Dear Friends:
Have you ever thought what the world would be like if God did not intervene? We remember the story of Joseph, how he was thrown into a pit by his brothers and then sold into slavery, how he suffered greatly for a number of years, first as a slave, and later as a prisoner in jail. But God did intervene, he was rescued, and, more importantly, he rescued his whole family from starvation. His brothers were in great fear that he would harm or even kill them when they came to Egypt and recognized him.
Gen 50:19-20 Joseph said to them,"Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
This was the beginning of the Nation of Israel set apart for God!
In the New Testament, we remember how the Jews prevailed upon the Romans to put Jesus to a cruel death on the cross. This could have been the end of God’s relationship with the people of this earth,
Acts 13:29-33 But God raised Him from the dead. 31 He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you glad tidings — that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus.
This was the beginning of the opportunity for salvation for all peoples!
We know that there are things we can say and do that draw people towards God,
1 Cor 3:6-7 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
In fact my Bible states “But God…” 44 times. And if you were to look at all the times the word “But” appears, and that usually what follows is an explanation of something God did, you would find that it occurs more than 4,000 times!
Make no mistake, He is still very active in our world today! And just like in so many events in the Bible, just when it appears that something terrible is about to happen, suddenly God intervenes. We are called to rest in our assurance that He is always there for us, and always ready to intervene:
Heb 4:11-12 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It is crucial for us to all remember that God is with us in every situation, and that if we will rest in Him, spend our time with Him, learn from Him, seek to obey Him when He speaks to us, then He will both draw near to us, and also grant us the desires of our hearts. This relationship He wants with us is something we volunteers constantly seek to impress upon our girls at Casa. The most important decision we can make in life is to spend time with God! Please keep Maria in your prayers, as she will be taking the college admission test this month! We also had something really strange happen last week, when somehow our underground electric lines blew out. We were without electricity at Casa for a week! The girls had to rough it with no lights, not computers, no t.v., (it might have been a really great week of conversation!)
May the Lord Bless you and keep you, may He make His fact to shine upon you, and give you peace!
In February, during our monthly meeting in Palomas, we discussed future career prospects with children of all ages.
Elementary
The elementary students participated in fun and simple exercises, which allowed them to express what they wanted to be when they grew up. The children gathered as a team to discuss and collaborate on their many potential career opportunities, such as becoming doctors, police officers, lawyers, teachers, soldiers, to name a few. After recognizing their ambitions, they learned how each of those professions are equally important and why we need one another to make our towns and cities fun and productive.
Middle School & High School
As for the middle and high school students, we went more in-depth and deliberated about the many types of available careers. We provided the students with information, which detailed the fun aspects of becoming an engineer, accountant, lawyer, doctor, etc. Our team of volunteers prepared follow-up activities, which corresponded with January’s activities. This allowed the students to keep their eyes on the future. As this is not an easy feat for the children of the Palomas community, it is important to instill positive encouragement and that higher education after high school is a possible achievement.
Carolina, one of our volunteers, prepared brochures reflecting the values, opportunities, and benefits of higher education. The brochures also detailed the salaries and the required skills for the best paid careers in Mexico. The information was based on the feedback of the students from the last monthly reunion. Carolina also prepared an additional brochure explaining the economic benefits of obtaining a career with a college degree compared to starting a career immediately after high school. In addition to highlighting the importance of education and a fruitful future, we also assisted four of our senior high school students to register for college entrance exams.
Families & Community
Our focus on supporting and encouraging the students to continue their studies and remain on the path of a successful future began in 2019. A few months ago, we identified the great need in the Palomas community for guidance and learning of higher education. As such, our efforts reach both the students and their families. As families greatly influence the decisions of the students, we reminded parents and guardians of the weight and importance of support and motivation.
We also conveyed to the families that the simple acts of encouragement and faith will immeasurably inspire the students to achieve their goals. We emphasized that lacking these attitudes could negatively impact a student's decision to continue onto higher education. The families also received the stats on the economic benefits of obtaining a career with a college degree compared to starting a career immediately after high school.
The applications for the following school year were distributed and each student received a pantry kit.
Pray for Us
Keep us in your prayers so God may continue to guide and inspire our volunteers, as they work to enhance the lives of the students at Alas de Amor. We firmly believe in God’s great plans for the future generations of Palomas and its surrounding communities.