Gratitude

Today, those of us in the United States, celebrated Thanksgiving.  This was always my mom's favorite Holiday of the year.  The older I get, the more I agree with her.  I love the idea of a whole nation giving thanks at the same time.  I love the idea of gratitude. 

Marylou prepared turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy for 100 people at Pilot Knob today.  Looks pretty good for having been up since 4:00 slaving in the kitchen.  There were many many people grateful for Marylou on this Thanksgiving Day.

All of those that attended the feast brought a dish to share. We were all grateful for each other - not just the goodies they prepared but the joy of sharing the day with others - the "on the road" family.

And those of us who help out around the park were very grateful for everyone who pitched in to clean up.

It was a good meal and a good day.  But a big meal on Thanksgiving Day isn't what gratitude is all about.

I'm most grateful for the children in Mexico that I have gotten to know in the last couple of years.  I'm grateful for Marylou and Jack for making that connection possible.

I'm grateful for the little girl who is growing up so quickly...

and can bring such a heartfelt look of happiness to Mike's face when she sneaks up on him.

My heart is filled with gratitude for Marta; a fine mom and a wonderful help at the house.

When I look in these big brown eyes, I am so grateful to be in this place at this time.  And I pray the love and hugs I share will somehow last...

 

                                     


Delia isn't going to like this picture, but I see a dedicated woman who shares her whole life and all her experiences and all her learning and all her love with these children - So grateful for Delia!
(Oh, did I tell you that most of these pictures were taken by the children, including this one.)

 

 As the girls play house and move furniture, I am grateful for all the people who have donated so much in terms of time and money and "stuff" so that these kids can play in a safe and happy and healthy environment.

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that sometimes I am just plain grateful for the laughter these kids can stimulate.  This is quite a look, huh???

 

Do you see the heart shaped jumprope?    I'm grateful for the signs I'm given to slow down and watch and listen and love.

Curiosity?  Fear?  Playfulness?  I wish this wee little one had a "thought bubble" attached to her; never sure what she is thinking...  Grateful for her apprehension; I am sure it will serve her well in life.

This young lady hasn't always been so serious.  Being hungry and in a difficult place right now has changed her.  I'm grateful we can feed her and let her know she is loved.

This beautiful "almost a lady" is showing us how capable she is... in addition to being charming and loving.

She is helping out Delia on Saturdays and is very nurturing.  I'm grateful for her ability to cope!

                                                  

And her ability to give and receive love.

 

 

 

Where could he be and what could he be doing that would give him this much unabashed joy?

 

                                                  

Or make him put on his silly face?

 

Or make her give her camera away and strike a goofy pose?

 

                                                  


 Or bring this gal to the house weekly with milk and eggs and other necessities?

 

The children for which we are all grateful.  The children who wonder about us

and listen to our funny sounding speech

and give us smiles

 

and tease us

and try to take "selfies" with a real camera... not an easy task...

 

 

I'm grateful for my ability to help.  And to share that work with so many others.



 

                                      

Take a minute to look at the last few pictures.  Smile and give thanks for the wonderful children in your life and for your ability to help them learn and grow and become...

 

  As my daily reading said this morning, "Gratitude is an important ingredient of life." 

Until next time, Don't forget to listen when God Whispers and Respond When He Nudges.

 

 

 

Challenges and Blessings

I know I speak for my husband, Mike and I am confident I also speak for Marylou and Jack when I say that we are all blessed to be here and to be able, thanks to your generosity, to help others... ah but sometimes the heartstrings really get pulled and it is not easy...  I'll share a few stories this week.

There are three girls who stayed at the house last year and then went back to live with mom.  Mom was with a fellow and it seemed that everything was going to be alright for the girls.  We have learned that mom's friend is gone, she and four of her children are now squatters and the girls have been raiding the dump for food.  Marylou, being a person of action, took it upon herself to make it better for those precious four girls.  They are now coming to the house for lunch every day before school - in fact they have to be in their school uniforms when Delia provides them with food... food is essential, but so is their education.  We put out a call for white blouses or t-shirts to complete the girls' school uniforms and, hopefully, they will have those items soon.  The oldest girl, at eleven, was well on her way to learning English and cried when she first saw Marylou this fall.  Her clothes were too small and I could feel her embarrassment.  She is now working at the house on Saturdays and helping Delia with the younger children.  For this work, she is earning a small stipend and, with God's help, regaining her self-esteem.

About the same time, we met up with Jennifer.  Those of you who have known Marylou and Jack for awhile know that Jennifer is almost a teenage girl and has been in their lives since she was just a small child.  Jennifer is Grandma's granddaughter - yes, the grandma who lives in the cardboard house.  In the past two years, Jennifer has been a resident at the house and a very good student in school, and she has broken the house rules and ran away.  She is now living with Grandma again and when we encountered her, she had sores several places on her young body.  I'm told they are from being unwashed.  It is hard to understand why she would not want to live in a nice house and eat good meals and learn... but, Jennifer is a street urchin.  She has grown up in a shack with no running water and little food; and she knows this life.  It breaks our hearts to see her and know we can only love her and provide her with a little food once in a while.  She is a child of God and we need to trust her to Him.  Prayers for Jennifer please.

I didn't go to Mexico this week.  Mike went with Marylou and Jack.  When he came home, he told me about his visit to the home of one of our little daycare girls.  He described a living area smaller than our motorhome and the bare mattresses he had seen on the floor.  He talked about the empty fridge and little food in evidence.  He told me about the mom's sister who also lived there and was pregnant.  The next day, Mike and Marylou and Jack returned to that house with quilts and food.  Thanks to all of you, they were able to deliver a bit of warmth, nourishment and show them that someone cared. 

