A Homecoming Like No Other...

Well to put it mildly I have been LOVED all over. I have gotten drawings and flowers made out of paper and gotten kisses all over these cheeks and hugs around this neck too numerous to count. Until God put all this love in this heart for these kiddo's I had no idea what "coming home" meant in quite the same way. I always came home as the daughter or the sister or the friend, but when I stepped these feet through the gate and I heard a two year old Antonio yell "mommy" and watched a 4 year old Francisco lose his face in the smile that came over it as he ran to meet me, and I watched an 11 year old Rudy timidly walk up and bury his face in my tummy as he hugged the stuffins out of me, I knew I'd come home in a completely different way. I came home this time as "mommy." I LOVE that!!!

Here are a few pictures to show you the beauty of coming home for this girl...I'll write more soon. For now just know it is good to be back!!

I am going back to my babies tomorrow!!! :) That part makes this momma heart God has grown within me want to jump up and down...it's just that goodness to go back to them means I have to leave all of these sweet people that make up "home." I have not written as much as I would like to about my fundraising trip and hopefully when I get back and settled in, I will have a bit more time to share with you some of the neat people I got to meet and experiences God allowed me to have while here for a couple months.

I miss Karen too a whole bunch. When God put us together in this ministry and asked us to go rescue some kiddo's I had no idea what all that would entail. The past 2 years however have had high's and low's and we have learned about the faithfulness and our desperate need for God and we have weathered some storms together to say the least and in the middle of that I have grown to respect her character and her love for God so very very much. She has become dear to my heart, a sister in this ministry and being away for a couple months has helped me understand how much I have taken that for granted at moments. She has stayed and been the consistent without much help girl at the house while I've been here fundraising and I never worried once if the kids would be taken care of, they just are when she's around. Anyway, for all the times I don't say it and should...I am soooo incredibly thankful for the partner she is in this ministry and the sister she has become to my heart!!

Anyway, please keep us in your prayers as Ashley and I will be headed back early tomorrow morning. The hello's are always a delight and the goodbye's are always HARD!! I could use your prayers. Thanks as always.

Might I Just Suggest...

Well made a quick trip to Nashville over the weekend because some dear friends had planned a fundraiser for Casa there and it was great to get to see them and visit for a bit.

While there I picked up a new cd and a few new books.

Thought I would lend my rants and raves about them for a minute on today's blog. Can I just say that Mandisa is being used by God in beautiful ways. Her adventure on American Idol was only the beginning of her glorifying God with her gifts. I believe that because her cd is top notch. We listened to it on repeat the WHOLE way back from Nashville.

And I picked up Rob Bell's new book called Sex God. I know a bit of an awkward title until you get into the book and he explains the premise and then you find yourself nodding in agreement with what he's laying out before you with his words. It's a book the body of Christ needs to read and beyond that live out. I would HIGHLY recommend it.

Ok that's all for today just a little book and music review for this morning. The trip is going well, I've gotten to meet so many neat new people and it's fun to watch them getting excited about this project that has stolen my heart.

We continue to pray for people who will give to help us stay and tuck these sweet kiddo's in at night and love on them throughout life. If you are willing and able to help with staff support for the next year, please contact us at casadeesperanza@gmail.com and we'll be glad to send out more information if necessary. It sure does take God's village to raise a child!! :)