Miguel Moments

My little baby is already 5 months old!! The time has flown by and he is changing so much. I could write all day about this little guy, however today I just decided to show just a few 'Miguel moments' so you can get to know him a little. "Hey there. I'm Miguel"

"Hi Mom!!!"

"Wait, is that my bottle?"

"Nope. OK well I guess my finger will do for now..."

"Hee hee I just farted! I wonder if anyone noticed"

"Ooooh is THAT my bottle?!"

"Um, Mom I think something is trying to eat me..."

"What is this thing anyway? It's got a pretty good grip"

"Wait a minute, what?! Oh. My shoes. Why does she keep putting these on me anyways? It's not like I'm really using them"

"Why am I just sitting here? Couldn't we at least be watching another episode of Extreme Home Makeover?"

"Mom, can I have my bottle now???"

"Pleeeeeeease??"

"Things sure were easier when I was four monthes old..."

He laughed!

I know it shouldnʼt have been surprising; I mean, it is not an odd thing that a baby would laugh. However in the two and a half months we have had the pleasure of having Miguel in our household, just a few days ago was the first time he let a giggle loose while Alex and I were playing with him. It was a magical moment, and we stared at him, then at each other, and then we all started to laugh. One of many moments I would not trade for all the riches on this earth.
It rated right up there with the first day that I was able to see that Alex has dimples because his skin had finally relaxed enough to show them...
It made me realize also, how many times that Alex and I laugh every day. He has a delightful sense of humor and loves to play little tricks on me, by hiding around every corner, cheating on our “races” to make our beds and then laughing hysterically, and saying and doing completely random things. He hasnʼt always been so ready to laugh though, his first days with me were defined by fear and anxiety and I am so thankful for him and for the grace of God that has given him so many things to laugh about. It is difficult to understand the effects of being given up by family on a child, but we know that God is sufficient for all our hurts and fears.
One would have thought that the sudden introduction of a 2 month old baby into the household would have warranted an adjustment period of sorts, but I was surprised at how smooth the transition was. Generally speaking I am not a fan of being woken out of a deep sleep (just ask my family or anyone who has roomed with me, haha) however for a baby it is just so different. Alex fell into the roll of big brother with such ease and happiness, another reason to be thankful. He is so helpful, always there to lend a hand with feeding Miguel, cleaning up, washing bottles, or anything else he can be involved in. I am also completely in awe and so thankful for all the physical needs that ʻshowed upʼ just in time. Beautiful clothes and blankets and borrowed items from generous friends, wonderful gifts from family, a donated crib, stroller and car seat, and about three months supply of formula!! What a blessing!
Not only has Alex adjusted well to being a big brother, but he is also doing well as a first grader. It is quite a change from kindergarten to first grade, but he has transitioned well and is happy to go to school every morning; my boy is reading and writing!!! Sometimes some of the other kids are not all that accepting of him, however God has truly given Alex the gift of love and confidence that he is going to need his whole life.
Life does not come without its challenges, and we have had our fair share at Rancho Windiana lately. Twice a dog was able to get into the chicken coops where we had our chickens and rabbits, and unfortunately none of them made it. :( Hopefully with some concrete along the bottom and some beefed up fencing we will not have that problem again! Just a one day later the fish tried to make their escape and there was water everywhere because of a crack in the aquarium. Fortunately these pets were rescued in time! We also had a plumbing issue and so when Alex let the water go out of the tub all of the water that normally goes down the drain and outside ended up in the kitchen.
(Weʼve definitely had our fair share of water everywhere in the house these days) Now this is not what i would consider a fun day, however we are blessed to even have indoor plumbing so i wonʼt complain about some soggy drywall! Its all about perspective right? Of course then last week the cap came off of my front tooth...
It also has been very difficult to get any kind of garden going here, nothing seems to want to grow out in the garden so i have started some plants in the now glassed in porch and that is going well, which is encouraging! I love plants, and the space outside is really turning into a wonderful place to be, especially since it is out of the constant wind!
I was able to purchase a new controller for the solar system last month which has made a significant difference in our electricity situation, which is wonderful especially with the shorter days that are coming up. I also was able to renew my temporary residence status this past month which is great, however quite expensive considering it is only good for one year.The next big expense will be importing the truck into Mexico to be able to have a current license plate on it. Having current license plates is starting to become more important around here than it has been in the past, and I am still waiting to have this done through a program that I signed up for in March; supposedly it will happen now in November. The propane project is also on the list; one large tank further from the house to feed the hot water, stove and fridge will be not only more practical but much safer as well.
A quick trip with my immediate family last week was a wonderful way to reconnect and recharge; I am so blessed to have such a great family! The next trip to Canada I hope to be able to reconnect with many more of you, thank you all so much who are such a support and encouragement to me, in though and prayer, finances and words of edification. I thank God for every one of you! If you would like to know or hear more, or just chat, I would love to hear from you. Send me an email at windykaren@yahoo.ca, call me at 011-521-616-101-6737, (yes, you really do need to dial all those numbers!) or send snail mail to:

