They're Always Smiling.

"They're always smiling! Are the kids always happy? I feel like we never see a sad face." - Ahhhhh this is the BEST compliment. The answer is no, they're not always smiling, we do have hard days, but for the most part, YES, they do smile a lot! One of the things that we try our hardest to portray is just how joyfilled our kids and communities are. It doesn't mean that they don't each struggle, have heartache, and that their stories aren't filled with some of the most heartbreaking abuse. But, if we showed you constant pictures of sad children, it wouldn't be honest, it wouldn't be real. We never want to play off your emotions to tell a story. Our kids and communities know how to find joy in the hardest of circumstances. Has it always been this way? No. But it is something we have fought for? Yes. And today, if you visited, you would see that joy fills our streets, our center and our kids.

Physical Touch. Let's chat.

Someone asked me the other day why I am big on (healthy) physical touch. The question caught me off guard for a moment as it came out of no where, but once I listened to her share her "concerns" of hugs, she expressed the exact reason why I believe physical touch is actually SO important. For SO many both in our communities and beyond, physical touch has had such a negative connotation due to abuse. Teaching children (and adults) what healthy physical touch can look like heals hearts in the most profound way. Not to mention all the ways it actually heals the physical body. We all need touch. We were born for love. Taking the extra step to actually touch someone shows another level of engagement. That they matter. That they are safe. That no matter how dirty they are, or where they come from, that they are worthy of love and connection. A tight hug, holding of the hand, or a kiss on the cheek (culturally for us), resembles that their lives are important. That they are worth your time and attention. That they are worth a simple moment of slowing down and stopping for the one.

The concern I see in our modern day culture is that we are so fear based in our affection. We are glued to our screens, teachers and other adults are often intimidated or scared to give healthy touch because of the negative connotation it has brought. Parents are busier than ever, and in reality, after reading up on this topic, many experts are saying that the lack of physical touch is actually playing into the rising number of those struggling with anxiety and depression.

Berkeley stated that “The science of touch came of age in the mid-1990s, when two scientists traveled to Romania to examine the sensory deprivation of children in understaffed orphanages. The touch-deprived children, they found, had strikingly lower cortisol and growth development levels for their age group.

From the time we are in the womb through our elderly years, touch plays a primary role in our development and physical and mental well-being. New studies on touch continue to show the importance of physical contact in early development, communication, personal relationships, and fighting disease. This sense is essential to children's growth of physical abilities, language and cognitive skills, and social-emotional competency. Touch not only impacts short-term development during infancy and early childhood, but also has long-term effects, suggesting the power of positive, gentle touch from birth.”

It helps increase the level of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, which is called the “happiness hormone”, and oxytocin, a hormone involved in human bonding.

How amazing is that? All simply by touch. Something each of us can do, and be more intentional about in our everyday lives.

For us personally, I have seen some of the toughest cases soften in a moment when healthy touch is given. I have seen individuals who would jolt in fear when we first started giving them hugs, to now cling to us because they have learned that touch can and should be safe. I have seen healthy touch begin to be modeled by our older kids to the younger kids. What may have started subconsciously for me has now become something so intentionally profound. It has been a tool our team uses everyday to heal hearts. It has been a huge part of the transformation in these kids lives.

Is there a time in your life where you feel physical touch defined you, positively or negatively? How did it change your perspective on physical touch? Do you feel like maybe you need to reevaluate your relationship with physical touch?

If you have been abused, and physical touch scares you or makes you uncomfortable, know that you are not alone. We are broken that that was apart of your story. But just like so many in our reach, your story doesn’t end there! There is so much hope! And physical touch can be safe again. We would highly recommend finding a counselor who can walk with you on your journey. If you don’t know where to start, reach out. We would love to point you somewhere!

References: 

http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/articles/research-to-policy/research/enhancing-development-through-the-sense-of-touch

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_physical_touch_matters_for_your_well_being

500 year vision.

