tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72262114047194017152024-02-07T01:17:56.463-08:00The King's StorehouseBob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-90986851687459449072011-04-08T20:36:00.000-07:002011-04-08T20:36:10.018-07:00Update on MaelyPat and I spent the last two weeks in Honduras and just returned home a week ago Sunday. The first week or our trip was spent in Maely's village and although we were overjoyed to see her again, we were deeply disturbed by her living conditions. We had never seen her home before and although she had described it to us in great detail, we were not prepared for what we found. In addition to no electricity and no running water, we discovered her home has no bathroom and is even smaller than we imagined. 18 children and adults share this two room house and there is no such thing as privacy. In spite of these conditions, Maely was in good spirits and was moved to tears at our arrival....I cried too! Maely and her family walked down the steep hill from her house to where we had parked the 4WD truck and although she tried real hard to hide her tears, it was clear she missed us almost as much as we missed her! Over the next few days we had the chance to meet all of her family and spend some time with her beloved "mommy" (grandmother) and grandfather. They are both such wonderful people, we were blessed to meet them. Their love for Maely is clear and we shared with them our desire to prepare Maely for a postion of leadership in her village.<br />
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While there, we finalized plans with the local coffee farmers to establish an agricultural cooperative and discussed their childrens need for a good education. The Honduran teachers union was on strike again (almost an annual event) and the children hadn't had a teacher show up for several weeks. In light of this, The King's Storehouse contracted a local teacher to begin teaching the students and provide them with dependable teaching instruction independant of the teachers union. We will be shipping school supplies to the village at every opportunity. We hope this will allow Maely and the rest of her classmates a better opportunity for a good education in this remote location. During the week we were in Maely's village, we helped the men of the village install a half mile of 2" buried water pipe from a stream up in the mountains to a water storage tank postioned at the edge of their village. In addition, we were able to show movies in the community center almost every night which was a great thrill for the people since few had ever even watched television before. It was great fun and we enjoyed it as much as anyone.<br />
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What a wonderful, hard working and gracious people these are. The leader of the village insisted we stay in his house which meant him and his wife ended up sleeping on the kitchen floor. We were humbled by their kindness and anxious to help them in any we can. We will be returning to Honduras in June and hope to see Maely again if possible.<br />
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We will keep you posted.<br />
Bob and Pat WarrenBob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-65190607891702095782011-02-05T18:52:00.000-08:002011-02-06T07:36:12.560-08:00A not so happy ending to a wonderful storyMaely is now back in her village in the remote highlands of Honduras. Unfortunately her last days here in the US were not as pleasant as we had originally planned and she was ill prepared for the emotional impact of her re-entry to her old world. We had hoped she could spend some time back up here with us in Washington so we could prepare her to return to her 18th century world. We had hoped to accompany her all the way back to her village and then spend a week with her there helping her to readjust. Unfortunately we live in an imperfect world and as a result, Maely was sent back to Honduras accompanied by a perfect stranger and given no preparation for the physical, emotional and spiritual struggles that lay ahead.<br />
We will be returning to her village next month and we will provide an update on her condition when we return. We will also share the plans that God has made to bless her village with abundant clean water, and better health, education and economic development opportunities because of HIS love for this little girl who was the village outcast. Please be in prayer for Maely. If we are able to make contact with her before we return next month, we will update the blog.Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-88130584968979820342010-12-29T23:09:00.000-08:002010-12-29T23:09:06.904-08:00Maely's first experience with SNOW<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Until October of this year, Maely had spent the first 12 years of her life living in a remote village in the highlands of Honduras. Her village rests at an altitude of 3200 feet above sea level so temperatures in the winter time can get down into the 60's and 70's. After spending 20 years in Alaska and 10 years in the Pacific Northwest....I could get used to winter lows in the 60's! But for Maely, that is sweater and coat weather and fortunately for her it only lasts a couple of months. Do you remember the first time you saw snow? Do you remember what it was like sledding down your first snow covered hill? Well, Maely got to experience this "life event" today and here are some pictures of her latest adventure. We took her to the Mount Baker ski area and let her play in the snow! Little did I know what I was in for.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here she is getting "suited up" in the back of our truck.</div><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This area is called Heather meadows up on Mount Baker. Its a perfect bowl area so the kids don't end up sledding all the way down the mountain and halfway back to Bellingham before their parents can catch them! As you can see from the sunshine in this picture, it was a perfect day for it.</div><br />
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After 15 minutes exposure to snow and 35 degree temperatures.....Maely is still smiling. Doesn't her smile look sweet and innocent? Almost angelic isn't she....HAH! That's what I thought too.....I should have remembered the water gun ambush and the fact she tried to run me over with my own John Deere lawnmower! I am just FAR TOO TRUSTING...or have a very short memory!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZfHU4pWA99oK7RfSuw3eiAcJgT6-uDM5Wwd6nfuGyDeCl3VSnsj8ZsCCMh1zchRCkclmGuTYgWfppgJDivPuYJkUYDV4m3mNJebnZFk1l0nV0mMmJVZU_-D_ZxobEJjsWkJB5tVaDVw/s1600/P1000529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZfHU4pWA99oK7RfSuw3eiAcJgT6-uDM5Wwd6nfuGyDeCl3VSnsj8ZsCCMh1zchRCkclmGuTYgWfppgJDivPuYJkUYDV4m3mNJebnZFk1l0nV0mMmJVZU_-D_ZxobEJjsWkJB5tVaDVw/s640/P1000529.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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</div>Shortly after this picture....my trusty side kick and event photographer (Pat) bailed on me cause her hands were frozen. Now that brings back memories! When we lived in Alaska and I would take her and the kids skiing, Pat would complain that her hands got too cold. So being the loving, understanding husband that I am, I bought her some "hot pocket" hand warmers and stuffed them in her ski gloves. Then she said her feet were getting too cold....So for the next trip, I bought her some heated ski boots. I KID YOU NOT, they were battery powered, electrically heated ski boots! When she starting complaining about her face, knees, elbows, eyebrows, spleen and Y chromosomes getting too cold I realized, she was probably not genetically suited for skiing and let her stay home after that.<br />
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This is the third and final trip down the hill as the look on Maely's face pretty much sums up her opinion of snow! By the way, that snow on the bill of my cap is from a snow ball Maely nailed me with as I was coming to her aid. That girl has an arm like an outfielder and the accuracy of a major league pitcher!<br />
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As I was pulling her back UP the hill (that's right, I had to pull her back up the hill each time as she yelled "rapido burro") I noticed the sled seemed to be getting heavier and heavier. At first I thought it was just my stamina starting to fade, but when I stopped to catch my breath and looked back, I noticed that she had been dragging her arms like the blades on a plow and had filled up the entire sled with snow! It was when I started to empty the snow out of the sled that she nailed me with her fast ball. Fortunately after only three runs down the hill, she decided it was time for me to drag her sled back to the truck and get warm.<br />
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I figured I had better post this blog tonight because I may be too sore to do so tomorrow.Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-17404070127013598352010-12-29T00:09:00.000-08:002010-12-30T19:10:58.915-08:00Maely's 1st Christmas in the USDue to family schedules, we celebrated Christmas on the 25th and the 26th. Maely had enough presents under the tree to last both days and she had a wonderful time shaking, weighing and guessing the contents before she opened each package. She got so many clothes, toys, puzzles and electronic gadgets that we may have to hire a mule train to get all of her stuff back to her village. Here are some pictures of her first Christmas in America:<br />
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Here she is opening up her biggest present...<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOd2m9clxiToidO23LVa9wTpkW-oGZyLtdJrQgW5oUNtEAd6sMEW3nwBK87Es5F-1DLePKsg8evYIStrqv8g2DPOouEcK9VV6_hy_0MXY8Sn4qrQaZr_P5URkdBQt44ivU8QA6H-EpE8/s1600/P1000462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOd2m9clxiToidO23LVa9wTpkW-oGZyLtdJrQgW5oUNtEAd6sMEW3nwBK87Es5F-1DLePKsg8evYIStrqv8g2DPOouEcK9VV6_hy_0MXY8Sn4qrQaZr_P5URkdBQt44ivU8QA6H-EpE8/s400/P1000462.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">which turned out to have another box inside it......which</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhnzvjKIaxwth6je4F0ICajWZ8HC_e2-H8vdllnRMlfltWfru8rm_Vu5ZlYCQ7gRHfF1rZTjTTm8zgkepmHGlrw1QS5GY4CcKYziO3LnIUU8juR1bOJw18o9n_EqdDBLXovedhkyojAo/s1600/P1000463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhnzvjKIaxwth6je4F0ICajWZ8HC_e2-H8vdllnRMlfltWfru8rm_Vu5ZlYCQ7gRHfF1rZTjTTm8zgkepmHGlrw1QS5GY4CcKYziO3LnIUU8juR1bOJw18o9n_EqdDBLXovedhkyojAo/s400/P1000463.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">turned out to have three more subsequently smaller boxes before she found a beautiful purple hooded top. You should have heard her squeal with laughter each time she found another present inside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here she is playing with a Nintendo DSI that her host family gave her for Christmas. For a little girl who had never seen an airplane, tasted ice cream or heard of a computer...until a few months ago, she sure didn't take long to figure out how to use this electronic marvel!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOR6dZ6eSenBZJ18_-GrmoQG0Xmhyphenhyphen8MXrShC5qSATASyrh0fhyArahfgUsWvK9s1zIKx6A7MWFiqaSXd0zhckBHn2RFOrfLaYxct-KLlOfOLHRDecD9gfXsWyzn-RvkFVIMI0rqj20o0M/s1600/P1000446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOR6dZ6eSenBZJ18_-GrmoQG0Xmhyphenhyphen8MXrShC5qSATASyrh0fhyArahfgUsWvK9s1zIKx6A7MWFiqaSXd0zhckBHn2RFOrfLaYxct-KLlOfOLHRDecD9gfXsWyzn-RvkFVIMI0rqj20o0M/s400/P1000446.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In addition to being extremely bright, Maely is also very creative and definitely has some artistic talents. Here are some items she made out of play dough:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1z7lF2x-Fl2J7AkpMGtHqvCPzjBhj7hVNIY-XyyxOGJnbOIuB45L25sundNTzZ2SUxX8rXcWDG5WTxUvrgAgFjsWXgfFunnZIPd9nZoWd14bU57MjgUF0L5SIFIML0Z1V23zg1nL0yY/s1600/P1000442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1z7lF2x-Fl2J7AkpMGtHqvCPzjBhj7hVNIY-XyyxOGJnbOIuB45L25sundNTzZ2SUxX8rXcWDG5WTxUvrgAgFjsWXgfFunnZIPd9nZoWd14bU57MjgUF0L5SIFIML0Z1V23zg1nL0yY/s400/P1000442.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cX48qQ87pKxFueHg6ZgTTEPlt0ALR6Hsr_al3nzhZXXSxsSgFsBfa1TZeoH3E_0foQeu6aK8KEeEO2W9kZVAQ5SDByaUP-skkm5WAiFR2xwavIMbVnG2DqWdlDF6hcqoKt12EpQ02qA/s1600/P1000451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86ut-sUFD0BvFovyUeb7mKpWr1aq4imuaC5aThGZIPa2Tpym7sI43fjsGclg8-CcNLWh7bLlxbeuYHZuMH64lS4ysw2m3AKL8bVQ_Ogp0WR3axcdCJV7XaN4iuKJJjwZvUlbHG6Mt9UE/s1600/P1000451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86ut-sUFD0BvFovyUeb7mKpWr1aq4imuaC5aThGZIPa2Tpym7sI43fjsGclg8-CcNLWh7bLlxbeuYHZuMH64lS4ysw2m3AKL8bVQ_Ogp0WR3axcdCJV7XaN4iuKJJjwZvUlbHG6Mt9UE/s400/P1000451.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Words cannot express the joy we have experienced sharing Maely's first Christmas in the US. Her spontaneous peals of laughter has filled our hearts to overflowing and reminded us once again what it was like to be a child experiencing Christmas for the first time. What a blessing and a privilege God has given us and we will cherish this time forever. At the same time we are enjoying her presence here in the US, we are laying the groundwork to establish an agricultural cooperative in her home village that will eventually fund improvements to their health, education and economic welfare.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Maely tried several times to get in touch with her family in Honduras during the Christmas Holidays but was unable to get through. She finally managed to talk to a cousin this morning who we hope will pass on to everyone else that she is healing quickly and having lots of fun. Sometimes I worry that her experiences here in the US will make it difficult for her to adjust when she returns home, but God in HIS infinite wisdom has already prepared a solution to this challenge...its just up to us to trust and obey! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Our youngest daughter, Courtney will be going into the hospital tomorrow morning to have her first baby....and our first grandson. We can't wait to see the newest addition to our family. Our oldest daughter is adopting a child from Ethiopia and will be traveling there in January for their mandatory 1st trip court date. If all goes well, we will have our second grandson by the end of next February. Lots of pictures to follow! </div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-55748536387735703352010-12-24T22:26:00.000-08:002010-12-24T22:33:00.076-08:00Christmas EveIts 8:00 PM and we have just returned from the Christmas Eve service at our Church. Maely wore her new Christmas dress and although she was very self conscious, it was plain to see that she was pleased with the way she looked. As soon as we got home, she wanted me to print the attached photo so she could give it to her grandmother that raised her. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMoWYrKuFzt5DcYl0DutMtS6nH5dreGDQwCHy9ulqvAhyphenhyphenLnLe7qajpkfolu1XTzayiuAVpmYrKDxPwWvocG-2X8emXDMbLc835ne5ozFt5LPciaSAmvtqV1OGh3IIUY7cJLLCjwKuzkQ/s1600/P1000459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMoWYrKuFzt5DcYl0DutMtS6nH5dreGDQwCHy9ulqvAhyphenhyphenLnLe7qajpkfolu1XTzayiuAVpmYrKDxPwWvocG-2X8emXDMbLc835ne5ozFt5LPciaSAmvtqV1OGh3IIUY7cJLLCjwKuzkQ/s640/P1000459.JPG" width="276" /></a></div>At first it was very difficult to get a good picture of her because she would either hide or make faces at the camera. As I am writing, I realize for the first time why that is...she has such a negative self image that she either avoids getting her picture taken or intentionally distorts her features to hide the "Maely" that she is ashamed of. Since Maely arrived for the Christmas holidays just over a week ago, we have seen the full range of her emotions and we are beginning to see just how deeply she has been impacted by 12 years of ridicule and rejection she has suffered in her village. She was born with a club foot, in a remote village in Honduras where that was looked upon as a curse from God. Because of her birth defect, she has been told all of her life that she is "ugly". How cruel people can be, but children can be the worst tormentors of all. As we were looking through photos of some of the people in her village, she pointed out a number of children her age that had been very mean to her as she was growing up because of her deformity. I had to fight back tears of anger mixed with sadness as I imagined how difficult that must have been for her. However, her pain and sorrow has moved the creator of the Universe to intervene and rescue her not only from her physical defect but the deeper emotional wounds that she has suffered as well. <br />
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Its hard to imagine a little girl as pretty as this....thinking that she is ugly! Maely's Miracle continues to unfold as we see the very fingerprint of GOD evident in the physical and emotional healing process that she is undergoing. Please be lifting her up in your prayers and also feel free to share her story with others. I believe God will use Maely's story to reach the hearts of many and who knows how many may end up entering the kingdom of heaven because of it. <br />
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Here "the girls" are baking cookies. Pat on the left, Maely in the middle, my mom on the right......and Gracie on the far right. Gracie was in charge of cleanup!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKaArsDqsdkkQdhVAhzJl0Oble8fE2sC-cnaGc7WIMCGDq7CT-vvav2wuZNPZ4D4Anxz3AsSfTTuqosgpywTbTOtlCEZoeTTTc4NoQoG5nFl_3CGpdp94qWE6A_B56C-KSO6tIaAO6kA/s1600/P1000433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKaArsDqsdkkQdhVAhzJl0Oble8fE2sC-cnaGc7WIMCGDq7CT-vvav2wuZNPZ4D4Anxz3AsSfTTuqosgpywTbTOtlCEZoeTTTc4NoQoG5nFl_3CGpdp94qWE6A_B56C-KSO6tIaAO6kA/s320/P1000433.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Maely is learning to ride a bike for the first time so Pat thought she would start her off on a three wheeled version.....which just happened to offer her a chance to ride while she makes Maely peddle!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiHSqhkjWj3eGoRAKAZDcxg3ESWARxc80yz1gf4bqfHM3EXcJCJ2xcyx5ents4JPG28ilbt5vojBPwmM181xrueIdo0rBjwopB1T_1_S_EKgE7eQGqYnzrFUwjq7h852bJviDgd79E0A/s1600/P1000444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiHSqhkjWj3eGoRAKAZDcxg3ESWARxc80yz1gf4bqfHM3EXcJCJ2xcyx5ents4JPG28ilbt5vojBPwmM181xrueIdo0rBjwopB1T_1_S_EKgE7eQGqYnzrFUwjq7h852bJviDgd79E0A/s400/P1000444.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Soon after Maely arrived at our house, she began inspecting the presents, shaking them, weighing them and trying to guess what they were. For a little girl who has never experienced Christmas...she sure catches on fast! Starting on the 20th, we let her open up one present a night. Interestingly enough, there have been a couple of nights she has chosen not to open a present...still scratching my head on that one!</div><br />
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Tomorrow is Christmas day so I had better get this posted and get to bed. May the Lord of all creation speak to your heart this Christmas season with a personal message of HIS love and may your heart be filled with the peace that passes all understanding.Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-35996365017077204832010-12-21T22:41:00.000-08:002011-01-19T21:49:53.277-08:00Maely's home for ChristmasMaely arrived in Seattle a few days ago and we were so happy to see her again. Her cast was removed a little over a week ago and she only has to wear a brace for 6-8 hours per day for the next month or so. She will go back to the doctor in mid January and perhaps find out then how much longer before she is released from the Doctors care. She is getting around very well and its getting harder and harder to keep up with her! Here she is meeting some of the locals!<br />
