This boy is really excited to get his new shoes.  I have seen him multiple times and other kids and we have gotten to know them.

On Thanksgiving Day, 2014, 10 people went from the Valley SDA Church in Menifee to Tecate, and after handing out several hundred GC's and SC's in an hour and a half we all went to this Mennonite orphanage with the entire Thanksgiving dinner for 45 kids, 10 staff, and the 10 of us.  We handed out a new pair of shoes for each child, and gave a toy to each child.

This was the whole group eating Thanksgiving dinner.  We had lots of food for everyone and the staff sang for us near the end.

Working with/at Orphanages

We've also gotten to know this boy when we've been back since Thanksgiving and given them Hotwheels cars, etc.

We visited this Mennonite orphanage again in April of 2015.  We gave toys to the kids and the people at the orphanage are friends now.  This orphanage has needs, but there are many orphanages that are not as well off.  This one gets a lot of support from the Mennonite church in the U.S. but there are many orphanages just around Tecate where they kids don't have toys or enough food or clothing.  We have clothing we can distribute and can help with food, but we don't have the time on the mission trips to get to the orphanages, despite having new clothing ready to give the kids.  We need someone who would be willing to go to some orphanages and give out food, clothing and books.

This girl on the right in the blue dress is a Seventh Day Adventist.  She is how we originally found this orphanage as we went to visit her.  She is here because her mother's location is unknown and her dad is addicted to drugs and cannot take care of her.  There are kids for whom both parents are dead, and other kids who may be in touch with one or both parents, but the parents just can't take care of them.

Usually one of the older girls will take care of each baby.  This was my table, and the girl to the left takes care of this child.

This boy was sitting at my table to my right, and had just finished his chocolate cake.  He appeared withdrawn.  Some kids get dropped off by parents who cannot take care of them, other kids have no parents, and there are 3 girls at the orphanage who are sisters who walked here from Guatemala.  The girls have never really given many details about where in Guatemala they are from, but presumably their parents sent them North where there are more prosperous regions, like on the border with the United States.