October 21st....

Yesterday was a great day.  When I left Julio Cesar on Thursday the counselor there said that Sunday morning was a great time to come visit the kids and that they would love for us to do some stuff with all of the kids.  So since we always have Sunday mornings off we decided to do just that.  On Saturday I decided that maybe we shouldn´t just drop in on Sunday morning since we hadn´t met any of the day staff.  I want to have the best relationship I can with this place.  So Saturday evening we went by to make that Sunday was really a good time and not just the whim of the night guard.  I was told that definitely Sunday "morning" after 11 was a great time to come.  So we went out and bought a giant bag of oranges and a couple bags of bananas and loaded up some of our board games and headed out to October 21st (an interesting name for a boys home, I know).  At first I just went up to the door, leaving everyone else in the car, and explained that I wanted to visit with Julio Cesar.  The guard (whom I hadn´t ever met) was very stern and serious and told me he needed to see id.  So I go out to the car to get my id thinking well this probably isn´t going to go as we had planned.  When I get back inside the guard says "So you want to see Julio Cesar?"  and I launch into an explanation about how I would love to see Julio Cesar if that´s all I can do today but that we brought all this stuff for the kids and we´ll do whatever they want us to do, we don´t want to be a bother (there were lots of run on sentences there, I tend to talk fast when I get nervous)  Well the guard´s whole demeanor changed immediately. "You want to play with all the kids, well come on back, do you need any help getting anything out of the car".  It was amazing to watch.  They immediately led us into the back and called all the kids out and the next thing we knew we were standing in front of 45 kids looking at us expectantly.  That was a bit of an awkward transition but once we got the kids off of the benches and into playing games it was a great day.  We gave lots of hugs and shared lots of smiles.  And as I´m sure those of you that know me can imagine all 45 of them marched right into my heart and decided to stay for a while.  The counselors there (never more than 3 at a time, usually 2) are eager for any help they can get with these kids.  God has definitely flung this door wide open for us to be a bit of a bright spot in some very very dark lives.  This home is a transition home so most of the kids won´t be there for more than 6 months or so, but many of them return.  It´s a home for kids that they can´t find placement for.  Most of these kids have spent the majority of their lives being the kids no one wants.  Our goal is to show them that they are loved, both by God and by us, and to help them as much as we can in the little time that we have with them.  Please be praying for these precious, precious boys.  I´m sure I¨ll have lots of stories to share in the future. 

Julio Cesar is doing a lot better emotionally and has made some friends in the home.  I´m talking to a friend of mine here about some options for his future and we are prayerfully making plans to help him have a better life.  I will let you guys know more about that when we´ve moved a little further down that road. 

Thank you guys so much for all the love you´ve sent this way.  I love you guys so much and it means the world to me.