It has been a busy few weeks at Pan de Vida. A team from Abbortsford British Columbia came to bless and be blessed. This is the 2nd year for some and the 1st for others. They always plan their trip for the week of Easter. At Pan de Vida, this is when the kids are out of school for "spring break". The team likes to spend as much time with the kids and juggle work projects and activities.
The week was filled with a trip to the water park for all the children, carnival day, olympic day, craft day, a trip to Amealco to the Otomi house, a visit to Mount Sinai church to do a drama ministry and food hamper presentation. The team also visited the hacienda for hot dog roast and egg hunt for the kids.
In addition to the kids activities, the team completely wired the apartment for Justo and Elia, got all of the apartments cleaned up and finished laying the paving blocks near the visitor's dorm and playground. Phew~so much in such a short time!
The week was topped off by a 6am "Sonrise" Easter service. The auditorium was decorated and reminded everyone of the beauty of our Risen Saviour. At the regular morning service, holy communion was held and a reenactment of the resurrection from the Roman Soldier's point of view. A clip from the Passion of Christ was also shown and as always there was special music in worship to our King!
Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission) Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age, " Amen.
The road nears completion and just in time for the rainy season. The funding for the road was donated last year and all the logistics have finally been resolved so the road could be built. The original path road we were using turned out not to be the legal right of way and the landowner did not want to sale the land to allow for the new road. So after much surveying and discussion, the road has been rerouted a bit and now the entrance is on the other gate entrance of the visitor's dorm. It even extends a bit inside the entrance as well.
In my previous blog, I shared how Pan de Vida was built in the middle of no where with just a dirt path leading to it. Over the years, other materials were brought in to make it "better". However, in the rainy season, the road turned to a gooey clay. We have seen more of our fair share of vehicles stuck. It has taken us over an hour at times to get from the main road to the Orphanage. This also added to the condition of the vehicles. The vans are not 4 wheel drives and with the daily transportation necessary, we pray this will eliminate much of the vehicle maintenance.
The paved road was actually finished 2 weeks ago and we all had the joy to go over it a few times. However, within a couple of days, they tore up a section close to the orphanage to install a culvert and some drainage pipes. They have built a concrete bridge over the culvert and continue the piping. This will direct the flooding away from the Orphanage and mostly the school that usually happens when we have heavy rains.
Psalm 95:1-2 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
the new road
inside the gate
the "bridge" over the culvert
prepping for the culvert
digging the ditch for drains
the path of the drains
Pan de Vida has been in existence for about 14-15 years. Dario and Elena, the directors, moved from Tijuana to help a fellow missionary and take over the ministry which already had 12 kids. Over a few years this number grew. Dario is originally from the states and was only living on a disability pension but it never limited his vision for the importance of Jesus to be in these and other orphan's lives.
After a few years of moving around and continuing to increase in the number of children, God gave Dario the vision for an Orphanage complete with living and educational facilities. As time went on, God provided the necessary means so Dario and Elena could purchase a field in the middle of no where. As I hear the stories, I am always reminded of Noah when God told him to build the Ark. Everyone thought Dario was just as crazy. There were no roads, running water or electricity.
Through the hearts that God has put in others, Dario got connected with individuals, churches and Samaritan's Purse. With the finances, labour, sweat and tears, over the course of 8 years...Pan de Vida has been built from literally the ground up. It is no longer a field, but a facility where 130 kids live, go to school and learn about Jesus!
As many people see the facilities, they comment that there are more needs in other places. Let us not get distracted by the buildings, because they are merely a place that the real ministry happens. The kids now have a safe place to sleep, 3 meals a day and a Christian education. As many have grown from being 7 to 21, living years with no electricity, running water and willing to work hard to stay together, God has offered them an education and the volunteers are working to make them future disciples.
Also, as this site nears the end of work projects, and through the fruitful labour, the government asked the directors to take on another facility. This has caused the boys and girls to be divided but is allowing opportunity for more kids which means more growth and more coming to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Colossians 1:9-14 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and jofully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
in the beginning
the dirt path to building in progress
progress of the boy's dorm taken from where the current girls dorm is
Ana, who is now a missionary in Aguascalientes, playing as a young girl at Pan de Vida
the roof being poured in the boy's dorm, the 1st building
the dedication of the boy's dorm...you will see Duane standing and he was one of the 1st long term missionaries to come...he lived under the tree with a tarp roof for 4-5 months.
Pan de Vida Feb 2009!!!!
