Pocoyo and Chicharon

Months ago I asked Andres what he thought we should name the babies.  He didn't even hesitate when he responded with "Pocoyo and Chicharon".  Okay them.  So we have affectionately referred to them as such :)  You'll be pleased to know those names won't be sticking after birth!

I haven't written much about the twins and pregnancy, but I wanted to share an update.  We are at 34 weeks and the babies are healthy and moving around and have strong heartbeats!  We were able to get a precious picture of our son's face, but the little girl is camera shy and hasn't let us see her face even one time!  And believe me... we have had enough ultrasounds that that is really a feat.  Due to various health problems throughout this pregnancy, we have had lots of doctor visits and at this point could not be more thankful to have healthy babies!

However, healthy they may be, they are not growing as they should due to the placenta.  So it looks like they will coming early!  We expect to do a c-section early next week, most likely Tuesday!  So pray for a healthy delivery and babies who can breathe and eat on their own, so that they can come home with me next week.  They are currently both around 4 pounds!

Keep your eyes out for pictures!  I'm officially on maternity leave, so expect the blog to take a personal turn a few weeks as I take a step back from Puerta de Esperanza.

Graduation!

Yesterday was a big day for C and her son W.  And really, a big day for Puerta de Esperanza.  Although we have had other girls leave the house, she is our first graduate who really left when we felt like she was spiritually, physically, and financially ready.  We are SOOO proud of her!

We are definitely sad to see her go after 3 years of living in the home.  W has never known another home or another family outside of PDE and cried when we left him in his new apartment yesterday.  He will quickly adjust I'm sure, but it is a big change!

B and G who used to live with us at PDE are going to be living with them and the girls will help each other with the bills and childcare.  They are living near C's university and our church bus passes right in front of their neighborhood.  C will keep studying and working, although maybe cut back on the amount of classes she can handle as she shares in childcare responsibilities.  B will continue to buy clothes to sell and try to make some extra money traveling outside of the city to sell used clothes.  But she will mainly be taking care of the kids at home.

Please keep these girls in your prayers as they adjust to life in their own place.  Also pray that they will get along with each other and agree on how to raise their children as they both have responsibilities in that area.  Pray for them to stay involved in the church and continue to seek the Lord in their personal life.

We definitely know that we are not saying goodbye... they are our family and we'll be seeing them soon and often :)

Newsletter December 2014

Here is a link to our December Newsletter!
http://eepurl.com/-zICv

This girl

These two have been living with us for a few months now.  We have really gotten used to them being part of the family.  O yells... Papi, Papi every time Lesther walks in the door and Angel plans playtime with him into his day every afternoon.  We love them :)  But we have always known it was a temporary solution.  She needed a safe place to be for awhile and I needed help around the house while being on pregnancy restrictions.

So yesterday brought many tears.

I can honestly say that I am really proud of this girl and I finally see some maturity happening.  She made a decision to look for a job that would provide for herself and her son and when she found one, she took it, even though it is less than ideal.  We talked a lot about saving as much money as possible to be able to soon move out and get her own place.  She is serious about continuing in her studies and made sure her new employer would give her the time she needs.  She made sure that I would provide pencils and notebooks for the new school year, and with all this in place, she was on her way.

Please pray for her transition and for little O.  K will be living with a family cleaning and cooking for them, but they won't let her bring O with her.  Her sister will take care of him while she is at work and he will only get to see his mom a few times a week.  This is going to be very hard on a little guy who has always been with his mama.  And I'm concerned about him and the situation he will be in, but I'm going to try to keep an eye on him when I can.  Truthfully, I am really thankful that K has taken this first step in moving towards independence.  But I do pray that she will save up quickly and be able to find a job that allows her to move into an apartment with her son very soon!

I was able to pray with her last night as she starts on a new page of her life... we talked about how God goes with her even when she feels like she never lives in one place for very long.  He is her only constant and she has to cling to Him!  She promised she would read a Bible if I get her one (she just got good enough at reading to be able to make that promise!), so I think that will be a good Christmas gift :)  Keep praying for her to know Jesus in a real and personal way and that He would be her anchor as she tries to figure out her future.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Today I just wanted to share my favorite song for the season...

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee

Israel's strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a king
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine own sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

Last night I sat on the couch with my kids staring at the Christmas tree lights and praising the Lord for what a sweet gift of family that He has given to us.  As we celebrated advent together, decorated the tree, and read through verses and stories about Jesus coming, I just pray that my kids will know to cherish the gift of Jesus.  And I pray that for myself.  These past few months have been nothing if not distracting... worries and fears, sickness, changes of plans.  We have felt hard the burden of having kids with other birth moms and what it looks like to share time and the responsibility of raising children with others who don't necessarily agree with us.  I have been worried about our twins coming and for their health and well-being.  We have had sickness and what felt like endless days having to be laid up around the house.  It has made everyone just a little more irritable and impatient.

