Merry Christmas! 

We want to thank you for all you love and support as we serve here in Sonora. We trust that this season bring love, joy, and peace as you spend time with your families reflecting on the birth of Jesus.

Have a very Merry Christmas and blessings to you in 2014.

Con Mucho Amor - Brian, Clarissa, Cole, Mason, Leah, Cristian, Abram, & baby Evan

My Party

Clarissa threw me a "Jets" Birthday Party!

 Watching the Game, eating appetizers 

 We didn't do so good...

 Although the Jets bombed out, here is the star of the day! Thanks babe for a great afternoon:)

Me and the kiddo's 

What a way to destroy an amazing Birthday cake. Thanks Jen Scap for making my Birthday even better.

I am truly thankful for my family and friends. There is nothing in life that is better. They keep me going. I am so excited with what my next year will bring. As our family continues to grow I thank God for blessing me so much. I'm living the dream, nothing is greater than relationships. I'm so glad I figured that out. 

A huge thanks to my greatest blessing Clarissa. It takes a very special girl to sacrifice they way she does. She is always behind the scenes making everything happen. I couldn't make everything happpen without her. 

Love you Clarissa.:)

The Ancla de Amor Ranch. Could it be???

Many things have been happening over the last couple of months. I have been busy forming my board of directors as well as establishing our association for Ancla de amor. We have done a fair amount of traveling, as well as hosting guests.  Aside from these things I have been busy looking at various land opportunities. While I was back in Canada this summer I presented to you the possibility of buying 44 acres that are right on the exterior of Guaymas. Unfortunately that option did not work out. Initially I was really discouraged about that but God always has a plan. Right? Well, I am excited to share with you for the first time the new possibility God has shown us. It is located in the country about 20 minutes from Guaymas and it is quite established. 

 There are 2 homes that are already not he property. One is a 3 bedroom home with 3 bathrooms. The 2nd home is currently designed for the hired man and his family. It needs some work but definitely has potential for housing staff and children to help us get the ball rolling.

 Here is another picture of the main house from another angle.

 This is an open workshop with cement floors and even a nice pit.

 This tractor is used to help maintain the property. I have seen it in operation and it seems to work.

 An outdoor palapa that is in need of some TLC but has potential to be a great place to gather and hang out as a family or with our guests and teams from north of the border.

 This tree is beside the palapa. To the left you can see the outdoor BBQ.

 Another shot of the shop and storage room.

 One of the many shade trees on the property.

On this property we have 1500 citrus trees. Here is a picture of just a few of them. All the oranges and grapefruits are picked and shipped to Hermosillo and Guaelajara. It is a great opportunity to move in the direction of self sufficiency. 

 More Orange Trees

 This is a picture of the road way leading to the carrel.

 Here is an old shelter for cattle. Currently there are goats and horses on the property

 Another shelter 

 Orange trees. All the orange trees are set up with irrigation. Water lines are run to each tree with a nozzle with a spinner on it. Turn the pump on and its ready to go. 

 A small playground

 Here is a small courtyard between the two houses

 An outdoor kitchen

Here, Brian Heppner and one of our board directors are talking with the owner of the property personally. 

As you can see there is so much potential here. I would estimate that about 60% of the approximate 50 acres is currently being used. The entire property is already fenced in and there is water faucets located to reach all 50 acres with 4" lines. There is still plenty of space to expand programs, build facilities and raise kids. There is also a well that we are entitled to. We are so excited at what the Lord is doing here. My plan is to move forward with negotiations in January of 2014. Please pray that the negotiations go well and that we can make a deal. Currently we do not have all the money needed to make this purchase but we are totally confident that God will work out all the details. We are short about 70 000.00. In addition to the purchase there is legal fees and a 5% fee for the transfer of ownership. 

