A Few Words About Adoption

YesWeServe exists in order to “change the world, one child at a time”.  Every so often someone who travels with us on one of our mission trips – be it for one day or two weeks – inquires about the possibility of adopting one of the heart-breakers at one of our Children’s Homes.

We understand that our main mission in this regard is to support the well-being of each child as a member of the Children’s Home community; a place where they will have a roof over their head, receive healthy, consistent meals, be provided with schooling, a loving family atmosphere, be and feel safe, and learn about God and His love.

Since most people visit the children’s homes in Mexicali, consider the following:

1)     Most of the children we minister to in Mexicali are not “true orphans” (= where neither mother nor father is in the picture).  The majority of the children have a mother who, for various reasons, is not able to or interested in caring for her child.  She may visit her child(-ren) at the Children’s Home on week-ends, infrequently, or (almost) never.

2)     There are several sets of siblings at the Children’s Homes.  Given that they are at the Children’s Home in the first place indicates that they come from a broken family background, with all the accompanying trauma. Therefore, we would not recommend breaking up sets of siblings for adoption.

3)     Your interest in adopting these children is noble and has the ability to be life changing for these children.  If  someone desires to pursue an adoption, he/she will need to work with the authorities both here in the US and in Mexico, as well as with the Director of the Children’s Home.

If you would like to support the children, please consider giving a monthly donation, either through your bank or through the PayPal account on our website – www.yesweserve.org.

Join us for our Missionary for a Day trip to Mexicali, 5 July

This is your official announcement for our next "Missionary for a Day" trip to Mexicali, Mexico :)  Mark the date: Saturday 5 July.

We are returning to El Bosque de la Ciudad - always a favorite with the children (and many YesWeServers, too!) - because that's where the pools are located : )

Please be prepared to pay your own entrance fee (-s); it's US$2.00 for the general park admission, and another $US5.00 for the pools access.  The trip itself is free, but your driver will always appreciate help with the gas money - please give as you are able.

If you plan on going, please reply by email to let me know no later than Tuesday 1 July (after that, I won't be able to guarantee you a seat) and also indicate if you can drive, and how many free seats you have.   As always, we leave from Seventh Street Church parking lot at 6 a.m., and return by approximately 8:30 p.m.

Remember to bring your valid passport!

We look forward to your being part of our "Missionary for a Day" team where we show and live out God's love for the children in Mexicali!

God bless you today!

Missionary for a Day trip to Mexicali - Saturday 7 June

It’s time to get back in the water!   Announcing our next "Missionary for a Day" trip to Mexicali, Mexico!  Mark the date: Saturday 7 June.  

We are returning to El Bosque de la Ciudad - always a favorite with the children (and many YesWeServers, too!) - because that's where the pools are located : )

Please be prepared to pay your own entrance fee (-s); it's US$2.00 for the general park admission, and another $US5.00 for the pools access.  The trip itself is free, but your driver will always appreciate help with the gas money - please give as you are able.

If you plan on going, please reply by email to let me know no later than Tuesday 3 June (after that, I won't be able to guarantee you a seat) and also indicate if you can drive, and how many free seats you have.   As always, we leave from Seventh Street Church parking lot at 6 a.m., and return by approximately 8:30 p.m.

We look forward to your being part of our "Missionary for a Day" team where we show and live out God's love for the children in Mexicali!

We need wheels for Martin!

We have for some time been helping Martin get his taco business going.  The first week after he originally got the business going, there was major set-back when thieves broke into the taco cart.  Martin set about replacing and repairing the vandalized parts on the cart as well as the stolen cutlery and equipment. 

He then located a safe spot for the business and started to build a clientele. He was finally starting to get some traction!

Then his 23 year old Isuzu Trooper bit the dust – for the last time.  No, you don’t understand: that car was the lifeline of La Esperanza de los Niños orphanage.  It was transportation to school every day for the children, as well as to doctor’s appointments.  And errands to keep the Home going.  Besides, the government requires children’s homes to have a working vehicle – if they don’t, the consequences are serious!

Now they have to walk everywhere.  Mexicali is located in the middle of the desert, and it gets really hot there in in the summer.

In the picture you see the children and Director Martin with the now derelict vehicle.  There is no “Rainy-day Fund” to acquire a replacement. There is no reserve account in the bank.

