Dear Friends:
Lately, I have been reading through and thinking about, the book of Isaiah. It is a great book, explaining God’s Judgment on His people for following their own ways instead of listening directly to Him. It is clear from Isaiah that God will do whatever it takes to cause His people to turn to Him as their God. It is written about 700 years before Christ, and it prophecies God’s Judgment, which will cause fear, great harm, slavery, famine, and death to his people, but then when His people return to Him, He will restore them, His judgment on the nations that have harmed His people will be even greater, and His people will once again feel His blessings. It is an excellent life-lesson book, because it reminds us how important it is to seek Him with all our hearts.
Isa 55:6-7 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
And one of the great life-lessons the Lord wants to teach us through Isaiah is that ceremonies, traditions, and even sacrifice are not sufficient. What God wants is for us to seek Him with all our hearts and to do the things that are important to Him!
Isa 1:16-17 Wash yourselves and be clean! Let me no longer see your evil deeds. Give up your wicked ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.
The poor and needy are important to God. That is why Jesus makes it clear to us that the 2 greatest commandments are to Matt 22:37-40 "love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
So, this year, let’s resolve to read His Word frequently, ask Him to talk to us personally through it, and then to ask Him to put His love in action in our daily lives, in our priorities, in our finances, and in our plans! We will be following Him, and He will be pleased. Then, we will see God arise in our midst, and His enemies scattered! Psalm 68:1.
We have so much to be thankful for at Casa! School has finally started for everyone. Our girls are all doing well, the older ones are beginning to show us that they are planning for their future, they are getting jobs and saving money, they are realizing that they must take concrete steps if they want to have a good future, and all of them are seeking the Lord to one extent or another. The younger girls are getting along well with others and working on their grades in school. Sure, they are teens and they mess up, but they are not rebellious, and they are quick to show they are sorry when they do mess up.
Please especially keep Maria and Paola in your prayers, as this is their last semester of school, and they must make plans for what will happen next. Maria wants to keep working on English, and perhaps come to the US at some point for school, but in the meantime, she will likely enter college in Cd. Juarez to start her serious education. She will be taking an admission test in March that she is studying for now. Paola is still unsure, and we are still talking to her about seeking training in a field that will pay her well. They are sisters, and so they are considering whether they will stay together, or go down separate roads.
Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support that provide a present, a future, and a hope for all of these girls.
Happy New Year! As part of the new year, we shared aspiring resolutions for the future with our students and parents about the future.
High School Activity Summary
To start the year with motivation and confidence, our high school students learned the value of continued education and self-development. Specifically, they received guidance and materials on academic and career opportunities in Cd. Juarez. The volunteers also shared their academic experiences with the students and how those experiences have allowed them to supersede their goals and excel in life. After becoming well versed in the importance of striving for success, our students are now continuously encouraged to share their interests with our team. Our volunteers are now taking the task to introduce high school students to numerous career options, which match their interests.
Middle School Activity Summary
Each middle school student anonymously wrote about their past, present, and future through three specific prompts. They were each given a pencil and three pieces of paper, one for each prompt. The “past” prompt asked them to reflect on the past year. Each student identified something good, not-so-good, and funny that happened to them in the past year. For the “present” prompt, our students closed their eyes and reflected on their current state of mind. They were asked to write down a sentence expressing how they were feeling at that very moment. Finally, for the “future” prompt, the students wrote down who and what they would like to be one, five, and ten years into the future.
Elementary School Activity Summary
Elementary students were asked to do a very fun task. First, they outlined the shape of one of their group members. Then, they were asked to draw what they want to be when they grow up. The purpose of this exercise was to inspire our students to work for something that is greater than themselves. Due to the community’s unfortunate circumstances, it may be easy for our students to become discouraged and opt for an easier goal. For this reason, we started the year with an activity that encourages our students to be their best selves and work diligently to reach their goals.
Parents and Guardians
Our main goal with our students’ parents and guardians was to center their focus on aligning their resolutions and everyday activities with God’s will and loving heart. We recollected the importance of our spirituality when setting goals, which are far beyond materialistic means. We also encouraged them to not be defined by their burdens. We comforted them with the reminder that God is our strength and, if we let Him, He will lift the weight off our shoulders so that we may travel a fruitful path of life. As said in Isaiah 43 18-19,“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Last but not least, students and their families received food pantry kits and school supplies for the new semester.