praying hands

Thanks to Angie Husband's preschool class for praying for all of us at CASA!!!! We hung up all of the praying hands to remind us that we are covered in prayer!

Thanks Angie!!!!

happy happy birthday

Happy happy birthday to Josue and Any!

They both turned four this weekend. Any turned four on Friday and Josue on Saturday. Any looks more like a 2 year old and Josue more like a 3 year old. Hard to believe that they really are 4.

Chicken Soup

Ready to be washed and cut.

Reina, Doris and Josue even helped clean the chickens. After we put them in hot water they helped pull the feathers out.

Denis even brought his wife over to help.

We got chickens for the kids to take care of about two years ago. They were little tiny chickens and hadn't even started laying eggs yet. The kids waited and waited for them to start laying eggs. Finally months later they started to lay eggs. We have been eating off of their eggs the past two years. Well over the last couple of months a few of the chickens and the rooster have died. Also they have started only putting about 8 eggs or so a day. We use to get around 30 a day.

The chickens are old and tired of laying eggs. So we decided it was time for a new set of chickens to start the process all over again. So we decided we were going to kill all of the chickens and eat them. Only one small problem, no one wanted to kill them.

Well yesterday morning the staff were discussing who were going to kill the chickens. No one wanted to. Denis said his wife would and he would go to the house and get her. Well in the time he went to get her Dorian caught wind that no one wanted to kill the chickens. He was on his way out the gate to go to town but he said he would quickly kill them all. So all 25 of them were killed with a quick snap of the neck in a matter of 5 minutes.

Reina, Denis, and Josue started gathering all of the chickens to start cleaning them. It took all morning to clean them.

Elvia was in the kitchen doing the dirty work. She was opening and gutting the chickens. All but three of them got done yesterday. This morning Elvia and Antonio are finishing gutting the last three while Dilcia works on cooking a big pot of chicken soup for the kids for lunch.

We are hoping they will all still want to eat the chickens. The kids knowing that these were the chickens they use to take care aren't doing so well with the fact that we are going to eat them.

We shall we when everyone gets home from school how many of them do eat their chicken soup.

As for now the kids get to rest a couple of days from taking care of chickens. The new ones should be here soon.

Preschool

Yair is unsure of his first day at preschool.

Here is the preschool gang!!!!

Doris, Any, Josue, Cris, Reina, Nicole, Yair and Halle!

Nicole has started doing preschool with several of the kids here now that school has started for the rest of the kids. She has Any, Yair, Cris, Josue and Halle (her daughter), Reina, and Doris. Reina and Doris do different homework but they are just as excited to be in preschool with the rest of the kids. Doris was making no progress in school or Teleton. She no longer doing either of them any more. She is approaching 15 years old. I think she would be the oldest there at the grade school. We decided not to send Reina to school this year because it a lot of work and stress on the staff when it comes to homework and she really doesn't understand what she is going and gets stressed a lot. She never really could do her homework and a lot of times it was the adults spending hours upon hours of doing homework with her. So she is still getting homework from Nicole but things she will be able to do with little to no help.

Jan 2012 Update

January 2012

The kids enjoyed their last full month of being on break from school. Mid-February they return to classes. Which means we are back to early mornings and afternoons doing homework. The staff have survived the three month summer break of having all the kids at home every day. The staff are so ready for the kids to be back in
school and most of the children are ready to go back too. There is a lot of work getting 15 kids ready for a new year here in Honduras. We have to get them registered and get their uniforms and book bags ready. Most of the kids are all beaming with excitement and ready to get to school. There are a few who are a bit nervious. We have two who are going to be in high school this year. It is new for them (and us) and they are quite nervous. I know with out a shadow of a doubt they will do just fine.

While we were in the states Casa took in three new children. Two twins; brothers Olman and Josue. They are two months old. Korbin is only a few days older than they are. They came here itty bitty and weak. They are slowly growing and getting their strength. They still have a long ways to go yet so please remember them in your prayers. We also a little boy named Cris that has came here to live. He is 4 years old and a sweet little ornery kid. Chris had a hard
time adjusting at first but he seems to be doing better now with learning the rules and schedule and adusting.

