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
