Meg's Blog Post

What's up guys? This is Meg! I miss America so much, but Acapulco, MEXICO is way cool. The orphanage is very fun. I've made lot's of new friends. Here are my four closest friends 1. Amber 2. America 3. Adai 4. Nati. My 2 favorite sodas are Yoli and Manzana Lift. My #1 favorite food is Tacos el Pastor, and my #1 favorite restaurant is %100 Natural. I hope you like my post. I miss everyone back home!

Ben's blog post in Acupulco

Hi, this is Ben and I'm writing my own blog post for this summer in Acapulco, Mexico. I hope you enjoy it! Some of my friends at the orphanage are Gaudencio, Misael, Leo, Raul, Graveal, Erick, Andres, and Lizondro. We like to play soccer and dodgeball together. My favorite food is Tacos el Pastour along with my favorite soda Manzana Lift, and manzana means apple in Spanish. Our apartment has cool things. We get to see Iguanas and our pool outside and a good view of Acupulco on our roof. Every night when we leave from the orphanage we'll see fruit bats everywhere. Thats all for now. I hope you'll like this blog. Goodbye!

Goodbyes and Hellos

The team from Trinity Pres from Harrisburg, PA left this afternoon. This team was made up mostly of teenagers with a few adult chaperones. You could tell they didn't want to leave. They worked really hard this past week, and it was very refreshing having them here. We hope and pray they will continue their long tradition of coming to Casa Hogar and be back next summer. One of the orphans left to go back home today as well. Olimar is a teenage girl that has lived at Casa Hogar for around five years. She's got a great smile and a fun sense of humor. She has called me "Johnathon" all summer - knowing my name is Josh. This was a bittersweet time. We are happy for her to go and be with her family, but we and the other orphans were sad to see her go. She will live in a rural setting without great education and church opportunities. Please pray for Olimar during this transition. Pray also for her dear friends that she left behind at Casa Hogar. Her three younger siblings who also live at Casa Hogar will be going home next Friday, so that will be another emotional goodbye. We look forward to being with Jesus where "partings are no more."

As we said in our last post, Rebecca Clark made it safely. Her addition to our team has been seamless. She interned last summer, so that is a huge help. She also has excellent Spanish skills, which gives her a huge leg up in ministry. This week we also welcomed David Gonzales back from visiting his daughter and new grandson in Chicago. He and his wife Laura serve as house parents at Casa Hogar. Last night we got a glimpse into how much the "house parents" mean to the children at Casa Hogar. When David came into the main courtyard he was swarmed by children with hugs and kisses. One of the dearest welcomes came from Fernando, an older boy who has lived at the orphanage for several years. He hugged David and rested his head on his chest. It was a simple expression of love.

We have just under a month left here in Acapulco. Today gave us a taste of how hard it will be to say goodbye to this place. I want to thank God for what a blessing this summer has been and continues to be for my family and me. James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Love,

Josh

Rain, Rain

The first half of the week meant lots and lots of rain. In fact it was a tropical storm- which just meant constant rain. The positive thing was that it cooled off and felt great. Otherwise, not much to do when it rains. The Pennsylvania team is here this week. They have been able to paint indoors. Thankfully there was work to do even in the rain. Today was clear and the team's day off. We went with them to the market, ate, and went to the mall. The team went to play paintball and took a big group of teenagers from the orphanage. We didn't go but heard it was a lot of fun. We met the team for dinner at a really cool place called 100% Natural. They have so many of these restaurants around the city. It's delicious, healthy food and a fun atmosphere. We got to sit out on the pier which was lovely and breezy. Tomorrow is the team's last day which means the big farewell party tomorrow night that the orphans put on. Fun! Our 5th intern, Rebecca, arrived this afternoon! We are glad she is here. She is fluent in Spanish and knows the kids really well. It will be nice to have her with us for the remainder of our time. Hard to believe it is already Thursday. Even though it rained and slowed things down, the week still has gone by fast. Will write again this weekend....

love,

Sara Parks

Josh Made It!

