Trip to Mexico
For Thanksgiving, we headed down to Queretaro, Mexico to be able to visit Gustavo, see the grown up kids from Pan de Vida, and also look into the possibility of taking a short-term team to help out at the orphanage called Esperanza Para Ti (it used to be the boy's orphanage at the Hacienda that we worked at).
The time with Gustavo was truly beautiful! He is in a healthy place in life currently and so much of that is due to his girlfriend, Carmen. They have been together for almost 5 years and God took a hold of her life this past year. We absolutely loved every minute that we were able to spend with their family and it always feels like old times again.
We were also able to get a lot of the kids who we used to work with at Pan de Vida orphanage together for a night of tacos. They are all so grown up!!! It was fun to be able to catch up on their lives and hear everything that they are doing. One of those kids, Yaya, who was just a toddler when we were there, showed up! He doesn't remember us (except through pictures), but it was so cool to reconnect! It is a bitter-sweet time, because we also heard the stories of some of the kids are not in a good place or have passed away.
We were also able to spend time at Esperanza Para Ti orphanage and connect with Tio Agustin and Tia Geno again. They have poured their hearts into loving and caring for so many kids over the years. We actually had to have a servious talk with Tio Agustin, because he is having health issues, but is putting them on the back-burner because there are too many things that need to be done.
Pepe
For those of you who have followed us since the beginning, you might remember this picture. It was one of the days that we took all of the little boys to go get ice cream at McDonalds. We crammed all of them…I think there were 19…into our 4Runner.
It was a fun excursion! Now thinking back, that was seriously illegal!
But one of those boys was Pepe!
We were able to spend years with Pepe at the Pan de Vida orphanage when he was little. Richard was his Pre-K English teacher and both of us were involved in those first few years at the orphanage. He was a super sweet and shy little kid. His sister, Abril, would talk for him and they were extremely close.
He is now 21 years old!!! It is still shocking to see him grown up! He doesn’t remember us, because he was so little, but he still wanted us to show him all of the pictures and tell him the stories of when he was little. He has grown up under the care of Tio Agustin and Tia Geno. They have pushed him to follow his dream of becoming a pilot!!! Honestly, this is a dream that most kids growing up in an orphanage in Mexico would have given up years ago, but he hasn’t!
He finished his flight school and now is working towards the 150 flight hours that he needs to be able to get his license. He has already completed 40 of these hours through donations from people in Mexico, Canada, and the US! We were so inspired that we are trying to do everything possible to help him. We reached out to a few pilots and they agreed to help fund a few hours. We are also giving towards him monthly. If you are interested in helping, you can donate through Orphanos. Donate here and write “Pepe’s Flight Hours” in the notes section!
Red Tub Day
This is our 2nd year to be involved with Red Tub. This is a local event put on by MFCC to provide Christmas gifts to hundreds of kids who have been involved in the foster care system. They partner with local churches and individuals to pack a “Red Tub” (rubbermaid container) with specific items that the kids are dreaming of getting.
They then set up a kind of “Treat Labyrinth” where they get to receive additional Christmas goodies. This year, we were able to represent The Orchard Church. We gave out hundreds of bags of freshly-popped popcorn. We also had a sweet lady, Sandra, who loves to collect new items for kids in need. She donated around 150 new stuffed animals for us to give out.
We were so touched to find this post a few hours later. One of the items, a stuffed rabbit, caught the eye of one of the girls. She is in foster care, and thankfully found a sweet family to care for her. When the subject of adoption came up, her younger sisters shared with their foster parents that they wanted to be adopted. But she wasn’t sure…she wasn’t quite ready. Now she was! She chose the bunny (her new mom’s favorite), wrote a homemade card, and put it in a bag. She let her mom know that she was ready to be adopted.
We are so blessed to have been able to be a small part of their story!!!
Inti Moved to Canada
The day after Red Tub, Inti moved to Canada! This may be a complete surprise for some of you, but it was something that had been discussed for a few months. Inti had brought up the idea of moving back to Canada to join the Officer's Program in the Canadian Armed Forces to potentially become a pilot. The program offers the possibility for them to pay for university, as long as you commit to work for them for a few years following graduation.
Inti was not working as much as he had the first few years of college in Memphis, so he was not able to finish paying for the first semester of his Junior year. He made the decision that it was the time for him to move back to Canada and try to join the military. Our last adult, foster son has left the nest!
Here is also a video of Inti sharing at our church a few months before he moved:
Marathon
Then, we headed off to Texas for the Texas Kingwood Marathon! This is the 3rd year that our Uncle Mark and cousin Matthew have been in charge of this marathon to raise funds for our ministry. Mark dedicates hours of time finding sponsors, recruiting runners, and planning all of the details to start the race on January 1st, 2025! It has basically become like a 2nd job for him and we so appreciate all of the time and energy to help support us.
This year, we had so many family members who came out and ran the 1/2 marathon and our cousin David who ran the full marathon in under 4 hours! David also helped do a separate fundraiser with his co-workers for our ministry. It is always a great way to start off the New Year…although we were all exhausted by Jan. 1st!
Behind the Scenes
Most of what we do isn't "picture worthy" and does not make it into the updates. But we thought we'd give you a quick "Behind the Scenes" look at our lives.
Ximena spends a lot of her time glued to a computer screen, trying to find a stubborn, missing number or making sure that a donation for a missionary goes into the correct spot. Her favorite phrase is "Se cuadró!" or translated it means "It added up!" when everything on the accounting side finally adds up correctly. She processed over 6 million dollars for Orphanos missionaries and ministries in 2024!!!
Richard spends a lot of his time working out of his car, delivering items that are needed for kids in foster care. He loves it when he can match needs with people who are willing to help! He continues to work with around 10 different organizations who care for and love on the orphaned and at-risk children of Memphis.
This is the first time in a little over 4 years that we have no foster children living with us full-time...just the occasional school pick-up or sleep over with Julian. Santiago and Leilani get to just be "normal" kids...whatever that means! They are both heavily involved in band, playing the trumpet and tenor saxophone. Santiago is 15 and is working on his driving hours to get his license soon. Leilani is almost 14 and can't wait to be in high school this next year...mainly because the cafeteria food is better!
Prayer Requests
Health: In December, Richard threw his back out, so much so that he wasn't able to stand up and had to be taken in a wheelchair to the doctor. He is currently in physical therapy, which is helping, but please pray that his back is able to heal completely.
Adult Kids: Please be praying for Mayumi, our daughter in Ecuador. She is currently separated from her husband and is not wanting to work towards reconciliation. Please pray that they would both be willing to draw close to God, listen to Him, and be willing to die to themselves. Please pray for safety for Ximena as she will be heading there to visit in April, although it is still very dangerous in Manta where they live.
Family: Please be praying for our family of 4. Pray that we would take advantage of this time that we have together, and that God would continue to guide us into a deeper relationship with Him.
Pepe/Tio Agustin: Please be praying for Pepe to be encouraged during this waiting period of finishing his flight hours. Please be praying for Tio Agustin that he would seek the medical help that he needs to be able to serve long-term.
Thank you for reading!!!
Richard and Ximena
*We are in need of new supporters, especially for our ministry expenses, as we continue to do more in our community. Here are the links:
Family Support: CLICK HERE!
Ministry Expenses Support: CLICK HERE!
Komentáře