The kitchen is ready for the wooden doors and serving window. After that we can buy the appliances and furnish it. As soon as we have monthly support, we will begin to serve lunch to our ministry kids a few days a week.

The second to last picture is the sanctuary. Josué´s brothers have prepared the walls and ceiling so that a mission trip  coming in October can paint it. Now they are working on the kitchen.

The last picture is a swing set, donated by a supporter friend, in honor of his grandchildren. The kids are enjoying the tire swings. After we clean up the yard, we will also put in a slide, balance beam, and sandbox.

Josué and I are very grateful for the sponsors who have recently sent gifts or money for gifts for their adopted ministry kids. Some were for birthdays, others just because. The first 3 pictures are Jhardeli, Marcelo, and Vasti receiving packages from the States. The next 2 kids, Gabriela and Anderson received donations—we don´t give out the money, rather we take the kids shopping for things they need and want. It´s a real treat for them.  The next picture is of Anderson´s brother  Dorian. Anderson shared his donation with his brother, as he doesn´t have a sponsor yet. The next 2 pictures are of Priscila and Arlet—Renee, Mama Luz, Josué and I all pitched in to buy them gifts for their birthdays, to make an otherwise common day special.

There are many children without sponsors. If you want to “adopt” a child, please email Renee Smith at brereneematt@att.net  for specifics in how to send packages or donations (especially for birthdays). Also we ask that you pray for your ministry child on a regular basis. Thanks!

1. Railing to upstairs. Cool story about our next door neighbor who has done all our metal work for us–he accepted Christ last night at church! Pray for Roberto. Thanks.

2. We put up a wall at the sanctuary´s entrance–less echo and more privacy.

3. The kitchen walls have been tiled, working on the countertops this week.

4. Mama Luz´s class on Sunday. She taught that we are God´s most amazing creation.

5. Daniel´s class. He´s great at getting the kids to participate and learn.

6. Jonathan´s class (well mine, but Joni is taking my place for a couple months). He gets the youth to study Scripture.

Thanks for your faithful support and prayers.

5 of our Club children, Karen, Lucero, Gabriela, Rayza, and Christofer were baptized by Papa (Pastor) Jorge today. The celebration, which included all the Club kids, many parents, and our church, lasted several hours, including worship, lunch, and cake. (Thanks to Jon for helping us with the cost of the cakes!) The swimming pool we bought yesterday worked out great–it´s huge! And although it rained all night, it was a very pleasant morning.

Today the Club came to the end of its journey through the Old Testament. We began with the Creation story last June and finish this June with Isaiah´s prophesy to the coming of Christ. Over the summer, we will study the Fruit of the Spirit and in the fall we will begin teaching the New Testament.

In the pictures, you see the three classes, Daniel´s, Mama Luz´s, and mine. They colored Isaiah´s 4 main prophecies that came true in the New Testament–the virgen Mary given birth to the Mesiah, Jesus reigning as King forever, Jesus´suffering and death, and the new heaven and new earth where the “wolf eats peacefully next to the lamb and the lion eats grass.”  On the back the kids drew how they choose to answer, as Isaiah did, “Here am I, send me”–a talent they have that they want to use for God´s glory.

Daniel´s class (see first pictures) met in the kitchen, which you can see now has a ceramic floor. This week, we are putting in the counters.

Please leave comments on the blog entries. I appreciate your prayers and encouragement.

Last week, 3 children, Vasti, Marcelo, and Barbara, received gifts, letters, and photos in the mail, and Gabriela received a donation for her birthday (I’ll take her out to buy her gifts this week). Thanks to those who are writing, sending gifts, donating money and praying for our very sweet and very needy children.

Jonah didn´t want Nineveh to know God´s salvation, so he ran away. But he learned the hard way (from the belly of a whale shark) to forgive his enemies and show them God´s love. We too have a hard time forgiving those who have hurt us, but Jesus did, and asks us to as well. Let´s learn the lesson from Jonah, and forgive even when it´s hard.

Thanks to Leslie for bringing hundreds of paper plates (for the “big fish” craft) and boxes of goldfishes to help the kids remember this lesson. Along with the goldfish crackers, the kids enjoyed tuna fish sandwiches (get it?!) and a native purple drink called chicha morada (to look like the sea!).

$2000 

That´s how much we spent this week on laying the cement floor. But it had to be done. You can see the hose used to water the cement in the mixer, 100 bags of cement, and truckloads of sand. Plus 15 men working 2 days straight. Now the first floor looks nicer, and the entrance ramp is less inclined and thus safer.

There is still a lot to do. The entrance patio will be finished next week. Daniel will clean the brick walls  in the sanctuary and out back (around the futbol field). We have 2 additional brick walls to put up and a metal double door in the sanctuary. Jonathan will put a coat of cement paste on all the cement walls on the first floor so that they can later be painted.  

 Next week we will continue to work on the kitchen. Luis (a church member) and his grandson finished the pantry shelves (see first photos) and will begin the counters (made just like shelves, with wooden frames, iron rods, and cement). Gilber will tile the floor. The donation from my aunt built the kitchen and we used the last $800 to buy the ceramic floor tiles. We still need $2500 for the kitchen to be operational. That will cover: tiles for the counters and walls, 2 fans, lighting, plumbing, 2 sinks, door, the serving window, and an industrial gas stove. It will also cover the first month of serving lunch to the kids and paying the cooks. oWe cannot go on without these funds.

Then to completely finish the kitchen, we will need a pantry door, industrial refrigerator, freezer, cooking, serving, and storage utensils, cleaning materials (we will be using what we own until funds come in), and paint. And we will need monthly donations to provide the ongoing service.

Please help us out with this project by sending a donation to Wordsower (see mailing address below). I can´t wait to show pictures to my grandma of the kitchen dedicated to her, where we are serving the children she prays for daily!

Today is my niece Greysi´s 8^th birthday. We took her to buy shoes to go with her birthday dress and Josué got her a “Barbie” doll, which Greysi has been dressing and playing with non-stop! Isn´t she beautiful?!

Job: Why do I suffer? I want to trust You, God, but life is so hard. I haven´t done anything to deserve such loss. Lord, have you forgotten me?

God: Can you make the sun rise? or the rain fall? or the lions find food? or the birds fly south? Can you control the sea? or guide the stars? or count the clouds? Hello! Humble yourself and recognize that I am God and you are man.

Job: Yes, Lord, forgive me for my pride. If I can accept the good You give me, I can also accept what You take from me–that won´t keep me from trusting You.

We can´t always understand; Satan thinks he knows better but doesn´t. But God  knows and understand; He often allows problems for our good, and for His glory–and through it all, He is always with us.

I put baby powder on the kids´arms so they would feel that they had a skin disease like Job did.

1st pix: I gave out suckers to the 30 kidswho have come regularly since January (not missing more than 2 Club meetings).

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