2008-2009 will find us working with the children at MI CASA, Casa Hogar del Nino which is a Childrens' Home run by the DIF (Reynosa Social Services).  At the present time there are

approximately 60+ children being housed here.  Most have been removed from their homes due to the fact that their parent or parents are in jail, or because of drug abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse,

or because they have a handicap that parents can't afford to care for.  Some of the children will return to their homes once their parents get their lives back together but most will remain in the

system until they turn 18 and legally need to leave.  We have been asked to first feed them breakfast and to build trust and continuity.  In time, we will be able to implement other projects.

Jorge has begun a list of repairs that need to be done.  They are in real need of commericial size washers and dryers.  Clean clothes for 60+ keeps the laundry lady busy from 8:00 a.m.

to 8:00 p.m. everyday.  We have our hands full trying to teach them that they do not need to fill their little tummies to the top only to have stomach aches later.  We provide them with a nutritional breakfast and give them more than

we would eat ourselves and they still ask for more.  They have lived in situations where they ate all they could when there was food and starved when there wasn't.  Most of their habits come

from thinking that tomorrow there might not be any food.  It will take time but "with God all things are possible."  These kids are just craving for someone to hug them and love on them.

The following pictures were taken at Mi Casa but since many of the children have been removed from their homes and the parents don't know where they are at, we have

been asked to not take pictures from now on.  I have blurred the image so that they are not recognizable for their safety. 

Play area at Mi Casa

Nursery room for babies to three years old

Nursery children eating breakfast...little girl on floor at right is "Mari" that I wrote about in our Pipeline

My family help feed the elementary children

Sorry, but more faces were showing...family helps feed kindergarten children

Don and Betty look on while tall Ryan lifts the boys to the top of the hoop

Outside the laundry room and high school dorms on top