Matching Grant Update

Wow.

What we need: $10,000
What the Lord has provided in October: $4708
In 31 days the Lord has used YOU to bring in almost half of the money that we need towards this matching grant.
What we get: $5000
Once we have $10,000 in new monthly donors, one-time gifts, or extra monthly giving we will receive $5000 more.

How can you help?
Our greatest need is still MONTHLY DONORS who will commit to give to this ministry for the matching grant and beyond.  Our need is ongoing... food, electiricity, rent, schooling, diapers,medical needs, etc.  Please consider that anywhere from $10-$500 is helpful.  Just $10 a month pays for a week of diapers for one of our little ones!

If you cannot give monthly, you can still make a one-time gift towards the matching fund!  We would love to get all this money by the end of December, so please consider us in your year end giving plan.


And THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

growth

Every day we are seeing growth.  Some days its a baby learning to pull up on the furniture, sometimes its a new English word or a taste a new food they've never eaten before.  But every day there is something small that lets us know that they are learning and growing in a healthy and safe environment.  The other day my heart was so full and joyful as the two oldest broke out into song... worship songs that they know from church.  Singing over and over again..."eres todo para mi"  You are everything to me!

And its not just the babies... the girls are growing too.  I'm thankful we have these babies that shows signs of growth because with their moms it is much more slow in coming!  But we do see it... signs that the Lord is working and changing their hearts.

I see it in a conversation that before would have caused a defensive explosion, but this time was just a conversation.  I see it in the questions they ask me, the real desire to know the answer instead of argue.  Its in the little ways that they show respect to the house moms and to each other, do someone's else's chore or say a kind word.... there are little steps, but steps nonetheless.

Monday night we had Bible study and we were talking about grace and how amazing it is that God who is holy and set apart would love us.  We read in Scripture where God says to us... "Be holy as I am holy" and one of the girls asked a very real and excellent question.  "How can we possibly do that?"

Exactly.  We can't.  And that's why we need Jesus.  I am praying every day for them to really understand that and cling to HIM.

Life

They are growing up, too fast!

G is such a laid back baby.  She is a good sleeper and rarely cries.  The only time she really cries, she screams, and its when her food is gone.  Man she loves to eat!  She eats anything and everything that she can get her hands on.  She has always been a pretty serious baby, but recently I've seen more and more smiles and giggles, she just has to be in the right mood!

O is changing every day.  This kid is so active.  He is skinny and all muscle.  He climbs, crawls, scoots, pulls up, anything he can do to get around.  He doesn't love sleeping, probably because its boring :)  If you can get him in the right mood he has a huge grin that stretches from ear to ear.

K is currently moving forward in school and really has learned a lot since we started in June.  She is learning some Honduran history and culture, which means I am learning Honduran history and culture!  We've made flags and crests and memorized songs.  She is learning about literature and theater and we've made puppets and written stories.  She hates math, but is learning it anyways :)  I want to try to get her working, so please pray for a part-time job of some kind to open up for her.  She spend a lot of time just at home doing homework and hanging out.

B is also currently jobless since the store closed.  She has applied to a bunch of places and is pretty qualified, but a little unmotivated since her life needs are all being met at the moment.  She is waiting to hear back and we are praying for a full-time job with a steady income for her.  That would be a big step towards looking towards moving her into the real world.  She is super helpful around the house and a great mom.

We've been studying the prodigal son at our weekly Bible study.  We've looked at the nature of God being a God who searches for lost things, US!  We've seen the nature of the younger son to go after the far country and his own desires far from the Father.  And we've seen the unforgettable Father who has shown Himself to be forgiving, loving, compassionate, and merciful.  The girls are receiving the lessons well and participating.  Its hard to know exactly what sinks in, but we are seeing growth in baby steps.

Please keep praying with us for these girls and babies and all that the Lord is doing here!

Partway there

Wow.  That's all I can say.

In the last week the Lord has brought us almost a quarter of the way towards our $10,000 goal for the matching grant!

We have received $2300 and two new monthly supporters.

Please keep praying with us for more monthly supporters and one time gifts to get us to our goal :)

And THANK YOU!  For spreading the word about PDE, for giving, for praying... we are so thankful.

Refocus

"Joyful Jesus, forgive me for the ways I can reduce life with you to fine worship or stately buildings, dignified gatherings, or efficient organizations, influence or importance.  I pray that your church and my life would be reckless with love for you, captive to the rhythm of your kindgom joy, glorying and enjoying you.  Amen" - Westminster Larger Catechism

Last night at Bible study we were studying something along this line and I was just so struck with it again.  God made us who we are and gave us what we have.  He doesn't need our programs, our childrens' homes, our good teaching.  He uses us because it is His will to do so.  But what He wants from us is our heart and our worship, our reckless love for Him.  And in that He gives us joy in expanding the kingdom and seeing new people begin to walk with Him.

It really is my heart's prayer that I not get too caught up in doing for the Lord that I forget to just be with Him, revel in my adoption as His daughter, and enjoy living a life of peace in relationship with Jesus.

Matching Grant

If you've been thinking about giving to Puerta de Esperanza, now is the time!  We were recently given a 2:1 matching grant and I am positive that we can make it happen.

What do we need to do?
Raise $10,000 of new money.  That means new monthly donors, one-time gifts, or gifts from monthly donors over and above what they have pledged.  We would like to raise this money before the end of December.

What do we get?
Once we have the money they will give us $5000!

What does this mean for you?
This means that for every $2 you were thinking about donating to PDE, you are really donating $3.  For every $2000, it is now $3000.  And I know you were all thinking about donating $2000 right? :)  No but really, if you can give now, you help us get even more money.

