Newsletter
27 June
2009
Dearest friends and
partners,
Another belated update, as usual much
has happened, sometimes I think too much, but the beat goes on. We are at the end of another school year, a
big whew. It has been a good year, swine
flu hysteria and all. In May we graduated one girl from our teacher ed. program
(Nayeli), she is in the process of trying to find placement, if she doesn’t stay
with us. We wish her well whatever is in her future. Ceci, who is studying in Coimbatore, South
India was able to be with us for about six weeks. She enjoyed her time here
taking care of some health issues and getting together with her sisters. Vero
was in the Dordt College graduation although she still has a semester of student
teaching left. She plans on getting married this summer to a young man she met
at Dordt.
This July we will be hosting the
annual pastors’ conference of the Mexican Calvary Chapel organization. We all
look forward to a couple days of fellowship and refreshment. We consider this a
real honor to be able to serve a group of people who have meant much to us as an
institution. Also in July we will be
hosting the AMECES meeting which is a Mexican group that promotes Christian
Higher Education. We are honored that they have chosen our site for their
meeting. In November we will be hosting the Faculty Enrichment Program for
Christian University professors, sponsored by IAPCHE. That will be a five day
affair bringing together some of the most outstanding Christian professors in
Mexico. We are very excited about becoming more involved with these people in
order to better our undergraduate program.
Summertime means camp, so several of
our kids will be going for a week; others will spend a couple of days roughing
it. We are thankful for the support of
Palabra de Vida camp who has given us a great discount. We have seen wonderful
things happen in the life of many kids through their camp
experience.
Thanks to the support of several
people from Ontario we will be installing a septic system that will convert raw
sewage into recycled water apt for irrigating our football field and our future
orchard and garden. Also we plan to continue work on the staff apartments that
has been on hold for a couple of months.
Some of you are aware that the State
Government has asked us to turn over the Hacienda where the boys have been
living for nearly a year. That situation still has not been resolved. We are
hopeful that the boys will be able to remain there at least this year; however
we are all aware that it isn’t what we want. That situation should be resolved
within the next couple of weeks.
Once again we thank all of you who have played even a small part in
our existence. It would be impossible without so many great folk working,
contributing, praying and generally looking out for us. We ask your prayers for
our physical health, the resolution of some legal problems and of course the
general welfare of our kids.
Blessings,
Darrel
1 February
2009
Well 2009 is
well on its way, Christmas break is a memory and the routine has settled in. Our
first group of the New Year has arrived and we will be having groups working
here continually until mid March. Brian
Heppner will be with us during this period to help us with the direction of the
groups. After a blessed Christmas season
and break, we are back to the grind. School has gotten back to a steady beat,
our teacher’s ed. program has continued with a couple of new professors as well
as the beginning of a master’s program in Christian philosophy this semester.
Overall we are very pleased with our
school program; we have seen excellent progress with students and teachers. Our new rector has done a commendable job
motivating the students and organizing the program.
We are also
pleased with a favorable result on the proper permits for our new road. Due to
an eminent domain situation, where the federal power commission has rights under
their high tension lines we were able to secure their permission to put the road
right under their lines. This is basically a straight shot to our property. We
hope to start the construction of this road within a week or
two.
We have also
heard from Ceci who is studying in Coimbatore, South India. As many know there
is a severe situation with the Tamil people, especially in Sri Lanka. Many
university young people, as well as some basic terrorists have decided to cause
a great deal of problems in South India, blocking traffic, bombing and general
social violence. Due to the situation the government has decided to shut down
all universities indefinitely until the crisis has passed. As a result Ceci has
had to leave the dormitory where she was living to go with friends to a nearby
city. We pray for her safety, and for the situation
there.
Football
practice has begun again with several of our boys participating. Of course that
requires a good bit of extra logistical support, but we feel that the benefits
are worth it. We have seen wonderful benefits from the teamwork, social mixing
with other players and coaches, the idea that yes, I can do it, and probably
just the working out of excess energy and frustrations. We are very grateful to
all of the coaches and helpers that make this a
reality.
We are also happy for Vero who will be
graduating from Dordt College this May. She will still have another semester of
student teaching, but will be allowed to march. My wife and I plan to be with
her for that special day. Perhaps her sister Ana will be able to accompany
us.
We continue to
be amazed with God’s provision. It is
understandable that many have had severe economic set-backs, yet we continue to
pay our bill and keep food on the table. We do however, ask for your continued
support in these difficult economic times.
Again, we thank
all of you who have continued to support, defend, and care for this
ministry.
Sincerely,
Darrel W.
Hilbrands
22 October 2008
Dear friends,
We are very grateful for all of your continued support over the
past several months. Much has happened over the summer and now fall. I will try
to tick off a few of the major events, many of you have been keeping up with us
through Bobbi Maxwell’s blog (xanga.com/irabobbimaxwell).
