Hi Everyone,
In the effort of trying to do things differently this year, we have decided to send you an update in a mini-series form. This means that instead of one long gargantuan update every 4 months about everything, you will be getting a shorter update focused in on one area that we are involved in or our life in general. We hope this leads to you all feeling a bit more informed and being a bit more up to date on what’s going on here. So, let’s dig right in and start with the first one: EL NIDO
Things are in full swing as many of the girls will begin having their babies over the next few weeks/months. The last couple of months have been filled with a lot of joy as God has answered so many of our (a very collective “our” that includes all of you) prayers. We now have a very solid team of volunteers, who are a blessing to work with. It has been exciting and encouraging to see how this is no longer a project that they are involved with, but now it is their project as well. A sweet couple by the name of Sergio and Natalia donated chairs and tables so that now our place feels more like a home for the girls. It is so encouraging to see how God has been growing this project over the last few months. There is definitely still a lot more growth to come, but we are thankful for how He is leading us and teaching us to trust in Him.
Just the other day, I mentioned to Leidy that one thing I love about the program is to see the change in the girls from when they started to a few months later. They smile a lot, they laugh, they make friends with one another, and they begin to adopt this program as their own. This has been one of our main prayers for them. That this little house where we run the project will become a home for them. As a team, we pray that they would feel God’s love and we believe that the changes we have seen are because of this love. The girls have become more open and have each been keeping a small diary where they write down how they feel and small prayers to God. This has led them to more questions concerning God and why it is important to talk to him. We have had many chances to share our experiences and our faith in open and honest ways. Please continue to pray that these girls will feel and come to know just how much God loves them.
We had a baby shower on the first of May for all the 18 girls in our program right now. Below is a link to a little video that gives a little summary of the day. We could not have done this without the support of so many of you. We were able to give each girl a “starter’s kit for motherhood”. This also provided us with an opportunity to get to know some of their families and partners as well.
Hopefully, this mini update brings you all up to speed on what has been happening in El Nido over the last couple of months. Please continue to pray for these girls that their babies will be born healthy and without any complications(our first baby from this group was just born!), that they will come to know Jesus on a more personal level, and that they will be good mothers. Also, please continue to pray for our team of volunteers here, for more local financial support for the project and for wisdom on how to grow. This Tuesday we will begin to meet with some of the girls and their partners (from this present year and the last) to talk about how to have a healthy relationship and become good examples for their children. We need a lot of prayers and we are so grateful that all of you are part of this project as well. We feel an immense amount of gratitude for all of you. Your love and prayers are such an encouragement. As always, please feel free to keep us in the loop about your lives, projects, etc., so we can be praying for you as well. Stay tuned for part 2 next month.
Jacob & Leidy.
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