Day 7 - Coming Home

Well, we are sitting in San Diego airport preparing to get onto our flight home.  It's been a wonderful week and the emotions are more than words can really describe.  This morning was another special one.  When we arrived at CDL, the children came out with a beautiful painting for each person on the team that said, 'Gracious.'  They all said to us in spanish, Thank you for making us smile!  We then started saying our goodbyes and that is when the tears started to roll.  We made such beautiful connections with both the children, staff and volunteers and though it has been a great week, the time had come to say goodbye.

There were lots of pictures and then the staff and children circled around us and held hands, then prayed God's blessing on us.  And how can I not cry when that happens?

And as we go, we leave a piece of our hearts behind in Mexico.  Our hearts are with Isabell and Ramone as they move into their newly renovated home; our hearts are with each child and volunteer at Casa De Luz that we have fallen in love with; Our hearts are with Francisco as he continues to choose his family despite hardship; our hearts are with the moms who have been impacted by Casa De Luz that we loved on at our ladies night; our hearts are with Toni and Erin and Bella and Lucas who work tirelessly day in and out; our hearts are with Pasotr Daniel and Aleyda who truly bring Jesus into the community.  We have become like family with so many people and for many of us this will not be goodby forever.

And so we return to the everyday; may God keep our hearts soft for His people.  

Day 6 - Such a good Day!!!

Today was an AWESOME DAY!  Bree, Makaaela, Abbi and I got to hang out at CDL this morning and learn how to make tortillas with Rosa, CDL's head cook.  It was sooooo fun and Pastor Daniel even got in on it and shared his techniques.  After the team got back from the reno house, we split into groups and headed out to give out food hampers.  There was a mix of blessing CDL volunteers, CDL moms and La Hermosa church members that were in need.  One of the hampers our team delivered was to Suzanna.  Suzanna is one of CDL kitchen volunteers and when we arrived she was in her new Freestyle clothes from the Saturday night ladies night.  She felt so blessed from all that we have done and told us that when we come it strengthens the people.  Such a wonderful lady!

We also delivered to Hermana Blanca and her family.  Blanca comes once a week and does hair for all the girls at CDL.  She gave us each a shell when we left and arrived later in the afternoon with a freshly baked carrot cake for the team that said 'Good Bless Canada' or in other words 'God bless Canada!'

 

The afternoon was filled with fun at the park - ropes course again, soccer playing and lots of interaction with the community.  Makaaela started talking with a woman in the playground and was able to pray for her for healing.  The woman was so blessed she ran after Makaaela to give her her phone number and told her if she ever needed anything to call!  

Special thanks to my big brother and sister for providing the funds for some new soccer balls for the kids at CDL!!

When the kids returned from the park, the girls were all set to perform their presentation complete with costumes and skirts.  They were so excited that they chose to stay back from the ropes course so they could practice and be ready.

This performance was definitely a HIGHlight!  They were all so filled with joy and excitement to share what they had learned.  To see the transformation in the kids was so amazing as well.  Our littlest ballerina, Camela, was not interested in joining in the first day.  She didn't want to dance or be a part but the second day she had a smile on her face and was happy to walk around with me.  But when we were showing our moves, she was actually doing her arm positions and pliets!!  Wow!

Makaaela taught the older girls an awesome hip hop piece which they shared first.  Such a thrill for them and they did so well!

The older girls then changed into their ballet outfits and shared their new moves.  They showed off their pliets and arm positions, tendues, and sautes and danced across the floor in groups of two.  

What a blessing to be able to leave all these costumes from Jazz-ma-tazz plus Abbi and Sadie's old body suits and skirts and some scarves for the children to continue to dance in.  

 The evening brought more emotion as we finished the house reno and dedicated it to the Lord.  Pictured here is Isabell and Ramone and their parents.  There were tears and laughter as we shared and prayed and were able to really see the impact that our project would have on this family.  Isabell and Ramone were both very grateful and we were overwhelmed by goodness of God.  She said God was fulfilling all of her dreams!

 Here is the team proudly standing with Isabell and her family in front of their new home!

So what can I say but, 'Wow God!'  You are so good Jesus.  This day was above and beyond what I could ask and imagine and I am humbled and blessed again to be serving my God in this beautiful place.  Tomorrow we pack up and head home...the time has flown by and I am already looking forward to coming back again.  Please pray for grace and peace for my kids and safe travels as we return.  

Francisco and Theresa

I didn't get a chance to blog about our moments with Francisco yesterday so thought I'd do a quick one right now.  Francisco is the only dad in the program and has quite the story.  Theresa and Lionel are his kids and he actually found his daughter abandoned on the side of the road and took her in.  The mother is in jail and he took time to find his son who was left with a friend and brought him to live with him as well.  He is a father that, though he struggles with many things, has chosen to fight for his kids.  We blessed the moms at Casa De Luz and we wanted to bless him as well.  We brought him Freestyle clothes, shoes, and a bag of toiletry items as well.  