In today’s world, sometimes it’s hard to have “vision” beyond what we will have for dinner in a few hours, much less a year or two down the road. With things changing and shifting so often, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to set goals, make plans, and run after them relentlessly. In America it’s easy to grab ahold of the “just take care of you” or “this makes the most sense to me” narrative and have no grid for the kind of world we’re creating for our children and our children’s children.

I’ve heard stories of old men in ancient days that would plant hundreds of acres of seeds, with the vision that one day their great grandchildren would have an entire forest of old oak trees to build with and cultivate. They saw beyond themselves and paid a price for something that they would never reap the benefit of themselves. We see the same story with biblical kings that would invest everything they had to build a temple that they would never actually lay their own eyes on, because it would take hundreds of years to complete. What’s the difference between them and us? What has changed?

It all comes down to vision. These people chose to say no to what made sense in a moment because they saw the inheritance that they could leave for their children’s children, and it was worth it to them. 

We talk a lot about our “500-year vision” around here. It seems startling to people sometimes. How can you have vision for something that you may never see come to pass? Our answer looks a lot like the old man with the handful of seeds. We’re thinking about the ripple effect that just one life can make. What’s our vision? An Orphan-less World. We don’t think we’re going to get there overnight. Maybe not even in our lifetime, although we will believe for it and do everything we can to see it come to pass. But every single thing we do, every life saved, every family transformed, every orphan adopted, is one seed in the ground.

When we go after the root system of the problem rather than adding a quick bandaid, it may not look as appealing, many days it may feel as though you are never even making a dent. But day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year something deeper is happening. Real transformation is taking place. Walking with people through their pain, through their questioning, through their real life, ultimately gives way for healing. When lives are healed from the deepest root system, the generational line changes. The cycles begin the break, and we begin to watch as the new lives being born never have to experience or face what their grandparents and parents did. So though it may not be tomorrow that everything changes, we know that over time, even in 500-years, things will look different because someone fought for wholeness even when wholeness looked so far away.

What’s YOUR 500-year vision? What do you want to see transformed in your lifetime? What kind of world do you want to leave for your children and grandchildren? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

New Rhythms. New Programs.

During COVID our team got together (hello zoom) to discuss how we could adjust our programs to create more long term sustainability and wholistic transformation among families. We knew that what got us here, wasn’t going to be able to take us into the next season where we knew we were going. So back to the drawing board we went!

We dreamed for months, then slowly started chipping away and making a plan that we were all excited about.

A plan that on paper looked amazing, but would it work and could we get the families in our communities on board?

The plan? Create a more exclusive program Monday though Thursday. A program that consists of 4 hours a day, broken into age groups and 4 one hour classes. Tutoring, nutrition and cooking, P.E and play. These classes required enrollment as well as parental involvement. The parents are also required to attend a bi-monthly nutrition and cooking class, as well as volunteer and learn how to assist their children with their homework. In addition to this, we will be starting monthly classes parents can take on a variety of different topics. Though this program is evolving. It is working! Our goal of getting parents to not only engage but learn alongside their children for the greatest impact is slowly starting to take off.

A few weeks ago we launched our fall enrollment, not only were lines wrapped around the building, but we hit our current max capacity and have a growing waitlist.

Our fears of parents not being on board was completely shattered by the excitement that they too felt about having an opportunity to learn and grow themselves.

So what about the rest of the kids? Don’t worry! Fridays at our community center are still open to all, and our soccer programs are booming. We are discussing how we can expand our weekly program, and working together to figure out solutions. What a fun problem to have!

Because We Love to Bring you into Our Story.

We always love bringing you into our world. Not only because we genuinely love and believe in what we do, but because this is also your story to tell.

Most of the time, our updates are community or kid related. But today I thought it was important to bring you in on a quiet dream that became a reality this past week for our staff.

For years, we have said, if you honor, celebrate and support your staff well, they will run with you for the long haul. Our heart at MARKED is not for our staff to always give out with nothing in return but for them to feel like in all that they are giving, they are also receiving.

