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Amazing Grace
now she's found
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July 23, 2009
- Vol 4, Issue 6
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This Week at Siempre
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online
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She'll never remember us... or this time
in her life... God is too good. Baby Grace, first resident
of Beginnings@Siempre Para Los
Ninos, is now with
her "forever family." We'd known she was going... but
the day never came... until Tuesday of this week. I'd
be less than honest if I didn't confess that each of us,
each of our Siempre family, released her with a lump
in their throats and a prayer in our hearts... (Don't
know if Ross- in the photo -wanted to let go at all!)
we'd
been "waiting on Grace" and then God delivered and
we fell in love. The nursery seemed a little less bright
without her... but somewhere, a family is discovering
Grace beyond their wildest dreams as a beautiful little
girl joins them for life, takes on their name, is
embraced as their own. Our prayer is that this
happens hundreds, if not thousands of times in the
years to come... we want to extend God's wonderful
Grace in the precious protection of every child at
Siempre... and pray that each child that needs a
home, finds a home, a forever family. Join me in
praying for Grace in the days and weeks to come.
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seems like a simple thing... but it's
made all the difference in the world at Siempre these
past two weeks. Siempre's main entrance- our old
dining room -has been void of furniture, other than
temporary tables and chairs, for over two years. It
wasn't exactly conducive to family building. Ross and
Becky purchased some perfect bench like seats with
pads- Ken got them across the border -and the
household is loving them. Babies that rarely came out
of the nursery are now in the arms of older kids- and
sometimes even younger children, (like Abbie, when
supervised), and suddenly, Beginnings is breaking
out all over Siempre. The warm weather hasn't hurt
any- as everyone needs a little more time outside -but
with so many kids, all out for summer vacation and
with too few things to do -the seats came at just the
right time. Everyone's looking forward to Cinthia's big
party and to an August day at the beach... but until
then... it's not like anyone's going to Disneyland, but
wouldn't that be fun! Lately they've been asking me
when I'll take them fishing again... (especially
Alejandro and Israel!), summertime... it brings out the
dreamer in us all. Siempre's kids are no exception
when it comes to dreaming- and we're doing our best
to teach them to dream and work towards BIG
dreams. Sometimes it all begins with a place to sit
and share together.
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Simple Spanish: easy enough for me
to understand. Sitting in the shade, watching the
children at play, I listened to Cinthia chatter away in
Spanish about her upcoming 15th birthday party. Most
of it went over my head, so I was smiling politely,
enjoying the day- when I was busted! She caught on
that I hadn't been tuned in and pulling at my shirt-
turning my face towards hers -as if that's going to help
my understanding, she spoke slowly, choosing words
I know... This is what she said: "I was ten years old
when I came to Siempre. Just ten. Now I'll be 15. I've
been here 5 years." Then, smiling, she reached out
her arms and hugged me... felt like crying... remember
the day she came like it was yesterday... so lost... but
even then, so Cinthia: clean, hair done up, doing her
best to hold back tears. Looking at the pictures the
kid's took on Wednesday I saw this one and stopped-
thinking about my conversation with Cinthia. That's
Lupita, just a toddler when she came to us, no real
hair yet, just dark fuzz... 5 years ago this fall. She's so
grown up today, so beautiful and so much a part of the
heart of Siempre. Debi and I have been to the shack
she was born in, visited with her mother, seen the
hard, brutal poverty she's escaped. Sometimes
people ask me why we put so much effort into our
work at Siempre... and I think of each of the kids
rescued into the household... of the tens of thousands
who still need safe shelter, food, family... of the
thousands being consumed by human trafficking,
child
porn and the sex trade and I wonder how we can do
more, save more, open our doors wider, reach our
arms more deeply into the darkness that robs the
very life from infants and sucks the hope from children
then cast them aside. That's not
Lupita's fate- not now. Praise God! Your support has
not only built
her a home, kept food on the table, paid for tuition at
school and uniforms to wear... your support has
written deeply across her heart the promise of
Siempre... always... look in her eyes... she's dreaming
the big dream of children at play. Thanks so much.
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open doors at Samaritan House@Siempre
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Just two families can make a HUGE
difference! The McKellips and the Frums, Memorial
Day Weekend veterans and Siempre friends that are
quickly becoming Orange County "go to" leadership
for immediate needs, spent last weekend at
Samaritan House- working at Beginnings, (great job
you guys- and I have no clue how you got the windows
so clean!) and around the Mission's house- putting in
a much needed stair rail. They also spent time with
the kids, helped with the babies, went to church and
were there to witness Pastor Israel as he used the
newly built pool to baptize six or seven people. They
sent me 50 or 60 great photos... couldn't decide which
one's to use, so you can find their family photo show at this link to
Kodak. Or the picture of the kids is a link as well.
Just look at all those smiling faces... They're
fantastic! This is why we built Samaritan
House@Siempre, so your family, two or three
families, your small group, your church, your
business, your work retreat would have a safe and
wonderful place to get away and make a difference.
Siempre's really a place where miracle's happen.
Check out all those smiling faces. Teen's who want to
spend time with their families doing something great
for God. Really proud of you guys... all of you... loved
the pictures... everything looks great. My goal is that
someday we have someone, some family, some
group at Samaritan House every night of the year. It's
just too big of a blessing to waste.
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Our list of friends on facebook
is growing quickly... and I hope you'll be our "friend."
We now have a great "cause" page on facebook
with a rapidly growing list of friends and
supporters. My goal is to build 1,000 positive
relationships with people who want to give $10- per
month. Siempre's growing work needs the money.
Even more, we need a growing base of friends.
Sometimes it keeps me up as I pray and think about
what might happen to the children in our care if we
failed... that's just not an option. It's not even an option
when we die. The babies at Beginnings will need love
and support for generations to come. Siempre needs
a wide enough friend
base of supporters so the work continues regardless
any one persons or one groups well being. Facebook is new to me-
but I'm on it now- to support our work! It's one more
place to share the dream of Siempre, always. If you
have a group of friends on facebook- you can invite
them all to join our cause. You can even invite them to
be one of the one thousand. The list is building... you
can even track which of your friends gave and thank
them on their wall. Just did it a minute ago. Together,
with simple things each of us can afford, $10- a
month, we can change the lives of so many for years
to come. Most of you will give far more. Some of you
are giving your lives. Some of you may end up
adopting a child and giving your family. All of us are
invited to share the dream. I promise- join me -you
won't be disappointed.
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Grace is found... so many are still lost:
street children around the world suffer, the economic
downturn continues to hammer the life out of Mexico's
middle and lower class. Here in Southern California,
Jackets for Jesus is serving our largest
crowds in years- hundreds waited for a meatloaf
dinner last Sunday night... so many new faces...
poverty remains a growth industry. As I've written this
morning, individuals and families have waited for a
bag of groceries from the shrinking food bank at Central
Community... people are hurting, hungry,
searching for Grace, Amazing Grace... you and me,
together, serving side by side in Christ are the
solution to the challenges of the world today.
Families,
children, the homeless, hurting, hungry, are finding
Grace- God's Grace and lives are forever changed.
Thanks so much for all you do, for who you are, for
your part in our work together. You're so important to
everything we do. We're going to Siempre next
Wednesday- you're invited -you're needed, in
everything we do, now, more than ever. Come
experience The Wonderful Grace of Jesus in service
to the poor.
siempre,
Eric M. Denton
Siempre Para Los Ninos
phone:
1.951.689.5806
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