Lolis' First (?) Birthday!

On June 19th we celebrated Lolis First Birthday! Ok, it really wasn't her first birthday, it was her 13th birthday! Let me explain!

Lolis with one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen!

Lolis joined our family this past December, which means that this was her first birthday as a part of the Zaragoza family! Not only was this her first birthday as a part of our family, but .... Let me help you eavesdrop on a conversation earlier that week between Lolis and several other family members.

It was lunchtime and Lolis was seated at the lunch table with Diana and Martha. Magda was nearby.

Diana and Martha: Hey, Lolis, it's going to be your birthday.

Lolis: Yeah, my first birthday!

Magda: Not your first birthday, it's your 13th birthday.

Lolis: No, it's my first birthday because I've never celebrated my birthday before!


Can you imagine turning 13 years old and having never gotten a birthday present or blowing out the candles on a birthday cake?

As is tradition in our home, Grandpa and Grandma Claassen (Julie's parents) called Lolis on the morning of her birthday to sing their rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday to You". I talked to Mom after that and she mentioned that she had asked Lolis if she was going to have a party, or a cake or presents and that Lolis just kept answering: "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know." "Of course, Mom," I answered, "she doesn't know what to expect because she has never had a birthday before!"

As Lolis' mother now, what makes this thought even more painful is not that she missed out on 12 years' worth of presents and cake, but the fact that NOBODY HAD EVER CELEBRATED LOLIS' LIFE BEFORE! She is a precious creation made in the image of our Almighty Father! Her laugh blesses our life daily as well as her silly antics as she learns more about just simply living a free life!

So, Lolis fully enjoyed hearing us sing "Happy Birthday" in English and Spanish and then opening up her birthday presents. She had asked for an MP3 player and was so excited about getting one that she took off to put in the batteries and have her sisters upload songs and forgot to eat a piece of her own birthday cake! So, next year won't be Lolis' first birthday any more, but it will still be the first time she would have eaten her own cake, because she forgot to do so this year!

Lolis after the traditional "biting of the cake." Here in Mexico, after singing "Happy Birthday", the birthday person takes a bite out of the cake and the people around him or her push her face into the cake. Don't ask me why! Do most traditions make sense? Most of our kids balk at biting the cake, but since Lolis had never had this opportunity before she was more than willing to participate! She came out looking like a clown with the red frosting on her nose and the white frosting around her mouth!

The following day at church was even more meaningful as it was the first time that Lolis participated in the liturgical dance team. She had been practicing for months, but her coordination skills and obedience had to catch up for the first 12 years of her life when her development was hindered by her circumstances. So, she was finally ready to participate! It was extra special since she had just turned 13 years old!

Lolis, Martita, Diana and Erika ready to dance before church! Talk about beautiful!

Lolis concentrating on the liturgical dance routine!

Her MP3 player was her birthday gift on Saturday, but she gave me a very special gift on Sunday watching her praise the Lord through dance! Wow!

Martita and Lolis dancing together! After they spent two years separated from each other it is such a joy to see them worshiping the Lord together!

We praise the Lord for Lolis' life! We praise the Lord for bringing her into our lives and family! We praise the Lord for all He is doing in her life! We praise the Lord for your lives and the way that He has used your prayers, your giving and your participation in the ministry to make Lolis' transformation-in-the-works possible!

Martita (far left), Lolis (next to Martita) and Diana (far right) dancing during the church service!

Guess what? We aren't the only ones who rejoice over Lolis' life! Read this incredible verse!

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17

Home Sweet Home... by Aaron

Mom's new kitchen, ready for action!

Well I have never done this before, so bear with me. I just finished my first week of my Junior year. I have cleaning day tomorrow, and life is starting to be more like it was in the states. It's nice to be able to settle into a routine again, now that we are actually, truly, kind of, moved in completely (more or less). Dad hooked up our gas for the stove and hooked up the water heater for the kitchen sink. I am so happy (in a way), I was able to help to wash dishes with our hot water in our own sink! I feel more at home now that we have a kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom and a living room. Leading up to all this, though, has really helped our whole family's faith grow. I now can "take the hits as they come" a lot better, not always knowing what the day has in store for me. Just like Monday, when Julie and Victor said they would probably be bringing four new girls into the family, and it wasn't really a big surprise, knowing that the family could grow at any time. Then the next day, when we found out the girls would not join the family (maybe not yet, maybe never, only God knows), things just started to flow like normal. But we have learned to trust Him for our peace of mind. We have trusted him, and now I am just about as settled here as I was in the states. You would not believe how homey a place feels after Mom has cooked a meal at the stove for the first time. We ate at our table, which we also had not done yet, and then settled in our chairs with hot cocoa and coffee, and watched a movie someone sent with one of the work teams. Life has become, maybe not normal yet, but pretty dang close, and I have enjoyed the path leading up to this point. I know we aren't done here yet, and I know I will still have hard days after this, but still I just love saying, "Home sweet home!"

