Check out the article I wrote about the Independence Day celebration. Click on the news link on the right. It is the first article, titled "Independence Day."
http://www.nph.org/?page=homes/home.php&org=8&lang=en&fr=1
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
A looooong overdue update
Hello,
Please excuse the long wait for an update. Since my vacations, I have been very busy.
I would first like to thank everyone who donated books for my girls. I really appreciate it. I was able to give each girl a new book for the new school year. It is great to see the girls reading when I pass through the section at night, and they all want to talk about what they are reading. Thank you again.
It is not too late to send books. My parents will be down this fall and they will be able to deliver them.
A few highlights from the past two months:
My birthday - We celebrated with pizza and my girls surprised me with enchiladas and Las Mananitas, the traditional birthday song and a beautiful card signed, “from your daughters.” In addition, as getting people wet is part of the festivities here at the house, I had an egg broken on my head, was covered in flour and thrown in the shower…all in good fun.
The Anniversary – The Anniversary is a yearly family reunion where all of the former pequenos and their families come to visit. It is really beautiful to see people who have grown up here and moved on to be self-sufficient adults.
Holy Name (my home parish) came to visit and it was fun to see the kids working with our kids because only five years ago I was on that trip.
My brother and his friend came to visit and since then I can’t avoid being called sister-in-law by nearly every girl in the house.
Thanks again for the books. Please pray for our NPH brothers and sisters in Haiti. The country has been hit by three hurricanes in the last month. http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/s/769/inner.aspx?sid=769&gid=1&pgid=252&cid=1450&ecid=1450&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=719
Peace
Patient Trust in Ourselves and in the Slow Work of God
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way
to something unknown,
something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made
by passing through some stages of instability,
and that it may take a very long time.
And so, I think, it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually. Let them grow.
Let them shape themselves without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on
as though you could be today what time
-that is to say- grace
and circumstances
acting on your own good will
will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
Above all, trust in the slow work of God,
our loving vine-dresser.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Please excuse the long wait for an update. Since my vacations, I have been very busy.
I would first like to thank everyone who donated books for my girls. I really appreciate it. I was able to give each girl a new book for the new school year. It is great to see the girls reading when I pass through the section at night, and they all want to talk about what they are reading. Thank you again.
It is not too late to send books. My parents will be down this fall and they will be able to deliver them.
A few highlights from the past two months:
My birthday - We celebrated with pizza and my girls surprised me with enchiladas and Las Mananitas, the traditional birthday song and a beautiful card signed, “from your daughters.” In addition, as getting people wet is part of the festivities here at the house, I had an egg broken on my head, was covered in flour and thrown in the shower…all in good fun.
The Anniversary – The Anniversary is a yearly family reunion where all of the former pequenos and their families come to visit. It is really beautiful to see people who have grown up here and moved on to be self-sufficient adults.
Holy Name (my home parish) came to visit and it was fun to see the kids working with our kids because only five years ago I was on that trip.
My brother and his friend came to visit and since then I can’t avoid being called sister-in-law by nearly every girl in the house.
Thanks again for the books. Please pray for our NPH brothers and sisters in Haiti. The country has been hit by three hurricanes in the last month. http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/s/769/inner.aspx?sid=769&gid=1&pgid=252&cid=1450&ecid=1450&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=719
Peace
Patient Trust in Ourselves and in the Slow Work of God
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way
to something unknown,
something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made
by passing through some stages of instability,
and that it may take a very long time.
And so, I think, it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually. Let them grow.
Let them shape themselves without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on
as though you could be today what time
-that is to say- grace
and circumstances
acting on your own good will
will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
Above all, trust in the slow work of God,
our loving vine-dresser.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Vacations
I am about to leave for a much needed vacation. I will update the blog after the 16th.
Peace,
Laura
Peace,
Laura
Monday, June 16, 2008
Life Teen retreat
This past weekend I volunteered to help on the Life Teen retreat for 30 middle school students. (As it was my descanso, I will work a total of 26 days in a row this month!) The retreat was amazing, and I don't know if I can even begin to describe it here, but I will try.
We took the 30 kids to another NPH house in Huitzilac (Don't ask how to say it) on Friday and began an incredible weekend of prayer and devotion with the kids, along with a lot of food and activities. The retreat was a hospital theme and we began by registering the kids with a mock examination and giving them a bandage to determine their small group. (See below for a video of my acting debut in Mexico.)
