A quiet Sunday afternoon... listening to music... drinking a coffee... Am I dreaming?\
In Quietness & Trust Nope... “Christmas on the Streets”, 2014, another year of service at El Jordan is complete... We brought in 2015 (sleeping!) at our property... enjoying quietness... calmness!
“In quietness and trust is your strength...” Isaiah 30:15
I want this engraved on my heart this year... in the midst of activities, difficulties, disappointments, life in general I need my eyes focused on the right spot...
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My time in Canada...it was so much fun to surprise my parents (the second time in my lifetime!)... it was wonderful to have almost two weeks of undivided time that was dedicated to family for the first time in forever... My kids had time to play with cousins, uncles and aunts... Grandma and Grampy... put names to faces... and make good memories sledding, playing hide and go seek, and making snow angels...
We took so many pictures that Marlee came home with a camera (a little paper bag), taking pictures of everyone... My kids, especially Keiden, LOVED the snow... God provided perfect weather – not so terribly cold... snow that was perfect for snowmen and snowball fights... and a day that it actually snowed and it was the most gorgeous “winter wonderland” day ever...
We actually filled little bottles of snow to bring back for Keiden’s friends...but they all melted (!!!) and got evaporated up into the cork tops...
Some MK moments:
“Keiden honey... do want to see it snowing?”
“What’s that?” I guess we’ve talked about snow, snowmen, snow angels but never actually used the word “snowing” before!
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Going into McDonalds for the first time, “Keiden, what do you want to eat?”
“Cuñape?”
“They don’t sell those here...”
“Sonzo?”
“They don’t have that either... Do want hash browns?”
“What’s that?”
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Amazed by the fact that cars actually stop for pedestrians, “Mom, in Canada I don’t need to hold your hand to cross the street!” (Yes you do!!)
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Public bathrooms offered great fun and amazement: warm water, fancy things to blow dry your hands, paper!!!, foamy soap that comes out by just putting your hands under the thing, and automatic flushing (imagine Marlee’s very worried face every time we went into a bathroom, “Noisshh mommy??? Noissh?”)...
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One incident: In Lima, our plane was delayed many hours so we were put on another airline to get us to Calgary earlier... We were going through immigration in Toronto and I realized that Keiden and I were on one flight leaving almost immediately and Marlee and Devan were on a flight leaving two hours later!!!! Because of overbooked flights and a lack of time before our flight left, the desk couldn’t get us on a flight together... we had to RUN to the gate where we were basically the last people there, the only thing they could do for us was to switch the kids around so Marlee could be with me... I had a few moments to explain to Keiden that we were all going to the same place... that I’d be there when he got off the plane but he was coming a bit later... I just about burst into tears when he came walking out of security 6 hours later... I think it was harder on me than him, although when we were coming back to Bolivia he asked, “Mommy, we aren’t going to get separated are we?”
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Our time in Canada could only have been better with Marco coming with us... Although it seems impossible, we still ask you to pray with us for that miracle... one day, we ALL want to come and visit all of you – our family and friends... Until then, thank you for faithfulness in supporting us and praying for us without seeing us! Thank you! ...and until then, “in quietness and trust is our strength...”
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CHRISTMAS ON THE STREETS:
This Christmas was filled with God’s goodness and blessings...
We came into the season we were still dealing with the aftermath of my accident... and with not enough money in El Jordan’s bank account to cover all the expenses of Christmas and the extra 2 monthly wages (per person) that the government is requiring of EVERYONE (whether you are a business, non-profit organization, a regular person who has someone clean their house once a week!)... If you don’t pay the bonus wages on time (by December 20th and 27th I believe) and the “Work Police” find out, you are required to pay double... The government has started out 2015 requiring a raise in wages – fine for the workers but it leaves us as employers wondering how we can fulfill the requirements of the law or what cutbacks can be made...
Anyhow... with these money pressures as our back drop, we saw an amazing outflowing of God’s faithfulness...
· Something that usually only happens in Monopoly – out of the blue an error in our favor - $$$...
· Out of the blue other unexpected gifts to take off the money pressures...
· The place where we bought all the gifts for this “Christmas on the Streets” and for our students out of the blue, donated a whole pile of plastic pails and jugs ... and allowed us to give a little bit more for our students this year...
· The question came up in our planning meeting at El Jordan what we were going to serve the volunteers that were going to help with Christmas on the Streets... My answer was that we had to use what we had, because we didn’t have the money to spend extra on things... if we had to cook without meat, we’d cook without meat... The next morning I came into El Jordan to find two cow legs sticking out of a cooler... out of the blue God had sent us meat!
· Then there was the donation from a local chicken company out of the blue with 100 chickens!
· ...and we can’t forget the miracle of getting our 200 chickens from our property – after 17 hours of constant rain! It truly was a miracle that they were able to get through...
· After the ordeal of getting the chickens in, I wasn’t too excited about Marco having to go out with someone to slaughter the pigs... BUT... out of the blue two young men showed up outside the gate at the property. They asked Santiago (our caretaker) if they could pick some mangos. While they were enjoying the mangos, Santiago asked them, “You don’t happen to know how to slaughter pigs do you?” The short story, they DID!!! ...and Marco only had to go and pick up the pigs the next day – after the road had a bit of time to dry up... Isn’t God good?
· This past year I lost all of my phone contacts... a week before Christmas, out of the blue Carlos phoned to ask what time he needed to be at El Jordan to help with Christmas... He lost his mom when he was young, became a Christian in March 1998 – and he showed up to help us with our first annual “Christmas on the Streets”... I never see him during the year... I don’t even know his last name... but he has never missed a year... staying until the end packaging our meals and then accompanying with me to the streets to “celebrate Christmas”... This was his 17th year.