Our "Almost" Girls

After members of the two work teams from Shiloh blogging for the last two weeks, it feels good to be in front of the computer screen again ready to type in a blog entry. (You might not know that considering I should have blogged on Monday and then meant to this morning and it is now 10:15 p.m. and I am just getting to it!) What I most look forward to when blogging is knowing that we are connecting with each other even though we are thousands of miles apart.

Only two days after the last Shiloh work team left, Victor and I were on our way to the state of Michoacan with the hopes of picking up four new daughters for our family!

Last winter, Fishers of Men held an Evangelistic Medical Mission Crusade in a small town in the state of Michoacan. While there, the team became aware of the situation of a single mother and her four young daughters, ranging in age from 4 to 11 years old. Her husband had gone to the U.S. years earlier and had suffered an accident which prevented him from working and supporting his family back in Mexico. The wife was left living in a borrowed hut and working, along with the girls, harvesting strawberries and other odd jobs in order to survive. The mother's love for and dedication to her daughters was evident, so we offered her the opportunity to come and work and live at Refuge Ranch, along with her daughters. In this way, she could provide for her daughters, but in a safe place where the girls could also learn and grow. However, she turned down that opportunity.

This past February we got word that that same mother had abandoned the four girls, who were then subsequently taken in by their eldest, 19 year old sister, who was married and pregnant. Well, last week we got a phone call informing us that this sister was about to have her baby and could no longer care for her younger siblings and was requesting that they come and live with us. Dr. Escamilla, a Fishers of Men crusade volunteer who is very familiar with this village and, particularly, with this family, travelled to Michoacan on Sunday to confirm the girls' situation.
We spoke with Dr. Escamilla late Sunday night who told us that the girls had since been sent to four different family members' homes, but that the entire family agreed that it would be best for the girls to stay together and come and live with us.

So, on Monday morning Victor and I hit the road with our four youngest children, Caleb, Ruth, Ana and Daniel, in order to lighten the load a bit here at the ranch. Nearly five hours later, we arrived in Michoacan and found out the the lawyer needed to sign the guardianship papers was not available until Tuesday, so we decided to spend the night. In the meantime, we set out with several of the girls' family members to round up the girls!

Our first stop was an uncle's farm out in the country. After waiting outside for over half an hour while family members talked inside, we finally met Liz, who is 12 years old, and Diana, who is 6 years old. They came walking down that dirt road with Victor, Dr. Escamilla and several other family members carrying the sum total of their possessions in a small white garbage bag. I have yet to know how to properly greet a child under these circumstances: "Hello, I'm your new mother" does not seem quite appropriate. So, I usually just make myself available and follow the child's lead. Both girls, as soon as they got to me, gave me huge, long hugs. As I was hugging them, I kept thinking: "I have no idea who these girls really are and they are going to be my daughters! I am hugging a total stranger, yet loving her so deeply. This feels like an awkward hug now, but someday I am going to give her a hug as she gets ready to walk down the aisle to get married!"

Liz (far left) and Diana (being carried in pink by Mariela) walking down the dirt road towards our van with Dr. Escamilla, Victor, Mariela (a Fishers of Men volunteer) and other family members.

Liz had actually been living in Mexico City with a distant elderly cousin for about a year, but that relative is ready to give her up and she was back in the village near her other sisters. Diana, like her other two sisters, had been living with their oldest sister, Nancy, until just a week previously when they moved in with other relatives due to Nancy's impending delivery of her first baby.

Liz (12) and Diana Karen (6) years old together in our van.

After getting into the van, we set off to find Blanca and Ana. We were told that Blanca was on the other side of the mountain visiting other relatives and that Ana was at another older sister's house. We decided to try the older sister, Alma's, house first. Upon arrival, nobody was home, so we drove several more blocks down to the girls' maternal grandmother's home. Lo and behold, we found nine year old Blanca there, but no Ana. Five year old Ana had been taken shopping that afternoon and had not arrived back home yet.

However, along with Blanca, we got to meet the other older sister, 17 year old Alma, who is also married and has a small baby. Upon finding out the reason for our visit, Alma would not hear about her little sisters being taken away and vouched that she would care for them, although she has never previously cared for them at all! Her reaction resulted in a phone call to the girls' dad in the United States who, although he had previously given his approval for the girls to be reunited and become a part of our family, now went back on that decision and told the aunt who was coordinating all of this to leave the girls in Michoacan.

