Please Pray For Us

My grandmother (my Mom´s mom) had a massive stroke on Thanksgiving day, and I´ve decided to go home early to be with my mom. I´ll be flying out of Acapulco tomorrow. Please pray for us.

This is how much Andres loves his cake

Happy Thanksgiving!

Myrtille with her three interns.

Emily, Cristina and I spent Thanksgiving at Myrtille's house. Myrtille has a friend who does manicures and pedicures so she invited her over to treat us, because she thought we might be homesick today. It was so thoughtful, and it was very fun to get my first manicure!

Three couples from church and Tolo's mom came over for THE DINNER and it was delicious even though it was different (of course) than what I'm used to. The guests didn't even arrive until 8:30, so it was obviously a Mexican style Thanksgiving. Almost everyone spoke English and they were almost all elders in the church and overall very intelligent people. How many elders at Trinity speak fluent Spanish? Um, none that I know of! Please tell me if there are more than three...and their wives too

My friends Yadira and Marco

Sad to go

Mac's dad eventually got to Casa Hogar on Thursday even though the teacher protesters had blocked almost the whole Costera. There were no big problems, and he was a breath of fresh air to all of us. He spent almost a whole week with us and he took us out to eat twice and led us in several really good prayer times and Bible studies. Mac and his dad left on Wednesday morning at 4AM, so the night before, we made smoothies and had a good time of prayer before we said goodbye.

Having to see someone say goodbye to all the kids, made me realize how hard its going to be for me to say goodbye.

The protesters are gone now, and they left right in time for us to be able to go to church on Sunday.

Olympics, New Intern and the Fair

New Horizon is the Christian school where the elementary kids from Casa Hogar attend. One Friday morning, they had a Olympics event at the park where the school was divided into 5 teams (blue, green, yellow, orange, purple) and they competed with soccer, darts, relay races and other games. I wore a green shirt to cheer for the green team, but of course I cheered for all the Casa Hogar kids. I know if I had a special thing like that when I was little, my parents would be there to cheer me on, but their parents obviously weren't there. I was glad to be their mom for one day and I was also put in charge of a little game that the teams did between their events, which was very fun for me because I got to be involved! It was fun when the team mixed with Casa Hogar kids and school kids came to play the game, and the kids I knew were excited to see me, and because they were excited to see me, the other kids were excited too. I got hugs from kids I didn't know, and sometimes I was just stared at, and one little guy asked "Are you from the United States???"
They got medels at the end, and the kids were so encredibly proud of themselves and wore their medels all day long.
To say the least, I had a lot of fun.

Right after the olympics, I went with Myrtille to the airport to pick up the new intern, Cristina. I was glad to show her around, and be there to comfort her when she was feeling the exact same things that I felt when I arrived here. I could relate a lot, and I think she was comforted by knowing that I felt the same way she did, but now I am so inlove with this place. She will be here til May, and I am sure that God will use her in her time here.

One of the first nights that Cristina was here, we took about 12 kids to a fair in Papagayo Park. It was just like the State Fair in Asheville except a lot smaller. It was so much fun, and we (the inters split the money...thats what we always do when we take the kids out) spent about 50 dollars and the kids only got to ride 2 rides (some only 1). So it was a very expensive night but very fun.

This is of some of us right before a scary ride! Everyone was sure we were going to die, so we all told eachother how much we loved eachother.

Airplanes

MEET CUARTO 13

Dona Isabel with some of the boys

Lizandro

Cuarto (means "room") 13 is the room where the little boys live. There are 9 boys, Andres is the youngest at 5 and Misael is the oldest who's about to turn 9, and as you can imagine, I spend quite a lot of time in their room. They are crazy and so cute, and you can't help but love and play with them. Dona Isabel is Cuarto 13's mom. She takes care of them and I absolutely adore her...and so do the boys! They call her "Ma," and I love it.