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She has adapted quickly to the 30 degree temperature temperature drop between Los Angeles and got to see snow yesterday for the first time in her life. Here she is enjoying one of her favorite past times...devouring a double scoop strawberry ice cream on a waffle cone!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurD00XxGZGo17OCtyufjZmmU4Vaj0UDQPJMDl4-DWMtHCPa5LVGH0V7EdxQgIQzmfwpjqRiXe-FqpnFw_UBJRa_Rn3Au-rsQ7rdWpcnqhNOWjO6kTw-kkZTGt9aosSMWGEQdfbs9FOMY/s1600/P1000428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurD00XxGZGo17OCtyufjZmmU4Vaj0UDQPJMDl4-DWMtHCPa5LVGH0V7EdxQgIQzmfwpjqRiXe-FqpnFw_UBJRa_Rn3Au-rsQ7rdWpcnqhNOWjO6kTw-kkZTGt9aosSMWGEQdfbs9FOMY/s640/P1000428.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>We will take her up into the mountains so she can get a chance to play in the snow before she returns to LA. Tonight we were looking at videos of the last time Pat and I were in her village. She was very excited to see familiar faces but she also pointed out many of the children that used to make fun of her because of her deformity. Many of the people who have been touched by Maely's life are concerned about how she will be treated when she returns to the village. The King's Storehouse will be setting up an Agricultural Cooperative in her village to provide farmers in her village with loans to maintain their coffee crops until they can begin producing a marketable harvest. We intend to make it clear that this aid is being made available to them because God has chosen to bless them on behalf of this little girl whom they had shunned, ridiculed and rejected. Maely's journey will end back in her village where it all began and we can only trust that God has prepared the peoples hearts to welcome her back.<br />
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</div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-13965167842400674552010-12-10T21:29:00.000-08:002010-12-10T21:29:03.320-08:00Maely's cast comes off!Maely was thrilled to call and tell us her cast had been removed. The doctor said she will have to wear a brace for several weeks and will have to have another check up in January but if all continues to go well, she will be able to return home soon after her doctors release. We could hear the happiness and excitement in her voice over the phone as she described what it was like to walk normally for the first time in her life. Mending Kids International has done such a wonderful job in coordinating Maely's surgery, accommodations and convalescence! We have grown particularly fond of the social worker (Cristina Farrut) that MKI has assigned to Maely's case. She truly cares for this little girl and we have been very impressed by love and compassion. Professional efficiency combined with love and compassion makes MKI a very speical organization to whom we will be forever greatful. Pat and I hold this organization is very high regard and will be using their services again the next time God places another hurting child before us.<br />
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Maely will be flying in next week and I have spent the last two weeks putting up Christmas lights at our house. I expect to start hearing complaints from the local airport because our house is sometimes in the flight approach path and I'm sure our Christmas lights could be mistaken for the airport! We will post pictures when we pick her up next week and all throughout the Christmas and New Years holidays. If you have been following this blog and look back at the first pictures we took of her in Honduras, you may have a hard time recognizing her. The joy and self confidence that radiates from her face now is hard to describe. She is beginning a new life now. One in which she will no longer be different, an object of ridicule, an outcast. A life in which she can run and skip with others her age and never again hear the cruel remarks about her deformity that exiled her within her own village. God has worked a miracle in her life but I think that we have just begun to see the full impact of what has occurred here. What an amazing story God is writing for this little girl. I will share more later on how Maely's story will impact every person living in her village. She left an outcast and will return as God's blessing to the entire village.<br />
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May God richly bless you this Christmas season and may you not forget that Christmas isn't about presents, decorations, discount sales, dinner parties or food....its about Jesus who came to earth the first time as an innocent baby born to die for our sins. One day soon, Jesus the righteous judge, the Lion from the tribe of Judah will return, He will set up His kingdom upon this earth and rule the nations with a rod of iron. Until that day, we must be busy preparing the way for the coming of our King and keep looking up for our redemption draweth nigh.Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-58019470604222326112010-12-05T19:26:00.000-08:002010-12-06T13:56:37.815-08:00Maely's second trip to the dentistLast Friday Maely had some extensive work done on her teeth which required the services of an oral surgeon. She went in early in the morning and wasn't through until late in the afternoon. Fortunately they knocked her out and she doesn't remember a thing other than the fact that all she could eat on Saturday was soup. We talked to her yesterday and although she is excited to be coming up here to spend Christmas and New Years with us, she is really missing her grandmother whom she refers to as Mommy. She sent us a handmade card last week and its clear that her host family is really spending a lot of time teaching her how to speak and write in English. She is an exceptionally smart girl and I believe they have lit a fire within her to learn more. We have been telling her how important it is that she get an education but until recently, she had no interest in school. I think this was because kids her age used to make fun of her deformed foot. After talking to her yesterday, she seems a lot more confident and is now interested in going to school when she returns home. This creates some challenges because there is only one teacher and about 70 school age kids there as of last year. Most don't attend because the one small class room is too crowded. I believe they only teach 1st through 3rd grades so one of the things The King's Storehouse is researching is the possibility of paying a second teacher that can teach the higher grades. We have been told that by the time we pay the teachers salary and their living expenses to live in the remote village, the cost will be about $800 US per month. Her nanny told us that since her surgery she was really starting to blossom into a adventurous pre-teen. She is still a little apprehensive about flying alone from LA to Seattle, but she is one brave little girl and will do just fine.<br />
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With her return home fast approaching (two months), Pat and I have spent a lot of time in prayer seeking God's will for her when she goes home. She will be returning to a two room house filled with 12 adults and 6 kids. Her home has no electricity, no running water, no indoor bathroom, no phone and her family is too poor to ever be able to improve their situation. The King's Storehouse will be working with the leaders of the village to install a new water line early next year from the stream high above their village down to a water storage tank in the village. This will allow them sufficient water to wash, cook and shower but will not be enough for irrigation. Although the water is contaminated with bacteria, the filters we provided last year eliminate all the bacteria, parasites and protozoa from their water making it safe for them to use.<br />
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In addition to improving the water system, The King's Storehouse will be establishing an Agricultural Coop that will assist the coffee farmers in maintaining their coffee plants until they can produce enough to begin making a profit. It is our intent to provide the farmers with 0% interest loans that they can pay back over time using coffee beans as payment. If it is God's will, we will also buy their crops making it a point to pay a consistently high price regardless of the market so they can maintain their crops. We will then ship the beans to the US and have a coffee company in Washington roast, grind, package and box these coffee for resale. We have started talking to other non-profit organizations interested in doing this as well as a means to fund their missions works in these coffee producing areas. The King's Storehouse will use profits from the sale of the processed coffee to fund more teachers in the village, improve their sanitation system and fund other economic development opportunities that will benefit the entire community. <br />
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We are awaiting a quote from a well known reputable coffee retailer here in Washington for the roasting, grinding and packaging. We will be traveling to the village early next year to present this proposal to the farmers and evaluate their potential capacity. When all this comes together, we still have to make arrangements to transport 5,000 to 10,000 pounds of green coffee beans to the US but if this is Gods' will, HE has already made all the arrangements, we just have to connect the dots! <br />
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When I look back over the events of the last year and see all that God has done to get Maely to America for surgery, I am amazed and humbled to have witnessed it. The interesting thing is, Maely's Miracle is still unfolding and the end of her story has yet to be written. Isn't it like our Awesome God, that HE would take this lonely, crippled, little girl who was shunned by her mother and her village.....and not only heal her, but also because of her, bring clean water, educational and economic opportunities to her village. Only God can write a story like that!Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-87337984061369029392010-11-30T04:57:00.000-08:002010-11-30T04:57:11.457-08:00God's Spirit is moving in the hearts of HIS peopleChristmas is fast approaching and all too often we get so caught up in worldly preparations for Christmas that we forget the spiritual relevance of this event. Jesus (who created the universe) stepped out of time and into human form on this day we call Christmas. For 33 years he faced all the trials and temptations that we face yet never sinned, and consequently never came under the penalty of sin which is death. However, He chose to suffer an excruciating death upon the cross so that HIS death could atone for the sins of ALL of those who would accept HIS free gift of salvation. I pray that this Christmas you will find the peace that passes all understanding, the joy that cannot be quenched and the love that transcends time by getting to know the God of the Universe that gave HIS life that you might enjoy eternity with HIM.<br />
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Over the last few years, I have noticed a growing unity among the true believers in Jesus Christ. God is calling HIS people to come together in one mind and one spirit, to get busy while it is yet day, for the night soon approaches when no man can work. He is calling them to set aside their organizational, doctrinal and political differences and start focusing on spreading the gospel to he ends of the earth. I see charitable organizations that used to compete against each other for donations, starting to work together for the common good of God's people. God is reminding us once again that if we are doing HIS work, HE will provide the means so rather than competing against each other for funding, we should be working together to HIS glory! I believe there is a revival coming that will sweep through the hearts of God's people all over the world and it will drive them to cast aside the cares and concerns of this world and focus on matters of eternal value. I believe time is getting short and that God is not willing that any should endure the trials that lie ahead for those left behind after the rapture. How like our loving God that He seeks to spread HIS message of salvation to the ends of the earth so that every living soul will have the opportunity to be spared the trials of the coming tribulation. The bible tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. How like HIM to give every soul one last chance to kneel before Jesus the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world on this side of eternity, rather than be forced to kneel before Jesus the Righteous Judge on the other side of eternity. The choice is ours to make, but so are the consequences if we choose to reject this gift from God.<br />
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As a result of this outpouring of His Holy Spirit, I believe that God will take HIS church out of this world (rapture) with the same outpouring of HIS Holy Spirit which was evident when he brought the church into the world. In Acts we see that once the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples and believers gathered together, they become of one mind and one accord. They become one and as a result they were able to heal the sick, make the blind to see and the lame to walk. They were able to share the gospel in every language and their numbers were increased daily. God IS calling HIS people to get busy and take advantage of what little time is left. When that trumpet blows and God calls His people home, I want to know that I have done all that I can do to tell others about the Love and Joy and Peace that comes from having a personal relationship with the Living God.<br />
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God's Spirit is shaking his church and HIS people are leaving the comfort of their pews in ever increasing numbers to answer HIS call to go out and spread the gospel unto all nations. As God's people repent of their sins, humble themselves and submit to God's call and direction, we will begin to see the same miracles that were recorded in the book of Acts. God grant us a love that will drive us to the ends of the earth spreading your word. Give us wisdom that we may discern your will and give us faith that we may be able to move mountains in your name and to your glory.<br />
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Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-23493008855280343012010-11-18T22:35:00.000-08:002010-11-18T22:40:49.103-08:00Maely's CheckupMaely's doctor visit went well and the ex-rays indicated her foot was healing very nicely. She now has a permanent cast which she is able to walk on so this will give her a lot more mobility during the remainder of her convalescence. She has been picking up some english phrases and its apparent she is adapting well to her new surroundings. She will be coming up to Washington to spend Christmas and New Years with us and we are anxiously looking forward to seeing her again. This will give us an opportunity to get more information regarding the needs in her village and see what The King's Storehouse can do to meet those needs.<br />
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We will be teaming up with Christ The King church in Bellingham to lead a team of 20 college students on a 10 day mission the village of Colonia on the island of Roatan. We have been extremely fortunate to obtain the use of a beach side villa called Casa Isabella (<span class="f"><cite><span style="color: #0e774a;">roatan<b>casaisabella.com) </b></span></cite></span>to house our team. The owners of Casa Isabella (Carlos and Isabella) are wonderful Christians who are making their property available for mission minded efforts supporting the needs of the people of Roatan. It is such a blessing to meet others who have dedicated their lives to God's service and answered HIS call to go forth and spread the gospel unto all nations. Carlos and Isabella are wonderful examples of "good and faithful" servants of The Most High God, and we are blessed to know them.<br />
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Our team will be arriving mid March and working with Living Water 4 Roatan, Clinica Eseperanza and the 7th Day Adventist church in Colonia to provide the people with more water filters, helping to install more water lines throughout the village, helping out at the clinic and hosting a weeklong childrens church. We are expecting to provide several hundred children with snacks, games, crafts, bibles and a movie. Other members of our team will be distributing water filters to each of the 500 families in the village and assisting Living Water 4 Roatan with the installation of new water lines, valves etc. The third group will be helping Peggy Stranges who runs Clinica Esperanza (<span class="f"><cite><span style="color: #0e774a;"><b>clinicaesperanza</b>.homestead.com) </span></cite></span>by painting the clinic, helping her with medical supplies inventories and assisting with clerical needs. Here is a picture of the clinic that Peggy started just a few years ago and has now become one of the primary care givers for the local people who cannot afford to go the islands only hospital. <br />
<img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6XozoWwGYeRn_Jk5AxSFB6dJeDg2hkUJ5uoDkBDxKp-4auUK2NJJfExM3bZY1nokMqZlLDVx7S5fFcps_8qCgthiqYKFZ6osdu6x2Noo9EHEScWrZLkPKS8CKElW93lOqtE-3GFDE44/s200/P1000026.JPG" width="200" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH9izXXxn6rGztjyoNc8_uhSc4f35Qk2EEFhi9bsJgaDk51aSpf4qxDgqYrB9uHhGoSsKrU_cTZ79w_V20jiDzyh9dN_CWBaQ7vX-Lca6ELkThw1mNlXTzoZ7yZ7bf3CmRZvLVEHfhTM/s1600/P1000029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH9izXXxn6rGztjyoNc8_uhSc4f35Qk2EEFhi9bsJgaDk51aSpf4qxDgqYrB9uHhGoSsKrU_cTZ79w_V20jiDzyh9dN_CWBaQ7vX-Lca6ELkThw1mNlXTzoZ7yZ7bf3CmRZvLVEHfhTM/s200/P1000029.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Clinica Esperanza Pat and Peggy in the new birthing ward<br />
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We are planning a trip back to Maely's village (Potenciana) early next year as well and will be helping them with their water distribution system and also bringing more shoes and clothing. The last time we went, we didn't have enough shoes to give all 300 inhabitants of the village so we starting handing them out to the eldest citizens first and then worked our way down to the younger groups. We were quickly running out of shoes when I noticed an older women (mid 60's) standing at the back of the crowd unable to get to the front where the shoes were being distributed. I motioned for Pat to go get her and lead her up to the front. By the time they got there, all the shoes had been handed out. The next thing I knew, Pat had given the lady her shoes and was walking around in her bare feet. I hurried back to the room we were staying in nearby and grabbed another pair of shoes out of Pats back pack and brought them to her. A few minutes later, I looked her way and saw she was barefooted again. Fortunately she had one pair of flip/flops left that she wore the rest of the time we were there and on the flight back to Seattle. Here is a video of the woman she gave her last pair of shoes to.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyuLAOTHNSBjfZH6IHyKgBUtihbtAAs-qGhtDsYMFpXHgrjC61MQOB_pRSobNlcmoVrea8pdMdnA0pc-76ZGw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
