August 2008
August 2008
Dear Friends,
There is so much you learn by being in a family. Children who have never been in a family struggle to get along and miss out on so much. Recently Nini’s sister, Hillary, came to stay with us for several weeks. Nini, is our newest boy, who has been with us for several months now. Hillary has never been in a real family. Her mother and father left her when she was just a baby. Hillary has never received much love and care so she came craving attention and wanting to eat everything in the pantry! Having only brothers, she talked and acted like them. She had to win at every game we played and called the other children “stupid.” After several days of this it was time to have a serious talk. I wondered how she would respond. As I spoke to her tears rolled down her face. After our serious talk, to my surprise, she hugged me and told me she loved me. Will you be my mother? I had to hold back the tears myself. Each day she was with us we saw her soften and change. The children reminded her too that no one was to be called “stupid.” Ruth and Mabel brushed her hair and had her in ribbons. In just a few short weeks what a difference a family can make!
In a family you have to work together, especially in a big one! It can’t be all about “me”, it is about the group. When you are a child, and are all alone in the world you are just trying to survive. Hillary has been just trying to survive. Please pray for Hillary and Javier her older brother. We love them very much and are praying for guidance in their lives.
This July my Dad or Grandpa, as he is known to the kids, came to visit. They counted the days until he arrived. Dad spoke at the church conference Hugo Zelaya had here and many people were touched. He stayed on for another week to be with us and the kids. It was hard for him, and all of us, to be without mom, since they had so many memories here together. She loved Costa Rica and all her grandkids, but we were all so glad to be with him and the children kissed and hugged on him. It was a good time. Nini, spent several hours writing a note for him and looking for just the right pictures on the computer and soon all the kids were busy drawing and writing sweet notes. Javier and Hillary were here too and it meant so much to them to have a Grandpa too! We all were so blessed by his visit and we thought you might enjoy seeing the picture we took of Grandpa with all the kids.
This has been a blessed and good time as we continue to work on the children’s home but it has also been challenging as we make decisions that will affect many lives in the future. We ask you to please pray for our finances too, as people face tough financial times in the states and all over. God is opening up doors for us to provide more children with a home, but this means we will need more support financially. We appreciate you so much standing with us and we know the Lord will provide in all times. We pray the Lord will bless you!!
Love,
Enrique and Charlyn
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