Christmas on the Streets is only a bit over a week away…  Preparations are going very smoothly (except for my printer giving out right when I needed to print some things off... and some troubles getting in our order from the candy factory).  We’ve actually had to tell El Jordán volunteers to hold off wrapping gifts and bagging the “popped corn” because we need to have things for people from the churches (and our students) who want come and help out...

Yesterday, a lady, Martha, came with 6 teenagers (spending almost 2 hours on bus to get here) to spend the day helping us with  Christmas on the Street  preparations ... They brought a donation – not “large” by American standards – but sacrificial on their part...  For the last couple years, they were recipients of “Christmas on the Streets”...  This year, they’re not only preparing their own meal for outreach in their neighborhood, they came back to help us...  The first year Martha received “Christmas on the Streets”  for a group of extremely poor kids whose parents would leave them alone all day because they had to work...   She was a new Christian who felt compelled to serve and reach others for the Lord in spite of attending a “more established” church where the norm was to “sit” and be comfortable...

Well... that little outreach has grown from children being saved... then their moms... and now there are whole families coming to the “church” that has been born...  Martha thinks Christmas on the Streets gave a jumpstart to something that God put on her heart... (God actually deserves all the glory!) Now that her “heart” has grown into something more established, more people have rallied around to help... She is instilling in all new believers – young and old – that we have received such a great salvation - How can we NOT do something to express our thankfulness to God?  

As we cut up hundreds of chickens, peeled or washed thousands of potatoes, bagged over ten thousand bags of popped corn/soya treats – you hope that it will be used to reach, encourage people who might ordinarily be marginalized...  So, it’s a special treat to hear stories where the wrapping of that little gift, the delivery of a special meal, Christ’s love being shown has actually been a little seed (or maybe a bit of water on a seed) that brings forth fruit...

Here are also some other written responses to our decision to “re-focus” on the STREETS this Christmas:

“Thank you for all the support that you gave us up until now for needy children.   Thank you because with your help, we grew and prospered…”

“Thank you for sharing with us your re-focus.  I believe it is healthy – for you, for your ministry and the church in Santa Cruz...”

“Thanking you for your help all of these years that we were working alongside you ministry.  For sure we will continue on what you started... bringing joy and reaching out to the needy.  Thank you for motivating us to do it on our own.  This isn’t a   “good bye” – but rather “until sometime soon”.  Count on us – we are willing to help in anything...”

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Changing the subject... something special happened today... a little of God’s grace and love showered on our students...  We try to do something special for our students and their families for Christmas...  I know that many times the girls struggle for their basic necessities – so when they know that all of their kids have gotten a piece of clothing and a gift besides through El Jordan’s “Christmas” – it relieves some pressure that they might feel to try and give their kids something extra...

We had no idea how we were able to do something for everyone this year – 36 girls... 96 kids from 0 to 11... and another 30-some from 12 to 18...  We always set aside new or newer things that arrive in donations for Christmas... but our “nice” stock has been running on “low” for the last years...   it seemed doubtful that we’d be able to eek out something for everyone this year...  Nor did we have the option of going out and buying something for everyone... 

Amazingly it all came together... ladies in Arlington, Washington made dresses for all of our little girls ('Dress a Girl Around the World' project)... they arrived right on time... (THANK YOU LADIES!!!!  ...and “Medin Mom” who brought them down!!!!)  We got another donation of toy trucks (not new but fine after being washed up!) that we were able to give to the boys – plus a t-shirt each that we had on hand... We had to be a bit ingenious – but we were able to get an UNO game for each of our girls plus some other little treats... amazingly we had something for everyone... 

In our closing program we talked to our students and their families that we considered them family... and just like a regular family goes through ups and downs – some years there is more... some years there is less... but the size of the gift has nothing to do with the size of love we can share (it shouldn’t anyhow!!!)...  This year we didn’t have that much to share with them but what we were able to give, we did with all of our hearts...  Some of us volunteers prepared a little skit to share with everyone – with an excellent message about God’s gift of salvation to us – how sometimes because of pressures and desires we reject the greatest gift of all... others, in spite of struggles, temptations do choose to follow Christ... still others, thinking they can get the “best of both worlds” – only fool themselves in thinking they have gotten the best - because “Satan is the owner of the fence”... 

We told our girls that the best gift we could wish for them is that they would truly understand, and accept God’s gift of salvation, forgiveness and a new life... and not be fooled into being lukewarm in their faith...

Anyhow... our closing program had a really nice feel – and it wasn’t about the wrapped gifts we had managed to get together... We ended up with a special snack at the end... and everyone went home content... 

Yesterday I got a phone call from the local university – they had collected some gifts for kids – but there weren’t that many – so they couldn’t make a public announcement or else they’d be overrun with kids...  They invited our kids for a special program at the university theatre – with a little play, music, breakfast and a gift for each kid...  and they sent buses to pick them up at El Jordan and bring them back...  

It was something totally out of the blue... unexpected... and most of our kids were able to get a “new” gift for Christmas even when we weren’t able to give it to them...  One of our new students called me just after 6 this morning – worried because no buses were going by...and afraid they would be left behind (they had to be at El Jordan at 8 a.m.)...  Moms and kids alike were all excited – a special outing – picked up and dropped off by special buses... 

Thank you God... for your “extras”... not needed... but special... a reminder that your eye is on even the little sparrow that might fall...

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Major prayer requests for two of our volunteers from El Jordan. 

Gloria –   our very first teacher at El Jordan – who has so faithfully (as her health permits) come to teach, help, share with the girls was on her way to a doctor’s appointment this morning... She was crossing the street outside her house – and was run into by a car...  She has a broken arm, pelvis and hip... she still needs a CAT scan to make sure she doesn’t have another other problems...  PLEASE pray for her... and her family...  (For years she has also taken “Christmas on the Streets” to the street people in the market near her house... and to the forgotten/lonely in maximum security jail...  please pray for someone to take her place this year...)

Laura –   has already “beat” cancer twice... It has come back – now in her shoulders, sternum and pelvis.  She needs radiation treatments – but the waiting list is long both here and in La Paz... She was offered a “move up the waiting line” (for a price)... but she couldn’t accept bumping others down because of a bribe...  There is a possibility of treatment in the city of Cochabamba – but she’d be alone and having to pay for a hotel room (money she doesn’t have)....   She LOVES our girls and asks God for “more time” to be able to serve the Lord at El Jordan...  please pray for this incredibly special lady as well...

Thanks so much!!! 

Have a wonderful day... and if in your life and relationship with God you find yourself “lukewarm”... sitting on the fence...  please do something about it today...

Lots of love... from... Corina (for Marco... Keiden... and our growing one – who apparently is about the weight of a large mango!!!  He/she is still my little green lemon though...)