The Strutton Family Blog

December Prayer Letter

2011-12-01T07:40:00.001-08:00

“…I bring you good news that will cause GREAT JOY for all the people. Today in the town of David A SAVIOR has been born to you...”

Merry Christmas, Beloved Friends & Family!

We realize that for so many of our dearest friends and family, 2011 has been a year of not-so-good news, struggle, and for some… extreme sadness. We pray that in this Christmas season you are able to take courage, find hope, and ultimately experience GREAT JOY. The angels are still proclaiming this good news for all people; a SAVIOR has been born! For those of us who believe, the birth of our Savior not only brings purpose to our earthly trials and tribulations, but GREAT JOY when viewed in light of our glorious eternity with Him. Alleluia!

For us, 2011 represents a year of harvest. After so many months and years of sowing into the vision of Grace Babies’ Home, in May our family moved into one of the missionary residences on the second floor. By mid-October, we had finished up construction of the first floor. In the beginning of November, the Mexican social services placed our first baby into our care. In many ways it feels good to be finished building, in other ways it feels as if the hard work has just begun.

Baby Natalia stole our hearts. In her waking moments we all fought for a chance to hold her and play with her. For the three weeks she was in our care, we loved her as if she was our own. Then in His perfect will and timing, God found her a new home with a family that will love her. In the short time she was in our home, we saw great improvement in her development, in her health, and even in her appearance. It was amazing to witness God’s transforming and healing power at work right in front of our eyes.

We continue to stand in awe of God’s faithfulness to complete the good work He has begun in our kids. Lucy is very much a young woman, and we have come to depend on her responsibility, capability, and wisdom. Sam as well, is more man than boy. His sensitive nature has matured into a roll of protector to his sisters and even his mother. Joe Max’s boldness with the truth is constantly bringing conviction and repentance to our home. Lily’s ability to see things that need to be done and then do them well, helps our home to run efficiently.

As we look back on a year of witnessing God’s faithfulness, bringing to fruition His vision for GBH, we feel as if we’ve just scratched the surface in witnessing God’s power. We can’t wait to watch His faithfulness at work in the lives of once broken, once wounded, once ignored babies. In just a few short weeks we’ve already seen glimpses of this healing power in Natalia’s life.

Thank you for jumping in on this journey when it was just a dream. Thank you for sticking with it when it seemed to go slower than we would have liked. Thank you for walking with us in these new unchartered waters of loving the least of these.

With All Our Love,

Juan & Alicia

Merry Christmas 2011 - The Strutton Family

My Father’s House Has Many Rooms

2011-11-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3

Four years ago in the comforts of our San Diego home, we began the process of bringing to reality what was at that time only a dream. A year of drawing and re-drawing floor plans, creating a budget and fundraising followed. In addition to these activities, we also moved our entire family to another country. The second year was filled with moving dirt, lots of concrete and a fair amount of waiting. Years three and four were filled with visible progress. Blood, sweat and tears flowed as God, in His mighty way, brought everything together as only He can.

Two weeks ago, we dedicated this work back to the One for whom and by whom it was completed. All glory and honor were given to Him who has been faithful. In response, He has seen fit to entrust us with one of His precious little ones to begin filling the rooms that have been prepared for them.

As I sit here holding this little miracle, I am touched by the amount of people who have labored to get her here, the hundreds of hours of hard work in the driving rain and in the hot sun - so many prayers, so much effort. I keep saying to her, “We have been laboring to prepare this place for you. I hope you love it. I hope it provides a loving, caring, home where you can feel safe and learn all about your Savior who loves you and was really the One who made it possible.”

As I spoke the words “prepare this place for you”, I immediately was drawn to the passage in John 14 where Jesus says the same thing to His disciples. Just imagine, He has been laboring for 2000 years preparing a place for us who call Him Lord and Savior. As I reflect on the joy that I feel in presenting this home to this little one, I can only begin to imagine the joy that our Lord will feel when He brings us into His father’s house and says, “I have been laboring to prepare this place for you, I hope you love it, I hope it provides a loving, caring home where you can experience the presence of your Savior for all eternity.”

November Prayer Letter

2011-11-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

October was a busy month for our family and the ministry of Grace Babies' Home. We worked feverishly finishing last minute details inside the home as well as laboring to make the outside of the home safe, secure and presentable. God was faithful to bring us help and resources in His perfect timing, so as to remember that He is in control of the big and small details of our lives.

On Saturday, October 15th, we hosted officials and representatives from the Mexican government for an inauguration of Grace Babies' Home. The day included speeches, a ribbon cutting, and a tour. The following Saturday, we opened Grace Babies' Home to the hundreds of people who have been a part of bringing the vision to fruition.
We opened the downstairs and both of the missionary residences upstairs. As people toured the home, cribs were anointed with oil andprayers were made for the babies, the staff, and the future of the ministry. One of the highlights for us was when our sending church arrived in a 50-passenger bus, blessing us with their prayers, encouragement, and a delicious lunch.

As we write this prayer letter we eagerly await the arrival of our first two babies. We have been told that they may arrive any day. Please pray for these babies that will soon join our family. Pray for their adjustment to a new environment. Pray for health and healing. Pray that our touch on their lives would be an extension of God's love toward them. Pray for our family and our children as we adjust to the many ways that these babies will affect our lives.

Several weeks ago we learned that our sister-in-law, Kerrie, has been diagnosed with stage 3b breast cancer. She is currently undergoing chemo along with facing all the normal daily challenges of being a mother of three. Please, please, please be in prayer for Kerrie, Kevin, and our nieces and nephew who are ages 6, 7, and 8 years old. Pray for complete healing by our Great Physician. Pray for His presence and peace through the coming months of treatment.

We know that the first place of enemy attack is our family. Praise Jesus, our kids are well and thriving, and our marriage is strong. God continues to faithfully provide for our spiritual and physical needs. Please pray for continued protection for our family as we enter a new chapter in our lives.

We want to remind you that we could not and would not be here without the support of all of you. Please keep praying. Please keep visiting. Please keep supporting us with your resources. These two babies coming into our home are YOUR ministry as much as they are ours. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for continuing the good work.

Love in Jesus Christ,

Juan & Alicia

Blessings From Our Sending Church

2011-10-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend we hosted an Open House. Many came to dedicate Grace Babies' Home to the Lord in prayer. Our sending church, Horizon Christian Fellowship, came from Rancho Santa Fe on a 50 passenger bus. After they toured and prayed over the home, they blessed us and all our guests with a delicious lunch. We felt so loved.

A Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow

2011-09-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Do you guys feel safe there? Are you ever afraid? Is the violence really as bad as the media makes it out to be? These are a few questions we are frequently asked. We have answered these questions so often that our response has become somewhat streamlined.

Most of the violence is between rivaling drug cartels; we are not being targeted. While a majority of the violence occurs in the border towns of Nogales and Juarez, the media often leaves those details out, portraying the events to be everywhere in Mexico. We try to be cautious by staying out of dangerous areas and only traveling at night when necessary. The safest place to be is in the center of God's will; we are certain He has called us to be here, and we live under His protection.

Our message is true and one I have believed in faith for three years. However, my emotions have not always lined up with what I know to be true. During our first 10-12 months in Mexico I experienced paralyzing fear. With so many loved ones dealing with their own fears for our family, I chose to fight this battle silently, letting Juan and a few prayer partners in when I thought I could bear it no more.

When we moved to Mexico in August of 2008, reports of violence were growing by the day. By November it felt like we were living in a war zone. There were military tanks driving in front of my house several times a day carrying armed men wearing black masks. I witnessed two different gory, heinous murder scenes.

We stopped answering our Mexican landline due to threatening phone calls from a supposed cartel group. After investigating, we learned that this scam often resulted in people paying a ransom for a loved one who was in school or at work the entire time.

That fall the swine flu became an epidemic in Mexico. There was talk of closing the border to stop the virus from spreading. This would have been an issue for us, as we were traveling to the States 2-3 days a week for Spanish class while our kids stayed in school in Mexico. My thoughts dwelt on the possibility of being separated from my children.

One day while driving my friend's son to the children’s home on the back, dirt roads, four supposed undercover federal agents in unmarked cars and street clothes stopped me. Two armed men stood watch while two others interrogated me (one sitting in the back seat of my van).

Meanwhile, two of our neighbors’ homes were broken into within months of each other. We installed a security system, built a more solid gate in our front yard, and shored up the windows and doors to our home.

As these events unfolded, I walked in a valley so deep there was only room for God and me at the bottom. I remember emailing a friend for prayer and writing, "I'm so scared, I feel like I can't breathe..." Only by God's grace was I able to keep breathing and moving forward.

At some point during all this craziness, I got a call from the children's home stating a current kidnapping threat to the local schools. As I left my house to collect my kids, the neighborhood seemed eerie. The streets were empty and no one was milling around. Juan was aware of the situation, but detained in a meeting in the States. I fumbled with my phone while driving over the bumpy, dirt road. I tried calling two of my closest friends and prayer partners, but couldn't get through. Finally, I cried out to God.

During the rest of the drive, I came to terms with my deepest fears and the realization of those fears before my Almighty, Sovereign God. I embraced the truth: "absent from the body, present with the Lord", “to live is Christ, to die is gain”, “the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort”. I remembered Stephen’s face lighting up like an angel while he was being stoned. I remembered John the Baptist’s words before he was beheaded, “I must decrease so that He can increase”. As I stared honestly and completely into the possibility of death or suffering for my children or myself, I saw more of Jesus than I had ever known.

This brutal encounter with my perceived reality was a turning point for me. The road out of the Valley of the Shadow was long, slow and full of switchbacks. As I trusted God with our lives, the chaos of it all seemed to slowly die down. During this time several pieces of literature divinely landed on my nightstand. One was Beth Moore’s “Believing God”; another was Max Lucado’s “Fearless”, and a subscription (that I did not ask for) to Voice of the Martyrs. I concluded that it would be my greatest honor to be fighting the good fight, actively serving Jesus, when I meet Him face to face. Not only that, but I will survive, if during that fight my children meet Him before I do (I can’t type that without crying, but I do believe it).

It was just recently when a new friend and sister in the Lord asked me about my life in Mexico, that I have looked back and found that Valley of the Shadow far off in the distance. It is only with time and distance that I can even write about it. While fear is something that creeps in at times, it is not something that plagues me daily. Though we have not experienced anywhere near the same frightening experiences as that first year, I believe even if we did, our lives are too full doing what God has set before us to be handicapped by fear.

As I reflect on how the Lord patiently and gently led me through that valley, I can see so much purpose for that dark and scary time. To quote a line from one of my favorite movies, Steel Magnolias, “that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Life did not get easier when the violence cooled off and my fear subsided. In fact, the years that have followed have been some of the hardest of our lives. The Lord knew I would need to be strengthened in my faith to endure what lay ahead.

Another divinely purposeful thing that happened during that first year is that I was forced to hand my children into the hands of Jesus every morning. I wasn’t handing over my concerns about their adjustment to a new language, new school, new teachers, new friends, or new culture; I had bigger things to worry about. I handed them over, trusting God for their very lives. So many things were put into perspective that even today I have a tough time making an issue over anything that is not of eternal significance or life threatening. I have significantly different views on parenting since my walk through the Valley of the Shadow.

Like other trials the Lord has seen me through, I would not trade or exchange my walk through the Valley of the Shadow for anything. When I think about what I am able to do for Jesus today because of what He walked me through over two years ago, I am compelled to love and trust Him all the more. He knows what tomorrow, next month, and next year hold for me. There are no wasted moments in my life. Every day is a preparation for the next. And when that day seems dark and scary, my heart agrees with the Psalmist, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. “

You're Invited!

2011-09-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

We are very close to being able to open our doors and takeour first babies. This momentous occasion would not be possible without yourgenerous and faithful support of our family. When God called our family toMexico, He called all of you with us. Grace Babies’ Home is as much yourministry to orphans as it is ours.

We want to invite you to come celebrate and dedicate GraceBabies’ Home to the Lord in prayer. As we don’t have the space to have everyonehere at once, we are planning a casual open house where you can come and go asyour schedule allows. Light refreshments will be served throughout the day. Asyou tour the home you will be given a Scripture verse and prayer request topray over each room. If you are within reasonable traveling distance, we hope youwill mark your calendar and make plans to join us. The details are as follows:

Open House

Day of Prayer andDedication

Saturday, October 22,2011

10:00am – 4:00pm

If you plan to attend, please send us a quick email:juan@josh2415.org

For directions to Grace Babies’ Home, click here.

A Visit With My Dad and Grandpa

2011-08-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

My Grandpa worked very hard to move his family out of Tijuana and up to San Diego when my dad was five years old. He didn’t expect that any of his children or grandchildren would ever voluntarily move back.

On Friday my dad brought my grandpa and his cousin down to visit and see the baby home. Though my dad had been here before, my grandpa hadn’t. A welder by trade and one of the hardest working men I know, my grandpa highly respects two things: a man with work, and a job well done. As he toured the home, I sensed his approval of my life choice to move his family back to Mexico.

It was a joy for the kids to spend a little time with Grandpa Manny and Great-grandpa Adolfo. It was an honor for me to share all that God is doing here with two of the men who have greatly shaped the man I am today.

Simple Pleasures

2011-08-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

I am a chronic list maker. I make lists for everything. Sometimes I even write what I already did, just so I can check it off. When my kids were babies, I would often have 2-3 days in a row where I didn’t get out of my jammies. On these days, just so I would feel productive, my list would say things like, “take a shower” or, “do the dishes”.

I’ve recently discovered the “notes” application on my phone. For a list maker, it is the greatest thing invented since the magnetic fridge whiteboard. Currently I have 10 lists going in my “notes” section. Some are shopping lists, while others are things like “Birthday Gift Ideas for Kids”. It is so handy because now all my lists are in one place.

On a quest to pull my silent thought life out of a yucky pit, I decided to start a list of the little things I’m thankful for. I titled the list, “Simple Pleasures”. I started the list about a week ago, and I’ve been adding to it a little everyday. Whether I’m in line at the border or cutting veggies for dinner, my thoughts have been drifting to the simple pleasures in my life:

Waking up to the smell of coffee

Walking out in the early morning and finding one or more of the kids

snuggled on the couch reading

Hearing my husband say to me, "So what do you think about...?"

God's Word open on the kitchen table next to my coffee

Walks on the beach

Writing on pretty stationary

Empty laundry baskets

Listening to my children pray in faith

Solitude and a good book

Making lists and checking things off

Fresh cut sweet peas in a posy vase on my nightstand

Long love letters or short kinky text messages from my husband

Panera French baguette with butter

Displaying my kids art as if it were a Yadro or a Michael Angelo

Rainy days

Listening to my family quote lines from Nacho Libre while I try not to

wet my pants

Seeing old wrinkly skin next to newborn skin

Hearing the sound of Legos clinking together down the hall

Praying with other women

Being pursued by my husband of 16 years as if we've just met

Watching my kids play in the waves together

A clean house (doesn't happen often, but I love it when it does)

Sitting down to an amazing salad made by someone other than myself

Laughing with my family so hard we cry

Hot baths

Getting a letter in the mail, or better yet, watching my kids when

they get a letter in the mail

Hearing the words, "thanks for dinner, Mom, it was great!"

Lunch with girlfriends

Clean sheets

Pedicures

Making eye contact with my husband from across the room and knowing he

knows what I'm thinking

Sunsets over the ocean

When my boys who are 10 and 12 reach over to hold my hand in a public place

James Taylor on the radio

Chocolate chip cookies

When my husband reaches his foot over to touch mine just before he falls asleep

Waking up to the rooster's crow

PB&J on the beach

Goodnight kisses from my kids

Locks of Love

2011-08-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

When Lily decided a few months ago she wanted to cut her hair, I showed her the Locks of Love website. I explained what cancer is and how many boys and girls with cancer lose their hair when they start taking their medicine. She decided that she would wait until her hair grew long enough so that she could donate it to Locks of Love. Today was the day our friend, Lupita, cut it all off. Before we put it in the envelope, Lily decided to write a note to the little boy or girl who would get her hair. It was a fun experience for everyone involved.

August Prayer Letter

2011-08-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

December 2007,
Planning and Dreaming

August 2008,

1st Day of School

December 2008,

First Christmas in Mexico

Dear Friends & Family,

We packed up our lives three years ago,

And followed God's call to Mexico.

"A home for babies" God asked us to build,

If we would obey, HE would see the vision fulfilled.

Ages 4, 7, 8 and 10,

We trusted our kids to the Lord, again and again.

School was difficult and there were days with tears,

But in a very short time, peace replaced all fears.

Discovery and wonder filled so many days,

As we learned the language, the culture and Mexican ways.

In God's faithfulness to our family, His mercies were new everyday,

And before we knew it, His "home for babies" was on its way.

From resources to labor, God provided every need,

Divinely orchestrating all details, the glory is His indeed.

While construction winds down and God's "home for babies" is nearly done,

We are filled with hope and excitement, knowing that His vision has only begun.

Though the road has not been easy, the journey the most difficult we've known,

Every moment has been worth it, knowing how much our faith has grown.

An important piece of this story, is most definitely all of you,

Because when God called us to Mexico, He purposely called you too!

Your prayers and support for our family are what God uses to keep us going,

Through them His blessing and protection, faithfully continue flowing.

This is not a journey of one family following God's call,

Rather we journey together, and God uses us all.

Thank you for coming with us.

Juan & Alicia

March 2009,
Foundation Complete

March 2010,

Taking Shape

April 2011,

Almost Ready To Move In

A Weekend With Someone Very Special

2011-07-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

I started thinking about Lucy’s 13th birthday right after she turned 12. I knew her transition into being a teenager would be monumental in her life and ours. I wanted to do something to make her feel loved, special and beautiful, as well as create some type of rite of passage that would recognize this new stage of her life in a positive way. I began to pray that the Lord would show me how to do this.

A few weeks ago some dear friends offered to let us stay in their beach home in La Jolla. I immediately praised the Lord for His provision and started to plan our “mother-daughter” weekend. With what I had planned for the weekend, there was still quite a bit of time left unscheduled. As we crossed the border Friday morning, I found myself a little anxious about what we were going to do with that unscheduled time. I silently prayed that the Lord would orchestrate our weekend. In that moment I felt in my spirit that I was to let Lucy decide how and where we spent our time.

I am glad I got that gentle nudge from the Lord, because Lucy’s choice for our afternoon on Friday would not have been mine. After a nice lunch and picking up some starter pieces of make-up at Target, we spent hours and hours at the mall (one of my least favorite places on the planet). From the challenge of shopping for a cute, hip, and modest blouse, to testing every candy at the Sweet Factory before buying two pounds of our favorites, to smelling each fragrance at Bath and Body… we both had a blast.