#500 calle Primera
Pob Chula Vista Vicente Guerrero, 22920
Baja California Norte, Mexico

(getting mail around here is pretty exciting, even if it does take awhile to arrive!)

If you would like to contribute to our daily or project needs donations can be sent to:
THE ERMA FENNELL FOUNDATION
C/O GEOFF & LORRAINE HETT
2833 LAKE END ROAD
VICTORIA, BC V9B 2W2
with a note saying what / for whom the funds are for.

OK well that is all the news for now, I look forward to telling about the new ministry opportunities that we as a ministry group are just looking into now in the next letter!

When this summer began I knew it would be a time of refreshing for Alex and I - for us to spend time together, finish some projects around the house, and begin to become integrated into a new ministry. Before school ended in June I met a tiny little baby who had been born with the same skin condition that Alex has, Ichthyosis Lamellar, and at first it seemed that he needed a home but when I went to seem him and his family in the hospital they had been convinced to take him home.

Sadly, this is a regular occurrence in this hospital - staff having to convince mothers and fathers to take their children home.

So I gave as much advice as I could, and left the situation up to the Lord. Alex and I did have a wonderful summer - busier than I had originally thought it would be, but life happens whether you are sitting back watching it or taking part! We attended a house build dedication, and while we were there the pastor of our church spoke a word from the Lord to me that was such an encouragement! Proverbs 15:23 says “A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word!” Well, this word could not have been more timely, he said to me (roughly translated); “Sister, God can see your heart, He loves your heart for Him, and He has a special plan for your life. You are going to do something special, but right now you are in a time of waiting. He has a plan for you, but right now what you need to do is wait in Him.”

Now this is a man who is a pastor of a large church, and therefore really does not know me personally, or even know what it is that I do, or that I was even in a time of transition. What a blessing! What a confirmation! It was difficult to be in this position until that point - I was constantly reading in the Word about waiting in, and on, the Lord, but that guilt of not doing enough or being enough was always there at the back of my mind. This word chased all of that guilt away and allowed me to spend the rest of the summer with my sweet Alex. Not waiting in the sense of sitting and doing nothing, but waiting with expectation, with excitement, and while being in communion with the saints and doing what I knew was right. Working on projects around the house, spending time with our dear Minerva, teaching a bible / english class to some kids of various ages that a friend asked me to take over while she was gone, and getting to know everyone involved in the Erma Fennell Foundation.

The older that Alex gets the more I realize that God has a real plan for his life, and how much he could be used to the glory of God! He has such a soft, sweet heart, such a fun happy personality, and he is so smart. Now please realize that in some of the indigenous cultures here a boy like him would normally be hidden somewhere in a back room. He would be a reason for shame, would make parents wonder what they had done wrong for this to happen to one of their children, and at best might receive some education, but always be at the end of the line within his own family. Survival of the fittest, basically. These are the people that are shocked to see us in grocery stores, in the park, in the bank, or any public place. These are the people who stare, not in a kind way, and I cannot help but wonder what they are thinking.