So, that leaves it to us who care for these children and their care-takers to help come up with a solution.  Besides ignoring their plight, I see two options:

1)      Do you know someone who knows someone who can provide the Esperanza de los Niños orphanage with a working vehicle – or do you have a vehicle yourself that you can donate?

2)      If you would rather donate money, we know that a decent vehicle, years 2001-2003, may be purchased locally for US$1,800-2K.

Let’s get those wheel turning!

HOW YOU CAN HELP S.T.A.R.T.S.

Want to do something to help kids in our neighborhood, but you don’t have the time to volunteer in the afternoon?

Here is a great way for you to pitch in: Every day we feed the STARTS kids both a snack AND a meal.  The children come from homes which often are broken, struggling with lack of income, abusive, etc.

The program is free but we still need to acquire the food to feed them each and every day we open the doors.

Please look at the list at the end of this article and tell your friends about it, too: which items can you help us with?

There are 20 children in the program, so you can “do the math” as to how much is needed.  At some of our supporting churches we have placed donation boxes – decorated by the children – with the list of needed food items.  Let us know if a box may be placed at your workplace, as well – or in your home?

We really do want “to change the world, one child at a time”; we are inviting you to come alongside us in that endeavor by supporting the STARTS program.

If you would prefer to donate a monetary gift, remember that we are a not-for-profit 501 ©(3), and that your gift to YesWeServe is tax-deductible.

LIST OF NEEDED ITEMS:

Cheese sauce, chips, crackers (Graham, Animal, Cheese),

Forks and spoons, fruit snacks,

Granola bars,

Jelly,

Napkins,

Oatmeal,

Pancake mix, pasta, peanut butter, popcorn,

Rice,

Spam, spaghetti sauce,

Toilet paper, trail mix,

Wipes.

Thank you and God bless you for your generosity!

Missionary for a Day - Saturday 3 May

Our next Missionary for a Day trip to our orphanages in Mexicali, Mexico, is just a few days away – Saturday 3 May - and we invite you to join us!

As always, we leave from Seventh Street Church parking lot at 6 a.m., and return by approximately 8:30 p.m. the same day.
The trip itself is free, but your driver will always appreciate help with the gas money - please give as you are able.
Our trip this time will take us to each of the three orphanages where we will repeat the same program; crafts, Bible story, singing, games, etc.

If you plan on going, please let us know by email - Geir@yesweserve.com - no later than Tuesday 29 April (this helps me greatly to arrange seating for you; If you don’t let me know by this deadline, we won't be able to guarantee you a seat) and also indicate if you can drive, and how many free seats you have in your vehicle. 

We look forward to your being part of our "Missionary for a Day" team where we show and live out God's love for the children in Mexicali!

ATTENTION all present and future Team YesWeServe members!

After our successful participation last fall, YesWeServe has again been chosen as an official charity for the 2014 Long Beach Marathon!
So, now it's time to sign up and start training!

The cost this year is the same as last year: $30.00 for 5K run or Bike ride, and $80.00 for the Half or Full marathons.
When you have decided in which distance you want to participate, you can pay through our website, www.yesweserve.org, send a check to our mailing address at 2436 E. 4th Street, #44, LB, CA 90814, or give it to us. Checks should be made out to YesWeServe. We need your payment by the end of this month to get you signed up and ready to go.

This year we can buy athlete codes - at reduced “charity rates” - only in blocks of 20. The first 20 are due by the end of April, so make sure you sign up by that deadline.  After that, the prices go up.

New this year is a bi-athlon option: if this is your choice, you will start with the bike ride at 6 a.m. followed by running either a Half marathon (start at 7:30 a.m.) or a 5K run (start at 8:30 a.m.).
We will start our Team training after Easter.  Whether you are currently on a training program or starting from scratch, we have a training program to help you reach your goal on Race Day!

Last year we raised over $7,000.00 dollars for our “Milk for the Masses” project, and we want to top that amount this year!  So, we are challenging all Team YesWeServe participants to raise $250.00 each.  Give it your best effort – whether you reach your personal goal or not - you are, of course, still on the team J 

We will follow up with more information in this and our other social media spaces.
GO TEAM YESWESERVE!

La Huerta del Señor – The Lord’s Garden

     I had driven past the rubble which used to be the location of our El Niño Feliz (The Happy Child) orphanage in Mexicali, Mexico, so many times over the years.  But this particular time The Holy Spirit shot a thought into my head, and I saw a fruit and vegetable garden!  