We are happy that Josh made it back to us on this Father's Day!! He brought back encouraging and wonderful remarks of Allison and Grant's wedding. While he was gone it rained a lot. We went to the beach after church today, and it rained off and on but everybody still had fun in the waves. I have to say that I have taken space for granted living in the US. When we are crammed in a hot bus driving around Acapulco, it is stretching for me personally. When I say crammed, I mean people sitting on top of one another and standing in the aisles filled to the max! I found myself looking around at all the kids who are used to being crammed in the bus to go to school and church. They are still happy and singing and laughing. They don't know any different. It convicted me quickly of my selfishness. Ben and I shared a seat with two sweet boys, Luis Angel & Santiago. The kids are so intrigued by our sensitive, white skin. They don't have to put on sunscreen, so they watch when we put it on. And if we get sunburned and start peeling, they like to look at it. We had some delicious soft tacos tonight and then just hung out. Our fifth intern, Rebecca, arrives this Wednesday. She actually interned here last summer and decided to come back for part of this summer. We look forward to meeting and working with her! Hope everyone is doing well out there wherever you are. We miss you and love you, Sara Parks & fam

Team Arrives!

Friday afternoon at 4:00 the team from Trinity Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania arrived! We were excited to meet them, and of course, the children from the orphanage were thrilled. This church team has been coming for 5 years, so the children have gotten to know and love them. The team is made up of mostly high school kids and their youth pastor and another lady from their church. They are great with the kids and jump right in to serve. The construction they will be doing will be painting some rooms and tearing down a building (which they are thrilled about- Demolition is always fun). In the afternoons, they do planned activities for the children. This afternoon they did a puppet show and skit all in Spanish. I couldn't understand any of it except Dios which means God so I know it was evangelistic! Then they had several activities like decorating pillowcases (the children at the orphanage Love art/craft projects), games, and face painting. Tomorrow we will all go to church and then the beach for the day. Josh will get back about 5 pm- YEA!! When a team comes it brings fresh energy and different faces, so we enjoy having them, and I know the children do. What a testimony to see these high school kids coming to love and serve at Casa Hogar. I'm thankful my kids can see this, and it encourages me as well. I will end with a typical Meg story: This morning Meg woke me up and said "Mom, I have a gift for you". She was holding a small white bag or napkin- it was a blur because I didn't have my glasses on. I said, "It better not be a bug" (while I was opening it); of course it was one of those flesh-colored baby geckos with the bulgy eyes, and Meg had torn its tail off already (I found it later on the dining table-ugh!) Why she loves catching these things and pulling off the body parts is beyond me!

Love you all, Sara Parks

First Big Rain & Birthday Party

Good Morning on this Friday! Yesterday afternoon we had our first big downpour. It lasted about an hour. We were at the orphanage when it happened. Everybody ran for cover. The kitchen's oven stopped working, so we waited around for dinner. By the time dinner was ready, the rain had stopped. Apparently June starts the rainy season. I'm hoping it will mostly rain while we sleep because it's no fun being cooped up. One of our interns, Hardy, turned 21 yesterday. Melissa brought 3 cakes, chips, and drinks to surprise him. All the children loved it, and when he walked in the dining hall, they broke out into a loud Spanish Happy Birthday song. It was lots of fun, and I've never seen children mound their plates with so many Doritoes before. Wow- they love chips and cake!! These children are so wonderful; even the simplest of things makes them smile. The small challenges of living here quickly vanish when we are with these children. If any of you or your churches are looking for a place to do a week-long or 2 week-long mission trip, Casa Hogar needs you and will welcome you. Or, if any of you or your church are looking to sponsor a ministry financially, Casa Hogar needs funds to provide for the children's food, clothing, education, etc. Josh and I hope to get the word out even more once we get back to the U.S. God is at work here, and all of us can be a part of this special place in one way or another. These children will get into your hearts and never leave. Ask anyone who has come to Casa Hogar. They will tell you. Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Father's Day to all of you Dads out there!!

Love,

Sara Parks

It's been another great day at Casa Hogar. Our interns are working so hard and well with the kids. They are each finding their niche and learning how to use their gifts effectively. We have a team coming in a couple days. There will be more hustle and bustle from everyone as a result. Hardy and Jesi had a sweet time with the Sobre El Puente street ministry today. On Wednesdays the folks from Sobre El Puente bring food to the families of people who have been admitted to a local charity hospital. The people that go here for medical care can pay only a minimal amount. Their families often miss work to stay with those they love. The food is a much appreciated help to caring for the sick and their families. Hardy and Jesi got to visit a young girl (8) who has Leukemia. Some of the Sobre El Puente staff were able to pray and share the gospel. It was a moving afternoon.