Later that evening God displayed His glory with a spectacular sunset over the Pacific while we ate our gourmet, frozen pizza and took photos. The next day we met Lucy’s friend, Elise and her mom, Jannet, for lunch and pedicures. Then we headed down to the La Jolla Cove where we spent the rest of our afternoon being tourists.

Spending this weekend with Lucy was as important for me as it was for her. With all that comes with raising a teenage girl, I needed to be reminded of what an amazing young woman God is creating. I tell Lucy all the time that if I were her age, I would choose her as my best friend. That’s how much I value the person she is. However, I also know that right now she needs a mom more than a friend. Granted, it would be easier to step out of the heat that comes with being mom to be her friend. But this weekend left me encouraged; I’m willing to wait for God to orchestrate that friendship in His timing, and I know that one day it will be a beautiful one.

July Prayer Letter

2011-07-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

We are extremely excited to report that we have moved! We are now living in one of the residences on the second floor of Grace Babies' Home. Our kids are thrilled with their new rooms, the amount of space to play, and of course our across-the-street neighbors. The beauty of our new home is attributed to one God and hundreds of His faithful servants; we are blessed beyond words. You are all welcome to come visit us. The Spanish phrase, "Nuestra casa es su casa" couldn't be truer!

Construction on the rest of the facility continues with Godspeed. Walls have been painted, some flooring has been laid and cabinetry installed. Our summer schedule is full with individuals, families, and groups coming to work on the project. We remain hopeful that we will open our doors to our first babies in the fall.

We've decided to continue with home school through the summer at a relaxed pace. We hope to gain some ground and keep our momentum moving forward. We don't know what to expect in our first few months after we start taking babies and it is highly likely that school may take a back seat for a while. So this summer we will be reading a lot and hitting the math and English books occasionally. As you might guess, our kids are not too thrilled with this plan. :)

Piano Recital

The kids continue to enjoy all their activities. Sam, Joe and Lily passed their taekwondo exam and are now green belts. Lucy took first place in all her events in her last swim meet. They had their first piano recital in Mexico in the comfort of our new living room. They each took their turn in the spotlight playing in front of their friends. It was super fun and a great motivator to keep them practicing.

Green Belts

We are celebrating two birthdays this month. Joe Max is turning 10 and moving into double-digits. Lucy Belle is turning 13 and walking that fine, teenage line between wanting to be a kid and an adult at the same time. We plan to celebrate these special days fishing, hiking and riding bikes at Alicia's parents' home in the mountains.

As we get close to finishing construction on Grace Babies' Home our anticipation grows exponentially by the day. We hope that you too are beginning to get excited! Your support of our family makes you co-laborers in this ministry; you stand with us before the Lord for all the work done at GBH. We are eternally grateful for your partnership with our family and pray that the Lord will continue to bless you, as you are such a blessing to us.

In Christ,
Juan & Alicia

Please pray:
- That God continues to provide for and protect our family.
- For our marriage and family during busy summer days when "family time" tends to get pushed aside.
- For wisdom, discernment, patience and kindness as we enter new territory raising a teenage girl.
- That we would keep our focus on Jesus and the work He has set before us, not on things that could distract us from our goal.

Piano Recital

2011-06-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

In the States Lucy and Sam took piano lessons on and off from a neighbor girl who wanted to earn a little extra money. After our move to México our kids were able to continue lessons with Tia Helen. God has been so faithful to meet this desire of our hearts that for the last two summers He has brought someone to cover for Helen when she has gone home to Canada. This summer, to our delight, He brought us 17-year-old Tia Sarah from Saskatchewan, Canada.

Juan and I don’t know anything about music. We have no opinions about the method by which our kids are instructed or how they should practice. However, as God is faithful to provide instruction, we make sure that they practice. We cannot help them when they don’t understand their assignment, nor can we discern when they are practicing incorrectly. We merely set the timer and enforce that true effort is made.

After a few weeks of instruction, I think Sarah saw the need for some motivation. She suggested that we have a little recital including the Palau kids who she is teaching as well. Our kids were very excited about this idea. Lucy and Sam had not played in front of an audience since our move to México, and Joe and Lily never had.

We set a date and Sarah helped them choose their songs. For a week they practiced with enthusiasm. The kids made invitations and they each invited two friends. We baked cookies and Lucy typed up a program. The recital was simple and sweet. Surrounded by friends and our YUGO family in the comfort of our living room, the kids each took their turn in the spotlight.

For me, one of the greatest treats of the evening was watching a life lesson click in Lucy’s mind when Sarah played the finale for the evening. All eyes and ears were captivated as her fingers glided over the keys and made the most beautiful music. While she played I remembered her describing to Lucy and I the rigorous hours and hours of daily practice that had gone into her years of training and exams. I made eye contact with Lucy and we silently agreed that Sarah’s hard work was well worth it.

The lesson of sowing and reaping is one that seems to be woven through our daily lives, especially now that we are homeschooling. Anytime we hear, “it’s too hard”, or “it’ll take too long”, or “I’m too tired”, Juan and I plunge into the lesson of hard work and the results of reaping what you sow.

After the house cleared out, Lucy sat at the piano and didn’t get up until it was time for bed. When she kissed me goodnight she told me she was going to work hard because she wanted to play like Tia Sarah someday. Thank you Sarah for sharing your expertise with our family, and more importantly for your godly example of the benefits of hard work.

Hidden Treasure

2011-05-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

While the kids are in the States for a few days, Juan and I are packing and moving into the upstairs residence of the Baby Home. Yesterday while I was unpacking at the new house, Juan was taking apart the kids’ bunk beds at the old house. He sent me an email with “under the bed” written in the subject. When I opened the email I found this series of photos he had taken of sticky notes he found attached to the underside the girls’ top bunk.

My heart was overwhelmed when I realized that each sticky note was a prayer request for our neighbors. Recognizing Lucy’s handwriting, tears stung my eyes as I imagined her writing the notes. She had not only taken the time to attach them to the underside of the bunk, but she had been praying those heartfelt words each night before she fell asleep.

Prayer is as much a part of our daily home life as eating and sleeping are. We pray about everything from lost toys to miracles of healing, and we praise God out loud in casual conversation when He answers those prayers. But to know that Lucy believes in the power of prayer so completely that she chooses to continue those patterns when no one else is watching or encouraging her to do so, is knowledge that brings incredible rest to my soul.

It is not an accident that we would stumble upon such a precious find. We have recently crossed some pretty difficult terrain with Lucy, and God knew we needed the encouragement. He has given us a small glimpse of an area where Lucy’s faith stands independent of Juan’s and mine. I am encouraged that as we continue to instruct our children in the way they should go, whether it is blaringly obvious or a hidden work of the heart, God will be true to His Word and compete the good work He began in them.

May Prayer Letter

2011-05-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

This is Lily Strutton. I want to tell you about me and say thank you for praying for my family.

When I go down the hill of my house there is a nice field of flowers. Where I live in Mexico there are bumpy roads and it's like a roller coaster. You can find a perfect dog on the street for free. I go to the beach and find sand dollars. I don't like the smell of Mexico. Mexico has a lot of trash on the streets.

We take one hour to do taekwondo. It is from 5:00 to 6:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Taekwondo looks like it is hard, but it is not. I was a yellow belt. I had an exam and now I am yellow with a green stripe. My best friend in taekwondo is Valeria.

Did you know I do home school? Well, my school is 4 hours. I have four subjects. One is Lectura, which is Spanish. In book basket time I read about the country we are learning about and practice piano. In math I am doing pluses and minuses. In Language Arts I read and write about the Bible and stuff. I like home school and I am lucky.

My dad is building a home for babies. I remember when it was dirt and now it's almost done. Next to the Baby Home is an orphanage, which is where the babies will go next. In the Baby Home, my room is purple. I can't wait until I can play with the babies.

On Easter my sister, my mom, and I went horseback riding. We also had an Easter egg hunt. My grandma got us some butterflies and we let them out in the flowers. In my Easter basket I got a new pair of jeans, which I really needed. I had a very fun Easter.

My favorite color is pink and I want to be a horseback rider when I grow up. Well, that is all about me.

Yours truly,

Lily

My Family's Prayer Requests
Please pray that:
Me - we get to move in to the Baby Home soon.
Joe - God helps my dad at the Baby Home.
Sam - God helps me work hard in home school.
Lucy - I do everything as unto the Lord.
Mom - the meditation of my heart pleases the Lord.
Dad - God keeps the Baby Home safe.

Hat Ministry

2011-04-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

Chris is a friend and brother in the Lord. He is an electrician and his wife is a fulltime caregiver to Alicia’s, ninety-year-old grandfather. Chris is quiet and humble with the heart of a servant, yet his presence in any situation is one of peaceful strength.

Though I had met Chris on a few occasions, I did not really get to know him until he and his wife became involved in the ministry of Grace Babies’ Home. I was so thankful when Chris offered his services to wire the building; but it was not until he was well on his way into the project that I understood what a godsend he really was. Chris’ impeccable work is a testimony to his desire to honor God with all of his life.

On one of his earlier trips to GBH, I got a glimpse into Chris’ passion for Jesus. When I tried to pull up the border wait on my phone so I could tell him if it was a good time to be crossing back into the States, Chris told me that the long border waits were a highlight of his trips. He showed me a big box of waters he had in his backseat with a stack of tracts. He explained that during his waits in line, he passes out water, tracts, and Christian CDs while telling people about Jesus.

A few days ago Chris was down working at GBH. When he was packing up to leave I found his hat and sunglasses and stuck them in the window to his car. Shortly there after, when he came looking for his hat, I explained that I had left it in his car. When we saw that the sunglasses were there but the hat was gone, I remembered a group of young kids who had just walked past and stalled by Chris’ car. I apologized for the fact that the kids had likely stolen his hat and it was gone.

Yesterday I got an email from Chris titled “hat ministry” in the subject line. He told me that on his way out of the neighborhood yesterday, he did cross paths with the young kids who stole his hat. When Chris stopped to confront the kid wearing his hat, he explained that he (the boy) wasn’t able to steal the hat, because he (Chris) was giving it to him - in Jesus name. He explained what the “Not Of This World” logo meant and told the kid that he too could have a home in heaven. Chris also gave the kids some tracts and CDs. He ended his email saying he prays that every time the boy wears the hat, he remembers that Jesus loves him.

When I thought about this “hat ministry”, and the possible, eternal significance of a hat given, I realized that the hat only became a tool for ministry once it was freely given. Until the hat was given it was just a hat, but once given over to the use of the Lord, it was used to touch hearts. Ministry in its purest form is giving of oneself – whether it is our resources or our time and talent. It is only after we choose to give freely that God can then use what was given to reach, touch and heal the lost. The extent to which God uses us and our worldly possessions to further His Kingdom is the extent to which we are willing to give it all to Him. I wonder how many "hats" I have in my life that sit powerless, waiting to be used to touch lives – waiting until I freely give them to God.

Home Safe

2011-04-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

There is a certain joy in realizing that you have something of great value that you have had all along, but never really considered. Recently I read a blog of a missionary friend who wrote about touring his wife through his current project (he is an engineer with EMI). When he talked of the pleasure he felt in showing her the work she supports by taking care of the home, I thought of the wife described in Proverbs 31.

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. Proverbs 31:10-11

I spend most of my days at the baby home preparing for the arrival of a work team, directing a work team, cleaning up after a work team, or just managing the project on various levels. When I leave our home in the morning, my mind shifts into work mode and I often don’t think about home again until I am opening our gate and walking in the door. Until recently, I have not paused to consider the gain I receive by being able to safely trust my wife. Alicia has been a stay-at-home mother and wife managing the affairs of our home since Lucy was born. Perhaps it is because of our recent change in lifestyle, with her homeschooling our kids that I am made keenly aware of her worth and how I benefit from it. When I ponder the things I trust my wife with, the list is long and deep.

When I walk into our home, I am greeted by four children who think I am the smartest, strongest, most capable man on the planet. It doesn’t matter if my day was filled with having to rip-out and redo something that I messed up at the baby home; my children think I am one rung down the ladder from Jesus. They believe this because Alicia herself thinks I hung the moon and frequently conveys this to our kids. My heart safely trusts her because she has confidence in me.

Most days at the baby home come with challenges. When I can see that I’ve reached a hurdle that is only passable with God’s divine intervention, I will often send a message to Alicia. I know that the moment she reads my message she and our kids will pound the gates of heaven asking for God’s favor on me. If it is serious, she will stop their studies and call them into our bedroom to get on their knees before God. My heart safely trusts her because I have experienced the power of her prayers for me.

Our kids are thriving under Alicia’s training. The education they are receiving at home is paramount to any we’ve experienced. Spiritually they are growing daily by her wise instruction and living example of faith. Their life skills are maturing as they are called on and trained to help with the multitude of tasks that are required for keeping the home. My heart safely trusts Alicia because she is well qualified to teach, train and instruct our children.

Though my face is primarily the one people associate with the baby home, Alicia is my unseen but crucial help. I often ask for her help replying to emails and creating written verbiage about the home. She frequently runs my errands collecting materials for the project. I rely heavily on her ability see things clearly when issues arise. My heart safely trusts her because she is more than able to handle the tasks I need help with while using her gifts of wisdom and discernment to do so.

Last but not least, my heart safely trusts my wife because she is faithful to me. As a man, I cannot imagine trying to do the tasks God sets before me with any reservations about my wife’s loyalties. There are only one set of eyes she wants to capture and they are mine. When given the opportunity, rather than belittle me for my shortcomings, she chooses to esteem me in the presence of others… this is of value far greater than rubies!

Who can find a virtuous wife? Praise the Lord, I have. And it is because of her that I have no lack of gain.

What is Normal?

2011-04-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was up in North County, San Diego dropping off two of our kids with friends for Spring Break. I swung by the church office of our sending church to pick up some stuff for Juan. After getting back on the freeway, headed south to México, Lucy started to engage me in her thoughts.

“It seems so weird that it used to feel normal to be at that church,” she stated. Not quite sure if I understood, I asked her what she meant by “normal”. Unable to explain, she began to describe a moment she had while in the bathroom at the church. She said, “I don’t know… I was washing my hands and I heard the kids playing in the gym. Then I looked in the mirror and was like…” here she stopped talking and began miming her physical motions as if looking in the mirror. She cleared the hair out of her eyes, tidied her face, and then tugged on her shirt.

With these wordless actions, I’m sure most women would have understood what Lucy was trying to communicate. It’s the same feeling I get when I walk into the restroom in Nordstrom in my sweats and old flip-flops - the feeling of, “I don’t belong here.” Lucy didn’t belong in the culture and lifestyle of the kids playing in the gym, and she sensed it. I was very careful in how I approached the rest of the conversation because I could tell that Lucy was saddened and torn, but confused as to why.

Most missionaries leave for the mission field and return home once every few years. Our lives are a bit different as we live just a few hours from our old home. While the distance to our new home is short, it is a whole world away in culture and way-of-life. And though we cross often from one world into the other, Lucy's ties to the world in which she lives have naturally grown stronger over time.

For almost three years Lucy has been able to live comfortably in both worlds. She’s been able to navigate through sleepovers, summer and winter camps, and VBS across the border. She hasn’t thought that the grass is greener in her old life, nor has she ever resented her new life. Yesterday Lucy realized for the first time that her old life doesn't feel "normal" anymore. After her wordless description of how she felt, she said to me, “I don’t know… why can’t I just have both worlds?” I think if Lucy could have clearly articulated her feelings, she would have told me that she is conflicted with being a white, freckled-faced, American, but not fitting-in in America (even at church).

Had I just blurted out the truth, Lucy would have rebelled against it. Instead, I asked her to imagine bringing one of the girls from the gym at the church home with us. First I talked about the little girl’s life, and what her normal day probably consists of. Then, I pointed out just a few of the things on our ride home after crossing the border that would make this child feel out of place. I mentioned many of the things about our home and our lifestyle that might make her feel like she doesn’t belong. I had Lucy imagine walking this little girl through certain parts of our day that seem “normal” to us. I pointed out to Lucy that the things that she loves about México are the very things that would make this little girl want to run home. When it became obvious that the little girl would be uncomfortable living in Lucy’s world, I explained that it stands to reason that Lucy would feel uncomfortable living in the little girl’s world.

Finally, I explained to Lucy that we, as Christians, are foreigners wherever we live on Planet Earth. That we will never feel like we completely fit-in anywhere on this side of heaven. I told her that our real passports say that we are citizens in heaven, and that one-day when we arrive there, we will truly know what it feels like to belong. Until then, it is good and natural that her heart gravitates to the place where God has planted her. She is not so sure.

April Prayer Letter

2011-04-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

These past few months God has been moving Grace Babies' Home forward and we have been very busy trying to keep up with Him. He has brought teams and individuals to give of their time and talent every weekend and most weekdays. Our residence is near completion and it looks as though we may be moving-in towards the end of spring. The rest of the project will be driven more efficiently with our family living onsite.

Along with managing teams and construction, we have also begun a concerted effort to raise operational funding for the home. We are deliberately focusing on those who are not already part of our personal support team. Our hope is to keep you, our friends and family, financially supporting us personally with the goal of reaching out beyond you to raise ongoing support for GBH; as the two are completely separate within YUGO's accounting system. This effort includes a blog, newsletters, baby sponsorship, campaigns and financial appeals. We pray that the Lord will raise up individuals who are committed to support GBH on a monthly basis.

The Lovingier Family visits GBH

On the home front, things are busy as well. In March we took a few days off to spend time with family from out of town in Mexico, at Disneyland, and in the desert. It was truly a blessed time with family and very special for our kids to be with their cousins.

Homeschool is hard but good. In God's providence, our curriculum has us currently studying Japan. We are reading children's literature set in Japan, biographies about missionaries to Japan, and studying Japan's geography - its land, people, and culture. With this basic knowledge, our prayers for Japan have become very heartfelt and personal.

Lucy is still swimming. She has made some good friends, really likes her coaches, and loves the sport. She had a meet at the end of March and did extremely well. Sam, Joe and Lily are now yellow belts in Taekwondo. Sam and Joe thoroughly enjoy being in an environment where they can kick the snot out of each other with their parents' permission. They are begging to be signed up for the next tournament. We shall see...

We want to thank each and every one of you for your faithful support of our family. By supporting our family through your prayers and finances, you are partners with us in this ministry. We could not do it without you. Through your prayers we receive God's power and protection. Through your financial support we receive His provision. We value your partnership more than words can express.

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. 1 Peter 1:3-4

Lastly, we would like to wish you a blessed Easter. It is through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we can live in these last days with a living hope. The power of Christ's resurrection has never been more relevant or crucial than it is this Easter. As the very foundations of Planet Earth are shaken, our world needs to hope in something that will never perish, spoil or fade. We pray that our family and yours not only know this hope, but also are ready to give a reason for it. (1Peter 3:15)

With Love in Christ,

Juan & Alicia

Joe Max's Poem

2011-02-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

Joe is a perfect example of how you can’t judge a book by its cover. He lives life like a bull in a china shop. Yet when least expected, he has moments of profound insight into life and spiritual matters. We have story after story about times when he has unknowingly spoken a prophetic word into our lives.