Imagine what God can do through one of these kids who their society would cast off! What a witness, what a testimony, what a joy. This is what I see when I look into those deep, soulful dark eyes of the first baby I ever loved as my own. The thought quickens my heart and makes me reevaluate every day what we spend our time on, what I am teaching him in word and in deed, and how I am showing him to love the Lord our God, and how to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Sometime during the summer Alex began to ask questions, such as, why don’t we have a baby mom? Don’t you want a baby? Can we have one? Questions that are not complicated yet sometimes are a struggle to answer to a 6 year old who is on a need-to-know basis. He brought up this subject periodically, asking where ‘the baby’ could sleep, if he could sleep in his room, what would the baby eat, etc. I thought it all very sweet and innocent and we talked about our imaginary baby because it made Alex happy.

And then about three weeks ago I had a phone call from sister Elia, who lives in Zapata and does a lot of ministry with women and children, specifically those who speak Mixteco. She said that she knew a lady who had a baby with a skin disorder that looked like what Alex had, and that he was about two months old, and could I come and talk with her? I said no problem, I already know exactly who you are talking about.

Well a long story made longer, this baby’s momma had taken him home to their little one room shack where her husband and four other children live, on the same lot where her husband’s other wife and eight children live as well. Little Miguel was bundled up in his little flour-sack hammock, red with heat and wet through the blankets because they didn’t have enough diapers. He was not the first child that had been borne to her with this disorder, unfortunately the first never made it past 4 months old. She explained that she just could not care for him the way he needed, and was desperate for help. She spoke while Elia translated; how well I know the difficulty of living in a place where you do not know the language!

I took Miguel home the same day.

Now before you judge a woman for giving away her child, please consider the desperation that she must have to be able to do so. Think of how a hard and cruel life has hardened her to be able to leave her baby with a stranger without a second thought. I thought of her as an older woman, but when I read the hospital paperwork I realized that she is just 27 years old. She looked twice that.

I could thank God all day, every day for everything that I have, and it would never be enough. What grace, what mercy he has on us when we do nothing to deserve it.

This also made me think of this people, this culture, and how they must view us “gringos”. What do they think about what we do here? I am fairly sure most of these people don’t really care what we do, as long as they can get some rice and beans or clothing out of it. Or best case scenario, a house. Now I am not saying these are bad things, on the contrary, this is an excellent way to show them the love of Christ. But what if they don’t recognize it as such? What if they don’t really know what love is? I mean think about it - born into a large family, no individual attention, no affirmations, barely enough to survive, mom and dad gone working long hours in the day. These are not an emotional people. This mother did not shed a tear when she handed me her 2 month old son, did not hold him an extra second to try to memorize his face, nothing. A heart hardened by years of disappointment and struggle.

I am convinced this is where we can begin to change things, to not just accept everything as ‘cultural difference’, to be different, an example. This is where I believe these two little boys could come in and be such a light! What an awesome thought, what an awesome privilege I have in being able to raise them!

So Alex has ‘his’ baby, and I realize that this little 6 year old understands a lot more than I can ever give him credit for. And hears a lot more from the Lord than probably both of us realize. What a gift. He burst into tears of pure joy when we parked in front the pharmacy to buy a few necessities for our new little family member. I will never forget that moment.

So many changes! Alex turned 6 at the end of August, started first grade, and got a new little brother all within one week! So now we are three; we have a new family member and Miguel has a whole new world to figure out. It is easy to forget where he comes from until moments like just now, when I realized he has an incredible fear of mobiles, dangling toys or anything looming down from overhead. And why wouldn’t he? He spent the first two months of his life completely covered up every moment that he wasn’t being fed, whether in his little hammock to keep the flies off, or out in public on his mothers back. He is just learning to focus, to follow us with his eyes, to hear our voices, to drink from a bottle, to sleep in a bed. The third different formula I have tried seems to sit well with him and he is finally settling down; this morning he woke up so content and when I started feeding him his bottle he looked up at me and gave me the biggest smile I have seem from him so far.