I want to personally thank all of you that have helped out and supported us in the Acre Challenge. If you are reading this and did not have an opportunity to participate and would like to please contact me and I can communicate how that can happen. This summer God responded in huge ways to the acre challenge. We found sponsorship for all the 44 acres that we needed to raise for the first property. Please keep in mind that the first property was totally bare. By purchasing this developed property we have everything that you can see in the pictures for no that much more money. It is a turn key opportunity. We can move in and function as we are right now in our rental house not to mention the income that the oranges will provide. I would love to encourage you to consider sponsoring an acre or tell a friend about it. Email me at bckrahn@gmail.com if your interested in financially supporting this ministry and would like more details. We can provide tax receipts for both our Canadian and American supporters

Far more importantly I ask you to pray for us and Ancla de Amor. Pray, Pray, Pray! Please! We know that God will handle all the details and we know prayer is far more important that the financial stuff. God tells us that he will meet all our needs with His riches. So please pray that God would touch the hearts of those that He has selected to be a part of this and they they would be obedient to His prompting.

Blessings to all of you this Christmas season. Trusting that you all have a Merry Christmas!

Brian

Our trip to Queretaro

This fall Clarissa and I had the opportunity to join the Children of Hope team for a conference that was being held in San Luis. At the same time we took the time to visit 3 of the orphanages that Children of Hope are working with. We had a great time meeting the Team from Children of Hope but also connecting deeper with Agustin and Lupita. Agustin has been essential in helping me get this project up and running and is also a director of Ministerio Ancla de Amor. For those of you that come down to visit in the future I know that you will absolute adore this young family. 

 Agustin and Lupita are our first staff here are Ancla de Amor. I have had the opportunity to work with Agustin in the past and can tell you that he is an awesome man of God. He loves his family and he loves to serve the Lord. It was great to bring Agustin and Lupita along on the trip to Queretaro so that they could see visually what we want to accomplish back home in Guaymas.

 Clarissa and I are standing outside on the road leading to Pan de Vida. It was great to travel with Clarissa and spend some time alone planning the future but also just chill in together without the kids.:)

 Brian and Betty Heppner along with the missionaries and staff of Children of hope. (Brian is back row center and Betty is the 2nd lady from the right) This photo was taken in the plaza in the city of San Luis.

 Here is just one of many of the Catholic Churches in the city. We loved walking the streets and seeing the history in San Luis. We walked these streets every day for three days and there never seemed to be a shortage of things to see. 

 We, along with Agustin and Lupita decided to go gallivanting in the city of Queretaro so we hired numerous taxis to drive us around and show us some of the many sights. Behind us is the water aqueduct that runs through part of Queretaro.

 This is a shot of the grounds at Pan de Vida. 

 This is the private school and Pan de Vida.

 This is a picture of the kitchen at Dulce Refugio. This is the second orphanage that we had the opportunity to visit. 

 Her is a picture of on of the 2 dorms standing at Dulce Refugio. They can accommodate 50 children each. The have 2 of these buildings, one for the boys and one for the girls.

 Here we are visiting the third orphanage, Esperanza para Te. This is a family run facility that keeps things on a bit of a smaller scale but provides great love and care for the kids in a family environment. They offer many different things for the kids to be a part of. As you can see the fish pond, the barn in the background and the many fruit trees and gardens that need to be cared for. 

Here is a picture of two boys that faithfully care for their cow Macarena. Each morning at 5:30 these boys are out milking her so that they have milk for breakfast. Pepe, the boy in red loves his cow. As he milks the other boy holds her tail. It was touching to see the small note Pepe wrote on the wall inside Macarena's stall. " Macarena, see you tomorrow, I love you! Pepe"

Over all this trip was a great success in our minds. The four of us were exposed to 3 different orphanages with similar visions. We were exposed to great people and resources that are backing us and willing to offer advice as we continue in this process. We are so grateful for Children of Hope and that they are willing to work with us in building Ministerio Ancla de Amor. We are so excited to purchase our property and hit the ground running.

Thanks to all of you that continue to love and support us faithfully. We think of you all often and are so grateful that you are all a part of our journey. It is an absolute privilege to be here serving the children of Guaymas. 

