This this our family in the Hogar and all of the things we did together.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Hogar Ines Riesco Llona Braunwart Visit_0001.wmv
This is when the Braunwarts came to visit, sure was fun.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
For we walk by faith, not by sight....
How do we find true faith? To be able to say, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”? God asks very different things of all of us, and we never know what other journeys He is preparing us for. We must have faith in His wisdom.
When my husband, Matt, and I decided we wanted to come on mission, we were walking by sight, and trying to guide ourselves with human wisdom. We had very specific goals we wanted to accomplish. Now, as we reflect on our year I am filled with gratitude and great awe. While our time here has had many great challenge, it has also been very rich and transformative. The ways in which we have grown in wisdom, strength and faith, both individually and as a couple, far out weigh the difficult transitions and struggles.
To our great surprise, the most beautiful gifts that we have received are not the things we initially set out to accomplish. We could not have seen these benefits before coming into mission. We could not have written them down on our Pros & Cons list. If someone had related their similar experience, it would not have been the same, as each gift is personal. They are things God could not have revealed to us either, His Wisdom being far beyond our grasp.
The only way to receive these gifts was with Faith. You must pay the piper up front, not knowing what you will find in that box, under all those ribbons and pretty paper. But within the mystery is it’s beauty, and the prize is deeper love and true joy. It is a true miracle, that triggers an immense desire of the heart to leap with joy and thanksgiving.
When my husband, Matt, and I decided we wanted to come on mission, we were walking by sight, and trying to guide ourselves with human wisdom. We had very specific goals we wanted to accomplish. Now, as we reflect on our year I am filled with gratitude and great awe. While our time here has had many great challenge, it has also been very rich and transformative. The ways in which we have grown in wisdom, strength and faith, both individually and as a couple, far out weigh the difficult transitions and struggles.
To our great surprise, the most beautiful gifts that we have received are not the things we initially set out to accomplish. We could not have seen these benefits before coming into mission. We could not have written them down on our Pros & Cons list. If someone had related their similar experience, it would not have been the same, as each gift is personal. They are things God could not have revealed to us either, His Wisdom being far beyond our grasp.
The only way to receive these gifts was with Faith. You must pay the piper up front, not knowing what you will find in that box, under all those ribbons and pretty paper. But within the mystery is it’s beauty, and the prize is deeper love and true joy. It is a true miracle, that triggers an immense desire of the heart to leap with joy and thanksgiving.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sunflowers!!!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Donation Updates
Hello, all! This is a little late, but better late than never! I wanted to catch you all up on some of the awesome work that your donations have done here in Chile.
Sunday Lunches
Matt continued to cook weekly meals for the girls all the way up through our last week at the Hogar. The last few weeks we had pizza, lasagna, and hamburgers. Matt was still getting lots of requests for another pizza day so we figure we'll have to do an encore when we get back to Santiago from traveling South. All the food for these meals was bought fresh thanks to your donations and helped supplement the diet and the food budget at the Hogar.
The girls helped out and had a lot of fun, and learned good skills in the kitchen too!
Who Says School is all Math and Reading?!
During the 2nd semester of school, we saw the need for more funds for extra curricular education costs. For 4 months, from September to December, we gave $100 each month to the sisters to use to this end. Here is a short list of activities the girls were able to do that they would not have been able to participate in without your help.
- Visit to a planetarium- End of year Concert
- Theater Show
- costume for end of year dance performance
- various snacks for "potluck" style celebrations
- Additional sessions with psychologist
- Additional sessions with a learning specialist (teaching learning strategies)
- End of year field trip for kids graduating from 8th grade
- Additional School supplies for art projects
- Help with additional tuition costs
Saying Goodbye and Celebrating A Year!
For February, we decided to have one big birthday party for all the February birthdays, 7 in total (plus 2 more who were on vacation.) We celebrated on our last day in mission at the Hogar, Feb. 15th, and had a blow out party.
We also made a simple picture collage for each girl to hang in their bedroom, and a large collage for the house. Pictures are so important to remember all the good memories we have, and help make a house feel more like a home. This was our parting gift to the girls.
Here the girls are helping put the last finishing touches on the collage with stickers.
We wouldn't have been able to do so much, or be so generous without all of your help. Know that we hold you all dear to our hearts and in our prayers.
And the MISSION CONTINUES!!!!
Our Mission time at the Hogar may be over, but we have just only begun to accompany the girls at the Hogar. We will be in Santiago for another 5 months and will be going to the Hogar on the weekends to accompany the girls, take them on field trips, cook meals and tend the garden. We are also working on a project to help build a climbing toy for the girls in the back patio. Currently they do not have any safe place where they can climb and play in this way. We will keep you all posted and let you know how you can help!
Sunday Lunches
Matt continued to cook weekly meals for the girls all the way up through our last week at the Hogar. The last few weeks we had pizza, lasagna, and hamburgers. Matt was still getting lots of requests for another pizza day so we figure we'll have to do an encore when we get back to Santiago from traveling South. All the food for these meals was bought fresh thanks to your donations and helped supplement the diet and the food budget at the Hogar.
Who Says School is all Math and Reading?!
During the 2nd semester of school, we saw the need for more funds for extra curricular education costs. For 4 months, from September to December, we gave $100 each month to the sisters to use to this end. Here is a short list of activities the girls were able to do that they would not have been able to participate in without your help.
- Visit to a planetarium- End of year Concert
- Theater Show
- costume for end of year dance performance
- various snacks for "potluck" style celebrations
- Additional sessions with psychologist
- Additional sessions with a learning specialist (teaching learning strategies)
- End of year field trip for kids graduating from 8th grade
- Additional School supplies for art projects
- Help with additional tuition costs
Saying Goodbye and Celebrating A Year!
For February, we decided to have one big birthday party for all the February birthdays, 7 in total (plus 2 more who were on vacation.) We celebrated on our last day in mission at the Hogar, Feb. 15th, and had a blow out party.
We also made a simple picture collage for each girl to hang in their bedroom, and a large collage for the house. Pictures are so important to remember all the good memories we have, and help make a house feel more like a home. This was our parting gift to the girls.
Here the girls are helping put the last finishing touches on the collage with stickers.
We wouldn't have been able to do so much, or be so generous without all of your help. Know that we hold you all dear to our hearts and in our prayers.
And the MISSION CONTINUES!!!!
Our Mission time at the Hogar may be over, but we have just only begun to accompany the girls at the Hogar. We will be in Santiago for another 5 months and will be going to the Hogar on the weekends to accompany the girls, take them on field trips, cook meals and tend the garden. We are also working on a project to help build a climbing toy for the girls in the back patio. Currently they do not have any safe place where they can climb and play in this way. We will keep you all posted and let you know how you can help!
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