Another Day another terrific activity for the Kids

  The wonderful people of Picadilly Restaurants invited the kids of Fundaninos to a Christmas party at their flagship store. It was a great time for everyone!!

In my other life...

  I play a financial executive with an expertise in Performance Measurement for Money Management Industry. It is an honor to be involved with the First Rate Investment Company in Arlington, Texas.
Their annual user conference has turned into one of the most important events in the Performance Measurement industry.

Arlington, TX, December 19, 2011 – First Rate today announced 
Jamie Waller as its 2012 First Rate Performance Conference distinguished moderator. Mr. Waller has substantial knowledge of the performance measurement industry and is recognized as a thought leader in performance reporting, portfolio construction, compliance, technology and operations.

Taking place at the Four Season Resort and Club Dallas on March 26^th and 27^th, First Rate’s 2012 Performance Conference provides a great opportunity to stay abreast of industry trends, learn more about First Rate solutions and network with peers in the performance measurement industry.

This exclusive two-day event examines and explores a wide range of performance measurement topics that are sure to be valuable to both current and future First Rate Performance clients with presentations and contributions by acknowledged leaders in the wealth management and financial services industries.

For more information about the 2012 Performance Conference, speakers or agenda, please visit:

http://www.firstrate.com/investmentperformanceconference2012.

Fundaninos 15 year olds Party and 18 year olds!!

  A wonderful extravaganza giving these kids a chance to celebrate their special birthdays like kids from intact middle class families. This well planned and beautiful event allowed several young woman to wear beautiful, new and special formal gowns to celebrate a rite of passage.  Probably similar to a sweet sixteen party in the States. A Quincenaro is a 15 year olds party and often parents spend more on this event than any other single event in a daughter's life. In Latin countries it is HUGE??

One year anniversary of Father Rocco's passing

This morning Father Michael Della  Penna  celebrated a very moving and meaningful Mass to commemorate the one year anniversary of the death of Father Rocco.
Father Rocco Famiglietti was an amazing Franciscan Priest who had a huge impact on the children in this country with so much poverty. His vision created the lasting legacy of
   Valley of the Angels 












Father Rocco Famiglietti, OFM

                   1919 - 2010





Father Rocco was a Franciscan Friar of the Immaculate Conception Provence for more than 60
years.  He lived in various parts of Central America, primarily Guatemala, where he saw first hand the
devastating effects poverty, sickness and lack of education had on the young. 
From his early days as  a missionary, formed by  faith, he sought to create a place to meet the needs of the forgotten children.  Focusing on their integral human development, he founded the Valley of the
Angels Orphanage which opened in January 1993 with 26 children.  When he passed away on December  18, 2010 the Orphanage had over 200 children.  
Papa Rocco has left us a legacy of love, supported by  solid education and good moral teaching.

Thank you! The Village Church and the June Missions Team !!

  The donations arrived!!  A suitcase weighing over 100 lbs filled with educational materials!!
Wow. Some really great and appropriate teaching tools. God is good. We are also very thankful for the financial  donations that arrived at the same time. But the best present of all was your  "presence."  In fact, presence is always a better gift than presents. Everbody still asks for you and asks when you are coming back. What a wonderful week that was.
The materials will be put to good use and they are very much appreciated!!


Merry Christmas !!

Please pray for Juan Pablo.

  He's been in the hospital for three weeks. He nearly died from a mass in his intestines.  He is still unable to eat and the mass may have been cancerous. He is one of our kids who happens to be in his early forties.  He's a pretty nice kid and had lived  with a foster family prior to be sent back into the "system."

Please Give This Year

    As many of  you know, I have spent the past two and a half years here working with the neediest and most deserving populations: the orphaned and profoundly handicapped abandoned children   here in Guatemala City.  Our foundation currently employs a staff of five:   one  Physical Therapist, Carmen Marie Guatebein and four nurses aides (Nineras).  Our foundation has also  funded and participated in a wide range field trips, educational initiatives, hydro therapies  and sports activities such as the Special Olympics.

 Since we started this ministry in March of 2009 our focus has been to supplement the basic care these children receive from the Guatemalan Government. There are approximately 80 children in residence and the Government has approximately 45 full time employees. Our modest contribution of five staff is a help to the center, but the ratio of adult supervisors to children remains woefully inadequate. It is now our hope that the newly elected Guatemalan Government will significantly increase staffing to more adequate levels. As such, it is our intention to continue to expand our staff and programming. 
 