Sometimes that looks like a bottle of coke on a long day, other times it looks like a day trip. But our firm belief is that a culture of generosity will always pay for itself.

And this past week, our staff experienced that in a way they never thought possible.

A few weeks back I received a message from a friend who has partnered with us for years that he and his wife would like to send our staff on a week long vacation to the beach.

Little did they know that this was something that was always discussed as a “we would love to someday make this happen.” But that someday became their reality a lot quicker than any of us would have thought.

Timing could not have been more perfect as the week they had booked for our team was the week before all our programs were going back into full swing.

So for one week, they experienced so many firsts in their lives. Going on a road trip, eating at a restaurant, going to the beach and staying at a resort. It was a time for these parents who are constantly giving out to eat, sleep, relax, and play. It was a time for them to dream together, inspire one and other, and hope for the future.

It was a time of rejuvenation and gaining wind back in their sails. It was a week of joy filled laughter.

I am so thankful for people, like our friends, who see past the everyday and go above and beyond to make dreams a reality. Who are ridiculously generous with what they have been given, so that others lives are forever changed.

This trip MARKED my staff. This trip confirmed that they, just like the kids and the communities, are important to the Father. Which has left my heart singing and my eyes filled with tears.

Shop MARKED | We are LIVE

We are so excited to share our updated store with you! We have been working hard to get items updated and new products created as we come into the holiday season.

Take a look, shop around, and let us know what other things you would like to see!

Quotes that are impactful to you and more!

Our goal in all that we do is to create long term sustainability in the communities in which we serve. Every sale helps break cycles by empowering lives through our community center and soccer programs.

Every dollar spent represents 1 meal for someone in need

We hope that each piece reminds you of the impact you are making and the stories you are creating.

Take a look— and come back often, as we will continue to be updating our inventory.

Happy shopping!

Why Soccer?

We asked you the other day, what you wanted to know and so many asked, "why soccer?"

And oh is there so much to say here! The most simple answer is because there was a need. There was a need for a healthy outlet for the men and boys in our community to come and play. There was a need to offer something that could connect us with those who played a major role among the families and culture of our community. There was a need to offer something that they loved, and could relate to, to build trust. There was a need to meet them where they were at. Soccer has been a key that opened the door to create a new strategy that is releasing a new culture among those we reach.

The initial door to soccer opened to us after we lost one of our village community members to kidney failure a couple years back, he was 22. It was a really difficult day, but that day, turned into weeks, and weeks to months and months to years, and those years have led us to the beautiful story we now share today.

Out of that difficult experience, we began to build relationships with many of the older boys in our community. We began building relationships with some of the hardest cases. Day by day more men and boys would show up to play.

MARKED culture was taught, games were won, and celebrations were had.

This month, another major door opened to us, as the head of the municipal’s league asked us to take over for him. That MARKED’s reputation had grown and that the league wanted help facilitating culture but also that everyone wanted to wear the MARKED jersey. They wanted to grow in skill and be apart of our celebrations.

This means, that as of today, our reach for just soccer alone among men, women and children makes up 7 mens teams, 6 women’s and 8 children’s teams in addition to our MARKED team. Our reach is well over 300 individuals. 300 hearts. 300 lives.

This opportunity to impact families, getting to the root systems and mending hearts has only begun. But we cannot wait to see where this leads.

Would you pray for us? We are going to need it :)

If you would like to give towards our soccer league (balls, trophies, equipment, jerseys etc) I will attach the link below.

What is Sustainability?

What is Sustainability?

You might think that “sustainability” is just a buzzword. You probably hear it used all the time in all kinds contexts. There’s sustainably-sourced clothing products and food, sustainable business growth, and sustainable treatment of the Earth.  You might call this word trendy and common and be tempted to throw it out. But we never will, because the truth is, sustainability is at the very heart of everything we do. 

As a community minded organization, here is an idea of what we DON’T want: to spend endless donated resources on a system we created that relies on us, creating a culture where the only time good things happen is when we show up with lunch. What happens if we can’t be there? What happens when we drive away at the end of the day?

