Reflections on Hogar de Amor - Ben

What's special about Mexico to me is being there with the kids. I've been for three years and each year I've come back to see the kids again and help with things around their house, like painting and cleaning. The kids are so kind and they want to share what little they have. It feels like visiting a lot of friends I haven't seen in a year.

I would like to learn how to make the best of everything I have even if the everything is nothing.

Reflections on Hogar de Amor - Jamie

Last month we had the joy and pleasure of our third annual trip to the Hogar de Amor orphanage in Colima, Mexico.  You can read all about the trip on our team blog, http://centerpointmexico.blogspot.com.

Here are my reflections from this year's trip.

---

Hogar de Amor is a lot of things to me. It's a place I get to serve alongside my kids and my mom. It's a place I get to bring my church family and introduce them to the amazing joys of serving. It's a place where I am reminded of how very much I have to be grateful for. It's a place full of friends who mean a whole darn lot to me. It's a place of grace. It's a place that's doing institutional care right.

I have 2 kids by birth and 2 by adoption, so I've spent more than my fair share of time in orphanages (although nowhere near as long as my girls!). There is no substitute for a permanent home and a loving family, but if anything could come close, it's Hogar de Amor.

Grupo Amor (the church that runs Hogar de Amor) is committed to doing the very best they can for the kids in their care. These kids have food to eat and clothes to wear. They have houseparents and community who truly love them and are committed to them for the long haul. They have excellent education and are supported all the way through university. They have Jesus at every turn.

Somebody asked the very good question before this year's trip: If these kids have it so good, why don't we go to a really destitute place, a place where they really need us? My answer is two-fold:

1. The kids and caregivers of Hogar de Amor, though better off than many, still sure do appreciate extra hands, extra supplies, and a few hours when they don't have to serve as parent to 12-30 small children. Let's not romanticize things too much here; life is not easy at the hogar.
2. This is a chance for us to support a group who is trying to do things right. Hogar de Amor is a movement out of the community striving to care for its own. They are committed to best practices in orphan care. And by supporting them, we help them to spread and care for more kids following the same healthy model.

Hogar de Amor is not a perfect place - but it is a good place. And it is sheer joy to me that I get to be a small part of this very good place.

Adventures in Dublin

Ok, I admit it, April was a whirlwind. Between our amazing mission trip to Mexico and work trips to Seattle, Dublin, and Seattle again I was home a whopping 12 days. All month. Not ok.

Dublin was a whole lot of work, but I also managed to get out of the office for a couple of days and see some of the countryside.

Here's what I learned about Ireland this trip:

1. The weather is amazing. Sunny and gorgous
2. The Euro is affordable
3. Riding in the passenger seat while your never-been-to-Europe coworker drives on the left-hand side of the road from the right-hand side of the car is terrifying. But we survived with nary a scratch to the rental car

So, yes, the luck of the Irish was with me throughout the trip!

Here are some of my favorite shots from Dublin and surrounds:

This is Powerscourt Waterfall - the tallest waterfall in the English Isles. Apparently living in Utah kind of spoils you for waterfalls and "heights" because, although very nice, I certainly wouldn't say the falls were a €5 per person tourist destination.

The Cliffs of Moher were amazing

Obligatory castle tour

St. Stephen's Green

St. Patrick's Cathedral

View from my room :)

Irish candy for mom

Irish candy for the babies - all were pleased!