NEW DIRECTION IN EDUCATION

Dear Caring Hearts Family,

Ever since Juana and I arrived here in San Luis on our first short trip together, we saw the need there was for better education for the kids.  When we came on full time, we set to work looking for ways to improve the situation.  We have found some things that work, and others that haven´t.  One of the biggest issues are the schools.  What we have seen in the public schools are overloaded class sizes, incompetent and uncaring teachers, and a general lack of quality.  So we tried private schools, which are expensive.  For a number of reasons, we have found this option inadequate as well.   After prayer and research, we have decided to go in another direction.  The first step - We are going to have our own elementary school at the Bethel Orphanage.  With the help of our Children´s Pastor Eleazar Rodriguez, who is heavily involved in the state education system, we are in the process of being a private school, exclusively for the children under our care.  Please pray as we go through all the paper work involved, that everything is approved and we can get started this fall.

One of the things we want to do is renovate our facilities so that our teachers and students can be in a clean, comfortable environment.  We are working on insulating our current classrooms, painting, laminate flooring, and new furniture.  We calculate we need $2500 for each room, and we have 5 rooms to renovate, plus the halls. 2 of those rooms are represented by our large Sunday School room, which will be used at the school for different activities.   Would you like to help us in this exciting new project?  Contact us at Caring Hearts and let us know how you can help.  Perhaps your church or group would like to sponsor an entire room.  We are moving ahead by faith, but it will be cutting in our our budget if we do not have help from you.  Help us do the best we can for our children here, let us hear from you today.

If you would like details on how we came to make this decision, let me know.  I am hoping to describe the history of this choice to all those who may be interested.  Drop me a line.

God bless

Ken

FIRST QUARTER REPORT

Wow, what a busy year it has been so far, and I am finally getting some time to share what has been going on here in San Luis with Caring Hearts.  God has placed a new vision in our hearts we are anxious to tell you about, but in this report I want to give a little review of what has happened in the year.  First of all, I want to encourage you to go to Facebook and ¨like¨ our Facebook page, if you haven´t already.  There you will find a lot of pictures of our Christmas season, in case you missed them.  I am trying to be more regular in my reporting via Facebook, it is easier and faster to do, but even with that, it goes on the back burner with all the other stuff that goes on.

After Christmas we started the new year with a group from Grace Methodist Church and IUP of Indiana PA.  As always had a great time of ministry and construction.  They helped finish a house that was started in November for one of our shut ins, and ministered in different areas.  Here are some pictures:

Our friend Staci and her fiancee came in for a visit.  She taught English for a week at Bethel while Ben worked with the boys at Oasis.

Starting in the end of January, we launched two large projects.  We assisted the city government with a new youth home for teen age boys and girls.  We built a basketball court, helped with paint and a wall, and also built kitchen cabinets.  We also laid a slab and built the walls for a dining room kitchen for the women´s rehab center.  

In February we had a short visit from the Miller family of Seattle and the Embry Riddle Chi Alpha group from Prescott AZ.  They were a huge blessing as they worked with a number of different ministries of Caring Hearts.  Juana and I had a time of R&R with Papa Harold in Florida which was refreshing.

March was a busy month as our best weather was greeted by four groups in a row.  Geneva College was first, with a visit from one of our ex-orphans, Rodolfo.  They painted a school and ministered throughout San Luis.

(sorry for all the soccer pics, they were too cool to not use!)

After that, our Dream Team construction group came led by our 82 year old director Harold McKamish. A week of long hours yielded the termination of the dining hall for the rehab center, a start to renovations of our classroom area and the building of trusses for a church. Whew!  All in all a tiring but satisfying trip.  Check out the video by our friend Chris Clarke.

After that a group of Students from Arizona State University came in for the weekend, and ministered to the children, boy´s home, garbage dump and shut ins.

Lastly, we hosted a group from Albany Oregon.  They spent three days in another town, and then blessed Caring Hearts with work on our classrooms, a trip to visit shut ins, Oasis,  and the dump.

And now we are in April, the kids will be on vacation the next two weeks, the weather is beautiful and we will have a break from groups for the next 6 weeks.  We hope to get caught up in a lot of different areas and we are working on a new project I will share with you shortly in a future report.  I am sure it will thrill your heart and motivate you to continue sharing YOUR caring heart.

Ken

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER REPORT

Hey Everybody!

It has been a while since I have reported.  Shortly after my last updated we had 4 groups come in one after the other, filling our November with much activity.  I am finally getting a chance to get settled and let you know what has been going on here at Caring Hearts.

The first group that came in was the Sames Family from Pennsylvania, for a short trip.  They blessed our children with their presence and love.  Kerrianne as been a faithful supporter in many ways, and this was a time for her family to learn why she loves Caring Hearts so much.  They spent time with the children of Bethel and Oasis.