In between riding scooters and playing soccer, Joe sat down yesterday because he just “felt like writing”. Thirty minutes later he dropped this poem in Alicia’s lap. Though I’m impressed by the thoughts of a nine-year-old boy, I’m more amazed that he would choose to write from his heart in Spanish. I’ve tried to translate it into English, but it doesn’t rhyme or flow as well.

Lo que Hace Jesús por Mi

escrito por Joe

Mi salvador, mi creador, mi agua viva, estas cosas son Jesús.

Y por Él, yo ya estoy salvado porque Él murió en la cruz.

Las cosas que me digan el mundo

Para hacer sentir mi corazón muy profundo,

Solo tú eres mi alegría, Jesús Cristo,

Y cuando el mundo me digan más cosas, voy a estar listo.

Lo lamento que todo el mundo no te ama,

Pero un día vas a venir con tu arma!

Todos te van a mirar y arrodillar

Pero lo triste que te sientes, por algunos, será muy tarde para perdonar.

Gracias por lo que hiciste por mi,

Y yo quiero que toda la gloria del mundo vaya a ti.

What Jesus Did For Me

Written by Joe

My savior, my creator, my living water, these things are Jesus

And because of Him, I am saved because He died on the cross.

The things the world tells me

Make my heart feel deep.

Only you are my happiness, Jesus Christ

And when the world tells me more things, I will be ready

I lament that the whole world doesn’t love you,

But one day you are coming with your weapon!

Everyone will see you and bow their knee

But you feel sad because for some, it will be too late to forgive.

Thank you for what you did for me,

And I want all the glory in the world to go to you.

February Prayer Letter

2011-02-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends & Family,

I was sweeping up the floor of the Baby Home yesterday and I couldn't believe how far things have come. My dad has been working a lot lately. There have been so many teams that volunteer to come down and work on the Baby Home. This month all the drywall went up and they've started putting on texture. Some walls are ready for paint!

I started to think about leaving our home and I got sad. We have really good neighbors and I will miss them terribly. I have so much fun playing with my friend, Jami. I will also miss the little baby boy who lives down the street. I really love the house we live in. It suits our needs perfectly. We have a little store on the corner across the street where we walk to get soda and treats. All the kids in the neighborhood hang out in our yard. I will really miss our house.

Then I started to imagine what my life would be like when I live at the Baby Home. Lily and I have been thinking about how we want to decorate our room. We've decided we want to paint the walls purple. I really love taking care of the baby down the street, so I think I'm going to love taking care of babies. I will also have a bunch of good friends who live right across the street at GCH. I imagine Leidy, Valeria, Ixayana and I listening to music and making up dances in my purple bedroom.

My parents say that we will probably move into the Baby Home sometime this year. But I've decided that even though I'm excited to move, I can wait. I want to enjoy our house and play with our neighbors a while longer. God's timing is perfect. Thank you for all your prayers. My family is doing well, and so is the Baby Home.

Love,
Lucy

Prayer Requests:

Juan	- That the stucco would be on the Baby Home before it rains.
Alicia	- That I would be transformed in order for God to be glorified in my life.
Lucy	- That I would be a peacemaker in my family everyday.
Sam	- That the Baby Home gets finished fast and that God brings workers.
Joe	- That the kids at GCH would get good grades this year.
Lily	- That God would keep my family and me safe.

Defending My Family

2011-01-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

Recently while our family was in a public setting, our kids behaved so badly towards each other that another little boy’s spirit was hurt. Mortified by the fact that I had to learn this from the boy’s mother, I was so angry I had to keep my mouth closed during the ride home for fear of what I might say. Once home, I clearly communicated my disappointment over the situation and the consequences that would follow. After the younger three went to bed broken and remorseful, our preteen proceeded to wage a verbal battle with Alicia and me that was so dramatic, I felt like we were in a scene from an After School Special.

Alicia and I lay in bed that evening feeling exhausted and defeated. Though we were both bewildered by the turn of events we’d just experienced, somehow I knew that the weight of it was ultimately mine to bear. I remembered an incident in my youth when my dad had to stand before the school board on my behalf and receive judgment for my poor choices. Then I began to imagine standing before God on behalf of my children and their poor choices. I started to present my case, pointing out all that I do to instill God’s Word and biblical truths into my children’s lives. It only took a moment before I realized that the gavel had dropped and my efforts had been proven insufficient.

When I asked the Lord, “Why?” I immediately recalled the same frustrating question from the mouths of the disciples. The Lord brought to my remembrance the boy who had a mute spirit. When his father brought his suffering son to the disciples, they could not cure him, but Jesus could. Jesus explained why the disciples were not successful:

And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:28-29

Everything became clear. God’s Word tells us that a house divided cannot stand. The most common and effective tactic of the enemy is to cause division from within. While the enemy was busy waging war against my family, my defense as a father, as valiant as it might be, was not enough to withstand his attack. A victory of this magnitude can only be won by prayer and fasting.

The concept of prayer and fasting is not new to Alicia and me. At various points in our life we’ve prayed and fasted for wisdom, direction, healing, and victory over sin. But the kind of fasting described by Jesus in this story is a bit different. The disciples didn’t have time to say, “Oh wait, we don’t have the power to do this, give us a week to go home and pray and fast first.” The power they lacked at that moment is the kind that comes from a lifestyle of prayer and fasting.

Spiritual discipline is often compared to athletic training. The time to train for the marathon is not at the race, but months before the race. It is the same with prayer and fasting. The problem is, we do not know today what we are fasting for tomorrow, next month or next year. We must fast in faith, deny our flesh and feed our spirit, so that we are prepared to do God’s work, in His power, when He wills. Prayer and fasting is not a recipe to keep trials from our lives, rather it is what empowers us to have victory in those trials.

The next morning, I shared the story of the boy with the mute spirit with my children. I told them that I was going to be fasting for the next four days praying for one of them each day. I apologized for becoming lazy in this discipline and I committed to fight harder for my family.

I know that in my own strength I will never be able to fight hard enough. It is a team effort summed up by the writer of Hebrews:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1,2

Endurance is hard. For this reason I fix my eyes on Jesus, my coach at the finish-line, knowing that He endured the death and shame that was supposed to be mine. I fix my eyes on Him because He sits at the right hand of the Father ever living to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). He is there urging me on as I get closer to that finish line where I will stand and give an account for the family and ministry that He has entrusted to me. It is here that I hope to hear those words, “Well done my good and faithful servant…”

A Conversation With Lily

2011-01-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

Sex is not a topic we have neglected or avoided with our children. We make a conscious effort to discuss openly and often God’s design for sex, how babies are made, and how they are born. For this reason, I was a little taken aback when Lily asked me the other night when we were alone in the car, “How do babies come out of their mommies’ tummies?” It was as if she needed to be sure she hadn’t misunderstood past conversations. Nevertheless, I quickly and matter-of-factly answered her question. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Lily told me that she didn’t want to have children and she didn’t even want to get married.

Part of Lily’s response is due to her age. She is trying to process adult behavior with a child’s mind. I remember having the same misgivings about marriage and babies when I was young. Also, as the baby of our family, Lily has never experienced the excitement of having a new baby in the home; she doesn’t know what she would be missing. Though this was a totally normal response from a seven-year-old girl, there was something I sensed in Lily’s voice and countenance that caused concern. As she continued to defend her decision to never marry or have children, I prayed for wisdom. Eventually I recognized Lily’s battle as one of fierce independence.

As I prayed for the right words, I remembered what Lily had read to me the previous morning from her 1st grade reader. When I asked Lily how and why God made Eve, she repeated the gist of this poem from her reader:

   From one of his ribs, the Lord made him a wife
   To help him to have a much happier life.
   God made her to be a good helper to man.
   And wives are to help men the best that they can.

There is no doubt in my mind that our boys will need helpmeets. This transition seems fairly clear to me: a young man continues his education and then uses it to serve the Lord, or he learns a trade and uses it to serve the Lord. Somewhere along the way after he leaves his parents’ nest, he finds his helpmeet. She brings order and beauty to his home. Everything she has ever strived for or achieved is divinely woven into helping him follow God and lead his family. Her soul is at rest as his dreams and ambitions become hers. His soul is at rest while he protects, provides for and cherishes her. However, this transition seems less clear for our independent, self-sufficient, capable girls - especially in a society where the roles for women have been rewritten to suit that independence.

The only way I could think of to contend with Lily’s reasoning was to appeal to her sense of compassion. I explained that God calls some people to be single, but most of us are created to need a spouse. While Adam needed a helper, Eve needed someone to protect and provide for her. I asked Lily to consider that there may be a little boy out there, who will grow to be a man, who was created by God to need her help. What will happen to him if she decides she doesn’t want to be his helper? What will happen to her if she ignores the protection and provision that God wants to give her through this man?

Though Lily may have gained a little perspective from our conversation, I was very challenged by it. Do my children know that I am more than fulfilled in my God-designed roles? Are they watching me walk through the trials and victories of marriage and parenthood with joy and peace? Is God’s design for marriage and family made attractive by my example? I am challenged to live my life in a way that I can answer “yes” to all these questions.

As Iron Sharpens Iron

2011-01-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17

I emailed a few buddies a couple of days ago. I mentioned I was in a pinch reinstalling some stucco paper that needed to be redone before the next rain. We didn't have another team coming soon enough and it was a job that needed several hands. Within hours my buddies responded that they'd be here Saturday.

It takes iron to sharpen iron. Sharpening a knife requires iron at least as hard as the knife. Once sharpened, a knife is much more productive for service. As I worked alongside these faithful friends yesterday, the truth of this Proverb continued to pass through my mind. I thought about all the evenings I've sat together in prayer with these men. How we understood that we not only needed God's help to lead and guide our families, but we needed each other as well. I wondered, how much more productive for service am I as result of these men keeping me sharp?

After ending our fun day of work at a local taco stand, I said good-bye to my buddies. Though they had dropped everything to drive down to Mexico to help me, I'm certain that God's purpose for their trip had less to do with construction and more to do with sharpening my countenance.

A Sweet Story

2011-01-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

I grew up with cats. Cats are independent creatures and are naturally happier as indoor-outdoor animals. By allowing them this freedom to be happier, all our cats lived somewhat short lives. Whether they were eaten by a coyote or given better food by a nearby neighbor, our cats would disappear every few years. Inevitably we would get more kittens. In my experience, cats didn’t need much. We enjoyed them when they chose to enjoy our company, and didn’t think much about them when they were out of sight.

Eight years and several houses ago we were given a kitten. Lucy was in the princess stage of life, so she named her Jasmine. As a kitten, Jasmine stayed inside with her food, water and litter box. We resisted the temptation to remove her claws because we knew she would eventually want to be outside. Sure enough, Jasmine grew to be a great indoor-outdoor cat. She was social and affectionate inside, while she enjoyed hunting and playing outside. It was apparent that she liked us too, as she was constantly leaving us presents of dead birds or rats on our doorstep.

One day Jasmine came in hurt. As we looked closer we could see that she had been attacked by something. A large piece of her abdomen was missing. From my experience I knew that this is happens; cats get eaten. Driving to the vet I could see that Juan didn’t share my circle-of-life philosophy. I finally got him to come up with a dollar amount that we would not go above to save this cat. In the probable event that she may have to be put down, I stayed in the car with the kids while Juan took the cat inside. After a short time, Juan returned with the good news that Jasmine was not going to die. He whispered the bad news in my ear; it was going to cost more than what we had talked about. After that incident, we affectionately referred to Jasmine as our million-dollar cat.

When we sold our house, we could not have pets in our new rental. Our neighbors across the street graciously agreed to take Jasmine. Their daughters loved her, and Jasmine adored their big golden retriever, Cody. Within months our old home sold again and the Maruyama family moved in. Jasmine became friendly with their adult, special-needs son, Hireo. Soon Junko, the mother, was feeding Jasmine. Slowly, Jasmine moved back into our old house. Junko talked with our friends and they all agreed that the cat was happiest at her old home with Hireo.

As time when on the Maruyamas had to move to New York. Jasmine was living the indoor-outdoor life in Encinitas, but they weren’t too sure how she would do in New York. So as not to break either Jasmine or Hireo’s heart, they decided to take her. The Maruyama family sent photos of Jasmine’s first winter in New York. Not only does she look healthy, happy and loved, but Hireo looks equally as radiant.

I love to tell this story because the heroine is not a human. We serve an amazing God; all of creation is at His disposal to reach even the simplest of hearts in profound ways. He can even use a cat.

Lily & Jasmine in Front of the Strutton/Maruyama Home

Hireo in the New York Snow

Jasmine in the New York Snow

The Perfect Gift

2010-12-26T21:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve after the kids went to bed, I noticed that the bulk of their stocking gifts had been accidentally left in México. As guests in my parents’ home, I tried not to cast blame on their cherished son-in-law, but it was impossible to contain my disappointment. My problem-solving husband offered to drive home (4 hours one way), retrieve the gifts, and be back in time for Christmas morning. As such desperate measures were offered to console my disappointment, I realized how ridiculous I was being. Yet still, my emotions swayed between sadness, anger, disappointment, and ultimately embarrassment for having these emotions.

Through the years, as the Lord has gently stripped away much of what we once held dear, Christmas has not escaped that radar. Not so much by conscious effort as by the Spirit, our ideals for Christmas have lessened in some areas while greatly increasing in others. By simplifying everything peripherally around Christmas, that which is at the center soon becomes the all-encompassing focus. While the Spirit of God aims to make Jesus Christ our focus, our Christmases may look simpler, yet are actually more profound.

As we continue in this process, we are compelled to seek opportunities to give to others. Giving begins with our own children, and extends to family, friends, neighbors and those whom the Lord would choose to bless through us. This time of giving requires planning and budgeting. While we delight in choosing gifts for our children, every year we feel the Lord’s hand restrain us more and more from lavishing them. Our challenge is to provide a magical Christmas morning with less attention on temporal gifts and more on our Eternal Gift.

Sticking firmly to our budget, we carefully and thoughtfully purchased one gift for each kid and a few items from the Christian bookstore for their stockings. As well, I gave the grandparents gift ideas from the kids’ lists. The kids shopped and purchased gifts for each other from the Dollar Store; a wonderful tradition started several years before our move to México. Still, I was a little unsure about the scarcity of packages under the tree from Juan and I.

When I realized that we were missing our stocking stuffers, my heart sank. While Juan shared in my disappointment to a point, he couldn’t fully grasp the devastation I was feeling. To be honest, I couldn’t understand it either. Something in the very fiber of my being feels responsible for every smile, giggle, and twinkle in my children’s eyes. As much as we’ve worked to simplify things, this innate responsibility I feel for my children’s happiness places added stress on me during the Christmas season.

While Juan stayed up getting things ready for Christmas morning, I laid in bed with tears and a heavy heart. As I do in most desperate situations, I spoke out loud to the Lord. When I attempt to articulate out loud what I’m feeling in my heart, the Lord often uses my own words to clarify the true motives behind my feelings. “Lord, I know I’m being ridiculous about something so trivial,” I said, “but I can’t seem to snap out of it.” I waited quietly until He impressed His Word into my heart, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” “For God so loved the world that He sent His only son…” And so, the two-way dialogue began between my Heavenly Father and me.

The desire to give my children good gifts was His to begin with; He created that desire in me. He knows the feeling I get when I watch my child’s face light up because I’ve nailed it and found the perfect gift. He reminded me of monumental moments in my life when I had received good gifts from Him: my magical childhood, my marriage, and the birth of each of my children. Then He reminded me of when I had received the greatest gift He has ever given, His own precious son. Slowly and quietly peace returned to my frazzled soul. Any other gift or stocking stuffer pales in comparison to His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. This gift could never be forgotten in a closet in México.

On Christmas morning we opened the Word and read the story about the greatest gift ever given. We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and ate birthday cake. We talked about the wise men and the significance of their gifts to the newborn king. As I looked around the table at the wonder and sparkle in my children’s eyes, I imagined God smiling down on our little family. He nailed it - He had given the Perfect Gift!

FYI

2010-12-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that Lucy has started to blog. We hope it will be a fun way for her to express her preteen-self and serve as a bit of writing practice for home school.

To receive an email with new blog posts, you can subscribe to her blog on the right-hand side of the page.

To view the blog click here ---> http://gueritalucy.blogspot.com

December Prayer Letter

2010-12-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Friends & Family!

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests!” Luke 2:14

While God’s hand of favor rests on our family and the Baby Home project, we catch glimpses of His glory, and experience His peace that defies all logic. As 2010 comes to a close and we prepare to celebrate our third Christmas in Mexico, we marvel at His faithfulness to our family and to the work in which He has called us.

Lily Bean is 7 years old. She is reading and writing with ease in both Spanish and English. She started taking piano lessons this year, and is keeping up with her brothers in taekwondo. She is incredibly capable at anything she sets her mind to and has the follow-through to see it to completion. Lily prays every night for our safety and for protection over our home. Due to the believing prayers of this seven-year-old, our family has remained untouched by the crime and violence of our city.

Joe Max is 9 years old. He has improved greatly in piano and seems to really enjoy playing. His favorite subject is Spanish, where he reads, writes about, and discusses God’s Word with his Spanish teacher. This class nourishes his God-given gift for understanding and speaking God’s truth. While Joe loves taekwondo, he is passionate about all sports; he plays hard, sweats a lot, and doesn’t like to loose. He also loves to work with his hands, creating and building things. Joe is all boy and dreams aloud of the day he will be a man.

Sam Henry is 11 years old. He is always concerned for the feelings of others. He enjoys reading, playing video games, and reading about video games. He likes home school because he gets to spend the whole day in his pajamas with his mom and his best friend, Joe. He and Joe share a common love for anything Star Wars or Lego related. Sam is also playing piano and learning taekwondo. He is neat and meticulous and his world is made right when everything is in its proper order and place.

Lucy Belle is 12 years old. She is mostly self-taught in school as she is motivated, independent and bright. She still enjoys playing piano and has joined a swim team in Rosarito. She has made new friends, competed in several meets, and continues to improve. Lucy is the technology guru of the home when Dad is not around. She is levelheaded and wise and is always looking for ways to be helpful around the home.

All praise to Jesus, our marriage is strong, our kids are thriving, and God is moving the Baby Home into a reality. With that said, we are clinging to our Savior for dear life. This year our faith and obedience has been tested on many levels. When our Maker chooses to refine us through fire it is painful but necessary.

"In all this we greatly rejoice, though now for a little while we may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of our faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7

It is our prayer that no matter what the circumstances may be, Jesus Christ is revealed through our family and yours this Christmas. May the result be praise, glory and honor to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Merry Christmas,

Juan & Alicia

Knitted Together By God's Word

2010-11-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

Through the years God has brought us friendships with those whom our paths may have never crossed if it were not for His divine providence and placing us in a Bible study group with them. I think it is so cool how God uses the study, discussion, and application of His Word to knit together those who otherwise may not have a lot in common. Much of our personal ministry support comes from people who we’ve met throughout the years in Bible study.