Korbin turned two months old! He continues to do well, he has out grown his preemie clothes and and is up to 9 lbs now. He is such a gift to us. After many tests and Dr. appointments we are finding out what a real miracle Korbin is to us.

While in the states I had to have a bone marrow test to get further results on my blood issues. For now it seems that I will just have to be on blood thinners and monitor my clotting weekly. There comes a lot of anxiousness as I am on Coumadin for life and getting my INR levels to be theraputic. Although God is bigger than all of this and HE will take care of me.

We made our way back to Honduras the 30th of January. We didn't tell any of the staff or kids we were coming back yet and they were all so surprised to see us.

Please pray that Dorian and I will be used by our Father to bring glory to Him in all we do.

Blessings~

Dorian, Karen and Korbin Guido

Kari Jobe

"Here"

Written By: Kari Jobe

“God, I’m broken. I feel lost and helpless. My heart God, my heart hurts and I don’t understand where you are or what you’re doing. Help Me.”

This song “Here” was written out of a broken place. Have you ever gotten news in your life where you felt shattered? You felt shaken up? A shaking not of your faith in God, but a shaking of everything you thought you knew to be true in your life. It’s hard. It’s scary. It’s unknown. This is a time that the only thing you know to do is fall to your knees and cry out to God for help.

Psalm 46:1-7 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea… the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge… Be still and know that He is God.”

Let Him be an anchor for your soul. A gravity that pulls you back and pulls you into a place to comfort you. To strengthen you. To sustain you. He is a refuge in the midst of the storm. He cares for you. There will be things in our lives that we walk through that are hard. But His grace will get you through. Just breathe in His presence and keep moving forward. We hold onto the promises of God and we will make it through the hard moments and have a stronger testimony and a deeper faith in our God. Don’t stay shattered but let God’s grace flood your heart and give you peace. You will find Him here.

Write down some moments where you experienced hard moments but you know God’s grace and strength helped you through.

~Kari Jobe

Fearless

Katy

Out of all of our kids Katy knows no fear! She can climb the highest tree, get on top of the biggest dog (that she doesn't even know), jump all around from one thing to another and on and on goes the list, you get the idea. Well earlier this week she was outside rollerblading and she grabbed on to the back of one of the bikes the Antonio was riding and starting yelling faster, faster. Well before long she fell and skinned/burned her arm on the bike tire. We saw her skin has been rubbed off but didn't think much of it, with 24 kids we can't go running to the hospital for everything.

Well last night at shower time she couldn't get her shirt off because her shirt was stuck to her skin. Dilma cleaned it up and put iodine on it and dressed it. We talked and decided this afternoon I would take her to the Dr. to see if I could get some cream or something to put on it. Well this morning when Terri was changing the dressing it was stuck to her skin once again and had to pull it off. Then she started bleeding and bleeding and bleeding. Terri had to hold pressure on it to get it to stop bleeding.

Terri and I decided that we needed to get her to the Dr. sooner than later. So I dropped the kids off at school and then we to the local hospital her to have her checked out. They told me they would need to keep her overnight and hopefully would be able to come home Saturday morning.

First of all in the hospital we can not have phones. So I could not call anyone to tell them they were going to keep Katy. Katy was a little worried and was having a hard time understanding she was going to spend the night in the hospital. She started to get a little teary eyed. After getting her all checked in I told her I needed to go get her some things and check on Korbin and I would be back later with some stuff to give to her.

When I returned to the hospital I found her with three puzzles she was putting together and some toys on her bed. She was loving it!!! I had packed a bag for her with snacks, slippers, unos cards, coloring sheets and personal items. She told me she thought she could stay there for a week! She is keeping the nurses on their toes as she quickly disappears from her bed and wonders the hall to the playroom to find more toys. Also I think she has made friends with all of the nurses/cleaning ladies and told them all sort of stories!

This evening one of our staff is staying the night with her. Let's hope she gets better soon and she gets to come back home tomorrow.

Back to school they go......

Brayan and Pamela

They both have orientation all week. This year they are at the high school/ middle school. It is a big change for both of them. They are a little nervous about all the new surroundings this year but they will do just fine. Monday they start their first day of class.

