Sunset

Check out what we saw tonight...

What you can't see is the part where the sun is setting in the ocean.

It was a beautiful reminder of God's glory!

Our new bus!

Recently we were able to purchase the diesel bus that we've desperately needed. Given the numbers of children we are transporting to & from school everyday, we needed more space. Through some connections (& an important sponsor!), the bus became ours this month.

Once we complete the importation process and get our drivers properly licensed, the bus will be put to work.

Here's a photo of George driving the bus into Mexico... another miracle story in itself!

Alan

Alan Natividad, aka "Nati", is one of the cute kids of Grace Children's Home. Alan and his 3 siblings came to GCH almost 2 years ago. At that time, Alan was only 4, but had been bumped around from homes and orphanages and showed signs of neglect (as did his siblings).

Today, Alan is a sweet, happy child who loves playing and hugs! He's one of those kids who just melts in your arms when you hug him. He's also attending a private, bilingual school where he's receiving an exceptional education (thanks Valley Christian High School for sponsoring him!).

Please pray for Alan and kids like him! We can never forget how fragile they are and how much love and prayers they need.

Gracias, Gina!

GCH is sad to say "so long" to Gina, our most recent intern. We don't say good-bye, as Gina plans to come visit soon, but she will be greatly missed!

Gina lived at GCH for the past few months. She livened up our days with her sense of fun, playfulness and great sense of humor. Her love for Christ and the children over-flowed in all she did.

Thank you Gina, for serving our Lord by serving the children of Grace Children's Home!

Gobble, Gobble at Grace

The GCH family celebrated Thanksgiving last Wednesday evening. Spear-headed by fellow missionary, Julie Berry, the meal was complete with turkey and all the trimings.

While this isn't a traditional Mexican holidy, it has become a tradition for us.

It was fun going around the tables while every child and adult told what they thank God for. Most of the children thanked God for their home at Grace and for the people here who love and care for them. We thanked God for the children He has entrusted to us.

Westgate Family Team

Our partners at Westgate Community Bible Church, in San Jose, CA recently brought a large family team to work at GCH and with our local church. Westgate got busy installing flooring, painting homes in the community, conducting programs/ outreach for the children and neighbors, sheetrocking, moving boxes, organizing, serving in the local churhes, etc. It was a fun and BUSY Thanksgiving weekend for all of us!

In addition, they were able to install a new roof on the Education Center (as seen in the photo), which was greatly damaged by the recent wind storms.

Thanks, Westgate, for showing up once again in a BIG way!

Alma's eyes

For those of you that are praying for Alma, she is doing great! She went to the doctor yesterday, who said he's quite pleased with her recovery. Truly God is good, as He has given this child sight!
Thank you for your prayers.

Urgent Prayer Request for Alma!

One of our little girls, Alma (3 years old), will be having a surgery tomorrow on her eye. Please pray with us for her, the operation and a good recovery. We thank God that she's part of our GCH family and can now receive this critical surgery.

"Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight... and the good news is preached to the poor" (the words of Jesus in Luke 7:22).

New blankets

Recently, the kids of Santa Cruz Bible Church in CA used part of the Vacation Bible Camp time to make cute blankets for our children. Thank you Colleen and all who participated in this fun project. As you can see, the blankets were well received!

Our November needs list

Grace Children’s Home Current Needs List (updated 11/07)

Gift cards: Costco, Wal-Mart, Home Depot

Funding:
1. To continue construction of the Education Center
2. To pay off land for Senior center & Church/ community center
3. For on-going monthly needs (water, electricity, transportation, medicine, etc)

Food: spaghetti sauce, pinto beans, noodles, canned fruit, canned corn, wheat sandwich bread, butter, canned tuna & chicken, canned fruit, pancake mix, maple syrup, rice, cooking oil, potatoes & tomatoes, cheese, chicken, hamburger meat, beef for stew, roasts, bacon, sausage, cilantro, fresh fruits & veggies, eggs, sandwich meat, maseca, ketchup, mayo, flour tortillas, sugar

Cleaning/ Household supplies: laundry soap, clorox, oxy-clean, Ajax, dish soap, pinesol, fabuloso, disinfecting spray, spray bottles, fabric softener sheets, household foggers (bug bombs), commercial size pots & pans

Paper products: paper plates!, napkins, Kleenex, surgical gloves, gallon size Ziploc bags, sandwich size bags, plastic spoons and forks, paper cups, toilet paper, large black garbage bags, medium kitchen size garbage bags, bathroom size garbage bags

Personal Hygiene: body lotion, shampoo, detangling spray, hair gel, diapers (size 6), diaper wipes, dandruff shampoo, deodorant, lice shampoo & spray, purrell

Clothes: black school shoes & mostly white athletic shoes (boys sizes 3-5 youth), boys’ beige dockers style pants (sizes 12 – 16), girls’ solid white collared shirts (sizes 4T – 18 youth), navy blue clip-on boys’ ties (avail. at Wal-Mart), boys’ white socks (sizes youth 2+ shoes), shoe polish (black & white)

School supplies: erasers, glue sticks!, hard back & CD-Rom Encyclopedias in Spanish for young adults (10+ yr olds), coloring books

Vehicles: Trailer for intern housing – good condition, electrical/ water working

Other: 3 new or almost new energy-efficient refrigs. (or funds to purchase it at Costco – approx. $1,200 each), 1 upright freezer (energy-effic.), 36” gas stove with center burner (good condit.), car-port size canopy (for shade for our kids in the outside)

Cool photo!

After taking our annual Christmas photo, this is what unfolded.

Sometimes I can't help but think it's the "unstaged" photos that are the best.

Jerry & Linda, our newest blessing!

Through God's working, GCH has recently been blessed with the presence of Jerry & Linda Canning (on the right hand side of the photo). Jerry & Linda recently moved to Mexico and bumped into Lionel & Helen Liebrecht (faithful GCH servants). Lionel & Helen (on the left side of the photo) best wrote about the encounter in their recent prayer letter. And so the story goes...

"We were walking on the beach one Sunday afternoon enjoying God’s creation of the mighty ocean. We met a Christian couple that have just retired and moved to Mexico from Nebraska. Their desire was to get involved somewhere where their time could make a difference for eternity. We just happened to know a place that they could get involved in fulfilling their desire. It just so happens that Jerry is a general contractor and Linda ran a day care home. As we call it, “a perfect fit” for the Children’s Home. God is good."

GOD IS GOOD! Please pray for Jerry & Linda and their transition to living in Mexico and being used by God. We're SO BLESSED to have them here!!