Where has the time gone. Please forgive me for being tardy regarding the January Newsletter.

That said, I can tell you that is was an extremely busy month. You would think that things would slow down after Christmas. Not!

We had 20 different things happening in January. And all of that around our 4 day teaching schedule. I should also receive "Frequent Flyer" miles for the many trips to the airport for pickup and delivery. People ask me how we could go through 4 cars in 4 years. But they only ask it once, because one trip to the local outreach on the bumpy, pothole ridden roads or through the creeks or just daily during on the cobblestone streets answers all the questions. Please keep us in prayer for a newer SUV and protection from the terrible drivers and driving conditions. All I can say is the Lord not only trained me as a CHP He also prepared me to use all my driving skills to stay alive here. You know its bad when the tourists arrive and decide not to rent a car but instead take the smelly, noisy buses driven by Mexican Kamikaze drivers who race each other to the next bus stop to see who will get the fare. Ah, you know you love the quaint customs. Hehe.

We want to thank the following people for helping us teach in January: Ray & Patt Hogsden-Cox, Linda Humphreys and her two friends Allison Reeves & Grace Keigley, Dan & Susan Carlson, Pastor Sattler & family, Alice Dueck, David & Luann Zude, Larry & Jeannie Perrier, Steve & Francine Gilkerson, Patty Sosa, Sean Maxwell and so many others brought to the mission school by Pastor Ric & his Wednesday Tour.

And thank you for the school supplies, clothes & shoes for the kids. And the money for a tank of gas & medicine for the sick children. And of course, thank you for supporting our ministry work which provides not only food for daily hot meals, medicine for sick families, school uniforms & school books, salaries for staff etc.

Let me tell you about some of the exciting daily changes not only in the life of the children but also in the life of the Mission School of the local outreach.

First let me give you some history. The local's outreach's Mission School is part of a downtown church. The mission school is located in the Magisterio Colonia one block from the garbage dump. The inhabitants are among the poorest of the poor. Many families actually work in the dump daily recycling metal, plastics & glass or anything else of value. They make about $5 to $8 dollars a day. The children are born in the shacks and for the most part never get to attend the public schools. So this voluntary mission school program is very important.

The actual mission school program & church are overseen by a pastor and his wife. The staff is made up of volunteer mothers & members of the church. The mothers & members serve as cooks, teachers, dish washers & soft shoulders for kids to cry. I never realized that I too have soft shoulders and the kids sure know how to melt my heart.

Now let me tell you the exciting changes we are seeing and experiencing daily with the children. Let me explain what happens on a daily basis as we teach not only Spanish, English, but also behavior & hygiene.

When the children first arrive they wash their hands in a sink with soap. They then proceed to their table and sit down. Now the staff, teachers and volunteers bring them a hot meal and drink from the school kitchen. The children eat and socialize. The lunch & cleanup period takes 1/2 to 2/4 of an hour. After their meal they take their dishes back to the same sink and wash them at the same time the hands are cleaned again. Remember that these children do not have sinks and running water in their own homes. Hygiene is so important here to combat the filth and squalor for which the families & children are exposed.

Next they go back to their table to learn in an hour whatever the Spanish or English teacher have for them for that day. At the end of the hour of lessons they help to put the chairs away and go to there homes.

This is a totally volunteer program as far as the students are concerned. The school is working daily to bring the children up to an educational level where they can enter the public school system. This program is working to educate the children and families so they understand that an education also means a more properous life in the future.