The Sames Family with Oasis boys. 

Shortly after, our next group came in from Walnut Grove Assembly of God, Pittsburgh PA.  Leaders Bob and Lori lead a fine group in the construction of a house for Bethel worker Minerva, and they also spent time with the kids, shut ins and garbage dump workers.  Here are some pictures from their trip:  

Working on the Septic Tank

Framing Minerva´s House

Walnut Grove Group 

At the Garbage Dump

Praying for Minerva and her Family

The day Walnut Grove left, the first of two groups from St. Ferdinands in Cranberry PA arrived.  They did some painting at the Kino school, spent quality time with the kids at Oasis and Bethel, visited shut ins, the soup kitchen and the dump.  The next St. Ferdinand´s group dedicated their time to finishing Minerva´s house, helping with another shut ins home and some tile work at Kino.  They also visited shut ins, the dump and spent time at Bethel and Oasis.  

Now we are gearing up for our Caring Hearts Christmas.  We have a special prayer need.  The Mexican Customs has a new administrator, and he has been very difficult when it comes to giving permits to bring in donations duty free.  Many locals from Arizona and Caring Hearts Sponsors want to bless San Luis, but we are having a hard time getting things across freely.  Please pray that God will open up the Heart of Mr. Vargas so we can help folks like you bless the people.  If you are planning to send gifts to Caring Hearts, please write to me for special instructions.  caringheartsmexico@gmail.com  We have two large local groups who are planning to truck loads of stuff across, I am submitting permits Monday in hopes we will be granted favor.  Please Pray!!!

2012 CALENDAR FOR OUR CHILDREN´S EDUCATION

Our Education Initiative group has designed a calendar to help raise funds for this worthy cause.  What is the Education Initiative?  It is a group of Caring Hearts who are sponsoring children from Bethel, giving them the opportunity to receive a private school education.  By purchasing a calendar for you, family and friends, you can be a part of this exciting program for our kids.  It is a quick and easy online transaction that will get you a beautiful calendar and help our kids, all for only $20.  Click on the link below and order yours today:

Click Here to Order Your Calendar Today!

KNOWLEDGE FAIR

The children from Caring Hearts who are attending the Kino Elementary school are participating in a Knowledge fair this week.  It is a chance to show things they are learning in their English and Spanish classes to their parents and guardians.  Here are some pictures from the 2nd Graders participation.

MESSAGE FROM PASTOR GARY

Ephesians 5:1-2

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in

the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a

fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If you really like someone you tend to, at least in some small way, emulate them; you want to be like them. Down through the decades I can remember the fads and fashions inspired by celebrities and other people in the public eye.

We all have old pictures of ourselves with hair styles and clothing that make us cringe when we see them. Why? Because they have gone out of style and that which once looked cool and contemporary now looks ridiculous. You never have to worry about that if the one you are imitating is Jesus. Of course it’s not a physical similarity that we’re called to have. God doesn’t expect us to grown long hair and a beard and wear a robe and sandals. It is a replication of character, a conforming to a standard no other human has ever displayed. If you are going to reflect Christ you have to “Live a life of Love”, not a life of selfishness, greed, anger or ignorance. Jesus showed the love of God in everything He did and every word He spoke. What greater love could a person have than to offer His life as a sacrifice to God?

When you serve through Caring Hearts, whether you are feeding hungry people in the villages, or caring for children at the orphanage, singing, preaching or building, you offer yourself to God and your deeds of kindness rise up to Him as a sweet fragrance. This month is the Medical Mission trip that brings healing to the soul as well as the body.

Please pray for all those going and serving and for those poor souls in pain waiting for a healing in their life. As you do, imagine God taking a deep breath inhaling the sweet aroma of the offerings being made.

God Bless you All

Pastor Gary

GOAL BALL

The folks from the blind center are learning a sport for the blind called goal ball.  It consisted of bowling a bell filled medicine ball at three players on the other side of a basket ball court.  They must listen and dive to stop the ball.  Here are some pictures from a recent practice.  They are planning a national tournament right here in San Luis next month.  

MEDICAL CLINIC REPORT

October 5-10 we held our annual medical clinic.  We were in two locations each day and provided medical, dental, chiropractic and optical care.  We also preached the gospel to each person who went through the clinic and gave out food and New Testaments.  This year we saw 3,740 patients and gave out 4912 different treatments.  Praise the Lord, we registered 498 salvations.  God moved in many ways and the people of San Luis were blessed.

SEBASTIAN REGISTERED

After 11 years of waiting, Sebastian was finally registered thanks to the work of Ines, Adalberto and the folks at Social Services.  His parents showed no interest in doing this simple procedure, and we had tried different channels till we finally found a way to legitimately make him a Mexican.  So meet Sebastian Montoya Balderas, 11 year old Mexican from San Luis Rio Colorado.