GOOD NEWS!

Hi everyone! I have missed you! This is the official last post for the vida y esperanza blog, but I know you will all be thankful to hear that there will be a CVE blog! Yay!!! Check out this blog at http://www.cvelife.blogspot.com/.

Life Is Hard, But God Is Good

Tonight I sit here with a heavy, but joyful heart. The kids are all in bed, goodbyes have been said and a few hours of packing and a few hours of sleep are ahead of me. Bright and early, I leave CVE, everything that has become my home for the past year and a half, but I can rejoice, because I am going home, to the place where God has now called me. For such a time is this, God blessed me with the opportunity to serve here in Magdalena. I don't know why. I know He could have raised up a stone and the stone would have been more obedient! ;) However; in all His Goodness, I have been blessed to work alongside a staff that follows hard after God, to mentor beautiful children and watch as they come to know God, to love ten little girls with everything in me and to meet an amazing community and church family in Magdalena. Now, in all His Goodness, God has called me on to partner with Jon, an incredible man of Him.

I am blessed beyond what I can put into words and far beyond what I deserve. I thank each one of you who have supported me through my time here. I have been stretched to new lengths and know the only reason I didn't snap through those hard times were because of God's Grace given to me in abundance as a result of your many prayers and words of encouragement.

I will end where I started...

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

A Sunday of Goodbyes

7-8 year old Sunday School Class
Another crazy made up game played after services
One last farewell to the kids on the bus

Saturday in the Park and More Family Pictures

The girls and I loaded up this afternoon for one last afternoon at the plaza. We proceeded to eat at the many places that we normally avoid because the food is so amazingly good, but so ridiculously bad for you. We enjoyed it all with "extra butter." ;)

We browsed around the plaza while stuffing our faces. What a great time.

House Pictures: Today was the day the members of our house united to take house Christmas pictures. There are currently eleven living in the casa and all were around, besides Hilda. My housemates Jenna and Steph are amazing friends and have kept me sane through times of near insanity. ;)

Before we began the photo session, Jenna instructed us, "no matter what, don't worry about the kids' expressions, just look at the camera and smile." We did a really good job about not worrying about the kids' expressions. ;)

Any picture not requiring us looking at the camera was a huge benefit.

Pollo had enough, even after the blatant bribery of cookies...Oops, I mean, positive reinforcement...

Dinner Party With the Single Staff

Tonight the single staff celebrated my departure with an amazing meal whipped up by the virtuous women of CVE. We missed Joel but still had a great time!

Obviously the guys loved the whole group picture idea. Aren't you glad we are blessed with such mature men?

Thanks to everyone for all the work they did!

Also, I need to correct a previous blog post...I am not the only PU grad here! I don't know how I forgot about Nicole! She graduated before me and we had class together and we lived in the same apartment building. ;) Nicole, chalk it up to lack of sleep? Sorry Nicole!

An Interview With Eli

How are you Eli? I am really well.

Are you cold? Yes!

So, what is your favorite part of third grade? I like math and to play with friends in my class.

What is your least favorite part of school? Getting up in the cold to get ready for school.

What would you most like for Christmas? A lot of things...hmm...which should I choose? Christmas boots, they are really warm.

What is your favorite color? Blue

Favorite Bible story? When Baby Jesus was born because many people came to worship Him.

How old do you think you will be when you get married? I don't know, when God tells me.

What do you look for in a future husband? Umm...He needs to be a man of God. (...after some prompting into more specifics) He is a blonde and he needs to know how to make his own food, because if I am not home, he will have to know how to cook.

What makes you scared? Nothing.

What makes you laugh? (Edited)

What makes you sad? That my family never comes and visits.

What do you like to do most in your free time? I like to ride bikes and play Monopoly.

How can people pray for you? That I can behave and that I can obey.

A Blessed Thanksgiving

Hey everyone! I am back! I had an amazing time with my family and Jon as they were down for a nice, long weekend. It was such a blessing to watch them interact with my CVE family as well. I don't have anything profound to post...especially being severely sleep deficient. ;)


In regard to questions wondering about future plans for Jon and I, we are planning to live in Auburn, IN and attend church in Leo. I have my one-way plane ticket home bought for December 4th. So...one more week of the blog. I will do my best to update daily!

love to all,

amy

I Am Thankful For...

Tonight before bedtime, the girls started to talk about "The Day of Chicken." They actually meant to say turkey and were talking about Thanksgiving. They obviously don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Mexico and we talked about what the day of Thanksgiving originally meant. This inspired me to be thankful for the big and the small and I wanted to share a few special blessings in my life.

I am thankful for...

Wound up little boys after bathtime

Little girls and little dogs

Fede, an amazing kid with a soft heart, compassionate spirit and dramatic flair.

Little boys in cowboy hats

The CVE Board

(From Left to Right: Bill, Jerry, Wayne, Jon, Tom, Marshall)

Afternoons games of "Sandwich" on the lawn

And there is so much more, but now it is your turn. I would love to hear what you are thankful for...so...comment. ;)

I am going to be gone from Wednesday-Sunday, so I will catch you then.

I am also thankful that my family and Jon are coming down! Yeah!