Years ago God placed Victoria and me in the same discussion group at Women’s Bible Study. Having never met before that Tuesday evening, only God knew the future between this successful career woman and a stay-at-home mom. As time passed, and God’s work in each of our lives paralleled our studies through several books of the Bible, God knit our hearts together.

Shortly after our move to México, God moved Victoria and her husband, John, from San Diego to the Bay Area. In a search for a place to fellowship, the Lord led them to Westgate Church. Still not sure if this was to be their church home, John and Victoria attended a newcomers informational meeting where they learned about the church’s involvement in missions. When they heard that this church serves at Grace Children’s Home, it was confirmation that this was to be their church home.

Westgate Church is a big support to GCH. They had a large role in the construction of our Education Center, and now the Baby Home. When Victoria told me that this is where they were going to fellowship, I was thrilled. Every few months when the Westgate teams arrived to work on the Baby Home, I had a secret longing to see my friend’s beautiful face pop out of their big, white van. When I didn’t see her, I prayed that the Lord would bring her down in His time.

Yesterday Juan and I met the Westgate team at Costco in Chula Vista to lead them down to GCH. When I saw Victoria come around from the big, white van my heart leaped for joy. As excited as I was to see my friend, I was more excited for her to see firsthand the work that she and John have been a part of from the beginning.

When I think about my relationship with Victoria and so many others that I have met in Bible studies throughout the years, I realize that God’s Word is a great place to start friendship. Now I look around my BSF group and wonder which of the women will be coming down to México to serve alongside us at the Baby Home next year. God already knows.

Victoria installing insulation today.

Faithful Friends

2010-11-23T08:39:00.001-08:00

There are more than a dozen couples who have been a consistent part of our lives since before our kids were born. What began as a young couples’ home fellowship has evolved into a lifetime of godly friendships. For years we sat next to these friends in church. We’ve served along side them in the nursery, Sunday school, AWANA, and Bible Study. We’ve laughed, cried, played and vacationed with these friends.

When our kids were little, the moms met every Friday for Pray and Play. Meeting in our homes, at parks or the beach, we journeyed through the joys, struggles and victories of motherhood together. With one eye on our kids and the other eye closed, we lifted each other’s needs, burdens and fears to the One we knew held all the answers.

Following nine years of tradition, we met this past Sunday to celebrate Thanksgiving with some of these couples. After sharing a delicious meal, we took turns reading Scripture and giving thanks for what the Lord has done in our lives over the past year. As we went around the room, it became clear that 2010 has not been an easy road for most of us. Yet one by one as we shared, a common theme seemed to emerge. Through the fiery trials and painful difficulties of life, the sense of community and support amongst each other has been a catalyst in keeping the faith.

When it was our turn to share, we equally concurred with this theme. We were sent to México with the faithful support of this god-fearing community of believers. It is this solid foundation from which we came that enables us to weather the storms in the place we’ve been sent. Like Paul’s affection for the church of Philippi is our affection for the community from which we were sent.

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:7-8

Friendship

2010-10-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

Friendship is a gift from the Lord. Godly friends are often the hands, feet, and voice of our Savior. He uses them to comfort, counsel, rejoice and mourn with us. I have been blessed with not one, not a few, but many such women in my life. Not because I’ve earned them, but because He knew I needed them.

Since our move to México, the Lord has kindled several new friendships as such. Two of these friends are Helen and Linda. These friendships are unique in that there is a large age gap between these women and myself. Though they have been where I am, they are now in very different stages of life. If you add up the years Helen and Linda have been married to their husbands they total almost a century. They have grown children, grandchildren and Helen has great-grandchildren. They have walked with Jesus for longer than I have been alive.

Tuesday evenings Helen, Linda and I cross the border to attend Bible Study Fellowship in Chula Vista. For the hour drive going and coming, I try to soak up the wisdom these two women have gracefully flowing from their lives. While driving we often have conversations with God. I hear deep friendship, complete trust, and unexplainable peace in their prayers. This is not something super spiritual, but the kind of relationship that comes from walking for many years through the joys and trials of this life with Jesus.

Our conversation often drifts to our study through the book of Isaiah. We share our answers to our homework and how we believe the Lord is speaking to us through this ancient book. Many times after listening to Helen and Linda share, I have wanted to pull the van over and rewrite my answers to my homework. I guess it makes sense that they would understand His Word more clearly; to know Him is to know His Word.

Helen and Linda are very familiar with my children. When I share about my day and my struggles, I don’t have to give too much background because they already know my children’s personalities, weaknesses and strengths. Usually one or both can identify with my frustration and shares a nugget of wisdom from their own experiences. These little nuggets have become a like great treasure to me. I store them away in my heart and pull them out when I need them.

One of the highlights of the evening is standing between these two women, holding a shared hymnbook and listening to them sing. Though I usually have to read and sing, I’ve noticed that Helen and Linda often have the words to the hymns memorized. I imagine that through the years the words have been etched on their hearts. These hymns have served as inspiration when exhausted, hope in times of hopelessness, soothing balm in the midst of pain, and humble worship of their King of Kings. The words remain as a constant reminder of His faithfulness throughout their lives.

Our time is not completely serious and reflective. Last Tuesday, we got the giggles while seated waiting for the lecture. Tears of laughter streamed down my face. I tried to pull my self together while Linda and Helen bobbed up and down laughing silently on each side of me. It’s nice to know that we never grow out of silliness.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-4

I have always had a burden for Paul’s instructions to women in the book of Titus. I have a passion for the mentorship that he describes between older and younger women. Throughout the years I have been a part of this kind of mentorship through different programs in the church. Now, God has seen this desire and has provided these special friendships.

Since my youth, I have always been one to learn from watching and listening to others. I figure if I can learn from another’s experience without having to walk through it myself, I’ve saved myself time and sometimes grief. When we take the time to cultivate friendships with those more mature in age and faith, we are given opportunities to learn by observation.

Tuesday night, celebrating Helen's birthday before BSF.

It’s Hard Work Being a Man!

2010-10-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

Since we’ve been homeschooling, I’ve noticed that Alicia doesn’t have a moment in her day without kids. Armed with books and video games, she goes to her doctor appointments with four kids. She crosses the border to run her errands and mine with our kids. Even quick errands to the corner store, ATM, pharmacy, or to pay a bill are not so quick anymore with four kids in tow.

Last week Alicia called from Home Depot to get some direction on a few plumbing items I had sent her for. I waited on the line while I listened to her firmly reprimand our kids, having them sit on the floor separated throughout the isle. I shook my head as I could imagine the whole scene - store workers and plumbers trying to be anywhere but there while this half-crazed mom disciplined her children in front of God and everyone. When I tried to apologize she replied, “Don’t apologize, this is home school. If they can’t come and be helpful while I run errands, then they just need more training.”

Our boys relish in anything “man” related. When Alicia gives the boys a job, she asks them to do it the way dad would do it. When she asks them to pack up the van, she asks them to do it the way they will when they are a husband and father like dad. Seeing this drive to do “man” stuff, I’ve been seizing every opportunity I can to grab the boys and bring them with me to the Baby Home. I figure I can spend some quality time with them, relieve Alicia a bit, and hopefully teach them some skills.

Yesterday I took the boys to the Baby Home while Alicia took the girls to run errands. First the boys cleaned and picked up trash. Then Joe organized all the ABS plumbing parts and tools while Sam helped my buddy, Chris, organize the electrical boxes. In between work there was of course plenty of time for tacos de birria and a game of soccer. Later that evening when we walked in the house Alicia asked the boys how their day went. Stinky and covered in dirt, Joe Max replied with a huge grin on his face, “Mom, it’s hard work being a man!”

I tried to capture this day with a few photos of my boys being “men." I snapped the three that are posted below:

Joe Max moving all of the plumbing supplies downstairs.

Sam helping Chris make up the electrical panel.

At one point in the day, Joe looked up at the sky and saw this. He said, "It looks like a dove." To me, it was a reminder from my Heavenly Father that while it's hard work being a man, sometimes we need to look up and see things through the eyes of a boy.

October Prayer Letter

2010-10-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

September was a whirlwind of activity for our family. The Lord brought teams to work on the Baby Home every weekend as well as individuals during most days of the week. The roof is finished, most of the building is wrapped in stucco paper, plumbing and electric are nearly complete, and all the structural components have been done. A highlight for us was hosting our sending church, Horizon Christian Fellowship. While they have faithfully supported our work at Grace Children’s Home by bringing work teams almost monthly since our arrival, this was their first overnight trip. It was a blessing to have them here for longer stint.

September 18th we took part in our first Quinceañera. Flor, Jennifer and Erika from the children’s home all turned 15 this year. There was a ceremony at church where the Lord was honored, followed by a party and a meal at the YUGO Ranch. Wearing a hot pink tuxedo, Juan had the honor of being one of Erika’s escorts. It was quite an event with an aura much like a wedding. The girls were made to feel loved and special.

In the beginning of September we got a darling, sweet, golden retriever puppy. Less than four weeks after we brought her home (and loved her with all our hearts), we had to put her to sleep due to a virus she was suffering from. Also, we have had a large bout with illness and respiratory problems in our family. After being treated for what the doctor termed a severe asthma attack, Lucy was officially diagnosed with asthma. We praise the Lord for these challenges and others that continue to keep us dependant on Jesus every minute of every day.

Thank you for praying for our family and the ministry of Grace Babies’ Home. We covet your prayers. Thank you for supporting us financially and affording us the opportunity to serve the Lord here in Mexico. Please know that you are in our prayers every morning.

With love in Christ,

Juan & Alicia

Prayer Request:

'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6
Pray for the Baby Home project, that it would continue to be a work of His Spirit.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9
Pray that we not grow weary while doing good.

O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. Psalm 30:2
Pray for healing of all viruses and infections in our family.

Teamwork

2010-09-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

“From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:16

Lately the concept of teamwork has been in the forefront of my thoughts. Teamwork is God’s idea, first demonstrated in the Trinity and later in the Body of Christ. In godly teamwork, one head leads his subjects to work together for the benefit of the whole body. The team only functions well when each part does its work.

We have always tried to encourage teamwork in our family. Juan, being the team captain, is the ultimate encourager and can garner enthusiasm for even the most tedious of tasks. One of Juan’s regular sayings is, “OK team, let’s roll!” He gives mundane tasks official titles that include the name “Strutton” in an effort to rally team participation (i.e. "The Strutton Hour of Cleaning Power"). He is continually spurring us on. When he tells us we can do something, a new strength and power begins to kindle inside that makes us believe we really can.

Homeschooling our kids has required us to enforce this concept of teamwork all the more. I cannot keep up with my responsibilities as wife, mother, homemaker and now teacher without help. We are forever in the process of training our kids to happily help with their required tasks. Cooking, dishes, laundry, and yard work have been added to their normal, daily responsibilities. As well, we are trying to instill in them a helpful attitude - one that is always looking for ways to be extra helpful. This training is an uphill battle. Though it often includes more failure than success, we try to start new each day.

Home school itself is another effort in teamwork. Though a large responsibility falls on me, God has provided a team to accomplish His purpose. Juan begins each school day setting the tone with his Bible lesson. On Mondays, Tia Helen teaches the music portion of school with a piano lesson. Helen shows her love for others through action. She is a doer and a getter-of-things-done. When she is teaching our kids, she is loving them to the core. Because of Helen’s deep love for them, they love to go to piano. On Tuesdays and Thursdays our dear friend, Suzy, teaches Spanish lectura. Her character discernment has given her a phenomenal rapport with each of our kids. As well, her knowledge of the theme (the Bible) helps facilitate deep discussion and application to their lives.

I am so thankful God invented teamwork. Looking back on my life and the times when I stepped out in faith and obedience to something God was asking me to do, He either provided help for me or I was to be the help for someone else. Though I am the only one who can take that step of faith, I am relieved to know that once I do, He will bring help.

Juan teaching Bible.

Helen teaching piano.

Suzy teaching Spanish.

Home School Update

2010-09-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

This week we will complete one month of home school. As this was God’s charge for our family, we give Him all the glory for any success we have experienced. Though we have had our challenges, we are thrilled with how well things are going.

In the first few weeks we all tried to remain flexible as we navigated through new schedules, new curriculum, new roles, new expectations and much trial and error. In this time I became acutely aware of how different each one of my children are from each other. I was also surprised to discover how God has uniquely gifted me with the ability to teach to those differences. Praise Jesus, I immediately found great purpose, fulfillment and joy in facilitating my children’s learning.

I am extremely pleased with the curriculum that God led us to use. Together we study Bible, geography, science, reading, music and art with unit studies. We are traveling around the world exploring diverse countries, cultures and ecosystems while reading true stories of missionaries from those countries. Our day begins with Juan leading us through a study of the book of Matthew. He highlights a biblical character trait using true stories of godly men and women who have devoted their lives in service to the Lord. He reads about different ethnic groups around the world and how we can pray for them. When Juan leaves, the kids work individually on math, English, spelling and reading. Then we begin our unit study together and finish with music, art, cooking or science projects.

Though we are all learning a ton, I feel like I am learning the most. Lucy is completing a large portion of the seventh-eighth-grade supplement, and one of my favorite tasks is to stay ahead of her on the amazing books she is reading. As I teach the kids, there is so much that I am learning for the first time.

Another advantage we had hoped for and has come to pass is the freedom we now have with our time. We anticipate the day when our children will finish their schoolwork and then help care for babies in the Baby Home. With our school day finishing around one o’clock, this is now possible.

In the last month I have come to understand that homeschooling and parenting are intertwined. There are no lines separating one task from the other. Though we open our books in the morning and close them in the afternoon, the opportunities for learning and my responsibilities for facilitating that learning continue until bedtime. As well, parenting continues through home school hours with discipline, and training.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Last week Juan taught on Judaism. He explained that these five verses in Deuteronomy are called the Shema. Jewish children recite the Shema twice a day, morning and night. I believe that the Shema describes God’s heart about how we should be educating our children. We as parents are our children’s primary teachers. That instruction has no boundaries; it happens at home, on the road, when we lie down and when we wake up. Our chalkboards are our hands, foreheads, doorframes and our gates.

For a season in our lives the Lord has called our children out of the classroom. Regardless of where He calls them, my responsibility before the Lord remains the same. I am to impress His commandments on their hearts. Home schooling has given me the tools, the time and the confidence to take that responsibility seriously.

September Prayer Letter

2010-09-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

Two years ago God called us to drop our nets and follow Him. We followed Him to Grace Children’s Home in Tijuana, México. Though some things have been more difficult than expected, God has been gracious with our greatest treasure - our children. Our children are thriving in a way that daily encourages us to keep going. To look at them is visual confirmation of our calling to follow Him everyday in this place.

We asked our children to reflect on God’s faithfulness throughout these past two years in México. They each wrote about something that stands out in their memory:

I’m glad I can speak Spanish. My first word was “hola”. I can play with my neighbors in Spanish. I like to read more in Spanish than English.

- Lily

The best thing about the last two years in México was meeting all of my friends at school. They were really nice to me. They were twenty-four of the best friends I’ve ever had. They were the ones God picked to be my friends. I thank God for bringing me friends. - Joe

The highlight of the last two years for me was my dog, Sarah. Sarah was very important to our family. I was very sad when she ran away because she was so special to me. Sarah was a great dog, but she is gone now. God is still a great, awesome God. - Sam

The best thing about living in México is working for the greatest God in the Universe. I love God and that is why I came down here. I wasn’t the popular girl at school or anything, and in a lot of ways I was always different. When I found out that my parents wanted to move to México to help orphans, I wanted to go too. I thank God for sending us to México. - Lucy

We started home school towards the end of August and are thoroughly enjoying learning together as a family. We are reading missionary biographies that coordinate with the countries and continents we are studying in geography. We have started praying in new ways for missionaries and people groups around the world. It is amazing to think about how God’s Kingdom will be affected by what we learn this year.

God has made great progress on the Baby Home. You can read about His faithfulness and how you can pray for the project on the Baby Home Blog: https://www.mogiv.com/gch/babies/. Thank you for your faithful support of our family. Please continue to pray for us, as it is your prayers that see us through each day.

In Christ,

Juan and Alicia

Prayer Requests:

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1 Cor. 16:13-14

Pray that the Strutton Family would:

be on our guard
stand firm in the faith
be men & women of courage
be strong
do EVERYTHING with love

Lucy's First Flight

2010-07-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

In December I got a call from a dear friend. Her daughter wanted to gift Lucy with a flying lesson for Christmas. She wanted to make sure the idea was ok with us. Juan and I both agreed that this would be a wonderful experience for Lucy.

On Saturday, I dropped Lucy off in San Diego to spend the week with her friend. Later that afternoon they called to inform me that they were on their way to Palomar Airport. They were going to take the flying lesson... if it was still ok with me. When I received the call I was in the San Diego Airport. It was noisy and a bit hectic, as the flight I was waiting for had just arrived. Remembering the conversation I had with Juan back in December, I gave an enthusiastic, affirmative response and hung up with my friend. The next thirty seconds of my life were not of sound mind.

I had recently finished reading the biography of Keith Green, a Christian music artist who died in a plane crash with two of his four children. The plane they crashed was a small Cessna just like the one Lucy was climbing into at that moment. My chest tightened, I fought back hot tears and I struggled to take a breath. I sickeningly began to imagine the worst. In those few irrational seconds I cried out the only words I could mutter, “Jesus help me.” The moment I spoke His name my thoughts started to become rational.

Interestingly, I didn't immediately excuse the idea of losing my daughter to an airplane accident. After all, the possibility still existed. Instead I pondered the idea of my daughter being released from the pain and struggles of this world straight into the arms of Jesus. Though I did not embrace this idea, it did bring a smile to my face. Terror faded into a resigned peace. At this point I was able to form a proper prayer, "She's yours Lord. Bless her with an amazing time. Your will be done. I trust you."

In the span of what amounted to less than a minute, I realized that my hope for my children's eternity with Jesus outweighs my hope to spend all my days on earth with them. On any given day I would agree that eternity with my children is more valuable than this momentary life on earth with them. However, the idea that any of my children could pass me on that timeline is paralyzing. There seems to be a disconnect between what I know to be true, and how I feel about it. I wonder if this is what Paul meant when he told the Corinthians that we are to walk by faith and not by sight. There are some things that we choose to believe even though our feelings may not match-up until we reach heaven.

Missions Weekend at Horizon

2010-07-19T22:47:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was a giant hug from God. We attended Missions Sunday at our sending church, Horizon Christian Fellowship. When we first arrived at the church, we prayed together before getting out of the van. Our prayers expressed a strong desire to be an encouragement to others. We had no idea that God had his own plans to minister to our hearts, encourage and bless us.

