Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27


Eagles Nest orphanage sits on the top of a mountain overlooking beautiful Lake Atitlan in Solola, Guatemala. It is the home of 22 orphaned and abandoned children. A place where they are safe, taught the love of Jesus and a place where they are given hope. For some of these children Eagles Nest is the only home they have ever known. For other's its a safe haven- a place where they are given a chance to become all God created them to be. Yet even more important, a place where they can learn about the one who created them in the first place.

Each one of these children have a story, a story of survival and a story of hope.  

Today I would like to introduce you to a some of these children who have already stolen my heart.

And now introducing Carlos Raul. Carlos is 27 months old and as precious as can be. He was brought to Eagles Nest by the courts due to malnourishment and neglect. His biological mom has 2 other babies that died due to the same thing. He is very quiet and really chooses his people to cling to but they are different everyday. He doesn’t seem to want to get too attached to just one person.







Meet Byron Paholo. Byrons nickname is "Precioso". Byron been at Eagles Nest since he was a baby. He is 3 1/2 years old and he is advanced in school and in conversation. He is very quiet but very smart and he loves to play with cars.

This is Byron Arturo. His nickname is Chiquitin (Little guy). He was given the nickname because there are two Byron’s. Arturo is 3 1/2. He is such a loving and adorable little guy. Loves to just sit on your lap and be loved on. It is believed that he may have some delays and the staff at Eagles Nest is working hard to help him develop the best they can.











Meet these handsome brothers...
Eliceo is going to be 13 this month. He is very quiet and serious- but a very sweet kid. He is also a very good student.

Nahun is 11, his birthday is in November. He is a fun kid. He is also a good student in school.

Joselito is 8 - October 31st is his birthday. He is a special needs child. Joselito deals with a lot of anger and fear.
All 3 boys have been in and out of children’s homes for 3 + years. All three of them were abused severely in many ways but are thriving at Eagles Nest.




Meet Little Miss Adorable~ Victoria. It is believed Victoria was most likely relinquished by her birth mother because of her special needs. Victoria is missing her left ear and has a partial right ear. After some testing it was discovered that she does have her ear canals but it is still not confirmed whether or not she can hear for sure, although observations suggests that she may not. Victoria is now starting to gain weight and has a smile that will light up the room.









I'd like to introduce you to Princess Flory. Flory has been at Eagles Nest since she was only a few days old. She was born November 14th, 2007. She is still being adopted by a family in TX but there are issues with her case that have made it impossible to finish the case. She loves dresses and books. She is attending our school here in the nursery class.




Meet Jose Pablo. Jose Pablo has been at Eagles Nest since he was a baby. He is going to be 4 years old this month. Unfortunately he is one of the children stuck in the old adoption law and has a family waiting to complete his adoption. He is a sweet heart and captures everyone’s hearts that comes to visit. He loves dinosaurs.





This adorable little guys name is Kevin. Kevin has been at Eagles Nest since he was a baby as well. He is 3 1/2 years old. He is one cool kid! Quiet but loves to play hide and seek.  He too loves to play with cars.

Maria and Ani are 7 year old twins.
They have lived at Eagles Nest since they were 17 months old. They are inseparable. In school if one is reading the other one rights and then they switch. :)

Maria is very giggly and doesn’t take anything seriously. Ani is a little more serious than her sister.

They love dresses and baby dolls.




Introducing Beautiful Onoria.
Onoria is 11 years old. She is very quiet but with being the oldest girl she is taking on some responsibilities within the home. She is growing up into one amazing young lady. She has been at Eagles Nest  since she was about 6 years old. She loves to cook in the kitchen and help Mama Luky. She also likes to play with dolls and girly things.


Meet Ever, Jeni and Mainor...
Ever and Jeni came to live at Eagles Nest in July 2010. They were a rescue situation, taken away  from their mother and step father. They were being abused and neighbors turned them into the courts. Jeni was born tongue tied and  is partially deaf. In February Jeni had a procedure done to clip her tongue and now the staff is working with her to try to pronounce her words correctly. Just a couple of weeks ago Ever and Jeni's younger brother  Mainor came to live at Eagles Nest as well. He was living in another children’s home but was having some behavior problems which they connected to the possibility of him needing to be reunited with his siblings.He has adjusted really well. They are 11, 9 and 5 years old.


As many of you know, raising a child is expensive, and raising 22 children involves a lot of cost. Cost for child care, cost for food, clothing, medical expenses, education, and so on.

