On Sunday, November 7, Christians stand for the orphan on what is called Orphan Sunday. We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to care for the child that has no family…to visit orphans in their distress.

From many sources, one voice. Hundreds of events across America and beyond, all sharing a single goal: that God’s great love for the orphan will find echo in our lives as well.

Each as they are led. Sermons and small groups, concerts and prayer gatherings—each rousing believers with God’s call to care for the orphan…and what we can do in response.

Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan.  If you church is participating in this incredible event, we’d ask that you remember Hope For Tomorrow Children’s Home and the ministry we are doing with orphaned Guatemalans.  If your church isn’t participating, you can bring this special day to their attention and get more information at www.orphansunday.org

If we can help you organize this event, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Next week I will have the privilege of being able to travel to the Kentucky and speak at a number of churches about the amazing things that are happening at Hope For Tomorrow Children’s Home.  Already the schedule we have put together is pretty hectic, but we’re hoping more opportunities will fall into place in the coming days.  I’d like to personal ask that you be praying for this trip as it’s going to be a unique opportunity for all of us.   Please pray for safe travels as I go to and from various places throughout the two weeks I will be there.  Also pray that I will have wisdom as I speak to the different churches I will be going to.  Finally, pray that the trip will be a success!

Below is the itinerary we have put together so you can track me and pray for me specifically as I travel.

Finally, if you live in the Kentucky area and would like to get a group of friends together and come over and share or would like me to speak to your church group, feel free to email me (ksese@hope4tomorrow.net) to set it up.

Thanks and God bless!!

Kenneth’s US Trip Schedule

Tuesday 2

11:00 PM – Arrive in Louisville

Wednesday 3

6:30 PM – The Alter (Lawrenceburg)

Thursday 4

1:30 PM – Meeting with Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church (Lexington)

Friday 5

12:30 PM – Meeting with Church of the Savior (Lexington)

5:30 PM – Chili Dinner @ Good Shepherd (Lexington)

8:30 PM – Drive to Cincinnati (Time with Mom)

Saturday 6

All Day – Mom

Sunday 7

8:30 AM – Hope Church (Frankfort)

9:30 AM – SFPC (Frankfort)

11:00 AM – Hope Church (Frankfort)

3:00 PM – Drive to Muldraugh

6:00 PM – Muldraugh Baptist Church (Muldraugh)

Monday 8

OPEN

Tuesday 9

OPEN

Wednesday 10

5:00 PM – Immanuel Baptist Church (Lexington)

Thursday 11

OPEN

Friday 12

6:00 PM – Possible Dinner at Nathaniel’s Church

Saturday 13

10:30 AM Fundraiser @ Elizabeth’s Home (Lexington)

Sunday 14

Leave for Guatemala

The school year is over for our children and we have put together an educational update for you.  Enjoy!

Preschool

Our 4 youngest children have experienced a wonderful school year with our teacher Delmy. Delmy created an active/hands-on curriculum, and attended to the individual needs of all of the children. She is an outstanding teacher who is eager to try any strategies we suggest. Below is an update of how the children are doing in preschool.

Moses (age 1) is developing right on target. He started walking at 13 months. Moses is inquisitive and enjoys playing with his brothers and sisters He babbles some, but we continue to remind the staff to talk to him and read stories to him. Moses is a very content baby and charms everyone who meets him.

Juan Jose (age 4) has made tremendous progress this school year. He is saying many more words and can even say his vowel sounds. He know his colors and can count in Spanish and English to 5. He is learning to trace numbers and letters. His favorite activities are listening to music, playing with blocks, and running!

Carlos (age 6) continues to exceed all of our expectations. Earlier this year he learned to go the bathroom all by himself. He is using a picture communication system independently and our goal is to get him an augmentative communication system. He can still walk independently, however, he is having greater difficulty due to his spasticity. We are hopeful that the physical therapy he has finally started physical therapy. His favorite activities are listening to music, working puzzles, and playing any kind of ball.

Lidia (age 6) will start first grade in January. According to her teacher she is socially and academically ready to begin. She knows most all of the vowel and consonant sounds and is beginning to read sight words. She knows all basic concepts (colors, numbers, shapes). Lidia’s social skills are improving and she is learning to engage appropriately in games and other group activities. Her favorite activities include singing and dancing, coloring and making crafts, and playing with her dolls.

Miguel

Miguel (age 12) has had the toughest year in school of any of the children. You may remember that he had never been in school before. He attended La Patria and was placed in the 4th grade. Initially he was going to audit the class because he had yet to receive his diplomas for grades 1 through 3. Throughout the year, he did, in fact, receive diplomas for grades 1 through 3. Because of that, he WILL pass 4th grade upon successful completion of his examinations this week.

We are very proud of how hard Miguel has worked and how school has helped him mature socially and academically.

Amelia

Amelia (age 7) was a star in her first grade class. She received the highest mark in her class in English. Her literacy skills in both English and Spanish are proficient for her age. Her favorite subject is math. In a conversation with the school principal in the spring, we were told that Amelia was one of their best students and that she was very intelligent. Amelia has made many new friends and recently “wowed” us bey telling us the telephone number of her best friends. All of believe Amelia might be the first female President of Guatemala.