· A couple days before Christmas, out of the blue Jeanneth (a single mom who used to be a student at El Jordan) showed up with her 11 year old son - Joel... They live 20 hours away on bus (in Potosi)... Their only reason to come was to help us out with Christmas! 20 tiring hours on bus each way... working hard in anything that was put before them... missing their own “Christmas”, they left El Jordan after everything was cleaned up on the 25th...
Jeanneth recently opened a little store to sell used American products – and set apart her first 4 days of earnings for “Christmas on the Streets”... Joel broke open his piggy bank and brought 10 percent of his coins (118 Bs.) to help with “Christmas”...
· On the 23rd we work all the night through... There have been years where Heidi and I finish up on the 24th filthy and exhausted (understatements)... We’ve never had such an “easy” Christmas with 40 people who stayed the night to help. Amazingly, at the end of the day (and night and day), my feet weren’t any dirtier than they from a regular work day! Our helpers were mainly volunteers, ex-volunteers, students and ex-students... Some helped all night and still went to work the next morning... Out of the blue Silvia and Victor showed up... they have spent most of their lives on the streets and they still look a bit rough but they are “off”... Silvia went with Heidi to the streets while Sonia and Tania came with me to a new area... I don’t think anyone worked harder than some of our students... when I thanked them some of their answers were, “It was in my heart to help... El Jordan is our home and this is something I wanted to do...” “Hermana, don’t thank me. It is what God has put in my heart.” “This is fruit from what has been planted in my heart.” God’s blessings fill my heart!
· On the 23rd, Eli and I went to “the wooded area” – a place we have never been with “Christmas on the Streets”... a place where outsiders are normally not welcome... Out of the bushes Marcelo Guerry appeared wondering what we wanted... In the past, he lived in these bushes... he got out, accepted the Lord, started working as a security guard outside of a supermarket... ran into a problem, and ended up back in the bushes earlier that day. “God sent you. Thank you...” He threw away his pure alcohol into the bushes and then he guided us to the place where we’d serve the meal on the 24th, introducing us to the “guard” of the bushes... When we dropped Guerry back at the supermarket he said again and again, “please pray for me... pray for me...”
I’m sure there are more “God sightings” along the way... those are just the ones on the top of my head...
2 “special” places where “Christmas on the Streets” went this year:
· Into a section of jail that there are 37 prisoners even more isolated than in Maximum Security... they have been brought from other maximum security jails in the country... No one “happens” to visit this area of jail... they are alone 365 days of the year... One of our volunteers happened upon them when he was doing some paperwork for someone before Christmas... He arranged to go back in for Christmas... what they asked for: Bibles, things to read, hygiene products... Pray that God would speak to them through His word... and that in that place where they are, they might find true freedom.
· The “wooded area” where I went was special because normally it’s a place where most are afraid to go... They are very wary of strangers – so only a small group of us went – Devan, Carlos and two of “my” girls – Tania and Sonia... Sonia is recovering from a broken leg and hobbles along with a crutch but she still cooked all night with us... and then coming with us to hand out the food... These girls have been “rescued” from places just like these were the ones who scrambled up the little path through the woods beyond the suspicious guard to invite the addicts out to eat... to not be afraid... A small group of not-very-trusting addicts came out... They did start softening up when they saw the food – lots of meat! and some of them actually faintly smiled and said thanks... Gradually more and more appeared from different parts of the woods to get their meal and gift... It made me so happy that a little light got into that very dark place...
That was “Christmas on the Streets” for another year... Thank you to each one of you who helped us by giving, praying or encouraging us through this time...
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Now as we start 2015 I have a couple prayer requests:
· Specifically for financial partners for El Jordan to cover our monthly needs as well as the increased needs at year end. Another change I’ve noticed over the years, in the past, to help someone with an emergency situation $10 was a big help... Now, my accident a fine example, hundreds of dollars and more can disappear in hours...
· We need an administrator for El Jordan in general. Except for 5 months when someone filled in the gap, we’ve been without a full time person in the office... It creates a strain on everyone else while we try and cover gaps... and not let anything important fall through the cracks... There is someone who we have been looking at for a while now... he is not a administrator but he has a servant heart, solid testimony and a great wife... He has a young family and I don’t know whether he needs a better wage than what we can offer... Pray for him and his wife while they consider our offer... If he isn’t for us, that God would lead us to someone else...
· Wisdom, discernment and direction as we plan for this coming year... We also need to continue through the process of reviewing our bylaws and paperwork with the government...
· We want to build deeper into the girls who have been coming to El Jordan... We want to put our efforts into those who truly desire change... we want to be responsible in using our time and resources wisely.
· Pray for a team of workers and volunteers for both the women’s side and men’s shops – with a desire to serve the Lord together.
· On a personal level, Judith, the lady who I ran into, is having some problems healing from her operation - her body is not accepting the titanium plate she has in her cheek and the heat is complicating matters. She travelled up to the highlands to cooler weather and it improved but today or tomorrow arrives back to Santa Cruz... please pray for complete healing. The doctor says if there continues to a problem with the titanium plate, it will have to be removed. I don’t know what that would entail... I’ve also had problem with the clinic returning some money that was left over – which was supposed to go towards the lady’s dental work... I appreciate your prayers for this situation...
Thanks for coming alongside the ministry here... We love and appreciate each one of you... Keep an eye out to see God’s hand, out of the blue, in your life... and as you are reminded of His faithfulness, find your strength in quietness and trust...
God bless you...
Corina (for Marco, Keiden and Marlee too...)