|
|
|
 |
 |
Sharing The Miracle
my favorite days at Siempre
|
April 18, 2008 - Vol 3, Issue 11
|
|
|
|
In This Issue
|
|
|
|
|
Our Favorite Sites
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunny weather and a perfect day for a bike ride had to wait for birthdays to be celebrated. We'd missed a Wednesday, leaving us with four birthdays to celebrate, four children: Sammy, Lupita, Louis and Moises all marking their big day. With over 30 children at Siempre, plus our staff, we're approaching a birthday every week. The boys were anxious for a bike ride... it'd been a while... but every kid on the planet's ready for cake and presents. What a fantastic way to start our afternoon together!
|
|
Sharing Siempre... with a friend
|
|
A new friend of Siempre joined us for his first visit Wednesday afternoon. He'd spent part of his morning picking oranges from trees in his yard to share with the kids. We arrived and I tried to give him a tour, but soon he was caught up in pulling children in wagons and handing off his Nikon camera, (something I do each week- but never recommend... I'm on my 3rd camera!) to kids asking to take a picture. Sharing Siempre is one of my favorite things to do. Look closely in the picture, try to find the university professor, the lifelong educator, he's the big kid in a gray t-shirt, sitting in the dirt of a TJ road, playing with the kids. I'd introduced him to Pastor Israel and Alejandro when they were telling me that one of Siempre's kids would be tested at school for special needs. He just wasn't making it in the classroom. That's Tom's specialty, so I dragged him into the conversation, regardless the fact he'd been at Siempre barely 20 minutes. Returning from our bike ride, Pastor Israel pointed him out pulling a couple of children in a wagon... I said, "Look's like another one's lost their heart to Siempre." It happens so quickly. Some Wednesday afternoons are like a little slice of a miracle in the middle of my week... even after all these years. Watching God touch someone else's heart. Knowing that the children of Siempre will benefit greatly from the new love, attention, prayers and support is one of the best things I get to do all week long. It's how I came up with my slogan: "Good things happen when you leave the office!" Hope you can break away for an afternoon to join us soon. I promise you'll not regret it. Just ask Tom. God is too good!
|
|
|
Sharing Siempre... with a child
|
|
She's why we built Siempre Para Los Ninos... her name is Abbie. She's been sleeping on the streets and alley's of Tijuana in the arms of her mother. Filthy, hungry, having traveled thousands of kilometers from a Mexican border village near Guatemala. No longer a man in her life. All family a universe away for a woman in poverty. She left Abbie with our workers Sunday afternoon. Hard as the precious first years of this 4 year old's life have been, she still spent Monday and Tuesday crying all day for her mother... I imagine her mother is crying as well... I pray she's still alive. I'm so thankful that when she came to her moment of release she didn't abandon little Abbie into the arms of TJ's child porn trade, prostitution rings or prospering human trafficking. Instead, looking into those huge eyes, she still believed there was hope for her daughter when it seemed she'd traveled so far without finding any hope for herself or her family so many miles away. We welcomed little Abbie in love. The staff at Siempre have come to know her well as she's shed tears that every child in the household remembers... each tear must reopen a wound that will never fully heal... and yet today, she, along with all the children at Siempre are safe, warm, well fed, well loved and are living with new hope through the heartbreak- each story unique - of their young lives. The weeks I have the opportunity to welcome a new child, to open my arms in a loving embrace are some of my favorites... hugging one child, little Abbie this week... reminds me that millions still are waiting on the promise of Siempre... until then... when every child is safe, protected, educated, well fed, well loved... we know that Abbie's secure. Keep her in your prayers today. Her life took a radical turn this week when her mother entrusted her to us. Pray for our staff. Pray that God gives them strength, wisdom and encouragement for the day. When you support Siempre, you're caring for Abbie and the promise of an open door to so many more like her.
|
|
Memorial Day Weekend... just weeks away!