Daniel, Diana Karen, Ruth and Ana enjoying corn on the cob together on the sidewalk as we spent several hours discussing the girls' situation with their 17 year old sister and maternal grandmother.

So, after over two hours of discussing the situation with many different family members, the girls were returned to the four different homes where they had been staying, including Liz, the 12 year old who adamantly repeated time and time again that she wanted out of the situation.

So, at 10 p.m. on Monday night, 12 hours after leaving home, we started out on the four hour or so drive back to Refuge Ranch, with our four youngest children and no new daughters. This was after having met three out of the four girls, having two of them in the car with us on several occasions and then believing that at least Liz would return home with us.

Ruth, Liz, Diana Karen and Caleb together in the car!

Victor wisely observed that the Lord had a plan in our going to Michoacan on Monday, although we are totally clueless as to what the plan is/was! Of course, we have thought of many different options and possibilities, but only the Lord knows what He is really up to!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

We continue to pray for Liz (12), Blanca (9), Diana (6) and Ana (5). We can see many different ways that the Lord could continue to work in their lives and in ours, but we are all in His hands and are praying that His perfect will would be done in His perfect time!

Updates

When work teams are here at the Ranch things can get a little crazy! The days fly by in a flurry of activity and you don't even realize that you haven't blogged! So, we decided that you all would probably like to be kept up to date as to what is going on down here with the teams! The Shiloh team will be blogging regularly. So, instead of leaving you all hanging on this blog we invite you to click here and stay up to date on the Shiloh blog for the next two weeks! Thank you for following and being part of this ministry!

A couple of funny things...by Mark

Last week, one evening after supper I was outside hanging out with some of the kids. Adrian Tovar was here too. He is like a big kid so all the kids wanted to play a game with him. When they asked me if I wanted to play, I hesitated but said I would. I was not sure what the game was, but it sounded like Hide-and-Seek. Soon everybody was running and hiding, so I ran and hid too. I was crouched in a corner of the wood shed (formerly rabbit house, formerly chicken coop) waiting but hoping not to be discovered. The thought then occurred to me that I really did not know what game I was playing. I had not asked about rules, or who was "it," or what I should be doing. I could hear some of the kids running and calling out names. Nobody called my name. I then began to wonder if anyone really knew I was playing. I wondered if there was a base I was supposed to try to run to. I sat there for a few minutes and tried to see what was happening, thinking maybe I could figure it out by watching. This is a technique I use regularly, but I could not see enough from where I was. It began to sound like the game was breaking up, so I made my move. I did not want to give up my location because I might want it in the future, so I quietly made my way around the woodshed and headed up the hill. By this time Adrian was in the house. I still don't know exactly what happened, because I headed for home.
Our Chapel Christian characteristic this week is "cooperative." I told the story of my Hide-and-Seek adventure as we talked about living together in unity. Psalm 133:1 is our memory verse: "Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity." It is impossible to live in unity if we do not all know and live by the rules. Fancy board games with lots of pieces are no fun if one of the players is not playing by the rules. Life, as part of a family or society, only works well when we all understand and follow the rules. The most important rules to follow are to love each other and love God. (Matt 22:37-40)

Another funny thing that happened this week was in our apartment. Sunday evening I wanted to print a wordsearch/coloring page for chapel Monday morning. It had just started to get dark, so lots of people had lights turned on. What this means is that there is a large load on the community's electrical system. As it gets dark we know we will not be able to run our desktop computer and the printer. I just needed a few copies so I thought I would try it. When I clicked the print button, our battery backup alarm started to beep, telling me it would shut down soon. I think the TV and DVD player were on too. The kids shut them off. I started looking for other things to shut off. The kids rooms were dark. Our room was dark. I turned off the lights in our main room where the computer is. The beeping stopped, and the printer kept printing. We sat in the dark for a couple of minutes with only the light from the monitor while the printer finished. The next day Lucy told me she was thinking about that experience and how we had to focus all the power on the computer and printer. None of the other things that were using electricity were bad, but they were using power we needed somewhere else. Of course she related that to how we can sometimes be distracted in life. We get busy doing things that we see as important, but somehow our focus shifts. Sometimes I need to remind myself not to worry about things, so the other day I had my Bible open to Matthew 6:33. If we keep focused on the Kingdom we will have the Power for all the necessary things that need to be done.

But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt 6:33

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:14

Lessons Learned....by Lucy

As I have looked back over the past couple of weeks and the pictures that have been taken, one thing that struck me were all the lessons learned (whether we were in school or not!). Some lessons seem simple, while others are harder for us to understand and retain.