In everything we do, our heart is to create sustainability. We want to empower people to stand up and take ownership of their villages and cities. We want to give people everything they need to continue the work we’ve started, creating jobs and opportunities for people who would have otherwise stayed lacking.

When we’re the heroes, only we win. When we make them the heroes of their own story, everyone wins.

With this kind of sustainable growth, villages are transformed and nations are changed. This is the heart of Marked. In everything we do, our heart is to champion the ones that are often ignored, and encourage them to go farther and dream bigger than their circumstances should have allowed.

For Marked as a whole, our focus has become to create sustainability in every single thing we put our hands to. We’ve been dreaming of bringing in resources above and beyond the generous donation of churches, businesses and individuals all over the world. We’ve started to use our gifts to create things that will propel the mission forward. We wrote a cookbook, dreaming of feeding families in Mexico with the proceeds. Our artisan shop where moms from our communities are creating custom leather goods. The Marked store and barber shop are other ways we are breaking cycles and empowering lives. We have begun community gardens, clean water programs and became a wholesaler to smaller family run businesses that had no way to purchase supplies from the city.

Instead of creating a system of dependency and lack, we’ve decided that we’ll become part of a sustainable solution. Long-term transformation and impact for countless little lives. Will you join us in this journey?

How YOU are Making a Difference

Have you been staying up to date with our #transformationtuesdays on instagram? In case you haven’t, we thought we would share a few of the transformations with you here!

These pictures don’t just represent the “before and afters” but rather, they represent hope, they represent transformation, they represent change.

These pictures tell a story of starvation to thriving, once addicted, now clean, depression to life, they tell a story of the new found value for education, the story of clothing given and hearing restored through the medical community. They tell a story of how soccer, homework club, Bible studies, classes for parents, a sandwich and love have paved the way. These photos expand on the heart of all that we do and why we do it. It’s just a peek into our every day life, and the simple yet complicated stories we live and share.

These pictures represent YOU, our partners. Without you, these photos wouldn’t exist. These stories wouldn’t have been written the same. Without YOU, yes YOU, even hundreds of miles away, YOU are transforming the lives of those in these pictures and beyond, and it moves us to tears. Thank you. Here is what YOU are doing, by partnering with us.

Learning from Each other

Back before we knew what we were doing, back before we knew anyones names, back before we had a process in place. There was a lot of trial and error. But somehow there was so much grace! We learned together. They taught us and we taught them. It has been a beautiful exchange. 

marking hands so we knew who already went through to receive their meal.

When we first started it was a simple drive through the villages with orange rubber bins filled with sandwiches and oranges. It was a quick hello, a handing of a meal, and a run back to the vehicle so that we wouldn’t get trampled on. Over time, the visits lengthened, and the conversations began to happen.

Little by little trust began to grow. These towns had been bombard with “help” for many years and they learned to trust no one. The “white savior” mentality of those that came before us was evident. The simple thought that we were coming in to “take over” or that we “knew better” broke us. Hearing the stories of those that tried to “help” were years long filled with heartbreak, disapointment and devastation. We knew that in order to gain trust, we had to go slow. Simply showing up, loving them in the most simplest ways, meeting a need and asking questions. We didn‘t come in with an agenda other than to love and to listen.

As they taught us, we taught them. The concept that there was always enough and everyone is welcome was the starting point. That lines created safety and made space for everyone. That thankfulness is a virtue.

Today, we as a community are still growing together. Leaning in, listening and learning from each other. We each come to the table with something to offer. No matter the age, we lean in. There is always so much to learn. We adjust and amend when needed. We stand firm on our values and lead in love. Trust has been birthed and we have experienced the power of partnership.

This way of leading is how we have gained influence and have seen culture from the inside out be transformed. It has been a complicated and beautiful experience, doing life with those we fiercely love.
It hasn't always been the “popular” way and definitely not the easiest, but it is one we would do over and over again. These years of investment have been worth it all, because they are worth it all.