What else can I add? My heart is full, His burden is light, His love endures forever!

Much love, Karen, Alex and little Miki ♥

Changes

Here is the latest update that I sent out to all of my family and friends; I know it has been a really long time since I have posted anything, but I am putting this out there for those of you whose email addresses I do not have. Many blessings to you all!


To all of my spiritual family in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.


I wanted to greet you all in the way that Paul greeted the Thessalonians because as I was reading his letters to them I was reminded of all of you. All of you who have been so supportive spiritually in prayer, morally in encouragement and financially, all of you who have been there for me these past years here in Mexico, Canada, and the United States, all of you who have had so much patience and long suffering while I stumble along this path we call Christianity, and more specifically, missions.

I have been so blessed by all of you, I wish I could spend the time to tell each one of you individually how much you have been used by God! What a blessed thing is community, one of God’s greatest gifts to us.

I have been remiss in my communications lately, for that i do apologize and ask your forgiveness. Many changes have occurred in the past 6 months, and they have not been easy ones, however thanks be to our God who is faithful and will make all things good to those of us who love Him!

I am blessed to tell you that I have come under the covering of a missions organization called the Erma Fennel Foundation here in Vicente Guerrero, Baja California. Erma Fennel was a dear sister in the Lord who only this past Easter Sunday went to be with Jesus. Erma had a heart and passion from God for the poor people of Mexico, and was relentless in her efforts to bring the gospel to them and to try to relieve some of their physical needs as well. While we mourn the loss of our dear friend, we also are moving on in faith and are excited to see the ministry that God started through her move forward as well. Erma’s daughter and son in law Judy and Paul Jamieson have now taken over the ministry, and it has already grown from 4 full time missionaries to 7! It is exciting to be a part of what is happening there in what feels like the beginning stages for something new and exciting that God is doing here in the Baja.

Personally I have been struggling lately, especially in reference to the children that I have been caring for. After much agonizing and prayer two of them, Gumaro and Veronica, have gone to live with the Manzano’s, who are the directors of La Paloma Families for Children. As I mentioned it was a terribly difficult decision to make, probably the hardest one I have been presented with to date, however I know it was the right one and pray that all of us will benefit and be able to move ahead and closer to God through it.

So where does that leave me? Well, for now it is just Alex and I, which has changed our lives quite a bit. It leaves me with a lot more time to dedicate to caring for Alex’s skin condition, which continues to become more complicated with time, and also more time to dedicate to projects around the house that I have never had time for before.

You may be asking, well what else are you going to be doing? A good question, one I have been asking myself, and one I have been putting before God. At this point I am unsure of what my role with the Erma Fennel Foundation will be, at this point they are a support and covering for me. I will start attending their devotions that they have every morning, which I am looking forward to as it is so encouraging to be part of a group who meets together often.

I have made several trips to Canada over the past nearly 7 years that I have been here, however I have never technically taken a ‘furlough’, mostly because that would have meant leaving the kids for a long period of time. It seems however that God has now given me a time when I am not as busy, especially that Alex is now out of school for the summer, and I would like to take this time to somewhat back off on the ‘works’ aspect of what I am doing here and take a little downtime to do things that I have been wanting to do or finish. Firstly this includes spending extended time in the word. I have already been able to spend more time than I normally would have and am already feeling more refreshed and at peace than I have in a long time. It is easy to get caught up in the ‘doing’ of life, but as they say it is all about Who you know, so I want to take more time to know Him!

There are also a few other things, such as finishing a course on teaching english as a second language, and working on music. I feel like God will be able to use me through both of these things in future ministry here, and I want to be prepared.

So, that is what is going on here at Rancho Windiana! Please feel free to contact me, ask any questions or give any feedback that would be constructive and useful in my walk in the next few months. Thank you all again for everything you have been and done for me in the past, and I look forward to continue to work alongside all of you in the future.

“Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
(1Thess 5:25-28)

Amen!!

In Him,
Karen



(Alex and I at his kindergarten graduation
June 23, 2011)