What's going on at Dulce Refugio
I know that many people have passed through this orphanage and left their mark at Dulce Refugio. I want to keep all of you informed about what is going on with the kids and the construction process. Please remember to keep us in your thoughts and prayers; I hope you continue to help us out here at Casa Hogar Dulce Refugio. Gracias amigos!
I hope everybody had a very Merry CHRISTmas and is having a Happy New Year! May God bless you in 2017.
Wow! December has been a crazy month. Days have been jam- packed with activities and "posadas" (Mexican Christmas parties). Almost everyday the kids had 2-3 events. The people of Aguascalientes have been very generous to the Casa Hogar this year and we appreciate all of their time and gifts. Muchas gracias!
I still managed to get some work done in the midst of everything. I was able to reach my goal and finished the guardrails on the 3rd floor, which completes the whole building! (Now we just need painters). Time to move onto the next project...
3rd floor railing
We received some generous donations. A group of Marce's (the director of Dulce Refugio) friends donated the wood flooring for our art/dance classroom. AND they have also volunteered to install them. That will be a HUGE help.
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Christmas came early at the Casa. People were bringing gifts on a regular basis so the kids got to open some of their presents early.
One group got a DJ and we had a dinner/dance party.
The kids were able to perform a Nativity scene to many of the groups and share the real meaning of Christmas...JESUS.
We picked up the 2nd of 4 donations. The ex president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, and his organization have been donating lots of a cereal that they have developed to encourage children to eat a healthy breakfast.
Donaldson, one of our biggest supporters, had a HUGE Christmas party for all of their employees. They invited Dulce Refugio so we took the kids and had a great time.
They had tons of astro jumps and they even had paintball. I did alright for my 1st time but I did take a few good shots in the process.
The kids were asked to perform at the event. The older and the younger girls each prepared a dance and performed in front of hundreds of people.
Among all of the celebrations we did have to say goodbye to 3 of the kids. Mayra, Ian, and Ricardo all left Dulce Refugio and we wish them well.
Mayra
Ian
Ricardo
Mayra
(Left)
Ian (far right)
Ricardo
BUT we are very close to saying hello to somebody new. Pilar, one of our volunteers who grew up in the Casa, is due to have a boy in January. We had her baby shower and all had a chance to pray for God to bless her as a mother.
Some of the kids have been taking Tae Kwon Do classes and they had their exam to advance from white belt to yellow belt. All of them passed. Congrats guys!
(Special thanks to the sponsors who paid for their new uniforms and the exam fees.)
We had one down day and it was really cool to see so many of the kids choosing to read their Bibles and spend time with God. We've been training our children well in the ways of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6).
Kyleigh, one of our regular volunteers, came down from Ohio for 2 weeks. She was able to paint 2 of the 4 rooms on the 3rd floor. Thanks for all of your work Kyleigh. Hope to see you again real soon.
"El Centro" (Downtown) Aguascalientes was lit up and looked great for Christmas. They do this every year and it is a pretty sight to see.
And I went home to San Diego just a couple days before Christmas. It is good to be home and see my family. I'll be here for a little while so I can work and prepare to go back to Aguascalientes. I plan on returning in early February (so the blog will start up again when I get back).