Our streets are still all torn up with construction, they have been for the past two years. The whole town is getting new sewer pipes and water pipes. And Pacasmayo is a fairly big town, and labor is done manually by hand. I saw one backhoe for a couple days but other than that it's pretty much done by hand. So it's quite a process. I often think about back home and chuckle as I think about how many things just would not be ok back home. A six foot deep trench completely exposed to the public, no fence no caution sometimes a little wooden bridge to make crossing easier. I've heard it from a birdie that we are getting water in the new pipes in June or July, but another birdie tells me they don't have a water source for the new pipes which covers a significantly bigger area than the old pipes did. At this point there is acres and acres of residences who never had any town pluming in the past but now have it at their front door, just two issues. One - There's no water in the pipes. And two - Most of them can't afford the pipes to hook up their house, a lot of the houses don't even have a toilet or sink or anything. Water is fetched from the nearest public water station in five gallon pails. But this is a start, the town is moving up. A birdie tells me we are getting a Tottus (sort of like a Walmart) soon. And they've been working for a while on a new gas station, along with three huge buildings which could be department stores or hotels or something like that. Inside our walls not much change. Kids come and go regularly, I try to keep you all updated thru our Facebook page "In Jesus' name amen" about new kids. We had a run away some time ago. A new girl about 14years. She was here only a couple weeks, and seemed happy. But one morning we found her missing and found the spot she had jumped the wall. We try to keep this place from looking or feeling like a prison but its hard when there are those that just don't want to be here.
Avis is gone to the US for about two months, it always feels empty here without her. She has a way of energizing and exciting everyone. Everyone misses her when she is gone. I am thankful for the help I get from Bruce, I could not ask for a better person to watch the welfare of the kids. And all the house moms and office staff have been getting along very well. Everyone who's ever worked along side other people knows that there is at times some conflict, it's to be expected because of the different personalities of different people. But I am so impressed with the way everyone here works together.
I want to praise God for the financial support Casa de Paz has received the last two months. There was honestly a time when we had no idea how we were gonna pay the bills just days before they where due. Avis used to tell about times like these and you wondered if she was exaggerating, but I have now found out there is no exaggeration. God does not give us human security in an abundance of wealth, but he does give us his word that we are more valuable than the birds of the air that he graciously feeds everyday. God is not looking for a holding tank, he's looking for a distribution system. So if God gives more than we need to give more, so that he can give more so that we can give more so that he can give more so that......well you get the point. But also so we get a huge reward in heaven! Isn't that cool, when we give it really is a win win win. We feel great right away, and the the receiver feels great, and God is glorified, And will get a reward when we get to heaven. I can not think of anything better. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with God, in our bodies of flesh we are weak, so we're inconsistent. I speak for myself. But God knows we're human and forgives our weakness Praise Jesus.
May you be blessed in The Lord.