In all four services Pastor Bob briefly mentioned our ministry in Mexico and God’s work at Grace Babies’ Home. In between the four services, friends poured into the courtyard to stop by our table and see us. With each hug we received, we physically felt God wrap His arms around us. Throughout the weekend all the pastoral staff made it over to encourage and pray for us.

We played a slideshow of the Baby Home construction project. Friends enjoyed pointing themselves out in the photos to others. Many signed up for the next Horizon trip to GCH. Several gifts to the Baby Home were cheerfully given. Others signed up to receive news and prayer updates. God arranged for divine appointments with individuals who spoke truth and wisdom into our lives.

When we arrived at Horizon for the first time fourteen years ago, we were babes on many levels. Through the years God has used that body to gently grow and mature our faith. Horizon’s mission is to Win, Disciple and Send. It was only after being sent that we were able to truly appreciate being properly discipled. As a child grows with a steady diet of fruits and vegetables, a Christian grows with a steady diet of discipleship. Biblical teaching, personal bible study, and strong mentorship are the healthy diet to Christian growth. Since we’ve been sent, that foundation of our faith created by strong discipleship is something we cling to everyday.

We loved Horizon when it was our home church. We appreciate Horizon so much more now that it is our sending church.

Joe's Tender Heart

2010-07-05T08:10:00.001-07:00

Thumbing through Joe’s school notebooks this morning, I found this. It says:

Good-bye friends and teachers, math was fun. I wonder when I will see you all? Maybe when you have parties. Listen, you are all my best friends. You have all been wonderful in my life, beginning with the first day of class. When I nervously entered the school you were all very tender, caring and funny with me. There is nothing more I want to say but, thank you. I love you very much. From, Joe Max Strutton

It was hard for all our kids to say good-bye to their school, but for Joe Max it was especially difficult. He still holds back big tears when he talks about leaving his friends and teachers.

This was hard for me to read. This morning I'm hanging on to the Lord, asking Him to gently walk me through the land of uncertainty. I've been in this place before. I've learned that when I ask God to reconfirm His call and direction in our lives, He always does. He is like the daddy who rereads his child's favorite story over and over. I am that persistent child, "Read it to me again Daddy..." Tell me again God...

July Prayer Letter

2010-07-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Our kids had a bittersweet ending to their second year at Colegio Bilingüe Calmecac. When Lily graduated from kindergarten she said, “The thing I’m going to miss about this school is that it is the only school I’ve ever known.” The Calmecac school has been a blessing to our family in many ways. Though the kids are very excited about being home schooled next year, they will dearly miss their friends and teachers.

Sam, Joe and Lily have taken up Taekwondo and they love it. They are able to maintain a few friendships with kids from school who are enrolled in the program. Lucy joined a swim team in Rosarito, where she has made several new friends. She swam in her first meet towards the end of June and did very well.

Summer is in full swing at Grace Children’s Home. The kids are enjoying a break from the normal routines of school and homework. Groups are visiting from all over North America to invest in the lives of the children at GCH. Most of these groups are also working on various construction projects at the Baby Home.

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

As construction on the Baby Home progresses, we see a spiritual work happening with those involved. God has called some to give of their resources and others to give of their time through physical labor. Jesus spoke of a concept that one has to experience to believe; we cannot out give God, giving has supernatural benefits. God is using Grace Babies’ Home as a spiritual catalyst to teach this truth to both young and old alike.

As the status on the Baby Home changes daily, so do our prayer needs. Please log on to the new Baby Home Blog: https://www.mogiv.com/gch/babies/ to keep up with how you can be praying for this project. Be sure to click “Follow this Campaign” to receive prayer updates to your e-mail or mobile device. At times our needs are urgent and we count on you to bring them before our Mighty God.

Though our calendar is full, it is never too full for friends and family. If you would like to come down for a visit, contact us. If you would like to get your church or home fellowship involved in God’s work at Grace Babies’ Home, we’d love to meet with you.

With all our love,

Juan & Alicia

Please pray that the Strutton Family would:

• love without hypocrisy
• abhor what is evil
• cling to what is good
• be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love
• give preference to one another

• not lag in diligence
• be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord
• rejoice in hope
• be patient in tribulation
• continue steadfastly in prayer

Parenting Is Hard...

2010-06-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

We’ve been praying for an extracurricular activity for Lucy. After exasperating most of her limited choices, she decided to try swimming. Three weeks ago, we showed up to the community pool in Rosarito where the swim team practices. The already established friendships were typical to those you see in most club sports. The comradery was like that of a family; one in which Lucy was not a part of. Then, having never been formally trained in swimming, Lucy faced a more obvious hurdle. She watched and listened while trying to figure out what was expected of her. Being blond and foreign, she was pretty much an outsider on all levels.

About halfway through the practice Lucy made eye contact with me and gave me the wrap-it-up sign. I shook her off and gave her a stern look that said, “No, you are going to finish what you started.” I promptly got out of her line of sight, went to the car and began praying. In the car alone with the Lord, He gave me peace and a firm understanding that this was His answer to what we had been praying for; we just needed to stick it out. By the time I went back in to pick up Lucy, she was smiling and having fun while playing a game with the kids in her lane. Wrapping a towel around her, I smiled and said a silent “thank you” to the Lord.

On the way home from the pool Lucy began to waver. She didn’t think she wanted to go back tomorrow. By the next day she was sure of it. Juan and I truly believed that this activity was going to be good for Lucy. As we pushed she got more adamant. Lucy’s drama was weakening our resolve. When we realized how quickly the tide had turned and that things were not going in our favor, Juan and I had a meeting of our minds behind closed doors. I knew that the next few hours would be extremely difficult ones, and I would be taking the brunt of it all. I needed the confidence that comes when Juan and I stand in complete agreement.

The following hour was by far the most difficult hour of motherhood I have yet to experience (including labor). In an effort to preserve her reputation, I will omit the details of the abuse I took from my precious, twelve-year-old daughter. When we got to the pool my eyes were swollen from crying and I was exhausted. I didn’t know how far Lucy was going to take things, so I prepared to be humiliated as I stood my ground with my daughter.

As the Lord would have it, the first face we ran into was a dear missionary friend. She recognized the conflict immediately. I explained the situation with her and asked her to pray. Next, we went to the desk to pay. The two team moms who took my money also recognized the conflict. Through teary eyes and butchered Spanish I explained the situation. I told them that Lucy’s father and I want her to give it a few weeks before she makes a decision, one day was not enough. Immediately the two women jumped on my side. They started encouraging Lucy and made it their personal mission to make sure she was happy. I prayed with Lucy, left her in God’s hands, turned around and walked out.

When Lucy could see that we were not changing our minds, she reluctantly yielded to our terms. She would give swimming an honest effort for a few weeks, at least until the first meet. With each practice her resistance and rebellion slowly began to fizzle.

Sunday afternoon Juan and I sat in our lawn chairs taking in the scene at the pool. The bleachers were full of parents from different swim clubs, all wearing México green. Very loud music played while the commentator announced the swim races and the status of the México / Argentina game every few seconds. In between races, Lucy sat in a circle of several girls her age from her team giggling and talking. Juan turned and said to me, “We knew it would be like this. We knew it would be perfect for her. She just couldn’t see it. She had to trust us.”

Yesterday Lucy told me she wants to continue swimming. We talked about the lessons learned through this challenge and victory. I explained how God is with His children as Juan and I are to her. He knows what’s best for us. He sees the end result when we can’t. When things are difficult and uncomfortable we want to quit, but instead we must trust, obey and continue moving forward. I told her that this is one of the most difficult lessons in the Christian life. Many Christians spend their entire lives following their own plans because following Jesus is too hard. If she can at twelve years old, discipline herself to trust and obey God even when everything inside her is telling her to quit, God will have great works for her to do. When Lucy truly understood what I was telling her because she had just lived through a blaring example of it, I realized that growing her faith was worth every bit of the pain and suffering to get there.

Never Say Never

2010-06-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Whether they are boldly and publicly announced or passively and quietly understood, most parents have lists. These lists include the activities and behaviors of which our children will never or always participate. Every parent’s lists are different. Our life experiences prior to parenthood are the greatest factor of what does or does not make it on these lists. Whether real or merely perceived, those experiences are what give us the conviction, “My children will never…” and "My children will always..." When two become one, two pasts form one future and new lists are created.

Not everything makes it to the lists with an equal amount of conviction. It is my experience that the items on the lists with the least amount of conviction are the first to get bumped for the sake of keeping the peace or maintaining sanity. In our case, with each child our lists grew shorter. I suppose if we had stopped at one, we could have never eaten fast food. If we had stopped at two we could have never eaten in the car and never in front of the TV. If we had stopped at three, our kids would never go to bed dirty and never without brushing teeth. I could go on about the things that were once important to us, but it would only bore you.

Until just recently, our children were never to be involved in martial arts. Some of our reasoning was silly. Martial arts were not a real sport like soccer, basketball, baseball, etc. If colleges were not recruiting for their Karate teams, martial arts must be just a phase. Other reasoning held a little more weight. We had concerns about the Eastern religious practices of meditation that were often included in the training. We wondered about the contradiction of teaching children never to resort to physical violence, yet training them to fight. With these concerns, we were able to quietly diffuse the hundreds of requests from our boys over the last five years to join Karate.

When we decided to home school our kids next year, we understood that there are certain aspects of classroom education that we cannot reproduce at home. We realized that second-language, social and physical development could all continue with structured, athletic activities. These activities would also keep us in the world and a part of our community. We began to pray for the Lord to bring us something that would fit our purposes without taking over our lives. A friend who I pray with on Fridays had been encouraging me to bring my kids to a free class of Taekwondo. She assured me that there would be no meditation or chanting. She told me that the children are never to use their skills to fight outside of the classroom except for defense (only if they cannot run away). I ran it all by Juan and we decided to try it out.

Sam, Joe and Lily have been taking Taekwondo for about a month now. They come out of their hour-long class dripping in sweat and smiling from ear to ear. On Fridays, during the last fifteen minutes of class they put on pads and do “combate”. This Friday was the first time the instructor allowed Sam and Joe to participate in combate. Watching our kids physically punch, kick and block for points, while peers and parents cheer them on, is something that I will have to learn to appreciate. Thankfully Juan makes up for my lack of enthusiasm. I don’t know how long Lily will last, but true to her nature she is keeping up with the best of them.

When we create lists with our good intentions, hopes and dreams for our children, what we don’t realize is that the driving force behind these lists is often fear. The longer we walk with our Lord, the more His perfect love casts out fear. The content of those lists are not as important as Who or what is the driving force behind them. As our list is yet one line less today, I can’t help but wonder what it will look like in the end. Paul said, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I picture God using our lists of always and nevers to chisel away at our hearts until only three things remain…

My Best Friend

2010-06-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is my beloved, and this is my friend… Song of Solomon 5:16

Fifteen years ago I married my best friend. All of our close friends and family would agree that not only did I marry right, but I also married up. Not in the sense that I married into a higher standard of living or economic status. I married someone who by the very nature of his being encourages me to be a better person.

Before dozing off to sleep at night, my final words with the Lord are usually thanking Him for Juan. As I lay my head on my pillow and digest the events of the day, I can usually spot the hand of God in my life by way of my husband. Through Juan I experience God’s blessing, God’s protection, and yes, sometimes God’s loving reproach. Then, no matter how difficult the day was or how uncertain the future is, when Juan wraps his arms around me at night and whispers, “everything will be OK…” I fall asleep with a peace that passes all understanding.

I haven’t always had this confidence in Juan’s leadership. Not because he has not been worthy of it, but because I lacked the faith to follow it. For many years we tried to walk with God without following His order in our marriage. On the outside everything seemed to be visibly in order. I could talk about Biblical roles in marriage because I believed we were following those roles. However, in his heart Juan was afraid to lead, and in my heart, I was afraid to let him.

I don’t know when things changed. It wasn’t something that we recognized as a problem and systematically tried to solve. As with most things with the Lord, it was and still is a process. About nine years ago Juan and I fell in love with God’s Word. He got involved with Men’s Bible Study and I got involved in Women’s Bible Study. I don’t think that the knowledge or information acquired in these studies are necessarily what brought about change in our marriage. Instead, I believe it was the exercise and practice of searching for God’s truth that gave Juan the confidence to take up the reins of leadership in our home. When he reached for the reins, God’s Word had prepared my heart to hand them over.

In being the other half of Juan’s one flesh, God has ordained that I be privy to knowledge about him that no one else has. I have the privilege and great honor to know, hear and see what he does in secret - who he is behind closed doors. I’m invited into intimate moments between him and his Savior. I know when he is fasting for direction. I know when he is wrestling with God. I know when God blesses him. The insider information I have on my husband does not discourage me from following his leadership. On the contrary, it compels me to ask, “Can I be your helper? Tell me what to do.” I have done nothing to deserve this God-fearing man. He is truly an extension of God’s grace in my life.

Since our move to México and fulltime ministry, I have come to depend on Juan’s authority. I don’t like to take a step in any direction without his approval. I desire so badly to remain under God’s umbrella of blessing and protection that I don’t want to risk a wrong move. Most often I get Juan’s blessing, but sometimes I don’t. It makes sense to me that God gives discernment and insight to Juan as the leader of our family and our ministry that He does not give me. So, in those times when we differ, I trust God and follow Juan.

Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord… 1Peter 3:6

I am thankful that God initiated this process of change in our marriage before calling us to México. When Sarah followed Abraham away from her friends, family and everything familiar, she respectfully referred to him as lord (with a lowercase L). By following Juan’s leadership, I respect him as my lord (with a lowercase L). With this respect I followed him confidently to México and continue to trust him completely to lead us in the ministry God has called us to.

June Prayer Letter

2010-06-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Dear friends & family,

The Baby Home project is moving forward quickly. Keeping up with God's faithfulness and provision has kept us very busy. Many faithful servants have come and worked to see this building go up. Many more have made plans to come down this summer and help see it through to completion. God is providing faithful partners who are giving to the project financially or through the donation of materials.

In an effort to keep you updated more frequently on the ministry, we would like to announce the launching of the Grace Babies’ Home blog, powered by Mogiv. The Mogiv platform is unique in that it allows you to subscribe, receive updates and even give via any mobile device from any location. To access this blog go to http://www.mogiv.com/gch/babies. To receive updates click on “Follow this Campaign”. Our hope is that you will choose to share the updates with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. This will allow more people to take part in the Lord’s work at Grace Babies’ Home and follow His command to care for orphans. Can you please log-on and help us get this idea off the ground?

We sincerely believe that each one of you are as important to the Lord’s work at Grace Babies’ Home as we are. Your prayers are what move the hand of God to show Himself strong on our behalf. Your gifts are what enable His work to continue here. Your time and talents are what God is using to build a beautiful home for His babies. We never feel alone in our calling to Mexico. Our dear friends and family have jumped wholeheartedly into this adventure with us. We love you and we thank you for your support.

Love in Christ,

Juan & Alicia

**Calling all Construction Workers and Tradesmen! If you would like to use your talents to serve Jesus in Mexico, we can use you! You can come with a group or solo. You can come for a day or ten days. Please contact us: juan@josh2415.org

**Reminder we have changed our mailing address. Please make a note of it:

Strutton Family

301 W. 28^th St. Suite L

National City, CA 91950

Prayer Request

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank… Daniel 1:8

We have committed to praying together three times a day that we would purpose in our hearts, like Daniel, to not become defiled. Would you please agree with us in this prayer?

Spirit West Coast

2010-05-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you all know that we will have a booth at Spirit West Coast this weekend. We are in booth I1 in the Bing Crosby Exhibit Hall.

In an effort to keep you updated more frequently on the ministry, we would like to announce the launching of the Grace Babies’ Home blog, powered by Mogiv. The Mogiv platform is unique in that it allows you to subscribe, receive updates and even give via any mobile device from any location. To access this blog go to http://www.mogiv.com/gch/babies.To receive updates click on “Follow this Campaign”. Our hope is that you will choose to share the updates with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. This will allow more people to take part in the Lord’s work at Grace Babies’ Home and follow His command to care for orphans. Can you please log-on and help us get this idea off the ground?

We look forward to seeing the Lord continue blessing this project. See you in Del Mar!

Arianna Hamling, "Well Done My Good And Faithful Servant"

2010-05-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Arianna Kim Hamling left for heaven in March 2008 before even having a chance to take her first breath on this earth; yet she continues to make an impact on children all over the world. With a fervent desire to keep Arianna's memory alive, Dan and Elizabeth Hamling created the Arianna Foundation. Their purpose is to obediently follow God's instructions to value and care for His children. They do this by supporting programs that minister to the little ones of this world.

Dan and Elizabeth contacted us a few months ago with their desire to support God’s work at Grace Children’s Home. They had plans to organize a tennis tournament fundraiser. Prior to the tournament, in our exchange of emails and phone calls I noticed something very refreshing about this family. Having walked through what most parents would believe to be their worst nightmare, there was no evidence of sadness or bitterness in their lives. In contrast, their kindness, joy and humility seemed out of place for people who had experienced such heartache.

The tournament took place last weekend on Saturday, May 8^th. As I watched Dan and Elizabeth’s children using their tennis talents in memory of their sister and in service to their Lord, I remembered what Isaiah had prophesied about our Savior. He would heal the brokenhearted, comfort those who mourn, give them beauty for ashes and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. I realized that these are not just words from an ancient book. This family has believed and received these promises, to an extent that is visibly noticeable to the rest of the world.

Many friends came out to support the event. Even I got out on the court to hit the ball around a bit. The playful day was filled with smiles, joy and laughter. During the award ceremony Dan and Elizabeth presented GCH with a check for almost $6,000. I smile when I think about it. Arianna went straight from the comfort of her mother’s womb to the arms of Jesus where she continues to be rewarded for the good works being done in her name. I can picture the Lord smiling as He places several more jewels in Arianna’s crown and says, “well done my good and faithful servant.”

(If you are viewing this post via email, you can go to the blog to see photos from the tournament)

May Prayer Letter

2010-05-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

Hello my name is Joe. I am going to tell you about my life. Well, are you ready to start reading my prayer letter?

Sarah was our dog that a nice man had given to us. Well, when she started to get bigger she got very sick. We spent lots of prayer on her, but no matter how much we prayed we knew God had called us to enjoy her. But one morning she escaped and we never saw her again. I felt sad.

Next year we are doing home school. We have never done home school yet. My mom is going to teach me. I’m so excited. I think it’s going to be great. And guess what? No homework!

Well, I think you already know that we are missionaries and we have been working on a house to help babies. I’m going to play with babies and help take care of them. I feel great that God called us to work there.

God bless you. Please pray for no rain on the Baby Home. Thank you for reading my prayer letter.