We're BACK!!

Tears of JOY as we finally get to be together again.

Though programs are not quite back to “our” normal yet, we are back in our communities. Permission has been granted and we have spent the last few weeks cleaning, re-planting, organizing, sanitizing, and getting our staff ready to go on moving forward with this new “norm” we are all adjusting to.

What we took for granted before (ahem * being together), we are soaking up every moment. Laughter is filling our walls yet again, and we are excited for what the future holds.

As we adjust, like always, we will take you along for the journey. We know that the best is yet to come!

MANY HAVE ASKED.

This is SO exciting. Many have been asking how they can bless our community centers in fun a way. And we finally have a solution!

Amazon Mexico is now a reliable source of sending toys, games, soccer gear and more to our kids and communities!

You heard us! You can now shop amazon.com/mx and it goes directly to our community center in Mexico. *Remember prices are in pesos (which is currently 22 pesos to 1 dollar, meaning $10.00 USD= $220 PSO)

We have created a “wish list” that you can now shop! In addition to scrolling through on your own time if there is something that you think would bless our communities and kids.

In addition to this, did you know that on your everyday Amazon shopping, you can give back while you shop? It’s so simple. Rather than going to amazon.com, type in SMILE.Amazon.com and select “MARKED by Heaven” as your charity of choice. Save it to your browser, that way you don’t have to do it again! By doing this simple thing, Amazon gives back every time you shop!

Happy Shopping! Thank you for constantly blessing our communities and kids!!

Other things to note:

Ship to:

Samuel Luna/ MARKED

Ramón Corona 219

Poniente Colonia Centro,

Poncitlán, Jalisco, MEXICO 45950

Sneak Peak at the Script of our New Video Coming Soon.

Creation - The basic origin of something living and breathing that starts at conception. 

Something so pure that when birthed has the potential to become so remarkably beautiful, inspiring, creative and powerful. 

But just think what happens when that same something or someone is birthed not into beauty and opportunity but rather into chaos. Chaos thats met with trauma laying the foundation for a life filled with fear, danger & relentless turmoil. 

Imagine being born into circumstance that wasn’t your choice but instead the choices made from generations of brokenness. Choices that develop roots that are cracked and splintered who exist only to try their best to survive inevitably repeating the same patterns of old. 

For many in our reach this is their story. Splintered roots. Desperate to survive. Products of dangerous patterns. Today the average child earning their rank among some of the worlds more dangerous criminal organizations is just 11 years young. By joining these groups they start the clock on the last years of their young lives with a life expectancy of only 3 years inside these organizations.

To further the devastating reality, Mexico continues to lead the world in child prostitution distributing over 60% of the worlds child pornography to the nations. With over 63% of those under the age of 15 claiming to have encountered sexual violence through organized crime at least once throughout their short lives. 

This is, at least in part, the reality of our world. But thankfully the story doesn’t have to end there. Our hope is not found in bad news or statistics. These children do not have to have their hope defined by the circumstance of their birth. For these children, Hope has a name. Hope has a face. Hope has a mission. 

Over the past (almost) 9 years, we at MARKED have seen with our own eyes those statistics begin to change for good among the communities in which we serve. From reduced crime rates to increased job opportunities for families allowing thousands of children to come out of the workforce and putting them back into school with over a 95% enrollment rate. 

We have watched as our MARKED soccer team has transformed themselves from gangsters who once represented torment and fear back into young men who now represent pride bringing joy and unity to their drug stricken town. 

Having served now over 1 million meals, we have watched as the faces of thousands light up coming through our doors to receive a meal and a hug and find safe refuge. 

When hope takes over dreams are recovered, cycles are broken and roots become mended. When hope takes action young men learn to say NO to crime and YES to family. Passing on the “easy way” and pursuing instead the way which sustains and transforms forever.

Hope is alive, because WE are alive.

From splintered roots to a MIGHTY OAK. Healthy and tall and unfazed by cycles that tried to define them and unmotivated by the things of old.

There is a new story being written.  