 One of our more significant  projects  has been the opening of, “Rincon de Suenos”  a pre-school like setting for  18  of smallest and most vulnerable children. The objective is for them  to spend their days in a safe, creative and stimulating environment.  Through generous gifting we have been able to re-design and decorate the largest available work space in the center. We opened the school with two teachers and one Ninera.  The physical space is terrific and local friends have donated educational toys and materials. Unfortunately, the ratio of teachers to children is still quite low and the amount of time spent individually with each child is less than optimal.

    Part of this  mission’s  vision has been to create a charity that assures donors that 100% of their gifts goes directly to serve the children and their caregivers. We have been fortunate to be able to tell people that all administrative and overhead expenses are covered by  some  generous gifts from a  Family Foundation. That  same foundation also  covers as much as 50% of the operating budget.  The monthly expenditures is based primarily on one metric; the number of women  employed.  We view this as a two for one investment:  a) we provide employment to impoverished single Moms and b) the children in the center receive far better care.  The Nineras continue to earn about $250.00 per month and our Physical Therapist earns about $400.00.   As you can imagine the $250 salary for the nineras is a large step toward leaving the lowest levels of poverty,  but they still live an extremely modest lifestyle.  Food here is nearly as costly as in the United States and the population adjusts to that difficulty by eating very simple meals or rice and beans with very little high protein content foods.

   Please  click here   Click for Website Fundaninos    and read how we are thinking about our threefold mission and challenge. Also please visit out blog for more insight into out activities and the day to day challenges the children face. In this letter we refrain from highlighting the heart wrenching anecdotal stories of some of our saddest and most difficult cases. Suffice to say, that we think that  these children’s lives remain some of the most  complex, heartbreaking and meritorious for your consideration.

Please consider giving to,  “The Orphans of Guatemala, Fundaninos.”  We are in the midst of planning programs and ministry for 2012 and are trying to expand and improve services for the children.

Please send Checks to :    Fundaninos   ℅ Jamie Waller 4 Franklin Pl.  Summit NJ 07901-3617

Kids Caregivers and Culture Cadanino 2011

As year end of 2011 draws near we are focusing on three things:
 
                                                KCC
   The Kids, the Caregivers and the Culture 

                                          Cadanino Today!
                                                                                                

Cadanino is a small Christian Ministry operating in Guatemala for the past two and a half years.  Our mission is threefold:     The Kids,  The Caregivers and The Culture.  We are explicitly a Christian mercy ministry and focus is on the kids inside a government hospital/orphanage for profoundly developmentally challenged orphans.

The Kids:

The center where we work is a government residential center for  some of the most intellectually and neurologically challenged children. There are 80 children ranging in age from 7  years old into their thirties. Technically, the government mandate is for children from ages 6 to 18, but several stay on after they reach an age of majority  because there simply is no other place for them.
Nearly half the population wears adult diapers and have limited ability to pursue basic grooming or feeding. The children that Cadanino has focused on are the nine children  that are in wheelchairs and completely unable to communicate or be self sustaining.  Cadanino has taken on the task of working with them during all their waking hours and providing them with physical and play therapies.  Prior to our arrival these children were restrained in wheelchairs during daytime hours and languishing in their beds all night long.  Their already problematic limbs were atrophying because of almost no movement or physical activity.  Today some of these children are crawling, standing up and with assistance taking some first steps toward walking.  

The Staff:

 Cadanino employs 5 Nurses-Aides types  (Nineras) and one Physical Therapist who also serves as the general manager of the team.  Most of these Nineras are single Moms living in extreme poverty.  The $250.00  per month that they earn has to cover all their living expenses. The cost of living in Guatemala is significantly lower than in the USA, but food costs are nearly as much as here and the majority of their earnings goes towards feeding their families.  We attempt to witness to them and encourage them. Initially, we told them the job would be for six months so that they  could transition into better employment.  Almost universally, they have been unable to find improved employment opportunities and have stayed working with us. Several of them are approaching their two year anniversary working with us and we are looking for ways to offer them personal development. Currently, Cadanino is sponsoring upcoming classes for our staff as well as the government’s 45 person staff classes in,   “Teamwork,  Self Esteem, and Managing Stress.”   We have hosted a few American Missions teams and they have provided excellent appreciation activities such as, manicures, pedicures and messages. While providing basic employment and some kindness, this area of our ministry has  significant room for improvement.

