HOB Golf Tourmant...

The annual House of Blessing Golf Tournament has been an incredible event.  Over the past 8 years, we have been able to raise tens of thousands of dollars to help support the children and work at the House of Blessing orphanage in Bachiniva, Chihuahua, Mexico.  Last year was our biggest tournament to date.  We raised over $16,000 dollars and had more involvement through donors, sponsors, churches, and volunteers than ever before.  Building off of last year’s tournament, we were very excited to not only have our Washington tournament but one in Florida as well.  A wonderful group of people and churches were excited to launch the first ever HOB Golf Tournament in West Palm Beach.  Dates were set, courses were reserved, and momentum began to build for the two tournaments in 2020.

When the COVID-19 global pandemic hit, the momentum was brought to a stand still.  As the world waited, watched, and quarantined, we began to discuss what options might be available for the tournaments.  The HOB golf committee and HOB board of directors began to pray, discuss, and strategize what we might be able to do in light of everything taking place.  Our hope was to reschedule both our tournaments to a later date this year.  After looking at different dates and talking with golf courses, we were unable to reschedule our Washington tournament for this year.  Unfortunately, we have decided to cancel the 2020 HOB Golf Tournament in Washington.

We were able to “tentatively” reschedule the Florida tournament to September 26th.  We are working closely with our support team in Florida who is carefully monitoring the situation.  We will make a final decision about that tournament by the end of this month, depending on where West Palm Beach County is at with their reopening plan.

Although we are bummed about these changes, we are all the more excited for tournaments in 2021.  There are still a lot of ways that you can help out and partner with the House of Blessing orphanage.  If you would like to learn more about what’s going on down in Mexico or even help support financially, you can contact the director, Jason Sanchez (jason@thehouseofblessing.org, www.thehouseofblessing.org cell phone, 915-316-9496).

Thank you for your support over the years, and we look forward to seeing you at one of our tournaments in 2021.

Sincerely,

The HOB Golf Committee

Mike Melchior, Jason Murdock, Jason Sanchez

Praying For A Sister...

For the longest time our daughter, Ayantu, has prayed for a sister.  Having been adopted when she was 11 months old and being an only child has definitely brought up some interesting and emotional conversations and questions.  

“Papi, how come you and mama can’t have kids?”  

I must admit I didn’t imagine hearing that question from her at such a young age.  I guess I could respond with what the doctors and medical field have told my wife and I over the years, 12 years to be exact and counting.  It’s called “unexplained fertility.”  However, rather than diving into that discussion with my 10 year old, I have opted for a more subtle response.

“I don’t know why sweetie. We want more children, and have prayed for more, but for some reason God has a different plan for us.”  

Her response to my answer usually sounds like this, “...well, good thing we have an orphanage cause its like you and mama have a lot of kids.”

For the past 7 weeks we have had the privilege of having Natalia and Carolina live in our house with us.  When COVID-19 hit Mexico, 10 of the 12 children in our orphanage were able to return to their moms and family to quarantine.  Unfortunately, Natalia (age 10) and Carolina (age 16) don’t have that opportunity.

Natalia was abandoned by her biological dad by the time she was 3.  She has never met him nor knows anything about him.  Although her mother lives just 7 minutes away from the orphanage, Angela is unable to take care of her daughter Natalia and at times, doesn’t seem like she even wants to.

Carolina lost her dad when she was in 1st or 2nd grade.  He died of a head injury.  She and her siblings were than abandoned by their mom, who met another guy and moved in with him.  So, ever since she was about 5 or 6 years old, Caro has been raised by her grandparents.  She came to the orphanage when she was 12.

It has been an absolute joy being a father-like figure to these two girls who have never experience that.  And yes at times, very challenging, especially for Ayantu.  Trying to balance being her dad and yet loving on Caro and Natalia as a father figure as well.  This to has brung up very deep and heartfelt conversations with Ayantu.

A few weeks ago her and I were taking our usual morning walk.  Hand in hand, I asked her how she was doing with things, COVID-19, school work, sharing a room with Natalia, you know, the usual stuff.  I could tell her mind was racing.

“Well, I like having Natalia because I always have someone to play with and its fun sharing a room with her.  And she doesn’t have a family so its nice we can be like a family to her.”

She went on to explain some of the obvious frustrations or challenges that comes with sharing a room, toys, close quarters, etc. As we neared the end of our walk, her next response moved me to tears.  Tears that I had to fight back so she wouldn’t see that her brave, strong papi was crying.

“Plus, you know what dad, I have always wanted a sister.  And now I have one.”

Wow, I was floored, blessed and crying all at the same time.  You see in the midst of pandemics and great challenges like COVID-19, there are still encouraging and hopeful things taking place.  And i will forever treasure that morning walk with my sweet little Antu Faith Sanchez!

Update From The Orphanage!

Dear friends, family and supporters.  I wanted to take a moment to update you on what’s going on down here at the orphanage in light of this Global Pandemic.  Like all of you, we are having to change the very way of doing life, our routines, etc.  With so many unknowns and uncertainties, we are VERY thankful for your faithful support and prayers.  We ask that you would please continue to pray for our staff, team, the children and our community. We are definitely praying for you all and the world as well.  Fortunately Mexico has not experienced a high number of cases of COVID-19.  We are praying fervently that this remains this way, especially for very poor and rural areas, like Bachiniva, who don’t have the resources, supplies, etc to handle a massive outbreak.

On March 14th, Mexico announced that they would be closing ALL schools from March 20th until April 20th.  We began receiving calls from some of the mothers of our kiddos as to what the plan was during this time.  Some of them expressed they would rather keep their kids with them rather than have them be here.  This is what we were initially hoping for as we tried to figure out ways to fully run the orphanage during the CONVID-19.   After much prayer and talking as a board, we felt it would be best to give the moms and families of our kids the option of what they would like to do.  They all understood and agreed to keep their children with them as long as they could.

So, we basically “shut down” the orphanage on Monday March 16th.  There are 2 girls, Natalia and Carolina, who have moved into our house.  Natalia’s mom is not able to care for here.  Carolina’s mom and grandparents live in the Sierra Madres, about 6 hours away.  Due to lack of food, money and poor living conditions up in the mountains, Carolina will stay with us.  The other 10 children are currently with their families.

The orphanage has never been more quiet OR clean.

Even though most of the kids are not with us now, we are working closely with their famililes in ways that we can continue to help and support them. This past Monday Kim (our administrator) and her husband, Pastor Luis, took clothes, money, food and school packets to all the families. They had a chance to visit with the moms, check in on the kids and let them know we are praying for them and are here to help in any way that we can. Some of the moms are already worried that they will lose their jobs as the government of Chihuahua has begun to close down restaurants, factories, businesses, etc.  Kim has been doing a fantastic job of staying in touch with these women through calls and text messages to encourage them.  We are praying that this will be an even greater way to show the Love of God to them.

We had a great staff meeting with our team last week as well to give an update of whats going on.  Some of them expressed a concern for their jobs and if they would continue to get paid during this time.  I reassured them that we would continue to pay them for as long as we can during this time.  Unemployment does not exist in a town like this, or really in Mexico … and it would be all the more difficult if we had to start laying off employees.  God has SO FAITHFULLY provided every peso/dollar that we have ever needed AND even more.  We are fully expecting that He will continue to do so.

Please continue to check out our facebook and instagram accounts for updates and pictures as well as look for additional email updates.

Praying for you all!

Jason