These smiles and thank you's are yours

This time for one of my favorite posts of the year!
 To all of you who gave, this post is especially for you.
I try to get a picture of each child we give a box to.  Sometimes I miss a few pictures, but every single box we get is always placed into the hands of a child, telling them that there was somebody thinking about them this Christmas.   Telling them that Jesus loves them.
All the hugs and thanks I was given, I give to you.

"Please tell those who gave these gifts to our children, 'Thank you.  Thank you for thinking about us.'"- Guadalupe- Mom to 5 children ages 10-1

"Thank you.  These boxes are the only Christmas gift our children ever receive."- Ester- Mom to 2 in the village of Jesus Maria

"I still have everything that you gave me last year....except for the candy."- Alondra- 10 year old girl who comes on our bus route

"Please tell the people thank you"-

 Jesus Apolinar- 10 year old in the fishing village of Ensenada Blanca

When I first posted about this years Christmas Box ministry, I asked the Lord to let enough boxes come in to at least give to the 2 villages where Daniel regularly preaches as well as to the children of our church families and bus routes.

We would need about 70 boxes.  The last time we had to have the boxes sent to us here in Mexico, we received around 40.  

So we waited and all at once, the boxes began coming in.

On December 18th, we drove out to Ensenada Blanca where we've been holding services each Tuesday for a couple of months now.  

And we gave out boxes to the children there.  A place where we've never given boxes before.

Then on the 23rd, we had our Christmas service at church.

Between the children of our church families and the ones who came in on the bus routes, we gave out another 45.

Daniel and the boys drove out to Jesus Maria, a village surrounded by many ranches where Daniel has preached for over 2 years.  They handed out boxes to the children there.

And we still had more boxes...and more came in.
The flu hit our home hard and we were down for a few days.

But last Friday, Elijah loaded the rest of them into our car and Rebekah and I went to Clemantina's house.

Some of you may remember her from last year...the Grandmother with the many, many grandchildren who use to not even let us talk to her.  She received me with open arms, a hug and we spent about a half and hour there handing out boxes to all those children, watching them play with their new toys and gifts, sharing Christ with Guadalupe, the mother of 5 of those children.  

Praying that the love of Jesus will soften their hearts and they will someday come to know Him!

That these children will know we love them.  That Jesus loves them.

We continued driving to the homes of many others, giving out gifts, and receiving many hugs and thanks.

Those hugs and thank you's are yours.

Thank you so much for your sacrifice and love in giving.

Pray for these children.  Pray the Lord will continue to use us here to reach them for Him.

Children of our church here-
Baptist Church of Ciudad Insurgentes

Marcos, Jorge, (Visitor), Fernando

(Back) Alondra, Michel, Maricruz, Britani, Fernanda
(Front) Dulce, Pablo, Abraham

Angel

Yuster

Sweet girl that just began coming

Eddie

Juanito

Alex

Berni

Sarai

Yoselina

Dana

Pricila

Lorena

Juanito

Soledad

Mariana

Alondra

Perla

Cecilia

Estrella

Oyuki

Children from Clementina's Home

Children in our town

Children in Ensenada Blanca

Children of Jesus Maria