New Name for the Chapel on the Hill

We have a new name for the renovated chapel at Casa Hogar Douglas. It is now called The Juniper Tree Chapel. Back2Back has been assisting in the weekly worship services for more than a year now. In May of 2009 we finished remodeling the chapel with the help of the Juniper Tree Foundation. And finally, in January 2010, we officially named the building The Juniper Tree Chapel.

The name comes from the verse in 1 Kings 19. The prophet Elijah, was scared and fleeing for his life from Jezebel. The scripture says that he went a days journey into the desert and took refuge under a juniper tree. It says that he actually prayed that he would die there. Can you imagine being so scared and feeling so helpless? But under that juniper tree, in the middle of a desert, an angel of the Lord began to speak to Elijah. First, God provided food and water and rest. Then, He told him where He wanted him to go from there.

Like Elijah, most of the kids that live at Casa Hogar Douglas, are scared and perhaps running from their past. Some may even think death could be better. But just as the great prophet of old did thousands of years ago under a juniper tree, we want the children of Casa Hogar Douglas to find refuge in the Juniper Tree Chapel.

Sometimes, we are intimidated, by the impressive lives and experiences of people like Elijah. But, James 5:17 reminds us that "Elijah was a man just like us." We desire that all that come to worship God at the Juniper Tree Chapel, would find hope that they also can accomplish great things for God. All that is required is that they submit everything to Him.

Kids at Casa Hogar Douglas Serving again

The kids at Casa Hogar Douglas, took another road trip to share the love of Christ to some children in need. We chartered a bus so that everyone could make the 4 hour trip to Ciudad Victoria. For many of these kids, it was the farthest they have been from their home. The kids were able to share food, a pinata and gifts to 75 children who have very little. Our objective is for the kids of Casa Hogar Douglas to experience the joy of giving and not just receiving. The kids were excited to share the love of Christ in this way.

Inside of Church at Rio 3 Painted

For those that haven't seen it yet, we painted the inside of the church building at Rio 3. We would like to thank Dave Schreier Photography and Lifepoint Vineyard Church for making this possible. What a huge difference paint makes for a concrete building!

Fighting for the Orphan Child

A group of 18 adults, from Lifepoint Vineyard, came to serve with us in February. On Wednesday of that week, we headed to Casa Hogar Douglas to work for the day. I had a list of projects planned for the group to work on ahead of time. But, when we arrived, the workers at the home told me that the septic line was clogged and sewage was backing up. When I was dividing up

the job assignments for the day, I asked if a couple of the men could check out the problem and let me know what they thought we needed to do. Within the first hour, they discovered we had a big problem. About 200 feet of an 8" sewer pipe was clogged and in some places crushed. I really thought this was a problem that might take weeks to fix right. But these guys, were determined to fix it that day.

They quickly came up with a plan that involved jack hammering concrete, cutting out old damaged PVC piping and replacing it with new. They gave me a list of parts that they would need, and we abandoned some of our initial projects to concentrate on this more important one. I sent Mauricio to purchase the new parts and we got busy jack hammering. As the afternoon went on, we could see that we might end up working into the night. These determined guys were unanimous in wanting to finish this project before they left. As the sun was setting, and we were working by flashlight, many of the kids were beginning to go to sleep in their dorms. But just outside their window, they could hear 11 men fighting for their cause. These men weren't angry or even upset. Instead they were laughing and joking about working in poop in the dark.

The part that impressed me the most, was how safe these young kids felt as they went to sleep that night. Most nights, children in a casa hogar go to sleep insecure. Sometimes, they may even have fear about something that is going on in their life. And for most kids in a children's home, men have let them down the most. But on this night, the young kids at Casa Hogar Douglas, went to sleep knowing that 11 men were working with the joy of the Lord, in very unpleasant conditions, for their benefit. For at least one night, the men of Lifepoint Vineyard brought peace and security to the frightening world these kids live in. And they did it in a very simple way.