Palau Perspective of Grace Children's Home

This blog is updated by George and Stacey Palau and is comprised of highlights as seen through our eyes while living at Grace Children's Home.

Monday, July 09, 2007

URGENT PLUMBING NEED!

We're DESPERATE!!! Do you know a plumber who knows how to deal with PEX plumbing? Our building has come to a stand-still and we needed that plumber yesterday! Please pray and put the word out. Thanks!
If you know such a person, have them contact us at palaus@juno.com or 831-227-9409.

Prayer for Jose Luis


BY FAR, the hardest part of being at GCH is saying good-bye to the kids we come to know and love. When they come to us, they are in "crisis", reacting to the lack of care and love they have received in the past.
They come to us physically ill, emotionally broken, and spiritually empty. By the grace of God, we are able to begin to meet each of those needs on the most basic level... from healing their open sores to giving them a safe, warm bed & a hug good-night. Once again, this was the case with Jose Luis...

Jose Luis came to GCH in the end of last year. He showed signs of extreme physical & emotional neglect & abuse. But God once again reached out His healing touch and began to heal Jose Luis of all his wounds. He became a sweet, gentle, loving child that anyone would cherish... we were the blessed ones who got to have him here.

Recently Jose Luis was reunited with family members that demonstrated the ability to care for him. While this is under the control of the local authorities & is out of our reach, we ultimately know Jose Luis is in God's hands. So please pray with us for Jose Luis and his family. We pray God will continue to protect him and bring his entire family to Him. Please also remember to pray for GCH staff & kids as we feel the loss of each child that leaves our homes.

Pizza Party by Westgate


Recently the kids and staff of GCH endulged in a huge pizza feast with our friends from Westgate Bible Church of CA. We ordered 5 "gigante" size pizzas... which are by far the biggest pizzas you've ever seen. It was a fun time of relaxing, eating and playing.
When they weren't occupied noshing on pizza, the team got busy installing cabinets, tile, and ceilings in the new Education Center we're building... actually that's what they spent most their time doing.
The guy front and in center of the photo is Greg Bacon, the instigator of such fun times and hard work. Thanks Greg & Westgate team! The 3rd floor looks great... and the left over pizza was good too!

Storage Space


Like you, we never seem to have enough storage space (only our problem is slightly bigger!). To meet that need, Juan Strutton (future director of GCH's baby-senior project) and friends constructed a well-designed storage unit to hold our sports equipment, beach & outdoor supplies, baby strollers, car seats, etc. Thanks for the space, guys! It's already being used.

Tia Shannon


GCH is delighted to have a new intern for the summer, Tia Shannon. Shannon is from Santa Cruz, CA and has made a 2 month commitment to serve the children of GCH. Tia Shannon has quickly jumped in to help care for our kids... including giving lots of hugs and care!

Please remember to pray for Tia Shannon during her time here. In just a few short weeks, she has already been a huge blessing to us and our kids!


* If you want to know more about internship at GCH, feel free to email us at palaus@juno.com or check out the info. we posted on this blog in February.

Bible Stories


Every Thurs. night, GCH hosts a Bible study for our neighbors and their children. While the adults enjoy a time of reading, praying and talking, the children are involved in a program geared toward them. This program involves learning stories from the Bible, reciting memory verses, singing songs, making crafts, playing games, etc.

One special night, Tia Fran (in the right of the photo), had the children dress up to act our a play that illustrated the story from the Bible. It was a great time for them and they had a special understanding of what they learned. Thanks, Tia Fran, for your creativity and love for our children!

DINNER TIME!!!!


Is dinner time busy at your house? If you're wondering what it looks like at ours, here's a picture. The crazy part is that this photo is just of the boys' house... there's the girls' house too, filled with many more happy kids! Gratefully, God has faithfully provided the food and funds to feed our kids well.