El Sauzal News

Julia and Mackenzie with Patty, meeting for breakfast.

Sitting outside across from the Pacific Ocean, the warm breezes caused the palm trees to gently sway.  It was in beautiful San Diego that Roy and I met newlyweds Julia and Mackenzie Harder for breakfast.

I was very excited to meet them, this being the first time.  When we arrived, they greeted us with big smiles and warm hugs.  Over breakfast, Julia and Mackenzie told us how they met.  Mackenzie is a real estate agent, and Julia is in graduate school, studying to become a pharmacist.  They are both from California and have mutual friends; however, it was in San Diego that they connected.  After a week of hanging out together, they decided on marriage.  “It was like a movie,” Julia told us. 

When they got engaged, they began thinking of donating their wedding gifts.  At Christmas time, Mackenzie met Susan Meyers-Pike, a real estate agent who has brought Christmas gifts to the Orphanage for several years.  Susan gave a presentation about the Christmas distribution, and Mackenzie gave her a check for enough food for three months for the Orphanage.  And then, although they’ve never visited El Sauzal, Julia and Mackenzie decided the Orphanage was who they’d give their wedding gifts to.

When asked what prompted them to donate all their gifts, they told us of being so blessed, and knowing they could help.  Julia likes to help others in need, and Mackenzie is interested in helping children.  The Orphanage was a natural fit for them.

They hope to visit El Sauzal for the first time later this summer.  Their family and friends gave more than two thousand dollars in honor of their wedding.  We are so grateful, and know that God will continue to bless this generous young couple.

Betty loves boys of all ages.

If you’ve visited the Orphanage in the last five years, you’ve probably met Betty.  She is the cheerful, smiling nanny in the boys’ dorm, caring for thirteen boys, ages 5 to 16.  As a single mom, Betty began working at the Orphanage to care for her boys. 

Betty and her sons, Leonardo and Pablo, live at the Orphanage, sleeping in the boys’ dorm.  Every morning there’s the rush of cleaning, dressing, breakfast and off to school.  Throughout the day, when the boys aren’t at school, there is the general busyness of homework, watching the boys, keeping them out of trouble, from eating bugs or the other fun things that boys do.  At night, baths and bed time; that’s the normal schedule. Frequently there are sick kids; just this week, several kids had chicken pox. Helping the other workers means Betty also does plenty of laundry, cooking and cleaning.  It is a tough job that is twenty-four hours a day, six days a week. 

The other day, Betty told me how she enjoys her job.  It is her boys’ home.  On her days off, when Betty goes into town, Pablo and Leonardo ask to stay back at the Orphanage with their friends.  Betty smiled as she told me how her boys are brothers with the other boys at the Orphanage.  And Betty is mom to them all.

When you think of the Orphanage boys, remember Betty, smiling and chuckling at her many boys’ antics.  They are in good hands.

Education is very important in Mexico.  In June, there are special graduation ceremonies for the different schools, but there are also parties to attend.  The celebrations are fun, yet quickly add up with several kids graduating.  See “Live from Mexico, a Faithful Family”, for how Josue funded these celebrations this year.

Many of our kids celebrated in graduation ceremonies last month.  Omar graduated from kindergarten.  From the elementary, or primaria, level, Leticia, America, Jaime and Agustin graduated.  From junior high, segundaria, Sofia and Mayra celebrated.  And finishing high school/technical school, preparatoria, Ramiro graduated.  He plans on entering the university, studying engineering in the fall.

Each of these kids is moving on to more education.  Two of the kids, Jaime and Mayra, had little or no schooling before coming to El Sauzal as older children.  They each worked through an accelerated program, completing many levels of schooling in three years.  For them and others, education might have been impossible without the help of the Orphanage.  We are so excited to watch our kids grow!

Director Josue and wife Lilia give everything they have to care for the Orphanage children

I’m writing this from Mexico, where the El Sauzal Foundation, Inc. has been meeting.  (This is my first blog actually posted from Mexico!)  We have had two full, busy, exhausting days.  Hot meeting rooms, long hours, working through nitty gritty details, and dreaming about where the Orphanage is going in the future.  It has been draining, but fulfilling.

Near the end of day today, Josue and Erika addressed our group.  They spoke honestly of the joys and hardships of their ministry.  Just this month, Josue used all of his salary to pay for graduation expenses for various children and college fees for Ramiro. Both Josue and Erika have so little available money, they were concerned with having enough gas to make it to the meeting, only fifteen minutes from the Orphanage.  Yet, when Erika talked with the group, she thanked us.  Her words were powerful to me.

“Thank you that you are doing your best and we know.  I think we’re [the Orphanage and Foundation] doing great. 

We’re used to this.  We’re used to not having money.  It is frustrating.  It is stressful.  But God provides.  Keep doing what you’re doing and God will do the rest.”

Clay Warren, Foundation board member and youth pastor of Tacoma Christian Reformed Community Church, opened up a Bible and read Matthew 6:25-34,

“..do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear….Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.”

I am deeply humbled by the faith that my Mexican friends have.  I have always known that the leaders of the Orphanage have a deep, strong faith.  For some reason, though, today it hit home more powerfully.  Their’s is a faith I strive to have.  I pray that I can learn from their example.

Assistant director Erika loves the children with all of her heart