"From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee"

I feel peace wash over me as I read that line.  Things are not how I would have planned them.  Things are still in upheaval with the government putting Puerta de Esperanza on hold.  I have had more ups and down health-wise with this pregnancy than I could have imagined and have spent more days laying in bed than I would have wanted.  I want to be up making Christmas ornaments with my kids, leading Bible study with the girls, playing with all the little ones, continuing relationships with those who have left.  

But HE is my rest.  From all my fears about inadequacy, potential baby health issues, failure... he has released me.  From all my sins of impatience, frustration, lack of faith... he has forgiven me.  Praise Him for that.

Today I pray for a longing heart... longing to know more and more of Jesus.

Christmas and End of the Year

These two :)  They make my heart happy!

C and her now three year old son W are moving out!  I can hardly believe it, but its been almost three years that they have lived with us.  They moved in February of 2012 and have been PDE staples ever since.  Its going to be so weird to not have them around all the time.  Although I'm pretty sure we're going to see a lot of them!

C is still working towards her forestry degree at the local university and working part-time at Pizza Hut.  She came to know the Lord at PDE, got involved in the local church, and became part of our family.  She is a sweet mom and loves her son fiercely.  We are so proud of her and how far she has come!

We have helped other girls after they move out and they all continue to be part of our family.  But Carolina is special because we consider her our first "graduate" who actually made it to the point that we are really excited to see her step out on her own.  We really think she is ready and we want to support her however we can as she makes this transition.

Over the last three years she has been saving up to have some money to get started, but we want to help with the security deposit on her apartment and some basic furnishings.

As you think about Christmas this year, would you consider putting one of these things on your list and send us money to help her get out on her own?  These are approximate costs.
Security Deposit ($100)
Bed ($150)
Stovetop ($60)
Dorm Size Fridge ($150)
Dresser or Closet ($100)
Kitchen needs ($100)
Linens ($30)

In the same way, please keep Puerta de Esperanza in mind for your year-end giving.  We still need monthly funding badly, but one-time gifts could help us to get through until I can make a support-raising trip next fall.  Here's all the information you need!

Give to account number #92413 Puerta de Esperanza.
Make checks out to Mission to the World with #92413 in the tagline and mail them to...

Mission to the World

P.O. Box 2589

Suwanee, GA 30024-0982

Or give online at... https://donations.mtw.org/donors/login.php

Slaves to the Red Tape

These past few weeks have been especially frustrating for me in regards to Puerta de Esperanza.  We continue to see the Lord doing great things in the lives of the girls involved and we have received lots of interest from new girls who would like to come and live in the home.  It seems like God really wants this ministry to continue and expand and we see the girls growing in Him.

And yet.

There is this thing called the government.  And its a mess.  Recently they disbanded the social services arm of the government and fired everyone associated with it.  That just doesn't sound like a very efficient way to get anything done?!?  They are opening a new area that will only have a central office in Tegucigalpa, the capital 7 hours away from here.  It appears that for the moment they are a bunch of politicians sitting in an office making decisions without a real sense of what life is like on the ground level for those of us really working with children-at-risk.  All that to say, its frustrating.  Everything is changing.  The requirements for our home, the way the girls enter, the services we are able to provide... it will all be different.  And yet... how different?  In what way?  What changes?  No one seems to know yet.

Where does that leave us?  A standstill.  We are currently stuck with our hands tied waiting for things to all get ironed out.  In the meantime we are not able to move in any new girls or put anything new into process.  We could optimistically assume this will happen quickly, but its not likely.  It looks like we'll be frozen this way for a few months at least.  It is so frustrating to know that there are needs that we are able to fill, but we cannot act because of this hold-up.  But we must submit to the authorities here and wait on them to tell us what and when and how.

So will you pray with us that God will show us what PDE's ministry needs to look like in the meantime?  We have two girls in the home right now, one who will soon be moving out.  We have four other former PDE girls in the area with whom we are still actively involved.  We are constantly making new contacts with young pregnant girls who fit the description of those to whom we feel God has called us to minister.  So... could it be new Bible studies?  Outreach?  Sunday lunches?  Rides to church?  I know that God has something in mind for these months when I feel like we are stuck.  Please pray that He will show us what it is!