The Culture:


Cadanino exists to serve Christ and Worship our Lord.  We want  our initiatives to bring Glory to the Kingdom and change lives in the here and now.  We have been called to run this ministry inside a secular government run institution. We work side by side with the 45 government employees who suffer from a variety work related burn out and grinding poverty. As Guatemala moves from a third world nation into a first world nation we want to encourage their government services, local philanthropies and the local Church. Our goal is to serve as a catalyst in encouraging them to take better care of their neediest citizens. What better benchmark of a society’s culture than the care they give to their least fortunate. The second half of the cultural objective is to change hearts and minds back home in the USA.  As John Piper says, “ Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.”
This third tier of our work is difficult to analyze in terms of effectiveness and impact, but we continue to pray for guidance. A newly elected government in Guatemala gives us hope for gradual change.

  This link to our blog will give you a better idea of what we are doing and some of the lives we are effecting.   

 
Click here to see Cadanino Blog

..




Click here for full article  

Thank you!

 Thanks to the friends of Cadanino!  A million thanks to  Kahren, Maria Rosa, Alina, Nike and several others for their ongoing support.  These foamy cushion types of flooring are phenomenal so that the children are not playing on the hard cold cement floor!

   Week by week these lovely people have helped our kids to a better quality of life and they have shown the love of Jesus Christ with their actions and their visits.  How better to demonstrate the love of God. One of my all time favorite quotes is from Ravi Zacharias,  
 
"It is our presence in proximity. Are you going to tell me they aren't going to notice that?  When you get that close, you must ask God  in your lifetime if there is a privilege that he will give you to  get close to a hurting   community   and let them see the color of your eyes.  That is apologetics with a touch. It is our presence in proximity."

On my way Home to Guatemala!

 After a great Thanksgiving week with Family I am heading back to Guatemala. I have been missing the kids and my friends a great deal.
  This morning at a meeting four different people shared about the joys and challenges that they have with their special needs kids. I think most of the kids have some form of Autism and a couple of them are performing academically quite well. I wanted to mention "my 80 special needs kids,"  that I am en route to see, but thought I might start to cry or sound like I was boastful. The truth is that I am incredibly Blessed that God has put this group of kids in my life. I have learned more the past couple of years than I can articulate.
  At times the lack of resources, parents and staff makes me sad. The kids have too much time with so very little stimulation or activity. Then I think about this type of kids anywhere in the world as recently as 50 years ago. They quite simply would have likely died in early childhood. These disabilities and challenges are certainly a mystery to me. It is very clear that God is giving me (us) a test on what it means to take care of the neediest. I had failed this test until a couple of years ago. I was uncomfortable around handicapped and mentally retarded people.  I am so grateful that God was patient with me and gave me the time to understand His Call for my life.
  One boy, Pascual, has been on my mind the last several days. He is partially deaf so everything he says he shouts. He calls me, "Poppa Jaime,"  even though I ask him to refer to me as Tio Jaime.  In english that means that I prefer to be called "Uncle" and not, "Daddy."  He suffered at birth from the effects of umbilical cord strangulation and his  is partially paralyzed on his right size. He is basically a warm and loving kid, but he can be annoying.  His ADHD is very high and he can't stay still. He always needs to be where the activity is. He's well liked by the other kids and the teachers. I hope he can land in some kind of transitional living home one day.

Successful Cooking Lesson and Fundraiser

       Friend's of Cadanino hold Cooking Class!

The friend's of Cadanino held a cooking class in order to raise funds and awareness !! Thank you. The Lord is merciful, kind and generous!!




Some details in literal translation from Spanish 


I send this email so you can see some of the photos we took during the cooking class we had the pleasure of receiving, by the family of Leon Au chef .... who were wonderful! Thank you for your kind heart to donate their time and experience!
Learned to cook chao-mein, chop-soiu, Chinese fried rice and tacos. It was all delicious, all who attended the class tested each of the plates and were fascinated.
We were all invited to the next class.
... We want to thank all teamwork, giving all the love and putting all the effort. Everything went perfect.
God willing we can bring more of the Dream kindergarten, for children to enjoy.
 
Mainly we thank God, who is the one that has moved to do this and who it is that puts the will and to do in their hearts.
 
May God bless you all very much, and we can continue working for him.




      They had a big screen TV on in the background with a slideshow of the center and the kids. 
 This is one of our favorite kids: Pajaro.   He  would do well in a family setting. Pray for him

The Students!!

And the product was delicious.... 


   Delicioso!!

Dr. Livingstone I presume? Is this the Stockholm Syndrome Experiment?

