Update: Numero Dos

Can you believe it? Two posts. One week. Has to be a new record.

This post is devoted entirely to the babies, who are no longer babies,  but will always be "the babies" in my eyes.
I love them. And I would pack them all up with me and bring them home in about two seconds if I could. If being the operative word. I was cuddling Jacob a few days ago and as I looked into his adorably huge eyes, I could only wonder if it would be possible to sedate him, pack him in a bag, and sneak him into the States. Still working on the logical aspect of that.
Now that that's clear, here goes.

Ladies first.
Rebecca Mercedes: a.ka. Mercedes, Mercy, Merci beaucoup, and Mercedes Benz (very creative, yes?)
She's a handful. And a drama queen. And so precious it about makes my heart hurt. Her favorite pastime is following the boys all around the room and grabbing their toys, picking squabbles. She has just recently started walking confidently; I could watch her toddle around all day long. It's that cute.

And she loves Josh.

Next, we have Boy #1. Isaac Roberto: a.k.a. Krunk, Krunkies, and Caveman (for his frequent grunting noises) Not lying.
This chunky little guy is also walking quite well. I almost get tears when I see him walking around--we about despaired of him ever walking! He used to scream when we sat him up, scream even louder when we stood him up, and when we tried to stand him and let go, oh, that was real bad. Now he is so pleased with himself and almost always walks around with a huge grin on his face! He's started to shake his head yes and no appropriately and everything is "muuuum."

Boy #2. Josue Antonio: a.k.a. Jeshua and Little Joshua
This little one is as cute as ever. He's been walking now for awhile and is quite confident in escaping through the gate in the living room. He just recently started to say Josh's name, and yes, its quite precious. He hates to eat chicken and vegetables and has a pleasant little habit of stuffing his mouth with food and then launching it out later. Josue is a little bit smaller than the other boys and frequently resorts to biting to get his way.

No fruits and veggies for this guy. He prefers dirt. 

Boy #3. Jacobo Daniel: a.k.a. Jakers
Jacob is starting to talk more and more. I am officially "na-na". He manages to get the "d" in every so often, but mostly it's just "na-na". When he sees Josh, he holds his hands up like asking where and says "na-na." And yes, it officially melts my heart. He also wails quite loudly if Josh leaves the room. He eats faster, drinks faster, runs faster, walks faster than all the other babies. He's definitely an on-the-go type. He routinely pulls off his socks so that we can play This Little Piggy and claps enthusiastically when we sing.

This picture is dark, but that smile is worth it. 

Boy #4. Mynor (I can't remember his middle name). He used to be called Mynor the Whiner but not so much anymore and I am glad for that. It just wasn't pleasant.
Mynor and I love to sing together. He is learning how to do the motions and even to sing/hum/make noise along with me. When we sing My God is So Big, he cups his hands to his mouth and shouts BIG and it just melts my heart. He loves to read books and would be happy if stay in the library all day long. He loves when Josh and the older boys wrestle and tries to jump right in and help Josh. He is a smart little guy and I love to watch his knowledge expand!

Don't be deceived. A very loud yell can come out of this sweet little guy. 

Josh and I don't spend as much time with the babies since we moved to the other house, but we babysit every Wednesday and any nights when everyone else goes to church. I miss not seeing them as much, but the time we have with them now is so much more precious.

You can pray with us for the babies as they grow:
-that their development would progress well
-that the laws would change and they could be adopted (this just about goes without saying, but I'll keep reminding you in case you forget)
-that they would grow into children who love Jesus and know His love for them
-that they would be protected from any spiritual, physical, or emotional abuse.


Thank you to each of you who prays for us and these precious children. It means so much.
p.s. Photo credits to Katie and Emily, the superbly awesome volunteers.

Update: Numero Uno

My excuses sound good in my brain, but that's just what they are....excuses.

It's been too long. I'm sorry for not updating sooner.
I'll do a few shorter updates instead of one looooong rambling one.
Here goes.

The biggest change since the last post is that Josh and I have moved out of the orphanage house where Dave and Deborah and all the kids live and into the house across the lane. The house we're living in now, which is called the "other house", was actually built for Deborah's parents, but it has been empty (except for teams) since they moved back to the States.
We have lots of space for just the two of us. Feel free to come visit.

School is also in session and this is now my main responsibility. I only cook one day a week now and the rest of my time is spent teaching, directing, correcting, preparing for tests, giving tests, and finishing report cards to be submitted to the school. It's pretty stretching. Especially teaching Spanish grammar. But it definitely has happy moments. The kids have reached the 50 mark for good grades; 50 test scores above an 80%; it's a big achievement. This coming Tuesday we're gonna have a par-tay to celebrate. I really want to stalk Pinterest for party ideas, but the Internet is too low. That's probably a good thing though. And that's kinda off subject, too.

Jeamy (6th grade)

 Angelito (2nd grade)

Saul and Angel (5th grade)

Lucia, Vidalia, Maria, and Jhostin (4th grade)

My brain is tuckered out. Enjoy the pixerrrs.
Please keep us in your prayers.
It hasn't been easy lately; alot of days we just want to pack up and go home.
Pray that as we rest in the peace and quiet of this house that we would be filled, overflowing with Jesus, so that we can pour more love, more Jesus into these children.
Pray that we would let Jesus press us, break us, mold us, refine us into what He wants us to be.
Pray for humility to be servants, from the heart.

And as always, pray for these precious children.
That their hearts would be soft and open to Jesus.
That they could begin to find healing for their pain.
That the laws of Guatemala would change.
That each one could have his very own family.

One more thing:
Adoption. Just think about it.

There are way too many abandoned and orphaned kids in this world.
God might ask you to be the answer to one (or two or three or more) child's dream; to be a physical example of His adopting us into his family, of belonging.
He might ask you to be the support team for families who adopt.
Let's be willing.