The weekend included a series of skits and small group discussions. My small group was great. It was really awesome to be spending time with a group of kids who wanted to be there and wanted to learn about God, and I was amazed by their honesty. Almost all of the kids shared very personal stories. And as we can only imagine their stories reflected more hardship than most of us will ever experience in our entire lives.
On Saturday night the kids experienced Adoration, many for the first time and the experience was unlike any I have ever seen and powerful for all present.
On Sunday we ended our sessions with affirmations. Each person took turns giving positive comments to the kids. As I passed through the line whispering affirmations, I could almost feel the gratitude of each child.
It was an incredible weekend and I am already looking forward to the next retreat in the fall.
In other news, the washing machine is broken, so I will become an expert in hand washing all my laundry this month.
Please remember to keep me and my kids in your prayers and if you are able please consider donating a book through my Amazon Wish List.
Peace,
Laura
We took the 30 kids to another NPH house in Huitzilac (Don't ask how to say it) on Friday and began an incredible weekend of prayer and devotion with the kids, along with a lot of food and activities. The retreat was a hospital theme and we began by registering the kids with a mock examination and giving them a bandage to determine their small group. (See below for a video of my acting debut in Mexico.)
The weekend included a series of skits and small group discussions. My small group was great. It was really awesome to be spending time with a group of kids who wanted to be there and wanted to learn about God, and I was amazed by their honesty. Almost all of the kids shared very personal stories. And as we can only imagine their stories reflected more hardship than most of us will ever experience in our entire lives.
On Saturday night the kids experienced Adoration, many for the first time and the experience was unlike any I have ever seen and powerful for all present.
On Sunday we ended our sessions with affirmations. Each person took turns giving positive comments to the kids. As I passed through the line whispering affirmations, I could almost feel the gratitude of each child.
It was an incredible weekend and I am already looking forward to the next retreat in the fall.
In other news, the washing machine is broken, so I will become an expert in hand washing all my laundry this month.
Please remember to keep me and my kids in your prayers and if you are able please consider donating a book through my Amazon Wish List.
Peace,
Laura
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Pictures from Taekwondo exam
I am still looking for support for my book drive. I have only received three books!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Books, Books, Books
Since several people have asked how they can be involved and help me with my work, I figured I would post just one opportunity here.
I really want to collect books for my section. In my section of 27 girls, we read every night and many of the girls tell me how much they enjoy to read. The problem is that within my section we have maybe 10 books to share between the girls. I try to provide books when I can, but honestly, I can’t keep up with the demand. I have created a wish list at amazon.com (see link below), and people can help by purchasing one of the books from the list. The book will be mailed to my house in Minnesota and I will be able to bring it back to Mexico with me in July.
To me this is one of the easiest and best things you can do to help my girls. I know that reading was one of the reasons that I have had success in life, and I remember how reading helped me when I was a teenager. I am, also, sure many of you feel the same way.
In addition, we are currently making many cutbacks at the home to save money. If you want to help with a monetary donation for special things for the kids like church retreats, special dinners, activities or graduation, send me an e-mail at lzilverberg@gmail.com and we can work on that, and if nothing else please keep sending your prayers.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/JS1AXZEK0WUT
Peace
I really want to collect books for my section. In my section of 27 girls, we read every night and many of the girls tell me how much they enjoy to read. The problem is that within my section we have maybe 10 books to share between the girls. I try to provide books when I can, but honestly, I can’t keep up with the demand. I have created a wish list at amazon.com (see link below), and people can help by purchasing one of the books from the list. The book will be mailed to my house in Minnesota and I will be able to bring it back to Mexico with me in July.
To me this is one of the easiest and best things you can do to help my girls. I know that reading was one of the reasons that I have had success in life, and I remember how reading helped me when I was a teenager. I am, also, sure many of you feel the same way.
In addition, we are currently making many cutbacks at the home to save money. If you want to help with a monetary donation for special things for the kids like church retreats, special dinners, activities or graduation, send me an e-mail at lzilverberg@gmail.com and we can work on that, and if nothing else please keep sending your prayers.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/JS1AXZEK0WUT
Peace
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