   Marilinda has been on my mind and prayer list

 She is one of the kids that I have known vaguely for about three years. She is about 16 years old and an elusive shy type.   Her facial features clearly alert one to the fact that she is a special kid and with limited intellectual capacity. Her skin is splotchy with dark freckle like discoloration. Her teeth are straight and well aligned, but profoundly discolored like those you see in the elderly.  She has a form of PICA and everything she sees and touches she is compelled to  taste with her tongue.
   Recently, I have been trying to reach out to her and make contact.  Her hyper-activity and complete lack of verbal skills make her very hard to relate to.  She is frequently around a group of kids I will be working with, but blinks your eyes and she is gone.  Holding her hand is challenging both because of her hyperactivity and the unappealing nature of what ever  may have been in her mouth and hand.
  Legend has it that she was brought to us by social services to protect her from her aggressively negligent family. Apparently, they would lock her in a closet for days on end with no food. She reverted to eating her own feces and apparently will still ingest many strange things though she receives more than adequate nutritious meals.
  With so many children at the center, she manages to be lost in the mix. The aggressive children  consume the energy and attention of the staff and a kid like her tries to fly under the radar. She avoids problems and therefor is fairly independent and isolated. In a primitive way, I think she must be very savvy. She needs to remain safe and fed, yet avoids the potential physical aggression of the most problemtaic kids.
  Some days I feel like I am living a mixture of: Jane Goodall, Richard Leakey and Dr. LIvingstone. And that we are testing a revised role playing of, "The Stockholm Syndrome."

Thanks Very Much!! Fundraiser for Cadanino!

  There is an event today to raise money for Cadanino. They are cooking classes with a renowned chef:  Chef Ramon Leon Au.   This is being coordinated by a friend of Cadanino:Lisette de Archila.  She is also a frequent visitor and has a special relationship with one of the kids; Manuel.

Please pray for a successful event and significant attendance.

Cordialmente queremos invitarte a nuestro próximo evento

De recaudación de fondos a beneficio del

hogar de niños con parálisis cerebral

“Fundación Cada Niño”

Estaremos recibiendo la clase de comida china cantonesa impartida por

Nuestro invitado especial Chef Ramon Leon Au

En esta ocasión aprenderemos a hacer:

v Arroz frito

v Tacos chinos con salsa agridulce

v Chap Suey

v Chao Mein

________________________________________________________________

Donacion  Q75.00 por persona

Martes 15 de noviembre del 2011

3  pm

Por la gran demanda de esta clase se decidió hacerla en el salón social de Bosques de Las Luces

PORFAVOR MUY IMPORTANTE:

AL INGRESAR A GARITA DECIR QUE VIENEN

AL EVENTO DE SRA. LISSETTE DE ARCHILA

Porfavor confirmar su asistencia a:

Sra. Waleska de Solares

walsolares@yahoo.com

cel 55160279

GRACIAS! TE ESPERAMOS

DIOS TE BENDIGA

Fill 'er up please !! If the glass is half empty or half full it does not matter

     Fill 'er up PLEASE !!              

.








  Who cares how full the glass is. We need to work together to Fill 'er up. 

Meditation on Handicapped KIds from Henri Nouwen.

  I was feeling a bit down and sorry for myself and the kids. This message was in my email inbox:

"The most honored parts of the body are not the head or the hands, which lead and control.  The most important parts are the least presentable parts. That's the mystery of the Church.  As a people called out of oppression to freedom, we must recognize that it is the weakest among us - the elderly, the small children, the handicapped, the mentally ill, the hungry and sick - who form the real center.  Paul says,  "It is the parts of the body which we consider least dignified, that we surround with the greatest dignity"  (1 Corinthians 12:23).

The Church as the people of God can truly embody the living Christ among us only when the poor remain its most treasured part.  Care for the poor, therefore, is much more than Christian charity.  It is the essence of being the body of Christ.

My son JJ won a very impressive award for his service in Afghanistan!

 The Lord Blessed me with two amazing kids. This photo is of my son Jamie Jr. who was awarded the
"Joint Services Commendation" award for his Marine Service in Afghanistan.

The Actual Commendation!!

Thanks and Happy Birthday Nike!

  We celebrated our good friend Nike's birthday today. She is a volunteer with a big heart and lots of kindness. A couple of cakes to say, "Thank you" was the least we could do when we see all that she has done and how much she helps the kids.