XOXOXO,
Joe

Grandma & Grandpa at GCH

2010-04-26T14:13:00.001-07:00

God in His infinite wisdom designed grandparents to be a vital part of raising children to know Him. In His grace and mercy He has provided the children at Grace Children’s Home with their very own grandparents. Lionel and Helen Leibrecht have been a crucial part of GCH for four years. They choose to spend their retirement serving the Lord while serving His children at GCH.

To say that Juan and I look up to this couple would be an understatement. A simple inspection of the fruit of their labor reveals the depth of their commitment to the Lord and to the children. Though Lionel and Helen run circles around us most of the time, they never become distracted from the goal – raising children to know God’s love and to make it known. This goal dictates every moment of their day.

Lionel and Helen start their day praying for each of the children in the home. Often they will call kids into their trailer, lay hands on them, and pray with them. Then they go in the boys’ home and help the house mom get all the boys ready for school. On most days Lionel can be found building or fixing something, but he is never alone. He is teaching a group of boys how to “help” him. Helen can be found heading up some sort of art, cooking, or gardening project with a group of kids. She might be teaching piano lessons or she may be in her trailer with a few of kids and a pile of books having them read aloud to each other while she works on their scrapbooks. Lionel and Helen usually end their day by having a handful of kids over for dinner.

This is just scratching the surface of the things Lionel and Helen do at GCH. There are so many more that I don’t have time to list, and still many more that I don’t even know about. So what is it that they sow into the lives of the kids? What is the fruit of their labor? First and foremost they sow time, not just quality time but also a large quantity of time. Second, they sow love; the kind of love a grandparent has for a grandchild, the kind of love that sees the best in them all the time. Third, they sow the truth of God’s Word.

The result of sowing time, love and truth is kids who feel valued and loved by Jesus. When we see this fruit flourishing among our children at GCH we recognize the labor of Grandma and Grandpa. The role Lionel and Helen play at the children’s home is not merely a bonus to the children; it is both necessary and crucial to their spiritual and emotional development. Juan and I believe that this labor is by far the most important investment made in these children’s lives.

I think it is great to have our own personal heroes of the faith. People who we watch and try to emulate because they look so much like Jesus. For Juan and I, Lionel and Helen are our heroes. When we grow up we want to be just like them.

Tennis Anyone?

2010-04-19T21:03:00.001-07:00

We have been blessed by The Arianna Foundation to be the focus of their Tennis Tournament this year. 100% of the proceeds from the tournament will go to the Baby Home Project. To register, click here --->http://www.theariannafoundation.org/tennis/

The Van Kids

2010-04-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

This last summer our church, Capilla Calvario Rosarito, went to 3 Sunday services. This created a need for teachers in the new 8:30am “kids’ church” service. Having attended the church for just over a year, Alicia and I felt it was time for us to start serving in our new church home. That first Sunday was definitely a learning experience. We had about 15 kids show up for the first 20 minutes. Then came the “van kids”.

Who were these “van kids”? We quickly learned that every Sunday morning Sebastian, a brother who serves at CCR, drives a 15-passenger van out to a very poor section of Rosarito. He picks up kids who live there who want to come to church. He returns with 20 or so kids and often has to make a second trip to pick up 20 more.

Our first Sunday the van kids numbered about 30 and turned our quiet little “kids’ church” into pandemonium. These kids were out of control, disobedient, disrespectful and in some cases just plain mean. Upon first impressions, these kids were wild and crazy, dirty and smelly, hungry and selfish. Needless to say, our service did not end as well as it had begun.

This went on for a few weeks and became very frustrating for our teaching team. After one helper moved on to another ministry, it was clear that something needed to be done. Sitting in my car on the way home from another Sunday of watching the clock and praying for the end of class, I asked the Lord to do something. I’d like to say that God changed their hearts and these kids magically transformed into quiet, polite little angels; but that would not be completely true.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. [Even the ones who smell like urine and haven't brushed their teeth...ever]" Luke 18:16

What God did change was my heart. I began to see them as God saw them. It became clear that these kids were in survival mode. Their behavior wasn’t out of a sense of entitlement or superiority, but rather of pure need. They did what was necessary to ensure their own survival disregarding all common courtesies. Their lives were full of difficulty and hardship. They had learned that the only people they can really trust in this life are themselves.

I asked God to forgive the contempt that was held in my heart for these dear little ones. Then I volunteered to be responsible for them during the service. Knowing that the van kids almost always arrived hungry and restless, we decided to let them spend the first 20 minutes of the service on the playground while the rest of “kids’ church” played games in the classroom. We also started bringing a small snack to give out while they were on the playground. I pulled my focus off of whether or not they understood every detail of the Sunday school lesson. Instead, I made it my goal that they understand that they are loved, both by God and by me.

What has happened over the following months is humbling to watch and a testimony to God’s faithfulness. As I have spent time with these kids, I have slowly earned their trust. In the beginning my Spanish errors were an easy target for some of the teenage boys. With time and trust, God has used those same errors to make me human in their eyes. My imperfections encouraged them to let their guards down and allow a portion of their true selves to emerge.

I am starting to remember their names, even though their smiling faces have been etched in my mind for quite some time. They are now willing participants in our class. They act out Bible stories and answer questions about their Lord and savior.

While they enter my world for a short time on Sundays, I try to enter theirs. As I try to demonstrate my great love for them, I pray that they feel a tiny glimpse of the immense love their Heavenly Father has for them.

Our Daughter

2010-04-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Lucy Belle is a beautiful, God-fearing young lady. She is one of the people in this world that I look up to and aspire to be like. She is both bright and conscientious; a combination that God seldom chooses to mix. Her ability to see past the physical circumstances into the heart of an issue is uncanny. Often her wisdom and discernment go beyond my own. These gifts don’t make her serious or introspective. Rather she is light-hearted, pleasant and fun to be around.

Recently I’ve been blessed with an extended amount of time to enjoy my children in a beautiful setting with no distractions. In this time I’ve watched and studied her interactions with each of her siblings. I find myself staring at her and wondering how something so wonderful could come from me. What did I ever do to deserve her? Why haven’t I messed her up? The answers to these questions have nothing to do with me and everything to do with God and HIS faithfulness.

Parenting Lucy has not been a cakewalk. She came out of the womb with a strong will and a voice to express it. Desperate for help, I began to read every Christian parenting book I could get my hands on. Our kids were like guinea pigs as we tried to practice each new method we read about. Finally, we decided to put the books away and use God’s Word as our parenting manual. We read verses like:

The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother. Proverbs 29:15

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him. Proverbs 22:15

He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Proverbs 13:24

Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell.Proverbs 23:13-14

These were some strong words. First we had to decide if we truly believed them. Could a rod really impart wisdom? Could a rod drive foolishness out of the heart? Could a rod deliver a soul from hell? Could it really mean hatred if we didn’t use a rod? Through lots of prayer, we decided to take every one of these verses literally and believe them.

It was difficult. There were days where I felt like all I did was spank. I dreaded going to the grocery store for the inevitable trip with three little ones out to the mini van to administer the rod. Some evenings Juan and I would have to take turns administering the rod because it was too much for one parent. At Pray and Play (our mommy group) I would cry to my friends about how exhausted I was of discipline. They cried with me, prayed with me, and encouraged me to stay the course.

When I take an inventory of those promises from God’s Word and who Lucy is today, I can testify that God is faithful. I see no traces of foolishness bound in her heart. Instead I see the wisdom that can only be imparted by the rod. Lucy is obviously not perfect and we are not immune to pre-teen drama in our home. We stopped administering the rod to her a while ago, as she is very much a young woman now. However, I am so thankful that we decided to believe God on this issue. I believe that God’s faithfulness to us in this area has made Lucy into the amazing young lady she is today.

The tree and the acorn. (photo comment by Juan)

Blessed Be The Name of The Lord

2010-03-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

Wednesday afternoon I left our dog, Sarah, outside our gate. I was in a hurry to get back to the Children’s Home, and I was confident she would be around when we got back. When we got home we thought it was strange that she did not come when we called her name. After two days of thoroughly searching our neighborhood, Sarah was nowhere to be found. We think that someone took her. At this point we are fairly certain that wherever she went, she has passed away. As a result of her bout with distemper, she was medicated twice a day to control severe seizures. With this medicine she was able to lead a normal life. Without it, her seizures would eventually take her life.

I hesitate to write about the struggles I am walking through. I don’t want to be disrespectful to those who have lost a loved one. There is no equality of human life to an animal’s life. This is why God created Eve; of all the animals no suitable companion could be found for Adam. Our pets do not have souls, or the ability to choose right from wrong. They have God-given instincts. They live for the moment with no worries about the future or regrets about the past. They were divinely created for our benefit and our pleasure. My experiences this past week don’t land on the same planet as those of you who have lost a loved one.

I have never been a big animal lover or a dog lover. I remember visiting friends’ homes that had dogs when I was a kid. I was grossed-out by the peculiar “dog smell” that saturated everything in their home. As an adult, I felt a mixture of pity and disgust for the woman in Bible Study who wore beautiful black slacks covered in dog hair. I could not comprehend love, devotion and especially sacrifice for an animal. I was self-centered and limited in my capacity to love.

When we started praying for a dog, I had all of MY reasons of why it was time for a dog. When God brought us Sarah, it was obvious that God had His own reasons for bringing her to us. Though she didn’t fulfill any of my original hopes or expectations, she perfectly fulfilled His. She brought our family to our knees on several occasions. We laid hands on her and cried out for miracles. We watched God do a miracle of healing twice in her. Through Sarah, we have learned that God still performs miracles and that it is our job is to ask for them.

When Sarah went missing, we cried out over and over, louder and louder for another miracle. This time there was nothing but silence. We all struggled with the same thoughts, but Lucy was the first to have the nerve to say them aloud. Why? Why the other miracles and not this one? Why all the prayer for a dog, then prayer for her to be healed, then she lives, and now she is gone? I tried to give an answer but came up short. Then Juan in his wisdom explained that we don’t need to understand “why?”. We need to learn to praise God in the good and the bad even when we don’t understand. He talked about Job and then challenged us; will the Strutton Family say, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord”?

Grieving while trying to bless the name of the Lord is like walking with a hundred pound backpack uphill. You just put one foot in front of the other and with no emotion behind the words, you choose to say with each step, “I trust you Lord”. You can’t look past the first step because if you do you get overwhelmed. On Friday I looked up from my step and had to stop in my tracks. It was too much. The weight of the loss was more than I could bear. At one point, I set Lily up with her homework and went in the bedroom. I curled up on the bed and bawled like a baby until there were no more tears. This is when Lord proceeded to pick me up; He carried me throughout the rest of my day. He’s been carrying me off and on ever since.

I miss my dog. I miss talking to her when she and I were the only ones home. I miss her following me from room to room and lying down at my feet. I miss her sweet, submissive nature that just wanted to please me. I miss her loyalty and devotion to our family. I even miss the annoying puppy behavior that I couldn’t wait for her to grow out of. I don’t understand “why?”, but I don’t need to understand. Today my job is to take one more step forward and say, “I trust you Lord”.

Somewhere along this journey God has expanded my capacity to love with the ability to love an animal. With love comes sacrifice; I allowed my house to smell like dog, and my clothes to be covered in dog hair (now when I dust the hair off I smile and think of Sarah). With love comes devotion; we devoted our time, resources and energy making sure Sarah was comfortable and healthy. With love comes risk; we risked a broken heart should God choose to take her away (and He did). Knowing now all that this love would require of me, I would not trade this journey for anything.

March Prayer Letter

2010-03-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Slowly but surely, the Baby Home construction continues to move forward. Last month we hosted two teams who gave of their time and talents framing one wall after another. This month we will host two more teams. The number one question we get asked is, “When will the Baby Home be finished?” We only know that it will be done neither a moment too soon nor a moment too late. Although we don’t know when that moment is, we rest in the knowledge that God does.

As the structure begins to take shape we are able to walk through and imagine the finished product. We hold hands and walk from one end of the building to the other. We talk about the practicalities of sharing the space with twenty babies. Then suddenly the weight of it all silences both of us. We walk out of the building in fear and trembling. A dream that was once so distant and romantic now seems very near and somewhat scary.

Lately we’ve been reminded of the depth of your commitment to our family and our ministry. The spiritual support we have from our sending church and loved ones is a rarity. Recently we’ve found ourselves clinging to the firm foundation God has so faithfully laid in our lives through our Bible believing church family. Thank you for your support and always remembering our family in your prayers.

In His love,
Juan & Alicia

How can you pray?

1. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matt 9:37-38
• Pray for more volunteer skilled laborers for the Baby Home.
2. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today”, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13
• Pray that we would be encouragers.
3. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:9-10
• Pray that we would not grow weary. That we would seize every opportunity to do good to those who are of the household of faith.

An Opportunity To Pray

2010-02-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

Please pray for the Strutton Family. We believe God is calling us to home school our kids next year.

I have a dear friend who home schools her six children. When I sought her counsel about home school, she wisely returned my questions with her own. She needed to know our heart’s motives behind our decision before she could direct me in any of the hundreds of different directions people go with home school. It was a great exercise for both Juan and I to think through and write out what we were walking through with the Lord. I’ve included an excerpt from that email here:

In reply to the “why" of home schooling, our number one reason is we believe that God is opening this door and asking us to walk through it. We feel as if (for a season at least), God is releasing us from the classroom setting. The secular classroom has never been a place where we are comfortable having our kids. It is a place where God clearly called us to be for "such a time as this". If we were to leave the classroom because we were disappointed in the academics or even the oppressive, worldly atmosphere - we would have left 7 years ago.

In our obedience to go and then stay where God called us, we have watched God bring "immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine" to the lives of our children. When we have brought our tears, fears or disappointments to the cross, we’ve been met with God's overwhelming peace and supernatural display of His work in our children’s lives. Though we have been disappointed in schools, teachers, curriculum, methods, etc, we have never been disappointed in watching God work despite (or even through) those disappointments.

When we are consciously aware of our carnal nature that wants to run from one pasture to another because we think the other is greener, the Spirit whispers this truth to our souls, "The pasture to which God calls you is the one in which you will experience the most growth..." The simple answer to "why home school?" is this - God is changing our course, moving us in a different direction and calling us to a different pasture in order to grow our family. Our job is to first obey, and second, to bloom where we are planted. This new pasture is not greener, better, or easier. It’s different.

We know from experience that being “called” by God is what makes us stay when things get difficult or even unbearable. For this reason, we will not walk ahead of God on this. We are all praying about this decision, together as a family and individually. Juan has asked me to investigate and find out as much as I can about the “how-to” of home school. Ultimately it will be him who makes the final decision of whether or not we pull our kids from the classroom next year. I have complete confidence in his ability to lead us into this new adventure, if the Lord wills it. It is my abilities (or lack of) that I question if we go the home school route.

If home school is in fact where God plants us, we hope for immediate, tangible benefits to our family. I have listed them in order of importance to us.

1. Spiritual training
* The ability to purposely create more opportunities for learning God's Word.
* The freedom to bring God's truth into all subjects.

2. Time
* Less time in school/homework frees us up to do ministry together as a family.
* The freedom to work school around our schedule that varies from week to week.

3. Academics
* The ability to focus more on their weak areas, and not waste time on things they have already mastered.
* The ability to slow down for one and move ahead with another.
* The ability to explore their interests.

We’ve never been interested in having genius kids. We want to equip them with the necessary tools to serve God in these last days. We truly believe that time is of the essence. Jesus is on His way and we don’t want to waste a moment of time.

Since this email was written Juan has decided that we will home school our kids next year. I had mentioned the three obvious benefits that we hope to gain from home school. However, it is the unexpected surprise benefits that woo us to His call.

How can you be praying for us?

1. That we would find curriculum that fits God’s purposes for His call on our family.
2. That between now and next fall, the kids (and I) would be prepared for HUGE change.
3. That I would trust in my loving Father’s plans for my life, my time and my ministry. All of which will be different than I had imagined them to be here in Mexico.

February Prayer Letter

2010-02-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Amigos,

Hi, it’s me Sam Strutton. I hope you’re all ready for my prayer letter. I’m going to tell you about my life in Mexico and how your prayers have helped me.

Well, before I came to Mexico life was normal. I went to school, did my homework and played with my friends. I could ride my bike to my friend’s house and my mom never worried so much. Yes, it was a good life and that’s why I didn’t want to leave it. One day, dad came into the living room and said that God had told him and mom that we should go to Mexico and help an orphanage. We were all shocked. Sacrifices had to be made, toys had to be given away and my dad had to sell his car to get the money to go to Costa Rica so we could learn Spanish.

When I came to Mexico I missed all the things from home: my friends, my home and a lot of things. I was mad at God for sending us to Mexico. Things were very different. School was so different. I had to ask my friend David to translate everything for me. When we got to our new house we saw 100 mosquitoes and out of the corners came cockroaches. I saw how small everything was and said to myself, “No way am I living here.” When we wanted to go outside to play, my mom only let us play inside our gate because she was always worried about something happening to us. Nothing was the same.

Now after living in Mexico for 1½ years… I have learned to love it. I have new friends. My relationship with God is back to normal. This summer I was baptized in the ocean to show the world how much I love Jesus. Now school is not so bad because I can understand most things, but sometimes I still have to ask that they repeat things 3 or 4 times. At the orphanage my two best friends are Eric Palau and Edwin Misael. My mom is not so worried and sometimes we play outside our yard with the neighbors. Now I really like our small house and when I go to the U.S. my friends’ houses seem odd because they are so big.

Thank you for praying for me. Because of your prayers, I’m not mad at God anymore and I understand God’s will for my family. I can’t wait to hold the first baby that God brings to the Baby Home. I’m so glad to have friends like you. Get a passport and come down and visit us any time you like. Don’t worry; I’ve killed most of the cockroaches:) God bless everyone.

Te quiero mucho,

Sam

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for the Baby Home… that it will be finished soon.

Please pray for the kids at GCH… that they will be safe.

Please pray for my family… that God will help us in our times of need.

My Dad, The Dentist

2010-01-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

Cesiah (our four-year-old) looking at Dr. Lonnie's teeth.

I have always been proud of my dad. Not only do I know from personal experience that he is a good dentist, but also from the countless testimonies I’ve heard throughout the last 30 years of my life. He treats children that no other dentist can make progress with. He treats physically disabled children, mentally disabled children, severely autistic children, and the simply difficult children. Often times the children are easy, it’s the difficult parents he treats with grace, tact and respect.

Except for a few summers of pulling and filing charts in his front office, I have never had the opportunity to sit and watch my dad work for a full day. Yesterday he came down to GCH with two of his staff, Vicky and Melissa (who are like family to me). Their goal was to take x-rays, do exams and make treatment plans for all our GCH kids and staff kids. The majority of the kids were terrified. All day long the kids asked Juan if the dentist was going to take out their teeth. They calmed just slightly when he explained that the dentist was not going to take out teeth, but that he was going to fix the ones they have.