Our love and care for the children at Casa Hogar continues to grow daily. These are special children with huge hearts. One of the challenges that Casa Hogar faces this summer is less short term teams coming from the US. On the surface this may not seem like a big deal, but with each team comes individuals who fall in love with this place and these children. They in turn tell folks in their churches, send money to sponsor kids, and promote this special work that God is doing. Pray that the money, vision, and care for Casa Hogar would grow and blossom this summer, even though there are only a fraction of the teams coming.

I'm heading back to the States tomorrow for Allison and Grant's wedding. I'm looking forward to being with them and celebrating their marriage. Pray for the family as I am away for a few days. After this I should be in Acapulco for the duration of the summer! Call me on Friday if you are bored. I might actually answer.

-Josh

Wednesday already?

This week is flying by. Josh leaves again Thursday to go to Baton Rouge to officiate Allison & Grant's wedding. Sweet, sweet... glad they are almost married!! Please pray for safe travel for Josh over the weekend. A church team from Trinity PCA in Pennsylvania is coming this Friday for a week. We are looking forward to meeting and working with them. Jesi, one of our interns, is from this church, so she is really excited about them coming. Her brother is one of the team members. Josh and I think it has gotten hotter this week. We are used to sweating all day but now even more. We walked way down the hill for a late lunch today and had the hottest salsa ever. It even burned my chin. The food was great; just heavy. We usually go to the orphanage at 5 pm to help with the children's homework. Yes, they are still in school through the end of June. Crazy! Though I can't help much with homework, it gives me some time to learn a few Spanish words here and there, visit with the children, and visit with Laura (house mother) who I have come to love. Then it's soccer, soccer, soccer! These kids know how to play soccer! The younger ones will play other games too. They are very creative since toys, video games, and TV are not readily available to them. The interns are doing great and seem to have gotten into a routine. Ben and Meg are doing so well when we eat at the orphanage. They are having to eat foods that they normally wouldn't touch. They are being stretched in a good way. We feel like the days go so fast. Josh does a Sunday night bible study with the interns and I get to be a part. The kids watch a movie during that time. We are studying the book of Acts, praying together, and just discussing the joys and frustrations of ministry. Please pray that we will all learn to communicate well as we work together this summer. Thank you again for following and praying for us. We are so grateful for your love and support!

Sara Parks

Josh is back!

The kids and I were glad to get Josh back late this afternoon. He brought back wonderful reports of Drew & Anna's wedding! I loved hearing the details and am happy they are married and on their honeymoon!! The kids and I were well taken care of while Josh was gone. We played a long game of monopoly and hung out at the orphanage. Saturday, Melissa picked us and the interns up and headed to her family's rental house for us to stay for the day and night. On the way, guess what we got? Gelato! Yes, I got my wish, and it was delicious. I got the Bon Bon flavor which was chocolate and hazelnuts. Oh just writing it makes me want more. I have said since being here that one of the main things I've missed in the United States is frozen yogurt (specifically chocolate with roasted almonds on top). Gelato is even better. We spent the day swimming and relaxing and eating Mexican food. Melissa has been so gracious to provide us with fun places to go on our days off. Today we went to church and then rode back to the orphanage with the kids in their bus which is jammed packed and of course no air conditioning. Needless to say, the kids and I were so hot when we got back that none of us were even hungry for lunch. Dinner at the orphanage was tamales. Maybe they weren't as good as the ones we used to have in the Mississippi Delta, but I enjoyed mine AND Meg's. We start a new week! Hope everyone has a good one. love, Sara Parks

