So, here we go again!
In March we had Jaqueline's quincinera celebration, complete with church service, flowers, cake, dress, photos, music, and a dance with her father and brother and Bill. It was a happy occasion all around, everyone had a good time, and Jaqui really seemed to enjoy it. A girl's 15th birthday is a very big deal in Mexico, kind of a coming-of-age ceremony.
We also have a new teacher now, who is also Jaqui's older sister, Daniela (next to Jaqui in the photo). She will be taking Cesar's place as our Spanish and science teacher for the older kids. Cesar was a replacement teacher from CONAFE, our school certification organization, who began working in November when our previous teacher left for a different position. Also, Pau's sister, Geo, is now working in her place in the school as the art and social studies teacher, as Pau is now teaching adult Spanish to the staff here at CVE. So, with lots of turnover and changes, we're all adjusting and learning.
Praise the Lord! Julian, pictured above with his son, Fernando, is repenting! He faces lots of challenges, including raising his special-needs son alone, so please pray for him!
One exciting little note was when a gas tanker truck overturned on the curve and fell across the train tracks. We had to evacuate CVE while they got it back on its feet and out of the way. They were probably being a little overcautious, but it was nice to have a few hours of surprise break from school.
We have some new kids now...Jorge, 2 yrs., has a broken femur, which is not a good indication of his home life. Keyla, 3 yrs., and Osmara, 5 yrs., are sisters. Estephania, 6yrs., is the younger sister of Julissa and Jazany, who are in the process of being adopted by the Schicks. Estephania was staying with family until recently. Ana, 12 yrs., is also with us now, and trying to adjust and make friends. Please pray for all of these kids, as they have to establish themselves, deal with the pain of their pasts, and begin reconstructing their lives in the context of a God who loves them and died for them.
Finally, the dorm I live in is on it's way...after adding on the bathrooms and bedrooms, we moved our things over to the new section and they tore into the old section. In the meantime, there has been a huge amount of dust, but it has been nice to be in a new room and bathroom. They tore up the old floor, replaced the windows, tore down the ceiling, treated it for termites, and began putting up the new walls, wiring, and plumbing, so hopefully we're not too far away from completion.
In the meantime, they've also been working on the new house for the Limoncitos, Joel and Kristi's brood of savages. Exterior walls are up, so there's progress, but a long way to go.
Also, a few more videos...
Makoto Inoue stopped by for a visit and also gave us an introduction to Japan, complete with a judo lesson...of course, the kids enjoyed that....Judo 1 and Judo 2!
A few games for you to watch...Twisted Tug of War involves the usual game, but with a twist...everyone for himself, and with feet planted in strange positions...if you lose your balance, you step away.
Blind tanks once and again made an appearance...pair up, blindfold one, confine the other to the wall, give the blind person a ball, and have the seeing partner shout instructions in an attempt to eliminate the other teams. Great fun!
Child of the Month: Estephania!
Estephania, 6 yrs., is the younger sister of Julissa and Jazany, as mentioned before, who up until recently was living with relatives. Since coming, Estephania has jumped into CVE life easily, what with already having lots of connections, but seems to be struggling now that there are so many other new kids here who get the "new kid" attention from adults and kids alike. Feels a little lost, I suppose. Regardless, she's sweet and cute, generally speaking, and seems pretty soft and receptive. Pray for her as she adapts to CVE and establishes herself with us. Pray that she will feel the love and affection of the staff, even though she may not be the new kid anymore, and especially that she will respond to God's love and affection for her.
Don't forget to check out the pictures and videos! For pictures, see link at right. For videos, click on the special text included in this post!
Thanks,
Todd
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