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Love Brian and Clarissa

Ministerio Ancla de Amor

Hi Everyone

It is long over due, its time to sit down and share some of the new and exciting things that are happening down here in Mexico. We are so thankful for the progress so far. Some days it feels like we are always waiting but as we look back over the last two months we can see how God is moving things right along. All in His timing right!

First things first. We have a name! "Ministerio Ancla De Amor" which means Anchor of Love Ministries. We chose this name for numerous reasons. Obviously with our location right on the west coast we thought it would be great to somehow incorporate that into our name. We started thinking of ideas and it came to us that Christ is our Anchor in the time of storm. We want our home to be a safe house, a place of anchorage for all children that are in the middle of life's storm. A place that the can find comfort, security, and peace demonstrated by love. We are so excited to announce that God provided us with a name and a vision for what He wants to take place here in Guaymas.

Also, some more HUGE news! We have Our board of directors in place. God has put together an amazing group of people to bring this vision to life. It is an absolute privilege for me to work along side these folks and already I can see why God chose these people to be a part of this Ministry.

From Left to Right: Agustin, Jesus, Gabriella & Miguel and myself.

Thanks to all of you that have been remembering us in your prayers. We can sure feel them. lease pray that God would give us patience as we continue to wait for all the legalities to come together. Some days it feels like we are not getting anywhere and others it feels like we will never keep up with Gods pace. So, just pray for patience as God finishes with legal side of things.

Many blessings to all of you.:)

Brian

But the greatest of these is LOVE

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

This week God brought me to the passage in 1st Corinthians where Paul write the church of Corinth about love. This is a very familiar passage to most of you, in fact, in many marriage ceremonies this passage is often referred. As I read through it again I thought about how well it is also applied to our daily lives. Whether we are faced with conflict, whether we are entering into a relationship such as marriage, or wether we are simply passing a stranger on the street this passage can be applied. It is the greatest calling to all Christians. To love. 

The Bible says that love is the greatest gift that God gives us and we are to love one another accordingly. In Corinthians 13 it also list different gifts that God gives us such as tongues, prophesy and faith that can move mountains but without love we are nothing. Christ is love and without Christ all our best efforts are in vein. So how do we love as Christ loves? We need to be patient, kind, love does not envy, it does not boast and it is not proud. It is not rude nor is it self seeking. Love is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrong doings. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. LOVE NEVER FAILS. 

We talked about this as a team. What will it be like to receive our first abandoned child into our home? How do we love that child. Well, the answer is pretty clear. I know God is going to stretch each one of us in this team as we care for kids and I am so excited that God is calling each one on our team to a very high calling and that is to love as Christ loves and to love the abandoned and orphaned. I am proud of the group that God has put together to care for the kids. Each person on our team is unique but the one thing they all have in common is that each one of them is great! I love our team and I know that God is going to do amazing things with these young ladies whether it be with us or somewhere else along the road. I am just so thankful that God allowed them to be a part of our lives right now. 

This is a huge responsibility and one that we don’t take lightly. These are Gods greatest assets coming through our door. Please, if you remember us, please pray for love. Please pray God gives us that gift, to Love as Christ. We know that children will come and some will go and already we are afraid of the pain that will bring. We know that in every circumstance it is best for each child to be reunited with their families or placed in a family that can love and care for them in a family setting. Pray that we love whole heartedly without holding anything back and pray that we would not be self seeking in any way. Our desire as a team is to live as Christ while we care and aid for these children.

I am excited to introduce you to little Evan. He is 2 months old and has just arrived to our shelter. He is our first child. Today, September 26 marks the beginning. I have to wonder what the future holds for this ministry and I get so excited dreaming about the possibilities but today I need to focus on God and everything he has done to get us to today. God is so Good and His plan is great.

Pray for little Evan. DIF (social services) dropped him of because his parents are both unable to care for him. I am still waiting for all the details. I don't know how long he will be with us but we are trusting in The Lord and will love him for as long as God allows. I rejoice in his life and its my prayer that he will feel the unending Love that Christ offers. We do not even know him and already we are beginning to attached. Thanks to all our family, friends and supporters for helping us get to this point.