Graduation was a wonderful time for the kids, many skits and hard
work, graduates from kindergarten, primary, jr. high, high school and our first
three candidates for a bachelor’s degree in education. Our speaker was the
president of Edinburg Theological Seminary in Texas, a good friend of ours Acero
Valencia.
At the end of June, Elena, Veronica and I went to spend a week
with my family in Iowa before heading out on our adventure to India. There we
spent three weeks seeing much of the country and visiting with Ceci, as well as
participating in several forums and getting to know Ceci’s routine and renewing
acquaintances with some of her professors that I had met a few years ago in
Nicaragua. Overall it was a truly eye-opening experience, unbelievable amount of
people. We were able to see New Delhi, Agra (home of the Taj Mahal), Coimbatore
(Ceci’s home), and Madras, as well as several other places in between. Some of
you have received my preliminary report.
During our time away the boys were moved to a new center and our
population grew. We are now at 135 between the two places. The boys continue in
our school and eat lunch here every day except Saturday, but the rest of the
time they are in their beautiful Hacienda—they really love it there. Geno and
Agus have been doing an extraordinary job with these young men. The older ones
are taking care of the younger ones as we do with the girls, up to this point
all has been working out better than expected.
In August we celebrated our church’s 14th anniversary.
I still remember when Elena and I had 12 little kids in front of us and that was
it. Now we have up to 200 people at times, even more at special
events.
Of course September means the start of school again. This year we have been blessed by several
teachers and teachers to be. Five of our high school graduates are in the
Teacher Ed. program and are helping in various capacities in the school. Two of
these girls have primary groups. They are all making satisfactory progress in
their college as well.
In September also was the time for the annual Quinceañera (see
Bobbi’s blog for some nice pictures). This year there were ten beautiful young
ladies who participated. We even had two couples who came from Canada for the
festivities, now that’s a birthday party! Of course the girls were extremely
excited and things came off very well—lots of pictures and hugs and
food.
We are now heading into the year’s end; we’re even starting with
our Christmas planning. Growth sometimes causes growth pains as we try to manage
two different centers and provide the daily transportation. We have bought one
new van thanks to the help of the federal government, and are in the process of
buying another thanks to donations by several individuals. We poured the roof of the new apartments,
finished a playground for the younger kids, the auditorium is getting its final
touch-ups, and plans are moving along for our new road (many of you are happy
about that—but not more than us). We continue to be amazed at what God has done
here, but we know that it is only a beginning. Eternity is a long
time.
Blessings to all,
Darrel
31 May 2008
Dear friends,
As the school year winds down and the summer heat begins we are again reminded of another year of divine provision. This school year has been the best we have had since we started the school some 14 years ago. Our student teachers have done a much better job and continue to improve. We are sincerely proud of these young people who have taken on the challenge of teaching these very often difficult children.
This year we celebrate the conclusion of four years with our bachelor's degree in teaching. We have three students that have completed the entire program and will be awarded their teaching diploma. A very hearty "well done" to Yéssica, Rubén and Mónica! We are also very happy with the six students that have finished their high school (Irma, Gabriela, Lupillo, Lucy, Olimpia and Chayo) as well as the others who have finished their Jr. High, primary and kindergarten.
We have invited the president of Edinburg Theological Seminary, Acero Valencia, to be our graduation speaker the 28th of June at 11:00; all are invited to participate in the first graduation to be held in our new auditorium. We anticipate a glorious time, as usual, with all of the classes participating. This coming school year we have appointed a new rector for ILMES (our teacher ed. program), José Lucero. We are confident that his experience and proven ability will serve us well. I will continue to teach, but with a reduced administrative load.
Elena and I have finalized our plans for our trip to India this July. We will be visiting a children's home in Derahdun, north of Delhi then on to Coimbatore in South India, where we will share with several classes at the Bishop Appasamy College. Our trip will last three weeks. We are anticipating a very different experience, as well as visiting Ceci who after a year in India is more than ready to see us. We are still waiting to see what Ceci's calling is, but she certainly has demonstrated a great deal of perseverance and a willingness to experience a different lifestyle. At first her life there was very difficult; something that really irked her was the seeming condescendence of the young men towards the young ladies. One day she had had it and put one of the young men in his place, something that women do not do. Anyway a few days later one of the young ladies came up to her thanking her for her help; then a few days later the young man that she had told off also thanked her for making him realize that what he was doing was wrong. When she related this story to me she had me crying because she said she knew then that God had a special plan for her in such a far off country. Ceci is still a 20 year-old with all the problems of a young person, but she has something special that we want to support.