Because the Lord speaks clearly about our role in taking care of orphans in James 1:27 my new friend Karen has taken the Lords command to heart and is doing what she can to help provide support in raising these precious children.

When you make a purchase through her store 25% of the sales will go directly to help with the cost of raising these children and trust me, she has the cutest children's clothes I have ever seen.

You can check out her store here....

***If you'd like to know more about these children and how you can become a monthly sponsor please contact me at block amy at hot mail dot com.

Would you vote?

Would you all do me a little, bitty tiny favor?

Promise it will only take up a few seconds of the only life you have. :) 

Would you mind going here and voting for my little old blog?

Vote today, and tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day until I win. :)

Because after all, I always wanted to be a winner. Thanks for your help. :)

A God of every detail...

Along with selling our house and raising monthly support, another obvious hurdle we had before heading to Guatemala into full time mission work is language.
We do have the huge advantage in that we will be working primarily with children- and well, children are way more forgiving than adults. So, if we butcher their language they are more than happy to extend grace, correct us, laugh a little and move on. Maybe that is why I adore children so much. :) 

That said, obviously to be the most effective in our ministry it is very important to us to learn Spanish fluently.

God just never ceases to amaze me with His goodness and how He cares about every aspect of our lives. From the big to the little- He is in it all.

Several weeks ago God brought Dora into our lives. Dora came to a garage sale we were having and she was in need of some items for her home- and I was in need of a friend like Dora.:) Dora is one of the sweetest, kindest, big hearted human beings I have ever met. She is quiet and kind and her love for the Lord knocks me off my feet. We started talking and soon a friendship developed. I am so blessed by this brave yet humble woman's attitude.

Dora has been coming over to our home weekly to sit and patiently teach us Spanish as well as teach us about the Spanish speaking culture. I have offered several times to pay her for tutoring us and even though I know her family could benefit greatly from the pay she refuses to take it. Today she looked me in the eye and said "Amy, you good person- you care for others and I like that. Please no pay me, this is gift." Dora has one son who is fluent in both Spanish and English and he translates wonderfully especially for a boy in 3rd grade. I couldn't help but to think of all she is teaching her son through her example. And I couldn't help but to think of all she is teaching me.

God is a God of every detail and He always gives us so much more than we could have ever dreamed for ourselves. Not only did we find a Spanish tutor-we found a friend.

I am blessed indeed.

Thank you precious Dora~ you are a gift to me. I know your one wish is to one day own a "La Computadora" (computer) so that your son can do his school work and you can follow along on this blog. I pray this for you too so that you can see how your gift touched the lives of so many- all because you cared to do what you could.  
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Estoy agradecido a usted mi amigo.

The end of the beginning...

Keegan, we couldn't be any more proud of you precious son. Thank you for all of your hard work, your character, your example, but most importantly thank you for always putting him first. It shows.

We love you ~Congratulations!!!

This is my temporary home

I've had a lot of people ask me lately how we are doing in the midst of all of the changes that have occurred in our lives lately. I have to admit that often in the past I have been guilty of finding security in the comforts this world has to offer. I think it's human nature really, yet silly just the same. We all know money doesn't equal security- and yet we live like it does anyway.

As we transition into full time missions almost all of our comforts have slowly been stripped away. We are living in a temporary home, with temporary living room furniture, temporary table, temporary dressers and a temporary computer desk.

 I fully admit it hasn't been easy, and yet it has been a powerful reminder that regardless of where today has each and every one of us, we all need to remember that whether we have temporary lawn furniture in our living room or the sturdy, beautiful, name brand stuff...

it's ALL temporary.

If you want security in something that will last forever I can tell you exactly where to get it. It comes with a life time guarantee and never changes. It's solid as a rock -and not a better quality can be found. It has been here since the beginning and will last through the end. 

It's all right here, just waiting for you to come pick it up and get this~ it's FREE. :) 

Thank you Lord for your word, because in the midst of all of the changes-we know what we have invested in you will last forever. :)

Happy Memorial Day and Ian

Memorial day is such a beautiful reminder of something that we take for granted way to often... the price that was paid for our freedom. I am so grateful for those who have and are serving our country. So grateful for those who paid the ultimate price.  Thank you doesn't even begin to cut it.