The Social worker from DIF handing Evan over to me. 

 Cole and Mason are excited

 Patty and Melissa welcoming Evan.

 Patty has been the most excited out of all of us. This afternoon when the water pump for the fridge started Patty bolted outside in anticipation thinking it was the car dropping of Even. We will see how excited she is tomorrow morning:) 

 Cole is proud of this little guy too. He is always ready to help out. He makes us all very proud of him.

 And Leah is wondering what is going on. Why is this little dude here? Already she is helping out to bringing him his soother and sticking it in his eye.

I wish I had pictures with Clarissa to but the truth is she is not here. She had plans with her girl friends tonight. DIF was supposed to drop off Evan this morning and he only arrived at 6 this evening. So when she left we were actually thinking he would only come tomorrow. She will have a surprise when she gets home:)

Good night folks. Blessings:)

Brian

We have arrived home

Good Evening

We have arrived in San Carlos and the dust is starting to settle. We arrived last Tuesday, September 17th after a long but good drive down to Mexico. We praise The Lord for a safe trip with few head aches, other then Mr Tom Tom taking us on a few detours. I am convinced that my GPS is messed up but my dear wife seems to believe that the problem could actually be me. I am not sure, at times I do think I am loosing it so maybe this is just another sign of things to come.

Thank you all for praying for us. We truly felt your prayers! Our border cross was a head ache but we made it through. Mexico is a unique country. The harder a person tries to do things legitimately the harder it is to get things done. I told myself that this time I was not going to hide anything. I would claim everything properly. After paying 400.00 in taxes + 100.00 in brokerage and still had to cough up 150.00 to bribe the border guards to let me in. Its so frustrating sometimes but i shouldn't complain. We are here and we are safe.

As we turned off the highway into the town of San Carlos we heard a sigh of relief from the back seat. Mason always has some kind of a remark. As he let out his sigh, he spoke for all of us when he said, "home, sweet home." Is is so good to be back in San Carlos and to catch up with all of our friends. It is good to settle into our own home and begin our normal routine again. We are also really excited with how our team is developing. Melissa, Patty and Kendra are awesome to have here with us and it is so exciting to see relationships develop. I am so proud of the team that God has put together. Next week Agustin and his wife Lupita will start working for us. That is also very exciting.

We ask for your prayers. As we have settled the question has come up among us? When are we going to receive children? My plans were to receive 1 or 2 children before Christmas but once again God seems to be moving at a slightly faster pace than I am. We are in preparation for receiving 2 boys in the next week or so. We are so excited. We know these boys and believe they would fit into our small family run shelter well. So please pray for them that God would prepare them for the transition into our care and that everything would go smooth. DIF still needs to iron out some details before they can come so please pray that it will go according to Gods plan.

A sincere thank you to all of you that are following our story and to all of you that are supporting us in prayer as well as financially. You are all equally as involved in the lives of these children as we are. I pray for all our supporters and I thank the Lord that He has taken such good care of us. Please remember us in your prayers as well. We sure need them. Please pray that God would give us unending love, compassion, grace and mercy to the children that come through our door and also pray that God would continue to provide the finances to take care of the ministry as well as us personally.

Much blessings to all of you. Thank you so much for being such an amazing support group. We love you guys a lot.

Brian

Heading Home

What a whirl wind of a summer. I am exhausted but at the same time I feel so re energized. Tomorrow morning we get in the truck and start our journey back home to San Carlos. Thanks to each and every one of you for your prayers. It has been an amazing experience.

For those of you that are not aware we have exciting news!!!! GOD HAS RESPONDED IN AMAZING WAYS TO THE ACRE CHALLENGE!!! We set out to raise up so money to purchase land in Mexico. The cost to purchase the land is 244 000.00 plus taxes and legal fees. I didm,t know how God was going to respond to this, all I knew is He gave me peace that it would be taken care of. As of yesterday, two days before we arrived, God provided 266 000.00 through the "Acre Challenge."