Our boys and girls continue to play American football. This year for the girls has been a tough season. They moved to another category with more experienced players and also had a coaching change. They have been competitive however, and we expect them to much better next season. The different boys teams have also done well. We feel that these experiences have helped a great deal with self-concept and confidence. We are very thankful to all of those who help with this program.
This summer we are anticipating the arrival of several groups and individual volunteers as we are now in two homes. At our last writing we explained the possibility of moving the boys to another place that has been offered to us by the State Social Agency (DIF). Since that time we have moved 27 boys to the new home with plans to send the other 33 at the end of the school year. We are waiting for adequate transportation for both homes. We feel that this is a tremendous opportunity for growth and to impact the local government officials.
I suppose I could go on and on, but will have to leave it here. We continue to thank all of you who have had anything to do with our support or work at the home.
Blessings,
Darrel W. Hilbrands
20 March 2008
Dear Friends,
Thanks once again for your support and concern for this work. We are continually humbled by what has been accomplished in this place through the effort of many people.
This winter, as usual, we have been blessed by the presence of several teams from Canada, specifically from Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia. We were able to enjoy their fellowship as well as the fruits of their labor. They were able to help us finish the second story of the school, lay patio stones to eliminate some of the dust, paint, help construct the stairway to the new apartments (to be) above the dining area, do numerous errands, play lots with the kids (show them how to play hockey with a tennis ball), take us to the water park for a day, share some of their personal stories of trials and overcoming (Mexico is not the only place where kids are abused and abandoned), and generally just learn that God is still in the business of taking care of His creation. We are extremely grateful for their effort and perseverance.
Besides the school being finished (we now have 14 classrooms in addition to our office, storage room, computer lab, and library), the roof has been put on the auditorium. We expect to start having out church services there this Sunday although we still have to stucco the walls.
Perhaps the biggest tidbit of news these past few months has been the merging of another 18 young people into our home. This was caused by a situation with another institution who was forced to give up their children due to problems they had with the State Social Agency (DIF). It has put a strain on our living space, but there is a possibility that the DIF will provide us with another property to adequately house not only these children, but up to another 50 more. As of this writing we are up in the air as to what will happen, but we know who has everything under control. The new young people have been a blessing and we feel that the housing problem will be worked out shortly. Please pray for this situation.
Ceci continues in India, she will be completing her first year of study there in April. She plans to spend her vacation time, May and June in a children's home in North India (www.ministeriosir.com ) where she will be with a friend of ours and his family. Elena and I have plans to visit her in July which will also give me the chance to do some conferences at her school. We plan to visit these children's homes as well. Ceci's sister Veronica plans to go with us. This trip will be a major undertaking for us, but we feel that we have to support our girl in this way to understand her situation better. It also will give us the opportunity to expand our own horizons.
I also am scheduled to go to the Seattle area the first week of April, spending the 4th and 5th in Bellevue, WA at a Christian Education symposium, then the 6th at Nooksack, WA at a church that is very dear to me, the 7th and 8th will be in Abbotsford, BC seeing several of the folk that help us out in that area, especially Children of Hope (www.childrenofhope.info ), then back home on the 9th. We are hopeful that the contacts made on this trip will help to expand our educational vision and present opportunities for our children.
As we head into the Easter break the next few months seem to fly by, then it's graduation time again. This year we will be graduating 3 with a bachelor's degree, and 6 from high school as well as others from jr. high and primary school, oh, even from kindergarten. The beat goes on.
Blessings,
Darrel
December 2007
What a wonderful time of the year, the beginnings of the Christmas season. Life seems to sparkle a little more as you pull up your collar and head into the wind, enjoying the Christmas decorations, observing the children seemingly in their own world, without a care, running after each other. What a great experience childhood, and what a great experience to rescue a healthy childhood for many who wouldn't have had one. I guess for me that is the best gift.
This fall one of our boys, Josué (Joshua) was honored as the MVP of his American football league. He had to go to Mexico City, where most of the teams are, to receive the award. They gave him a special trophy and pictures as well as several interviews for some of the local papers and radio stations. He was very proud of his accomplishments, as we all were, but he takes things in stride and recognizes the source of his ability.
The school has been doing very well this year; many of our teachers are progressing well in their teacher education program. It certainly shows in the attitudes of the kids. This Saturday about 35 of our children who form a choir, will be participating with the Philharmonic of Querétaro and an imitation Beatle group singing several of the big Beatle hits of the 60's. Of several children's homes, ours was the only one that continued with the project. We have little ones like Karen, 5, to our big kids participating.
Choir practice
As we finish another calendar year it is our wish that all of you continue to be blessed and prospered. God has been so awesome for us; our own existence is a continuing miracle. Have a great Christmas and a most blessed New Year.
