Beach

Josue
Our trip Sunday to the beach was a long day but the kids loved every minute of being at the beach. It was not too enjoyable for me as it is stressful to keep track of the kids, but the important part is that they enjoyed the beach!
I could tell so many stories about the day but as for now I will just leave you with pictures from the beach.

Sisi

The bus ride......the bus ride is only half the adventure!

Brayan

Katy, Rosy and Cindy

Daniela with Rony

Doris loved every minute of the beach. Although I think she rolled around in the sand more than than she got wet!

Josue loved the sand

Pamela, Josue, and Siomara

Lunch.....fried fish

Richard eatting his fish, bones and all

Brayan

Brayan was so proud of himself as he got to play on the soccer team at school Friday. They played against the another local schooll. Juan Lindo vs. Jose Cecillo del Valle. Jose Cecillo del Valle won! Brayan was so proud that they won. After school we picked them straight up to go to visitation so he was so proud that he got to show off his uniform to his mom.

He sure is one good soccer player and just a good kid all around!
I love watching Brayan grow and mature and to see the change taking place in him. I am excited to see the leader in Brayan and the plans God has in store to use him.

ready or not here we come......

We are headed to the beach tomorrow with all of the kids. The church every year does a beach trip to help raise money for special projects. This year all of the money will be going to the youth group for a youth rally that is taking place June 12th here in Santa Ana/Ojojona. The youth is working hard to get everything ready and are excited for what God has in store for this first youth rally. Please keep the youth and the youth rally in your prayers as they prepare.
As for the beach, the kids are more than ready and excited to go. Us adults are not too sure about all of this. This is the third year we have went with the kids. They absolutely LOVE IT!!! It makes for along day in the HOT, HOT sun, but the kids do not mind. Last year we had quite an experience in the bus on the way home. Who knows what is in store for us this year. Please keep us in your prayers!
I will be sure to update everyone of our beach trip and with lots of photos when we get back.
As for now here is a picture for last year at the beach!

Josue

Josue got his first hair cut this week. He was so proud of his hair cut. He was sure to show it off to everyone once we got to the house. He is growing up and looking like a big boy!

Reina!!!

Happy Happy Birthday Reina! Today Reina turned 1o years old! Every time someone asked her how old she was today she would respond with two years old. She was getting ten and two confused!!! :)

Feb. 2010

February 2010

School began for the year in mid February. For the most part, the children are very excited to be back in classes. It is a relief to get the children back in classes but school also brings it's own stress. Helping them with homework daily, and studying and going to meetings consumes our time. All of our children are attending school this year except for Josue. We have Pamela, Doris, and Brayan entering fifth grade. Reina is repeating 1st grade as we do not feel that she is ready to move on to 2nd grade. Antonio is in 4th grade. Sisi is also repeating 1st grade because she still needs to learn to read. She is already making leaps and bounds this year. Katy is in 1st grade. Jackson and Cindy are in 3rd grade. Daniela, Fernando, Jose and Ana are in 2nd grade.

Doris has even started school this year. She has never attended school before. She was ecstatic to be able to go to school this year with all of the other kids. She is in 5th grade with Pamela and Brayan. Where she receives classes at Teleton they suggested that we put her in the public school system this year. Even though she is unable to do a lot of things. It isn't important that she does the work but that she associates with people her own age. So far she is doing well and loves it!!!! Please keep Doris in your prayers as this is a HUGE change for her.

Maryuri and Nohemy are in Kinder. They go to classes in the afternoon 1:30-4:30. This year we are working with a new kinder. We are letting them use one of the classrooms of the church . This is a program under the secretary of education and mostly it is to help those who are very poor and can not afford all of the school fees and supplies. The kids do not have to go in uniforms and they do not ask for a school supply list. So it is a wonderful thing to so many who do not have the means to send their child to school. Until we offered the church classroom they were meeting in a very small house and were each bringing their chair from home. This is a great opportunity this year as the kinder uses one of the classrooms as an outreach to more people in the community.

Please pray for each and everyone of the children as they start a new school year.
Especially pray for Cindy as the teacher is already having lots and lots of problems with her not wanting to work or listen.

Jackson is also having a hard time with stealing. Please continue to pray for him as we work with him and that we will have the wisdom as to know how to handle the stealing.

Small group bible studies have started in two homes here in Santa Ana. Dorian continues to study with those who want to learn more. The people attending these studies are not those who worship with us in Santa Ana. We ended our month by welcoming a new sister in Christ as Dorian baptized Tatiana.

Please continue to take us before our Father and ask that we continue to find new ways to serve.

Reina

Every week the kids all have chores they are to do here in the house to help out. Each week the chore chart changes and they get a new chore for the week.
Well last week Reina and Fernando were on dish duty. Which was quite the week of rewashing the dishes with the two of them. Usually one would wash in the AM and the other would dry and vice versa in the evening.
Well Friday night was Reina's turn in the kitchen washing the dishes after supper. Dilma was busy working on homework with some of the kids and Pamela was busy listening to music and coloring with the rest in the playroom. I was trying to talk with one of the kids who was not wanting to listen.
As me and Dilma look up we see Reina laughing and giggling and washing away. We go into the kitchen to find out both drains had been clogged up with food so the water was overflowing onto the floor. Better yet she had the facuet on and water continues to fill the sinks as it flows onto the floor. A waterfall is coming from the sinks and the floor and quickly becoming a pool of water and Reina laughs and giggles and continues washing the dishes in the dirty clogged up water!
Dilma turned off the water and started dishing out water as I a began sticking my hands down in the water and fish out the food that was clogging the drains. We slowly but surely got everything cleaned up. I was sure not to leave the kitchen until Reina was done washing the dished this time!
Never a dull moment with a house full of kiddos!!!

Baptism

I have mentioned recently how in the last month small group studies have started with people here in the community.
Every Monday night in the Cucuy development their is one in Denis's house.
Last night I was settling the kids down for a movie when Dorian called and said bring the camera and a towel their is someone who wants to get baptized. I ran to get the camera and towel and told the kids to turn off the TV and lets to go see a baptism.
A young man named Carlos has come to the bible study and said he wanted to change his life and that he wanted things to be different. He was in a gang and had committed many crimes. He said you don't understand what I have done God will not accept me. He was showed several scriptures and told him that God forgives he just needed to hand his life over to God. He said he was afraid and did not want to live with satan. He wanted to be free from the sin in his life and start over again.
He said we would probably not see him again because he needed to get out of the country because it was too dangerous for him to be here. So please say a prayer for Carlos as he struggles to find his new life and leave the past behind.
Praise God for hearts being changed and lives being given to God!!!!