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!
What a difference a day/month makes! February was full with lots of advancements in our church building project and things look VERY different. Also I got to take a couple days off and relax with friends...what a blessing!
I had the opportunity to preach at the church where I am constructing. Both the pastor and the pastor in training were out of town so they asked me to fill in for a service. They thought it would be a good idea for the congregation to get to know me a little better after all of the work that I have been doing there. It was an honor and it went well....I only stumbled over a couple of words in Spanish.
One of my best friends turned 40 and invited a group of us to celebrate in Puerto Vallarta. He rented a very nice house right on the water. It was good to get away and relax for a couple of days.
In the construction...
Once I got back from the beach, we started stacking blocks. There are lots of sections of wall that we have already raised up pretty high. Things look way different and I love to see all the progress from this past month.
We prepped everything for the electrical outlets. We have to put a rubber tubing inside of the blocks so we can later run wires and hook everything up. I showed my helper Jesús how to do it and he did most of the electrical prep work. He has definitely learned a lot since we have started this project.
We added more steel columns that will provide lots of support for our walls. I had to weld the smaller rebar columns to our big metal columns and this will eventually be filled in with concrete to hold the blocks together. We also made a large column out of rebar and we stood it up in the corner of the site. We were very careful when we installed it because it is very close to the power lines that I accidentally touched last month...I didn't want sparks shooting out everywhere again!
In the transition home...
One of our girls, Ariana, has been playing in a soccer league and is doing very well. The league is growing and offering kids a great opportunity during the pandemic. Multiple news stations covered a press conference in order to promote the league and Ariana was was chosen to participate. After the coaches talked and answered questions, Ariana showed off the uniform for the girl athletes. She was on the news and was really excited about it.
And finally...
And to end on a happy note, I was able to find a nice home for an adorable dog who was being neglected. The neighbor at our construction site had a puppy on his roof for the past month or so and really didn't take care of her. I saw that she was very skinny and almost never had any water. She would just sit on the roof all day by herself. She is so cute and friendly so I started to bring food everyday and make sure she had a full water bowl. She was always right there wanting to play as we were working. Finally, I talked with a fellow missionary from my home church, Chevon, who has been looking for a new pet dog. She told me she was interested in taking her so I spoke with the neighbor and made it happen. Now the puppy will be in a great home and Chevon has the companion she has been looking for. I'm glad it all worked out!.