Father to the fatherless..

      Well, August is now well on the way.. baby and I are now at 32 weeks!! Hard to believe that we are getting so close to getting to know our little boy face to face! Everyday seems to be way to short and the list of things to get ready seems to never diminish! I'm sure that most moms will be able to identify.. and probably tell me that that's gonna the story of my life! =)" ...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 

On Aug. 8th, we celebrated Samy (turned 33) and Analia's (turned 26) birthday.
She is my best friend with whom I started Dulce Refugio in 2009. =)

      In Dulce Refugio, there has been much change again but we continue to see God's hand at work. I wanted to share a special testimony that one of our teachers has from her time with our kids in Dulce Refugio. In June, we had a celebration for fathers day.. and it's always a challenge to know how to face that day since 98% of our kids do not have their fathers present in their home lives. So, we prayed and our desire was that the children would once again be able to see God as their Father... the father they never had. It's no easy task, knowing that being abandoned by your own father leaves deep marks in the heart. But, our teacher Vivi was the perfect candidate to talk about the topic during their devotional times that week. She is wonderful Christian woman, infected with HIV/AIDS herself and she has 2 little boys.. and the father of those boys is no longer with them. It was so beautiful to see how God touched the lives and hearts of some of our children with His deep, never-ending love. 
Here is the story she shared with me:
"I, Viviana, had the priviledge of being the kids teacher during the week we celebrated fathers day here in Dulce Refugio. Every morning, we take time to have a devotional with the children and that week we decided to talk about fathers and the love of our Father. On one of those days, I had 5 children with me and when I began to talk about our topic, the children reacted with a very defensive attitude. One of the girls said, "I don't have a father" and that reminded me of what I was going through with my sons. They are also growing up without their father. The girl was obviously hurting and didn't want to talk about this topic but I decided to tell them about my sons experience. They would always ask me why their father was not with them, my oldest boy insisted more and really needed a father figure. I asked to Lord to give me strength and wisdom to know how to deal with this situation because sometimes they asked so many questions that I didn't know what to tell them anymore. I always told them that their father loved them, but that they have a Father that will never abandon them and that this Father is God. As time went by, my boys started to accept that Father's love and put Him in first place. God showed me this one night when my oldest son (6 years old) was getting ready to pray and he said, "Mom, I want to pray for my dad so that he can also come to know Jesus like I do." I was so happy to see what God was doing in my son's life. He had taken away the pain, sadness and all the questions and in that place He was giving my son the desire to win a soul for His kingdom. 
   When I finished telling this story to the children, I looked at the little girl that had been so hurt and she had tears in her eyes. I told her, "Jesus wants to fill that empty place in your heart, and He wants you to invite Him into your heart." She prayed with me that morning, and invited Jesus into her heart. I thank God for the life of that little girl, I know that God planted a precious seed in her heart that day and it will give fruit one day for His glory."

Viviana is the teacher in the purple shirt... here the kids are having fun painting eggs! 

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, 

   is God in his holy dwelling."

Psalms 68:5