|
|
We built that... everything you see when you walk onto Siempre's campus: the church in the foreground, (2 years ago), Pastor Israel's home, the children's dining area and kitchen, medical and dental clinics, (last year), Siempre's two story addition, (3 years ago) and our original building, 4 years ago this May... by God's Grace, at His command, we built that... and next month we're building again. The new property has been purchased and secured- thanks so much to those that donated to make it possible -fenced in, it looks much larger. I've made a video of it I'll post by Saturday so you can check out what's up by clicking the link marked our videos. I'll title it- We Built That - or Memorial Day Property 2008 -or some other easy to find title among the other videos. Pastor Ken's already working out every detail, from hotels to the number of nails we'll need. Our staff and children at Siempre are gearing up for the weekend and looking forward to the prospect of so many new friends to meet and hooking up with friends they get to see just a couple of times a year. And tractor work begins today on the property and concrete will be poured in the days to come. Not only will this be our biggest and most expensive building, it will also be the building that sustains Siempre Para Los Ninos, financially, long after many of us are gone. It will house a bridge building missionary- someone to travel the US, to share the vision of our work with people just waiting to get involved for years to come. It will sleep 64 people in 4 separate dorm style rooms, have showers and restrooms as well as a dining hall and kitchen all it's own with a patio overlooking the beautiful view of the Pacific. Every church group, small group, family group, business group that wants to come and share the promise of Siempre will have a place to stay right on our campus, year after year. The opportunity to spend more than a Wednesday afternoon and to do more than go for a bike ride. An entire community in poverty is waiting to be reached and whether it's building new homes or setting up a new "safe surrender" program for infants, we'll have the facility to house people from across the nation and around the world. I believe that everybody wants to do something good for God, they just don't know how. We can teach them. We can give them a starting point. We can build a network of support- people who share time at Siempre -large enough that we'll never have to worry about even one child at Siempre going without his or her needs being met. A place for "Good Samaritan's" to take a minute from their life and help those caught up in the ditch of poverty, heartbreak and pain. I'm so excited about the prospects of it I'm about to burst! I can't wait for the weekend. Hope you're planning on joining us. We bring all our own food, water and snacks from the states- it's all included in the price - along with your room at the beautiful Marriott, as well as transportation from Riverside. It's a family friendly event- after all, Siempre Para Los Ninos means always for the children and this is a great opportunity for your family to experience missions together. There's nothing else like it anywhere... believe me... I've looked, I've asked. If you find a group crazy enough to build 3,000 sq ft in one weekend, I want to meet them! It's the hard work of a miracle in the making. It's how the children of Siempre have found safe haven. I hope you'll join us. If not, send the biggest check possible as a donation. I promise every penny will be put to great use.
|
|
|
|
|
Siempre's Annual Golf Classic is next Saturday, April 26th, and there's still room for you to golf, join us for the dinner and auction, (some very cool items: a week in a beach condo, a weekend in Mammoth, classic golf outings, a ride along with the Riverside police in their helicopter, new bikes, watches, roombas... well the list goes on and on!), or volunteer. Everyone's been so generous. Now we need everyone to golf, share the dinner and participate in the auction. Every penny goes right to building at Siempre. You'll have a tough time finding a better cause. Hope you're planning on making a day of it. It's not too late. You can call the church office at 951-689-5806 or register online at www.siemprekids. org or www.centralc ommunity.com. The golf team has done an amazing job of planning a great day- please join me in making the most of every minute of it. I've still got some calls to make. If you've meant to do it- call a few friends and invite them along for the day. It's best ball, with prizes, great raffles and a good time for a great cause. I can't wait! And remember, we're going to Siempre this Wednesday and Ken's going more frequently now, putting the foundation and early work in place, you're always invited- at the price of gas it helps to have a full car -you're always needed, now, more than ever.
siempre,
Eric M. Denton
Siempre Para Los Ninos
phone: 1-951-689-5806
|
|