Grand Opening of Rincon de Ensueno

  After months of work and tons of cordinating we launched our pre-school program today for the Eighteen little kids in the center. The idea is to give them an educational opportunity where they are playing and learning with the kids at their own level. The idea is that with a bit more peace and quiet the teachers and nannies can consentrate on idividaul development plans most appropriate to the level of the child. We also plan to integrate the 10 kids in wheelchairs during afternoons. As always, it would be great to have more nineras, physical therapists and visiting volunteers.
  Thanks to so many who have worked hard on this and been generous with their time and money!!

Amazing and Touching Video: Get Service

What I find so amazing is that a simple and low budget video can have such high impact. This has gone viral and been seen

by millions. It really makes a difference in my point of view!! Think of all the ways we can simply touch people and brighten their lives. It's easy to do when we remember who we are working For.

A Double Header - Church and Kids

    Church Celebrates Fourth Anniversary and a 
             great visit to Fundaninos!


The life of Reilly (Waldo). We had a great an uplifting message today at my Church, Casa de Libertad.  I followed up with a visit to Fundaninos in the afternoon. The baby in the first few slides is Lourdes and she is almost Seven Months old. I saw her first when she was only three days old. How can people abandon such beauty?

  For more Photos click on the Slideshow below.
 



.

A typical Saturday morning? Is there any such thing?

  I guess today would be closest to a typical weekend day. 

  I arrived at the center a little bit after 9:00 am. The kids had bathed, finished breakfast and had clean diapers. We played outside a bit. I spent specific individual time with four of the kids. Two used the new walker and the other two we just pursued basic exercises and stretching.  This walker that was donated by friends at The Village CHurch has been an enormous blessing.

   First kid out was Iabella. She is perfect for the walker or as they refer to it here as, "The Spider." She is
twelve years old and has arms and legs that are deformed from childhood abuse. She has profound autism and equally profound epileptic seizures. The medication helps minimize the frequencies of seizures, but the autism and very low intelligence are very challenging. Some of the less educated nineras has suggested that the kids experience more seizures because the weather is a bit chilly right now. I do not know much about it, but I seriously doubt the temperature has large impact on the frequencies of seizures.
At any rate, Isabella does very well in the walker. With help she can take some small steps and partially propel herself and partially support her own weight. If the walker is adjusted too high, she uses it to swing both feet ahead together and would seemingly gain little strength or skill. One leg is significantly shorter than the other so she frequently starts to list to one side or the other. She definitely seems to enjoy the perspective of  a: attention  b: an elevated vantage to see the world.   She is unable to speak or respond consistently with much more than a bit of attention if her name is called.

 Second kid in the walker is Haroldo. He has had recent surgery straightening out his legs and feet. He is seven years old.  They used ligaments or tendons from his lower abdominal wall for his ankles. He had also had some oral surgery shortly before the leg surgeries because his infections in his mouth were incapacitating.  Though he is still wearing the casts on his legs, he is energized and eager for physical activity. He takes off on the walker and will no doubt be walking on his own before too very long.
He is a very sweat kid with and eye that goes off at an angle like Lon Chaney.

  I then spent time with Angela. She is the physically most challenged child we have. Profound cerebral palsy combined with extreme malnutrition have left her very weakened and with virtually zero independence. Nevertheless, she is everyone's favorite kid. She has a smile that could launch a 1000 ships.  She is unable to swallow normal food and has a profound scoliosis. When she arrived at the center at 11 years of age she only weighed 20 pounds. She is now 14 years old and weighs about 45 pounds, but still has limited mobility and challenges swallowing liquified foods. I held her and prayed with and for her. I see the eyes of God when I gaze into her eyes. She coos when you stroke the side of her face. I hold her on my lap and help her trying to keep her head upright. These days she has sufficient musculature to maintain it in an upright position almost a full minute. Previously, her head would only flop about like a raggedy Ann doll.  She is so precious and appreciative of any attention and warmth.  I prayed with her in Spanish and English. I told her how much she is loved by God and me.  I think she may understand some of what I prayed in Spanish and I hope the Holy Spirit helped her "feel" some of the love embedded in the prayer in English.

