Casa de Niños y Ancianos Santa Maria de Mexicano, A.C.

Hand of Help

APDO. # 337, C.P. 76000

Queretaro, Mexico

Telephone Direct: 011-52-429-2-02-48

New Fax Direct: 011-52-429-2-00-46

June-July 1994

DEAR FRIENDS AND BENEFACTORS:

All of us-here in Santa Maria send their love and a big hug to each and every one of you, our kind and caring extended family. The great amount of joy and happiness experienced in our children is your blessing to them and in return they, through their gratefulness, communicate their joy and happiness to you. As you continue to be instrumental in seeing realized Jesus' demand: "Permit the little children to come to me.", you are obeying the Lord, helping better our society, building family and transmitting the great gift of hope to our little family of 180+.Love is life and-rejection can be a sorrowful death. We thank you for loving and caring for all of them.

THE LIFE OF A PRIEST There is this priest who lives in Colon, QRO, Mexico who is director of four homes caring for orphans, street kids and abandoned elderly, some 210 in all. Each day this priest has the habit of stopping at a nearby mental. hospital to watch one of the inmates going through the motions of winding up and pitching an imaginary ball. A friend asked the priest (from the U.S.) what he found so interesting about the man's performance. "Well," said the priest, "if things keep going on the way they are, I'll be there someday catching for that guy, and I want to get on to his curves.

VERY SPECIAL VOLUNTEERS This past year the Lord has indeed blessed our program with some very wonderful volunteers. Helen Williams from Denver. -- came to Santa Maria after spending seven years working in the governor's office. Arriving in the June of '93 and leaving July 8, 1994, Helen gave of herself selflessly and continually during her entire stay. She taught the secondary computation and English in a very professional way. In sincerely loving the children, she developed a very warm and valuable relationship with each one of them The day of her departure caused a shedding of many tears and pleads of "Please come back soon." She gave much and she received much, the hearts of all who worked with her and studied under her.

Dr. John and Sandra Gerrish from Michigan, John is on Sabattical from Michigan State University and Sandra is a social worker. After spending eight months studying Spanish nearby, they decided to make a contribution by joining our staff for their four remaining months here in Mexico. Their ideas, sharing, teaching and giving of themselves is an ideal which I hope our children one day will attain. They will be leaving August 15th and their shoes will be very hard to fill.

Erika Banwarth from Hiaganum. Ct. A very lovely and energetic volunteer, has been working in the Girls Home under the direction of Sister Teresa. A third year college student at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, Erika has her hands involved in the 101 activities that a home of 45 girls demand. Her ideals also are very first class and her heart is of a V.I.P. A perfect example and role model for our children. Erika will be leaving August 6th returning to home and school. Dearly will she be missed.

Lupita Alvarez from Arizona came for the second year to help in our summer school program. Lupita's smile and love is the most contagious to all.

GRADUATION DAY This always a great joy to the elementary children and those. finishing secondary. Also for the entire staff it is a day of recalling many memories about each of them: when they arrived, how they progressed, problems that they arrived with and how they were overcome. So many joys and tears over the years. A wonderful group, of 30 beautiful. children filled with energy. wonderment and starried eyed. They are hope and I believe they all will meet. with success. God has been good to them and I have mentioned the fact hundreds of times:"Now it is your duty and obligation to share with others what you have received." I am sure they will.

A BEAUTIFUL FOREST God's glorious nature is incompressible. Walking through a forest moves one's heart to praise our good God. Such a variety of so many trees, all with glorious colors, shapes and scents. This reminds me of our programs and you, our wonderful benefactors. Our "forest" is somewhat small and is in need of a bit more reforestation. If you could share our letter to you with-a friend, God's glory would be increased and more praise would be given Him- Thank you so very much.

VACATION MESSAGE OF FR. JOHN HENLEY - FROM MEXICO

"My soul, give praise to the Lord: He who keeps faith forever, to those who are oppressed. The Lord protects the stranger and upholds the widow and the orphan"

(Psalm 146)

This year I decided to spend three weeks vacation from my parish in Georgia and Latino ministry. I write this from Colon QRO, where I am visiting with Fr. Cliff A. Norman in which we can apply the words of the psalm verse mentioned above. Fr. Norman, who is affectionately called "Padre Antonio" by the children and the folks (225 total, including helpers) located in three places in Colon and at Santa Maria six miles out of Colon. Santa Maria was an old abandoned, building which was in ruins. This was completely renovated, and equipped to form a secondary school where 65 children are in attendance and home in which they live. On weekends all 180 children go there for the weekend recreation and ventilation. This, and the houses in Colon were built by Padre Antonio in the 18 years since his arrival. This complex of outreach to the poor is indeed a tremendous manifestation which so many Americans have made a contribution towards serving the countless children who have gone through this once abominable building of ruins and has now become a shining light to so many and for many more to come. It is a formidable task to staff and care for all these children of God. Padre Antonio is now blessed with having a commitment from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, based in Robstown, Texas, to carry on the good work of this project in Colon. One of the nuns of this Society, Sister Mary Teresa Pacheco, has been here 8 years, and is doing marvelous work in all areas, particularly as directress of the Girls Home and as a very skillful nurse.. She leaves no doubt in my mind that she is indeed a tremendous asset to the entire program, and a very dear blessing to all the girls. Needless to say, this operation cannot run on just prayer and good will alone. Bills must be paid, salaries attended to, food needed, etc. All this requires a daily budget exceeding $600. (Padre Antonio receives no salary!). Four years ago he suffered six heart attacks and underwent a triple bypass, it-s easy to see why. (I might have had one or two while I've been here these past three weeks!) Any help that you might be able to I've to this worthy project, would be greatly appreciated. Once again we would like to thank you for your generosity and kindness extended to our little family here in Mexico. We send you our love and our daily prayers.

Peace to all form Our Lady's Society and all of us.

Children, Staff and Fr. Cliff Norman