Princesa is a puppy so she behaves like a puppy. She is often being told "No!" for something she has done wrong. She sometimes pees in the house, chews on shoes or socks, or tears up a roll of toilet paper left within her reach. Life is full of temptations for her. But she is learning what "No," means, and she is praised when she does something well. She is learning to be a good dog.

God often has to tell us "No." He disciplines us because He knows it is the only way we will learn what He expects from us. He disciplines us because He loves us and wants what is best for us.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." --Hebrews 12:11

Uh oh...am I in trouble again?

In preschool, we were learning about the letter "L." One thing we did was go for a hike looking for leaves (because leaf begins with "L," you know!). We studied our leaves, made leaf prints, created lions from paper plates, did a page about "L," and made lemon shakeups as a snack. But do you think Ruth and Bernabe will remember the letter "L" on Monday when we have class again? Probably not. It takes repeated lessons with the letter "L" before it eventually sinks in...Oh! This is "L!"

That's what it is like for someone learning about Jesus too. Sometimes we are afraid to share about Him with others because we think it won't make a difference. And maybe it won't right away. But if they learn about His love over and over, eventually it sinks in, and a light bulb in their brain lights up, and they see Him in someone and they say...Oh! That's Jesus!

"One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!"--John 9:25b

This photo isn't from preschool, but when you invite one child into your home, many will follow!
They all are eager to learn. Teach them well!

Bernabe and Ruth looking for leaves

Ruth found one!

"L" is for Lions!

Aaron taught a science class last week on semi-solids. The kids mixed cornstarch and water together. That was it, but what resulted was neither solid nor liquid. You could touch it and it was solid, but if you tried to pick it up, it became liquid in your hands. The kids really enjoyed putting their hands in the goo. It felt nice...interesting...weird...and fun. But when the experiment was over, there was nothing to do with it, but throw it away. It was quite a mess!

It made me think of lukewarm Christianity. Maybe someone who talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk. They are neither hot nor cold. They might be nice, interesting, a little weird, or fun. But in the end, they are not useful for much except making a mess! It is hard to show someone who Christ is when you are not sure yourself. See what Science can teach you?

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."--Revelations 3:15-16

Joce enjoying the mixture on her hands

See the mess it makes?

Joanna is teaching about perspective in Art class. Where do the shadows fall when the light is coming from this point or that point? How does a box look when it is sitting on a table, like a square, or much more? Her students are learning that looking at things from a different perspective really does give them a different view of them.

When we are Christians, we look at everything from a different perspective than the world does. And when we look at other people from God's perspective...Wow! Does it change our view! Adding perspective to their drawings gives more detail and another dimension to their art. Adding God's perspective to how we see others allows us to look beyond the surface and see the promise each person holds in God's eyes.

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."--1 Samuel 16:17b

Josiah drawing his cross. Now he has a new perspective about it!

Here's one more lesson from the past few weeks. Quite often you will see little girls running around here dressed up as princesses. It makes them feel special (which they should because they are!). They behave differently when they are princesses. Their eyes shine, they smile more, and they treat others as if they have some great gift to bestow on them (Not that they aren't perfect angels all the time anyway!). They are learning to be princesses.

Doesn't God say that we are though? We are joint heirs with Christ. He expects us to behave that way, with eyes shining, faces smiling, and with the best gift of all (Jesus) to give and share with others.

"I am a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God to declare the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His wonderful light."--1 Peter 2:9

Ana with Princesa

Later that same day, Ruth in the same dress, is one tired princess after fulfilling her "princess" duties

Ruth, Ana, and Berenice spread the joy of being God's princesses!

No matter where we are, may we all continue to learn truths from His holy Word. May we continue to accept His discipline when necessary, and may we continue our study of God till we see Him in those around us, and really know it is Him. May we see others from God's perspective and see the hidden potential inside each one. May we not live our lives as a "semi-solid," but fully solid in the truth that He is God, Jesus is His son, and we are His children. And finally, may we realize that we are princes and princesses in God's royal family, with a gift to share with the world!

EMMC to Guadalajara: Part Two

The second half of the crusade to the Guadalajara area was held in a small town, Milpillas, several hours outside of Guadalajara. We went from a very urban feel to an entirely rural environment.

This is the view from the church where we worked the last three days of the crusade.

This is the inside of the church where the crusade was held.