Today, his daughter danced in our final presentation.  She is the kind of girl that isn't naturally feminine.    She doesn't have a high self-esteem and today was a beautiful day.  Today she danced.  Today she was a given a pretty skirt and took the moves she learned and shared it.  As the kids and teachers and team cheered for her and the other, she was choking up.  

I went up to her after and told her how proud I was of her and how well she did.  The next time I saw her she came running with open arms to give me a big hug.  There is something powerful about showing a little girl that they are beautiful, valuable and feminine.  She received it!  Such a beautiful moment today.  

Day 5 - Hamper Shopping, Painting, and Camps!

What a day!  Madisen, Bree, Toni and I set out in the morning to purchase food and supplies for 20 needy families in Primo Tapia.  We made it back just in time to catch the second set of dance classes and the chaos of crafts.... Bree was dubbed our Craftmaster and the team was out of sorts with her not there.

While we were out shopping, the rest of the team was at the reno house painting, painting and.... painting.  Amazing transformations were taking place as colors filled the walls.  I'm so excited to get in there tomorrow and hang a few pictures of the family on the wall.  We will be dedicating the home tomorrow evening.

The evening was spent playing with Bella and Lucas while we gave Toni and Erin a well-deserved break and sent them out for dinner.  We also split into teams to sort and package the food hampers and finish some more painting and hang doors in the reno house.

Of course the evening was topped off with some delicious ice cream at the local ice cream parlour.  When Toni and Erin came to pick up the kids, we had a great time hearing some stories of the the kids at Casa De Luz and their backgrounds.

 Highlights for the day - Carl and Jon set up a ropes course at the local park and the kids had a blast out there and lots of neighbourhood kids joined in to try it out.

Seeing the change in Isabell and Ramone's home take place when color was added!

And giving Fransisco his care package.  Fransisco has been making such big changes and is the only father in the program so because we were blessing the moms, we wanted to bless him to.  We gave him a bunch of new clothes, a pair of shoes and a bag of Freestyle clothes.  He eyes were welling up as we shared how we wanted to bless him as a father that is fighting for his kids.  Really cool time!

Here's a few more pics from the day...

 The kids helped unload the hamper supplies into the Casa De Luz.

Dance class, teaching Jetes - leaps across the floor.  Once I put my binder down for them to jump over, they got it!

Last full day tomorrow.  Pray for us.  We need our rest as it will be another full day of giving out hampers, finishing the house and one last camp time with the kids at Casa De Luz.

Day 4 - Boys to Tijuana, Girls to Paint

This morning roles reversed and the boys went to Tijuana to feed the poor and the girls went to the construction site and painted ceilings and the outdoor walls.

The boys had a great experience in Tijuana and Caleb even joined in the fun for a bit.  The guys spoke about the program as such an eye opener of what a sacrifice for Jesus really looks like.  These VOLUNTEERS get up every morning at 3:30am to prepare breakfast for over 250 people.  And they don't stop there; when school rolls around, there is a lunch program plus ESL classes and much more.  These volunteers have no names or faces and yet they continually give to the poor and do what God has called them to do.

It was really nice to spend some time worshipping and praying for the family as we painted and spend the morning just us girls!

After lunch, we met up for our summer camps with the Casa De Luz kids.  Makaaela and I headed up the dance classes while the boys and Madisen headed out to play some soccer with the boys.

Dance was especially fun as we brought some skirts to share with the kids thanks to Abbi and Sadie as well as Jazz-ma-Tazz!  Each girl lit up when they got to choose a skirt to wear for the ballet class.  They were all smiles dancing across the floor as their teachers cheered them on.  So fun!

The rest of the team had fun making dough animals with the kids that they will paint tomorrow, then finished the day off with hat decorating and bracelet making.

Mike and Riley got invited to a Mexican League soccer game this evening and the rest of the team is hanging out in the living room, having some much needed and well-deserved down time.

Day 3 - Day off

 The morning was spent with a Canada versus Mexico Soccer Game.  The Canadian team surprised the Mexicans with their skills.  They ended up losing but only by one point!  The match was 12-13 for the Mexicans.We headed to the beach for the afternoon where a handful of the boys headed into the frigid waters.  

Caleb definitely had an awesome time in the sun and sand!

 The evening was spent at La Hermosa Church where the team enjoyed a Spanish Service.  The youth were returning from a retreat and shared testimonies where over 40 people had been saved!

 Pastor and Daniel and Mike.

While the team went to church, the Santos' and Madisen and I and all the kids headed out to 'El Circo' for the kids' first trip to the Circus.  It was an amazing circus, a little bit scary sitting on the bleachers that were tied together with rope and a tiger 30 feet away with no fencing to keep him from the audience!  But all in all, we all had a great family time together and the kids got some much needed fun time.  Caleb suggested the next time we come to Mexico it would just be for fun! 

Day 4 .... we will be heading out this morning to paint the house (girls team) while the boys go to Tijuana, then kids camps in the afternoon.