What's going on at Dulce Refugio
I know that many people have passed through this orphanage and left their mark at Dulce Refugio. I want to keep all of you informed about what is going on with the kids and the construction process. Please remember to keep us in your thoughts and prayers; I hope you continue to help us out here at Casa Hogar Dulce Refugio. Gracias amigos!
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This December we started decorating and preparing for our busiest month of the year. Our schedule was full with "posadas" (Christmas parties) and the kids had a great time! Much of the donations that we receive in December last us the whole year. We are very blessed and appreciate all who took the time to bless the kids and the orphanage.
Before most of the festivities we said goodbye to our oldest boy, Jesus & his sister Belen. They have been with us for almost 1 1/2 years and were both sweethearts. Jesus helped me out a lot around the orphanage and Belen always wanted to be picked up. They will be missed.
We welcomed Coco. Coco is the younger sister of Elvira, our oldest girl. They hadn't seen each other in years and it was a pleasant reunion. We kept it a secret from Elvira and told her we had a surprise for her when she got home from school. They were hugging and crying tears of joy.
The plastic bag on Coco's head is not for fashion. She came with lice and we had to give her a vinegar treatment. Luckily we didn't have to shave her head!
We got invited to and hosted tons of posadas (Christmas parties). Just about every day there were piñatas, candy, gifts, events, and more. We decorated our dining hall for the season and everybody enjoyed the time together with the kids. The people of Aguascalientes were so generous and we appreciate all that they do to bless us at Dulce Refugio.
The biggest posada of the year is with a company called Donaldson. They have been one of our biggest supporters over the years and they always invite us to their company party. They had tons of games for the kids, a live "lucha libre" (Mexican wrestling match), and many other events for everybody. Our kids performed some dances on their stage in front of a couple hundred people and we all had a great time there. What a blessing this month has been!
I was able to still find time to work in the midst of all the holiday chaos. I installed a "tinaco" (water storage tank) on the roof of the school because everytime the city turned the water off the kids were without water in the school. Now they can go for a couple of days without a problem.
I fixed the window and patched up the hole where we had the leak in the school. Then I painted everything so it looks as good as new again. Hopefully I won't have to smash up our school again anytime soon!
I helped fix up Guera's room. Guera is on our staff and she transferred to the girls dorm. I installed some shelves in the bedroom and fixed the tiles on her sink because the old ones were all falling off. Our staff works really hard and I wanted to make sure she had everything she needed in her new room.
I cleaned out the "welding room" in the school. Now that the construction is done, I could finally get all of my tools out of there. Things just kept piling up and it got to the point where I could barely walk inside. Anyway, we have plans to turn this room into a gym for the kids and have it be part of their P.E. curriculum. The room is now prepped so I just have to buy a special rubber floor and some weight equipment.
Before
After
I took the kids downtown to see the Christmas lights. Every year the city of Aguascalientes beautifully decorates the central plaza. It was a fun time and it's always a pleasure to get the kids out of the house.
We had our staff "posada." The kids had so many parties this month so it was time for the adults to enjoy a night. We ate really good carne asada, did a gift exchange, and just hung out without working. It was a nice, relaxing time.
I went home to San Diego on December 23rd to spend Christmas with the family. My brother and his family were already there and it was good to see him, his wife, and my nephews. Then on Christmas morning we left for Phoenix, AZ, to spend a couple days with my sister and her family. It is always a blessing to get together with everybody and just relax with family. I hope everybody had a great Christmas and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!!!