A story where hope prevails, love takes hold and children along with their families are made whole and set free for freedoms sake. 

This is MARKED. We are MARKED. By Love. For Love.  

We Hit Our Goal!

We hit our goal of 200 masks!!

Thank you!!!

This week our village staff will be sewing the face masks, and preparing care packages that will be ready to be given out to families in the coming days.

Our phase one government approved plan will be to visit families outside of their homes, deliver food + necessary goods, along with face masks to each family member. We will spend time praying with the families, checking on hearts, teaching them how to properly wash and sanitize hands (something we have been teaching the kids for years! Now its the parents turn!)

We are hoping phase one will go quick so that we can begin moving towards phase two!

Would you pray for our staff, and the communities. For protection, as well as this to be just another open door into hearts and homes.

If you would like to give towards more face masks and sanitation supplies. You can do so by clicking the link below, or texting any amount and the word MARKED to 45777 (example 50 MARKED to 45777).

We will keep you posted, with pictures coming soon!

Again, thanks for believing in us and our communities.

We Need Your Help!

Did you know that over 1/2 of our indigenous communities are high risk? That over 1/2 of our community members are already suffering from early stages as well as progressed stages of kidney failure? As early as kindergarten they are testing our communities since they know this is one of their leading “silent killers”. Since COVID hit, our communities have been on the watch list.

In order for us to continue what we are doing, and get back into these communities full time, the government has mandated that every individual wear a face mask. Sounds familiar right?

So this is where we need your help!

This week our goal is to raise enough money for phase one.

That’s 200 face masks to distribute to the first group of kids and their families.

It’s actually a really easy fix!

So today, we are asking, would you sponsor a mask for $3.00USD?

Help us reach our goal of 200 masks for our MARKED communities!

Simply text any amount and the word MARKED to 45777 (example: 3 MARKED to 45777)

That’s it!

$3 Dollars!

Less than a coffee!

Would you partner with us today in seeing this community protected and cared for.

Thank you for loving our communities well. We couldn’t do it without each one of you.

Love Conquers All.

A few months after opening our community kitchen, we finally felt like we had established a routine with a group of local mamas and women who committed to serve. Daily we were not only seeing the joy on their faces as they served but also saw the confidence in who they were as their life was serving a greater purpose. In addition to the women, the children were thriving. Eating meals, some their only meal for the week, but more than that, there was a new awakening happening among these communities. Their hearts were coming to life.

One morning when we arrived to our base, we were anticipating the arrival of the children and women, but instead we received a big surprise. After hours of waiting, not a single person came. No food was served, no games played, the laughter was missing from the building.

Where could they be?

It was then that we found out that a local father who was also the local priest was threatening those in attendance.

My initial thought was, who could oppose malnourished children being fed? Who would say that if you go you are doing harm to the community? Was he opposed to love and truth? I was angry. And was ready to fight. MARKED was here to stay and would not give up this easily.

I called our founders, and was not expecting their reactions. In my response out of anger and fear, not seeing the miracle at hand, Jaclyn smiled and simply said to me, “ this is exciting to hear.” “How is this a good thing? We have no one in our dining room!” I asked. “Because we have the opportunity to love without limits. There is no fear or control in love.” Immediately I felt peace, and saw an image of Jesus. Truth and love would set them free, it was another opportunity to show them the real Jesus. For the first time in days, my heart too was filled with peace. Love conquers all.

2 weeks later, our dining room was full again. They had all decided to come back, because they knew they felt something different. They said they couldn’t miss out on all that was taking place. That they too wanted to be apart. There was something special when they walked through those doors.

What they felt was Jesus. They experienced true love.

Today, when trials come, I am reminded once again that love conquers all. Love wins. Every single time.

-Carlos

Another Way to Stay Connected.

Have you checked out our instagram page lately? @HELLOMARKED

If you haven’t noticed yet, we have started different hashtags for different days!