PRAISE HIM WITH ME!!!!

I am so excited at the journey that God is taking us on. Please don't forget us in your prayers, we need you now more than ever. I know the enemy would like nothing more than to de rail this thing.

We will keep you posted on everything going on once we arrive in Mexico.

Blessings,

Brian

Another BIG Response to the Acre Challenge!

Hello Everyone

The summer has come and gone. It is hard to believe that in one week we will be heading back to Mexico. We are really excited to start our journey home and get to work on this new adventure. Of course leaving Canada has its challenges too. We have had an a great time visiting all our friends and family.

I wanted to let you all know that God has continued to bless the "Acre Challenge." We are currently at 41 of the 44 acres that are required to purchase the land for the orphanage. Praise God!!!! Only 3 more acres to go! I would have never expected we would be in this place 2 months ago when we arrived here. It is a miracle!

I want to say a huge thank you too all of those that have been praying for this ministry and also for those that have decided to help out financially. God has used each one of you to make the purchase of the Land a reality. Please continue to pray that God would bring forward the remaining 3 acres so that we can go home and make the purchase. I also ask that you pray for our personal support as well. We are still short of reaching our goal so pray that God would also provide for that as well:)

Today I had to privilege to speak at the Winkler Grace Church. I am so thankful for the warm welcome and the encouragement that we received there. Once again it is so cool how God is using so many from different Churches to put all the pieces together. What a great opportunity for us to unity together to further Gods Kingdom here on earth:) Please remember me in your prayers as well as I prepare my next presentation for a group of people in Paynesville MN. We are also very excited that we have the opportunity to share Gods plans in an entirely different area.

Well, lots of work to get done, thanks again to all of you that have been supporting us both prayerfully and financially. I pray that God would bless you and your families. I also hope that we will get to see a bunch of you down in Mexico real soon.

Brian

There is nothing impossible for our God!

Greetings Friends


Another week has come and gone. This week was full of excitement as God showed up again in big ways. It is hard for me to get my head around the unlimited resources that God has and how He is using the community of Winkler to make a huge impact in the city of Guaymas. It is a project that we as a family are truly privileged to to be a part of.
This week we held an information night at the Central Station in Winkler. We hade a great evening of sharing and relationship building. A huge thank you to all those that spent so much time putting the event together. I'd especially like to lift up Jim and Lena Suderman for all the behind the scene work as well as Don Friesen for taking time to share some of his experiences working with Children of Hope over the past years. It is so great to see unity amongst believers here in Winkler. Also a big Thank You to those who came to the info night to hear what is happening in Guaymas. I really appreciate those who took the time out of their schedules to come and listen.
Having said all that, God has provided 30 of the 44 acres that we need sponsored. "PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!" God continues to blow my mind. I do not know where the remaining acres are going to come from but I am praying that they will be committed to before we go home to Mexico in September 9. Please join me in praying for the remaining acres. Please pray that God would continue to put me in contact with those that He has chosen to give to this ministry.

God bless you all. Thanks so much for following our blog and showing interest in our lives. We love you guys and I am starting to realize how difficult it is going to be to leave again. You are all as much a part of this as we are.
I pray for Gods richest blessing for you are your families.

Brian

 

God is Alive and Moving!!! Another BIG Response!

Hi Friends

So God has been outstanding this week once again. Everyday He continues to provide. Even as I type this I am emotional at Gods provisions. To date God has blessed us with 13 of the 44 acres. We are almost half way there! It blesses my heart to see all the people partner with us to make a loving home for the children of Mexico. It also blows my mind to see Gods endless provisions. Thanks to all of those who have stepped up to the challenge! Really, thank you so much! And thank you to those who are walking with me in promoting this ministry! I pray God blesses you tremendously! Just today a friend called me and said he was able to come up with 5 acres for the orphanage:) Please continue to pray that God will touch the hearts of those he chooses to partner with and that I would come in contact with them one way or another

Check out this video,

Blessings,
Brian


http://youtu.be/YZoVRpjeHHI

God Responds in Big Ways!!!!