The church building where the crusade was held was very typical of many of the churches in which we work. It was one large rectangular structure made of brick with a bare cement floor. The roof was made of tin, which makes for lots of noise during a rain! Obviously, the congregation was working on finishing the building because there were piles of bricks and dirt in one corner of the building. There was a bathroom which was a small room with one toilet and one sink, but no running water and no door. We used buckets of water to flush the toilet and an old, rather tattered sheet for a door. All the crusade activities were held in this one room - registration at the door, along with vital signs and a waiting area; evangelism under the windows; pharmacy along the side wall; gynecology near the pulpit area roped off with blankets and tarps to create a private area; optometry next to pharmacy and dentistry opposite from gynecology. The "kitchen", hair cuts and children's ministry were held on the dirt road outside the church building.

The Highlight of the Entire Crusade!!!!!

Martita and Martha leading neighborhood children in a prayer to accept Christ.

One of the last days of the crusade I was inside the church building when Victor signaled to me to step outside. When I walked out, this was the scene before my eyes! Martita (in the red shirt and ball cap) and Martha (in the green shirt) had spent over an hour talking to a group of neighborhood youth and sharing the Gospel with them while sitting on the sidewalk. This was the culminating moment as they led several of them in a prayer to accept Christ! Wow! There is nothing like watching your own children lead others to the Lord! This was especially meaningful because it was Martita and Martha! Both of these precious young women have the hardest time reaching out to others, thinking about others and putting others first. These are the moments that we must remember and cherish! Thank you for your prayers and for your generous financial giving that has provided for us to be able to be a family for Martita and Martha so that they have the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ that has transformed their own lives with others!

I held twice daily kids' clubs at this second location, also. This setting was a bit more challenging than the first for several reasons: 1) The club was held outside on a dirt road with a dirt pile for construction right next to us, so when the afternoon winds came up we had an interesting time trying to do crafts and regularly got dirt in our eyes. 2) We had small group of pre-adolescent boys who enjoyed showing off their knowledge of choice words and their total lack of respect for females. These boys came everyday and stayed all day long! I kept praying: "Lord, could they at least go home between clubs? Just let them go home for a few hours and then they can come back." But... they didn't go home! We would finish the morning club and they would hang around for hours upon hours until the afternoon club and then would hang out some more until we would leave the crusade site in the evening. I am so thankful that God's word promises us that His word never returns void, but accomplishes His purposes.

"As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:10-11

Lots of seeds were planted and only the Lord knows the fruit that will come from them. I commented with a friend today that sometimes I can't wait to get to heaven to see how all the seeds we have planted in our lifetimes have grown, but on the other hand, I'm glad I won't know until heaven if those seeds bore fruit or not. If they did, I will rejoice alongside Jesus. If they did not bear fruit, I won't even know because there will be no disappointments in heaven.

Kids Sleep in the Darndest Places!

I told you the best word to describe this crusade was "exhausting". Even Daniel agrees! He fell asleep on my back as I have one of the kids' clubs!

Here Caleb is wiped out in the port-a-crib that we had along. This may not seem amazing to you, but take a look at the picture below and see where the crib was located as Caleb snored away!

Here is the port-a-crib in a corner formed by the waiting area on one side and the pharmacy on the other.

"Necessity is the Mother of All Invention!"

That saying is so true on a crusade!

Lacking in someplace to which to tie the tarp to create shade for the volunteer giving free haircuts, we pulled up the pick up truck and tied the tarp to it.

On the day between the two crusade locations we took some time off and spent the evening in the local town square. Some of our younger children enjoyed some big slices of pizza....sitting on the sidewalk!

The church where we worked had no kitchen facilities, so we pulled up the white van and hung tarps between the van and the church building. No kitchen is operable without counter space, so a slab of wood resting on the tire will do just fine!

The counter worked just fine for Josiah to be able to take his turn at washing dishes! How do you get that big cooking pot clean? You use it as the tub for washing the rest of the dishes and by the time the rest of the dishes are done, the pot has nearly cleaned itself!

A rinse basin anyone? Fidel discovered that a 12 gallon pail does the trick just fine.

More Clowns

The last day of the crusade we held, once again, the evangelistic clown show in order to share the Gospel with as many local children as possible in a fun way.

Josiah - he was born to clown!

Ruth follows right in Josiah's footsteps!

We were so proud of Lolis for her willingness to participate as a clown on her first crusade! She did a great job!

Caleb, usually the shy one, practiced hard and did a great job with his part in the skit. He really seemed to enjoy it, despite talking all the time about how nervous he was!

Erika did a great job as the lead in the evangelistic skit! She is a natural at clowning and drama!

The crusade may have been exhausting, but I am so thankful for my children. In both of the following pictures, Ruth and Ana made me laugh and lightened my spirits as we faced so many other challenges!

Ruth getting her bangs cut!

Ana can always find a reason to skip! And even if there isn't a reason, she will skip anyway!