October

                                                       

                                                Visitando con la bisabuela y la abuela!
Queridos amigos,
Les mandamos saludos desde Guatemala.
Les queremos dar las gracias otra vez por sus oraciones, su amor y su apoyo. Estuvimos en New Orleans hace dos semanas para visitar a los abuelitos y a conocer a la sobrina nueva, Catalina. Pasamos un tiempo lindo con la familia.

                                                               David compartiendo
Ultimamente, David ha estado trabajando en reunirse con unos pastores y líderes de las iglesias en Guatemala para presentarles un plan de buscar a familias que quisieran patrocinar a adolescentes que cumplen 18 y tienen que empezar a trabajar. Les pedimos que se unan con nosotros para orar por ellos y que Dios toque los corazones de personas aquí en Guate que quisieran abrir su casa y apoyar.
  

                                                         Hanna jugando con una niña
Yo he estado ocupada con las niñas aquí en la casa. Estan creciendo rápido y están muy activas; las estoy disfrutando tanto. Todas las tardes vamos a Casa Bernabe a visitar y jugar con los niños.

                                                   Unos chicos de Casa Bernabe
Los Sabados he empezado a dar clases de piano ha un chico que se llama Ronald. Con David lo cuidábamos el año pasado. Es un chico muy callado pero se ve que esta feliz que puede aprender a tocar el teclado. También, los domingos tengo un grupo de niños que están cantando los domingos con nosotros. Mi anhelo y vision es que estos chico, junto con otros que quiero enseñar, puedan levantarse como líderes de alabanzas y buenos músicos que formen el grupo se alabanza.

Otra vez, gracias por sus oraciones y apoyo! Que Dios los bendiga!
Andrea McCormick

To all the moms and dads.....

To all the moms and dads, soon to be moms dads, and ladies and gents thinking of becoming parents, it is a gift, a privilege and a divine task being a mother and father. The book of Proverbs tells us: "train up a child in the way he should go...". There is a way we are to raise our children. In the same scripture it later says, " for when he is old, he will not depart from it."

We can see on the news, and maybe even in the families and people that surround us that things are getting worse, and I am sure generations past could say also that things are not as they once were.

A friend was reminding me today, that our children will be exposed to far more evil than we ever were. They will see things and hear things that may have, but at a much younger age. The book of Matthew says that the world will come to a point that brother will betray brother.

I don't mean to write this to inflict fear, but rather to remind us the impact we can have on our children. Recently, I have been gripped with the desire to instill in my children (and the spiritual children God is giving me), the tools to overcome the things of this world. Jesus said in this world we will experience trouble, but we don't have to be afraid!! Because Jesus has overcome the world, we have too!

This past Sunday David and I were invited to lead worship at a Verbo church in a place called Zacapa, Guatemala. I had never been there before, but as we sang I kept thinking that our singing and our worship to God in that place, was making an impact on the spiritual atmosphere of that place.

My dad is from Guatemala but I am not sure he has been to this part of Guatemala. As we sang I couldn't help but think that my dad's offspring (me) all these years after him, was given the opportunity to visit and bless the land of Zacapa. My dad's next generation made an impact on something that he never did. 

My husband and I were discussing how we believe that our children and children's children were made to reach far more and accomplish far more than we ever could.

                                                            My grandmother with her 4th generation!

This is our legacy.

It is our task to raise the next generation to be men and women that fear God.

It takes us being selfless, walking by their side, and investing time, and energy.

One day our children will grow up to be presidents, teachers, business men, world travelers, missionaries, doctors, lawyers, people who will also impact the world and the next generations. So what we do today as parents, you can say, will have an impact in the years to come! How transcendent!

Yes evil may be growing, but so much more is the glory of God all over the earth! Be encouraged.

Andrea McCormick

P.S. Speak into your children truth; the truth about who they are in God. Sing it over them, speak over them, write it to them! We are doing something in the supernatural that we may see now, but it will shine in the future generations! (speaking over our children Ephesians 1 is a good place to start!)

McCormick Family Update

GREETINGS FROM GUATEMALA

We are currently in "holy week," as it is called here in Guatemala, which means that the kids are are out of school and most people head for the beach and such. The girls and I have been enjoying having David around on these days off and going to the orphanage to enjoy the vacation. 

Next month we are planning to make a trip to New Orleans. David will be dropping us off with my parents, and will then head to Nashville as he was invited to attend the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit. He will be able to share a little bit of what he does at Casa Bernabe in the first sessions and participate in the other workshops that all deal with helping children in need. 

There has been much going on in David's area of work (social work) that I wanted to share about. Recently, he has been meeting with the magistrates of the appellate children's courts to work on a proposal to offer more complete programs to children in need and strengthen the broken families that our kids come from. They are also working with different churches to raise up families that will take in the orphanage's youth to see them through university. It is a big job, but an exciting one as it would bring about significant changes in the way things are done in Guatemalan orphanages, and to give hope to many children who have no family!

At Casa Bernabe David was part of beginning a program that has revolutionized the way we work with our children and their families. Previously, we struggled to integrate our kids back into society due to a lack of family and support. Now, with this new program, his team is striving to work with the families our kids come from in hopes to reunite them and transition the kids back to a healthy and stable home. It is a lot of work and is not possible in every case, however they are already seeing very positive results. 

Over these past days, I have been just so grateful for the life God has given us. As I have shared before, being a mother to Hanna and Sophia has been the most precious gift. I am so grateful to be able to be here at home with them and love and invest in their little lives. I love being their mommy! Aside from them I was telling David the other day how beautiful it is to be able to be a part of many of the children's lives at the orphanage. I like to think years down the road when some of them are gone, I will be able to look back with a grateful heart and think how we were able to give our love and our lives to them. 