 My final hands on kid was Kerina. She is one of our smallest and youngest children. She has one of the lowest intelligence and some of the worst autism. She frequently rocks back and forth and will bounce her head on the floor.  She has horrific scars on her forehead from early childhood trauma. We are told that her Father is also her Grandfather.   Yeach.....
Her physical constraints are different than others. She has no obvious  obstacle to crawling and walking; rather it is her extremely low intelligence and the fact that she has been institutionalized and waited on her whole life that keeps her in her own autistic world.   Importantly, she benefited from a surgery a year and a half ago that fixed her Achilles tendons so that  her feet were not frozen at an angle that one would use to walk on your tippy toes.   Unfortunately, she feels little impetus to stand or crawl much. She receives some physical therapy, but not enough. When I put her in the aforementioned walker, she just pulls up her legs and swings in the harness. So today we spent time just working on her standing with knees straight. I maintained a hand on each knee and leaned her back against me while we excercised. It is obvious that the lack of muscle development in her legs from years of atrophy remain an obstacle but I remain optimistic.

  Thanks for reading this and may God Bless you in so many ways....

***  Names are fictional to protect their privacy. If you want their real names you can email me and I will give you the cross reference. Those of you who have visited can guess which kids I am talking about.

What a great idea. Shoes instead of rice and flowers!!

 "Newly married couples showered with shoes to benefit orphans"


What a cool idea!!  I stumbled upon this article online and thought it would be great if it was the beginning of a new trend.

"Two Texas Baptist brides who love Buckner International's Shoes for Orphan Souls ministry almost as much as they love their new husbands turned summer nuptials into an opportunity for guests to be part of something bigger."

and more...

"Amy Duncan-Stier, 25, served as a volunteer with Buckner in Guatemala after she graduated from Baylor University in 2008. Her father, John Duncan, is pastor at First Baptist Church in Georgetown .

"We did a shoe trip while I was there," she said. "And when I saw the need and saw what shoes meant to the kids, it just touched my heart. It's just amazing how those children would line up for shoes. ... Since I got back from Guatemala, I've always wanted to do a shoe drive."

After she and Scott Stier got engaged, they talked about trading in a traditional gift registry for a request for shoes."

and

"The shoe drive wedding reception also was a bigger blessing and a bigger hit with the guests than Duncan-Stier and her husband expected. Everyone loved having the opportunity to participate in ministry through a wedding gift.

"Little old ladies would come up to me in the weeks before the wedding and say, 'I've got my shoes for the wedding!' But it was shoes to give to the orphans, not to wear with their dress," Duncan-Stier said.

The couple collected more than 150 pairs of shoes at their reception, and several guests made donations to Shoes for Orphan Souls in their honor.

Rebecca Morton Pyle started planning her first wedding at 56.

"I had a great first half of my life," she said. "It was never a life-or-death, 'I have to get married' situation. But I wanted a different second half of my life, so I intentionally sought out God's choice."

For full story read click on link 

Baptized !!

  On October 20, 2011   I was Baptized by the Holy Spirit in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ. Though Baptized as an infant in the Episcopal Church as an infant I had never been Baptized when I cam to the Faith as an adult.  I accepted Christ as my personal Saviour in 1993 and had often thought of adult full immersion baptism. Both my kids did so in their adolesences. At times I was almost embarrassed that I had not had adult baptism and most folks assumed that I had. The matter is resolved and I declare my Faith and allegiance.

Matthew 3:13-17 -- 13 Then comes Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized by you, and you come to me? 15 And Jesus answering, said to him: Allow it to be so now. For so it becomes us to fulfil all justice. Then he allowed him. 16 And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him. 17 And behold a voice from heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.







 

God is Good and full of surprises....

 

At our staff meeting yesterday we reviewed our many challenges. All may be resolved with His guidance. A friend offered help this morning that addresses two of our largest and most immediate needs...

" Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7

Nice afternoon visit at the center with the kids.

  I was amazed to see how much  progress Willy and Jaime had made after their leg surgeries. They have had several days to become accustomed to their leg braces and the pain from surgery has disapated. It's almost as if they understand that something good is happening.  I can't wait to see how they react to their mobility in a few weeks when we see the legs without the casts. God has certainly Blessed these kids.

  Alvaro preached at Church this morning. He was on fire and made many great point and illustrations about the Rock that is our God. We need to hold on and not retreat! We are collecting food items for the many families effected by the flooding in the Solola area. There is a Church there that we are partnering with. Very frightening.

 Rainy season has been tough. The mudslides were evident and a bit unnerving on the drive to Church this morning. The problem with the roads here is that when they cut them into the side of the mountains, they do not cut away sufficient mountain to make it safe.   I travelled the major international highway that goes to El Salvador and while it was passable, there were many detours. And that is right next the the country's capital.