Adonis (2nd grade)

He is super excited to be in school this year. He came to live here at Casa last March, but because of behavior problems we decided we would wait til this year to but him into school. So he is super excited to be in school after waiting all last year. Also today is Adonis's birthday! He turned 9 years old!!!

13 kids in 1st thru 6th grade. There was a lot of excitement for all of them today as they headed back to school today.

Lupe (1st grade)

Preschool ~ Josue, Any

Homeschool ~ Reina

Kinder ~ Cris

1st grade ~ Lupe and Maryuri

2nd grade ~ Adonis and Nohemy

3rd grade ~ Sisi and Katy

4th grade ~ Ana, Jose, Daniela, Fernando, Cindy and Rosy

5th grade ~ Jackson

6th grade ~ Antonio

7th grade ~ Bryan and Pamela

It is always good to get them back to school after a long summer break but there is always a lot of responsibility that comes with them back in school. Early morning and long afternoons of homework. Lots of school meetings! Here is hoping that 2012 is one of the best school years yet. Hoping that they will not miss too many days of school as they have in the years past.

PJ's

Bryan

Every year the kids usually get a new pair of pj's from grandma Joyce (Joyce Foreman). The kids love love love their new pj's!!! They usually have their pair from the year before worn out by the time the new pj's come around they are in need of the new pj's. Especially the boys who are a little bit harder on their pj's and seem to wear holes in their knees of their pj's, I know that seems hard to believe.

Thank you thank you thank you grandma Joyce for the new pj's. The kids love them!!!!!

Jackson

Doris

Ana

Reina

Cindy was so excited about getting her picture taken with her new pj's that she put them on before she even took her shower. She wanted to make sure I got a picture of her in them for Grandma Joyce.

Fernando

Nohemy

Maryuri nd Katy came to the apartment this evening making sure that I took a picture of them to send to grandma Joyce.

adjustments

Josue

Olman

Our house parent, Mirian has lots of adjusting to do. Although she is doing wonderful with the 5 new kids that she has taken into her house. I thought with her taking all of these new kids she would be super stressed and ready to run far away maybe when I got back from the states. Although she is getting help from others and seems to be doing really well with the change. Continue to keep her and the new kids in your prayers as they all continue to adjust.

Babies

Little did I know Korbin would be the big baby at Casa. While we were in the states twin brothers were taken here at Casa. They are tiny. One is as little as when Korbin was born, around 4lbs. The only thing is they are two months old and so is Korbin but they are still struggling to gain weight. Their birthday is the 25th of November and Korbin's is the 21st of November. Four days apart but they look a couple months apart comparing their size.

Today I had to go over to the other house to talk to one of the staff and I had Korbin with me so we decided to take a picture of all three of them together.

Here is Josue, Korbin and Olman

In awe...

About two years ago we started trying to get pregnany and start our family. Well we quickly found out it was not going to come so easy. I had been told in the past by my Dr. that I might have trouble getting pregnant due to having polycystic syndrome.

Dorian and I both have a love for children. This was truly our hearts desire to have children. We began to pray and pray and ask God to bless my body and give us a child. After a year went by we got very down and out and frustrated. Wondering if this was even ever going to happen. We finally searched out for help with fertility drugs. We tried several options with no avail. Finally we tried a different one where we would take a series of injections.

After two years of trying we finally were expecting in April 2011 . It felt so unreal. After waiting two years which seemed like eternity. I clearly remember the nights we would lay in bed and pray and pray to God for our child. At times I thought he wasn't listening. It became hard on me and I began to those faith. It hurt deep down in places thinking that I would never birth a child. Although once again I have to remember God had things planned and in his perfect timing, not ours.

I am coming to find our baby boy is truly a miracle baby. We had so many odds against us but we had one bigger than all of those odds on our side too....GOD.

I had a near to perfect pregnancy! Just felt great all of the way around. Korbin was to be born around December 31st. Just in time to ring in the new year. Well things turned out a little different. He made his way into the world November 21st, 2011 . We were suppose to fly home the 22nd. We thought 6 weeks before we as due was plenty of time, well we sure were wrong. My Dr. was even shocked to see that Korbin made his way onto the world so soon.

