On Thursday, March 5th, Erick and Lucrecia, a national couple, arrived to meet their adoptive son Ángel for the very first time! Ángel came to the Abraham Project in November 2013. when he was a mere 5 months old. It is always a hallmark around here when a child gets place with a loving family. On March 9th, he left our home in order to go to his new, permanent home a couple hours from here. We trust that Ángel will enjoy the kind of life that every child should have with a loving family!
Ministry News
We are humbled that so many pray continually for and support the kids in our homes. Please pray earnestly for a suitable family to adopt Yamil. He has been with us since July 2013 and has been declared abandoned. The Office of Adoptions has been promoting his case since February of last year with no interest thus far. We believe that God is actively interested in his future and that He will provide just the right family for Yamil, in His time! We have good news with regards to the Pilarte siblings (4) and Anthony and Aislinn (brother/sister). The Office of Adoptions has notified us that there are families interested in these children. Both families are in the process of completing their home studies in order to be approved for an international adoption. Please pray that the families will find grace and favor as they work through this process and pray that the kids will be ready for a new transition in their lives.
We are so proud of Isaac and Roberto for completing their elementary education and graduating from 6th grade on December 15, 2014. Roberto actually had the highest grade point average for his grade. Both boys have been accepted to a well known high school and will begin classes soon.
Last month, Katherine was adopted by a single mother here in Costa Rica. Her mother, Marisela, is a pharmacist that works at one of the main hospitals in downtown San José. Katherine has adjusted nicely to her new home and environment. We are so thankful that God has provided a caring mother for this amazing little girl!
Before closing, we would like to include a quick update on the matching fund campaign for the multipurpose building roof. This is something we had shared about in our last newsletter. If you remember, we received two donations for a total of $186,000 that we are required to match dollar for dollar to receive full benefit. To date, we have raised a total of $162,000. Approximately $92K is from the United States and the remainder ($70K) is from local donations. Please continue to pray as we are still short of our goal. Once again, God has demonstrated His generosity and His power to provide. We stand in awe of His continual provision in all that He has called us to do.
Construction on the roof is progressing nicely. Structural work is now complete and the majority of the roofing material has been installed. Electricians are working hard to complete their part, then comes the fun of drywall work and painting. Projected completion date - late 2015.
Love & Truth Reaches out in Rio Azul!
Our first team of the year, Love & Truth Church, visited our sister church in Rio Azul. They ministered to the children with Bible stories and activities and participated in the feeding program. Pastor Gilbert always receives our teams with open arms.
Getting the Roof in Place
We continue making progress on the roofing project for our multipurpose building. Slowly but surely she's going up! Here is a photo update of where we are at so far:
The following photo was taken on January 23, 2015. Work on the roof is progressing!
Ministry News!
Dear Friends, With the year coming to an end, we have been contemplating Gods’ unfathomable grace. Grace is that intangible tangible. It’s that thing you just can’t put your finger on, but is evident in everyday life. It’s God abiding in us. It’s a call to change with the power do to so. It rises in defense of others. It sees the hurt but chooses forgiveness. It’s actively looking for an opportunity to show kindness. Jesus is the embodiment of grace. He extended grace to us first so that we could in turn extend it to our neighbor and that’s what Christmas is all about.
Two thousand fourteen has been a sweet year because we have experienced God’s goodness and grace in so many ways. We would like to share just one of the ways God has moved with a story close to home.
Twenty years ago on a cold winter day, God blessed us with our third son. Luke came quickly, as he was born just 8 minutes after arriving at the hospital! Hours later, the pediatrician would deliver the report that our baby had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. We were shocked and could barely digest the news. However, the Lord in his grace didn’t leave us without hope. Over the years we have prayed Exodus 31:3 over him: And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. And Philippians 4:13: “Luke can do all things through Christ who strengthens him.”
We relocated to Costa Rica when he was 2 yrs. old. We always believed that if God called our family to serve on the foreign mission field that he would provide for Luke’s’ special needs. Over the years we have witnessed that provision. His graduation this year from high school is an incredible milestone. In the early days, it seemed like he would be in school forever. Now, forever is here. Last month, the school board at Colegio Saint Clare voted to hire Luke as part of their personnel for the upcoming 2015 school year. He will be working in their copy department, making and delivering copies to the different departments in the school (preschool, elementary, and high school). We trust God will continue His good work in Luke.
We encourage you to take a moment to contemplate God’s endless grace towards you and your family. Please know that nothing could be accomplished without each of us doing his part. Thank you for your continued support of our family through your gifts and prayers.
