Dear Friends:
Ps 96 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;
It appears that Covid has come to Palomas. It was only a matter of time. They have no testing in Palomas, but field workers cross from there to Deming to work, and some of them were tested in Deming and they tested positive. It appears that several of our girls got it already. This is probably because several of our older girls started working again. Ana Tovar called in sick today, and she may have it. So far, Ana Montoya, our Director, has been able to avoid it. The good news is that the girls’ symptoms seem to be light so far, with mostly just headaches and losing their sense of taste for a few days. Please pray for health, that those who have not contracted it will not, and especially Ana!
It is a good time for them to consider whether they would be ready to meet the Lord, just in case someone got a bad case. Let’s pray that those girls who have not yet given their lives to Him, will now make a decision to give themselves over to Christ.
Maria and Paola have officially graduated from high school! Maria is planning on going to Casas Grandes to start college in the fall, and she intends to seek a degree in psychology and social work. Paola is still unsure, but hopefully will make up her mind soon!
Ana (Paulina) graduated from 6th grade, and so she has completed her first step in her studies. We are still unsure what school studies will look like in the fall, and we likely will not know until mid-August. Hopefully, by then, the administration will have figured out a sensible way to keep the kids learning!
Briza and Cielo, our 2 college students studying in the US are on a steep learning curve, both working on their English and their college studies at the same time! They are now living with Pat and me, and have just successfully transferred to the Santa Fe Community College for the fall. The Trump administration has just issued a directive that if the colleges foreign students are attending are not open for classes in the fall, then the foreign students must leave the US. This is a pressure.
2 months ago was Mother’s Day, and the girls all showed Pat their appreciation for all she does in keeping the shelter running—she is the one who deals with all of the finances, the one who keeps up with all of the needs of the girls and the staff during the month, and the one who “mothers” them! This month was Father’s Day, and also my birthday, so they did a lot of nice things for me, gave me candy, wrote cards, and made me a birthday cake! Fortunately, I did not have to do “La Mordida” (biting a piece of cake and waiting for someone to push your face into it, getting icing all over, a favorite Mexican tradition).
In past summers, we have taken the girls on a little summer vacation somewhere, but unfortunately, we will not be able to do that this year, with all of the fear of spreading Covid 19, so we are having to try to come up with more fun things to do “at home.” Soccer, basketball, volleyball, pool, card games, puzzles, and repainting the outside of Casa. Hopefully we will keep them busy enough that they won’t get too bored!
Let us remember that our God is faithful, and even in crazy times like this, we need to keep our eyes on Him, our Deliverer, our Comforter, our Strength. He will bring us through this time, and if we will show love as He shows love, then we will be there to help others find the love of God to bring them through as well! We pray that the girls at Casa, and our staff, and you, and all we come in contact with will find encouragement in Him during this time.
Traditionally, every June we celebrate the end of the school year by recognizing all of our students who graduate from high school, all of our students with a GPA of 8.5 (out of a possible 10) or higher, and we celebrate that all of our students finished one more school year. Keeping in mind current circumstances, we've decided to carry on with a part of the celebration (at a distance). We prepared certificates for all the students and gifts for the students with outstanding grades. We want to ensure that all of them know we are proud of them for completing one more year and want to make them feel a sense of accomplishment.
This year has been especially stressful for many of our families and we know this gesture will brighten their month. Additionally, they will receive their 2019 – 2020 Alas de Amor T–Shirts and their monthly pantry kit. We ask you to help us in prayer for all of the families in Palomas and in the program. We know that God still has plans for them and for Alas.
It has been especially difficult this year with the social distancing restrictions, and the Pastors still have not even been able to get us the pictures of all of their students needing a scholarship. We need your support to ensure we are able to support them all. Your annual sponsorship will cover school supplies, uniforms, shoes, tuition, food pantry kits, and monthly activities. The funds may be utilized differently in order to better support the students, in light of COVID-19. Support is $250 per year for elementary, students, $350 for middle school, and $450 for high school. Sponsors may make payments through the year if they cannot pay it in a lump sum, Please talk to your friends and people in your churches and help us get the supporters needed! We also have 4 students entering college. These students' tuition is approximately $100/month. Anyone wishing to sponsor or even partially sponsor a college student, your gifts are greatly appreciated!
It is important for us to maintain an endowment fund in Casa. This fund has been created by people giving larger sums of money, and bequeathing funds by Will. Please consider Casa in your larger charitable giving and in your testamentary planning. These gifts are the basis of Casa being able to do all it does for the orphans and the poor in Palomas, from allowing kids to go to college, to keeping our kids at Casa fed. The fund is low right now, because there have been such extraordinary needs in the past few months, but with your help, we can build it back into something that will help sustain the orphans and the poor for years to come!
May you have a blessed month.