Maybe I'm just getting sappy because it is Valentine's week, but I certainly feel love in the air... the love of our Heavenly Father and the love of His followers here on earth. Let me tell you about the last few days.
Earlier this week, I received a call from a gal in Platteville, Wisconsin; a lady I worked with many years ago and don't know real well. We had connected on facebook a while back and now she was calling because she had read this blog and wanted to know how she, her daughter and others could help; how they could be involved in Papa's Missions.
Meanwhile, Marylou was connecting with a gal here in Yuma that wanted to see, first hand, what was happening at The House in Mexico. They spent Monday visiting our friends south of the border, praying with some, and offering hugs, love, and support to others.
Within minutes of arriving in Algodones today, we got to share love and hugs with two of the girls who used to be residents at The House of Dreams. They and a friend jumped in the car and came with us to spend some time sharing love and having fun.
Surely you recognize this pose if you have read previous posts...
A joy to have this young man around - he is usually at school in the morning but his teacher was sick today so he had no school. That is a concept that is hard for us in the U.S. and Canada to understand but it is common practice in Algodones.
This little lady had a charming little Valentine look today.
This loving smile
and this concentration set the tone for the day.
The adults who visited on this beautiful sunny day totally enjoyed the children.
Child photographers love catching the adults at play.
Check out Marylou's cool shades.
We tried but we just couldn't pull it off live the original...
These two were concentrating...
and this is my favorite picture! Look at the level of concentration and you can just feel the love that is being shared.
I caught Delia enjoying a quiet moment - a rarity!
Children draw what they love
and these are two great examples!
(Papa Jack)
We cut paper hearts today.
Now this just looks like a typical kids having lunch picture... but there is a story behind it. The hamburger soup they were eating was made from my mom's recipe. Mom has been in Heaven for nearly three years and I could feel her presence as I used her pot to prepare the meal - Although she would probably worry about us "going into Mexico", I think she would approve. And then there is another story. The little fellow at the far end doesn't like carrots! When no one was looking, he spit them out on the table and then nonchalantly pushed them on the floor - the rest of the soup seemed to be okay.
This young lady has only been coming to The House of Dreams for a couple of weeks, but she seems to be adjusting very well. Here she was just singing to herself
and then she threatened to throw the football at me,
but decided to just make a face.
This young man was concentrating on making a masterpiece while his mom and grandma work "the line" (where the tourists line up before going through customs). His family sells delicious candy morsels. This means long days and hard work as people who work the line are always on their feet and constantly trying to sell their product.
Can you see the emotion in this picture? Marylou has known this girl since she was just a baby and now... now we pray for her and we know God is always with her.
The "family pet" lovingly stands guard outside the door.
These two hams love to pose when another child is taking the picture - our young man is getting to be a very fine photographer.
This was another of his photographs - it shows an artificial cat that Delia placed in the tree shortly after we moved to this location. I think the composition of the picture is pretty amazing.
Maria came to share some love, and lunch, with us today.
And I couldn't have a blog update without a picture of Papa Jack holding court. You can see that when he shares his very own brand of love, he holds the concentration of the young, as well as the old.
I hope that each of you find someone special with whom you can share your love and the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember this Valentine week, and always, to listen when God whispers and responds when He nudges.
