Greetings, January, 2006

Last night was to be pizza night for the forty boys at Emmanuel orphanage, a once a month event. This is a night in which we give pizza and a Bible lesson to each of three age groups.

We were expecting a typical Saturday night. We were wrong.

When we arrived at the orphanage a church group had just given out great Christmas presents to all of the boys! All order and discipline was demolished in one happy explosion of activity. Everyone was playing with his toys. Kids, toys, balls, scooters and flying wrapping paper created a continuing blur of excitement. The little Christmas tree serenely stood it's ground in the corner. The staff took refuge in the kitchen and watched. It was great to see the kids having the time of their lives. This was Christmas in action!

Little ten year old Juanito, as usual, was here there and everywhere at once. The downside of this happy occasion was that Juanito was to get a penicillin shot. When the time came, Ana, the director, and another lady with an impressive syringe in hand went looking for Juanito. They finally cornered him and talked him into getting his shot but just at the strategic moment he squirmed free, pulled up his pants and disappeared in the merry crowd. Again they went hunting. Well, this time we got him. I held him tightly and whispered in his ear that he should be a man and not a little girl about this. I added that I wanted to be proud of him. He held me tight until the deed was done and then he was off again in orbit, this time with a slight limp. (I might add that I did promise him an extra piece of pizza if he would take his shot like a man.)

Later in the evening, he came to me, pulled me down so he could look straight into my eyes and said "I'm your son, aren't I?" I smiled and replied, "Si, Juanicito; you're my son." On two other occasions we repeated the dialogue in front of his friends. It seems that I now have two sons there at Emmanuel.

Later in the evening, while I was standing in a dark corner of the orphanage yard watching the kids play and staying clear of the flying balls, here comes little Juanicito. Looking up, he smiled then gave me a big long hug. He then pulled me down and kissed me on the cheek.

Merry Christmas indeed!

Moments like these make our ministry worthwhile. Thanks for making it possible for us to be there to hug these kids in His name and in yours.

For all of us, von

A Happy PS: Last night WE had a party. Now during the Christmas Season there are many parties, but this one was so very special because it was a party for us, all forty-two of us! A group from First United Methodist Church of Toccoa Georgia, ministering here in Mexico with us for the week decided to reverse things and throw Spectrum a party. They decorated the dorm, cooked a big meal and then gave impressive presents to each of us, our full time workers, our part time workers and even their children. It was neat to have a pause in our busy schedule of serving others to be served ourselves. A big thank you to our Georgia friends from each of us at Spectrum.