Vacation is over for the kids at the casa hogar and things are calming back down as everyone returns to their old routines.  The kids go to school, come home, eat, do chores, and spend most of their evening finishing up their homework.  Down here the schools tend to take days off that to me seem unnecessary. To start off their first week of school they went for two days and then got Wednesday off.  The teachers like to go on strike a lot to try and get better pay so throughout the year there are many days the kids get off. This school year, Chucho, a boy I taught in the 0-5 year old class, is now attending the public school.  He is very excited to see what each day brings as he has always watched all the other kids and desired to have the same experience. 

Jony has been working hard recently with the boys, trying to fix up the kids' playground.  The wooden fort and bridges were built back in 2006 and nothing was put on the wood to prevent it from rotting so throughout the years it has began to rot and is now unsafe for the kids. Right now it is off limits but is in the process of reconstruction.  It seems as if it will be better this time around.  It’s probably about halfway finished and the kids wait for the day when they can play on it once again.

God has been working in Jony and me recently, opening our eyes once again to something we considered for our future 3 years ago when we got married.  There is land with a house and cabin in Tlaxiaco, a very fertile part of Mexico about 2 hours from here, which is owned by Jony's parents.  They have always thought that one day it would be used in the ministry.  When Jony and I got married he told me how he would one day like to start another branch of the casa hogar in Tlaxiaco.  We built our apartment with that idea in mind.  That would be one reason our house only has 2 small rooms which with two kids now our house is becoming too small.  Over the years we have contemplated the idea; mostly we would think about how we were needed here and about all the things we would miss.  This town is a lot poorer than the one in which we live right now and the people who live there have a mindset that has kept it that way over the years.  We have been told that the center of that town has still not been reached with the message of (Next Column) salvation.  Like most of Mexico, the people are involved in idolatry in their catholic religion.  Over the past month God has actually put excitement in our hearts for the possibilities of this ministering there and instead of thinking of all the things we won’t have, we think of all the things we can do that we can’t do here.  Because this part of Mexico is very vegetated and fertile, we will be able to teach the kids to grow crops and take care of farm animals.  There also is an abundance of wood because this is a forested area so there are more possibilities for carpentry work.  All of which will provide the kids that we have with a variety of things to do and many learning opportunities.  Jony and I feel as if God is showing us that now is the time.   There is a lot of preparation work that will go into getting things ready.  The cabin that is there now needs to be remodeled so that the kids can stay in it. A kitchen and dining room would need to be built for the orphanage along with bathrooms.  The house we would be living in also needs a lot of work.  The electrical work needs to be redone because you blow a fuse when you run a coffee maker and a toaster at the same time. The floors need to be tiled and the walls need to be painted.  Also a kitchen needs to be built on to the house.  Our hope is to be able to move there in the coming year.  This all depends on how God provides.  Our desire is to be able to visit you all in the States to share more with you on our vision before this year ends.

We ask that you would pray for the present and the future in this ministry as God reveals His will in our lives.  That He prepares us for what is to come.  The work is plenty and the workers are few.  Our thanks go out to all who take part in this ministry in some way. 

God’s Blessings,

Amber and Jony