Mother's Day 2009

How can just crossing a bridge bring you into such a different world? On one side is the United States of America and on the other side is the Estados Unidos de Mexicanos (United States of Mexicans). When you come to the first intersection after crossing the border there are people waiting for money. Two men came up and started washing our windows without asking and then they expect pesos for it. Then there was a woman pushing a man in a wheel chair and they were pointing into the car. I shook my head no and looked away. Once we were down the street a short ways, the kids said they were hungry. As I reached toward my feet at a pile of food my heart broke. It was then that I realized that the man and woman were pointing to the food. If I had realized, I would have given them food. I pray that God would open my heart to see things differently. I want to see the people here like He sees them. I want to grieve what He grieves and love the way He loves. I want to see things through His eyes and care for children the way He cares for us.

While talking to Elias and Flora last night, we found out that of the seventeen children here, ten of them have no knowledge of who their mother, father or grandparents are. These kids were out on the streets with no hope. Our hearts grieved again. Lord, how can this be? How can a mother and father just walk away and grandparents never be known? Today is Mother’s Day and I pray that I can be a mother figure to many of the children that I work with in Mexico. I pray that God would give me a heart for each one of them.

To my mother, thank you for all the years you helped me grow and learn. Thank you for showing me God’s love through your life and through your service to Him. As the years have gone by, you have gone from my mother to one of my best friends. Thank you for the special friend you are now. Thank you for all the special phone calls and all the hours we have talked. To Jim’s mother, thank you for your son. Thank you for all you have done to help us over the past years when we lived so close. You helped us get here by watching the kids so many times when we had mission meetings to go to. Thank you for your friendship. To my precious daughter, Kristen, thank you for being such a wonderful mother to my grandchildren. I miss you all so much but I know that God has called me to where I am today. Thank you for your friendship and all the times we have had together, for all the phone calls. We will have them again soon. I love watching how God has formed you into a beautiful woman of God who desires to serve Him and raise her children for the Lord. To all the mothers in my life and to all the mothers who may be reading this today, “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.”