Graduation!

After being here a year, we are now posting events we are experiencing for the 2nd time.  This one is graduation.  This was the final week of school and the kids all worked very hard to practice skits, songs, recital of scripture and today they put all that work into action.  It was so cute to see the little ones dance around, the teenagers act and very moving to see the older youth do dramatic performances.

If you visit www.youtube.com and type in Pan de Vida graduation in the search box, you will see a couple of skits that were performed by the older youth. One is Everything and the other America.

Many children were recognized for moving into primary, secondary or high school.  The big event of course is that of the 6 students who are now High School graduates.  In addition, this year Pan de Vida had 3 graduates with the Bachelor of Pedagogy degree.  

I know that this is an exciting time in their life and everyone enjoyed the celebration, but they also have anxiety as they move to the next chapter of their journey.  We pray they will seek God's direction and there are lots of mentors as they move in that direction. 

Let the ceremony begin



 


ok~so you might see Tio in a tie often but the other 2...look out!  These are guys who can put all their personal belongings in a backpack and be content!!


 


Celene comes over with flat iron to help the girls all get ready for the day! 



the kids anxiously waiting for the performances to begin



 


here we go~the presentation of flag and allegience


 


the kids in action


 


another class performance 



doing a dance act


 


reciting Psalm 139


 


energy all around as Summer Loving was performed


 


the little ones...they always steal the show


 


the Mexican Fred Astair


 


you had to be here for this one~made your cheeks sore


 


the begiining of a "Drime"~I have the video and will post a link once uploaded


 

a random act



 


Lucy, Lupillo, Gaby, Maria, Irma, Olimpia~the High school Graduates



 


Lucy showing her diploma


 

Monica, Jessy and Ruben~Bachelor of Pedagogy Graduates 

Bible Camp

The Levi Youth Group of Pan de Vida is organizing a week-long summer Bible camp for the final week of August.  The camp will include all the kids from ages 4-15 in Pan de Vida, but we will also be inviting kids from the local colonies. The purpose is to evangelize to the local children who don’t know Christ.  Though the camp is still a couple months away, the youth are already working to get the ton of details ready  

The theme is the Armor of God.  Each day of the camp, there will be a Bible story (presented with big painted cut-outs of the characters), a song with dance movements to learn, a sport time, craft time, and kitchen time.  It will be very fun for the kids, and, we are praying the Word of God  will be made very real and applicable to their lives.

The leaders have already been working with the Youth Group teaching them the songs with their corresponding movements.  Also the necessary materials for the crafts has been collected, and they have spent hours tracing out big Bible figures and painting them for the lessons.  It is amazing at the artistic ability of many of the youth in painting! 

Please pray for the camp and those involved in making it a success.  We pray many kids will come, and that their lives will be touched by the Lord. Also that the youth would continue to be enthusiastic over the 2 months in preparation.

     

Dani

Pan de Vida has a new member of the family!  Justo and Elia are the proud parents of a daughter. For those of you who do not know, Justo is the son of the directors Dario and Elena.  He is married to the daughter of the Pastor of Santa Rosa church.  Justo is our Pastor, leader of worship, teacher and administrator in the school among many other things.  Elia is his devoted wife and works with the youth group and teaches at the school.  

The baby's  name is Elia Daniella Hilbrands Medina and will be called Daniella/Dani.  She was born June 11th and weighed about 6 lbs. Thankfully Elia had to have a cesarean because the umbilical cord was around Daniella's neck 3 times and with the complications, Elia had to have hysterectomy.  They can't have anymore children but feel very blessed with the 2 they have plus the 140 other kids here at Pan de Vida.

I haven't had a chance to get any family photos.  Elia was at her parents the 1st week for recovery but as she got home, I was able to get a couple of pictures of the baby and of course she was sleeping.  Luca is both loving and a bit jealous.  For sure Justo and Elia have their hands full.  The kids here are all excited about the baby but the visits have to be few and far between in the beginning.

Here are a couple of pictures and a recent one of Luca being the typical 2 year old.  As soon as I get opportunity, I will post a family photo. 



Some photos

The rainy season seems to have arrived.  Usually we only get the rain in the evenings but even the days have had periodic spurts of drizzle.  However, after the heat April and May produced, the coolness the rain brings is welcomed at the moment.


Now that it is has started to cool off and rain,  the grass seed was applied to the football field. Now we pray that the rain will remain slow and steady for a couple of weeks without the torrential downpours or flooding so the seed can sprout.  We are all thrilled to see this become fruitful as the girls have been playing football in preparation for a new season next fall.


With school coming to a close, we will have many volunteers leaving for the summer and some individual ones arriving.  There are lots of on going projects in process and the daily routine of the kitchen and sorting through donations.


I also had the blessing to take the girls that are graduating high school to shop for dresses.  It really humbled me to see them get to go to the stores and actually pick out something of their choice.  Also the way they were more concerned with looking for dresses that suited the other and stood outside the dressing room to give opinions, showed me how much they are actually sisters.


This weekend, Ira made one of those washer toss games for a few of the neighborhood kids.  They loved it and even played after dark.  How they saw the washers I do not know but they are here almost every evening asking if Ira can come out to play.  Haha...he is a teenager again.  Language is no barrier in relationships for sure.  Here are a few pics from the week.


Justo, Ira and Eva applying the seed


some thrilled guys


Eva is excited 

cutting veggies for lunch 


me and Paquita doing a little dance 

Sarah and Nancy having some fun sorting 

Ira explaining the rules of the washer toss game

 
the kids in action

cutting screen for the vegetable room 

Ira's everday position 



graduate girls ready to shop

Hey, soccer fans!


Hey soccer fans.  In 1986, Querétaro hosted the World Cup.  A team from Germany was one of the teams to play in it.  During their time here, they became sponsors to an Orphanage that cares for infants.  Pan de Vida wasn't in existence at that time.

Later in years, Pan de Vida moved from a couple of different locations.  The team actually paid for and donated 2/3 of the land of the existing site so Pan de Vida could grow and minister at a deeper level to the children God had chosen for this place.  It was about the time that the girls dorm was being built that they became more involved at a personal level.  Over the years they have helped in different areas of building projects.

Recently they were in Mexico for exhibition games to raise money for the infants home.  Also a large portion will also be donated to Pan de Vida as well.  It will go into the school scholarship fund so that the kids who graduate can have more opportunity to upgrade their education and skills.  It is so exciting for the kids.  

Soccer is a huge sport and the players are basically famous people to them.  While they were here, they hosted Pan de Vida  to a meal prepared by some of the volunteers.   Since they are here for the exhibition games, there was media and cameras covering their visits.  An exciting day all around.  They also donated lots of soccer items to the kids, including small banners, wind pants, jerseys etc.  The kids absolutely treasure these items.

After their time at Pan de Vida, the team took about 30 of the older kids a bit south of Querétaro so they could actually watch one of the games.  It amazes me how God brings people from Germany to minister with people from the United States and Canada for the children of Mexico.  God is so good and does not discriminate.  He works all things to the good!!!

     

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