 Coincidentally, the former President of Guatemala and his wife were right in front of me on the flight down last night. As we left the plane I shook his hand and thanked him for his service. I thanked his wife for going to the USA and visiting as a tourist (aka spending money). He is currently the Mayor of the Capital City and she had a weak run for the Presidency in September.

Eric Metaxas Launches his new book "Socrates in the City"

It was a fun evening in NYC and some interesting  folks attended. Had the chance to chat with Dick
Cavett a bit but the photo of the two of us did not come out well. The premise of the book on Socrates in the City is that life is to be examined and that reasonable people can be both intellectual, engaging and fun in their search for meaning.

Thank you Summit Junior League for the Clothes!

  Once again Summit Junior League Thrift Shop has come through with a significant donation of children's clothing for the kids at Cadanino!!
  Not only does it provide these kids in the chilly winter days ahead, it saves us a lot of time trying to find the right sizes and type of clothing. Guatemala winter is not like here. It's cold, but not freezing. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no heat any where in the center so a 45 to 50 degree day and night can be really difficult. And just like here in the States, the kids end up with a lot of coughs and colds. They think it's from the cold, but I believe germ theory indicates that we are in closer proximity to each other in the winter and this more susceptible to airborne illnesses.

 Summit Junior League does so many wonderful and generous philanthropic activities. Thank you!

Wadda Week

  When you visit the center, you either  "get It" or you don't.  We don't need brochures and pamphlets or
fancy words to describe it. It is hard to not "get It"   when you visit.  It is a powerful force that explains the unexplainable.  "It"  is the way God expresses his love through these children.  I am also very respectful of those who don't get it and choose to stay away. "It" is exhausting and tests every emotion and spiritual thought that you have.  "It" is not God and nobody is called to this place if they are not ready. It is too complicated  and I have the utmost respect for someone aware enough to stay away.  "It" is the most emotionally challenging environment I have had the pleasure to work in.
      Borrowing from those who have proceeded me to Heaven, one of my first questions will be, Why Cadanino?  Why this difficult place?" 
  My favorite two answers that I doubt he might respond with,  "Why not you?"   or "Because sometimes you make me mad!"

  On a happy note: One kid went home to an improved home situation. We drove 7 hours North to the Border with Mexico and returned April to her family in Tecun Uman.  She had falsely claimed to have been abused by a family member. She later recanted, but the wheels of justice move slowly and the government used time appropriately to shake out the truth in these matters.
  Conversely, we drove back to the capital with  a beautiful baby boy Guillermo. He is four months old and was taken from his Mother to protect him. She is a chronic alcoholic who had repeatedly been hitting him in public.  Man's cruelty knows few limits.
Guillerrmo is sooo nice and affectionate. Hard to place him in the other center for babies. We had a great time on the seven hour ride. He only fussed when he needed his diaper changed. He seemed to enjoy the tiny taste of a McFlurry that a certain gringo gave him a taste of.

Stewardship

 I am currently doing a study on money through the Bible Study Podcast with Chris Christiansen.
His work always seemed to be just a my level. Theologically conservative yet contemporary and thoughtfull.   Chronologically, this was last year's study and I hit a few of the episodes, but am now more methodical in listening to them all. He is on Itunes. I highly recommend these podcasts if you are a lay person. I think if I had been to Seminary and had an M-Div  in Theology I might find his approach a bit simple for for the average person he is great!

This passage was one I had not remembered from prior readings:

Proverbs 30 :  5- 9

5“Every word of God is flawless;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6Do not add to his words,

or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

7“Two things I ask of you, O Lord;

do not refuse me before I die:

8Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

9Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonor the name of my God. 

BTW- My title above is misleading. This is really about the inside work. 

Remaining Faithful

 So I was looking to Henri Nouwen and Scripture this morning to cheer me up and help me to put on the armor. I had been feeling a bit challenged and discouraged. Everywhere we see so much suffering and unmerited pain. Though this meditation did not, "cheer me up,"  It certainly right sized me and put my concerns in perspective:

Wednesday September 14, 2011

Remaining Faithful

Many people live with the unconscious or conscious expectation that eventually things
will get better; wars, hunger, poverty, oppression, and exploitation will vanish;
and all people will live in harmony.  Their lives and work are motivated by that
 expectation.  When this does not happen in their lifetimes, they are often disillusioned
and experience themselves as failures.

But Jesus doesn't support such an optimistic outlook.  He foresees not only the
destruction of his beloved city Jerusalem but also a world full of cruelty, violence,
and conflict.  For Jesus there is no happy ending in this world.  The challenge
of Jesus is not to solve all the world's problems before the end of time but to
remain faithful at any cost.

