Mexico Update from Vicky

Dear friends,

Thank you for all your prayers and support for us and the people we come into contact with. I have especically bonded with Karen. She is only 9 years old, but she seems at least 14 I had thought because she is so good with taking care of the other kids, like a little momma. She is trying to teach me Spanish. Thursday, I felt led to share a short testimony of my life as a single mom to one of the groups we had been teaching a lesson and craft. I wanted to share with them how even though things can be bad God can turn it around for good to give you and your family a new good life. I love you forever and always Teagan, my daughter. You are by far the greatest blessing from God to me. Chelsea, one of our group, inspires me so much with her sweet spirit, patience, servant's heart, Godly wisdom, and unselfish ways. She is an example of Jesus to me and a great blessing.

We all have sin in our lives, the question is will we choose to embrace it or God when He shows us a better way of living and if we will embrace God and let Him show us a better way. Will we embrace our own selfish will for a lesser life than God intended for us or will we obey Him for the greatest life of all beyond our imagination or dreams.

I am sad to leave, but I know the children here are in great hands with the loving staff and the Loving God.

Monday I got to catch Kimberly from the cement slide as she began to trust more as earlier in the day she would not even give me her name. My home is wherever God has me at the time. Rana is so unselfish and sweet. I was tying water balloons, for her I thought, but then she gave them all away. This is from the day of the water war. It was refreshing to see Patti get involved in enjoying the water war. At first, she seemed not to want to get wet at first as I squirted her a little and she screamed, and then Ben doused her with a bucket of water, and the fun began. I helped her lay in a stash of water balloons. I need to learn the string tricks from Chelsea as the kids really enjoy them. James is my tech man, when the internet went down he was the one to save my first post from being lost and saved it to the desktop. Brandon is our fearless leader with much Godly wisdom and insight and keeps us organized and on task although he wants us to have much input and is not a dictator at all. Dawn is my tech support as I use her labtop to post. Ben is the crafty man as his mom and him provided most of the craft ideas. God has put together a great team of believers. Chelsea has much Godly wisdom and when she speaks you definitely want to listen. She suggested for one of the lessons to read to the kids parts of Job 38. I read this passage myself after Brandon had read it to the kids in Spanish and it touched me so much that it made me cry.

Wednesday night, I had been wanting to sing worship songs, and had just asked James who was playing guitar if we could do this, and he said sometime when we have some time. Just then Becky and Adam came to the door and asked if we were worshiping, and I said I want to, and then we did. What a great time we had. I thought it would be great to do this for the kids, too, and guess what, Brandon was already thinking this too. I didn't even have to speak. God works so cool. It was great ministry for the kids hearts as a few of them broke down into tears as God touched them and we prayed for and comforted them.

Thursday, we had a fiesta including pinata and face painting. I wanted Patti and Karen to paint my face like a cat and then paint me wherever with whatever design that they wanted to. Most of us were painted up with God's glory and love by the children. We all love it and the designs were quite funny too as you will see as Dawn posts more pictures from her camera. Friday, we did a craft with the roots of the tree the bad things they had experienced and the leaves of the tree the good things they experience or like with the crosses they made earlier decorating the trunk of the tree. Kind of like how God gives us beauty for ashes. Here is looking forward to tomorrow and good night all.

Love in Christ,

Vicky Cowana