I will make sure that the next time we travel to Potenciana, Pat has at least 6 pairs of shoes! As we finalize more details on the March trip and start to make plans for the May trip, we will post the details on future entries. I'm often encouraged by the story of King Solomon. The bible say that he was the smartest man that ever lived because God blessed him with great wisdom. In spite of that wisdom, it took Solomon a lifetime of chasing satisfaction and fulfillment in partying, sex, power, and wealth before he came to the conclusion in his old age that this was all a "chasing after the wind". He concluded that true peace, and joy only comes from serving Almighty God. I'm encouraged because my wife and I have already figured that out. There is no greater joy that that which comes from being in the center of God's will and serving HIM. What a blessing and a priviledge. <br />
<br />
May God lead you and guide you towards the path that HE has prepared for you and may you follow HIS direction that you may accomplish the tasks that HE has prepared you for!Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-52200768520361817272010-11-08T22:13:00.000-08:002010-11-09T06:29:20.727-08:00Secrets revealedDuring the last month, Maely has experienced many life changing events, but as monumental as those events have been, they pale in comparison to what lies ahead for her. You see, Maely has had her physical deformity corrected and her surgery is healing nicely. She is able to walk on her cast now without the aid of crutches and she has adapted well to her temporary physical constraints. But inside her soul there are some deeper injuries, less visible but more much more painful that will take a very long time to heal. For the last 11 years Maely has lived in a world of extreme poverty, neglect, rejection, loneliness and uncertainty. When you first meet her and see her contagious smile, you would never imagine what painful secrets lie behind her sparkling eyes. Maely doesn't cry. Even when she left her home and her family to come to the United States, she never shed a tear. When the anesthesia began to wear off after her surgery, you could see the pain in her eyes but she refused to cry. Even when Maely parted with her Grandmother on the day she left to come to the US, Pat had to encourage her to hug her Grandmother. As you can see in the picture, this seemed to be a new experience for both of them. Needless to say, Maely has grown up in an environment completely void of affection and although she loves her Grandmother whom she calls "mommy", there was no outward show of affection between them.<br />
<br />
Pat and I both are very affectionate and we still hug our kids every time they walk by, even though they are both married now and expecting our first grandchildren. When Maely first came to stay with us, we treated her like one of our own daughters, it was obvious she didn't know at first how to respond to respond to this new phenomena. However, by the time she left for her surgery in LA, she had gotten over that and we could tell she was moved by our hugs. When we left her with her host family, she bravely said goodbye and although her eyes got a little misty, she still didn't cry. I, on the other hand, bawled like a baby once we got back to our hotel . I marvelled at her courage and strength, but deep down inside I was also concerned about what life events could have so hardened this little 11 year old girl's heart to the point where she wouldn't,...or perhaps couldn't cry.<br />
<br />
Have you ever experienced a heartache so great that you subconsciously blocked out the memory of it? Are there gaps in your childhood memory that try as you might, you cannot fill in the blanks? I believe that God has made us with a built in defense mechanism that sometimes allows this to happen. It is a means by which we can postpone dealing with the hurt until we are better prepared to handle it. This is especially true with children. I know from experience this is true and I know that these memories can lay dormant for years, even decades before they resurface. And then one day, without warning, something will happen that will trigger their release and they will come back like a flood, just as vivid, deep and painful as if it were yesterday.<br />
<br />
My earliest memories growing up were filled with the sights and sounds of beer joints, liquor stores, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline playing on the juke box and all too often the sounds of my parents drinking and fighting. They finally divorced when I was 7 but the four years preceding that event were often punctuated with loud terrifying arguments between my Mom and Dad fueled by alcohol and sometimes ending in violence. My brother who was 7 years older than I would take me out of the house during these fights and tried to shield me from the brunt of it but he couldn't protect me from all of it. For years afterwards, I was bothered by these memories. Every time they came up, I would feel like crying but I was afraid if I ever started crying, I wouldn't be able to stop....So I just bit my lip, hardened my heart and buried those memories a bit deeper in hopes one day they would finally go away. Years passed and I managed to bury my past so deep that I was seldom bothered by it anymore. I grew up, got married and started raising a family of my own. I didn't think of, or talk about my past with anyone for the next 20 years.<br />
<br />
22 years after my parents split, my wife and I were living in Kenai Alaska with our two daughters ages 3 and 8. Both of us came from broken homes and had made a vow that our children would never have to go through what we went through as kids. We never missed an opportunity to tell them how much we loved them and were always holding or hugging them. One weekend a new movie began showing at the local theater. I can't remember the title, but it was about the life of Patsy Cline. We went to the movies, settled into our seats and began enjoying "pacorncoke" as our young daughters referred to the treat that made going to the movies worth while. As the previews of coming attractions began to show, I was totally unaware of the emotional maelstrom that was about to unfold. The scenes in that movie depicted the tumultuous life of the legendary singer and the bars, drinking and fights with her husband bore a striking resemblance to my parents. The visual images of these events, combined with the original Patsy Cline soundtrack catapulted me immediately back in time to my childhood where I was 5 years old all over again. I was suddenly overwhelmed by a tidal wave of pain and heartache from my past that I was helpless to contain.<br />
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The tears that I had held back for all those years fell all at once in a torrent of incredible emotional pain and yet it was also mixed with a sense of sweet release. I jumped out of my seat gasping for breath and heading toward the exit sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't understand the flood of emotions that had overwhelmed me and I was sure that once the dam was burst, I would never again be able to regain control. Pat followed me out of the theater concerned because she had never seen me in this condition before. She had seen me lose my temper on many occasions, but never seen me break down in tears and weep like this. It took several days before I was realize the emotional meltdown was due to all that these painful memories from my past that were buried but not forgotten. I realized no matter how deep or long hurt and heartache are buried, they do not go away and the day will come when they have to be confronted once and for all. After several days, the turmoil inside finally subsided and the flood of emotions became a pond of quiet and peaceful reflection. I felt the need to capture in words the essence of my experience but was reluctant to drop my bucket into what had always been a dry well before.<br />
<br />
Up to this point in my life, I had never been able to write poetry. For years I often tried to capture in prose what I was feeling but years of hardening my heart had left me a poetic mute. Moved once again to express all that I was feeling, I picked up a pen and in less than an hour wrote the following poem which tells the story of my experience. I titled this poem "Walls" and it was soon followed by others which I compiled into a collection called "Poems of Passage" These poems provided me a means to capture and then express all the emotions that I had suppressed since childhood. I think this poem may also speak for Maely's struggle as well and might explain why she has had to protect herself from heartache she cannot explain.<br />
<br />
WALLS<br />
I find myself held captive by walls I built as a child<br />
Wall built in self defense soon marked the bounds of an inner exile<br />
<br />
Too young to understand and unable to deal with the pain,<br />
I withdrew within these walls to escape what I couldn't explain<br />
<br />
What was once my fortress, my refuge, soon became my prison<br />
Isolating me from life and love and hope, filling me with indecision<br />
<br />
With hollow laughter my secret has been hidden all these years<br />
At times seeking solitude when unable to hold back the tears<br />
<br />
This wall unseen, yet impenetrable built completely from within<br />
Must have a weakness, a crack, a flaw somewhere I can begin<br />
<br />
Would that I had solved my problem as an oyster does a pearl<br />
and turn this wall into a thing of beauty to be admired by the world<br />
<br />
Perhaps someday my heart can blossom through the power of my prose<br />
And I can ignore the thorns of love as I embrace loves tender rose<br />
<br />
I will send my heart over the wall carried on the wings of a dove<br />
And hope it survives its journey as it begins its quest for love<br />
<br />
I search the sky daily for sign or sound of the dove's return<br />
Waiting, watching, patience such a difficult lesson to learn<br />
<br />
Then one day, as I slip deeper and deeper into despair<br />
I hear the doves triumphant cry as it circles in the morning air<br />
<br />
A rose clutched in its beak is released and falls gently to the ground<br />
I hesitate, then rush to pick it up as my heart begins to pound<br />
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The thorns sink deep into my breast as I clutch it in a tight embrace<br />
Oblivious to the pain as tears of joy stream down my face<br />
<br />
My world begins to tremble and the barriers begin to fall<br />
And my heart bolts for freedom through an opening in the wall<br />
<br />
The years of pain and anguish disappear in sweet release<br />
And a mountain top of loneliness is exchanged for a valley full of peace<br />
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During the weeks since we return home from LA, we have been in regular contact with Maely by phone and it seems with each conversation she reveals more and more about her troubled life in the village of Potenciana. What she has begun to share with us so far is deeply disturbing and I'm beginning to see the events that have hardened her heart. Whether these painful memories have been blocked out, or just suppressed because she had no one to share them with, we don't yet know, but through the loving care of the Morgerman family, Maely is finally starting to open up about her past. This major step is a wonderful testament to the care Kevin and Gaby have provided her that she feels secure enough to talk about these painful memories. And as any good psychiatrist (did I spell that right?) will say, that is the first step to emotional health.<br />
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Its getting late and I have to work tomorrow so I will close for now. In the next post, I will share with you some of the events in Maely's life that have made it necessary for her to harden her heart against.Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-31108953767599753462010-11-01T21:49:00.000-07:002011-01-10T14:08:14.273-08:00Maely's Letter<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">Maely’s first checkup went well and the doctor plans to take ex-rays on November 17<sup>th</sup> to see how well her foot is healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It won’t be until he has evaluated those ex-rays that we will have an idea when she will be released from the doctor’s care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until then, we will be praying for her physical, emotional and spiritual healing to continue according to God’s plan and timetable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">So that brings me to today’s blog entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that Maely’s immediate healthcare needs are being taken care of, our concern has now shifted to matters of her spiritual wellbeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While she was here in Washington with us, Pat and I managed to communicate with her on a relatively basic level but we were not able to discuss deeper spiritual matters due to our rudimentary knowledge of Spanish and her inability to speak English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently, I found myself on numerous occasions unsuccessfully trying to craft a message in Spanish that would explain to her just how much God loves her and explain all that HE has done to bring her to the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time passed too quickly and her surgery date arrived before we could convey the message that God had put in our heart to share with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> She is now recuperating with her host family in Los Angeles</span>, and it will be another 3 to 4 months before we get the chance to share this message with her in person.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">Although we check in with her once a week, phone conversations are even more restricting than our face to face conversations were….and not near as much fun!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard that effective communication is made up of 55% body language, 35% tone of voice and only 10% verbal content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So needless to say, I am frustrated with my inability to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with her over the phone, and since she cannot read or write, in Spanish or English…..you could say “what we have here….is a failure to communicate” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">In spite of all of this, I have felt led by God to write Maely a letter in English and post it in this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been said that God works in mysterious ways….so writing a letter in English to a little girl 1,000 miles away, who cannot speak, read, or write the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>English language, and then putting that letter into this blog definitely qualifies as “mysterious ways” in my book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s almost seems like putting a message in a bottle, and casting it into the sea in hopes it will eventually get to the right person who can read and understand it! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">However….God said WRITE… So, I will do what I’m told, and let HIM provide the message as well as the means to get it where it’s supposed to go and in accordance with HIS purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t it an amazing testament to the glory of our omnipotent and omniscient God that HE chooses to achieve HIS perfect will through the feeble efforts of HIS imperfect, blind, bumbling and often obstinate servants….like me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I for one am just grateful that HE has provided so perfect a salvation that even I can’t screw it up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay….so where do I begin?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, I will start off with something creative, profound and original like:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Dear Maely”,….how am I doing so far?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">Alright, perhaps I had better hand the keyboard over to the King of Kings and let HIM take it from here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the message that God is putting on my heart to give <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maely on HIS behalf.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">My Child,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">I want to share with you the boundless and unconditional love that I have for you, and reveal the plans I have made for you since before the beginning of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have known you before you were formed in your mother’s womb and anxiously awaited your birth that I might reveal myself to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew the moment you first drew breath and I heard your very first cry as you stepped into time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew you would enter into this world with a handicap that would make you different from all the other children in your village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that your mother wouldn’t be able to deal with your infirmity and that your grandmother would have to rise to the occasion and raise you like her own daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that the children in your village would avoid you and sometimes make fun of you and I saw every tear drop you cried as you hid in shame at their taunts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know the pain you felt when rejected by the people in your own village and I know the depths of loneliness you have endured as a result of those years of neglect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have felt your every heartache as if they were my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suffered these things with you because I knew one day the benefits you gained from these trials would make it all worthwhile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew your deformity would cause you much sorrow and loneliness for the first 11 years of your life, but I also knew you had the will and the strength to not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>only endure these trials, but to emerge from them better, stronger and most important of all, better prepared for the tasks I have prepared for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">One day, you will look back on these first painful years of your life and see that I was there with you, sustaining you every step of the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have great plans for you little one and I long for you to get to know me as I have known you since before time began. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this reason, I have prepared for you a savior, my only son who gave his life as a ransom for you and all who would call upon his name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a gentle savior, full of Love, full of Power, and full of Grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is my spirit that is tugging at your soul right now, confirming in the inner most recesses of your heart that this moment is the very moment you were born for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you will open the door of your heart and invite my son Jesus into your life, the years of pain and sorrow, emptiness and loneliness, fear and uncertainty will be swept away in a torrent of peace and love that will become an eternal monument of my covenant with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He promises to never leave you, nor forsake you from this moment forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you will listen to the gentle voice of my son Jesus and ask him to take away all your sins, He will take them upon himself and you will become holy, pure and righteous in my sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will become all that I have created you to be, and you will be my child through this age and beyond into the eternity that I have prepared for you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have declared the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are my beloved child and I have shared your pain and born your sorrows since birth knowing that one day you would be lifted up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to my will and my time table, I brought you out of your village, to travel to a distant land and be healed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew your journey would touch the lives of many and your story would lead others to know ME and accept my son Jesus Christ as their savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have prepared a mighty work for you little one and if you will embrace my Son as your savior, you will experience a love that will drive you to the ends of the earth spreading my word, you will gain wisdom beyond your years and you will be given the faith to move mountains in MY name and to MY Glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For you, my daughter, all my love from eternity past, through the present and into eternity future,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">Your <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>loving Father –</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">I AM!</span></div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-72702849648428108232010-10-27T18:15:00.000-07:002011-01-10T14:09:16.781-08:00Happy Birthday Maely Bonita Sarai Hernandez!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today is Maely <strong><u>Bonita</u></strong> Sarai Hernandez’ 12th birthday and thanks to her host family, she will enjoy her very first birthday party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a busy week for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She left the hospital just over a week ago after a very successful surgery, and has quickly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>learned how to walk on crutches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is a good thing because the original plan called for her to be in a wheelchair for a couple of months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Picturing Maely in a wheel chair brings back scary memories of my near death experience as she bore down on me in my John Deere mower laughing gleefully as I scrambled for my life (see previous episode).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I doubt if there would have been much left of Kevin and Gaby’s house by the time she graduated from a wheel chair to crutches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">She recently attended her first Halloween party (dressed as an Indian Princess) and we can only imagine what must be going through her mind as she continues to discover the wonders of our world here in the 21<sup>st</sup> century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, I have always been fascinated by the dimension of time and the prospect of time travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Presented with that opportunity, some would choose to go forward in time in order to return with insight that could be converted into instant wealth via the stock market or the lottery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call me twisted, but if I had the chance, I would choose to go back in time and see history as it really occurred and not just as it was recorded through the lens of human bias.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps that’s why I have been so moved by Maely’s story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a little girl, that up until a few weeks ago, lived in a world that has been pretty much unchanged for the last 300 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No electricity, no indoor plumbing, no phones, no vehicles, no computers, cell phones, television or radios.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her life is no different than was her grandmothers, or her grandmothers, grandmother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now she has been transported forward into time, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into a world that she couldn’t have imagined was possible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her wide eyed wonder at our world has given me a new appreciation for all that we have, and all that I have taken for granted. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I mean, stop and think about it for a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When was the last time you stopped to marvel at the world around you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of our fast paced lifestyle that we fail to stop and enjoy the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems we are always looking ahead to some event in the future, or reminiscing about the past and fail to realize that Today, is the Tomorrow, we were worried about Yesterday!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can learn a lot from the Maely’s of the world, but only if we make the time to focus on what really counts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">It had been raining here in Northwest Washington for the last two weeks straight and after living here for 10 years….you get used to it…..more like you learn to tolerate it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, its that time of year when the days are getting shorter, the mornings are getting colder and the leaves are turning their timely shades of red and gold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had just come home from a long day at work and immediately began working on next years plans for The King’s Storehouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There I sat at our home office desk with my back to the window and my face buried in my computer screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly the sun broke through the clouds and shafts of light burst through the window and filled the office with a warm glow…but I was too busy to be distracted by it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued to focus on spreadsheets and word documents until I was forced to pause for a moment while waiting for a file to load.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leaned back in my chair, stretched my arms over my head and just happen to glance out the office window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words cannot describe the beauty of what I saw, so I have attached a photo and will let that explain why I did what I did next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBd46YiY0lZHnox5yQZDVy7EmqwbQ8RXqj_yi67XG_ZROQw0_xGroMU1MK7U22CF5kSDnLjhFs0fQ38HIMteKOticSHFxmyJPgVGD4kEdW8pkSBG_K6WBBxwGmFSWm5ZEDOV47ktNYv8/s1600/P1000022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="480" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBd46YiY0lZHnox5yQZDVy7EmqwbQ8RXqj_yi67XG_ZROQw0_xGroMU1MK7U22CF5kSDnLjhFs0fQ38HIMteKOticSHFxmyJPgVGD4kEdW8pkSBG_K6WBBxwGmFSWm5ZEDOV47ktNYv8/s640/P1000022.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrAt6SaL7_rEjq8rNocvkuJ_uisNlj2_vFW0dLYPZ93Z1AQptu5o_WP9P94vWU2d2_RUtEcPA2SHJR6CL7pT7QNrDJ816ixh6theYhfsUkBl44DTJxvqTQw0OUgi17nrydKf6weQefKo/s1600/P1000030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="640" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrAt6SaL7_rEjq8rNocvkuJ_uisNlj2_vFW0dLYPZ93Z1AQptu5o_WP9P94vWU2d2_RUtEcPA2SHJR6CL7pT7QNrDJ816ixh6theYhfsUkBl44DTJxvqTQw0OUgi17nrydKf6weQefKo/s640/P1000030.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I grabbed my camera out of the desk drawer and bolted out of the office, ran down the hall, charged into the garage and shot out the back door into the back yard….all the while yelling for my wife to come take a look!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before me, was the most beautiful double rainbow I had ever seen in my entire 53 years upon this earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed close enough to touch and the colors so bright, I could almost hear them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so awestruck by the beauty of the moment, I almost forgot to start taking<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time I had taken a half dozen photos, the clouds moved back in covering the sun and the brilliant hues of the rainbow quickly faded as if they had never existed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">You know, life is a lot like that!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many times have we missed out on fleeting, yet life changing glimpses of God’s creation, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because we were too caught up in the man made cares of this world to look up from our computers, blackberry’s, TV.s and Ipods to notice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I have learned nothing else from our little time traveler, Maely Bonita Sarai Hernnandez, I have learned that memories fade and the future is uncertain….but the present is ours…but only for a moment….to seize, or to squander. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life is short, MAKE IT COUNT!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Next entry – A letter for Maely and our hope and our prayer for her future</span></div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-82257667086478174782010-10-22T00:55:00.000-07:002010-10-28T09:04:08.952-07:00In search of the summit - Maely's long road to recoveryHave you ever hiked up a mountain? Do you remember when you started at the base and looked up at the distant summit and maybe felt a little intimidated by the task before you? Did you perhaps take some of the pressure off yourself by saying, "I'll just climb until I get tired, then quit and come back down"?. Well if you have answered yes to all three of these questions, you will appreciate what I'm about to share. For those of you who haven't,...I;ll try not to ramble too much and I promise, I will eventually get to the point.<br />
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Having lived in Alaska for 20 years, I often took advantage of "The Great Lands" majestic solitude by climbing in the Chugach and Brooks mountain ranges. On one occasion, while working for Alyeska Pipeline Company (the company that operates the Trans-Alaska Pipeline) I was working at Pump Station #3 which is located 103 miles south of Prudhoe Bay near the northern base of the Brooks Mountain range. It was early summer (July) and since the sun never sets in the summer time at that latitude, there was plenty of daylight left after I got off work every day around 5PM. My work required frequent travels along the entire length of pipeline. During this particular tour, I had driven the haul road between Pump Stations 3 and 4 quite often and was impressed by some of the rugged foothills at the base of the Brooks range. I had often thought, if I ever find the time, I would like to see the view from the top of them. Sound familiar? <br />
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Well, I finished up work a little early one afternoon and decided that was a good day to make the climb before winter began to set in. I drove about 10 miles south of Pump Station 3 to an area the locals (three guys who manned the Dept. of Transportation outpost in Chandalar pass) called slope mountain. I parked my truck on the pipeline right away and began hiking towards the base of the mountain around 5:30pm. Although the ground was relatively flat, it is extremely difficult walking through tundra which is like walking across a 2 foot deep, wet sponge. Each step would sink down into the tundra and suck at your feet when you pulled it out. After 30 minutes of steady slogging, I was surprised to find a creek separating me from the base of the mountain. Having already invested an hour of my evening into this effort, I was reluctant to turn back. I took a long hard look at the width, depth and the speed of the creeks current. It appeared to be only knee deep with a moderate current and it wasn't more than 30 feet across....and thought to myself.."that doesn't look so bad". 10 feet into my creek crossing effort, I suddenly reached several startling conclusions. First, the water was actually about waist deep and second, the water was so cold, it felt like I was being stabbed by a thousand ice picks. I had never hurt so bad in my entire life, and only one time since then...but that's another story! By the time the icy water's message had reached my brain, my forward momentum had already carried me to midstream...the point of no return. Not wanting to turn broadside against the current and go back, I made a quick decision to keep plowing forward and hoped the water didn't get any deeper.<br />
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Einstein once explained his theory of relativity by saying a minute sitting in a porch swing with a pretty girl seems like a few seconds...but a minute sitting on a hot stove might seem like an eternity! I can relate to that because according to my recollection, it took me three weeks to cross the last half of that 30 foot wide creek. My watch said it was only a few seconds....but I KNEW BETTER! The last few steps weren't so bad because my legs had already tuned to wood and I couldn't feel them anymore anyway. When I emerged from the other side and started up the base of the mountain, my blood finally started circulating again and the feeling started to return to my frozen limbs. That hurt almost as bad as the first time and all I could think about was I still had to cross that creek again when I came down off the mountain.<br />
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An hour later, I reached what I thought was the summit..only to discover another peak just beyond it that wasn't visible from the base of the mountain. After enjoying the view from that vantage point for a moment I pondered whether or not to continue climbing. Before I could make a decision, my body had already started pressing on toward the new summit. I justified this mutiny between mind and body by attributing it to my strong desire to see the summit but in reality, I think my body was just wanting the delay my second creek crossing for as long as possible. Another 45 minutes of steady climbing finally brought me up to the summit....or so I thought! There to my dismay and disgust was the most beautiful meadow I had ever seen and it stretched several hundred yards beyond right up the base of another summit! By now its almost 8PM I still had a two hour climb back down the hill and still had to cross that 400 foot wide, raging, freezing creek before I could walk the half hour to my truck and make the 30 minute drive back to my warm bed in camp.<br />
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I looked up at the summit, and then looked down the mountain. Looked up the at the summit again...then down the mountain again. To this day, I don't know why, but for some reason I couldn't turn back. I turned back towards the summit and began climbing again. It took an hour to cross that meadow and reach the next summit. Just before I reached the top, I was almost afraid to look over the top for fear of finding another peak just beyond it. Just before I crested the ridge, I felt a cold wind hitting me in the face and I knew that had indeed reached the summit. I stood on top of that mountain for what seemed like seconds but my lying watch said it was more like half an hour. Turning slowly in a circle, I could see for miles in every direction. I could see the permanently snow capped peaks of the Brooks range to the south of me and I could see all the way to the far northern horizon where the arctic tundra meets the Beaufort sea. The view was breathtaking and I'll never forget the majestic solitude of that moment. The pain of crossing the creek and the disappointments of all the false summits were temporarily forgotten. All I could think of at that moment was that all my efforts had afforded me a view that few, if any had ever seen before.<br />
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I wish I could say the warmth and splendor of the moment made me forget all about the long difficult climb back down and the pain of crossing that 2 mile wide, freezing, piranha infested creek..but it DIDN'T. I reached the creek just before 1AM and it seemed twice as cold, twice as deep and much faster than the first time I crossed it! I was still shivering by the time I reached my truck 30 minutes later and with the heater cranked up on high my teeth had barely stopped chattering by the time I pulled back into Pump Station 3 around 2AM.<br />
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Okay..so what does all this have to do with Maely? I'll try to explain. When Pat and I first found Maely hobbling along that dusty trail high up in the remote mountains of interior Honduras, we saw one of God's beloved children who was suffering un-necessarily. We saw innocence held captive by a physical deformity that was unable to quench her spirit. We saw in her eyes maturity beyond her years, born of a lifetime of rejection and hardship, yet her smile towards us as strangers was genuine and instantaneous. In essence, we saw a summit that God wanted us and Maely to climb. God put a burden on our heart to start the wheels in motion that would lead to her being healed of her deformity. And now...a year and a half later, that miracle has come true. During this time, Maely overcame numerous false summits to get here. More importantly she has successfully crossed the first creek of culture shock in transitioning from the primitive conditions in her village into the ease and comfort of our modern world. By God's power and grace, Maely has crossed that creek and crested the mountain, but her journey if far from over. She has many months of painful healing and physical therapy ahead of her. Her mobility will be greatly restricted and she will still be away from her family for a long time living in a foreign land. And the....she has one more creek to cross and that will be to transition from our modern world back into the world she was born and grew up in. I fear this will be her biggest struggle and her greatest challenge. <br />
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As she convalesces under the loving care of the Morgermans, Pat and I will be seeking God's will in what HE would have us do to prepare Maely for this final leg of her journey. We will be looking at means to improve the conditions in her village in order to lessen the impact upon her. We have discussed commissioning local builders to add on to her family's two room house to allow her family more living space. We have also discussed means to set her family up with a small "tienda" (store) by which they can earn a better living and perhaps have electricity run to their house. We are also discussing having The King's Storehouse fund a teacher for the small school in Potenciana and set up a program to encourage parents to send their kids to school. We deeply appreciate your prayers in regards to all of these matters as we seek to manifest God's will for this child whom HE dearly loves. Please be lifting Maely up in your prayers as she gets closer to crossing the final creek in her journey.<br />