Soon after Korbin was born I developed a blood clot, deep vein thrombosis. We got back to the states to have further testing only to find out I have Factor V Leiden. Women with this disorder usually have many miscarriages and it is very hard to carry the baby to term alive. We were even more humbled how God had his hand in all of this. Well now we came to find out I have a heart shaped uterus. Even more odds against us. Our GOD truly is amazing and so ever faithful. He is bigger than anything!! Nothing with him is impossible. We are so ever grateful for Korbin our miracle baby. I am just reminded when we call on Jesus and believe all things are possible!

Don't stop believing! He will carry you through! Call on Him and give him the desires of your heart and believe that whole heartily, but you must remember it is in His timing not ours.

Hungry

I Am Hunger

read›
Lamentations 2:18-20
Lift up your hands to Him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in
every street they are faint with hunger (v.19).

In a previous article, I wrote about four severely
malnourished siblings that I have been daily feeding.
The children—Joshua, Mirika, Ashaba, Katseme—
look drastically different now that they’ve been receiving
nutritious food on a regular basis. Their stomachs are no
longer bloated and their skin is no longer covered with
sores. And their hair is no longer falling out in patches.
Often, I think back to the unusual way I first met the
children. The oldest, Joshua, was caught stealing food in
my house. When I asked him why he chose to steal rather
than ask me for food, he replied, “Because I am hunger.”
Lamentations 4:9 claims, “Those killed by the sword
are better off than those who die of hunger.” If being
stabbed is a more pleasant way to pass on than starving
to death, it’s no wonder hunger drove Joshua to steal.
Intense hunger depletes a person’s strength (Job
18:12). It causes children to faint (Job 17:5; Lamentations
2:19), and causes the lowly of society to scrounge for
food in desolate places (Job 30:3).

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO), “The new estimate of the
number of people who [suffered] chronic hunger [in 2011]
is 925 million.” Our God is a God who surely desires
that these hunger statistics improve. Just as He “satisfied
[the Israelites’] hunger” by providing meat and manna in
the wilderness (Psalm 105:40), God longs to open His
hand and “satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing” today (145:16).
Let’s join Him by praying earnestly for the millions of starving people around
the world, and by seeking tangible ways to help “satisfy the hunger” of His
“treasured ones” (17:14).

Love

I'm sorry for passing judgement instead of extending LOVE.

I think we all need to try a little harder at extending our arms wide open with love.

Keeping the evil one away

There is power in HIS word! We must be on guard and ready for the attacks the evil one will throw our way.
Satan is always looking for His next chance to tempt us (1 Peter
5:8). That’s why we need to guard against weakness and isolation through
accountability with fellow believers. We can also memorize Scripture that will
help us face and defeat temptation. Then we’ll be equipped to resist the devil
and send him packing (James 4:7).

Martín Luther King Day

Enemies

read›
Matthew 5:38-47
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the
children of God (v.9).

I am forced to preach under something of a handicap
this morning,” said Dr. Martin Luther King on a
November day in 1957. His physician had instructed
him to stay in bed, but King insisted on speaking.
Paraphrasing the words of Jesus, he declared to
the congregation at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in
Montgomery, Alabama: “You have heard that it has
been said, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine
enemy.’ But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them that despitefully use you; that ye
may be the children of your Father which is in heaven”
(see Matthew 5:43-45).

As an African-American living in the southern United
States, which was stained with the sin of racism, Dr. King
preached under an even more virulent handicap that gave
his words all the more validity. “How do you go about
loving your enemies?” he asked. “Begin with yourself.
There might be something within you that arouses the
tragic hate response in the other individual . . . When the
opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy,
that is the time which you must not do it.”

As we consider our enemies and the animosity we
harbor toward them, we’re wise to remember that we
were once enemies of God! (See Romans 5:10.) But now,
as we have believed in Him, “our Lord Jesus Christ has
made us friends of God” (v.11). We now have the “task of reconciling people
to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:18). That’s why God tells us not to avenge ourselves,
but rather leave it to God who says, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back”
(Romans 12:19).

The way to defeat our enemies is to show them the astonishing, Spirit-filled
love of God.

Grateful

There is no luck in my life. I am just BLESSED!!

