December in Review

Wow! I can't believe we're almost to the New Year! This month has been absolutely packed with special events and happenings. I've tried to capture the majority through pictures below. Enjoy!

Decorating the tree!

Throwing a Party for Our Volunteers
We had the special opportunity to throw a party for our volunteers this year to give back a little of all that they give to us! The kids worked hard to prepare a Christmas play to share with them and did a wonderful job! They also played a few of their piano recital pieces.

Making sock snowmen as little party favors!

The finished product :)

New Arrival
We have been blessed with another amazing opportunity to reach a new child with the gospel and with love! A 7-year-old boy came to live at our shelter in early December. He has many special needs and we would appreciate prayer for knowing how to best help him!


English Class Trip
At the end of each six-week session of English classes (our outreach to young adult women in the village), we reward the faithful attenders with an outing to the city! This time, they chose the zoo and we had a wonderful time!

English Class Christmas Party

We also celebrated Christmas with all of our English class girls at our house. They had the chance to decorate Christmas cookies, sing English Christmas carols, do a white elephant gift exchange and many other fun games. We blessed them all with a gift and a verse to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas!

We made sock snowmen too!

School Christmas Party

We celebrated Christmas on our last day of school with a TON of fun activities including decorating gingerbread houses, games, and singing! 

Pin the nose on Olaf!

Gingerbread houses!

Christmas Piano Recital

The kids have been working hard to show off their amazing musical talents at the Christmas recital! They played a mixture of songs on the piano and guitar. They did a wonderful job!

All my piano/guitar students!

Home with the Family

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to spend Christmas with my family! We have enjoyed our time together immensely and I will soon be back in Mexico to start the second semester! 

Thanksgiving-A Day to be Thankful For

Thanksgiving Celebration

Our Thanksgiving day dawned a bit chilly, but beautiful all the same! We started it off in the kitchen, baking pies and other goodies. I ran up to the roof for a quick phone call with family and was blessed to be able to talk to about 15 relatives all gathered together for the day. Our own feast took place midday and we enjoyed it with a few families from the village as well as some girls from our English class. After dinner, we set out to the court in the middle of the village to play volleyball with some of the locals. As we played, the sun was setting over the mountains, the little village boys were weaving in and out of us playing a soccer game, the cheers and laughter of the teams were rising, onlookers gathered in clusters, and I just drank it all in. One word came to mind…FULL. Our God is so good. On a day that has historically been quite difficult for me to be so far from family, He met me with the reminder of His fullness and His gifts. Here. Now. What a great God we serve!

Peeling apples for the pie!

The table is set!

The family 

Family and Staff-EVERYONE!

Our director and his wife cutting the turkey!

The kids and I excitedly awaiting our food!

The feast...

He was SO happy :)

5 of our English class girls showed up to celebrate with us!

At least 40 guests 

Desert anyone?

Preparing for our Christmas Music Recital

The students have been working hard on piano and/or guitar solos for our upcoming music recital! This little one in the picture below made his music teacher very happy when he excitedly showed me a scratch "in the shape of an eighth note" on the table ;)! They have learned well!

The eighth note shaped scratch...look closely :)

Our most recent class photo!