Hard changes for the better

Seems like there's been a lot of changes lately. We are currently down to 34 kids, quite a few kids who

were here for a long time have gone back to their parents. We had three boys here (I can't use names for the privacy of the kids) one of them had been molested, the molester is in prison and has been of a number of years. About two weeks ago the two younger brothers went back home to the mother who just moved into a new home, from what I hear she has bettered her life a lot from a couple years ago. The oldest was left behind out of his own choice, but after visiting day the mother must have gotten the better of his emotions and he jumped the wall an hour later. Of course we knew the first place

to look and sure enough he was safe and sound with his mom. What makes them jump the wall when they could leave by just saying so, I'm not sure. Another boy who was here for two years went to live with his grandma, I have seen better houses, almost the entire place was outdoors, only one tiny little garden shack room for a bedroom. But the love in the grandmas eyes is worth more than concrete floors and a roof. The one I'm a little concerned about is a beautiful girl who was here only for a little while, she could not read or write when she came but with some help she started getting a handle on it. She is now back home. I pray that she gets the help she needs to get a decent education. These kids have seen a

different life, especially for the ones who were here a long time it will take some adjusting to go back to living more poorly, and where they may have to work a little harder. But these changes are good, the best place in the world is safe with your own blood family, even if it means a bit of hardship. Sometimes I wonder if the kids get spoiled here, they get really well looked after. That is thanks to all you who so generously donate to this cause. I know life isn't always easy, theres always bills waiting to be paid. But we know the reward being stored up is much greater than the reward we could by with the money we donate to kids who would otherwise not have a future. Thank you, I pray for God's favour  on you. The love of God is ever pouring out on his beloved. Bless you in the name of our lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful God

He is like a rock; what he does is perfect, and he is always fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong, who is right and fair.  Deuteronomy 32:4

Have you ever fallen for a scam, or a lie, a rumor you believed to be true. Did what you believe make true what you believed. No not really, I can believe all I want that I can bench press three hundred pounds, but believing it will never make it true. Vice versa then is also true, you can deny all you want, but the truth will stand nonetheless. As a Christian how often do you see a clear sign that God is real, I bet pretty often. But to a non believer it is either coincidence or science can explain it. Their minds have already been made up before they see the evidence. So our goal should be to make people want to be christians without any proof. Is being a christian exciting, you bet it is, so lets show the world how much fun it is.

For those that don't know, we don't have drinking water at the orphanage, so we haul it from a nearby town with a trailer that back in Canada would long have been deemed unfit. Full of water the tank weighs well over a ton. On our way to get water today, about a mile from the town our tire popped. The tire was completely wore down its no wonder it popped, but why did it pop on empty when just a week before it carry well over a tun of weight. Probably just coincidence huh. The tires are an odd size for Peru, Just a year ago a volunteer here looked for tires in all the surrounding tires and found non. Today we pulled up to the tire place, which is outside on the sidewalk in a little corner, thinking the trailer would sit there for at least a few days.Well it just so happened the guy had a used tire sitting in his house that was just the right size. He Summoned a moto taxi to go pick it up. And we were on our way again in exactly one hour. O and do you remember inner tubes, well in Peru they are still in style, but he had one of those in our size as well. I love God. Sometimes I think, wow what a scary world it would be without God, I mean all alone in this great universe, what a comfort to know there is a mighty God who can do limitless things and he's full of love for us his children. I lay my life in his hands. To God be all glory amen. Bless you.

Fathers Day

Not only is he an amazing Daddy to our three children, but he has also become a loving Papa to the kids at Casa de Paz.  For some the only father they have ever known, lack of a  father being the reason many of them are here in the first place. With the father out of the picture and the single mother not able to support the children on her own they end up here. And for others - ones that come from abusive homes where all they know is to fear their father - Jake is their first picture of of what a loving father really looks like.

I love watching Jake with the kids. Whether he's holding baby Tahlia, or playing cards with the boys, there is no doubt about how much he loves his kids. Sometimes after a long day of fixing broken pumps and pipes or gates, and sorting through problems with people, and all the other little things he deals with everyday, I know he would rather just sit down at the end of the day and relax, but instead he goes out and spends time with the boys. Jake and I both know what it means to grow up not having a dad around to spend time with, he put food on the table but other than that we knew to just stay out of the way; not that it was really their fault, it was simply the culture they were raised in. ( today they are different people) So to see kids coming in here looking very timid and afraid, our hearts go out to them. Jake has a way of approaching them where they soon turn that timid face into a smile when hes around. He often comes in with his shirt all stretched out of shape and I know he's been wrestled down by a whole bunch of little (and some not so little) boys wanting to be tossed up in the air, sometimes his throat is sore from them hanging on his back with their little hands wrapped around his neck.