How do I give?
Great question.  There are few ways, but for all of them you need this number 92413.  Put it in the memo line of your check or use it to find our account online.

Send checks to...
Mission to the World 
P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284

Give online here

Print off this page for monthly electronic funds transfer.  Fill it out and send it in.

Thank you.  Without your donations we cannot run this ministry.  I am so thankful for the people the Lord provides to partner with us.  Please also consider sharing about our needs with others.  Please also consider us in your year end giving.  If you would like more information about Puerta de Esperanza please email me at ssinnes@gmail.com.

Apology

It was short conversation, but heartfelt.

Last night after Bible study with the girls one of them pulled me into her room to talk for a minute.  I was expecting drama or slightly ridiculous questions or speculations because this is usually what I get from her.  To my shock and surprise, she apologized.  Not for anything specific, but just for her attitude, her behavior, over the last year and a half.  God is doing something big in this girls heart!  Never have I seen her so humble or broken.  She took responsibility for her actions, has repented before the Lord, and came to me to ask forgiveness.  Wow.

We both cried :)  And I got to talk to her about forgiveness and the sweetness of it.  And about the Lord's forgiveness and how her sins are now as far as the east is from the west.  There is such joy in the Lord's overwhelming grace to us that He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, but He forgets them instead.

And then the babies came busting in and it was moment interrupted.  But it was good and it was enough.  And I am so thankful that the Lord let me see a break-through in her heart.  Please pray for Him to keep working, to keep softing her heart, and to keep wooing her to Himself.

W's birthday!

Yesterday we headed to a hotel down on the beach to enjoy the pool and celebrate W's second birthday!  Man, I love this little guy.  He has lived with us since he was 5 months old, so we are pretty attached and the only family that he really knows.  He loves to swim and its the one word that he consistently says in english... swim, swim swim!  He slept for about half of his party, but woke up in time to enjoy the pool and eat some cake :)

Y is working a lot these days and so yesterday was the first time I had gotten to sit down and talk to her since meeting her mom.  We had a long conversation that will need lots of follow up.  There are just so many past wounds in her life and bringing her mom into the picture opens up a lot of them.  She was raised by her grandma and it seems like the real story of her life lies somewhere between mom's story and grandma's story.  That's so hard, to not really know what happened and who wanted you and why you got caught in the middle of a mother/daughter battle.  So please be praying for her to have an open mind as we continue to talk.  I just want her to know first and foremost that the Lord loves her, has a place for her in HIS family and its the most important family that there is!  And then after that for her to be able one day to forgive her mom and grandma and hear all sides of the story of her childhood so that she can begin to heal.  Please pray these things with me.

Scares

He is a cute little stinker that's for sure.  At two and a half he finally decided that he was a toddler and started saying no all the time.  But he is easily swayed and as soon as I say, "tell mommy yes" he changes his tune.  He is bright spot in our week whenever he comes to our house!  Right now we get him three days a week and we love every second of it :)  Even his older siblings are obsessed with having him around.

About 6 weeks ago Andres had a big fall that led to a concussion.  We got the EEG and everything looked normal so he went home to keep living normal life.  2 weeks ago he was with us on the scariest Saturday morning of my life when he had a seizure.  We were in the hospital for about 36 hours and after another EEG they cleared him to go home.  We will follow up with the neurologist on Monday and then eventually with a pediatric neurologist, but we have to go 3 hours away to San Pedro Sula.  And then last night we were back in the ER with him as he choked on food and his mom rushed him to the hospital.  He was on oxygen for a few hours and a little out of it at first, but he recovered well and they let us go home.

Please pray for us as we have wisdom with this little guy.  We know that some of these things are unrelated, but its just hard that it seems to be one thing right after another.  I am so thankful that nothing has been worse.  In every case we have left the hospital with the best possible news.  We are so thankful to the Lord for His provision in that way!

And we have seen the Lord's hand in relationships as well.  These hospital visits have really opened up a door for us to build a family for Andres as we spend a little time with his mom and try to get on the same page with her about his care.  It has been so good for she and I to get to know each other a little bit and see how the other loves him.

But it is hard to watch him be sick, and hard to not swing to being too overprotective after watching him 3 consecutive times in the hospital.  It is hard to know that my 9 year old son had to run and get me because he was watching his brother have a seizure.  So please just pray for peace for us as we love on him, care for him, give him the freedom to play and grow, and trust Jesus that he belongs to HIM!  And praise the Lord with us that Andres is doing great despite some hopital visits, he is doing well on his medicine and has not had any other seizures.  And for that we are SO thankful!

A Meeting a Long Time Coming

First let me just say that, although not angels, the girls have been doing great!  The Lord really used our big blow up a few weeks ago to get their attention.  I devised a whole new system of chores and charts and behavior system.  I hate it personally, even though it was my idea.  I hate it because it feels more like a system and less like a family.  But coming from where they have come from, they need it.  And it struck me that maybe I have been doing them an injustice by not offering them the structure that they really need.  So for now we have this...

The women on our Honduras team took a retreat together last week that was AWESOME!  It was spiritual renewal, physical renew (read: sleep!), fun and new games, speakers from the states who came to pour into us, and good community building.  And we went to Roatan, which for me meant a double purpose because Y's mom lives there!

Y and her daughter J have lived with us for a year and a half and I have spoken to her mom on the phone, but never met her.  We have been trying to get her to sign papers to take her out from under the control of Social Services, but she has never come to the mainland to sign.  So, last Thursday we met!  She signed papers and brought her older daughter.  I had a great visit with them, about 2 hours.  She told her her life story and all about Yajaira.  We talked about Jesus and hope for the future.  Please pray for this family to one day have full reconciliation!