Hi Everyone, I am trusting that you are well and enjoying your summer!

I am so excited at the way God is moving. We are busy raising awareness for the orphanage and for the purchase of the land we want to buy in Mexico. I am so excited, in the past week God has blessed this ministry tremendously! To date we have received sponsorship for 7 of the 44 acres we are raising money for.
I want to thank each one that has already committed to sponsor and acre of land! What a blessing you are!

Please pray that God would continue to lead me to the people that He chooses to support this project. We are looking for people that are interested in taking the "buy an acre Challenge." If you are interested in helping the orphaned and abandoned in Mexico, please contact me.
Also pray that each child that comes into our lives through this ministry is blessed and ultimately comes to know the Lord. I thank The Lord for each one of you, and for the encouragement and Love that we feel from all our supporters. It is an honour serving in Mexico and representing our amazing community.

Blessing to each of you.

Brian

Hello Friends

Wow, time flies by when your having fun!!!! It is good to be back in Winkler reconnecting with all our friends and family. We have missed you all so much and are excited to continue our visits.
We are doing well, we are booked most evenings with different families and friends. The Winkler cooking has been great! We have also met new people along the way and it is always a blessing to add to the friends list.
I have been sharing in a few different churches which has gone well. I have the Winkler Grace Church booked for Sept 1 for any of you in the area that are interested in coming out to visit. I am also planning a informal information night where I can share a few more details about the plans to buy land for the orphanage and the plans moving forward. Ill keep you advised of that when the details become available.
So, when I say we are having fun, of course building on relationships is always fun, for me anyways, but the real exciting thing that I am having allot of fun with is talking to people about the land we plan to buy. I am so excited at everyones response. We are giving people the opportunity to sponsor an acre of property for the orphanage. Farmers and business people are really liking the challenge! I am finding that they are not only stepping up but they are talking about the challenge to the friends, neighbours and collogues.  If you are interested in getting involved in the acre challenge please let me know. I can explain in more detail. We are looking for individuals, small groups, youth groups, neighbours, friends, etc. Anyone interested in jumping on board with sponsoring an acre so that we can buy and purchase the land this year. This week alone I have had 6 acres sponsored out of the 44 acre plot we are buying! Praise The Lord! If you or anyone you know is interested in getting in on the fun please contact me. I would love to talk on the phone or set up a meeting.
So I ask you to pray that this challenge will be met. I believe all 44 acres will be sponsored!

God's Richest Blessings!!!!!

My contact info

bckrahn@gmail.com
Cell: 204-384-9842

We are almost back to Winkler!!!

Greeting friend and family,

We are almost back in Winkler!

We have been on the road now for a few days. Actually its been almost 2 weeks! We decided to take a little extra time coming home for a couple of reasons. We wanted to take some time to re group as a family but we also knew that when I arrive in Winkler I'll have to hit the ground running. :) This trip back to Manitoba has been a real blessing, we have tented most of the way down and it has really helped us to adjust back to our culture before we arrive so that I can focus on what needs to happen when we get there.

I want to take the opportunity to thank you for all your support this year. As we prepare for the next season, and with the dream and plans to construct the orphanage I ask that you please remember us and the project in your prayers. This truly cannot happen without Gods blessing on it. I believe with all my heart that this is Gods plans and that He will bring it to pass! We are so excited that we have the privilege to continue serving our Lord at this capacity! It has been an absolute privilege! Our lives have changed.

I want you all to know that I will be arriving in Winkler this Saturday afternoon and I am scheduled to give a report in our church (Winkler MB Church) on Sunday the 14th. You are all invited! I know that it is summer time and many will be out on vacation but it sure would be great to have a full house! Even if you are not a MB'er please feel welcome to come! It would be a huge encouragement to Clarissa and I. Although it does add some more pressure to me and my presentation. LOL (i promise, if you are not blessed by my presentation you will be humoured! This is not a strength of mine) :)

Sooo, having said all that please come out and hear what God has been up too in our lives. I will be sharing a few stories, giving an update on what the future holds and stuff like that. Also prayerfully consider how God might use you to be involved! As I mentioned, I can't do this alone. I am currently booked to speak in 3 different churches in MB and hoping to line up some churches in the USA on the way back to Mexico. We are promoting the orphanage plans and raising funds to launch the project this fall. If you know of churches or organizations that may have a desire to help with this need please let me know. I have also started to take reservations with small groups and personal supporters for the month of July and August. We want to connect with as many of you as possible so please let us know if you would like to get together with us.