      Over seven years ago there was an electric fire at the El Niño Feliz orphanage.  All the children made it safely off the property, but the City came in and deemed that it was too damaged to repair, so the whole structure was razed. The 20+ kids, with their care-takers, moved into a two bedroom house around the corner until a permanent location could be secured.

     The former property deteriorated to a heap of rubble, and has been left unattended since. Whenever talk about the abandoned lot came up Concha, the Director of the Children’s Home, would talk about her dream that one day…  

     I didn’t really give it much constructive thought – until I drove past the property a couple of months ago.

     At YesWeServe we get excited about anything that is “help to self-help” and which smells of sustainability!

     A blossoming garden offers plenty of opportunity:

-        Planting of fruit trees and vegetables

-        Watering the coming harvest

-        Harvesting the crops

-        The kids can be involved at every stage of the       process

     Additionally, valuable and practical Bible and life lessons can be taught (and caught!) along with the involvement. The harvest will benefit the daily meals served from the kitchen at El Niño Feliz.  It will also offer the possibility of income if/when the harvest is plentiful: any extra fruit and vegetables may be sold to local businesses, or at a local market.

     So, how about it? Are you ready to getting your fingers dirty? You are hereby invited to join the YesWeServe Work Team!  The rubble needs to be cleared out, watering system put in, seeds planted, etc. etc. 

     Let me hear from you!

Kyle's testimony

I used to be skeptical about the long term impact of short term mission trips.  Still, I joined a group of volunteers that gather the first Saturday of every month to visit three orphanages in Mexicali and bring them food, clothes and gifts every Christmas.  I looked forward to seeing the smiles of the children and the adults who have taken them in without compensation or government funding.

YesWeServe has found a way to organize short term mission trips that allow numerous people to participate while maintaining integrity in leaving a lasting impression on the individuals they are serving.  I have had the privilege to participate in several of the day trips to Mexicali, plus the Thursday following the big earthquake in Mexicali, to  bring water but most of all comfort to these children.  For me personally this moment convinced me that we were more to these orphanages than just the generous Americans that visit. 

            Over the years I have enjoyed becoming a familiar face to these children and watch them grow up.  One child in particular I developed a bond with in spite of a language barrier through pushing him on the swing, making sandwiches for him and just making him laugh.  It tugged heavy on my heart when I showed up one Saturday to find out he had been sent back home to an abusive situation and the orphanage couldn’t do anything about it. 

My greatest experience with YesWeServe came during the summer of 2010 in Ghana, West Africa.  I got to see firsthand the impact of our partnership with Beacon School through school supplies, recreational uniforms and equipment we provided, to investing in future projects to maintain sustainability and allow for growth in enrollment.  I spent a week teaching Bible lessons to children, who through their courage and joyfulness, showed me I could learn a thing or two from them about constantly rejoicing in the Lord. 

 

The greatest thing I have taken away from my experiences with YesWeServe is that it is more beneficial to partner with, empower and equip along with serving by giving donations.  Serving in a way that maintains the dignity and integrity of both parties and considers the complete needs of a person and not just provisionally.

"Juanito”, the Mask, and your New Year’s Resolutions

When we visited Mexicali a couple of months ago we found the youngest of the children, “Junanito”, 1 ½ year “old”, sick in another room – away from the rest.  He had been under the weather for a while, but was treated as best his care-takers at the Children’s Home mustered.  With the help of a local pharmacist he eventually recovered.

Then Christmas came and with it a rare chance for him to spend time with his mother.  She is very young and is very neglectful in her care of her little son.  And, of course - it reflects a rather common social ill - there is no father in the picture.

So, when she returned “Juanito” to the Children’s Home, he had relapsed and was in a considerably worse state than before she took him away, as well as showing signs of physical abuse.

Director Martin was able to rent a nebulizer (retails for less than $40.00 at CVS) from a local medical outlet at $20/week.  In addition to medication @ $10/day, “Juanito” is now improving.

When you support the ministry of YesWeServe, you help us help children like “Juanito” lead a better and healthier life.  It is often said in appeals that “any amount helps”; this is one example of how a relatively small amount (less than forty bucks) can make a considerable difference in the lives of both children and adults who live and work in our childrens’ home.

How are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along?  Did you toss out the list five weeks ago? Want to give it one more try? Please determine to become a regular financial supporter of YesWeServe and help children like “Juanito”, and in that way helping to “change the world, one child at a time”!