Youth Group Outing

Last Saturday we had a good day! We took the youth group on an outing. It is not very often at all that those kind of things get to happen. It was a 3 or 4 hour car ride but they loved it and made the best of it. They sang, giggled, joked around, and told stories. It sure enough took me back to the days we went on our youth outings with Grubbs.
It was a beautiful view as you can see! looks like water is coming out of the rock

the waterfall from down below......after going down what seemed liked 100 steps..............going up was the fun part!

group fun

playing games

wading in the water

hiking down and around to see the falls

beautiful

waterfall

the youth group

seeing who can hang on the longest

chowing down on lunch

I am blessed and highly favored!

more kids

So for all of you praying out there it looks as we might be taking some more kids in here soon. Be praying that God will send the children he wants here. For those of you praying I really do feel your prayers when you pray for Casa de Esperanza.

Fundraising

Be sure to check out the Casa de Esperanza website

cdehonduras.org

Go under the link donating and fundraising and see what things you can do to help us here at Casa. Please gather up some friends and those friends gather some friends up and the chain just keeps going and you all help out Casa a lot!
So please be sure to take some time to check out the page and see what you can do to help us out here at Casa.
Have a blessed day!

Rudy and Brayan

Many of you have personally emailed me about Rudy and asked how he is, where he is, and what is going on with him. Well it looks as if he is out of our care and he is now back with his mom. Whether this is a good thing or not I am not too sure. He at such a young age ran to the streets for some reason or another while living with his mom and now he is back living at his home again so I hope that he does not resort to the streets again.
Right now the judge is talking that they might take Brayan also to be with his mom.
This being a mom stuff and loving on them till it hurts is not so much fun. Although we come into this knowing that the judge or INFA (gov.) can come in here at any time and take these kids from us, but that sure does not stop us from loving on them. I continue to mother them and love them to the best of my ability and trust that the rest is in God's hands.
So say a prayer for as you read this for Rudy and Brayan!!

Antonio

AntonioThis is how I feel sometimes at the end of the day.........just let me fall where ever and go to sleep. It doesn't matter where it is!! Just wanted to get some shut eye.

Outtings

Not very often but every once in a while we all load up in the van and take a trip to town. And when we do get to take a trip to town they are all so excited they can hardly stand it so it is a little hard to keep them all under control in the car. Well last week when the Belpre group was here we loaded up and headed out to spend Saturday with the group at a Carnival they were doing at another children's home.

Let's just say when we are in the car in is always an adventure. You have so and so hitting so and so. Then you have another one wanting to throw up, another one wanting to pee, and another one wanting to know when we will be there. Having to constantly remind them to sit down and keep their hands to their selves.

The other day Brayan tried to sneak a nap in and in the process kicked Daniela off of the seat.

Katty Katty!

Marjuri, Antonio, and Katty

Here she is trying to be a tiger!

Here is the princess herself!

Katty had her bday yesterday and she thought she was a princess. Well actually everyday she thinks she is a princess but yesterday she really thought that she was one! So here is a pic of the princess herself. Last night the elec. went out so we all sat on the floor with a candle in the dark and sang happy birthday to Katty and had cake to celebrate!

Please just continue to pray for us at Casa. That God will use us daily and that we are open to Him. My prayer is that God is making me the best mom for these kiddos. At times I think I am failing with them when we have some not so good days, but I know that God has sent me here and will continue to use me to and for His glory. So just pray this week that God pours out His wisdom and guidance upon me as I work with these kiddos. That I do what is best for them and help them to become children who make our daddy smile!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Belpre

Some of the people that I love and have been supporting me all along in this journey here in Honduras have come to work here with us. The Belpre group is here this week!
Today I got away and built a house with them.
Yeah for those who love and support us, and I love it when our worlds come together here in Honduras!

weapons

Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet.

Eph. 6:33

Rudy

Please be praying for this face..............





Rudy has decided for some reason or another right now that he does not want to live here at Casa any more. He is living on the streets as far as we know and heaven only knows what the boy will see or is doing. So please all of you pray for him and that his heart will be broken and convicted.
He is just really having a hard time deciding what he wants for himself. He hates consequences and not really wanting to deal with them for his actions so I think he is running from all of that.

pics of the kiddos in the wedding

my gals....Cindy and Pamela

Dorian and Antonio

Me, Marjuri Monica, and Daniela

Dorian and the boys

Marvin

Cindy Lou

Mario and Fransico

For more of an update on the wedding and more pics you can go to...................http://anita-thejourney.blogspot.com/

welcome to married life......

Mr and Mrs. Guido


Ok so I have not been so good here in the blogging world. I promise soon to get some pics on here!

love

As we have all heard this saying many times, "It's my way or the highway."
But in all of this we need to remember that it is not about self, but about serving and in giving up self.

"Love does not insist on it's own way"

"Love is not self-seeking"

As a matter of fact, though love never insists on its own way, people are drawn to follow the way of love.

The only true way of love............is thru Jesus!

Rudy

Please continue praying for Rudy as he just has a hard time getting out of the mentality of stealing. It really is a struggle for him, but I am not too sure how much he really wants to work at it to change. So please as you daily lift "Casa" up in prayer, stop right now and pray for Rudy, and that he will have an overwhelming urge to want to change and live differently!

