Planning for 2013

We are forming a new team to return to Tapachula in January 2013. Tonight is the informational meeting at 6:00 at Chapelwood. The dates are January 15-22 and Becky Broesche is our team leader.  The exciting change is that we need some guys to go along!  We will be a relief team in the Boys Home, doing housework, "honey-do" chores, help with homework, etc.  We will continue to bring spiritual enrichment with a staff Bible study, devotionals for and with the children each day. We're also hoping for hike and day of prayer with the teens up to the nearby mountains.  Let us know if you want to go!

Hope and Steve will be in Houston!

Mission on the Move's Hope and Steve Shearouse will be in Houston April 10-12.  You are welcome to meet them and hear their stories about the ministry in Tapachula.  Join us for lunch:  Tuesday, April 10, 11:45 a.m., Fellowship Hall 1-2 at Chapelwood United Methodist Church, 11140 Greenbay. 

Check out this video that highlights our pilgrimage.

A bit of Wesley Choir Camp comes to Tapachula

Senior High Youth Director Sarah Pattillo was part of our team.  Before leaving Houston, she made posters for each child in the homes. The youth from Chapelwood spent a Sunday evening writing messages, prayers and words of encouragement on each poster.  At our final gathering, the posters lined the wall in the Girls Home, invited the children to find their own special gift.

Everyone loves a Christmas Pageant

The smallest boy played the Angel.

Thank you, Chapelwood Children's Choirs for the costumes!



Crowding around the baby Jesus




Mary and Joseph (Maria and Jose) riding into Bethlehem on donkeys!



Saying goodbye is hard to do

We are counting down the minutes until we leave. We are all in the boys home, squeezing in one more game, puzzle, conversation, sharing cooking tips or just sitting quietly with the boys who don't have school until this afternoon.  We truly are acting like "tias" or aunts in a large, close family.  This week, everyone has cooked, cleaned, helped a child dress or wash hands.  It's the perfect mission for a team of women.  Last night, the children who wanted to share, thanked us for our help.  One little boy who has only lived here for a month, broke down in tears.  We think our outpouring of love during the week just overwhelmed him.  Please pray for Luis to understand that unconditional, consistent love and care is what God intends for every child to experience.

Love Bug

Next to taxis, VW Beetles are the most common cars on the streets of Tapachula. Like M&Ms, the brightly colored cars with the distinctive horns bounce along on narrow, bumpy streets.  The curbs are higher than the fenders.  When I asked Norma why there are so many, she explained that bugs are popular because they are affordable to maintain and run on small amounts of fuel. She's a little sad they they are no longer being made in Mexico. She also laughed at the memory of the early days of the albuergue, when she piled all ten children who first lived at Mission on the Move into the car and drove them to school every morning! The VW still runs great -- it's in mint condition and is treated with kid gloves.  As you can see from the photo, at night the living room becomes the garage at the boys' home.