One day, we showed them how to do the "airplane," where I lay on my back on the floor and lift them up on my feet so they can fly like an airplane (or Superman). I was sad that they had never done that before, so of course I let all 9 of them fly for at least 5 times each! It is very tiring, but all the laughs are completely worth it. They had never done the thing where they hold your hands, crawl up your legs and flip over either, so I taught them how to do that too. Dad would always do that and the airplane with me when I was little, and it made me sad that they don't have dads to play like that with them.

Flexibility

While I´ve been here, Ive learned a lot about being flexible. The plans are constantly changing. For example, we leave for church at different times every Sunday (and if its raining, we can´t even go to church because the big bus doesn´t have windshield wipers) and TV shows don´t even come on at the same time each day. This week I´ve had to be extremely flexible, because all the public school teachers are protesting on the main street, so we havent been able to go to work, or anywhere for that matter. Yesturday, we went as far as we could on the bus, and at the barricade, we got off and walked the rest of the way. When we were literally at the front door of the church, Myrtille called on our cell phone and said they were about to close all the streets and if we didn´t leave right then, we wouldn´t be able to get home.

Mac´s dad is flying in today, but the protesters are right around that area and we don´t know when or if he´ll get here!

Weak and Out of Controle

This morning at 4:45, I was woken up my an earthquake. It was just a little trimmer, and I looked at the clock and was glad that I had a lot more time to sleep. I´ve felt small earthquakes before and this one was no different. I was almost back asleep when another one hit and this time there were three big bangs where everything was shacken more violantely. I waited til it was over and then ran to Emily`s room and she wanted me to get in her bed with her because she was scared too! So we were almost asleep again and another big one happened, this time with only two big bangs. After that there were a few small trimmers, and I realized how weak and out of controle I am! Its such a wierd feeling to know that the ground is moving under you and you have absalutely no controle of it...only God does. We don´t even know when there will be another earthquake, or even how violant it will be. How much weaker could we be? I´m glad that my faith is in the One who IS in controle!

Another wierd thing that I saw yesterday...I saw a man jogging on the mainstreet of downtown with a horse on a leash! When I told my friends about it, we made jokes about how he had said "Honey, I`m taking the horse for a jog. I´ll be back before dinner."

Welcome to Mexico!

They need your prayers

Emily went to work this week, but I didn't because Myrtille only wants one of us to come, and we will switch off every other week. The one that doesn't go to work, will stay at Casa Hogar and help with whatever Hermano Alejandro needs, which is what I did this week. I cleaned from top to bottom the room that the new intern will stay in (who's coming on November 15), and helped the women cook in the kitchen for all the kids. I cracked and scrambled at least 300 eggs, and then was put to the task of cutting up squid....yes, squid. Don't ask me why that was on the menu. I didn't make any faces, or comments to offend the chiefs, and I tried not to think about what I was touching, and yes, I cut up about 20 whole squids. Eye balls and everything.

The food situation was better this week because money was given and they were able to get more food.

I can't believe its already November! There are a lot of birthdays this month, and I've already made about 3 batches of cookies and this coming week, there have been about 3 more requests for brownies or cookies for their birthdays. So I have a feeling that I'll be in the kitchen a lot this week!

The birthday parties that we give them are a hit. I wish everyone could see the faces of the little kids when we give them a big plate of cake and ice cream and a glass of coke.

Please pray for the children as they face tough decisions each day and for me to be a huge encouragement to them when they come home from school.

Thank you for all of your prayers!

A good vacation with my family

The time I had with my family was so good! I took them to the best beach and introduced them to all the good food. I was so glad that they were able to see where I am and meet some of my friends here. And I'm glad that the kids got to meet them too! They were all counting down the days with me because they were excited to meet them. And I was so glad that Myrtille let me have the week off from work to be with them!

The last night that they were here, we were invited by one of the church elders of Jesus de Nazareth to their house for coffee and cake. He wanted to thank my parents for letting me come and help at Casa Hogar and to open up his house to us. He and his wife and family live in Las Brisas, a very beautiful part of town that overlooks the whole Acapulco Bay. He made it pretty clear that his house is our house and Emily and I are welcome to come over every weekend (and believe me, we will NOT pass up the opportunity).

