Helping Out


As many of the kids get older, near graduating from High School and get close to making the transition to leave, Pan de Vida continues to strive in training them to be prepared for different life skills.


Recently, Angie, who volunteers in the office at Pan de Vida, temporarily moved her business to Pan de Vida and has hired 4 of the older kids to work for her.  This has been very educational for them all.  Not only has it been teaching the kids about commitment, it also focuses on details. 


They make different varieties of Jello cups that are then taken to local convenience stores and sold.  The ones employed took training courses in food safety and health standards before starting the new job.  They scoured all of the kitchen area and have to keep it to code to continue the work.  Then all of the fruit and jellos have to be prepared to a specific requirement.


In addition to that, all the cups are labeled with scan codes for prices and lids with dates of expiration when sold in the stores.  This detail is very important since there is a number of combinations they make which means that the ones that contain yogurt get the correct label as does the ones without fruit etc. to keep the business reputable.


Since all the kids that are working with Angie are still in school, and have to work nights after the supper shift of Pan de Vida, they are learning how to juggle school work, chores, and the responsibility of being employed.   I think it is a great beginning in preparing them for the transition that will happen when they have to learn to balance work, life and family in their future.  It is very encouraging to see their dedication to the business and hard work in keeping it all to code.  Also, they have all demostrated real unity and teamwork in making it all happen.

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Holidays are Over


The kids are settled back into a new school semester now that the holidays are over.  On Jan 6th, we celebrated Three Kings Day which symbolizes the presentation of gifts by the Three Wisemen.  Sika, a local organization came and provided  gifts for all of the kids from shoes, clothes, and toys.  Many of the boys got remote control cars and even wore the batteries out the 1st day because they enjoyed them so much.  The girls were pampered with straight irons for their hair and makeup, among lots of other specialty items. 
On another day, General Electric came and provided an afternoon of food and games.  Niveah came with clowns and piñatas.  It is great to have these groups and teams come in to bring new energy and focus on spending time with the kids.


Also in January, all the kids and volunteers were treated to 2 special outings.  One took us to a local park where there was a Holiday on Ice presentation.  The tickets also included entrance to the beautiful amusement park where we all had lunch and the kids were able to enjoy the rides.  While the little ones were very limited in what they could do, the older ones thoroughly enjoyed all the water rides.  I think everyone of them were soaking wet before we left.


The other field trip was to Toluca which is about an hour outside of Mexico City.  Sika arranged for 2 buses to come and take everyone to a nature park.  Everyone hiked while they got to enjoy seeing some of the wildlife.  Most of the boys couldn't get over the big black bear. Then everyone enjoyed organized games and a meal of hotdogs and chips.  At the end of the day, Sika then presented 30 new bicycles to the kids...15 for the girls and 15 for the boys.  Now when you look out at Pan de Vida, it reminds you of a scene from ET as they ride in packs. 


While Pan de Vida strives to meet the everyday needs and provide education for the children under their care, it is a huge blessing to have organizations like this and teams come to provide these extra curricular activities.  It is such a reminder of how much God does love us all and give us gifts like this to bring joy into our lives.

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November + December


This week will wrap up the Christmas and New year holidays at Pan de Vida with Three Kings Day on Friday. As much as everyone has enjoyed the break, I think we are all equally as ready for school to be back in session.  

November was filled with lots of preparation for local businesses and organizations that wanted to hold events for the children in the month of December.  The kids were invited to see a movie, have a lunch and receive gifts at a Wal-Mart in the city.  Also a Christmas pageant with sandwiches and piñatas was held by General Electric, a play presentation by a local elementary school, a Christian mime show, and DIF's gift of winter blankets and sweatshirts are just a few of the others activities the children were blessed through.  Of course there were lots of parties with atole and Rosca which is a traditional Christmas bread and hot chocolate type drink.

The ministry here is made possible by these donations of so many people from different parts of the world who all contribute in different ways.  Everything from food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, appliances and finances to pay electric, gas etc. are needed on a daily basis to meet the needs of the children.  Plus there are the physical labours of cooking, cleaning, laundry, maintenance, accounting and building projects. This year Pan de Vida  had a Concert of Thanks to express their gratitude.  The kids in the choir practiced 2 hours each weekday for about 6 weeks to prepare.  They also made all of the stage decorations by hand.  We only wish those who contribute and come to serve from Canada and the US could have been here to attend as well.

Then everyone winds down from the busyness to enjoy the Christmas Eve service to worship the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Ira and I were away this year but Pan de Vida celebrated with a quiet dinner of special foods, Christmas hymns and the Biblical Christmas message by Tio Dario.  Afterward the children had bon fires to enjoy and were allowed to stay up as late as they wanted to watch movies. 

We were blessed to be back in time to ring in the New Year with our family here at Pan de Vida.  Again we had an evening with a special meal and a time of reflection on God's Provisions and Blessings of the last year.  It was also rounded up by a bon fire.  We even bought some sparklers for the kids to celebrate with.  These times are very meaningful to us.  It reminds us all once again why we do what we do and how much God really does love us and the kids here.  He has been so faithful!!  Our prayer for ourselves and you  is that this New year will draw you closer to the one who was born to redeem us~Jesus!  

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Samaritan's Purse


Ira and I were blessed to be a part of a Samaritan’s Purse Team to Veracruz, Mexico in December.  It was actually through a short term SP trip to Pan de Vida in 2005 that we felt the call to longer term missions.  Now living in Mexico and serving at the Orphanage, it allowed us the opportunity to partner with the team from various parts of Canada and serve in communities of Veracruz that were affected by  hurricane Karl that hit there this September.
The team projects included medical, dental and eye clinics along with restoration of a school library in the very rural community of El Espinal.  Then toward the end of the trip we rounded it up with distributing Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to children for Christmas.
There were lots of God moments throughout the trip.  I see so many myself within the eye clinic when you provide people with simple reading glasses that now allow them to see to read, work and/or sew.  It was my 1st time to be a part of a dental clinic and it was a true blessing.  One team member shared how a young boy had to have 3 extractions and was terrified.  It took 3 people to hold him down during the procedure.  She said as she was looking down on him, she knew what they were doing was for his own good.  Which then spoke to her at how God must view us in our suffering?  As hard as it is to see us struggle through difficult times, He knows it is often for our own good.
On this trip, most of the team members met each other for the 1st time in the airport and the rest once they arrived in Mexico.  It was so much fun getting to know each other and also unite with the volunteers in Veracruz who would be hosting the team through transportation, translation, medical/dental clinics and so much more.  It is amazing how 2 weeks of unity makes you feel like you have been friends for much longer.  The great part is when you share an experience like this; the rest of your life does make you friends.
Again, it was a blessing that God provided us the opportunity to serve with Samaritan’s Purse on this outreach.  SP was very instrumental in the construction of Pan de Vida when it was in its infancy and now to see how Pan de Vida can continue to partner with them to do missions within Mexico is exciting.  It reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures.  
Romans 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
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