The Day After!

The kids enjoyed their Banana Split with a relish that was unparalleled!

Mother and daughter enjoying their snack!

Tina and Hana


A birds eyeview of half the living room


Hana and I




Andrew, Naomi, and the Birthday girl

These are some of the pics from the "Evening Gala"

Our Wonderful friends and co-workers!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANA!!

OK! Yes, I am a little late with this but hey, I try! I really do! Well, Hana’s special day turned out a lot better then I had hoped. As a team we had agreed that the B-day boy or girl get to have an extra day off as a gift from the Home. So we had originally thought that Hana would take that day off on her day except that for one reason or another it didn’t work out. Although we were able to have the afternoon off and I took her to a really cute little restaurant overlooking the ocean, with what could have been a beautiful view had it not been for the blanket of darkness that covered everything at around 7pm.

I wanted to say a big thank you to all those in our Home that worked to put together the evening that followed. Especially to Jesse for getting together the music that made the evening what it was.

As some of you may know, before she joined the Family, Hana was aspiring to be a professional ballroom dancer. Well, it was quite the forsake all and I have tried over and over again to learn to dance that way, but I just don’t seem to get the hang of it. But, Hallelujah, thanks to communal living, there is someone here that has a gift for that sort of dancing (any dancing in fact). Dear Jesse as of late has taken up the torch of practicing and learning with her for quite a few nights.

Anyway, for her special night he organized a ballroom dance activity night. For those that have not been to our Home we have a very large living room! About 120m2 or about 396ft2. We arrived at home form the restaurant to the room all lit with candles and Christmas lights. We had snacks and beer as well as gifts of cream liqueurs and a beautiful butterfly necklace (thanks Tina, Andrew, and Perla).

So what did the rest of the evening entail? Well, Ballroom dancing and Banana Splits! I believe she loved it! Her smiling face, her passionate “Thank You’s” and blissful expression, as she was whisked across the floor, said and proved as much as well as attested to her happiness.

Well, enough talk! Enjoy the pictures! They aren’t the best quality but being as it was dark with candle light only, I believe they do the occasion enough justice.


I wanted to say a BIG BIG thank you to all of you my precious team. I praise our sweet Jesus for giving me lovely people like you to live and work with.I love you so much. (By the way, Jesse is a great dancer)
Thank you dear Kathy for sweet card that brough amazing memories and made me feel very happy and close to you again (eventhough there is thousands of km between us).
Thank you my wonderful JD, you are the best husband and friend I could ever wish for. I am so thankful that Jesus gave me you.
You surely suprised me again (I really liked the cherry, ha).

THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING THIS MY BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all of you who send me a birthday wish through any means of modern multimedia. I love you.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo Hana

Here is a small tribute to a dear friend whom we have known for a life time--literally. Hana and Kathy grew up in the same apartment, went to the same schools, joined together and we had the privilege of living together with her and her family for over 8 years living in different countries, crossing oceans and changing continents. Just recently, February of this year actually, we split up to follow different dreams.

It’s amazing how so much a part of you a friend becomes, and regrettably, we only realize this when that person is gone. We know we love them and care for them but sometimes fail to let them know this when they are close. Then for on reason or another, your roads part and you each follow your own path to fulfill the destiny that the Lord put before you. Then you realize just how much they really meant to you.

Well, it happened that way with us. The road together was not always the easiest and hardly perfect, but that is what makes friendships so special. The imperfections draw you closer together. You realize the human, frail side; the embarrassing tears, the lonely heart cry, the little idiosyncrasies; the nagging obvious faults that you have endear you to this amazing person instead of frightening them. It was that way with us. We could say anything and we knew the other would not shun us for it. We didn’t even have to talk and we knew what the other was thinking or feeling. Such a relationship is heaven sent!

We thank God that we were able to share that time of our lives with such a wonderful friend!

Thank you Kathy for being there for us! --And still being there actually, over the chat and the phone, whenever we need you and can catch you…Ha. You have probably changed our lives more then you, or even we, will ever know. Thank you!

Following is a poem that I had dedicated to her many years ago, when our families parted for what turned out to be a short time only, and I found it still holds true and so, at the risk of being redundant, I wanted to post it here for her again, slightly paraphrased for a snugger fit.

Farewell

A love like yours is not too common
Except in a Family like ours
It’s a tie that’s true and can’t be broken
It’s that which makes it so hard.

Like the unequaled beauty of the rose,
A flower liked by all.
Yet many with their unheard sorrows
Are crushed for their sweet perfume!

So as gold must be passed through the fire,
To see if pure gold it is,
So must we separate as God must desire.
To see what fruit we will bare!

So know my good-bye I bring before you,
It is not eloquent
But from my heart I assure you it’s true

To our dear friend… Farewell.

Here are, from left to right, Tina, Melissa, and Hana at the World Trade Center, here in Veracruz. The stand was sponsored by the organizers of the event. We had a great time meeting managers and owners of various companies, some of which were interested in becoming sponsors of our local work here.
Displayed are our educational and motivational materials for both children and adults alike. We have found events like this to be a great way to promote our activities as well as to find sponsors for our different projects. May there be many more!

I thought this picture was hilarious, a friend sent it to me and I thought it was worth publishing. Poor man, so hopeful! Somehow I found it innocent, don't ask me why, just gave me that impression. Funny, yet pure in its own way I suppose. And and interesting perspective on art and what to look for should the art you are admiring really catch your eye and, obviously, ignite your imagination, as it clearly did this fine citizen!

I finally found out how! Now you will be able to see what we did for our holiday to central Mexico. It took me a while to find out how to get this video posted but with the help of dear Gabe (Thank you!) we are successful! Well, enough talk, Enjoy!

PS. You might want to give it a moment to download before you play it just so that you can enjoy it without too many breaks!

This month is my love’s Birthday. She’ll be turning…on the 24th. Discretion please! HA! It’s always a dilemma for me to try and figure out what it is I can do to make this years special day something different and out-of-the-ordinary. Last year it was 30 scarlet-red roses! Yes, that did the trick quite nicely I have to say! This year is coming around and I don’t seem to be able to think of anything…well there are the few gift ideas, but still none the seem to say, “Yes! That will do perfectly!”
Women will always tell you that it really doesn’t matter and that as long as it comes from the heart its fine…well, without meaning to be rude…I’d have to say, “rubbish and scrambled eggs”. It might be true, but, it just seems insufficient. I mean, come on! It’s the women I love, for Heaven’s sake!
Whenever I have done that, like a card with a poem I wrote, I got that sweet benign smile that was heart felt but just showed that much disappointment that told me not to do that again, if I could possibly help it-- And thankfully I have been able to help it! Ha!
I don’t mean this in any way to demean the card and poem, by no means; it is actually an enhancer to whatever else it might be that I have gotten for the occasion.
Oh well, I pray that when the time comes I will have thought of the perfect gift, or at least as close enough as I can get to perfect. I’ll keep my fingers are crossed and my eyes open!