One thing that happened while I was with the family is that, something happened with Casa Hogar's budget and they ran out of money for food. So ever since, they have only been able to afford for the kids to have a normal sized lunch, but breakfast and dinner have been bread and chocolate milk.

4 Days!

My family is coming to visit me next week! They will get here on Sunday afternoon and stay til Thursday. Please pray for them as they travel and safety and good times while they´re here.

I´ve been counting down the days til they get here for 3 weeks!

Rain and Slumber Parties

There was a storm that left huge puddles of water in our rooms two nights ago. And if our rooms were flooded, think of how bad the kid´s rooms were! They don´t have glass on their windows and lots of holes in the roof! It rains almost every night, but this storm was very big. School was canceled because the roads were flooded and kids couldn´t get to school, and last night, a tropical storm was supposed to come. So Emily and I decided to take the opportunity to sleep upstaires with the girls. The girls in my room, put three bunk beds together and all 6 of us slept up on top. It was a very good bonding time, and I really enjoyed being there with them. Everything was very wet when we woke up!

Thank you for your prayers, because the girls have opened up to me! I enjoy being with them.

Encouraged in Heart and United in Love

Apparently, Casa Hogar used to have a night of singing praise and worship songs, but over time it eventionally ended. So the other night, me, Emily, and one of the boys who plays the guitar, walked out into the Cancha and started singing. Soon, we had about 10 people all singing! All of the songs were songs that we sing in church, so I was able to sing along a little bit. We prayed before and after and one of the kids prayed and thanked God that Emily and I came to help them. It was a blessing to me and I hope we´ll be able to do that ofton!

...


I am here to invest in these kid´s lives and really love them with Christ´s love, and sometimes I don´t really know exactly how to do that. Simply loving them is enough. A big thing has been helping them with their homework and studying for tests. I love it when they ask me to help them with their English homework because thats something that I know! There is a 6 year old boy who will always say ¨Help me, Sarah, help me!¨ When I go in to help with homework, and I just melt.


I have started making brownies for the kid´s birthdays. They really don´t get very much attention on their birthdays, and I´ve been trying to come up with ways to make it special for them. I usually take them to the store to let them get an ice cream, but I want to do more than that! So we have decided to have a big birthday part on friday nights for the kids who have birthdays in each month. So for example, last night we had a party for the kids who have birthdays in September and October with cake, ice cream, soda and balloons in our kitchen. And next week, we will have a party for the kids in November and December, and we are going to have parties for the kids who have birthdays when we aren´t even here! So that way, they will all have a birthday party with us. The party last night was very fun, and I think the kids liked it.

My purpose is that they (Casa Hogar) may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Collossians 2.2

Please pray for me to be a blessing to everyone here!

Vanilla Ice Cream

¨Why are those people staring at me?¨ - Me
¨Because you look like vanilla ice ceam.¨ - Josefina

Sometimes I find it hard to beleive that I really stand out THAT much, but then when I think about it...I do. I´ve only seen a total of about 10 Americans in the month that I´ve been here, so I am constatly stared at! Although last week, the cruise ships came into the bay, and I saw bus loads of Americans who were going on the cruises. But other than that, Acapulco is where tourists from Mexico City come.

I´m glad that I´m not a tourist - I live here!

Tacos and more pictures

One night, when we were watching movies in the girl's living room, I ordered out Tacos al Pastor and they were delivered by a man on a motorcycle. The tacos were very good, and spicy! It cost me my whole month's worth of ministry money to pay for it, but I think the girls liked them.

Speaking of tacos, Isidoro, the man who cleans and takes care of the church building where I work, brings Emily and I tacos every day. His family sells them and they are probably the highlight of my day! Mole and chicken, and I always put plenty of radishes, onions, picante sauce and lime juice on mine.

