Happy Birthday Carolina!

We returned back from NC in time to help Carolina celebrate her 10th birthday. She received a new bible and new church clothes along with a few other things. We made cupcakes to help celebrate.

Quick trip to NC

We headed to NC for quick trip to see family. It was a short trip and we did not get to see or do everything that we had hoped for. However, the boys were able to enjoy something we NEVER get to see in Honduras. Josiah had been praying that he would see snow while we were back and God answered his prayer and blessed him with a beautiful snow fall as we landed at RDU International Airport. The next morning Mark and Josiah threw a few snowballs in the parking lot of Walmart.

Needing something to play with........

3 girls and 3 boys on a homemade see-saw

We have such beautiful weather almost year round and the children live outside after we are finished with school for the day. However, we do not have much of anything to entertain them on the 10 acres of land that we have here. We recently purchased a swing for Micah and the babies to use at Christmas. The older kids are not as fortunate. They have constructed their own see-saw only using boards and have managed to make a swing out of an old waterhose. We would love to have a playground area that the kids could use to release some stored up energy. If you would be intrested in donating to this cause please email us. 

 

Merry Christmas.....

It was an exciting time here in December for the kids of Esperanza. So many reached out to us and helped to give the kids a wonderful Christmas. We started our Christmas on the night of the 23rd. Each child had a secret sibbling (another kid in the house) to buy a gift for. It is our family tradition to exchange sibbling gifts the night before Christmas. So, we started a day earlier. Then on Christmas Eve...we all woke up and had Christmas. The kids were so excited to see the living room full of presents and their stocking full. They each opened and with smiles of excitment and awe....studied each item. For lunch we had a huge Christmas dinner...Mark and the boys actually went and killed one of our chickens (which weighed about 10lbs) Yes, we (17 of us) ate one chicken...it was really like a small turkey. Later that evening we headed to church for our annual Christmas Eve service and then we sent all of the children off for the week with their parents. It was kinda a happy /sad moment for us as we see all of these kids like our own. However, they were all very eager to get back to the house and their bed and our normal life.