I pray Gods richest blessings on each of you. You are all constantly in my prayers and I thank The Lord for each one of you and for the blessing you have been to us! We have an amazing support network, it is a privilege for us to know and be a part of your lives as well.

Dios te Bendiga!!! See you next week:)

Brian
   

Words don't cut it

 

James 1:27

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

NLT

This building appeared to be barn stalls. In actuality they are homes.

DIF delivered three boys to Maggie's ministry. They were with her about a week then returned to their parents who live here in one of these.

This is another type of hut made of sticks and tarp. Keep in mind how hot it gets down here. It is very common to be in the 40's. Their is no relief from the heat of summer. I was inside one of the huts and the flies were almost unbearable.

Someone's home

This is a bathroom. I gathered it to be public

Aside from the heat, this day it was quite windy. Their was allot of dust in the air.

This is the mother of the children that were dropped off at Maggies.

This is a little girl eating a cookie delivered by DIF.

A mother and child listen as the President of DIF gives a short presentation.

I wonder what is going through his mind. How is his life going to turn out?

A little girl watches as her mother goes through some donated clothing for their family.

With the temperatures starting to climb, we decided that it would be best to make our visit to the community of Marquez in the morning to avoid the heat of the afternoon. Maggie and I packed up my truck with a load of donated clothing and headed off to visit the family of three children that stayed with Maggie at her ministry for approximately a week. Prior to leaving for Marquez, Maggie mentioned to me several times that this would be an experience I would never forget. She said, "This will be like nothing you have ever seen before." I've seen some pretty ugly places and honestly, thought I had pretty much seen it all. I'm not sure anything can prepare you for walking through a community like this, without question, this was another community that ranked right up there with the worst ones I have visited.

 

In the community of Marquez the men work hard. They are out in the heat working the fields. I am not sure which crops are grown here but the soil looks really good. The men and young boys work long hours to provide income for their families. Families can rent these barn style homes for 400 peso's per month which is a little more that $30.00. I had the opportunity to walk inside one of the homes. It was pretty much empty, a small table and some old dirty 5 gallon pails to sit on. Their was no bed, only some blankets and some old foam for the family of 6. On the small table was a watermelon that had been cut open, half was gone and the remaining half was left, crawling with flies. I am sure that was their lunch. Their are no coolers or refrigerators to keep their food out of the heat or protect it from critters.

 

When we arrived in Marquez we happened to run into DIF. (Social Services) They were doing a clothing distribution in the community that day as well. Ironic! We partnered with them as they we headed for the exact same place we were going. God has blessed us with an amazing relationship with DIF. It is so essential in order to work with them in the future. The President of DIF was there as well and her and I connected, I had the chance to share with her for the first time our plans to construct the orphanage. She was very excited and offered assistance to us. It was a divine appointment, I still can't believe how we crossed paths. Even she said to me, "I feel God arranged for us to meet today." WOW!

 

I look back on this experience. I don't know what to say, I don't have words. If I think of the comforts of life that I have, even living in Mexico, it simply blows my mind how good we have  it. I can't believe that there are still people living like this? I think of North American and all the things that we take for granted. This sure could be me in one of those photos, it could be my children, but for whatever reason God chose to put us in North America. A nation that is blessed beyond belief! Wow, can you imagine what it would be like living in a barn stall? I can't imagine and don't even want too.

 

 

Wow, what a challenge. It sure makes me ask myself allot of very hard questions?

 

Be Blessed everyone,

Con Mucho Amor

 

Brian