Knowing us, and our obsession with tacos...Emily and I went out and bought a bunch of things to make tacos with for lunch in our kitchen. My job was to cut up the green peppers. Unfortunately, I didn't know that peppers will burn your skin! Everything that I touched after touching the peppers BURNED. I really thought that I had severe burns on my hands...they turned all red and burned for about 4 hours.
I will never cut peppers again!

Almost every day, while walking to work, we would see a girl who we thought looked American, walking down the sidewalk near the church. One day, she stopped us and asked us if we live here. We talked for a little bit and told her why we're here. She is from Arkansas and moved here to be with her boyfriend, who works all the time. Emily and I were glad to meet her and considered it a great opportunity to share Christ. And yesterday, while I was walking to work alone, I saw her and she said that she wanted Emily and I to come over to her house sometime! I think she is lonely. It is exciting that someone in her situation is interested in us and wants to know us better. Please pray for Amber, and our relationship with her.

Emily's parents have come to Acapulco for a week to visit. I have been very lonely without her being at Casa Hogar and going to work all by myself. But when I see them, I am very spoiled, because her parents rented a car, so I am driven everywhere in air conditioning and they've taken me out to eat TWICE!

Last night, they took the three kids from Casa Hogar that they sponsor and Mac and I out to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was so fun to have a night out on the town and see all the lights of the city. They gave the kids presents, including gameboys, which were donated by friends ( Emily's mom asked a friend if they had an extra gameboy to donate, and before she knew it, the word
spread and friends had donated 11 gameboys to Casa Hogar!)





Emily's parents and grandmother with the kids and us at the Hard Rock Cafe.













This is me, really excited to eat my chicken and pineapple quesedilla!













Eder when he opened his gameboy!







Mac, Lupe, Olimar, Emily, me and Eder

ALL OF THE PICTURES FROM THIS POST AND THE LAST POST WERE TAKEN BY MAC FROM HIS CAMERA.

Long Awaited Photos

Another intern, Mac, who lives at Casa Hogar and works during the day as the P.E. teacher at New Horizon School, is from BOONE, N.C.! We know a lot of the same people from R.U.F at Appalachian University. Its a small world!

These are the New Horizon kids coming home from school. The school goes from preschool - 6th grade. So only the younger children from Casa Hogar go there. The rest of them go to public school.



One night, the 3 of us interns decided to make a good, American meal for dinner. Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and sweet tea!

This is Emily and I after we ate A LOT!

Emily and I usually eat breakfast and lunch in here and eat dinner with the kids in their kitchen. But sometimes, of course, we treat ourselves to an American meal in our own kitchen.





These are pretty normal meals for the kids. By the time, its all on the plates, everyone is seated, and prayed, the food is already cold.




But its still good!







OUR CHIEFS!














Not really. Some women come everyday to cook and these kids just warm up the leftovers from lunch and serve it. It is very hot in the kitchen and the masquitos will eat you alive, but I enjoy helping them! In the picture is Osvaldo, Huber and Josefina. Josefina has become a good friend to me and we have gone running on the beach together!

Bugs and Independence Day

Hermano Alejandro ( the father-figure here) fumigated our rooms, and there are no longer living cockroaches! Actually, there are no longer living bugs. Bugs that I didn't even know were in our house were found dead on our floor. As one of the kids put it a ¨bug cemetary.¨ And because we couldn't mop so that the fumes would really do the job, our rooms got very dirty and.....dead buggy.

September 15 is the Mexican Independence day, so this weekend has been very patriotic. I went with some of the kids to an Independence party at the church and it was very interesting to be the only American at an all Mexican party! There was authentic food, songs and dances.

During the program, someone told a joke about how a chicken died on the U.S.- Mexican boarder, and a Gringo (what they call Americans) and a Mexican decided to have a competition to see who would claim the chicken. Whoever kicked the other person harder would take it. So the Gringo said ¨You go first.¨So the Mexican kicked the Gringo. Then he siad ¨Ok, its my turn to kick you now.¨ And the Mexican said ¨If this is over the chicken....then you can have it!¨

Of course, all the kids that I was sitting with gave me a hard time and oppologized for the joke.