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We will keep you posted on these and other efforts God has under way in Honduras. We will be returning Maely to Potenciana as soon as she is released from the Doctors care in approximately four months. God has also opened up the door for us to coordinate a mission team of about 20 college students to spend 10 days on Roatan in late March meeting the needs of the HIS people in Colonia. in addition to these two trips, Pat and I were just recently asked if we would coordinate a second mission team to Honduras in July or August 2011 and we would probably take this team into Potenciana.<br />
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In the meantime, remember that Life is short, and we must make it count for eternity. This world, and all that is in it, is just rental property. Our permanent homes (mansions) are in heaven so we should be about doing the Father's business while there is still time.<br />
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Please feel free to share this blog with your networks of friends and family so they can see what great things our God is doing to meet the needs of "the least of these" that Jesus refers to in Mathew 25:40Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-46751754724285911682010-10-19T16:38:00.000-07:002010-10-26T13:25:37.306-07:00Maely's Pink CastMaely emerged from surgery around 10AM this morning and as of now 3:57PM, she is resting comfortably in her hospital bed. The doctor said things went exceptionally well and Maely can expect to be released from her doctors care in about 4 months. As you can see in the pictures below, she is sporting a pink cast which she will have to wear for a couple of months and then may be fitted for a brace for the last two months of her rehabilitation. Through it all, she has exhibited a courage and resolve I have seldom seen in people 3 or 4 times her age. Maely's life has been forever changed now and we must begin preparing for her eventual return to her village early next year. She has gone places the people in her village can only dream about. She has seen things her mother and grandmother can't even begin to imagine. She has experienced the love of God revealed through HIS servants like Terry and Cheryl Hindman who have been supporting our efforts since day one. Due to the faithfulness of people like Ruth at Hoagland Pharmacy, Mary Jane Wilburn, Mary Ann Jacobs, Vinnie and Rick Rawhada, Les Moren, Felix Anderson, Shirley Storm, Miguel and Wendy Mathis, Wilfredo Mejilla, Tom and Ginger Smith, Ken Kelso, Stacey Malloy, Gene Deady, Ronnie Havard, Aymee Mallory, Jason and Jeremy Richards, John and Liz Munnerlyn, Jack and Linda Chew, Dr. Chamberlain, Heathe Fey, Al Warnas, Natalie Bergeron, and Mike North, Maely will return to her village walking straight and tall. A testament to the power of God's love and His Peoples prayer. Thanks to Kevin and Gaby Morgerman for taking care of God's precious little girl while she heals from her surgery. A special thanks to Mending Kids international for their excellent ministry in providing God's less fortunate children with a chance to live a normal life and to Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, as well as Dr. Kay and his staff for the excellent work they did for Maely.<br />
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Maely should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow morning and begin her long recuperation under the loving care of the Morgerman family. Pat and I will return to Washington and begin praying about what role God would have us play in Maely's life once she returns to her family in Potenciana. We will be heading back to Honduras in January or February and then again in March and maybe again in July. We will keep everyone posted on Maely's recovery and the events/issues leading up to her return home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ClSRFyCaM8lGxNhuVZNK7fPkp6ofO8s-ZqWfK9huoGFQmNEHCZWGtMSAHJlTY32-lIJW7gyFFlNxHpBX4xFCz2bNGXDV6M9IhxQCbXhIovJ1O9SfN_5pCoBcl2eZ00HV9nz-3jtxvbo/s1600/P1000265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ClSRFyCaM8lGxNhuVZNK7fPkp6ofO8s-ZqWfK9huoGFQmNEHCZWGtMSAHJlTY32-lIJW7gyFFlNxHpBX4xFCz2bNGXDV6M9IhxQCbXhIovJ1O9SfN_5pCoBcl2eZ00HV9nz-3jtxvbo/s640/P1000265.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maely showing off her new cast!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1_B9nV8KxQSwq99ek7WV7KixR9joVRKUaPHTtPE4k2HCnznawACu1VScm8x0fj3kA84I0b3AOxuKPKS2k6cFp3W15zBjnQP1f5Bq5wxMpKIU4CMKuUKfyTfyBmffvrPJ4gn86qR3OmI/s1600/P1000266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1_B9nV8KxQSwq99ek7WV7KixR9joVRKUaPHTtPE4k2HCnznawACu1VScm8x0fj3kA84I0b3AOxuKPKS2k6cFp3W15zBjnQP1f5Bq5wxMpKIU4CMKuUKfyTfyBmffvrPJ4gn86qR3OmI/s640/P1000266.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaun68CSq1-faS_xuSQXV6SCkcT4clLI_yPq8ZVjjb_j2l9LBS4xL8lrem6f3e-nHD8pWZvrl-pvPR4b5PiM448mg5It_aMSPtP4tOWhB9R8EJMIBlkZjeHOTPBbVLFHSPsKmMXsOP36s/s1600/P1000269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaun68CSq1-faS_xuSQXV6SCkcT4clLI_yPq8ZVjjb_j2l9LBS4xL8lrem6f3e-nHD8pWZvrl-pvPR4b5PiM448mg5It_aMSPtP4tOWhB9R8EJMIBlkZjeHOTPBbVLFHSPsKmMXsOP36s/s640/P1000269.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pat and Cristina trying to figure out how the tray works. Maely is waiting patiently for her food and must be wondering what is taking so long!</div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-84458330083946856512010-10-19T11:50:00.000-07:002010-10-19T15:49:57.346-07:00Maely's big day - Surgery<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Pat and I arrived in LA around 5:30pm yesterday afternoon and pulled in to Kevin and Gaby’s house around 7:15pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the most gracious hosts and Maely has been truly blessed by their kindness and generosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maely will be living with them for the next 3 to 5 <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">mont</place></state>hs and couldn’t be in better hands…which is no surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God loves this child and will provide only the best for “His little girl”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Gaby and Pat have escorted Maely to <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Childrens</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Hospital</placetype></place> this morning for her surgery which is scheduled for 7:30 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They got up at 4am to make sure she arrived in time. Within a few hours the deformity she has lived with all her life, the mark that has made her an outcast in her village and within her own family, will be erased forever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">When I look back over the last 16 <state w:st="on">mont</state>hs, its clear that God’s hand has been firmly steering<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>events in a multitude of peoples lives between here and <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Honduras, just </country-region></place>to lead us all to this perfect moment in time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you consider the events and circumstances that had to align to make this happen, then compound that by the variable of human nature which intervened at every turn, it becomes abundantly clear that it is truly a miracle that Maely will be healed this morning.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwjsA-NIa_ssy2xGD0NGRJh_SAK7quGuw0HUpULYqILyCwngZ13KIUjEG8_zyJqslJqCazOroFaowF2hlsY7WE49EvQg4A9lFzoPt_Ra-OilXwSwGiR1TtuxgP_lOHzgtugtyQO2ntgw/s1600/P1000262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwjsA-NIa_ssy2xGD0NGRJh_SAK7quGuw0HUpULYqILyCwngZ13KIUjEG8_zyJqslJqCazOroFaowF2hlsY7WE49EvQg4A9lFzoPt_Ra-OilXwSwGiR1TtuxgP_lOHzgtugtyQO2ntgw/s320/P1000262.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I <state w:st="on">wis</state>h I had the ability to go back and analyze each chance encounter, each conversation, each decision, each seemingly irrelevant “coincidence” that has ocurred from the day we first decided to travel to <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Honduras and then view those events </country-region></place>through the lens of 20-20 hindsight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By doing so, I think we could begin to grasp the smallest measure of the <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">wis</place></state>dom, power and love that IS our Creator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that has transpired, and all the will continue to unfold over the coming <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">mont</place></state>hs will continue to be a testament to the Majestic Glory of our God and King and HIS willingness to be the center of our universe if we will only let HIM.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">It will be several hours before we get an update from the Doctor, and I feel God leading me to share my testimony while we wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In doing so, I hope to reveal how God began preparing todays events more than three decades ago.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Next December 3<sup>rd</sup> will mark 37 years since I became a child of the King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 16 at the time I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior but in the two years leading up to that decision, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had been continually tugging at my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time I was confronted by the Living God, I pushed HIM away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I was only 16, I had my whole life ahead of me and didn’t want to have to give up all the fun I was going to have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if I may, allow me to provide a little background to the story so you may better understand the significance of all that transpired that night at 10:04PM as I walked down Ave. A in Surfside <place w:st="on"><state w:st="on"><state w:st="on">Tex</state>as</state></place> and the events that are unfolding today with Maely.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">My father worked in the oilfield all of his life, as did his father before him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travelled a lot going from one construction project to another and it wasn’t unusual for me and my older brother to go to three different schools in one school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This transient lifestyle exposed us to a wide variety of people and cultures but also kept us from ever truly fitting in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was 14, we moved to <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Surfside</city> <state w:st="on">Tex</state></place>as and I thought I had died and gone to heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having grown up in <city w:st="on">South</city> <state w:st="on"><state w:st="on">Tex</state>as,</state> right on the border of <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Mexico</country-region></place>, the largest body of water we had available to us was Mr. Longoria’s cow tank which we would sneak into for a swim when we knew he wasn’t around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living on the beach opened up a whole new range of activities I had only dreamed about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surfing, fishing, snorkeling, crabbing, floundering…and then…there was this Baptist church called<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The Anchor”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep in mind this was the early 70’s and the few times I had darkened the doorway to a church it was to hear the old gospel songs accompanied by a piano and organ and quickly followed up by sermons of hellfire and brimstone that used to singe my socks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Unlike those churches I attended as a kid, T</span>he <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Anchor</placename> <placename w:st="on">Baptist</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Church</placetype></place> had “A band” with electric guitars, drums and they were singing songs like “Jesus is just alright with me” and did it better than the original rock group that made it famous. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">In addition to this new type of worship, they also had a program called <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Roy</place></city>al Ambassadors ( or R.A’s as we called it) which was run by a wonderful young man by the name of Billy Proske. The R.A.s not only sponsored sports activities like basketball and baseball, they also took the kids on the beach on campouts, to Astro-World and all kinds of places that a country boy like me had never had the chance to enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me tell you a little about Billy Proske. Billy devoted his entire life to the youth ministry and now almost 40 years later he is still at it and going strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sacrificed his hearts desire to get married and have kids of his own because he knew that wasn’t God’s will for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to Billy’s faithfulness and obedience, he has now literally touched the lives of thousands of boys and girls over the course of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am one of those whose life was changed as a result of his love for GOD.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">So from the age of 14 to 16, I was a regular participant in RA activities and frequently attended services at the Anchor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless if it was a campout, a canoe trip or a baseball game, Billy would always give an invitation at the end of each event and ask his kids if they wanted to accept Jesus into their heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first time that happened, I felt the gentle touch of my God tugging at the strings of my heart and I bolted like a jackrabbit in the other direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew without a doubt it was the Spirit of the Living God that was speaking to me, but I wasn’t about to miss out on all that life had to offer a young man growing up on the beach.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">So for next two years, God continued to tug at my heart during RA activities and <place w:st="on">Chu</place>rch invitations, each time I pushed HIM away and said not now,….maybe later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then in November of 1973 my dad came home from work and said start packing everything up, we are moving in a couple of weeks back to the <placename w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Rio Grande</city></placename> <placetype w:st="on"><state w:st="on">Va</state>lley</placetype> in <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">South</city> <state w:st="on">Tex</state>as</place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had been offered a job as the head operator of an oil and gas facility located just outside <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">San Isidro</city> <state w:st="on"><state w:st="on">Tex</state>as</state></place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My whole world came crashing in, I couldn’t imagine leaving this place where for the first time in my life, I felt like I fit in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had friends, I had activities, I had opportunities…and like a hundred times before, now I was going to have to leave it all behind and hit the road again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">When Billy and the rest of the RA and GA (Girl Ambassadors) heard that I was leaving they planned a going away party to be held right after the Wendesday night RA/GA meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe it or not, 40 kids (including some of my closest friends and cousins) managed to keep a secret for two weeks and I was totally surprised by the party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was overwhelmed by appreciation for their friendship and at the same time devastated by the realization that I would be leaving them all behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In writing this story, I just now realized that Billy didn’t give an invitation that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Odd that I should think about that now, but I believe that God wanted this moment between He and I to be private.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So after the party, I was walking the 11 blocks back to my house around 10 PM that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhere between 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup> street, God began to tug on my heart again…only this time it was different. This time, I felt like it was the last time He would call, the last time I would hear HIS voice and sense HIS presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That terrified me even more than surrendering my life to HIM, not because I was afraid of going to HELL but because I couldn’t bear the thought of missing the opportunity to get to know the GOD who I knew loved me unconditionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sensed that this would be my last chance to make the decision that I had known all along that I needed to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So somewhere between 4<sup>th</sup> street and 11<sup>th</sup> street, in the tiny little seaside <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">village</placetype> of <placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><city w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">S</placename>u</placename>r</placename>f</placename>s</placename>i</placename>d</placename>e</placename></city> T</placename>e</placename>xa</placename>s</placename></place>, I invited the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE into my heart and was immediately transformed from the inside out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that I was physically changed and became a saint, but for the first time in my life, I was complete, I was whole, I was what God had intended all of us to be….I was a child of the KING.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot describe the joy and the peace that flooded my soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an instant I knew HIM, and was Known by HIM to core of my being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was one with Father and experienced a love that washed over me like a tidal wave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I belonged, and that God shaped hole in my heart that I was born with was now filled by the God who spoke the stars into existence and gave each one a name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> For the first time in my life, </span>I had meaning, I had purpose, I had joy and now I had the security of knowing that nothing could snatch me out of the hand of Almighty God. He would never leave me, or forsake me..He became my redeemer, my tower of refuge in times of trouble, my hope in times of uncertainty, and my comfort in times of despair.