Saturday, October 13, 2012

What to do when you live on the side of a mountain...
 and mama's busy packing for the states...
 and daddy is busy weeding?



We DIG for treasure of course!


And we slide...


And we get REAL dirty...

 
 
And our clothes will never be the same again...
 
 
Next we try to fly kites ('try' being the key word here)
 
 
 
After that it's onto a game of soccer... 
 



Until our big brother joins in and beats us all...


Even our dog is worn out...

 
But we cannot help but to smile...


And love our life~
 
 
On the side of the mountain. :)
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Sunday, October 7, 2012

Family time...

One of the hardest things about going on the mission field is protecting family time and finding a balance. Everywhere we look there are urgent needs- and that can be overwhelming. One thing we have been working very hard on is to not allow ourselves to get burned out. Our family time, our children, our marriage still need our attention- or else we will allow our first ministry- our family- to fall apart. So today, we did something we have not been doing often enough- we took a break. We headed to Antigua to just walk around, enjoy the beauty and the rich culture. I, of course, couldn't help but to bring my camera along. :) I could spend hours just staring at the faces of my beautiful children. I love how God brought each of us together from different cultures, with diffent colors, and different backgrounds. In our house we celebrate those differences and thank God every.single.day for allowing us the privilege of being a family. :)




















 

Monday, October 1, 2012

Building HOPE- together

Most of us can remember a time in our lives when we felt rejected.

A time when we felt like we didn’t matter. Whether it be the time we were chosen last on recess for the kickball game, or the time we didn’t get invited to the birthday party that everyone else was invited to- we have all felt the sting of rejection.

So what breaks my heart is when I think about how an orphan child living with HIV/AIDS must feel living in a society who constantly treats them as the least, the last and the lowest.

Our God given vision here at Village of Hope is to give these children faith, family, and a future. Yet much work needs to be done in order for the vision to become a reality. But what we know without a doubt is that we are not just building buildings- we are building homes and we are building HOPE.

Right now this very minute there are children waiting. Children who are living with HIV in a culture that rejects them. Schools do not want to accept them; most orphanages do not want to accept them either. And so they wait –in hopes that one day someone will welcome them in, wraps their loving arms around them and tell them they are valued, cherished and loved. And we wait- for the body of Christ to come together and make the vision of Village of Hope a reality for these children.


Give HOPE, brick by brick. Village of Hope - Guatemala from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

Village of Hope still needs $184,500 for such things as homes for the first orphans and their house parents, retaining walls, perimeter walls, and gates for safety and protection. These things will provide safety, home and HOPE for these orphans.

How can we do this?

Little by little, brick by brick- together we can build the foundation these children need to come to know the one who loves them so much He CHOSE them.

Little by little, brick by brick, together we can build HOPE for their future.

What that will take is for you and I to realize that the God in heaven that is crazy about these children is crazy about us as well. What He wants for us is so much more than a new sweater, a new electronic toy or the latest isomething or other this Christmas. He wants for us is to quit wasting our time, our resources and our talents on the things in this world that do not matter- and invest in the things that do~ His Kingdom.

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24 3-4

To help GIVE faith, family and a future to the children at Village of Hope please visit see our
webpage here.

Indicate that you are purchasing a brick for someone as a gift and we will have a personalized card sent to you to give them. :)
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