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!
November was a great month! A lot got done in the construction and I was able to take a trip home to San Diego for Thanksgiving. I'm so thankful for all of the many blessings. Hope everybody else had a good holiday and got to spend time with their family & loved ones.
In the construction...
We lifted up and installed our two zig zag beams. Each beam is over 50ft long and weighs around 1,500lbs. We had to rent a crane to lift them up and place them on our steel columns. Once they were in place I had to climb the scaffolding and weld them together. This was a big job and I praise God everything went smoothly.
After we installed the zig zag beams, I started preparing the structure for the roof. My helper Jesús painted the smaller metal beams and then I installed them by welding them across the zig zag beams. I was about 20ft in the air so I had to put a ladder on top of the scaffolding in order to reach...definitely up to safety code standards. Thankfully, everything went well and the structure looks very nice.
We started pouring our concrete floor. We did the 1st of three sections (about a 17ft x 50ft slab). It was a lot of concrete mix to move so some of the guys from church came to help out. We wanted everything to look really nice so we rented a special machine called a "helicopter" to smooth out and polish the concrete. It gave it a really nice finish.
At the orphanage...
We said goodbye to Esmerelda & Cesar. They are brother & sister and have been with us for many years. I have grown to love these kids and will miss them very much. I believe the government has located an Aunt and Uncle who will be taking care of them. God bless you guys!
We also said goodbye to Natalia, Isabel, & Sofia. They came to us last month and the government has already found family for them to live with. Just a short stay at Dulce Refugio for these girls but it was still a pleasure to get to know them. We always want what's best for the children and we hope that things will go well for these sisters.
We said hello to Gabriel. Gabriel has been a little quiet and shy but he is a very nice boy. He is fitting in nicely and starting to come out of his shell. I look forward to getting to know him.
And Jocelyn is back. Jocelyn was transferred to a different facility due to behavioral issues but after some time away, she realized she wanted to be back at Dulce Refugio with her sister. Sometimes people need to see things from a different perspective to appreciate what they have. I'm glad she's back!
In the United States...
I got to take a trip home to San Diego and spend Thanksgiving with my family. My brother & sister were both in town with their families and it was great having everybody together! It becomes less and less that we are all in the same place at the same time, so I cherish the moments when it happens. I hope everybody had a great holiday and was able to celebrate surrounded by family & loved ones.
"because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life..."
-Ecclesiastes 8:15
While I was home I got to spend lots of time with my nephews. It was fun taking them to the park and just hanging out with them around the house. They are so cute and growing up so fast.
After a short trip home, I flew back to Aguascalientes on November 30th. Lots of work do be done and advancements to be made. I'm excited to finish up some things before Christmas and the end of the year. I can't believe 2020 is almost over!