And Can it Be?

Last Sunday was our last choir performance before summer vacation. Our first song, "And Can it Be?" states,

I do not understand, How can it be?

Amazing love, how can it be?

That I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood

Died he for me who caused his pain?

For me who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love, how can it be?

That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left his Father's throne above

So free, so infinite his grace

Emptied himself of all but love

And bled for Adam's helpless race

Tis mercy all, immense and free

For, oh my God, it found out me.

How can it be?

Amazing love, how can it be?

How can it be? Verse 1

How can it be? Verse 2

Our last song, "Fear Not" states, "Fear not, be strong and brave, God goes with you; every day he is true. He doesn't desert us; do not be afraid, He doesn't desert us; do not be afraid. 

In the midst of trouble, He will go with you. And in every moment, He will protect you. He doesn't desert us; do not be afraid. He doesn't desert us; do not be afraid."

Fear Not

Praise the Lord for how He is working in the hearts of these young people. Last night was graduation, and a young lady graduating 9th grade (last year of Junior High in Mexico) broke down in tears as she shared how in the past year she gave her heart to Jesus. She expressed the thankfulness she feels for that and to all those who have supported her. Praise the Lord!

Please pray for the upcoming two weeks. Marce will be traveling to Ixtlan area to visit her family, leaving June 30th and returning July 14th. I am thankful that I have not been anxious about her absence yet, but I anticipate a tiring two weeks. This will be her first two weeks away since last August when Whiz and Tag arrived. Pray she can be refreshed and that I can feel God with me and the boys here at CVE. 

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.

We are perplexed, but not in despair.

Persecuted, but not forsaken.

Cast down, but not destroyed."

Praying I can remember to live by these verses and when I feel perplexed and cast down, to know that I am not forsaken nor destroyed.

El Cerro De la Ventana

I discovered after our hike that the mountain is actually nameless, but I will always think of it as El Cerro de la Ventana. The first time I hiked it was probably in 2006 with my dad, Emily and a friend of my fathers, Carlos, with his two sons. 

Each summer for the last two summers I have made an attempt to climb it. The first time I overslept and the second time we broke a key. That is the short, short version. 

So when my sister Emily and her husband Mitchel made plans to come the end of June I decided to try again. This time it was a success! 

We left around 4 am and drove about 20 min. on back roads to get closer to the mountain. These are the lights of Magdalena as seen from the foot of the mountain.

Coming up to the cliff, the path grew steeper.

Looking at the distant mountains through the brush.

We clambered and slipped and fell and laughed and laughed some more. 

The other side of the mountain. It's a new view, a new world to explore...more wilderness...

Sitting on top, with Magdalena in the valley behind us.

CVE from the summit.

We "rode" our walking sticks partway down the mountain it was so steep.

Riding in the jeep was part of the experience.

Good-bye til next time Mountain of the Window!

Winter's waining, Spring is gaining

Homework...this time it was a color by number with sums, usually it's a book to read.

Speedie cheering on the knock-out game.

I was thankful for a visit from my family in early February. Grandpa Ricketts, Mom, Gary, Philip and Megan were all here. We had supper together and the boys played checkers.

I didn't get very many good photos of their visit. (Seems to be common problem. Sometimes I fail to capture the most important moments.)

This gave us quite the laugh. It was still early!

Happy 12th birthday to Speedie on February 9th. We made him a cake of tres leches.

Checking for loose teeth...so far Whiz has not lost any. 

Grandpa and Grandma (Art and Twyla Schlipf - our boys adopted grandparents) were here with the Gridley team in February. So thankful for the love they share!

Valentine's Day supper for the boys.

Marce uses her "comal" occasionally. This time she made chicken and potatoes. Delicious!!

Speedie's horse riding skills continue to improve. Trying to get those hands off the saddle horn.

Happy 7th birthday to Zoom on February 27th. We had a blast with Marshall as guest. Unfortunately this is my only media-approved picture.

The Monday of the 27th we had a more involved fire drill at the school. (They have them frequently.)

This time the fire trucks, ambulance, and police actually came to the sight. Quite the excitement!

Bonus: The 1st and 2nd graders got a tour of the engines. Speedie and I joined them!

Admiring his artwork.

Whiz's English teacher broke his ankle and it made me smile to see him processing it through play. By the way, pens make good crutches for stuffed monkeys!

March 10th through 13th, I was blessed to travel with the youth choir to San Jose again. 

We arrived late Friday. Saturday we cleaned up around the church and guest house. 

This was our Saturday morning cheer.

Saturday afternoon, we went to see the irrigation canal beside the town. One by one the kids gave into the temptation of fun in the water until (almost) everyone was soaked and having a blast.

 

The canal had a sort of water slide which made it all the better.

 

Sunday we sang at church, listened to a couple testimonies in the evening, and visited the lake at Obregon the same as last year. 

I really enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the teens here and see a bit of their hearts.

And a few days of a different focus refreshed me!

Also, thankful for two young men who were baptized March 5th. Their testimony of faith was inspiring to me and fills me with hope for more to come to God.

Please pray for the youth here that God would touch their hearts and draw them to Him. Also, please continue to pray for Marce and I as we learn and grow, that we can keep our eyes on Jesus and our faith in His promises. God is the ultimate healer, so pray we can surrender the boys' hearts to Him and that He would perform His miracle in Speedie, Zoom, Whiz, and Tag.

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.