</span> <br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">That was 37 years ago, and my life since that time has been a journey of preparation for HIS service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been truly blessed with a wife who shares my faith in God and who is my best friend, my strength and the love of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together we are embarking on a journey of discovery as we plumb the depths of God’s love, and surrender our all the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is this degree of surrender that led us to travel to Roatan <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Honduras</country-region></place> in December of 2008 where we met Miguel and Wendy Mathis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was obedience to HIS calling that led us to begin working with Miguel and Wendy to help the poor in Wendy’s home <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">village</placetype> of <placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">P</placename>o</placename>t</placename>e</placename>n</placename>c</placename>i</placename>a</placename>n</placename>a</placename></place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was trust in God that allowed us to travel to <place w:st="on">Po</place>tenciana in June of 2009 where we first met Maely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was God’s prompting that started us on the path to find a means to get Maely to the <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">US</country-region></place> for surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the last 16 <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">mont</place></state>hs, God has done amazing things to bring about the events that are unfolding before us today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the beauty of it is…..He had all of this planned, before He placed <city w:st="on">Ada</city>m and Eve in the <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">Garden</placetype> of <placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">E</placename>d</placename>e</placename></place>n.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew me, He knew Pat, He knew Maely and He knew Kevin and <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Gaby</city> <state w:st="on">Mo</state></place>rgeman, HE KNEW ALL OF THIS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF TIME!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His love stretches from eternity past, through the present and into eternity future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life for all its brevity or longevity, it but the blink of an eye in the midst of eternity and our GOD is in control from the beginning to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">If you have never asked Jesus Christ into your life, then that tugging your feeling in your heart right now is none other than the voice of God the Father, your creator calling out for you to come home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To accept HIS free gift of salvation that HE has made possible through the death of HIS sinless son Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bible says that He who knew no sin (JESUS) became sin so that he could die in our place and his death could atone for our sins, making us holy and righteous before our perfect Father in Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is the only door through which we can pass and regain that fellowship with our creator that was lost in the <placetype w:st="on">Garden</placetype> of <placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">E</placename>d</placename>e</placename>n when <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Ada</place></city>m and Eve rebelled against God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this life, we have no guarantees for tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I truly believe that had I pushed God away that night on <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Surfside</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Beach</placetype></place>, I would not have had another opportunity and my fate would have been sealed for eternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t let that happen to you, life is short, so make it count by embracing that which has been ours for the asking from the beginning of time and which once recieved, can never be taken away through the end of time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I will follow up later with details on Maely’s surgery, but in the meantime, keep in mind that the God who brought her from her tiny village in <country-region w:st="on">Honduras</country-region> to <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Childrens</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Hospital</placetype></place> that she might be healed, is the same God that is dancing across the strings of your heart right now and <city w:st="on">ur</city>ging you to come home to HIM. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-62251861834680340322010-10-13T18:25:00.000-07:002010-10-13T18:25:14.584-07:00Maely's Pre-Op MeetingMaely's pre-op appointment with the doctor went well and her surgery has been confirmed for Tuesday morning October 19th. If all goes well she should be released from the hospital the next day and begin her recovery period which is expected to be between 2 and 5 months depending on what the doctors find during her surgery. She will be in a cast for two months and will need a lot of support during that time so please be lifting her up in your prayers. God has provided her the best care possible staying with the Morgerman family and we are so greatful for their willingness to continue Maely's physical, emotional and spiritual healing process over the long months ahead. They appreciate her wit and courage, but I have also warned them about her talent for practical jokes so they should stay on their toes. Pat and I will be back in LA for a couple of days for her surgery. Kevin and Gaby have graciously invited us to stay with them during that time so we are deeply greatful for their kindness and generosity. We will post more information once it becomes available.<br />
<br />
Changing gears a little, I would like to share what God is doing through The King's Storehouse in Honduras. Aside from Maely's Miracle, we have three other mission efforts ongoing in Honduras. We are providing medical supplies and equipment to Clinica Esperanza <a href="http://clinicaesperanza.homestead.com/">http://clinicaesperanza.homestead.com/</a> which is run by Mrs. Peggy Stranges. See that attached link, or you can go to our website <a href="http://www.thekingsstorehouse.org/">http://www.thekingsstorehouse.org/</a> and click on the Central America tab, then click the Clinica Esperanza tab for details on Peggy's mission. In addition to Clinica Esperanza, we are also providing medical supplies, water filters, shoes, clothing etc to two villages. One is Potenciana on he Honduran mainland (where Maely is from) and the other is on the island of Roatan and is called La Colonia. <br />
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Allow me to share with you what The King's storehouse is doing in La Colonia. Colonia is a village of about 4,000 people perched up in the steep and rugged hills above Sandy Bay. This area was too rugged for commercial development and remained uninhabited until Hurrican Mitch devastated the island back in the 90's. Because of the hurricans destruction, many people fled to the highest part of the island and began clearing brush along the steep hillsides and building shacks. Over the years, more Hondurans came to Roatan in search of work and with no place to stay, they too began clearing homesteads on the steep hillsides. The area was without electricity until just a few years ago. The area was totally without water until Henry and Francis Zittrower started Living Water 4 Roatan. <a href="http://www.lw4r.com/">http://www.lw4r.com/</a> five years ago and began drilling wells and installing thousands of feet of water pipe. <br />
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Pat and I traveled to Colonia several weeks ago in order to meet Henry and Francis and see what God wanted us to do for LW4R. We immediately connected and knew that it was God's will that we work together to support the needs of HIS children in Colonia. I will go into more detail regarding the needs that we will be addressing in his village over the coming months, but for now, let me show you the type of houses that are being built there, and the conditions these people are living in.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNYC7KTiD8SisLYGD19_RgPvM5qRDvA48baL6guXRaX-ARMh3L53Aw1ugwlLreHUs606jy8s5VSvuIHYtTUcH2bzwI3nL83t6BMcW_PFVUhQ28P3SyB6d51rXdOKz4z4tN1xQ7otfZnI/s1600/P1000122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNYC7KTiD8SisLYGD19_RgPvM5qRDvA48baL6guXRaX-ARMh3L53Aw1ugwlLreHUs606jy8s5VSvuIHYtTUcH2bzwI3nL83t6BMcW_PFVUhQ28P3SyB6d51rXdOKz4z4tN1xQ7otfZnI/s640/P1000122.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> This house is perched on the very top of the highest hill in Colonia. There are no roads up here so every one of the pallets and pieces of sheet metal you see here, were hand carried up onsteep rugged trails from the base of the hill 500 feet below. This is one of the better homes in Colonia.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_dFXzqbGy9EF7paSRAXobtQrJmk-9aEIzuHwHbV4oJwiqk9uAvvFRltyWW7e_hVPZmG5cfW-IHPMralX-vWjsvK9oTWMpHHG6BsWalIGdUgBtfwBoSQ6Yh45RYxhyE6MAHK3kgfxENc/s1600/P1000130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_dFXzqbGy9EF7paSRAXobtQrJmk-9aEIzuHwHbV4oJwiqk9uAvvFRltyWW7e_hVPZmG5cfW-IHPMralX-vWjsvK9oTWMpHHG6BsWalIGdUgBtfwBoSQ6Yh45RYxhyE6MAHK3kgfxENc/s640/P1000130.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Henry was surprised to see this new dwelling which had just appeared within the last two weeks. We stopped by to drop of 5lb bags of beans and rice but no one was home. We left the bags of food inside the tent flap and noticed there were baby clothes inside. Keep in mind the temperature is in the mid 90's, and these people are raising a baby inside a black visquene tarp tent. This is just one of many such dwellings all over the Colonia area.<br />
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More tomorrow on Colonia and the people that live in this rugged region.Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-75832059258844492632010-10-11T20:54:00.000-07:002010-10-12T18:22:48.471-07:00October 10th - Maely arrives in Los Angeles<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10-10-10 4:30 PM</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are sitting in the San Francisco airport right now waiting on our next flight which will take us to Los Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will be handing Maely over to her host family who will be God’s hands in her life for the next few months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a wonderful experience for us as God has used us to hug and hold this child that HE loves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Its about 7:00PM and we have arrived at LAX. Maely is only minutes away from meeting her host family that will be taking care of her for the next 2 to 3 months. I have to admit I was extremely impressed by her courage as she boldly stepped once again into the unknown.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We met Maely’s host<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>family at the LAX airport at 7:30PM and it was immediately apparent that once again, God has provided only<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the very best for HIS child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maely will be staying with Kevin, Gabrielle Morgerman and their two children for the next 2 to 3 months as she goes through surgery and a lengthy physical therapy program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were praising our God last night after we dropped her off, confident that Maely is good hands and that she will continue her journey of physical, emotional and spiritual healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Over the next few months, we will be seeking God’s direction on what HE would have us to do once Maely returns to her village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We feel the need to provide her family with the means to support her physical and educational needs. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At present, she and 12 other family members share a two room house that has no electricity, no running water, no phone, and no septic system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a school but no school teacher in her village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We have talked about the possibility of funding a school teacher for the village that would not only benefit Maely, but all the other children in her village as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please be praying for guidance and direction that we may stay in the center of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s will on this matter. </span>Pat also had the idea of setting up her Grandmother and Grandfather with a small inventory of supplies they can sell in their village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can bring in the initial supply of items on our next trip and set<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>them up in a small business that will allow them to sustain a steady income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> They can then take the revenue from the sale of this original inventory and begin buying their own supplies for future sale. </span>This is something else that we will be praying about and seeking God’s will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you look on the The King's Storehouse website and click on the Central America tab, you can click on another tab called Potenciana and see more about her village, including a google earth link that will take you to the area in Honduras where she lives. If you have google earth loaded on your computer, you can search "Potenciana, Honduras" and google earth will not only take to the exact location of her village, but will also show some photos we took there back in 2009.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow, we should have the result of her first Pre-op meeting with the doctors and find out the date and time for her surgery.</span></div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-44184690028020402242010-10-11T19:51:00.000-07:002010-10-11T20:17:01.113-07:00October 10th - Maely's Life<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Maely has become more comfortable in our presence, and our Spanish comprehension skills have improved, we are gaining insight into what Maely’s life was like back in her small village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based upon her comments and the background information we have received from Miguel, its apparent that Maely’s deformity has made her an outcast within her family and within the village in which she was born and raised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been told that Maely’s mother shunned her at birth because of her handicap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, Maely has been raised by her grandmother whom she lovingly refers to as her mommy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On her second day at our home in Washington, Maely was missing her grandmother so we pulled up the pictures that Pat had taken of her and her grandmother in Roatan the day she left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maely <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got excited when she saw the pictures on the computer screen and was elated when we started printing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She quickly asked for something that she could keep the photos in and a large manila envelope quickly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>became her photo album.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the next few days we printed lots more pictures and put them in her album.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we would look over the pictures with her, we were heartbroken when she kept pointing to pictures of herself and say "Feo"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which is Spanish for ugly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We began to tell her she was not ugly but we could tell 11 years of rejection, first by her mother and then by the rest of the people in the village, has left a terrible scar on this little girls self image. We have told her that her new name is Maely <strong><u>Bonita</u></strong> Sarai Hernandez which means pretty. We explained to her that she is a child of God and NONE of HIS children are ugly!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maely soon opened up about her village life and it became very clear that the children in her village often made fun of her deformed foot <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and didn't want to play with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So think about this…here is a little girl, born into the poorest<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>family, of a very poor village isolated high in the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mountains<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of one of the poorest countries in Central America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Born with a deformity that caused her mother to abandon her at birth and shunned by everyone in the village, she has lived her entire life as a flawed and forgotten outcast in one of the most remote, corners of our world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the worlds standards, she is invisible, insignificant and unworthy of our attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her story might cause the average person to pause briefly in the midst of their busy day and say “isn’t that a shame”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and then quickly forget all about her as they become immersed once again in the important things in life, like business deadlines, dinner parties and vacation plans.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So who is this little girl named Maely?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who cares that she is a lonely outcast, in a poor village in a remote corner of todays busy planet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based upon her story that is unfolding now, the answer to that question is none other than THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS, THE CREATOR OF OUR UNIVERSE AND AUTHOR OF ALL LIFE THEREIN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God almighty HIMSELF, has heard her lonely cries and seen her suffering and has reaching into her tiny little village to lift HIS child out of her despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you look into the story of how The King’s Storehouse began, and how God has formed it and steered us to this tiny village that doesn’t even appear on a map, you can begin to see the effort that God has put to address the needs of HIS little girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will see how HE has made it possible for Maely to get a birth certificate, a passport and a visa to come to the US for surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will see how HE provided an organization like Mending Kids International to coordinate her surgery, provide for her rehabilitation and provide a host family for her to stay with during her 3 month recuperation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will see how God is not only rescuing and healing HIS precious child, HE is using her story to inspire dozens of others to re-examine what is, and isn’t important in life. Maely’s story is still being written as we speak but she has already changed some peoples lives forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only an Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent and all loving God could accomplish all of these miracles through the life of this one little girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you follow Maely’s story, you are seeing the fingerprint of God HIMSELF as he reveals HIS LOVE and POWER by overcoming every obstacles to rescue this precious child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about it…God has taken the “least of these” by the worlds standards and has taken her out of her tiny village, flown<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>her<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to some of the largest cities in the world, provided her with surgery that will undo the physical deformity of her birth, and blessed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>her with more clothes, shoes and personal belongings than the richest person in her village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She will return home, walking upright and tall, with knowledge and experiences that others in her village could only dream about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time she walks through her village now, she will be a living testament to glory, power and goodness of our GOD.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is a video of the first time we met Maely Sarai Hernandez near her village in the highlands of Honduras a year and a half ago.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gysfmGpfgy0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3%22%3E%3C/param%3E%3Cparam">http://www.youtube.com/v/gysfmGpfgy0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3%22%3E%3C/param%3E%3Cparam</a> <br />
