakes and you eat them topped with a combination of meat, beans, potatoes, chopped lettuce, chopped tomato, pickled carrots and onions, salsa, avocado, and cream.

 We are thankful to have a park at CVE now with two big swing sets. The kids play here at recess and it is a fun place to go to burn off some energy.

Heading on a picnic in the gator.

The end of October, we had our annual Chile and Pie competition.

Here are all of the pie participants. Marce (fourth from the left) won second place.

Marce and I heard of some rabbits in need of a home and we thought bunnies sounded like a lot of fun, so we requested three. What a surprise when four large white rabbits arrived and three of them pregnant females! Thankfully, we were able to gift two of the pregnant females to another home. We were left with a female "Florecita" and a male "Gasparin." Florecita gave birth to eight bunnies of which half have already "gone on before." Sadly, Gasparin was attacked by a dog. So we have been left with Florecita and her four remaining bunnies which in all honesty seems to me a much more manageable number. They have been a delightful addition to the family and have consumed many pounds of cucumber and carrot peelings.

Using our improvised marker board while waiting to shower.

Zoom and Whiz drawing while Tag showers.

Art and Twyla Schlipf, Carissa's parents, came for a visit in November. They are our boys' "adopted" grandparents. Grandpa and Whiz are building a farm in this picture.

I was excited to get the opportunity to try some rock climbing one early morning. This is a new program at CVE. There are a couple runs staked nearby and three or four out at a ranch about 20 mins from CVE. Various staff and older kids are in training to be guides and by now, nearly everyone has had a chance to try it out. This project has many goals, but a couple would be building trust and encouraging kids to face their fears.

I also need to introduce you to Speedie. Speedie is 11 years old, has cerebral palsy, and I do therapy with him in the mornings. Here he is riding during our horse therapy session with Auburn Beyer.

Reading to Whiz and Tag.

Tag (and Whiz) are both very affectionate, but definitely have their rebellious streak.

Hard at work on the homework. Since the start of the school year, Zoom and Whiz have learned to read. It has been exciting to see watch their progress and hear them reading signs and cereal boxes and syrup bottles. This week they each brought home a book. This is amazing considering that Whiz did not even know the whole alphabet in September. Spanish is a lot easier to read than English though. (All the vowels make only one sound.)

The first weekend of December, Marce and I had the huge blessing of traveling to Guaymas, Sonora (4 hour drive) to take part in a training along with eight other staff members from CVE. The training was given by Back2Back ministries (back2back.org). And I'm so thankful for all the staff who stepped up to take care of kids and other responsibilities so we could go. It has been a week and half since we arrived home and we continue to work at remembering and implementing the techniques we learned. We were reminded again of where these boys have come from, how we can give them tools to replace their survival weapons, and how we need to take care of ourselves, so we can be present for them in their time of need.  And we continue to learn.

The extra bonus was staying at a condo on the beach in San Carlos.

Sun coming up over the mountain.

The sunset across the bay.

Our travel companions (L-R): Jackie, Melody, Jodi, Geo, Marce, Pau, Me, Nicole, Bere, Juantan

Marce and I saying goodbye to the beach.

Sun setting as we leave for home.

 I am so thankful we were able to go for all we learned and for the relationships we built while there.

Bunny time.

The second week of December was Christmas dress-up week at the kindergarten. Here is Tag in his peppermint costume from day 4

...and his crazy Christmas sunglasses on day 3.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to witness God's hand at work in bringing Whiz and Tag into our little family. There have been moments of intense joy and overwhelming stress, but I know God has a perfect plan. These are His boys, His work and His plan.

Please pray for several adolescents here who have decided to give their lives to Christ. Pray they can break the bonds of satan, of their pasts, and the pressure they experience from their peers. Also pray for Marce and I as we work together, for our relationship and for wisdom in raising the boys. Please pray for God's work in the hearts of Zoom, Whiz, Tag, and Speedie. 

My Christmas trip is planned for December 27th - January 9th. I will be in Peoria for Emily's wedding the first weekend, in Forrest/Fairbury area the following week, and traveling up to Kitchener, Canada with Philip the last weekend. Please pray that I can enjoy my time with my family in spite of adjusting to the changes of six months away and that all would go well for Marce and the boys here at CVE. 

Expo 2016

Expo Esperanza 2016...here we come!!

Marce and Pau ran a fruit stand at the Expo

Cattle class

Tadi getting ready to ride.

Tadi didn't want to get on first, then he waved to the crowd and made them all cheer. This amount of attention brought about an emotional breakdown as usual, but then he cheered up, enjoyed the ride AND won reserve champion, much to our surprise and delight. He is very proud of his trophy.

Perla singing during the music performances.

Mani won first place for beginners in drawing/colored pencil for his colored pencil drawing.

And he won first place for beginners in Bread and Tortillas for his Empanadas.

Watching more animal shows on Friday.

Friday afternoon was demonstration, oral interpretation, and drama. Here two ballerinas wait for their turn on stage.

The 2016 Expo participants.

Expo participants along with the summer interns.

The prize banquet Saturday night.

Thanking God for another successful weekend of Expo and that school starts in one week. I'm looking forward to the schedule.

Please pray for Mani as he begins grade school, for Tadeo as I continue to do therapy with him especially for his communication skills, and for our household (Marce, Kendra, Tadeo, Mani and I) as we figure out life together. Please pray that God works His will in our lives and is glorified.