Viva La Mexico

Yesterday was our first trip to Children's Haven in Reynosa, Mexico. It was a birthday celebration for the summer birthday kids - big and little all!! Six of us crossed the border with no problems, but as we arrived at Peter Piper Pizza in Reynosa, we were again reminded of the dangerous situation by the sight of a military tank and armed military around the mall. We brought the beautifully decorated cupcakes for the celebration from the US and waited patiently while the children and adults arrived from RIN. There have been changes at the Haven as some house parents have left and new ones are taking their place. Being a house parent to 10+ children every day and taking care of their many needs with love and dedication makes for a very stressful life. Most house parents burn out after 5 years  or so, understandably so. These amazing people have families of their own, many of their children have spent a large part of their lives at the haven. The desire for a more "normal" life adds to the stress. We will certainly miss them and keep them in our prayers as we become acquainted with the "newbies ".  Even sadder sometimes is the loss of any of our children. We are particularly saddened by the news that one of the girls we sponsor, Lupe, has decided to leave the home and return to her mother. The conditions there are not desirable, so much so that her mother requested that she remain at the haven, but Lupe was very determined and would not stay. We are praying that she changes her mind, especially when school starts (her mother cannot afford to send her to school) and realizes even though life at the haven is more restrictive, her opportunities are so much more attainable. Some of the children who have returned to their families have done so because the families are in a better position to care for them, but there are those who are taken out regardless of the family situation. It truly breaks our hearts to see these
children lose the opportunity to become models to their communities by finishing high school and even college. We pray that the Christian training they have received will stay with them throughout their lives. Despite the sadness in our hearts, we welcomed old friends with many hugs and "I missed you" all around. The children were allowed to check out the games, bumper cars, and rides before we all enjoyed pizza and soda.(The Mexican coca light is wonderful).   Then they all were turned loose (even the adults) with pass cards allowing them 30 minutes of fun. The object seemed to be to collect as many tickets from winning games as possible in order to get the best prizes. As you can tell by the pictures, the adults enjoyed this as much as the kids. After all were exhausted, the birthday children were honored with presents, the cupcakes were handed out and admired, and everyone was ready to head back to the haven. Because of the long lines at the border crossing over into the US, we gringos opted to head for the border before it got too late, saving a trip to the haven for a later date, where we will be surprised at all the changes there. Because of your prayers and support, many lives are saved, physically and spiritually.

the children must have been told to wait, as we were sitting inside and they were anxiously waiting to come in

checking through the window to see what lies in store



Paty, third from the left, is the only sister that we now sponsor - she opted to stay at the haven



a couple who is allowed to date - Jacqulin who is in high school, and Nelson, who is in  college, are allowed to see each other at 7 PM in the evening - talk about restrictions

the celebrants

a surprise visit

pizza time

play time

go cart fun

the adults chose shooting practice

Director Betsy, in the foreground, and her son, Benjamin making decisions on how to spend their time

the younger boys go for speed

showing off for the girls

look at all the tickets - he won over 1500!!

even Jessie enjoyed the go carts - ps: Jessie is TALL

which one do you want???

Melana is busy passing out presents

Kayla, our youngest child

Paty's house mother also got presents

traffic in Reynosa not so bad for a Saturday afternoon

a juggler at the stop light - juggling for tips

a long line across the bridge - about a 45 minute wait

After I do my treadmill walking in the evening, I leisurely walk back to the trailer, noting all the song birds, cooling down and snuggling in for the evening (just as I am heading home to do). I am always awed by God's creatures and their instinctive ability to know just exactly what to do and when to do it. We, as human beings, often question our instincts and abilities, relying on ourselves, instead of God. Man is selfish by nature, always wanting things his way. We must strive to trust Christ as He died for us, surrendering His life to God just for the salvation of our sins. Simple words: trust and obey.

 

the egrets and white ibis settling down for the good night's rest

 if you look at the middle of the picture, through the leaves, you will also see a blue heron - God's creatures
a lonely flower among the tree branches, as we are sometimes in this world, standing strong for
Jesus Christ

 

Last Sunday I asked for prayers for Robert Wilken - I am sorry to say that he passed away unexpectedly early Monday morning. We ask for prayers for comfort  during this very difficult time for his wife, Judy, and the entire family. We don't always understand why things happen as they do, but need to continue to keep our faith and pray.

 

We wish everyone a very wonderful week in Christ.