Yovani and Fernando

Boys with their blocks and cars

11 more days!!!

In case you all have forgotten I am getting married................only 11 more days!!!!!

Stealing

Ok so this mother sure does not know how to do the whole parenting thing. Never claimed that I did but right now am just at a point not knowing so much of what we need to do with some of the children.
We have ran into a problem with our children stealing! We here at the house have done everything I think to discipline them and it is just not working. It just sometimes gets to the point wondering am I doing this right? I have been given this awesome privilage to be a momma to these kiddos and some days I wonder if I was meant to do this, but hey I guess we all have days like that.
They are stealing to the right and left. It has been an ongoing thing for awhile and sometimes I think our eyes are just blind to it and we do not even know it is happening,those smart little kiddos. Well within the last month we have had an incident it feels like everyday. I have punished, disciplined, and loved them thru all of this but it does not seem to be changing things.
Ashley and I looked at each other the other day and just said what are we going to do we these children. We were at the point we were not so sure what else there was to do, but as always we always have to pray and pray and pray. God has changed so many of our children and I know that he will continue to change their little hearts.
For two of our children it really is just a learned behavior. They knew the street life and that is what I think that they did to get by. Well here they are getting by just fine and still are wanting to do these things. It is a learned behavior and so now we are trying to show them different. They have already lived 10 years of their lives so it is hard for them to see things how we see them. So pray we patiently love them thru this.
So as times get frustrating and this mother sure does not know what to do I pray that God continues to reign down his wisdom upon me. And as for you parents our there reading this and have any advice to pass long please do so. I could always use it!

Memories

So I was looking through some of my pictures on my computer and I found some that was from when I first stepped foot into this country that stole my heart. Thought that I would just post some pictures to show you some of my favorite memories and some of the kiddos that stole my heart when I first stepped foot in this country that I now call home.

April 2005

<3 LOVE <3

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

Spread love this special day, but don't forget the greatest example of love.................

Share God's love with everyone you know!

First day of school

So the kids started back to school yesterday! As we were waking them up I was telling them it was the first day of school and soon as I said that they jumped right out of bed. But then I had to explain we had devo first and then we would get ready for school. So the all hurried to the kitchen and sat down ready for devo. Which it usually doesn't happen so quickly like this. They were just ready to go to school. I am sure that this getting up and being excited for school will not last very long.
Well the kids started school yesterday and they are already off today. Crazy! Supposable they are back to school again on Monday, we shall see.
Here below are a few pics captured in the morning when they were getting ready!Monica, Brayan, and Daniela

the "casa gang"

Yovani

Fransico

Rudy

Art Class

Mario

Fernando and his teacher

Fernando

Marvin

Pamela

During the time period of December thru January while the kids were out of school we sent them back to school. We found a couple who is very talented here in Santa Ana and who had just decided to rent a building and start up some classes. After reveiwing the list of classes we decided to put our kids in Art Class. For the month of Dec. they made pottery and then for the month of Jan. they learned how to paint different pieces. They enjoyed it! This is trade that several people use here to make a living. So who knows if one of our kids down the road will look back on this and use it later on in life.
Also for more art pics go to www.cdehonduras.org and go to the photo gallery and then under the art pics.

school

First of all thank you to all of you who responded to my last blog and are willing to help one or our kids go to school this year.
Secondly they did not start school today. They now say that it is going to be Thurs. so we shall see. You never know here in Honduras. So as soon as they start school. I will get pics up on here and get updates to each on you on your child you are sponsoring for the school year.

Thanks again to each and everyone of you who are helping make a difference!

School

School is getting ready to start in Honduras! The normal school year for the children in Honduras is mid-February through mid November.

Casa will have 8 children attending school this year and 5 attending kinder. Each child is required to wear school uniforms. They are required to wear special white button down shirts with navy blue dress pants or skirts and black shoes.
They also have gym days and on those days they are required to wear
navy blue wind suit pants with white stripes or navy blue sweatpants with a white plain t-shirt and white tennis shoes.

The children are also required to buy all of their materials for school....the teachers do not provide anything that they need. The notebooks that they use are special notebooks and cannot be purchased in the States.
The children also have monthly fees that they have to pay that will help pay for someone to cut the grass, someone to clean the classrooms, or maybe for a school repair. So for the elementary students this is L20 or $1.00 a month each and for the kindergarten students that is L50 or $2.50 a month in fees for them to attend school.
Also they have special fees for activities through out the year. An average of $10 per child per year in special activities is required.

This all adds up to an average cost per child for school for a year is about $60.00 in clothing and $10.00 in school age fees and $30.00 in kindergarten fees per child a year and $10 special activities......that is $100 a year per kindergarten and $80 a year per school age child. If you are not able to give the full amount of $100 anything is appreciated.

Anyone willing to sponsor a child for school will receive a picture of them and give you a personal update about them and give you an email address to keep in contact with them thru out the school year.
Anyone interested please email karendvaughan@gmail.com

Thank you for helping us make a difference!

I will be sure to post pictures of their first day of school on Monday the 11th.

More pics

Katty

Pamela

Marvin

Antonio

Here they are on their trampoline..............that they love! They have not got tired of it yet. Still everyday that is what they want to be doing.