And as I reflect this Memorial Day weekend on the thankfulness of those who were willing to do whatever it takes for us to be free- I cannot help but to think of families like the Stewart's who too are also willing to do whatever it takes to bring their son home so that he too may be free- to grow and thrive and live the life that God intended for him to live- in a family where he is safe and loved.

Here is a picture Ian- isn't he precious beyond words?

Ian lives in an orphanage in Moscow and he happens to have Downs Syndrome. The Stewarts have done everything they can and worked their hardest to come up with the funds to bring Ian home, but time is running short they need your help.

Please be in prayer for Ian and for the Stewart family. If you'd like to know more about Ian and be a part of the miracle of bringing him home please check out his story here.

 A couple of days ago I had the privilege of snapping a few shots of this beautiful family- The McBride's. I cannot even begin to tell you how precious this family is and what a huge influence and encouragement they have been in our lives and in our journey into the mission field. God is always so good about sending people into your lives just when you need them most. :) Through the ups and the downs Mitzi has been a huge encouragement to me because she knows first hand what goes into building your support team and how it feels to step out in faith and go whereever it is God calls you to go. The McBride's will be joining the amazing Lifesong team and heading to Zambia this upcoming September where they too will be serving orphans, teaching them about the love of Jesus and being His hands and feet to the people there. I am so excited for them and so happy for the children lives who will be changed through their work.
Will you guys do me a favor and stop by their blog and cheer them on as they too are selling it all and moving to where they can reach out to those who need them most.
We love you precious McBride family- thank you so much for all you have taught us!!

Hair and body products

Several of you have asked me what I use on my children's hair so I thought I'd share on here. Because there are so many different textures of hair I have found that it takes some time to figure out what works best on each one of my children.

Kaden's hair is very different from Havyns. Kaden always tells me his hair is 'pokey' and he likes it shaved bald. He is so cute- he will feel his head and say "Smooooth, just the way I like it". His hair is close to impossible to comb out and when I do it hurts him. So, we typically keep it shaved off. He has the most incredible deep black skin and it is beautiful and flawless. In the bath we don't use soap ever- we use Suave Sleek conditioner to wash his head with and his body. It smells great and it keeps his skin from getting ashy.

Carson's hair is a little softer than Kaden. I recently found out he is part Native American which explains that. I use Suave Sleek conditioner on him and not shampoo. I have found this also helps with his skin- which tends to be much dryer than my other two black children. He doesn't mind having his hair combed so we keep his hair a little longer.

When we were in Ethiopia adopted Havyn everyone would stop us and say "good hair". :) They were right- she has good hair. Her ringlets are amazing. Having said that, if she lays on it while sleeping or rubs against her car seat it can get a bit frizzy in the back. In the bath I also just use the same Suave Sleek conditioner on her and when getting her ready for the day I just spritz it down, comb it with a wide tooth comb, throw in some Carols Daughter Hair milk and then top it with Kinky Curly. The Kinky Curly is THE BEST to keep the ringlets in place. It is my favorite product of all. I have tried a lot of products at this point- and try to be economically smart but honestly I haven't found anything that works as good as these.The Carols Daughter Hair Milk is great too- but when I have run out before I have just put in more conditioner on her spritz hair and I think it works just as good.

For lotion I use the Vaseline Cocoa Butter on all of them. Hope that helps. :)

Today is a gift, embrace it.

To our Senders...

A friend told me the other day that she felt like she was doing so little towards our going to Guatemala by being a monthly supporter. I assured her right then and there that was not the case at all, but the Lord laid it on my heart to say this to all of you who have made a choice to partner with us...

Your part in sending is VITAL. In no way do we or does God consider your part 'little'. Plain and simply, we could not do our part in going without you all doing your part in sending.

And God intended it that way.

He didn't intend for His call to commission to every nation to be for or about only one couple who said yes to going. He called us all to be a part of it and each part is not viewed as small in His eyes.

Not a single one of us are supposed to "do it all" on our own. Neither you nor I. Yet all too often we fall for this lie. We believe that if we are not good enough, strong enough, rich enough, worthy enough, perfect enough, qualified enough then we shouldn't be doing it. That couldn't be further from the truth. Trust me, I am none of the above. It is because of those exact reasons- our NOT being good enough, worthy enough or qualified enough that we NEED Jesus.

His strength, His mercy, His goodness, His grace- which is exactly what He desires us to know- our need for Him. 

When we try to do it all on our own we miss out on the "relational part"- the very reason God created us. And then it becomes about US- our power, our smartness, our goodness, our abilities-- and not His.