weekend

Josh left yesterday to fly back to Baton Rouge for the weekend. He is doing Anna & Drew's wedding which will be so wonderful. I hate that I am missing it. The kids and I stayed here and I was nervous the last few weeks thinking about being here without Josh. But over this past week God gave me a real peace about it which I know came through prayer (thanks to many of you who prayed for me about it!) Last night was fine- I actually slept through the night without waking up at all which is rare these days. Josh got safely to BR and hopefully will get to see some of you over the weekend. The interns, kids and I are invited Saturday/Sunday to spend the day and night at Melissa's family's house that they rent out. There is a pool close by and hopefully we will eat some yummy Mexican food. And I'm craving gelato- maybe I will ask if there is a place near the house? One of Ben's friends and his siblings are going back home to their parents at the end of the month. I'm not sure how long they've been at the orphanage- maybe 5 or so years? Most of the orphans at Casa Hogar have living parents, but they are either too poor, were abusive, in jail, or living on the streets and can't take care of the children. In this these siblings' case, their dad went to jail for a drug situation and their mom couldn't afford to care for them. Now the dad is out of jail, so the kids get to go back home. Unless it is an abusive situation, most children are usually excited about going home. As we get to know these children, we learn some of their stories of how they got to Casa Hogar. Some are so sad that it just makes us want to love on these children all the more. I am so thankful for Casa Hogar, and the safe haven that it is for children who need a home. And not just any home- a home where they are loved, cared for, and taught God's love through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers. Please pray for Casa Hogar that God will provide the funds needed to care for all of these children. Also pray that He will work in their hearts so they experience the transformation of the gospel and know God's love that will neither leave them nor forsake them.

Much Love,

Sara Parks

Busy Weekend

Our weekend started off with a Friday night program and farewell party put on by the children at the orphanage. This was for the church team since they would be leaving the next day. Several children played the flute or keyboard. Then they danced and sang. We all ate hamburgers and hotdogs and finished the night with a dance party that lasted for hours. They love to dance!! A lot of the music was American. We had a great time. Saturday morning we said good-bye to the team. They were wonderful and will be missed. The and interns and our family were invited to Melissa's family's clubhouse and pool which overlooked the beautiful bay. We spent the day there. Sunday we went to church and then after they had "dinner on the grounds". We were served several different kinds of quesadillas, some had pork rinds and some were VERY spicy. But all very good. In the evening Josh did a bible study with the interns. They are studying the book of Acts and reading through and discussing Tim Keller's book, Counterfeit Gods. Then we went to the orphanage where they were all excitedly watching the Mexico vs. El Salvador soccer game. Mexico won 5-0 so everyone was especially happy. We ate what seemed to be sloppy joes and bread pudding. It was a great weekend. No team this week or next so the interns will be doing other things around the orphanage, going to the street child ministry, and doing some office/PR work at the Casa Hogar office. I hope all of you had a restful weekend. Remember, we post pictures on Facebook so please check there!

Love,

Sara Parks

Cold Showers Never Felt So Good

The last couple days have been full and fun for us. Yesterday (Wednesday) was the Westminster Pres team's day off. We joined them for some ministry and fun around Acapulco. We began by visiting the New Horizons school. This is a private Christian school that is about 4 years old. It was started under the supervision of long time Acapulco missionary - Ellen Barnett. She is a delightful woman who has a deep love for children and the Mexican people. Several of the children from Casa Hogar go the the New Horizons School. It was nice to see them on our tour. Next we made our way up a mountain to the Chapel of Peace. It reminded me of Pretty Place Chapel at Camp Greenville. But, instead of looking over beautiful mountains, we could see all of Acapulco - the city, the bay, and the Pacific Ocean. It was amazing. What better way to follow up such a sight, than by eating lunch at McDonalds. That's right, and it tastes just the way it does back home. After lunch we went to a mall and the movies. The best thing about both was definitely the air conditioning. After an authentic Mexican dinner, we headed to see the famous Acapulco cliff divers. They were truly breathtaking.

Today meant more construction for most of our interns. Jesi and I, along with four others from the Westminster team, went to Sobre El Puente - a street child ministry. Basically, street children can come from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm every day to get a hot meal, shower, have a devotional, sing, and learn some basic life skills. There were 6 young men. They were tough, but had respect for the staff and for us. There were three girls - one 19, another 16, and another 8 months old. Yep, one of these two teenagers is a mom who lives on the street with this little one. It's our understanding that these young people choose to live on the streets because of the freedom it gives them. Please pray for them and for us as we seek to minister to them throughout the summer.

We ended the day with about three hours of homework, crafts, soccer, and free time with the kids at Casa Hogar. This seems to be one of our key times for loving and caring for the kids at the orphanage. Pray that we would be able to communicate the love of Christ to them in our words and by our actions. After all that, who needs hot water? Cold showers never felt so good. Thanks for reading, and keep praying.

We love and miss you guys,

Josh