Joint Heirs With Jesus

Ira returned to Pan de Vida on Saturday the 20th.  As he got out of the taxi, the boys spotted him right away and ran across the property to greet him.  He said he felt like he was coming home.  He was able to get his rest and the next day we attended the church service here at Pan de Vida and then took the afternoon to walk in the park in Centro Querétaro and go for a delicious bowl of Sopa Azteca.

However, Monday morning was back to normal.  I presented Ira with his to do list which is a few inches long.  As I worked the breakfast shift, the young boys came into the kitchen all wearing their hats.  It appears that everyone is catching a cold and living in close quarters everyone usually gets the experience.  The kids are hacking and dealing with some congestion and runny noses.  I couldn't help but smile to see them so nonchalantly wear whatever hat they were provided.  They knew it was to keep them warm.  Some people may find that strange that a person would need a hat here in Mexico but the mornings and evenings can be chilly living 6000 ft above sea level.  I claim it to be the best weather in the world.

Last week Pan de Vida said good-bye to a very special lady who was a huge blessing to the work here.  Terri, who supervised the kitchen, had to leave for personal reasons.  In ministry and missions, we witness many people on different journeys.  It is always hard to accept change.  Terri`s departure now left the kitchen without a supervisor.  The directors approached me about helping in this ministry.  Remember, I am from Canada.  I do not know a chipolte from a pimento.  I was horrified at the thought but knew they were in a bind and always want to help if I can.  I will be supervising the work in the kitchen along with meal planning and looking after the inventory.

It is now over a week later and no one has died, so God has remained faithful. It is actually a blessing to be working in the kitchen.  Here at Pan de Vida, the directors have a well planned schedule of chores for the children so it never seems like hard work, it is like team work.  Each morning I am up before the sun and have the pleasure of greeting sleepy eyed girls as they come to the kitchen and start breakfast and they are always smiling.  I actually have fun with them and they are helping me tremendously practice my Spanish.  However, sometimes when I have 5 girls calling my name and speaking rapidly, I just do the bobble head.  I still have so much to learn with the language, food and kitchen routine but I trust God to direct me in this task.

All of this has taken place while Ira has had to be away.  He is in Canada for his oldest son`s wedding.  At first I was disappointed that I was unable to attend but with all that has happened, I see now that God had a reason for me to stay behind.  The boys really miss Ira`s presence.  As we have settled into ministry here, we have built some relationships with the kids as well.  The last month held several celebrations that required installation of lights, props to be built, etc.  A couple of the boys took interest in helping Ira.  Then during the week, after school, they even come to the workshop to see if they can help.  Ira started a picket fence as a hobby project to allow them opportunity to learn their way in the workshop.  Ira has a vision to teach a workshop class along with other handyman jobs.  With the boys being taught English in the school and Ira studying Spanish, they will be able to do this soon.

Also this last week, I was blessed to be a substitute teacher.  Richard, who teaches English, needed to be away for  a few days and asked me to take his Thursday and Friday class.  He had prepared an exam and wanted me to share my testimony so I wasn`t involved in any lesson planning, Praise the Lord! In the beginning of class, we started in prayer and I asked each person to pray to God something they were thankful for.  First, just to hear them speak English with their Spanish accent is poetic in itself.  I was tremendously blessed and warmth just spilled into my spirit when they thanked God for me.  And just to hear them thank God also for their life considering what some of them have overcome, also touched me deeply.

While in Canada, Ira also had opportunity to share with the churches the need for daily necessities of food, water, toiletries, etc.  We hope to cover some of the expenses through child sponsorship program.  If you feel led to become a partner in this ministry please visit the Children of Hope web-site. www.childrenofhope.info

It may appear that the last few updates suggested all play and no work but that isn't the case. The work has continued on a daily basis. It reminds me of meal time. You have to eat the things necessary to maintain energy and health but God occasionally gives us chocolate cake for dessert. The celebrations were very sweet for fellowship.

The roof of the school has been poured and now the auditorium is being prepared for it's new roof. Some of the youth have been taking music classes and we now have a diverse group playing different instruments and using their gift of singing. With new children attending school from the local community, the children who live here in addition to the volunteers, we are quickly out growing the dining room. Growth in the family of God! I think that deserves a Hallalujah or as us southerners who do Beth Moore studies would say~Yahoo-jah!
A local business that is Swedish owned, Sika, recently made a generous donation to cover the expense of several of the large projects. The auditorium roof is a project that will have to be contracted due to the material and structure of it. Once that is in place, the process of the interior will proceed. There is even going to be a room designated as a nursery/instrument storage.

It will be so exciting to have the space. As I have shared in previous posts, the dining room is currently used for church services. The worship band has to plan it's practices around meal time, and meal time on Sundays is planned church services. There is always alot of setting up and breaking down of tables and chairs. However, the system is a well greased machine with everyone appointed specific chores.

We all witness daily God's blessing and want to take this time to be thankful. The facilties continue to grow allowing Pan de Vida outreach opportunities to many people and to present the gospel of Jesus Christ as saviour. It is the provision of food, water, electricity, maintenance, and other necessities that Children of Hope strive to provide through the child sponsorship program. God has been faithful in supplying our daily bread and we continue to pray for that. www.childrenofhope.info