A note from Lorena...

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in holy array." Psalm 29:2

¡Buenos dias! The Lord has blessed Mary Ellen and I with a place to stay for a day off, and so this morning I´m sitting in the home of a loving, Christian family in Chihuahua who has graciously taken us in. To sum up my stay at Lily thus far, one word comes to mind: thankful. I´m in constant awe of God´s provision, as He has worked out many of the details I was unsure of before I left, and continues to amaze me with His provision now.

The first few days at Lily were difficult due to fatigue, not knowing the language, and wondering how Mary Ellen and I could best be a blessing to the staff and kids. Slowly, the Lord is chipping away my insecurities and showing me how I can serve here.

We are under the leadership of an amazing Godly couple, Papa Ed and Mama Rosa, who come before the Lord every morning to lay everything before Him. I see them struggle through sin and be blessed by their faithfulness, and it is so apparent that the Lord is their source of strength. Spiritually, the Lord provides through a time of individual prayer that Mama and Papa have set aside for all of the staff every morning. We also come together for prayer and worship together, which I always look forward to. Through this time, I´m learning to more fully surrender to the desires of my flesh to prepare for another day of service. The Lord has provided physically, for we are able to get plenty of sleep each night, eat three meals a day, and are remaining healthy overall. And the very fact that I´m sitting in a stranger´s home who has completely welcomed Mary Ellen and I in is a blessing we didn´t expect. The days at the orphanage are long and full of activity, so to be able to escape from that to refuel has been incredible.

Here's a short rundown of a typical day-
Wake up around 6:30 for prayer.
Wake the kids up, and clean up the rooms around 7:30 or 8.
Around 9:30, have group devotional with the kids and eat breakfast. Clean up.
The remainder of the morning is set aside for work on the house grounds and maybe a little play time.
Lunch is around 2 or 3, and after cleaning up, we may take a trip to a park or pool, or stay home to play.
Dinner is later in the evening, followed by more cleaning, another group devotional, and finally bedtime around 8. The girls in our room settle down by 9:30, and Mary Ellen and I fall asleep soon after. A very long, but good day! Mixed in are trips to a local nursing home to sing a few songs, or a visit to friends of Mama and Papa who give us fresh milk from their farm. I'm also able to run errands for Mama and Papa, such as driving into Chihuahua a couple times a week to load up a truck with dairy products that a major milk company donates to the orphanage. What a blessing this is!

I'm encourage by the way Papa and Mama live, and because of it, my prayer life is being challenged. It seems that every good thing that comes to the orphanage is the result of prayer. Papa and Mama are very bold in their requests to the Lord and eagerly await His reply. I look forward to growing in this avenue of my faith.

The area that brings the most discouragement is the huge language barrier that stands between me and the kids. Mary Ellen and I room with approximately 40 girls who range in age from 6 to 15 or 16. Communicating effectively with this many girls in my own language would be difficult, and with knowing very little Spanish, it´s nearly impossible. I´m beginning to get to know the girls on a surface level, but more so I want to know their hearts. Please pray that Mary Ellen and I would be able to learn the language quickly, and that as a result, we would be able to form deep relationships with them, as well as with the 70 other kids living at the house.

Here are a few other ways that you can pray for us: 1) Pray for Papa and Mama- they are amazing, but human. Pray for rest and rejuvenation of their bodies and souls. Their work never ends at the house, and they take little time off. 2) Pray for the staff- they care for so many kids everyday and the long days wear on them. Pray that they would return to joy in their salvation and that with this joy, they will be able to minister to one another and to the kids. 3) Pray for the hearts of the kids. So many of them have been scarred by awful family situations and don't know that they are loved by their Creator. Pray that the gospel would become real to them and that they would see their desperate need for Christ! 4) And for me, that I may work hard with a pure heart.

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support. I can confidently say that I am in the Lord's will by being here. I wish I had a few photos to share, but I'm having a little trouble with my camera. In the mean time, enjoy Mary Ellen's- she's a pro.

With much love in Christ,
Lorena...although some of my friends here say my name should be Laura, pronounced "loura". (You were right, Nick. Oh, I hate to say it.)

PS- I know that some of you have expressed interest in wanting to send things that we or the kids may need. If needs arise, I will be sure to let you know. And one more thing- the weather is fantastic (a little warm) and the mountains are beautiful. I hope to show you some pictures soon. Also, I need a haircut. Long hair is overrated.