Woodland Hills Team

(Written Friday)

Hey ya´ll,

Our team has been going nonstop still it has been a rollercoaster. For our construction on the new orphanage, we painted the store and dug drainage ditches on a hot sunny day. We then filled those with rocks and brick. It was a good day of hard work which is all we did today.

I think everyone on the team has found many new levels, of themselves, of the spirit of the Lord, of their calling and of their relationship with Christ, The Father.

I have seen with the children a depth of the Fathers relationship with us. Same with all the staff, with their beautiful hearts and relationship with the Father.

We have seen much joy with the children of the home this past week. Wednesday we made journal books for the kids with stickers and coloring, and today is another miscellaneous carnival day where we have to get rid of all our candy and chocolate. We are going to be making instruments with the kids and we have been making a Piñata all week out of paper mache.

So today will be our final time and farewell with the kids, which much of our team is very emotional. It has been a unique time with our team, a unique time with God, a unique time with The Holy Spirit and an awesome ministering time with the children, sharing love and life. This has been a true definition of the word awesome, leaving us in Awe and wonder.

God be with us and with you, may you experience the testimony of His true love.

In Him… The team

Woodland Hills Team

We have been very busy these last few days. Ryan has several small projects for us to be working on. We began with painting the interior of the dorms, caulking all of the exterior windows and sealing the concrete on the roof to protect against water damage. Yesterday we mixed and laid concrete in the court yard to finish the court yard.

On the other half of our days we´ve had carnival days with the kids where we did face painting, animal balloons and bubbles. Yesterday we got ice-cream for all the kids and staff and did “Great News bracelets,” among playing hackisack and playing on the trampoline.

Everyone seems to have bonded with a certain child or few children which has been so deep and important in all our lives. Pastor Mark is a human jungle gym, and Michael has been having a week-long water balloon fight with one of the teenage girls. Everyone seems to have a child on their lap at all times. Alejandra has been wonderful with putting up with us and being so great, taking us around.

Last night we had a great small group with all the staff. In fact, it was rockin´! The worship was so full of Spirit as well as all the staff; we can see a reflection of God in everyone we work with. It has been an exciting, spirit filled adventure! After the message, the staff prayed over our team and gave each of us a prophetic word, or a few. Tears were flowing among most of our team and much of the staff. It was an emotional, unique night when I think we all saw the reflection of God and His spirit.

Every morning Charlie is our worship leader, and we have all been leading devotions which has been equally impactful for our team.

Last night devotion, Pastor Mark prophetic over each of us and interpreted many of the visions that were given in our prayer and worship time. Everyone has been gifted with something new, a piece of knowledge, a calling, a prompting of the spirit, etc.

We also had our movie night for the girls, here at the group home, with popcorn, pop and candy. So again a most excellent sugar rush!

Seeing the children, light up every time we drive through the gate is one of the most fun things to see. As well, when we do craft time or play time they are just full of joy.

This time and this team has been so deep and engaged with each other, the children and the workers; it is a unique experience, a true fingerprint of God.

Please keep the children in prayer, for their relationship with Christ and their growth with him. As well, their bonding with the staff (family), and growth with them and the share of love and healing from past hurts or loss.

Please keep the staff in prayer and their calling and energized relationship with Christ and the children.

Please keep the sponsors of the children and the sponsors of the staff in prayer, that people would follow their calling to give joyfully and abundantly and be involved in more depth.

In Him…

The team…

Woodland Hills Team

Woodland Hills Church

Hello everyone,

We arrived safely yesterday in Puebla after an exhausting all day travel. We got ourselves unpacked and moved in yesterday to a different home for missionaries. We basically hit the ground running, they informed us that we had a schedule change so we were to get started with kids this morning and afternoon and evening. So we unpacked and planned last night for our activities today.

We all arose this morning with energy and excitement to get started. We were picked up this morning and brought to Esperanza Viva ready to do what we do best, play! I have seen so many blessing in such a short period of time, along with change among our team, a cohesiveness that has already brought us together more and helped us flow together more easily. It is exciting to see everyone using their gifts and talents, as well as how Gods heart shines so beautifully with everyone down here.

This morning we started a craft day with the kids, where we had edible play dough, candy, and chocolate. We were with all the girls for an hour first, then the boys for an hour. We made animals, cars and homes out of all the play dough and candy. The kids are now running in high speed with their most excellent sugar rush. We have been out in the hot sun playing soccer (football), football American and basketball. Afterwards, we had lunch with the kids and then did a time for coloring, with our home made coloring books and plenty crayons. Tonight we will be having a group of twenty or so of the boys coming over to our mission home where we are staying, to watch the Chronicles of Narnia, the Dawn Treader, in Spanish. So it has been literally nonstop since we woke up.

It has been fun for the children to see our photos, especially of our families and the team from last year. The kids have been pointing out people from the team and asking if they were here? Much of the orphanage has been moved over to the new facility, but they are behind schedule so we are hoping to get started helping with the new facility as soon as they are ready for us. We have not been to the new facility yet, probably tomorrow, but we are excited to see it.

We are off now to prepare for our movie night, popcorn, pop and apparently a projector to watch it on the wall. Were pretty psyched! Please be in prayer for our team, for the children and their sponsor and those who need sponsors. Pray that God’s blessing will fall over this home in abundance and guidance, that is best for the children and those who come to serve, come with open hearts and open minds to learn, serve and come under, to be a blessing for the children and the people here who already give their hearts to serve. Thus far God’s blessings have been indescribable as the song goes, and seeing Him in the lives of these kids and workers is a miracle.

Thank you for your prayers and support. In His name…

Catch yall tomorrow!!!