September 2007
Dear Friends,
As I was sitting on my perch (for those who don't know that's my elevator that takes me up to the second floor), I was just amazed (again) at the sunset and the view. I felt so entirely blessed just to be alive and to experience this oneness with our kids and this place. With all of the ups and downs of life (oh yes, we definitely have them here), one cannot help but think of the framework of the Universal Architect. Meaning has to exist or everything is, well, meaningless. I think of many of my personal friends, both past and present that basically live meaningless lives. The big push is to retire so that they can "really live", or not work. Meaning is such an ambiguous concept for them that being is actually substituted for meaning so that whatever you do is okay because meaning doesn't go beyond what you are. Maybe I'm feeling my age, but I get frustrated sometimes with people who supposedly want to do great things, but don't have the gumption to take the first step to help someone out, even if they live across the street or next door. So much for musings and personal opinion. On to the kids.
Today we celebrate our 13th church anniversary. The home is about six months older, but we started the church because we didn't have any transportation to the local church we were attending. We started with around fifteen kids, my wife and I and a couple of community people. These days we run around 130-150 on a given Sunday. We are very thankful for these years of ministry in Queretaro.
School started this past week after the kids had a week of camp. They all came back tired and ready to get back to the grind. It has been a very good first week. In another week or two I'll probably be getting some questions as to how many days until Christmas vacation, but at least for now all seem to be fired up. The teachers too have been very positive. We have two new teachers this year, Rocío and Erica (Peri). While both of them are fresh out of high school, they have been a big help. Rocío is studying in our teacher education program. All of us teachers will be going to Villahermosa this coming week for a three day conference on Christian Education. We've rented a bus for the 15 hour ride, we will be going with a group from another local church.
Due to our affiliation with Alfa y Omega University our teacher ed. program will become accredited by the State authorities. We are very grateful for this advancement. Six of our kids will be going to the Bahamas next week for five days through a program sponsored by one of the Mexican foundations, they're very excited. Two of our girls, Violeta and Elizabeth, will be celebrating their quinceañera the 22nd of September, they too are very excited. Football season is starting to crank up for both boys and girls. We've had two broken forearm bones and a dislocated collar bone lately, can't remember when we've had so many arms in slings. The beat goes on.
Once again thank you to all of you who in one way or another have helped this ministry.
Sincerely,
Darrel W. Hilbrands
General Director
June 2007
Dear Friends,
It's time again to report some of the doings here at Pan de Vida over the past three months. School is almost over, we'll be celebrating our graduation the 30th of June at 11:00 if anyone can make it. Our speaker will be Pedro Guzman, the rector of Edinburg Theological Seminary in Edinburg, Texas. He is a renowned author and translator, it will be a privilege to have him with us. This year four will be graduating from High School and seven from primary, it is always a joyous day, especially for the teachers.
The boys have begun football season. We have over twenty of them participating in different categories. They have been key elements for these teams. Many of them have surprised me with hidden talents, some our mildest mannered kids are the toughest hitters. We have found that participating in sports has been an excellent experience for nearly all, including the adults. The kids feel reassured by us and seem to thrive on the fact that they are achieving something, working together. Besides, it expends a great deal of energy and requires that they have their school work up to snuff.
Our girls too have had another banner season in flag football. This year they moved up to a higher category after winning the championship last year. They have played all university teams finishing the regular season with a 6-1 record, losing a heartbreaker by one point. However, they still have a chance to win the playoffs. Yesterday they won their quarter-final match 24-0 and will play the semi-final next Sunday. It's a joy for me to see a bunch of rag tag young ladies get organized and take on the best university teams and win. They have been training hard and feel ready. We are very pleased with their coach who has shown a great deal of patience and understanding with some of our girls' special problems. With all of their success the local city government has gotten involved, helping us with several of the expenses required for transportation, uniforms and league fees, besides showing up to cheer them on.
During this time we have been approved for a grant from MetLife the insurance giant to complete the second floor of the school. Melchor and Juan have been busy building walls. We hope to have it done by the end of the year. Also, we are waiting for funding for the roof of the auditorium, we have about $7000usd of the $23,000 that we need. It's a one time deal so we can't do anything until we have the entire amount.
Things continue to proceed with Ceci, Cele and Diana. Diana will be studying in a private high school in Ontario this coming semester to improve her English with the idea of her continuing her studies in university later on. Ceci has been accepted at Bishop Appasamy University in Coimbatore, India. We are still waiting for documents to proceed with visa and travel arrangements, but expect to have things together within a month. Cele too, has been approved to study law at Alfa y Omega University in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. Elena and I will be taking her around the middle of July. With these last two girls we are hoping that some of you would help us financially since these types of expenses do not fall into the children's home category. We have set up a special fund for these costs, but we need HELP.
As usual I could go on and on, some of you have been keeping up with Bryan Ottoson's blog. Again we thank all of you who in some way have helped maintain this operation.
Blessings,
Darrel W. Hilbrands