Thank you again to all of you who have prayed for us through my health issues and Korbin's birth. We are blessed to have such great and caring people in our lives. The encouragement is what keeps us going. Satan so easily would like to steal our joy. Which is easy to do when we loose our focus. I pray that this year is a year that our focus is totally and completely on HIM.

Dec. 2011 Update

December 2011

Happy New Year to all!!!! Hope that you all had a great New Year's Celebration and Christmas. Hope it was full of making new memories and spending time with friends and family.

We made it back here to the states to celebrate Christmas with my family. I think everyone was a little bit more excited about spending time with and celebrating the birth of Korbin.

Korbin is thriving and doing wonderful. As for me we are still working on blood tests and Dr. visits to see what we can find out. Hope to get some answers and determine if any treatment is needed.

To start the month off we had an appointment with the American Embassy the 1st of December to apply for Korbin's U.S. citizenship and his passport. We got all of the papers completed and handed in the same day and even got his passport the same day. Which was a miracle in it's self.

Upon arriving here to the states Korbin and I both have had Dr. appointments. Thank you so much to all who continue to remember us in prayer. Korbin has a clear bill of health but Dr.'s recommend I continue to get health treatment and testing done here before returning to Honduras.

Many of you might remember me talking about two little kids named Any(Annie) and Yair a few months back. They were only with us at Casa for a short period of time. The judge made a ruling for us to return the kids to their mother. Well that did not last long at all. They were soon put back in the system at IHNFA (children's services). We have been waiting for about two months for them to do a full investigation and get their paper work done to get them back to CASA.

Well right before Christmas they were given back to us. So we went from 19 kids to 21 kids. Pray for them and their adjustment, the other children as they adjust to new kids in the house and the staff especially their Tia Mirian who will be taking care of them full time.

This year we had one child in kindergarten, Guadalupe. She graduated the first week in December and will be going on to first grade in February. The kids continue to be on their "summer break". Enjoying all of their extra free time. February and the start of a new school year will be here before we know it. Although not too sure it can come fast enough for the staff that is with them 24/7 right now!

Thank you again for all of the prayers and encouragement for Korbin, Dorian and me during this last couple of months. Wishing you an abundant of blessing in 2012!!!!

Blessings~

Dorian, Karen & Korbin Guido

Resolutions

I never have been one for resolutions but here are a few things to think about. Hope you are challenged to make a difference and step out of your comfort zone be HIS hands and feet to those around you. Don't wait till next year start NOW!!!! 2012 just might be the year for changes.

Shane Claiborne's 12 Resolutions (Hopes) for 2012

12. Do something really nice – that no one knows about.

11. Spend more money on other people than I spend on my self. Love my neighbor as I love myself. And love myself as I love my neighbor.

10. Laugh often… especially at advertisements that try to convince me that I must buy more stuff in order to be happy.

9. Learn a new life skill – like carpentry, pottery, or canning vegetables. Teach someone else 1 life skill I know how to do.

8. Love a few people well, remembering that what is important is not how much we do but how much love we put into doing it.

7. Write a letter to someone I need to say thank you to. Write another letter to someone I need to ask to forgive me.

6. Track down a critic or someone I disagree with and take them to lunch. Listen to them.

5. Compliment someone I have a hard time complimenting… and mean it.

4. Choose life. Do something regularly to interrupt the patterns of injustice – do something to end violence, bullying, war, capital punishment and other mean and ugly things.

3. Pause before every crisis and ask “will this matter in 5 years?”

2. Get outside often and marvel at things like fireflies and shooting stars. And regularly get my hands into the garden… so when I type on the computer I can see dirt under my fingernails.

1. Believe in miracles. And live in a way that might necessitate one.

---
Shane Claiborne is a founding partner of The Simple Way and author of books including The Irresistible Revolution and Jesus for President.

Birthday's

A little behind with the Casa birthday's.

Doris & Guadalupe had a birthday Dec. 12th!!! Doris turned 14 years old and Guadalupe turned 7 years old.

Jose had a birthday Dec. 26th and he turned 10 years old.

Ana's birthday is today Jan. 4th and she turns 11 years old.

Then Jackson's birthday Jan. 11th and he turns 10 years old.

Have been horrible at blogging lately but hope to get back on track real soon. Here is hoping that 2012 is a better year of blogging for me.