For example: #SundayFunday #MotivationMonday #TransformationTuesday #WhyWednesday #ThankfulThursday #FlashbackFriday #StatisticSaturday

We hope this is just another tool to fill you in on all the things we have going on, while giving some of our backstory and giving you fun activities to do with your family!

Follow along, comment on what you’d like to see more of and share your adventures! We want to engage with you!

Current Projects.

We have had many of you reach out asking what specific projects we are working on and we thought it would be a good idea to send you our list! We regularly update our website with current projects. But let’s dive a little deeper into the why! To see the bullet point list, you can visit:

* Water Purifier: We go through 10-20 5 gallon jugs of purified water per feeding at each of our centers. Right now, the government supplies our non-purified water to our bases free of charge, however we are still spending a good portion of our monthly expenses on purified water. Having the purifier would not only create long term sustainability for our centers, but would reduce expenses and reallocate funding to other needed areas.

*Soccer field: We have an incredible space, the largest field among our communities, however it is dirt and gravel. Daily we are patching wounds and cleaning blood stains off of clothes due to the intensity of our players (ha!) and the condition of our field. To put grass, paint lines, hang nets for the goals, build bleachers and add a fence would help not only the community, but our players as well. It not only invites more people into the space but creates and teaches a healthy culture of celebration among our communities.

*Pool Table & Fooseball table: Our heart in this is to create a safe place for children and teens to come and simply play before and after school. Reducing the amount of time they are “on the streets” or at home in abusive situations.

*Punching Bags & Work out Equipment: Not only does this offer another safe alternative for the boys and young men in our communities (girls too). But it helps give them tools to put their anger somewhere else as they are being mentored through our MARKED soccer program.

*MARKED truck: Our vehicles (2) have lived really full lives, and we are needing a new vehicle to replace one of the existing ones! These vehicles are used multiple times daily, from transporting children/adults, to hauling supplies, trips into the city and so forth. These vehicles have been some of the most impactful tools we have had.

*Computers: Daily we have groups of children cycling through our community center for our before/after school homework club. Currently all the children are sharing one computer! To make the most impact, we are needing more computers for the children to use!

Summer Rhythms

How has your summer rhythm been different this year compared to years past?

For us, normally our summers are slower. Kids are running freely throughout the community. In and out of our centers and bases at a much more lax pace. A time of year where most children are working thus leaving our routines at the door, and introducing slower rhythms. Rhythms of sitting at the table together, eating a meal with everyone crammed around the same tables, games and conversations galore. Because we simply have the time to be together. No where to go, no school schedule to keep. It is a beautiful time of connection.

This year, however has looked so different. Weeks of not being aloud in the communities due to COVID, keeping our connection through phone calls, daily check in’s and regular supply drops had become our new rhythm. This month, the government gave us permission to re-enter. But to do so slowly. To be cautious of the high-risk communities, and to keep gatherings to a limited number of people. Social distancing still exists as we carefully reintegrate back into the communities that have captured our heart. Empowering families with basic needs and resource.

We are teaching new rhythms to a community of people. How to keep connection all the while not putting those we love at risk. It is a new season, but one that has been prayed over, discussed and strategized. Not only among our staff, but in partnership with the local government and officials. It has been a time of learning and teaching. A time of listening and speaking up. A time that may have felt at times lost, but has fully been reinvented and redeemed. This summer may not have been the typical slow rhythm we had been anticipating, but it has been a fruitful one filled with dreaming about what is to come.

Though we are excited for Fall to get here, we are loving every moment with the smaller groups of children who daily are right in front of us. A time of learning and listening to who they are as individuals and their dreams for the future.

Happy 4th of July!

Wishing you a happy 4th of July!

I don’t know about you, but for us this is one of our favorite holidays. Celebrating with friends and family alike! After these months of quarantine we are excited to see family and celebrate together. There is nothing better than good food, friends and family sitting around the table celebrating together.

What are some of your holiday traditions? How is this years celebration different than years past for you?

We know this year may look and feel different, but we hope that regardless you are able to celebrate and make new memories together.

Happy 4th!