Within the first few minutes of the day it was obvious that my dad had his work cut out for him. Many balked when stepping into the panoramic x-ray machine. Some held up their hands to block the instruments from going into their mouths. A few tears were shed during the x-ray process. Our four-year-old flat-out refused any access to her mouth at all. In all this I watched my dad “go on stage” for each different challenge. It was amazing to watch the kids move from nervous and scared to calm and trusting. In the end, we have x-rays and treatment plans for over 30 children (even our four-year-old). Praise the Lord!

My dad has always viewed his job as ministry. Whether he is working in the comforts and excess of Orange County or in a tiny, crowded room in the midst of poverty stricken México; he serves all children as if he was serving Jesus. In two weeks they will return and begin treatment on the kids. We can expect more challenges. Please pray for peace that passes understanding in each child’s heart and for wisdom beyond measure for the dentists and assistants.

Dad, Melissa, Vicky, Henry (Vicky's husband) and a few GCH kids.

Still smiling, after their dental visits.

Setting The Bar For The New Year

2010-01-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

The Strutton Family loves a New Year. It is a perfect opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been, both the mountaintops and the valleys. We remember God’s faithfulness in those places, and try to learn from them. As well, it is an opportunity to reset the bar in every aspect of our lives. If we don’t set that bar on the other side of what’s possible, we have limited our opportunities to believe God for the impossible and watch Him accomplish it.

When studying Joshua a few years back, I read about the 2 ½ tribes of Israel that decided to settle on the east side of the Jordan River. For over 400 years the children of Israel longed to enter the Promised Land. Yet the tribes of Rueben, Gad & Manasseh were content to stay just outside the land God had promised to give them. That land seemed to be good enough for them.

Moses’ response to their request shows a genuine concern towards their attitude. He reminded them of the 10 spies some 40 years earlier who were responsible for discouraging the hearts of the children of Israel because they did not wholly follow God. I believe that Moses was fearful that the complacency of these 2 ½ tribes would be contagious and infect the remaining ten tribes.

Biblical history tells us that when the Assyrians attacked Israel the tribes on the east side of the Jordan River were attacked first. It is interesting that complacency is what made them more susceptible to enemy attack. I believe this to be the case for believers today.

In this New Year we pause to evaluate the areas of our lives where we have not wholly followed God. We’ve asked God to shed light on the places where we have become content, comfortable and perhaps complacent with the status quo. Areas where we’ve fought, suffered, grew tired and decided to settle, instead of pressing on with the Lord.

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “We are far too easily pleased”. In this New Year we are determined to not remain in a place that is good enough. Or to be pleased with something that is not God’s best. Our goals to grow deeper in our walks with God, stronger in God’s purposes for our marriage, diligent in teaching our Children God’s Word, and vigilant about seeking God’s best for our ministry are lofty. We have set the bar higher than is possible and are believing Him for the impossible.

Madres Unidas Para Orar

2009-12-07T10:43:00.001-08:00

Juan and I were Christians and had been married for almost seven years before we began to consistently pray together. God put the conviction in Juan’s heart that we pray together as a couple and as a family everyday. Witnessing God’s power unleashed in the lives of our children and in our marriage fueled our fire to pray more.

Juan started a weekly men’s prayer group in our home. I started praying with two friends whose children went to school with mine. Eventually our prayer time turned into a Moms in Touch group; a ministry that God is still blessing today.

Since our move to Mexico, God has been faithful to provide new relationships centered on prayer. Even so, my passion for the ministry of Moms in Touch (mothers praying for their children and their schools) still burned in my heart. I knew I was waiting on God to orchestrate a group down here.

All glory to God, this morning was our third Madres Unidas Para Orar meeting. We had four women, including me, boldly approaching the Throne of Grace on behalf of our children and schools.

Since I don’t have the Spanish skills to pray eloquently with grace and tact, my prayers are more like a bull in a china shop. Blunt prayers with Spanish blunders do not offend my sisters in Christ. Instead the Holy Spirit uses my foolishness to create an atmosphere of humility and openness on everyone’s part. After I pray, everyone feels comfortable praying:)

I believe all mothers should take advantage of corporate prayer. When our hearts are aching for our children we need to find someone who shares our pain and agrees with our prayers. This is where the power is.

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20

December Prayer Letter

2009-12-01T09:08:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends & Family,

As we celebrate our 2nd Christmas in Mexico, it is hard to believe we’ve been here for almost a year and a half. As we have sought to embrace the Mexican culture, the language, and the people, God has been faithful to make this our home. Praise the Lord; our children also feel that Mexico is home.

Lucy Belle is 11 years old. A good word to describe Lucy is balanced. She does well in school without over-stressing grades and achievement. She maintains healthy friendships without dwelling on what others think. She is not lazy, yet not overly driven. She is thoughtful and responsible yet likes to cut loose and be silly. Lucy continues to practice piano and enjoys playing soccer with the kids at GCH.

Sam Henry is still sweet, sensitive and caring. He can’t stand to see anyone hurt or treated unjustly. While Sam’s greatest joy comes from making others smile, he is easily moved to tears when he or someone else is hurting. Sam tolerates school, piano and soccer and does very well in all of them, but his passion is video games.

Joe Max is eight years old but is bigger in height and stature than Sam. We are a little sad that his creativity has been suppressed by the teaching methods here. While he struggles at times to think inside the box, his strong right brain has helped him pick up a second language faster than anyone in our family. Joe Max’s passion for life never leaves one guessing how he feels. Joe plays piano and soccer and he loves legos.

Lily Bean is 6 years old but still relishes in her role as the baby. This year she started Kindergarten. Teachers love Lily because she is task oriented and follows directions to a tee. Lily prefers to spend her spare time playing and socializing with her friends at GCH verses getting dirt in her shoes playing soccer. Lily keeps us from taking life too seriously.

This month we will celebrate 15 years of marriage. In looking back, we see one constant thread woven throughout our lives together - God’s incredible grace. When we examine our lives and all that He has entrusted to us and allowed us to be a part of, we are overwhelmed by His goodness. We are living testimonies of the truth that His grace is sufficient…

May the Lord bless your family this Christmas with this truth, “His grace is sufficient…”

Merry Christmas,
Juan & Alicia

Prayer Request:

It has been our prayer for our family and yours that we would all choose to celebrate Jesus this Christmas season. If we do not purpose in our hearts to make Christ our focus during Christmas, we will be caught up in the ever-increasing current of the world that chooses to make Christmas about anything but Jesus. Let’s be purposeful in making everything we do this Christmas season point to Jesus Christ.

God's Timing is Perfect

2009-11-27T20:13:00.000-08:00

This post is coming to you live from the front patio of Grace Babies' Home where we have finally begun framing.

As I lie here in my tent listening to my guard dog Sarah snore at my feet I can't help but marvel at God's timing and His sense of humor. So many times I have wanted to press on ahead of Him and so many times it has taken everything within me to wait. He has patiently said to me in that still small voice, "Not yet, I have something else for you to do first." Every time assuring me that He will be faithful to complete the good work that was started here.

I am about to drift off to sleep to the sound of Mexican music so loud I can't think, it is supposed to rain tonight, and Sarah is too big to be sharing a twin air matress with me. But some how I can't stop smiling as I know the Lord is smiling down at me saying, "See, I told you so."

Good night Mexico.

November Prayer Letter

2009-11-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends & Family,

Our busy fall has been filled with many blessings and also with times of earnestly seeking our Lord. With so many things going on from GCH soccer to moving forward on the Baby Home, it has been difficult to stay connected with all our friends and family. Thus, when our old friends from home fellowship, Paul and Mary Ellen Steria offered to host a “Harvest Fundraiser” at their farm in North County San Diego, we jumped at the chance to celebrate the Harvest together with as many of our friends as could make it. E-mail invites went out and the day arrived very quickly. The event took place the weekend before Halloween at “Faraway Farm”. The farm was complete with a pumpkin patch, squash patch, horses, chickens, face painting and even a zip line across a dry creek bed. It was a beautiful afternoon filled with fun, food, and fellowship as we were able to encourage one another and reconnect before the busyness of the holiday season began.

Lily, The Horse Whisperer	Face Painting
Buddies	Ladies Reconnecting
Joe Max Zipping	The Guys Catching Up.

As we move into this season of Thanksgiving we are reminded of all that we are thankful for. We are thankful for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. We are thankful for God’s provision for both our family and for our GCH Family. We are thankful for God’s 24-7 protection. We are thankful our kids are thriving. We are thankful for a church home where we can worship in Spirit and Truth. We are thankful for the opportunity to witness miracles in the lives of orphans everyday. Last but not certainly not least we are thankful for you, our friends and family. We could not and would not be here without you. Your prayers are the power that sustains us. Your financial gifts keep us serving God where He has called us.

With Love In Christ,

Juan & Alicia

Prayer Requests:

- That God would continue moving in the construction of the Baby Home.
- That God would continue to protect our family as we go about His business in Mexico.

Spanish Tutoring & Friendship

2009-10-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

"Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and a sweet friendship

refreshes the soul." Proverbs 27:9

Last June when our Spanish course ended at Southwestern I started praying. I asked God to show me what I should do during the summer in order to continue practicing my Spanish. During Women's Bible Study one Tuesday, the Lord put on my heart that I should ask one of the women in the study to work with me. As quick as the idea came, so did the name of the gal who I should ask. Susy and I have been meeting ever since.

We meet once a week for a couple of hours. As prayer is the one thing in this life that I am most passionate about, we spend a good deal of time in prayer. Our textbook of choice is the Bible (in Spanish). First I read a few passages. Then I try to recap the passage using my own words. Finally both of us discuss and apply the passage to our lives. Though it is a time of allowing God's Word to examen our lives, it is not always so serious. Yesterday I was trying to speak of "influencia" (influence) and I kept saying "influenza" (flu). My Spanish blunders often move us from a reflective moment to bursts of laughter.

I love that God hears the desires of our hearts louder than our verbal petitions. I asked for help with Spanish and yes, God brought me a tutor. But what I really longed for in the depths of my heart was to have a meaningful friendship with a Spanish speaker. A year ago I remember thinking that this was impossible. I thought that I would never have the language skills in Spanish to communicate the things that move me to laughter or compel me to tears. Yet I had forgotten a basic principal of my Christian faith... "with God ALL things are possible".

I am thankful that the Lord brought me a great Spanish tutor. I am eternally grateful that I can call her my friend.

Choosing Your Battles

2009-10-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, our Lily can be exasperating at times. For this reason, we choose our battles carefully where she is concerned. One of the battles we have chosen not to fight is her choice in clothing (on the days when she is not wearing a uniform). Last Sunday she wore her typical "Lily attire" to church. Her Sunday school teacher, a dear friend of ours, told us that we needed to take a photo of her. She warned us that if we didn't take photos, we would forget someday. I thought about it for a moment, then I looked at Lily and decided I would never forget that outfit.

When Lily came out of her room dressed for church this morning I silently chuckled over her perception of what is beautiful. Then I tried to picture last week's outfit as I remembered it was equally as "beautiful". I was so sad when I could not remember what Lily had worn last week. So today I pulled out my camera in front of Lily's Sunday School class and snapped a photo of her. I can not trust my memory and I want to remember her five year old fashion statements forever.

hot-pink pants, orang tie-dyed shirt, blue hoody, black socks, white flats,

pink polka dot skirt (worn as a shawl)

I forgot to mention she is now doing her own hair too!

GCH Soccer Team

2009-10-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

When the private schools that the GCH kids attend offered soccer classes, most of the 26 kids we have in the two schools wanted to play. We wanted to make that happen but logistically and financially it wasn't looking like it was going to work out. We prayed for a solution and decided that we would form our own team and hold our own practices and see if the schools would add our team to their schedule of games. This is where our efforts ended and God's mighty hand of favor began.

On a whim we approached two local indoor soccer fields that are close to GCH to see if they would be able to donate some time for us to practice during the week. Both places were very eager to help and both offered time to practice and to put together teams that our kids could play against on Saturdays. Also, we prayed for uniforms not knowing that Lionel and Helen Liebrecht had brought 5 complete sets of jerseys from a Calgary soccer club when they returned from Canada this summer. The Lord had blessed us yet again. The only thing missing was a jersey for our two goalies, Juan Marcos and Sam. After searching for over two hours all over Rosarito for a store that sold jerseys, I finally prayed to the Lord and gave the quest up to Him. Returning to GCH defeated, I turned off the road and glanced at one of the tents in the mercado that sets up about a stone's throw from the home. There I saw an entire rack of kids' goalie jerseys and proceeded to thank God and buy a couple for about 1/4 of what I would have paid in the store that I never found. Again, God was working.

Today was our first "Game Day" where we divided into two teams and played against ourselves. It was the first time many of our kids had played soccer on a real field and not a dirt lot. Next week we have our first real game against another team and look forward to being a light to our community honoring the Lord with our play.

As I stood there watching the kids have the time of their lives, I marveled at how sometimes we sacrifice God's best for us for something that is good. It would have been good to let the kids join their school teams and enjoy representing their school. We would have had to figure out how to get them to games and practices at two different schools every week and purchase new uniforms from the school. It was so much better to see them all together, representing the Lord and giving Him the Glory for the blessing that GCH Soccer has been for them so far.

The album below shows some "Game Day" highlights. NOTE: If you are reading this post in an e-mail, you will have to visit our blog site to view the photo album.

October Prayer Letter

2009-10-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I hope that all is well. I am so glad that my parents let me write to you. I want to tell you all about my school, my church, and the friends that I have at GCH. I hope that you enjoy reading about my life in Mexico.

I go to a school here in Mexico. The name of my school is Colegio Bilingue Calmecac. This year I am in 5th grade. There is only one class of each grade and in my class there are 15 students. Our school is a bilingual school so we have two teachers, one for English and one for Spanish. My English teacher is very kind and loves to go outside and play games with the whole class. If during her class we speak one word of Spanish we get in trouble. My Spanish teacher is a little strict. She is still fun and we have done some pretty fun activities. One of the things that I don’t like about our school is that we have to wear uniforms. Our girl uniform includes a skirt, a shirt, a vest, and knee-high socks. I love my school and I am glad God provided it for us.

I love our church. It is just the coolest thing to see all these kids come into the class and you know, not know anything about Jesus, and leave being a Christian. The name of our church is Calvary Chapel Rosarito. My parents help in first service and go to church in second service. During first service there is like a kids band and I am in that band. I play the keyboard. It is so fun to be up there and see the kids doing the hand motions and singing along. I am glad that I started to learn piano a long time ago. At church I have two really good friends. One’s name is Marisela and the other’s name is Ashley. They both speak English so we all talk in English. The best thing about my church is that if you bring a friend or some family they will not leave that church without hearing the gospel.

We go to GCH almost every day. After school we get picked up and taken to GCH to do homework. The 5th graders work with Stacey Palau. The 5th graders are 3 kids (not including me) named Luis, Eric, and Leonardo. After I finish homework I go and play with my best friend there named Leidy. Leidy is a little bit shy but when you get to know her she is a very good friend. We usually just sit somewhere and talk about what happened that day. The thing I like about Leidy is that it doesn’t bother her when I say something incorrect in Spanish. Sometimes like on a weekend I invite Leidy over to spend the night. We have so much fun. I feel like GCH is my second home now.

The difference of life in Mexico is that you can really see how much people need to know the Lord. I am willing to tell them. I hope that by reading about my life in Mexico you see how much your prayers matter and change things. Thank you for praying and please keep praying.

With Love,
Lucy Strutton

My Prayer Requests

1. That the company who is willing to build the baby home will be ready soon.
2. That the Lord would keep the swine flu away from T.J.
3. That the Lord would keep all the GCH children safe and healthy.

Stopping to Smell the Roses

2009-09-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

When I was shopping in Costco yesterday, I cornered the end of the isle where they keep fresh cut flowers. I stopped to watch a grey-haired grandma with her grand baby strapped to her chest facing outward in a Bjorn. I watched as the grandma slowly went to each different bouquet and put the baby's face up to smell the different fragrances. As I took in this beautiful sight, I knew that the mother was busy hurrying her cart through the store.

Later in the check-out line I saw the grandmother and the mother together. As I suspected the mother was wearing sweats with her hair in a bun and no make-up. She had a look of determination and concentration on her face; a look that I immediately identified with. She wanted to get in and out of Costco before her baby got fussy and needed another feeding. The grandmother was completely peaceful. She was busy putting her finger out so that the baby could grab onto it and chew it. She was smothering the top of the baby's head with kisses.

Reflecting on this scene this morning, I believe that this is God's perfect plan for the family. Babies, children and adolescents need grandparents. Children are not meant to be raised alone. While a mother and father fulfill a specific role in a child's life they do not have the wisdom, years and hindsight to provide the role that a grandparent can fulfill. I thought of Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, after God blessed Ruth and Boaz with a son.

Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. Ruth 4:16

In today's society where the extended family doesn't usually live in the same town, much less under the same roof, this balance is difficult to find but not impossible. I believe that within our church body we should find this kind of balance. In the book of Titus, Paul gives clear instructions in how the older, wiser generation should be actively involved in the lives of the younger generation.

One day we will have up to 20 babies to care for. I picture myself as that sleep-deprived and somewhat frazzled mom concentrating on getting through the moment. I am already praying for God to bring us grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles from the Body of Christ who can think past the present moment and recognize the importance of stopping to smell the roses.

Sarah

2009-09-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

Since the last post about our puppy, a lot has happened in our little Sarah's life. For a few weeks Sarah seemed to be on the mend and doing great. Then one night she had a grand mal seizure and things took a turn for the worse. After taking her to a vet in the States, we discovered the source of her seizures. Sarah was suffering from distemper, a dog disease that is common in Mexico but almost non-existent in the States today. More than likely she contracted the disease in utero or at birth, so her vaccinations were not helpful. The disease was now in its final stage attacking her central nervous system. If she survived this last stage, she would likely have permanent damage to her nervous system. The vet sent us home with seizure medication and little to no hope.

That night our family once again laid hands on our sweet dog begging God for another miracle. Over the next few days she got worse. The seizures were every few minutes and she lost complete control of her hind legs. We decided that if she stopped wanting to play or eat, we would put her down. We never saw her lose interest in living. While she was still having difficulties walking, slowly the seizures began to lessen in intensity and frequency. About ten days after our visit to the vet, we noticed a difference in Sarah's demeanor. It was as if the cloud that was confusing her brain had been lifted. When we took her back, the vet was amazed.

All praise to the Lord, Sarah has completely recovered and resumed everyday life with our family. I love watching her be a shepherd; she never rests. She is constantly keeping an eye on her flock making sure none of us are lost. It is very entertaining to watch the kids play hide-n-seek with her. They distract her for a moment while they run and hide. Within moments Sarah has sniffed them out and found them. When I'm home alone with her she never lets me out of her sight. If I'm doing dishes she lays by my feet in the kitchen. If I'm folding laundry in the bedroom she moves to the bedroom.