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Here is a video clip of Maely <strong>Bonita</strong> Sarai Hernandez a few days ago<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzBMOWPCVLe_qWtPWGPwAkUO9hSWGoEpoQGTn7DGuyfMCjDQ1eRuV4O4HZiTfUkgI2zap2JTabuuLKyWJL_Xg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you can see God is already healing the scars of rejection but it will take a lot of love, over a long time to finish this step. I can't wait to see the child that will emerge once her loving God has wiped away her every tear, healed her physical deformity and filled her heart with the joy and peace that comes from a personal relationship with our CREATOR!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next....Maely arrives in Los Angeles and prepares for her surgery on the 19th.</span></div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-32720734605823678772010-10-08T19:14:00.000-07:002010-10-08T21:23:32.640-07:00October 8thThis morning 11 year old Maely experienced one of those firsts in life that we would all like to forget...her first trip to a dentist. I for one, remember in vivid detail my first trip to the dentist...it was a terrifying experience that may have emotionally scarred me for life. Did I mention I was eighteen at the time? Anyway, Maely's first dental appointment was one that the rest of us could only dream about. She went in with a tooth ache, and came out an hour later with one less baby tooth and one less impacted molar. She also had no pain, AND also scored a rubber ball and a water gun to boot...more on the water gun later! Anyway thanks to the extreme kindness of Dr. Chamberlain and the Creekside Dental Clinic, Maely no longer has to live with the constant pain of a toothache and risk the complications that would have developed from this condition later on. So here are pictures of Maely's first visit to a dentist.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGOM_UlM_IxqbcYrXe_uE3j2orbzcdAD5Bd4i7nee19orMX-Ul3TGiQgvhmHtLnVxelvfCxc-HV4ljznqUcchJ86CmkM_w3Hl_HzGH_gNoLQl6iIRr0262F4tE_0nheUEmpEELLtQeF4/s1600/DSC01166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGOM_UlM_IxqbcYrXe_uE3j2orbzcdAD5Bd4i7nee19orMX-Ul3TGiQgvhmHtLnVxelvfCxc-HV4ljznqUcchJ86CmkM_w3Hl_HzGH_gNoLQl6iIRr0262F4tE_0nheUEmpEELLtQeF4/s320/DSC01166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A little apprehensive...perhaps?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1o_HkFAEQGQ3RUrccQytQUfxu0TUYW-YDzbFzlzH7oN-KFX2rftp-yW7W-N63-r9u5nQRs6uG7bi9im3Og7BC6zYnV12BAUc1DCOVecrt0F-e7qso0NwtXesFL1eW8vww6FoaY1srNo/s1600/DSC01170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1o_HkFAEQGQ3RUrccQytQUfxu0TUYW-YDzbFzlzH7oN-KFX2rftp-yW7W-N63-r9u5nQRs6uG7bi9im3Og7BC6zYnV12BAUc1DCOVecrt0F-e7qso0NwtXesFL1eW8vww6FoaY1srNo/s320/DSC01170.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The before picture..Dr. Chamberlain obviously has put her mind at ease..</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIa4I-YNvEuUsWNrZYLK1rYx_hzqL_o1Neq2Y8RuTMX-cpK9nVnprPrGUXMTgsZLaHD-31Y5b1g2jv6w_RElAElRIKvKGgeFnvaXb3tsUJwEXR8423syTL1pDcKncm9G9aHSokmW4uo0/s1600/DSC01171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIa4I-YNvEuUsWNrZYLK1rYx_hzqL_o1Neq2Y8RuTMX-cpK9nVnprPrGUXMTgsZLaHD-31Y5b1g2jv6w_RElAElRIKvKGgeFnvaXb3tsUJwEXR8423syTL1pDcKncm9G9aHSokmW4uo0/s320/DSC01171.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And the after picture...there is nothing wrong with her left eye....its just camera glare.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Okay, so now about the water gun. I didn't accompany Pat and Maely on this trip to the Dentist so when they got back home, I could hear them whispering among themselves but couldn't hear what they were saying.....now that should have been my first clue that something was up. I mean, lets face it, when women whisper....it never turns out good for us guys! The second clue...(which I also failed to recognize) was when my wife (of 33 years, 10 months, and 12 days) called sweetly and said, "Honey, can you come into the kitchen?" Now our anniversary is coming up next month, aqnd I was anxious to please my wife so I could possibley sweet talk her into renewing my contract for another year. With those thoughts in my mind, I came around the corner into the kitchen completely oblivious to the fate that awaited me! Suddenly, without warning, I was mercilessly ambushed by an 11 year old with a water gun whose deadly aim would have made a Marine Sniper proud. The first shot caught me square in the eye! As I threw my hands up in a defensive posture, I took two more hits in the shoulder. All of this of course was accompanied by the same peals of laughter that still haunted me from my near death experience with the John Deere mower the day before. The worst of it was that my loving wife who lured me into the ambush had a camera waiting and captured the following photo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaexZ2sHYnWLWS6Fn7wKNtpiXAgEC0YeCOQBms7NNRhprX8ystZAt8NY6R_EenmK0VzqWJLrqmIewk8o0QozN4EQSv-leoW3rvAspPBR-0VHtRJL_nhzdZFSF6pagwY45G5jcuPCUDx0/s1600/DSC01172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaexZ2sHYnWLWS6Fn7wKNtpiXAgEC0YeCOQBms7NNRhprX8ystZAt8NY6R_EenmK0VzqWJLrqmIewk8o0QozN4EQSv-leoW3rvAspPBR-0VHtRJL_nhzdZFSF6pagwY45G5jcuPCUDx0/s320/DSC01172.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Tomorrow, Pat, Maely and I will travel to Seattle to spend the night with our oldest Daughter Niki and her husband Justin. Sunday we will catch a flight to Los Angeles where we will hand off our precious cargo to the Mending Kid International (MKI) social worker (Cristina Farrut) and the host family that will be taking care of Maely for the next 2 to 3 months as she undergoes surgery and rehabilitation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Let me share with you a story about how MKI came to be involved in Maely's life. Almost a year ago, out of the blue, I got an e-mail from the man that baptised me in the Gulf of Mexico almost 37 years ago. His name is Jack Chew and him and his wife Linda now live on the outskirts of San Antonio Texas. They are heavily involved in social work with the children of illegal immigrants who are being detained or seeking asylum in the US. I had not heard from Jack in over 30 years and was surprised to hear from him after so long a time. Prior to recieving Jack's e-mail, Pat and I had been searching for several months for an organization that could provide the corrective surgery that Maely needed. A few days after I had re-established contact with Jack, we were e-mailing each other back and forth and I happened to mention our search for an organization that could provide corrective surgery for Maely's condition. It just so happened, Jack was watching a special on television about an organization called Mending Kids International when he got my e-mail, so he sent me a note back suggesting that we look into MKI. I looked them up online and a few days later, submitted Maely's story along with video clips we took on our trip to her village the year before. To make a long story short, MKI accepted her case and has done a tremendous job in coordinating the multitude of details necessary to make this happen. I have been very impressed with their mission, their organization but most of all with their people who really care about making a difference in our world. Please be lifting this organization up in your prayers as they continue to be the hands of God in ministering to the needs of HIS children around the world. Take a look at their website and see what God would have you to do to support them. <a href="http://www.mendingkids.org/">www.mendingkids.org/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If we have time tomorrow, I want to tell you what Maely's has told us about her life in the village of Potenciana. I will warn you ahead of time, you will need to keep a box of kleenex close by. I just hope I can write the story without letting my tears short out my keyboard.</div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-71500165220843473192010-10-06T22:11:00.000-07:002010-10-07T06:35:18.719-07:00October 6th, 2010Today was another day of firsts for Maely. Having lived in a village with no electricity all of her life, she had never experienced the joy of eating ice cream. Pat took her to Edalynn's in Lynden which serves the best ice cream in all of Whatcom county. Here are some pictures of Maely's first ice cream experience.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0Pe_tuAxCbKMMAk4NO5AkbSj8ZLw0c81_ekzzETz6wih2gmemOJ9J9bKTRSrAL8IG6BFuF0PQbx17ZnpLVZJLqROJUdcqfspXY9MIxDP-uBoyERJuwbNSPW3tVhKv20JgiapaE1Uwyg/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0Pe_tuAxCbKMMAk4NO5AkbSj8ZLw0c81_ekzzETz6wih2gmemOJ9J9bKTRSrAL8IG6BFuF0PQbx17ZnpLVZJLqROJUdcqfspXY9MIxDP-uBoyERJuwbNSPW3tVhKv20JgiapaE1Uwyg/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Decisions, decisions....</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeBWxk0_x0jwopQOR62yTdhld2NDPh_2t84RXeDsySZ2MZSoSD5Pr2hmlFl0t8P6DhPdVlgoBFduX6WWjcTz25OMwMrdMTX6I1fDsSsDrpuTSfFeQ-GwPJ7j1JRbCHM_4I7hG2IpYbQs/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeBWxk0_x0jwopQOR62yTdhld2NDPh_2t84RXeDsySZ2MZSoSD5Pr2hmlFl0t8P6DhPdVlgoBFduX6WWjcTz25OMwMrdMTX6I1fDsSsDrpuTSfFeQ-GwPJ7j1JRbCHM_4I7hG2IpYbQs/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And now the sampling (thats my favorite part)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Ja2OPnyf-Xg-BlHjP2Ok64N0rdX8CuGTGQ7ZHgUoF5OXAT0b9z27OESpF2LxGn047oh7uJNr9e_Jao8dLdUPmgYH1UM0_mHm42C2IsmsOhgA31UDVj7oInhvWvbo9jG6IZ9MPVbWhFI/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Ja2OPnyf-Xg-BlHjP2Ok64N0rdX8CuGTGQ7ZHgUoF5OXAT0b9z27OESpF2LxGn047oh7uJNr9e_Jao8dLdUPmgYH1UM0_mHm42C2IsmsOhgA31UDVj7oInhvWvbo9jG6IZ9MPVbWhFI/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After sampling every flavor in the store....she's getting close to making a decision....</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SWKunwK0G5ntDQqzj2Q6EGrmELcrm807aX_HgkfNotnEGkGvJlEJnW-MFkSXzVxrmrkGYFmrewR350oYTzBikcZTOos4Z-SzsPWZEKnK11PD9zMAWapcj5tItd3UEIvIpVwOtZLAjfg/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SWKunwK0G5ntDQqzj2Q6EGrmELcrm807aX_HgkfNotnEGkGvJlEJnW-MFkSXzVxrmrkGYFmrewR350oYTzBikcZTOos4Z-SzsPWZEKnK11PD9zMAWapcj5tItd3UEIvIpVwOtZLAjfg/s320/015.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And the winner is.....STRAWBERRY!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Up to now, we have been focusing on Maely's experience but I would like to take a moment and focus my lens briefly on the responses of those she has come into contact with. Everywhere we go, people are moved by her story and the outpouring of love and support they have shown her makes me so proud to be an American! The day after she got here (last Sunday) we discovered that Maely had a very bad cavity that was causing considerable discomfort. Judging by the size of the cavity, she must have been in pain for quite some time and had just learned to live with it . When we explained to her that it could be fixed she was glad but wanted to know if it was going to hurt. We assured her the dentist would do everything he could to make is as painless as possible. Pat checked around Bellingham today to see if there was a dentist office that could fit her in. Within minutes she called me at work and said that Dr. Chamberlain at Creekside Dental Clinic had not only squeezed her in for an appointment Friday morning but also said he would do the work for free. I tried not to be jealous of the fact that it took me six weeks the last time I had to get a dentist appointment, but I consoled my wounded ego with the fact that I was just going in for a cleaning and this little girl was in pain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> Over the last three days, complete strangers have given this little child of God hugs, costume jewelry, put money in her purse (yes, she now has a purse!) and bought her enough clothes to fill a suitcase. Some of our family members have committed to providing her family with long term monthly support once she returns to her village. In short, she has just been overwhelmed by everyones kindness. The beauty of it is...as much as she has been blessed by the kindness of perfect strangers, those people have walked away with a look of joy on their face, peace in their heart and a spring in their step that money can't buy. God is using this child to remind us all there is more to life than making a living, and its better to have nothing, than to be possessed by our possessions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">This afternoon after I got home from work, Maely wanted to ride on the tractor again..only this time she wanted to DRIVE! My excitement over her willingness to try something new, was quickly overshadowed by visions of her driving my new John Deere mower through our three rail vinyl fence and into the pond. So thinking quickly, I compromised....and made Pat ride on the mower while Maely drove. Now you would think that was a brilliant decision on my part and the look on Pats face below would seem to confirm that.... except for one little fact. Notice the mowers direction of travel? Notice the angle this photo was taken from? Now consider this mower was traveling aproximately 15 miles per hour when this photo was taken from....15 feet away. Okay, you do the math. That look of concern was NOT out of fear for her own safety! Fortunately I managed to dive to safety with nothing injured but my dignity. Of course her peals of laughter as I frantically dove for cover did't help much either!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMulMAB7V56UoMz177gdIIGjN6YKmk3cIAtnliMYYwB-pfjPIrPexSintrPPSGEBqGOMvjfkcAuS5za-I8E3Q8Mfjx7XKyfkNtkZqW0WYtUPnWGlvy5jm1kqNKPxbXgJjlU71NAdyjstY/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMulMAB7V56UoMz177gdIIGjN6YKmk3cIAtnliMYYwB-pfjPIrPexSintrPPSGEBqGOMvjfkcAuS5za-I8E3Q8Mfjx7XKyfkNtkZqW0WYtUPnWGlvy5jm1kqNKPxbXgJjlU71NAdyjstY/s320/022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Okay, tomorrows adventure, hotdogs at Costco, a meeting with Grandpa Al and who knows what mischief will result from that encounter..</div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-48076324920803761642010-10-05T13:28:00.000-07:002010-10-05T21:53:20.271-07:00October 4th, Maely's first two days in the USI picked Pat and Maely up at the Seattle airport a little before midnight Sunday night and although she was wore out from the long trip, Maely stayed awake most of the way home. She was in awe of the skyscrapers and the space needle in downtown Seattle. The night was fairly clear and she got a wonderful view of the city. In spite of being up until 2:30am, she was up at daybreak ready to explore her new world. I had to go to work but Pat kept giving me updates all during the day as Maely discovered one magic moment after another. She learned that by turning the silver handle in the bathroom should could not only produce water she didn't have to haul to the house in a bucket....but it could be HOT as well. She couldn't wait to go outside this morning and see the horses. Pat gave her the tour of the property and she was excited to see ducks in the pond behind our house. She asked Pat whose ducks they were and since they were wild, Pat said they belong to God. I wish I could have seen the look on her face when she must have come to the conclusion that God kept HIS ducks in our pond!<br />
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Later in the day Pat took Maely to Costco and she stood in awe of an entire section of the market that was nothing but cheese. She had never seen so much cheese in her life. As they walked up and down the aisles shopping for groceries, they came across the kids toys and Pat discovered that Maely had never had a doll.....never had a doll Here is a little girl almost 12 years old who had never had a doll of her own. Needless to say, she walked out of Costco with a barbie doll but she refuses to take it out of the box. Instead she set the box on her dresser and just admires it from time to time. When I shared this phenomena with a friend over lunch today, he said "its because she doesn't know how to play with a doll, she probably doesn't know she can take it out of the box and create imaginary scenarios with this toy"<br />
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I have been sharing this story with you in real time from my vantage point but allow me to tell you some of Pat's experiences while bringing Maely from Honduras to Seattle. The first night in Roatan, Maely and her grandmother stayed at the hotel with Patt and since there was only one King size bed, they all slept in the same bed. Pat awoke early the next morning with the feeling she was being watched. She opened her eyes and found Maely's face only a few inches away as she was staring intently at her while she slept. As soon as Maely saw Pat was awake, she quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. We can only imagine what was going through her mind.<br />
