Here is our monthly (más o menos) newsletter to keep our friends and family updated on what is happening at Hope House in Mexico.  The newsletter will provide updates on the boys, especially the new ones, a little insight into the staff, teams, vocational training, projects and items of special interest. If you know of someone that would be interested in Hope House in Mexico updates they can subscribe at the bottom of this page.

 

A copy of last month's newsletter can be found here.

 

 

Our Boys

For the month of December, there are 20 boys.  Below are some random photos of activities of several of the boys during the month of December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Staff

The staff member we would like to introduce you to this week is Carolina. She is ths manager of the laundry.  When you think of how many clothes need to be washed for twenty and more boys, you realize how much work she has to do.  In fact, she does laundry six days a week.  The laundry facility is very well organized and clean.  She and her support are very much appreciated. 

Here is a little insight into Carolina. She was asked several questions and here are her responses.

 

1. How long have been at Hope House in Mexico? - 1 year and 4 months

2. How did you hear about Hope House? - I saw a posting on FaceBook

3. How do you like your work? - I like it very much

4. What is it you really like about your job? - I enjoy maintaining the washing machines, keeping them in good condition, so that the clothes, school uniforms and bedding are able to be washed quickly and efficiently.

5. What do you do in your spare time and days off? - I clean my house and go out for walks with my children

 

New Dormitory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new dormitory above the dining kitchen/hall has been completed and ten of the older boys have moved in, with Miguel sleeping with them at nights.  The photos above shows their beds and the bookshelf/cabinets that some of the boys built in the carpentry shop and some of the boys already relaxing on their new beds.  The photos below show the extra space now available in the main house but this will be quickly filled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas

Christmas is that time of year that people enjoy giving.  This is not an exception for the boys at Hope House.  Locals and well as people from far away come and try to make Christmas meaningful to the boys who, if you think about the backgrounds they come from, have never enjoyed anything like this.  This year was no exception.

Bob, Assistant Pastor to Grace Bible Fellowship (GBF) in California, and Austin, Minister of Music and Youth, came down to bring presents from members of GBF to the boys.  This is this their fifth annual visit for this event.  This year was rather challenging as you can see in one of the photos in the collage below, that Bob is exiting customs at Guadalajara with his luggage only.  The eight large boxes, containing boxes for each of the boys, were still in San Jose, CA.  The boxes did arrive 24 hours later and after struggling with customs we finally got everything through. The photo on the left on the second row of the collage is a view of one of the carts with four boxes as seen from the customs office. In the meantime, Bob and Austin spent time with the boys sharing with them the importance of gifts based on the greatest gift ever given.  The other photos in the collage below show this special time with the boys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was almost midnight the next day when the boxes finally arrived at Hope House.  The photos below show  the boys as they received their own individual boxes with their names on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After getting the large boxes the boys had to wait until Christmas day to open the presents inside. Clearly the boys were overjoyed as they opened each present.  The two collages below show their reactions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few days before Christmas the boys were visited by Aurora Aguirre and Nancy Medina, who represented a non-profit organization.  They also brought gifts for the boys.  You can see that Christmas is a special time all around for the boys, as people come to show their love to then, something many have not experienced before. Photos of the time spent with these two wonderful ladies are shown in the collage below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only do the boys receive special gifts, but the staff as well. There are so many special donations at this time of year, that all we can do is say, "Thank You!". A fundraiser was held at a local restaurant. One generous donation covered all the staff bonuses! Mike, a local volunteer donor, provided the gift of a ladder to the maintenance staff, which was very much appreciated.  The two photos below show the ladder that was donated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Happenings

 

A key ingredient in giving the boys hope is providing a family environment, something almost all have never experienced or enjoyed as most come out of abusive and broken homes.  As part of the family environment are celebrations of various types, especially at Christmas.  The montage below shows the birthday party for Jimy, who turned three. He is the "baby" of the house and very lovable.  Clearly he has captured the hearts of everyone he comes in contact with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, of course, there is always Christmas. To give the celebration a true family connotation, the staff provided a Christmas dinner for the boys on Christmas Eve.  This also included a roaring bonfire.  Christmas in Mexico is generally celebrated on Christmas Eve, so this was a special "family" time for them all. The montage below shows some of the scenes surrounding this time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year

 

As we are entering the New Year, we would like to thank all of the Hope House supporters, whose continued interest in providing a safe and comfortable home for boys in Mexico, for all that you have done.  You don't realize how much your thoughts, prayers and financial support mean.  If we could get each of the boys to hold a card up like the one shown below, it would honestly represent their appreciation as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor a Child Program

 

Just to remind you that Hope House has a program available for donors who would enjoy supporting a particular boy.  In this program a specific boy would be assigned to you.   More information on how this program works, and how you can be part of it can be obtained by contacting Kina here.

 

 

Administration

 

Our boy silhouette remains about the same. There have been several large one time gifts and smaller but recurring gifts that keep Hope House going.  Thanks again for all your support. We won't include the silhouette in this newsletter but will bring him back sometime in the future after the holiday season

 

 

You too can make a difference.

 

Even the smallest donation helps a boy have the safety, security and love

of a home environment plus the education to succeed in life