English Class Update...

We wanted to take a moment to update you all on the exciting things that have been taking place during our Thursday night English classes.  If you recall, we started classes here about 2 months ago for our kids to begin to immerse them in English.  Kim and Jenna have been doing a wonderful job teaching and helping them.  One of the rules that they have during the class is that the children can only speak English.  No Spanish allowed.  

I asked Jenna to write a bit about what’s been going on.  Check it out.

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Jenna Borrelli. I am originally from Oregon, but am currently serving here at Casa De Bendicion for a year. While I am here, I am doing a variety of different things to help serve the orphanage and community. One of those things has been teaching English classes at the orphanage.

In July of 2018, I received my TEFL/ESL (Teaching English Foreign Language) certificate. Meaning I am certified to teach English to non-native English speakers. So coming here and being able to teach these kids has been an absolute dream. I’ve been teaming up with Kim Vargas, who is the administrator here at the orphanage, to help with the classes.

We have been teaching all the basics of English.  So far the kids have learned how to ask each other questions, such as “What is your name? How old are you? Where are you from? What is your favorite food? etc.”  They have learned the colors, fruits, numbers, family, and some animals.  In each lesson, they also learn songs in English and play fun activities to help them remember what they previously learned. The songs are great because the kids continue to sing them outside of class as well. It brings me so much joy when we are eating meals together, and the kids start asking each other questions in English. They are so intelligent and are learning very quickly.  I have no doubt they will be bilingual in the future. 

It is also exciting to see the kids using English in their daily activities. Whether they are playing, cleaning, helping in the kitchen or just hanging out, they are either full of questions about English or are eager to learn more words and phrases.

I count it a blessing to have this opportunity to be here and not only teach, but to speak truth into their precious lives and help them see themselves the way that our Lord Jesus sees them, and to love them with an unconditional love that has been gifted to me from Christ. The good work the Lord is doing here will only continue as we continue to seek Him. I humbly ask for prayers for the English classes, myself, the staff and volunteers, and every single kid that has walked through these doors of Casa De Bendicion.



Farewell Morales Family...

Many of you who have come to visit the orphanage have had the wonderful opportunity to serve alongside Carlos (aka Pelon or Baldy). Carlos has been working at the House of Blessing since August of 2012. That is when we first purchased the 40 acres and began building the orphanage. A few years later, a young woman named Reyna came from San Vicente Mexico to serve at the orphanage. Who would ever of thought that these two wonderful individuals would fall in love, get married and continue serving faithfully with us.. They lived on sight here at the orphanage with Jackie and I to help take care of the children. During that time they had 2 beautiful daughters and are expecting a 3rd girl.

Carlos is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. I call him the Mexico MacGyver. This guy can build anything, fix anything, come up with anything when needed.

A few months ago, Carlos shared with our board and staff that he felt like his time at the orphanage was coming to an end and that the Lord was leading he and his family into the next chapter in their lives. They will be moving in a few weeks to San Vicente to serve at another wonderful ministry called “Casa del Pastor.” Casa del Pastor is a home in Baja California, Mexico for women and their children who are abandoned and abused. Reyna actually grew up at Casa del Pastor.

We are definitely sad to see them leave, but thankful for the time that we had with them and are VERY excited to see the new opportunities that the Lord brings their way. Please pray for them as they begin packing and preparing for the 24 hour car trip to their new home. Please also pray for the transition into their new life. Muchas Gracias!

Adios Summer, Bienvenidos Fall...

I just realized that I haven’t written a blog post since our last one back in June. It was about our annual House of Blessing Golf Tournament. I guess it would be a perfect way to start this blog post by celebrating the successful tournament we had.

Golf Tournament…We are so pleased to announce that we raised over $16,000 dollars at the House of Blessing Golf Tournament this past July.  What a wonderful day it was.  Thank you to everyone that came out to play, serve and help make this day extra special.  Also, I wanted to thank all the businesses and individuals that sponsored the tournament and donated.  I am already looking forward to next years tournament, July 25th 2020 in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Back to School…It’s been a little over a month since our children started school and everyone is off to a great start.  We were able to enroll 12 children, 2 boys and 10 girls, in 3 different schools.  This year we have 2 in first grade, 2 in second grade, 3 in fourth grade, 3 in fifth grade, 1 sixth grader and a sophomore in high school. The kids’ schools are about 5 minutes away from the orphanage.  Upon returning home from school, we have a wonderful team of staff and tutors to help the children with their homework and the areas of study that they are behind in.  Please pray for all our kids and their studies and especially for those that are struggling and behind.

Also, we wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all those who donated to our Back to School drive.  We raised over $1200 to help purchase supplies, clothes, uniforms and pay the school fees.  What a blessing!

New Addition…2 weeks ago, we took in another young girl named Valentina.  We were contacted by her mom, Yolanda, asking for assistance in caring for their daughter.  Valentina actually has a mom and a dad, which is very rare for the children we care for.  When Valentina was 3 years old, she fell from a water tower and cracked the back of her skull.  For about a year she experienced seizures, migraines and difficulty learning.  This made it all the more challenging for Yolanda and family to adequately care for Valentina while raising other children and working.  Yolanda was actually born in the United States and will be heading back there this weekend to begin the paperwork process to bring her family to the states.  Yolanda is also hoping to get some additional insight and direction regarding the medical tests for Valentina.

Valentina is a very sweet girl who is already coming out of her shyness.  She loves to play with dolls, color and talk. Lots of talking.  We were able to enroll her in first grade and she is already progressing well in her schooling.

House of Blessing has a wonderful sponsorship program where families and individuals can help support one of the kids here by praying for them, writing letters as well as supporting financially. We are in need of sponsors for our sweet Valentina. If you are interested in supporting here or would like more information, please contact me.

English Classes…We are very excited to have launched our English classes last week.  One of the things we have desired since the start of the orphanage was for our children AND staff to be bilingual in Spanish and English.  Some of our children have naturally picked it up especially when mission teams are here.  After much planning and prepping we started our English classes here at the orphanage on Thursday evenings.  Our kids are especially excited to have Kim Vargas and Jenna Borrelli as their teachers.  

Jenna is original from Oregon and will be serving with us for the next 8 months.  Jenna first came down to the orphanage on a mission trip, then completed our 3 month internship program, and now will be focusing on teaching our English classes.  Jenna received her Celta Certificate last year and is certified to teach non-native english speakers.

Thank you so much for your continued support, prayers, visits and encouraging words. Please continue them both for the children and our staff and volunteers!