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While sitting in the Houston airport waiting for the flight to Seattle, Pat noticed Maely had what appeared to be a worn out dishrag on her head. Puzzled by this, Pat asked what the rag was for and Maely shyly refused to answer. A fellow passenger seated nearby who spoke very good spanish, chatted with Maely for a few minutes and then explained to Pat that this was like her security blanket. It was then Pat realized that this rag was her only possession and it served as her last link to her family and village. Thanks to my daughter Niki, I now have the knowledge to post pictures on the blog so you will be seeing a lot of them from now on. Here is Maely's security blanket.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxrnTltb2aYbnxncNXTWqaWpaD3gT3mDPSXplhUAHlO-btorzb0CxS6gtAb3NCP61oatHuowglJIrlbseKz9lvSc5urDx3tDzbSLpQ5fwQdGU2UMzyVm-amm6KMm9yCw3c8H42BmdZqU/s1600/DSC01113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxrnTltb2aYbnxncNXTWqaWpaD3gT3mDPSXplhUAHlO-btorzb0CxS6gtAb3NCP61oatHuowglJIrlbseKz9lvSc5urDx3tDzbSLpQ5fwQdGU2UMzyVm-amm6KMm9yCw3c8H42BmdZqU/s320/DSC01113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Pat told me later that everyone they met while flying from Honduras to Seattle was intrigued by Maely's story and captivated by her smile. Her journey has just begun and she has already touched the lives of more people than we can keep track of. God's hand is evident in this girls life and we are blessed to be a part of it. Here is a picture of her with one of the flight attendants she met on the flight from Houston to Seattle.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbT_FMg2cPrQgTrlXN4S2b_ENMMLfT4eBAWziJM2dQzEB-k1wF75DcFDkm-LWMju1O_MtXXNCtOI6d1r56AfHXw7ac5nWIqnuc-g81Y0XccgeONV8zIrVDigN7as9ES72hzUUdX4GwvU/s1600/DSC01118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbT_FMg2cPrQgTrlXN4S2b_ENMMLfT4eBAWziJM2dQzEB-k1wF75DcFDkm-LWMju1O_MtXXNCtOI6d1r56AfHXw7ac5nWIqnuc-g81Y0XccgeONV8zIrVDigN7as9ES72hzUUdX4GwvU/s320/DSC01118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This afternoon, I had to cut the grass in the backyard before it got too deep. When I fired up the John Deere riding lawnmower, she asked me what the machine was for so I told it was to cut the grass. She looked puzzled for a minute and then asked "Why?" Now I have been asking my self that same question for years and still don't have a good answer! I was trying to think of a way to explain to her it was just so the yard would look nice when she suddenly lit up and said...oh I know its to feed the horses the grass right? Relieved that I didn't have to painfully construct an explanation in my less than conversational spanish.... I quickly agreed that was the reason and left it at that. Here is Maely and Pat on the mower.<br />
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Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-4556201588786326442010-10-03T06:58:00.000-07:002010-10-03T06:58:28.059-07:00October 3rd, 2010 Maely comes to AmericaIn about two hours, Maely will board an airplane for the time in her life, and begin the first leg of a journey that will change her life forever. Over the last year and a half, my wife and I have been following God's will and guidance in getting Maely to the states for surgery to correct her deformed feet. This has been one of the most rewarding times of our life as we pushed forward into the unknown, confident that our God has a perfect plan. I will have to capture each of the hurdles that God has allowed us to clear during this struggle just so I can look back and grasp the magnitude of Maely's Miracle. I must admit before we started this endeavor, the geographic, cultural, financial and language barriers seemed insurmountable. But our God has been faithful and has great plans for this little girl.<br />
Pat and Maely are due to depart Roatan at 1:00pm today and arrive in Houston around 4:30pm. They will have a four hour layover which will make sure they can get through customs in time to catch their next flight. They are scheduled to depart Houston at 9:00 and be in Seattle at 11:30PM tonight. I can't wait to see my darling wife who has been in Texas for the last 3 weeks preparing for this journey. The next few days will be full of a lot of firsts for Maely. Having lived her entire life in a small remote village in the highlands of interior Honduras, she has never experienced the most basic benefits we take for granted here in the US. Her home has no indoor plumbing, they still use an outdoor latrine. They have no electricity, no phone, cook on a wood burning stove and her entire family lives in two rooms not much bigger than a small bedroom here in the states.<br />
Pat and I have spoke often of the cultural shock Maely will experience and we want to try and minimize that as much as we can. But how can you do that? This little girl had never ridden in a vehicle until we gave her a ride last year. She has never seen an airplane and she is about to leave all her family behind and fly to a foreign country where she doesn't speak the language. Please be lifting Maely up in your prayers as she not only copes with the extreme culture shock but also prepares herself mentally to undergo surgery.<br />
We will post more later and update our website with photos of her journey. In the meantime, I had better finish cleaning the house!Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-29241291013187873482010-09-28T20:24:00.000-07:002010-09-28T20:24:19.166-07:00Maely's MiracleIn June of 2009, my wife and I traveled to a remote mountain village in the highlands of Honduras to deliver medical supplies, shoes, clothing and water filters to the 300 inhabitants of Potenciana. Little did we know what God had in store for us on this trip and how it would change our lives forever. A few days after we flew in to the island of Roatan we met with our Honduran team member Miguel, and began making plans for the trek to Potenciana. Miguel emphasized the need to begin our journey early enough in the day that we could be assured of arriving in the village before dark. After some prodding as to why we needed to arrive before dark, he hesitantly explained that Potenciana was in a remote region of the Olancho district and the roads were "not safe" after dark. After some more prodding, he admitted the danger was not so much bad road conditions as it was due to bandits that frequently ambushed vehicles at night. Needless to say, we were more than willing to leave early and asked what time it got daylight! We began our journey by taking an 1.5 hour ferry ride from the island of Roatan to the mainland city of La Ceiba. From there we rented a 4 wheel drive pickup for the remainder of our trip. Leaving La Ceiba, we drove on a decent pave road not much unlike typical farm to market roads in the US. After an hour and a half, we left the pavement and traveled on dirt roads for the next2 hours crossing some home made log bridges that I seriously doubted would support the weight of our truck. We then left the dirt roads and began traveling on primitive, washed out logging roads for the final 2 hours of our drive. We lost count of the number of creeks and streams we crossed and were greatful this was the dry season or the trail would have been impassable.<br />
We pulled into the village late in the afternoon and surprised the inhabitants with our appearance. They knew we were coming, but didn't know what day we would be arriving. This information had been intentionally withheld as an added precaution to minimize the chance of being robbed.<br />
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Potenciana is a primitive village nestled in the mountains of the Olancho district at an elevation of about 3,200 feet. A couple of years ago, the Honduran government ran electrical power into this area but only 2 or three houses in the village are wired for power. There is no running water, no vehicles, no sanitation system, no phone lines, people still use outdoor latrines, plow with oxen and cook using wood burning stoves and ovens. The walls of all the houses were made with handmade adobe blocks (painted white) and the roofs made with handmade red clay spanish tiles. Each house was exceptionally clean and it was evident the people took great pride in their homes. We were taken to meet the president of the village, Don Armando who graciously offered to let us stay in his home during our stay. It wasn't until the second night of our stay that I discovered he and his wife had given us their bedroom and were sleeping on the floor of their kitchen. I can't say enough about how wonderful all the people were and how welcome they made us feel even though we were perfect strangers to them. <br />
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Okay, thats enough for tonight....tomorrow I'll tell you how we met Maely. For a hint, you can take a look at our website <a href="http://www.thekingsstorehouse.org/">http://www.thekingsstorehouse.org/</a> , follow the "Central America" tab and then access the page we have dedicated to Maely. We have two video clips of our first meeting with her. The first clip is of her first ride in an automobile, the second shows the condition of her deformed feet. More on that later! Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226211404719401715.post-73398282167016653032010-09-26T23:13:00.000-07:002010-09-27T12:19:30.924-07:00How it all began!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What a creative and wonderful God we serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now before I begin quoting countless facts and scriptures that clearly testify to this fact….allow me to lay a little groundwork on how I have come to this startling conclusion on my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In June of 2008 my wife and I began making plans for a family/friend group vacation to “some place sunny and warm”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We couldn’t decide where to go and then a friend recommended the <placetype w:st="on">Island</placetype> of <city w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">R</placename>o</placename>a</placename>t</placename>a</placename>n</placename></city>, <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Honduras</country-region></place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I checked with the 11 other family and friends that were going and all agreed that was a wonderful idea….(13 people…..all agreed on a vacation destination…this should have been my first clue).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being the OCD, type A personality that I am, I immediately began researching various rental properties, checked into flight arrangements/costs, explored excursion options, checked weather patterns and developed a detailed plan that eventually rivaled that of the D-Day invasion. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The property that I selected was a beautiful private residence located on a private beach, with private dock and a private boat house….with enough rooms that 13 people could all stay under one roof and still have….you guessed it…Privacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this….for less money than we would have spent renting cheap hotel rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was falling into place perfectly and I reveled in the sheer genius of my master PLAN. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had I not been so busy patting myself on the back for finding this bargain…I might have begun to suspect something much bigger was in the works. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It was then that God started whispering in my ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He suggested that since we were going to be travelling to a third world country…. Wouldn’t it be great if we could meet some specific needs of the locals, while we were vacationing there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kind of like a Vacation/Mission trip! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> C</span>onvinced this was my own brilliant idea, I started searching the internet for missions, clinics etc. on the Island of Roatan that might need assistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within minutes I found a clinic called Clinica Esperanza (Clinic of Hope) which was in need of basic medical supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gathering a few suitcases of over the counter items would be relatively simple I thought, and this would allow me to quickly check off another box on my Honduran Vacation/Mission Master Plan!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Taking the list of items provided by the clinic, I set off for the nearest warehouse superstore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon my arrival, I began going up and down the aisles looking for the items on this list which I had beenj told could spell the difference between life and death in a third world country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first aisle I went down was nothing but diet pills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second aisle contained nothing but cosmetics and the third aisle was nothing but hair products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time I started down the fourth aisle, I had nothing in my shopping cart but my eyes were filling up with tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a typical guy…it took me a few minutes to figure out how diet pills, cosmetics and hair products could make a 200 lb, big game hunting, 3<sup>rd</sup> generation oil field worker cry like a baby…in a public place!</span></span></street></street></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Then it hit me....somewhere between aisle three and four, two things suddenly struck me to the core of my soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, how fortunate we were to live in a country where the average citizen is richer than 95% of the rest of the people in the entire world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second and more importantly, I was struck by how little I had done in my 51 years of life to share some of that abundance with “the least of these” as Jesus referred to in Matthew 25:40. Once the shopping cart was filled, m</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">y wife and I packed the purchased items into our “extra” suitcases and began to feel like maybe there was something more to this trip than just a warm, sunny vacation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weeks flew by and the day for our departure finally arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our flight was uneventful….always a good thing when your flying thousands of miles at 500 miles per hour in a pressurized tube at 37,000 feet!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We arrived safely on Roatan and just like clockwork, our contact (Wilfredo Mejilla) met us at the airport and took all 13 of us to our PRIVATE vacation villa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house and grounds surpassed all of our expectations and we were soon introduced to the properties resident grounds keeper Miguel, and his wife Wendy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither spoke English and after 25 years of disuse, my Spanish was somewhat rusty to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the next few days, we got a chance to visit with Miguel and learn more about him and his family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to being the groundskeeper, Miguel is also a full time professor at a local private school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although wealthy by island standards, Miguel and his family live on the equivalent of $340 US per <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">mont</place></state>h.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We discovered his wife, Wendy comes from a village high in the interior mountains of mainland <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Honduras</country-region></place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two of them (along with their two daughters) make<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trips back twice each year to carry much need clothing, shoes and other humanitarian aid to her village which is named Potenciana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Located in the rugged and sometimes lawless region of the Olancho district, <place w:st="on">Po</place>tenciana is a small village of 300 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people of Potenciana live a subsistence lifestyle much the way their ancestors have for the past 1,000 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no vehicles, no running water, no phone lines, and no sewer system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They still plow with oxen and cook on wood burning stoves and ovens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although extremely poor, these people are very generous and will share what little they have with perfect strangers. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">When Miguel discovered that we had brought medical supplies to the local clinic, he approached me one day and very timidly asked if we would be interested in helping out the people of <place w:st="on">Po</place>tenciana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> He explained t</span>heir only source of water is a stream above the village which was contaminated with bacteria and parasites causing significant illnesses among the inhabitants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then I realized that MY perfect PLAN for a sunny, warm family vacation was really just a tiny cog in the overall machinery of God’s universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was struck by the fact that Almighty God, who spoke the heavens and earth into existence by the power of HIS voice has chosen to use a couple of threads like us, and allow us to be woven into the perfect tapestry of his creation!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now, just two short years later, God has formed The King’s Storehouse which is a non-profit, tax exempt 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">gath</place></city>ering the surplus that God has blessed this great nation with, and sharing it with HIS less fortunate children around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the grace and power of our Loving God, we have been able to ship water filters, clothing, shoes, medical supplies and equipment to orphanages, clinics and remote villages in <country-region w:st="on">Honduras</country-region>, Democratic Republic of Congo, <country-region w:st="on">Tanzania</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Nigeria</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">China</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Korea</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Viet Nam</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Peru</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Haiti</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Guatemala</country-region> and <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Mexico</country-region></place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We are partnering with an ever expanding group of individuals and organizations to share the abundance we have been blessed with and use it as a means to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See other stories provided by Tom and Ginger Smith and Mike North regarding their efforts to start a tree planting ministry through The King’s Storehouse to serve the long term needs of remote villages in <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Tanzania</country-region></place> as well as share with them the Love of Christ. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What started as a family vacation has become an organization that is touching and changing lives all over the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come be a part of GOD’s master plan and see what HE can do through you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May God give you a love for the lost that will drive you to the ends of the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May he grant you <place w:st="on"><state w:st="on">wis</state></place>dom that you may hear and understand HIS voice, and may He give you more faith that you may move mountains in HIS name, and to HIS glory.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">COMING UP NEXT....MAELY'S MIRACLE </span></span></span></div>Bob Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737162846050807783noreply@blogger.com0