“The mother grace of all graces is Christian good-will” – Beecher
Merry Christmas
Christmas Party for A.P. Personnel
You are cordially invited to the A.P. personnel Christmas party!
We worked in conjunction with the daycare in order to host a pig roast. A 100 lb. pig was prepared and cooked.
It was a labor of love in that this was literally an all-day affair.
The pig was stuffed with lemon grass and injected with spices.
It cooked for hours over an open fire.
When it was all said and done over 60 people enjoyed roasted pork, mashed potatoes, salad, and dessert! Merry Christmas to everyone who works and serves at the Abraham Project!
The Apprentice at Work!
Roberto, a 13 year old boy in our homes, is very talented artistically. This past year we were able to hook him up with a local painter and mentor, Alfredo. Alfredo is the very one that has painted the murals at the Abraham Project. His work is remarkable. Roberto is learning new techniques in order to enhance his talent through art. I guess you can say that the apprentice is at work!
Dynamic Duo Arrives at the A.P.
Today the dynamic duo arrived on our doorstep. Stuard and Josua are brothers with a domestic violence back ground. Their mother has been consuming “crack” since she was 14 year old. She has tried rehab a number of times but unfortunately has had a couple of relapses, so the boys are with us for the time being. We are looking forward to seeing God transform their little lives.
Raising the Roof!
There she goes!
Ministry News!
In June, we shared about a local Foundation that donated $150,000 matching funds to our roof project. Shortly thereafter, we learned of a family that was willing to contribute $36,000 in matching funds. To sum up, we are tasked with raising a grand total of $186,000 to receive the full matching funds of the foundation and the family. When completed, we will have $372,000 in the coffers to put the new roof on the multipurpose building.
A construction company has been chosen to build and install the support beams. The concrete for the columns and supports has been poured. After the support beams are in place, we will be responsible for putting the metal roof on, along with the drywall on the interior.
Purpose of the multiuse building & roof:
- Without a roof, we are limited on when we can use the facilities, especially during rainy season.
- The multipurpose building will become our principal church sanctuary on Sundays.
- Throughout the week, it will be used for many different recreational activities for the 225 children that attend the daycare.
- We have recently started sports evangelism via a soccer club for the kids from the surrounding marginal neighborhoods.
- Facilities will also be used to reach out to kids involved in skateboarding/extreme bike stunts.
- The building will be host to drama presentations and other special activities for both the church and the surrounding communities.
- There will also be times for organized sports activities.
It was evident to us that God was ready to move with regards to the roof, after receiving a 200 colon (approx. 38 cents) donation from a small boy that came on a mission trip last summer. Momentum is growing and we are excited to be witnesses of this unfolding miracle. We invite you to participate in this challenge that lies ahead. If you are interested, please contact us.
U.S.A. Bound!
We have another praise to report! At the beginning of September, Angela and Jefreson learned that the Office of Adoptions had found them a family from the good ole’ U.S.A.! Sam, Janie, and their biological children, Jack and Lilly, arrived in Costa Rica on Sept. 28th. Angela & Jefreson had been on “Cloud 9” since finding out about their new family. The siblings have been with us for three years. We are so excited to see how God has moved on their behalf to give them their hearts desire…their very own family.
Support Structures Going Up!
Our foreman, Orocú and his boys have been busy getting ready to pour the concrete for the support columns. It has been an arduous job, but everyone is excited and motivated to raise the roof!
The columns are coming along nicely.
Finished product!
The Beams Have Arrived!
The steel beams for the new roof for the multi-use building arrived today! We are so excited that soon the structure will be going up! *YAY*
The Gift of Adoption!
We were happy to meet Baldomero and Maria Dolores who arrived from Spain in order to meet their adopted daughter for the very first time! Reishel arrived at the Abraham Project a year ago, after the children's home where she was initially was closed due to an “emergency.” Her adoption was finalized on September 24th and on October 6th they returned to Spain. Our prayer is that God would bless this sweet family as they begin their new journey together.
Good News! Jenifer gets a Family!
Baby Jenifer gets a new mommy & daddy! Jorge & Marita are a local couple who had recently been approved to be adoptive parents. Jenifer came to the A.P. when she was only 19 days old. She left in adoption just before Mother’s Day here in Costa Rica (Aug. 15th). What an awesome Mother's Day gift! Even though Jenifer had a close bond with our hoseparents, she has adapted well to her new home and family.
Ministry News!
