NEWSLETTER: NOVEMBER, 2007

As youth director and pastor I have been asked the hard questions like, "How can I trust in or believe in a God I can't see". To answer I return my own set of predictable questions like, "Do you believe in the wind, radio waves or electricity which we can't see?" Then, we take it from there.

The other night I focused on this photo* I took of little seven year old Uriel who lives in Casa de Emmanuel orphanage. He, along with the other boys, was thanking God for his lunch. On occasion, I photograph the kids as they pray for their food. It's such a touching occasion to see them praying and to hear their simple prayers.

I need no more proof of God than this picture of a little boy who truly believes in Him. In his very expression you can see an honest belief and trust in God and Heavenly Father he has never had. Isn't the peace and sincerity in his face beautiful? Indeed, little Uriel is truly a believer . . . innocent and at peace with his God.

Or in seeing little Fernando quietly praying to his new Father and thanking Him for his food. In that sincere and loving prayer he has brushed aside the thoughts of his drunken father and the pain of seeing his little sister brutally murdered by his stepmother. Fernando is happy now, smiling and laughing like a little boy should.

Isn't the prayer of a child wonderful?

Our prayer for you: May the peace and quiet of the HOLYday Season come upon you in such a way as to silence the loud, frenzied and commercialized Christmas that tends to form around us.

As for us here at Spectrum, we, too, are heading into the Holiday season. This always requires a lot of faith and a lot of work to gather and distribute across the border thousands of toys for the kids and blankets for their moms. Thanks to your help we will reach down to those who would otherwise have no Christmas.

Thanks so much for your gift.

For all of us working in Mexico, von

SPECIAL NOTE: By Now all of you have heard of the burning of San Diego last month. The smoldering scars are all around us. Thousands have lost everything but their lives. Most of our support comes from the southern California area. People living close to us have visited us on location and seen us at work and support us because they are convinced of the integrity of our mission. Understandably, many of our supporters will now be using everything they have to rebuild their lives. Where their house once stood, there is not even a mailbox to deliver this letter, and who would read a letter like ours at this critical time?

Hopefully some of you in other areas will help compensate our loss at just the wrong time, the Holiday Season. This time Mexico was spared but of course kids don't understand the financial picture. Little toys are still their dream. Thanks.

*I took this photo and worked it into a painting on my computer. If you would like a color photo of little Uriel in prayer, let us know and we will send you one.