Fathers Day gift from the boys

Today for Fathers day Jake got three gifts from three of the kids, something they had worked on as a school project. One of them came to our house bright and early cause they just couldn't wait! I thank God that this year a few more kids had someone to give their fathers day gifts to.

At long last, a nice hot shower :)

Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

What a great promise, God who made the whole world will walk before you. And all tho we fuss and fret about this and about that, The Lord does not shake. He does not need to stop and think, he will not get back to us later, he does not need to sleep on it. He knows the right answer right now.

Well Mr Bruce is gone to Canada to take care of some personal matters so

that leaves me to be just a bit busier. But there is a blessing in that, it gives me the opportunity to see more and be more involved. Tuesday I drove Gina and Veronica to San Pedro, we picked up a half rib cage and shoulder of a cow from a friends out and brought it to the meat market to get it cut up.

After that we stopped in at the judges office and Gina comes running out with excitement and announces "Rica is declared abandoned". Later sharing the news with my wife she smirks and says how strange it sounds to rejoice at the abandonment of a child, but the sad part of this story happened years ago, today is a happy day, a day in which the future looks bright. Rica is 14 and has been at Casa de Paz for three years waiting to be adopted to a new home, and know that day is finally near, with a family already waiting in the United States and the abandonment statues complete, the adoption process can start. I am so very great full for people out there that care enough to bring one of these children into their home, and to call them their own. Another happy sad story, two beautiful boys who have been here for four years went back to their mom yesterday, the mom moved into a nice home which she is renting and things look promising for their future. It's sad to see them go but at the same time it's such a joy to see a family reunite. 

Our in-well pump stopped working a couple weeks ago so it meant getting a new one installed. Our above ground pump quit last week, we managed to get it repaired for less than a new one would cost. Two of our washing machines are not working so that means we are down to one. I would like to raise money to buy a commercial machine that will handle the amount of laundry we go through. On a normal basis we have three machines that run about 8 hours a day or more. Household machines just are not standing up to the demand. Please if you haven't already, like our Facebook page (In Jesus' name amen) to get updates about this, we have a donate button on there through PayPal. Tomorrow me and Aurelio will be going to Chiclayo to see if we can find a good machine for a reasonable price. 

On a more upbeat note, I can finally say we can now take hot showers in our house using our homemade solar water heater.

It will be quite a project to get hot water in all the houses but eventually that is the goal, I'm sure some of you have seen one before, it's a system that does not use any power whatsoever (other than getting the water into the tank). There is no moving parts so its perfect for our saltwater. 

Word is that next month the town will have fresh water in the new pipes, so please pray that this is true and there will be enough water to supply all our needs. Salt water is very destructive, we continuously replace faucets, hoses, shower heads and toilet parts because the salt just destroys it. At the same time this orphanage could not have survived without that well, so I am grateful for it. 

We currently have 38 kids, everyone is healthy and happy. Maggie has been helping some of the girls with their English assignments.

 I don't spend as much time as I would like with the kids, but it's fun to walk the stretch between our house and the office and hear the kids call out your name and run up for a hug. This week I took two of the boys out to buy new shoes and socks, when they show you the cracks in the bottom it's hard to argue that they don't need new shoes again. 

Every day I am thankful that this is not my ministry but God's, I am but a steward entrusted to a bit of God's property. I pray that God will grant me wisdom to handle it correctly. Bless you for caring hearts, I pray God reward you in this life and in the one to come. In Jesus' name amen. 

Its a sad happy day when someone leaves the orphanage, Mateo will miss his friend as she leaves with her four siblings back to their parents. Care is taken to make sure the home is fit for the children but you can't help but feel a little nervous about them going back. and at the same time you know in the long run the best place to be is with your own family. I am grateful to have gotten to know every child and when they go you wonder if you couldn't have spent just a little more time than you did. I don't know why it always turns out this way but we were gone again to Lima working on Tahlia's visa when the kids left, so no good byes. It seems to make no difference how long they were here, when they go its always hard, 8 kids gone in the last two weeks and 5 new ones came. I love watching as their faces change over the first few days, some don't change as much but some are just like night and day.


Bruce is gone to Canada so we are on our own again, it makes it a little difficult but you learn to just prioritise and do what you can. Just another three and a half weeks until John and Cindy come for a visit, I am very much looking forward to that. And a week after that a team of doctors and nurses are coming for a day visit to do check ups for the kids and VBS. Its gonna be great. God is always moving, sometimes we can't see it but he's always planning and working around the decisions we make. To us it sometimes looks like God makes quick decisions we see a need met and we think wow God sent that person at just the right time, but what we don't see is how long God prepared that person long before we knew there was a need. So if God is putting you in a situation that just doesn't seem to make sense, just trust Him, He may be getting you ready for something you are completely unaware of. Jesus I praise you and thank you for the privilege to be in your presence. Glory to God in the highest, praise his name amen. bless you.