We take the work we do here very seriously. As we mentioned before, with the privilege of serving Costa Rica’s children comes an immense responsibility to be good stewards of all that He has given us, including the children in our care. Over the past ten years, the PANI has begun to recognize the difference we are making in the kids lives in comparison to other organizations. On a number of occasions references have been made to the role “religion” plays in our institution (we know its God). Non-Christians in places of authority are taking note that when we pray, the children change. Dominic, the boy featured on the front page, was facing an emergency situation. His adoptive parents were going to drop him off at the Office of Adoptions the next morning. The office manager convened his team together, and due to the delicate nature of the boys situation they began to brainstorm as to where they should try to place him. That same morning, our psychologist was attending a meeting at the PANI office, when she was snagged for a briefing on Dominic’s case. The manager told her that the Abraham Project was their first choice because we are specialist in restoring children’s lives. God is the ultimate specialist.
We are so humbled that they would notice these things about our place. Each person who works here feels a undeniable call from God to minister to the children. We are here to make sure that their voices are heard because God commands us to help the orphan and the fatherless. We give the Lord all the glory for giving each one of our staff members the grace and fortitude to work hard, love well, and fight for them purposefully.
Last month we relayed the news that we have a number of cases sitting in the Office of Adoptions. They are in the process of “promoting’ the kids with a number of adoption agencies around the globe. We have heard that there is a potential family interested in adopting Angela & Jefreson, however, the family is waiting for their paperwork to clear immigrations here in Costa Rica. Yamil is still waiting. His file has been in adoptions since February. We are trusting God will provide just the right family for a sweet boy. Anthony & Aislinn are also on the docket waiting for a family. Sometimes, we think that the processes are taking way to long, but God’s timetable is different than ours. He knows how long each child needs to be here before they leave.
We want to share a story about one such boy and God’s perfect timing. Anthony has been struggling in school. He is super smart, but just dislikes school. Our house parents, Esteban & Gabby, don’t have any problems with him at home. They say that he’s obedient and helpful, however, at school and in the daycare it’s like pulling teeth! He is disobedient and disrupts class by talking and acting out. We have all been at our wit’s end trying to figure out how to reach him. On July 10th, the prayer group (all women) carried out an activity with the kids in the homes. At one point, they broke off and prayed with the children individually. We noticed that the lady that was praying for Anthony was leading him in the sinner’s prayer. Afterwards, she told us that unprompted Anthony told her that he wanted to accept Jesus as his Savior. Since that day, he has been a different young man! You can see the difference on his face. He’s still working on his behavior at school, but he hasn’t brought home any notes from the teacher (in one week he had brought home 10 notes from the instructor about his conduct!). Anthony has a servant’s heart. We have often put him to clean or do something around the homes as a consequence and find him happy as a lark! Instead of being a consequence, he finds joy in doing and working! He has very admirable characteristics and we know God is doing good things in his heart! Even though we would love for Adoptions to find him a family right now, we can see God at work even in the timing of things.
We have always viewed the children’s homes like a clinic for brokenhearted kids. Our goal is for every child to leave this place as emotionally and spiritually healthy as they can before integrating into a new family. We are so grateful for your steadfast prayers and support!
Classical Music comes to Costa Rica
This is the second year in a row that we receive a group of musicians from D.C. to the A.P. They performed in several different venues in our marginal community. Accompanying the team was a professional guitarist who participated in a duet with Isaac (one of the boys in our homes who has been taking guitar lessons for a year). We also enjoyed the sounds of the cello, banjo, and an incredibly talented singer who also shared her incredible testimony.
Last year we were a little nervous about taking this group, as we didn’t know if these musicians would be well receive in our neck of the woods (usually hip-hop, reggae, or rap are the preferred genre around here). To our delight, the community responded incredibly well and we were able to organize a number of new locations to visit this year. Exposure to the group, has allowed the children in the homes, the daycare, and public school to dream big and realize that they too may one day play an instrument and make a difference through music.
Lending a Helping Hand in Limón.
Team Kansas came ready to roll up their sleeves and lend a helping hand at Pastor Esteban’s church in Limón. All week they worked diligently preparing to pour a concrete slab for this rural church. They also had VBS for children in the community in order to teach them about Jesus. We’re so grateful for a team that is willing to get out of their comfort zone and help a small church make a big difference!
New Kid at the Homes
Today we received an emergency case from the Office of Adoptions. Dominic had already been placed with a family when 2 weeks into the bonding process, they decided to give him back. Adoptions was in desperate need to find a good facility for him. We accepted the case and are happy to have the 7 year old with us. The plan is to continue looking for a loving family for this sweet boy!
Answered Prayer!
We are overjoyed to share, that in just 6 days after the hearing of the Pilarte sibling’s case, the judge has ruled in favor of the children. They have been declared abandoned! Thanks to all who have been praying and interceding on behalf of this case. The children wept when they received the news of this answered prayer!