My Address

Casa Hogar del Niño de Acapulco

P.O. Box D-33

Succ. Centro de Convenciónes

Acapulco, Gro. 39850 MEXICO

Write if you want to. I think it take 7-10 work days to get here.

Casa Hogar

Casa Hogar is very nice. Right now, they are in the middle of a lot of construction to build a new dorm for the girls. It is a big place because there are so many children.

Where Emily and I live is where the summer mission teams stay. We have our own rooms with a little living room in between. There is a couch and TV in the living room, and that is where we spend time together. We have to go outside to get to our kitchen. We stocked up on brownies, instant oatmeal, and waffles!!

We have suddenly had a problem with cockroaches. We discovered that they can crawl under our door! So you can imagine that there is quit a lot of screaming when we walk into our house and there are roaches on our floor and walls! I'm always glad that no one can see us.

I think a gecko lives in my window because it wakes me up almost every morning making funny noises.

One Week Report

I have been here for a week! My schedule has been like this:

Emily and I leave Casa Hogar around 9am. We walk down the hill, about a 10 minute walk, and it is already very hot outside, to catch a bus. Public transportation here is a really interesting experience in itself. It is very fast pace and you have to get on and off very quickly or you'll get left.

It is God's little gift to us if we are on the corner when an air conditioned bus passes. They are five cents more expensive than regular buses, but they have cushioned seats! Normal buses are HOT and have HARD seats. When we are in an air conditioned bus, we laugh at the people in regular buses, and we cry when we see people in air conditioned buses when we are in a normal bus.

We ride the bus for about 40 minutes to Jesus de Nazareth church, and work there til 1pm, organizing pictures and profiles for the children at Casa Hogar. My job this week has been to make Christmas cards for the kids to send to their sponsors in the States. There are 62 kids in the orphanage and 284 sponsors....so you can imagine that I have a lot of Christmas cards to make!

After another long ride back to Casa Hogar, it is Siesta. Workers will just lay down in the shade and will sleep from about 2-4pm because it is too hot to do anything. I love it! I wish we had Siesta in the States!

In the afternoon, I help the little kids with their homework. It is very easy and I've begun to love helping them, because I get to practice my Spanish and be with the little ones.

Dinner isn't til 7:30. I love the food, but the portions are not very big, and its usually cold by the time its served. Rice and beans are a given, and there is some sort of main dish with meat and potatoes....or sometimes just potatoes. The orphanage is struggling finacially right now. The 12-14 year old boys make the food, and lately, I've enjoyed helping them in the kitchen, serving the plates and pouring GALLONS of milk into 62 cups!

After dinner, it gets kind of awkward for me, because everyone does their own thing. I'm tempted to go back to my room, but I know that I will never get to know people that way. So I tell myself to stay outside and talk to people. I have had a lot of fun getting to know people.

First Update

Hello everyone!

I made it! Dad and I got here on Friday afternoon. I have to say that I was probably the most scared that I´ve ever been in my life. Thank goodness that my dad was there to comfort me and tell me that God is taking care of me and He wants me here. I was very sad and scared when he left the next morning to go home, but he wrote me a really encouraging letter that I have taped to my wall.

The children are very cute. I have especially gotten to know the little boys. There are so many children at this orphanage and it is hard for me to learn all their names! All of the children have had very aweful pasts and very sad stories. I am able to read about them when I go to the church office and organize their files.

At church on Sunday morning, I really missed Trinity! Everyone welcomed me and my name was in the bullitan that read: "Welcome Sarah Riddles, who came from North Carolina to help at Casa Hogar. May God bless her richly."

My sweetmate, Emily, has been taking very good care of me by showing me around and how to do things. Today, we went to Wal-Mart to buy fruit so that we won´t get scurvy. I am very thankful for her!

Please continue to pray for me. Pray that the older girls will open up to me and for better relationships. And also for my Spanish (which is struggling very much!).

Thank you for your prayers!

Welcome to Mexico!