Sarah not only has a healthy loyalty to our family and our home, but also to our GCH family. We bring Sarah to GCH every morning and take her home when we leave in the evening. During the day she lives the life that every dog dreams of; sometimes she walks the kids to school, she plays with the dogs who live at GCH, she hunts for garbage and digs holes, she joins the pack and barks at any stranger who passes by, she plays with the kids and she sleeps.

Life with a puppy has moments of bliss mixed with moments of craziness. We had a blissful afternoon last weekend when we took Sarah to the beach. She had fun playing with the kids, playing in the water, and playing with other dogs. Having Sarah in our family is a constant reminder to pray in faith, to pray big and to pray for miracles.

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When in Rome...

2009-09-19T10:49:00.001-07:00

Family Project (notice Joe is playing on the computer)

The notebooks in Mexico are made of graph paper. The squares in the graph paper get smaller as the kids move up grades. From kindergarten on, the kids learn to write numbers down the left side of the page, which help guide them to only write on certain lines. In other words, if all people in Mexico were given the same page to copy, the spacing of the written words should be exactly the same on every person’s page.

Yesterday Joe Max came home with ALL of his notebooks. His assignment for the weekend was to write numbers 1,2,3,4 in red, continually down the left side of every single page (front & back), in each notebook. This request, and many others equally as strange, are perfectly normal to every person who has grown up in Mexico. This being our second year in the Mexican schools, our rebellion to such tasks has not completely disappeared but has definitely faded.

A project as tedious and time consuming as this one requires the help of the whole family. Joe Max was really only good for about 4 pages and he had hundreds of pages to complete. Lucy got the idea to set up the metronome and write the numbers to the beat of 1-2-3-4. This worked well for most of us. Sam, our non-conformist, promptly stated, “I think I will make up my own beat."

Sometimes I worry about my kids in this system. I want them to think for themselves. I want them to think outside of the box. I want them to feel free to not conform to the patterns of this world. At the same time I understand the importance of respect and submission to those who God has put in authority over us. Today I watched our family begrudgingly submit the system God has put in authority over us. As we did so, I watched Him give us the creativity to do so in a manner that brought fun and laughter.

Homework at GCH

2009-09-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

Homework with 34 kids ages 4-14 is no easy task. Using all the rooms in the Education Center and both the Girls' and Boys' Homes, we divide the kids by grade and school. A tia or tio is in charge of each group. They are responsible for making sure that the kids in their group not only stay on task with their homework, but more importantly that they are learning and understanding the material. They are responsible for communication between school and home. They check all backpacks and make sure the kids are prepared for the next day. Homework on most days can take the better part of two hours.

I have the blessing of working with the fourth graders from the Calmecac school. The "teacher" in me enjoys this part of my day. I like encouraging the kids to use their time wisely and to stay on task. I love the moments when I get to teach something. The most challenging aspect for me in this process is getting the kids to problem solve and think for themselves. Today, when I was practically standing on my head trying to get them to think, I was reminded of why I love teaching. Teaching is not merely the transfer of knowledge from one person to another, it is the training and practice of thinking critically.

September Prayer Letter

2009-09-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

In this first year on the field, our faith has been tested and stretched in ways we could not have imagined. We have lived through violence from the drug wars, the swine flu epidemic and the devastation of the economy. In all this we have watched God faithfully protect our family and provide for our every need.

Progress on the Baby Home slowed down after the New Year. We are waiting for the walls to be manufactured in the States and assembled in Mexico. Though we know God’s timing is perfect and most often involves waiting, we are not idle in that process.

In this past year we have come underneath George and Stacey Palau (Directors of GCH) to support them in whatever ways we can, specifically in areas where the Lord has gifted us. Much of this help has been peripheral (website, e-mailings, coordinating tuition, leading teams, etc.). However this fall, due to some recent staff turnover, we will also be more involved in the daily routines of the children.

We are continuing Spanish classes at Southwestern College two days a week. God has been faithful to bless our efforts and we are able to communicate fairly well in Spanish. Our children, however, passed us up a long time ago. Gracias a Dios, they are all bilingual.

This summer was very busy for GCH. We had many teams of youth and families come stay in our new dormitory and serve. A highlight for us was watching God pull together the dental room in the Education Center. God brought wisdom, talent, and materials from all over California to engineer, design and install equipment.

Another highlight was watching God provide 18 private school tuition scholarships. This fall we have over half of our kids at GCH attending one of two local private schools. We believe that besides teaching them about Jesus, a good education is one of the best things we can give these kids in order to change the course of their lives.

We want to remind you how much your prayers matter to us. We believe that prayer is the force that moves God’s powerful hand on our behalf. Please continue praying for our family.

Love in Jesus Christ,

Juan and Alicia

Prayer Requests:

- That we would “seek first the Kingdom of God” as we try to balance our busy schedule this fall.
- That God would open doors in His timing for the completion of the Baby Home.
- That God would continue to protect our family as we go about His business in Mexico.

His Peace

2009-08-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

The truth is, I still have moments where I struggle with accepting that my children’s lives are different because we live in Mexico. When I talk with friends in the States about the busyness of their lives, for the most part I feel relieved to be called to a different lifestyle. Even so, there are moments when a part of me still struggles with feeling like my kids are missing out. Today I had two very special moments where God reassured me that my children are exactly where He wants them to be.

With some encouragement and little help from Stacey Palau on the piano, Lucy has been practicing all week in order to play in the kids worship band during first service. This morning I marveled as I watched Lucy use her talent to worship Jesus. During the last song there was a moment when I felt God’s peace come over me like a wave. In that moment I knew that God’s plans for my kids are better than anything I could ever imagine.

Sam has expressed a desire over the last few months to be baptized. Juan and I stalled a little to be sure that Sam understood the significance of baptism. Yesterday after talking at length about what the Bible says about baptism, I asked Sam to tell me why he wants to be baptized. He said very simply, “I want to show the world that I love Jesus.” So, this afternoon we headed down to the beach for the Capilla Calvario beach baptism. I could not hold back the tears when Juan and Pastor Mike pulled Sam out of the water. As Sam publically displayed his love for Jesus, I once again felt a wave of peace pass over me.

I know I will continue to struggle with these moments of uncertainty as our lives in Mexico seem to be getting farther from the lives we left. I also know that as I cast those anxieties on Him, He will be faithful to reassure me with His peace.

Lucy playing in the worship band

Sam getting baptized

Serving in Sunday School

2009-08-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

We visited Capilla Calvario Rosarito dozens of Sundays before our family moved to Mexico. Trying to remember my anxiety about those first few Sundays is like looking at my children and trying to recall the pain in giving birth. Although I know it existed, it is impossible to recall the feelings.

In those first few visits everything seemed primitive and simple. The building is an old shopping center converted into a church. People park on the surrounding dirt roads. The Sunday school classrooms have bars on the windows and are sparsely furnished with old tables and school chairs. There isn’t a single square of carpet in the entire building.

Despite the lowly appearance and location of the building, the church body itself is extremely rich in Jesus. The biblical teaching is anointed. The worship is passionate. The fellowship is sincere. The power of the gospel message is saving people every week. The church is alive in Christ and filled with His Holy Spirit. I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way this primitive, simple building with its rich contents became our home.

There has never been a Sunday when our kids did not want to go to church. The Sunday school teachers are committed to the kids God has entrusted to them. They do not feel pressured to entertain the kids with games or gimmicks. Instead they feel the weight and the responsibility of teaching God’s Word to their students. This simple approach not only works, but our kids are thriving spiritually.

When we first came on the field we were advised by a wonderful friend and seasoned missionary to not dive into serving at church right away. At first this counsel was easy to follow; trying to survive in a different country was overwhelming enough. As time went on, it became more and more difficult to drop our kids off in Sunday school every week and not serve.

A few months ago, we began praying about where the Lord would have us serve in our new church family. As the church continued to grow, a third service was added. This created a need for more Sunday school volunteers. The new service offers a kind of “kid’s church” setting for those kids who are attending two services. Juan and I are serving ages five through eleven in this new service.

My favorite time in this Sunday school class is worship. The kids lead worship; a boy on the guitar, a boy on the drums, a girl singing, and several kids up front with rhythm instruments. It does not always sound completely on key, but I know it sounds awesome to the Lord.

Last Sunday was our second Sunday serving in our new church family. The lesson was on Jesus washing the disciple’s feet. I held back tears as Martin and Angeles (two other Sunday school volunteers) washed Sam and Joe’s feet. When Georgie Palau (George & Stacey’s son) washed the feet of 70-year-old Al (another volunteer), I did cry. The applications to "serving others" were being lived out before my eyes.

When we joined the congregation for worship in the second service Juan and I were both moved to tears. Every word of every song seemed to pierce our souls. Then God’s Word almost lifted off the pages of our Bible. On our way home we discussed the obvious moving of the Spirit that morning. We concluded that serving others before a time of worship is a supernatural combination. It allowed us to take our eyes off ourselves long enough for God to do something in our hearts.

I understand that there is a season for everything. I am thankful for the season God gave us to come and be ministered to. I am also grateful that all seasons come to an end. Now is our season to serve these precious kids.

If you are viewing this post via email, you will have to go to the blog to view the photos.

The Master Has need of it....

2009-07-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

A while ago Alicia and I were reading about Palm Sunday. We marveled at the manner in which the disciples were sent ahead to get the donkey. They were told to just untie it and bring it to Jesus. If anyone questioned them, He said to tell them, "The Master has need of it." When they found the donkey they untied it and were asked by the donkey's owners, "what are you doing?" They replied, "The master has need of it." Then they brought the donkey to Jesus.

We discussed the scenario in wonder. How did the owners know to trust the disciples? Why did they let perfect strangers take their donkey? We came to the realization that in their hearts, the owners were ready to serve God. Their hearts had been prepared ahead of time. They were ready to give. Perhaps they had heard Jesus teach before when He said, "Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. " (Luke 6:30)

In the same manner, as we are serving the Lord in Mexico we often find ourselves in need of things. At times we fail to realize that the Lord has already prepared someone's heart to fulfill those needs. All that person needs to hear is, "The master has need of it."

A few weeks ago George and I were in La Jolla picking up some donations from a dentist's office. We had to load a large, heavy item into the van. Neither of us had remembered to bring a dolly. I went across the street to the elementary school to see if I could borrow one. I entered the school playground and came across a man with his work truck. When I explained who I was he mentioned that his church sent teams to Mexico once a month. I smiled having remembered my conversation with Alicia about the donkey. Then I told him that the Master has need of his dolly. He smiled and gave me two different kinds of dollies. We loaded up the stuff and I returned the dollies. I told the worker that he will be blessed because he helped serve the Lord's little ones.

I know that the Lord had prepared the heart of this man to be used in His work. I know that the man was blessed because of his obedience. I am challenged to be ready when I hear those words spoken to me, "The Master has need of...".

Miracles of Healing

2009-07-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

This is Sarah, our “miracle dog”. Her full name is Sarafina Strutton. Lily named her after a Barbie Princess. Though she definitely has some German Shepherd in her, Sarah is far from a registered AKC bred dog. On the contrary, she looks like a Mexican street dog. She is very skinny and has huge ears. Despite her awkward appearance, we’ve all fallen in love with her.

Soon after we brought Sarah home we discovered she had a severe case of scabies. During weeks of treatment (shots, dips, pills) she lost almost all her hair. She scratched and chewed her skin until she was a bloody mess. Though she looked like a dog out of a horror movie, the kids never seemed to notice. They snuggled with her and played with her like nothing was wrong. Slowly she began to improve and her hair started to grow back.

Just as we were feeling out of the woods with the scabies, Sarah started to get very sick. We took her to the vet and he gave her several shots to control the diarrhea and vomiting. When we brought her home she seemed to improve for a day before her health took a huge dive. As she lay on our couch practically dead, Juan and I shared the same thoughts, “What is the Lord doing in this situation?”

We decided to lay hands on Sarah and pray for a miracle. We started praying ages up, Lily first. When we got to Joe Max, he poured his heart out to the Lord. He remembered that we prayed for this dog for over two years before God brought her. He told God that he didn’t understand why He would let her die after all that waiting. He prayed for a miracle of healing. Then he ended with telling the Lord that whether He chooses to heal Sarah or let her die, we will still glorify Him. It is difficult to believe that a prayer this deep would come out of a 8-year-old boy, but this is how God wired Joe. His prayers have always humbled us.

After we prayed, we took Sarah to the vet. He ended up running an IV and hospitalizing her for several days. We went by everyday to check on her progress. Some days she seemed to be improving, and others she’d be worse. At some point we could tell she was suffering and we came very close to putting her down. In the midst of this struggle Sarah’s sister who lived at GCH died. The more I lost hope, the more the kids seemed sure she would be healed.

We brought Sarah home three days ago. She is skin and bones, but she seems to be gaining strength everyday. We are pretty sure she had Parvo or some other dog disease contracted from her mother. We are certain that God healed her.

I smile at God when think of how this lesson will follow my kids into their future. I picture them laying hands on the sick and the lame and calling on the power of God for a miracle of healing. What would cause them to be so bold in their request? They will remember how God heard their prayers for their puppy in Mexico.

Father's Day for the fatherless

2009-06-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

On Friday the kids' school celebrated Father's Day with a whole morning filled with activities. Each grade had their turn to play games and spend time with the dads. At this school, we have 18 kids. Tio Jerry (GCH volunteer), Tio Nacho (GCH volunteer), Alicia's dad, George and I got to be dad to our 18 GCH kids (Palaus and Struttons included). We were determined to make sure that every kid under our care saw a familiar face of someone who loved them. We played games and had fun. One of the activities was to tell the child using gestures (no words) how much we loved them. Since Alicia's dad was there he filled in as dad for my kids and I had the pleasure of being dad to Yahaira and Yesenia, sisters who live at GCH. As I was motioning to them how my love for them stretched all the way around the world (without words) they both smiled and gave me one of those hugs that took every ounce of strength they could muster.

Yahaira and I playing "baby"

It was here that the Lord gave me His eyes for these children. I was reminded of His love for them that spanned not around the world but to eternity and back. I was reminded of God's heart for these little ones as described in Matthew 18 and Isaiah 1. How we are to "defend the fatherless" and lead them to the cross. As tears welled up in my eyes (hidden by my sunglasses) I just smiled back. I returned the hugs, knowing that I was blessed way more then they were.

The next day, I had the honor of filling in for George at the Father's Day celebration at Jennifer's school. Jennifer is the oldest child at GCH (just turned 14) and is Yahaira's and Yesenia's big sister. The school staff had planned a sort of father/child rally race with bicycles and different stations that required you to do different things. Since we forgot to bring a bike, I decorated Jennifer with the bike decorations and we ran the race on foot. Afterwards there was a fair with lots of great food and games for the kids and parents. I got to spend some time getting to know Jennifer a little better. She wants to be a psychologist when she grows up. I told her she can do anythig she sets her mind to and that we were there to help her in anyway we could. Again I was humbled to be used by the Lord to represent Him, her Heavenly Father. If you have the chance to do the same, don't miss it. Happy Father's Day.

Joe Max, Not Of This World

2009-06-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Monday the first graders led the asemblea. In the video below Joe Max is the one shouting out the orders. Our kids have had to get used to this much patriotism (and us too). In their previous classes in public school in San Diego the flag salute was optional. Some teachers didn't include it in the routine of the school day. The only time our kids have heard their own national anthem is at baseball games. I'm pretty sure they don't know it.

Our kids will never really be "at home" anywhere in this world. Missionary kids are known for never really "fitting in" in life. As much as they speak the language and assimilate to the culture, our kids will always be foreigners in Mexico. At the same time, after living in Mexico they will never completely fit back in to the cultural norms, customs, and ways of thinking of America. It brings new meaning to the term "not of this world".

School

2009-06-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

When we visit with friends in the States one of the first questions asked of us is, “How are your kids adjusting?” All glory to God, our kids are doing very well. We know there is no logical reason for this. Their world as they knew it has been turned upside-down and inside out. We attribute this success to one reason… prayer. Prayer is the most powerful force in the universe. We have an army of people praying for our children.

Our children are enrolled in a bilingual school just down the street from Grace Children’s Home. Honestly, I have had a tough time with their schooling. As an educator I have struggled with almost all of what happens in their day at school. My flesh rebels against the teaching methods, the curriculum, the schedules, the rules and expectations and the cultural norms. There have been several times when I have acted on these frustrations without consulting the Lord. I have sent in notes, met with teachers, met with the principal, and openly rebelled in front of my kids on certain issues.

A while ago, the Lord in His grace and mercy opened my eyes to the truth; our kids are thriving. Not only that, but God has seen the deepest desires of my heart and answered them all. First, our children are safe. They are in a school that takes security to the highest level. Second, our children are loved. Their teachers see their profession as more than a job. They genuinely love the children and are very affectionate. And third, our children are fluently speaking, reading and writing in Spanish.

When I consider life without these deep desires being met, I realize how incredibly blessed we are with the kids’ school. I’ve also learned that I can’t move to a foreign country with the perception that the North American way (or my way) is always better. I think Paul knew a lot about crossing cultures when he wrote: “I have become all things to all men … I do all this for the sake of the gospel...” (1Cor 9:22) When I read Paul’s words they remind me that my focus needs to constantly be redirected towards the gospel and that which is eternal, even where my children’s education is concerned.

Below is a short video clip of Lily carrying the flag at yesterday’s asemblea. Though the way they salute the flag is a little creepy, I can appreciate the ceremonial respect for the flag and the country of Mexico.

Unexpected Blessings

2009-06-03T22:43:00.001-07:00

Following God’s call to Mexico has included many unexpected blessings. One such blessing is that of working with interns. I never imagined or expected God would touch my heart so profoundly through the lives of these young people.

Interns are young adults over 18 years old. They live and serve the Lord at Grace Children’s Home for 2 to 12 months. The very nature of their involvement at GCH is a testimony to their character. They have left the comforts of friends, family and western affluence in exchange for a life of humility and service to “the least of these."

Right now we have two interns at GCH. On Monday I took them with me to run errands across the border. As I spent the day with these two amazing young women, I couldn’t help but be inspired and encouraged. I listened closely as they described the details of their lives back home, both different yet similar. The similarity in their lives is their complete surrender to Jesus Christ.

When I think about the role youth have in the Body of Christ I think any ministry without them is deficient. Every ministry needs the balance of maturity and youthfulness. Young people on fire for Jesus bring life, fun, authenticity, zeal, and blind faith. What some would call naïve, I think God would call faithful.

Another great blessing is the impact these interns have on my children. I couldn’t handpick better role models. Lucy is in a very tender season of her life. She is subconsciously in search of the woman who she wants to become. I’m grateful that God has strategically placed many godly examples around her including our GCH interns.

Tia Alycia, Alberta, Canada

Tia Brittany, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tia Lizzy, Santa Cruz, California