Lots of prayers, lots of conversations, and lots of emotions have been a part of our lives these past days.  The pictures I share this week are ones Mike took with his cell phone - He captured kids at work being kids - it is what makes everything we encounter worthwhile.

Alie resting

and riding.

Axel clowning.

New (to them) scooter being truly enjoyed.

Playing house.

Brothers having serious conversations.

Who knows...

Great faces...

Future football players posing and admiring themselves in the new mirror.

As I reread what I have written and search for a good summary statement, all I can think is Thank You.  Thanks to each of you who have trusted us with your money and your donations.  We are using them to better lives.  And Thank You to My Lord and Savior; this is an amazing task You have put before us.  Thank You for the challenge and for the strength.

As you play with your own children or grandchildren, think about "our children" south of the border.  And listen when God whispers, responding when He nudges.

ALL IS WELL !

If you are like me, you have been thinking about those little ones in Mexico and wondering about them.  You may have been concerned about the heat, and the children's (and the adult's) health and well-being during the summer months.  You might have prayed that Delia gets some time to herself to rest and relax during the summer.  Perhaps you have wondered if they have enough food at the house or if all the appliances are still working.  Maybe you have thought about Marta and Dulce and wondered how that family was getting along.

I am happy to report that ALL IS WELL with the children and with Delia and Marta.  Our first visit was on a Saturday and there were seven children at the house that day.  These are some pictures I took that day.

The kids have grown but still love anything with wheels!

And comfy child-sized chairs are always appreciated.  This Dora chair was donated by our Great Granddaughter in Minnesota; she outgrew Dora but little gal south of the border loves it (and purple).

Other donated items were also big hits!

Jack may carry a cane once in awhile and that is just fine - we are happy to have him with us!  The children at The House help all of us thrive!

This little fellow tried very hard to teach me how to use this toy... never did get it to go as fast as he does.

Our youngest one is a little shy; I don't think she remembers us.  At first there were tears when we came in the house but this last time, she even smiled.

Donated books in Spanish or English with wonderful colors, numbers, letters, animals and textures were a big hit.  Who doesn't like to feel lamb's wool or a cow's hide.

Some required a bit of adult supervision... or was it the children supervising Mike.  Either way, they sure enjoyed each other.

Delia and Marylou talked and I joined in and we all enjoyed each other's company.  There was one thing I heard, that made my heart sad and it made me want to DO SOMETHING. 

A Mexican man that we all know fell head over heals in love last year.  They seemed to have a very happy and secure relationship.  He was going to church again and practicing every free minute to sing in the choir.  His love for this woman and his love for His God was evident to all who encountered this man.  He finally had a good steady job that was paying him well; even bought a little bit of property.  His life was good and he was blessed.

This summer the woman decided she didn't really love the man and ended the relationship.  Now if this happened in the United States or Canada, we would feel badly for the fellow and encourage him to keep looking for the right one.  His faith, his church, his job, his property would not be affected.  Because that's true, this next part may be hard to believe.

It seems that the woman went to the man's pastor and told him that they had been sleeping together even though they were not married.  The man, who is closer to fifty than thirty years of age, was told that he must confess his sins to the whole congregation in order to remain a member of the church.  He did so.  I can only imagine what courage that must have taken.  If this happened to any man I know, they would be furious with the woman and perhaps he was.  I am sure there is much to this story I do not know, but what I do know is that this man is no longer welcome in his church; he is not allowed to worship His God because of his sins... You might have to read that again because it won't make any sense to most of us.  The God I know welcomes all of us just as we are; complete with sins.

So, one thing leads to another (remember Los Algodones is a small town) and this man loses his job.  He does eventually get another but only works a couple of days a week and makes very little money.  As a result, he told us yesterday, he had to let the property go back.  So, in a few short summer months, this man lost his love, his church, his job, and his property.  We pray that he will keep his faith.  So far, his attitude is positive and he is still able to smile. 

I can only guess what you, the reader, must be feeling.  Since I am a person that always wants to fix things, I want to just get going and start a church where all are welcome to worship and celebrate Jesus life and our forgiveness.  But I am also a realist and see all the complications.  What are you feeling?  What are you thinking? 

So, maybe All Is Well with the children, but maybe there is something else we should be doing to help adults... Maybe...

I wonder what wonderful things will happen this year when we all Listen as God whispers and respond when He nudges.

On The Move...

This is a quick post to let you know that all is well with Delia and The House in Mexico.  I apologize for not posting anything for nearly a month; it has been a busy time for all of us.  In the coming weeks and months you will see many pictures I have taken this winter.  But for now, I have just three ...

"Do you think we should leave today or tomorrow?"  "Well, let me think, does it really make a difference?"

"I'd really like to go to Mexico one more time."  "Oh for goodness sake, we were just there yesterday."

"Okay, I'm ready, let's get going!"  "Sometimes I feel like talking to you is like talking to a brick wall..."

Okay, I admit none of these conversations actually took place.  (And I know that each of you can make a better story.)  Aren't those expressions just the best.  I have no idea what the real conversation was about but the photos were taken over a three minute time span so they must have been talking about something.

As I write this quick note, Marylou and Jack are safely back home in British Columbia and Mike and I are on our way to Minnesota for the summer.  The cactus are blooming at Pilot Knob,

 

and since the temperature on Wednesday is suppose to hit 100 degrees, there are mostly vacant spots,

and the exit is way more popular than the entrance.

It has been a winter that I will never forget.  And I am already missing the kids and thinking about next fall.  I am confident that Marylou would say the same thing.  Anyway, more stories and pics are coming.  In the meantime, be careful and listen when God whispers and respond when He nudges. 
(I know I am being nudged to learn more Spanish!)