Then, we miss out on the beauty of why God created the church- the body. He intended for the body to work together for the same purpose- His kingdom. And our job is to be our part of that body and exalt His name in ALL the earth. The Great commission.

Last Sunday Todd and I have the privilege of speaking at an amazing Jesus loving church. One of the things I feared most when God called us was having to speak publicly. I keep asking God for that gift but so far His answer has been 'no'. :) Yet in His goodness He has turned this experience into such a blessing I never imagined. We have been blown away by the support we have been given and blown away by witnessing God's people in action. And we have been blown away by the pastors and leader of these churches- their hearts for leading those to know Him on a personal level with everything they have. There is nothing more beautiful in my eyes. The pastor at the church we spoke at this past Sunday reminded us that God didn't come to this earth just to save us- He came for our salvation- which is ongoing. Not a one time event. God didn't save you so that He can do things for you- He saved you so that you can do things for Him. In other words- to serve... with our time, our resources and our abilities. And yet all too often we are only guilty of calling out to God in those moments when we need Him to do something for us.

So what I wanted to say to you senders is thank you. Thank you for consciously making a sacrifice to partner  with us on this journey and for serving God with what He has given you. Thank you for being a part of the body- not doing it all- but for doing what you can through prayer, sacrifice and willingness. Thank you for being willing to give knowing you may never receive anything back on this side of heaven. 

Our family is committed to praying for all of our supporters.Because we don't take this partnership lightly we care about each and every one of you. Many of you we have never met in person and only know your name but you have touched our hearts in ways you cannot even begin to know. But we know that God has put you in our lives for a purpose- the great commission and we are honored to be on His team along side of you. So thank you for the example you are to Todd and I, and to our children. We know you by name, and so does the Lord.

Thank you again.

I think I forgot how much work it is to move.
And I know I didn't have a clue what all goes into moving internationally.:)
So needless to say, life at our house has been different lately.
But as we have said in the past, different is a good thing... it means change. And while change is often hard- it is taking us to the place that God intended for us to be. And so for now, we are taking it one day- sometimes one minute- at a time and trying to enjoy the journey.

The rental God provided for us to live in temporarily (rent free) is such a blessing- but squishy for a family our size. So, we are spending a lot of time outside where it isn't squishy at all. :) Behind our trailer is a beautiful wheat field that appears to go on forever. I couldn't resist but to take Havyns picture today next to it in her Ethiopian outfit. Seeing her standing there reminds me so much of her beautiful country and how God is a God of miracles.. how God can place people in our lives that were born a world apart and make us family.

We are so very thankful for those of you God has put in our lives, some who live miles and miles away, some who we may not meet on this side of heaven- but who are playing such a vital work in the lives of those we will come into contact with in Guatemala. We couldn't do this without you doing what you are doing. So thank you again for your partnership. We are so grateful you are in our lives.

Quick update

This past week has been a whirlwind- we had limited Internet all last week as we moved into our temporary rental and then blogger was down. I missed you guys!!
I wish I had time to write a polished post and somehow try to find the words to tell you all how much we appreciate your support... but because we have another busy weekend ahead I am just going to jump on here and say it as it comes off the top of my head...

THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you so much for 'Backing us Blocks'. We are so beyond blessed by your prayers, support, words of encouragement, shared experiences and friendship. We cannot wait to get to know each and every one of you better and we are so grateful that you are on our team. If you signed up as a monthly supporter we will not have your contact information until the first support has been made and cleared- so I may not know who you are just yet. But as soon as we do you will be hearing from us and thanked properly. For now- thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We truly couldn't do our part in going without you doing your part in sending. I cannot wait to be able to tell you about the lives YOU change/touch through your sacrifice.

Lorraine- I cannot even begin to thank you enough for what you did for our family in starting this blitz... and what you did for the children in Guatemala... and what you did for God. You truly are the picture perfect example of living for Him in so many ways. Thank you for taking the pain you endured in loosing your beautiful daughter and caring on her legacy through reaching out to other orphans. I love you my sweet friend and because of the way you choose to live your life- I am forever changed. You inspire me to be so much more than I am and you give me the courage to keep moving forward. There are no words to say thank you enough.

And thank you to ALL of you who helped spread the word, put our badge on your blog, wrote posts and worked hard to help us be able to go. We appreciate you more than words can say.We are so blessed because God put you in our lives!!!

 Thank you again!!!