By popular demand: I was there. At the World Trade Center

  This is What I saw 

Yes, I was there         
  

In a conference room on the 42nd floor we were in a morning management meeting discussing competitive products. With my face turned away from the large windows, I heard the roar of a jet  flying much to close to our building. As I turned to see the explosion I saw the back half of the plane breaking off and descending to the ground. It was eerily similar to a Hollywood extravaganza sitting too close to the front of the theater.  My colleagues and I were in shock and awe. 
As we shouted and cursed, I prayed the the Lord be there with each of us. The back half of the plane broke off and tumbled to the patio we shared with the North Tower. The flames and quantity of debris was staggering.  Much like a ticker tape parade office papers started fluttering in the wind to the ground almost immediately. As we started to see the people falling and jumping to their deaths there were few atheists in our office. My prayers were for each of them and their families. I prayed they had come to know the Lord and could find some peace. My friends and I were all yelling, crying and guessing what the heck was happening. 
The we saw dead people. Lot´s of dead people. Splattered on the ground in front of us like raw hamburger splattered on your driveway thrown from the third floor of your house. I was 42 years old and consciously thought I was glad my eyesight was starting to fade and I was unable to see the corpses as well as others. John shouted, ¨That guys head just popped off like a pumpkin.¨ My heart still aches when I repeat that audio  in my mind. 
Like popcorn popping people jumped. Sometimes alone and sometimes in pairs or more. Wondering silently and still years later which was better  facing the end alone or holding the hand of an office mate.  At times, people appeared to be continuously jumping and other other times it appeared to slow.  I had been no stranger to death, but the quantity of people dying quickly was mind boggling.  
I was so very glad that I knew Jesus and prayed that those dying also knew him. I strongly believe many of those passing recommitted to their faith in a profound and sincere way. They now sit with Him and watch us with love.  Dear reader, I love you and do not wish in any way to preach the exclusivity of my faith or any others.   Many of my friends and readers are not Christian and I love you. 

What happened next ??  (more to come.....) 


PART 2  

Yes..... I was there..... Part 2 the evacuation

  Shortly before the second plane hit someone suggested that we call our families. Only 15 of the 150 plus people on our floor were still present. The smart ones and the people who had been there in `93 had already left. After calling and leaving a message at the house, I picked up my binolculars and headed back to the conference room. I remember thinking about the irony of having just taken my binoculars to my new job just as the world appeared to be coming apart.  Next to the conference room I stopped to try my binoculars.

  The binoculars were strong and I could see the facial features and gestures of the people preparing to jump to their deaths. I could see people frantically gesturing inside the tightly sealed strong windows. One woman was like in the play of Evita: gesturing from a busted balcony that never excited before or after. The result of a plane crashing into the sleek steel and glass walls had created an opening. Was it a balcony or a platform for a messenger?  I thought (naively) that I hope the helicopters would arrive soon and they would all be rescued through the roof top.   How very naive of me because even if the building had not collapsed the heat from the fires would have precluded a rooftop rescue. Also, naively I continued to pray for this Evita and think I would try to follow here story as she was rescued. BOOM!  Plane number two hit the South Tower.

  I may be dumb, but I am not stupid. After the second plane it we knew we had to leave. We could here the television blaring about another plane, but from our vantage point on the 42nd floor (Building 7)  we thought it was a bomb. The windows exploded in our disrection and we saw nothing of the plane. Someone coarsely yelled that perhaps the government was not telling the truth because of the bomb vs. plane.  We all started wondering about bombs and planes.

  The handful of us left planed evacuation. I asked Darren if we should wait for Peter our boss. I said that I would not want him to be alone in the event that he returned and felt he had to go down with the ship alone.  "Expletive   Peter.. let`s go"   Darren said. We swept the floor with the Systems Administrative guy who had that morning finally delivered my beatiful new laptop computer which remained (remains) locked in the my desk.  He decided to take the elevator as Darren and I chose the stairs. No way was I going to travel in an a  electronic mausoleum to the next home. I l^ ooked aorund the now vacant floor and throught,  "Hmm what`s next?"
  As we descended we found our colleague Mary struggling down the stairs. Late 50`s and seriously overweight.  Darren steadied her and I carried bit their stuff. They had far more to carry than I. Turns out they were the smart ones.....   Laboriously we descnded the 42 stairwells, praying for safety and wondering what was going on outside...