This month began with Leah and I joining Mike in Wisconsin. It was a very long traveling day with a 6+ hour layover in Mexico City, but it ended well with Mike picking us up at O’Hare Airport. We have been enjoying our time in Wisconsin visiting with family, friends and supporters. We are very thankful for those who have opened their homes as well as meals shared with us.
I want to update you with news from El Refugio. This month began with a celebration. Olga was given her first ever birthday party at the age of 24. Before I left to head north I had asked her when her birthday was and she shared that she had no idea. Pamela was able to find out through some legal papers she was in possession of. The ladies in the shelter decided that she was long overdue to have a party so a few of them went and purchased two blouses while Mariela and Hilda made cakes. The ladies and kids worked together to decorate the house with balloons and streamers and they used those candles that can't be blown out. Hilda also prepared a traditional dish using pigs feet. By the end of the party
Olga's very first birthday cake
Olga was in tears feeling richly blessed and loved. A few days later when Deysi was working on the shopping list for their bimonthly run to CENMA, a large distribution center where fruits, vegetables and groceries can be purchased in bulk for less, Olga suggested the advantages to having pigs feet on the shopping list suggesting that they have a lot more vitamins in them than other parts of the pig. You have to admire her ingenuity.
Silvia and children —>
We received two new ladies during this month. Propevi brought Silvia (age 32) with her 4 year old son and one year old daughter. When Kim, one of our volunteers, arrived that morning Silvia immediately started sharing her story and crying in her arms. She still has bruises from a beating 18 days ago. She has been married to her husband for 14 years and has been abused by him all of those years. She apparently has some sort of engineering and sales degree though we are not quite sure. Shestayed with her husband for so long because he is a public defense attorney and works cases involving domestic abuse. She was afraid to leave .
because she was certain he could find her. Pray for safety and courage for everyone involved with El Refugio because she is very scared and I imagine it would be pretty easy for him to pay off the right people to find her.
The second lady arrived from Propevi in the middle of the night. Her name is Josefina and they believe she is around 80 years old. It appears she was found wandering the streets of Villa Nueva. She appears to have dementia as well as some possible medical needs. They were working this morning to see if the nearby home for the elderly could take her in. She thinks she is from Chimaltenango. She said that her son and daughter-in-law send her out to beg for money and they beat her if she doesn't bring enough home.
Josephina ——.>
The ladies were also blessed this month by some volunteers wanting to pamper them a bit. The ladies each received makeovers. Though they were a little unsure of what was happening, they really enjoyed the attention they were each given.
Hilda's finishing touches
<---- Olga getting her eyebrows done
‹—— Mariela getting a facial
On another front ~ News from Wisconsin: I have been blessed with some wonderful opportunities to sell the coffee jewelry the ladies have been making in El Refugio. The reception for coffee jewelry has been wonderful with all proceeds from the sales going back to the shelter to help with continued funding. One of the home sales my friend Sandy held for me began with the gifting of a bag of money from one of her daughters, Rachel. Rachel and two of her neighbor friends had a lemonade stand with cookies and decided that all proceeds should go to our ministry. They live on a pretty quiet street so I was very surprised to find that I was holding $60 in sales.
Carly Hoyer, Tania McNeil and Rachel Pearson run a lemonade stand to raise money for El Rufigio —>
Through it all we continue to give thanks. God is so good to us. We appreciate all that you are doing for us, whether it be in prayer, financial or both. Please keep El Refugio in your prayers as we work through some safety challenges at the shelter. We will be in Wisconsin through August 18th at which time we will all return together to continue the work the Lord has for us.