I have been getting together with 6 kids to sing (mainly on Sundays for church) and it has been so much fun. Also, I have been teaching another boy to play the piano in hopes that one day he will be able to play with us in church.

We want to really thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement, and financial support that you have given us. It is what has enabled us to keep doing what we are doing. We are truly grateful to God for putting us in Guatemala, and our prayer is that He will continue to strengthen us and shine His light though us!

Much Love,

    Andrea McCormick

August News

To all of our dear friends and family,

I just wanted to give you an update on the Soto-McCormick family. I am starting my 8th month of pregnancy this week and I am feeling good. I am back in New Orleans, which is where David and I decided to have the babies. I went to the doctor this past week and he says everything is looking good. The doctor is thinking the girls will be born around the end of September. Dave and I are still working on finalizing their names :)

As some of you know this past year David and I were working as house parents in one of the houses at the orphanage. It was hard leaving them last week, knowing it may be a while until I get to be with them again. David is still there taking care of them until the date gets closer for our babies to come. 

We ask that you keep these boys in your prayers. David and I decided to step down from this postition as house parents and live off campus. We felt in our hearts to take some time to invest in our new little family. 

Our desire is still to keep working alongside these boys and keep close ties with them. 

Please keep us in your prayers as David and I, and the boys walk through these transitions. 

We have seen and we know our heavenly Father is faithful.

We are excited for all that God has for us. We choose the lean into His arms as we continue to walk in this journey. 

Much love,

Andrea and David McCormick

Count It All Joy

      

      Some months ago my friends Sara Salguero, Abii Stoltzfuzs and I began a bible study by Beth Moore on the book of James. I remember reading the second verse in the first chapter of James and feeling confused and unable to comprehend its meaning. The verse says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds..." (James 1:2). According to Beth Moore,  James is telling us to think, reflect, and to esteem the joys available to us whenever we experience various trials. Uh... what!! How in the world can one experience Joy when faced with affliction?  

      Months went by until a few weeks ago I started to gain a glimpse of the meaning. I have been reading a book by Andy Stanley called Enemies of the Heart. In the book, Andy talks about the four emotions that control us, which are guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy. I really didn't think I struggled with any of these issues. Until I read the book and realized I actually did! 

      One particular issue God was highlighting in my heart was jealousy. According to Andy Stanley jealously says, "God owes me." It is the belief that God has blessed others but has skipped over me. It is when we tend to focus on the things that we lack as we see so evidently see them in others. 

      As God began to pour light on this issue I grudgingly accepted yet another sin in my heart that I had to work on and overcome. After struggling with this for a couple of days, God began to show me how I could overcome and deal with jealously. By the third day I felt I had gained some victory with this issue and my heart began to rejoice in the hope I had found to be free from this sin! It was then that I realized something: it is through this wrestling with God and coming to believe in His truths over choosing to believe lies, that fills our heart with Joy! When we fight the good fight of faith, we gain victory, even if it just one step at a time. And that is a reason to celebrate!!

Friendship

    Growing up, I remember being surrounded by wonderful friends. My adolescent years were full of memories of prayer vigils with friends, trips to Destin, Youth Retreats and just fun-filled days. One of these special friends, who is actually getting married in two weeks, is Paula. I had the opportunity to attend her bachelorette weekend  a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful time of sitting together and catching up with our lives. Many of us had not seen each other for a long time. Life has changed for many of us, but it was as if we had never missed a beat.

    Considering these amazing friendships I was always blessed with, one of the main reasons it was difficult to move to Guatemala was knowing I would leave my friends behind. Yet, I have been blessed so greatly as God handpicked amazing people that were brought into my life at just the right moment (like Sara Salguero!). I count it a privilege to run this race alongside these people and call them my friends. One of these dear friends is Abii Stoltzfus. A year ago Abbi, her husband Clint and their baby Jasmine came to serve at Casa Bernabé and this past week they returned to Pennsylvania. She was here at a key time when I was in need of a friend. We taught school together, encouraged and prayed for one another. I thank God for their obedience and their labor invested here in Casa Bernabé. Abbi and Clint, made an impact here, not only in the lives of our precious children but in MY life and for that I am thankful. God has shown me time and time again His faithfulness through these Godly people that I have been able to share life and call my friends.
   

“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?”
- C.S. Lewis

Summer Time

We have kept pretty busy these past few months. I wanted to share a few things that have happened so far this summer.

This past June I participated in a music Camp that took place here in Guatemala. Twenty-two of our kids from CB who are in the band program, got sponsored to assist the camp. I must admit I was reluctant to go (it meant being away from my darling husband and life at CB for almost 10 days). David encouraged me to go saying that it would be a great opportunity for me to reach out to the kids by being a counselor at the camp.

At the end of the week, I was able to reflect on how blessed I was to have been a part of this camp that impacted the lives of our kids on a spiritual level.

Ema and Milton: Two of the boys sharing their testimonies during music camp.

Throughout these summer months we have seen team after team come down and pour out time, money, sweat and tears here at CB. It amazes me how God, year after year, moves so many hearts to come and serve, showing God's love to all of us here at the orphanage.

I was personally refreshed when family and friends from my church in New Orleans came to visit just this past week. It brought back so many memories of the first two times I came as a single woman with our team; remembering the special feeling I always got coming through the entrance of beautiful CB on that big yellow bus.

New Orleans Team

My friend Abii and I continue to teach our little chickadees. Since the beginning of the year, some of the kids have left and we have received new ones. Our school year  has been so fun and a big learning process for me. We will be teaching classes until the end of October. 

Four new Chickadees since the beginning of the school year!