Edwin

Edwin (age 9). Edwin attends Santa Sofia School for Children with Special Needs. The school uses a developmental approach to teaching children with disabilities. As well, all children participate in a type of therapy called Neuro Net. It appears to be a form of sensory integration therapy, which is helpful to Edwin.  Edwin is in a class of about 10 children. We were concerned about his ability to participate in a structured education program all day, but he has done wonderfully. The principal says that his behavior is excellent, something for which we are all grateful. On Wednesday’s Edwin’s school takes the children swimming which is one of his favorite activities.

This past week we received some incredible news regarding Miguel: he passed 4th grade!  Now, while any achievement is worthy of celebration, usually progressing from one grade to the next like this, especially in elementary school, is somewhat of a given.  But in Miguel’s case, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.  This was not just a normal show-up-and-go-through-the-paces type success, but rather an achievement that was won after a grueling uphill battle.

As many of you know, Miguel for the first 5 years of his life lived on the streets of Guatemala, homeless and helpless.  Instead of participating in kindergarten as other children of his age were, he was learning from the school of life.  When his peers were learning how to color within the lines and write their names, Miguel was begging for food and trying to survive.  For years, Miguel received none of the nurturing, care, and stimulation that are critical for development at an early age.  When he was picked up off the streets and taken to an orphanage, he was already way behind, but rather than try to get him caught up, he stayed stagnate.  Receiving an education in many orphanages is an afterthought, and in some cases seen as a waste of money and time.  So Miguel grew up, 7 years old, 8 years old, 9 years old…never knowing how to read a book or write his name.  Never having stepped foot in a school, much less a classroom.

So when Miguel entered fourth grade at the beginning of this year, he had 11 years of experiences telling him that the process he was about to commence was going to be impossible.  You see, he didn’t enter in 4th grade as a normal student, but rather as a sit in, because he had never been through first, second, or third grade.  Before he would be officially enrolled, he had to complete those previous grades, all while doing the same homework, projects, and tests as his fourth grade peers!

On top of his academic pressures, Miguel had to endure an entirely new experience.  Remember, he had never been to school before.  He had never studied for a test.  He had never been in a structured environment like a school.  He had never been thrown into a large group of prepubescent boys and girls.  The pressures he faced seemed insurmountable.

From January to June, he studied and studied.  His first grade test came and he passed with flying colors.  His second grade test came, and even though it was a bit harder, Miguel came out ahead.  But then came his third grade test.  At this point he was really feeling the pressure, and to be honest I think he was just tired of studying.  Unfortunately, his first attempt didn’t go very well, and even though he passed the second time, it was evident that he struggled.  And then it hit him, and us; if his third grade tests were this difficult, how would he fare with his 4th grade final exams?

Going into his finals at the beginning of October, Miguel was noticeably nervous and stressed.  On more than one occasion he had would sit down and tears would run down his cheek as he shared his fear of not passing fourth grade.  But he fought through.  He clung to Phillipians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Exam week came and went and then came the agonizing week of waiting to hear the results.  When we finally heard the news that Miguel had passed fourth grade, it was hard to hold the tears back.  Here is a 12 year old boy that has accomplished an incredible feat and we are so proud of him.

As I was writing this I was listening to a song by Chris Tomlin called “Our God”.  I think the words of the chorus perfectly summarize Miguel’s accomplishment, and how in Christ we can do all things:

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is healer, awesome in power,
Our God, Our God.
And if our God is for us, then who can ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

Despite incredible obstacles, pressures, and challenges, there was nothing that could stand against Miguel!

Miguel, we couldn’t be prouder of you!!

This October we had the special priviledge of having Jennifer’s home church come down and work with our children for a week.  This mighty team worked in the morning doing some minor (and in some cases, major) repair work.  The afternoons were spent taking the children to the retreat center where the team was staying and hosting a Vacation Bible School with them.  Originally the team was going to be headed by Mark, the man that was described to me as single handedly building a Habitat for Humanity house, and he had been the point man on a lot of the repair work.  But an unfortunate medical problem kept him from coming, and the team was without their fearless leader.  However this small team brushed aside any notion of this being a set back and decided to work as hard as possible to complete the project list we had for them.  And work they did!  Paul, Jennifer’s husband, stepped up and fixed everything from some broken lights to holes in the doors.  The rest of the team distributed themselves and painted the younger and older boys rooms as well as fixed the outside wall that was falling apart due to all the rain we had.

In all the entire week was incredible and this team worked extremely hard morning till night.  The children loved the VBS they did and I they all learned a little bit more about the amazing God we serve.

Here are some pictures we took during the week.

Remember, once you click on an image and it enlarges, you can navigate to the next image by clicking on the right side of the image (a “NEXT” button appears) or return to the previous picture by clicking the left side of the image (a “PREV” button appears). When you are done, click the “CLOSE” button or click outside of the picture.

Below are the pictures we took during the fun day we had.  We took them to Mixco Viejo, some ruins about an hour and a half outside of Guatemala City, and then went to Antigua Guatemala.

Brenda and Jennifer came down towards the end of September mostly to see the children, but they like to say that it’s to plan and meet!!  Sure, we did a lot of planning and meeting and talking, but we also spent a lot of time with the children.  One of the activities that the children always love is swimming and every time Brenda and Jennifer come they always ask if we’re going swimming!  It’s like that aunt or grandparent that always buys you ice cream every time you see them.  Anyway, here are some pictures from the few days they were here.

Remember, once you click on an image and it enlarges, you can navigate to the next image by clicking on the right side of the image (a “NEXT” button appears) or return to the previous picture by clicking the left side of the image (a “PREV” button appears). When you are done, click the “CLOSE” button or click outside of the picture.