APDO. Postal No. 13, C.P. 76270
Colon, Queretaro, Mexico
To dial phone direct from U.S. 011 52 419 292 0248
Direct FAX from U.S. 011 52 419 292 0046
Mexico: LADA (91-419292) 0248
DEAR FRIENDS AND BENEFACTORS:
Feb/March 2003
A SHARED THOUGHT
Faith is so important in life that without it life really has no real value. Money, power, fame and all the other vanities of the world will in the end prove worthless to the Creator of all. Faith is like a hidden stream, which is discovered by a thirsty man. The reward of sincere faith is living with God who is beauty, happiness and peace. Faith is absolutely necessary for the salvation of a person. This faith will change the vision of his/her entire perspective of life. Jesus Christ must be accepted as Our Lord and Savior. This belief in Him is an absolute necessity. What you may think may differ from what I have just stated and has come down to us nearly 2000 years ago. My point may seem harsh to some of you, yet we must accept this fact and live this belief because it is not important what I believe but rather, what is the TRUTH of the matter. I can believe that if I plant a tree and not cultivate it, it will grow. The real truth is that it will shortly die. Truth is the real value in life. This is just a brief introduction to the point that I really had in mind, that is the gift of HOPE. Hope is a gift given to us by God that one day the Kingdom of God and eternal happiness will be ours as the most wonderful and satisfying reward in fighting the battle of evil throughout ones life and winning the crown of life.
The most difficult battle in my life is Love. To really love God with one's complete being, totally immersed in God and neighbor, that is really a battle! Today with the war situation, health care, raising children, mortgages to pay, school costs, losing one's job and shortness of salaries and last but not least, health problems, without Hope, it is really an up-hill climb all the way, day in and day out.
God loves each and every one of us unconditionally, accepting us, as we are, weak and sinful. That is almost impossible to believe, but so very true. I will always be with you--just call on me-do your best--I will never fail you, even if you might fail me, take courage--don't take yourself so seriously-laugh more and just do your best--if you fall, don't stay down, raise yourself up, I am your strength and I love you, so very, very much. Now that is what life is all about.
Knowing and really believing that no matter what I am, no matter who I am, Jesus is with me. I feel this way most of the time. 0 yes, there are days when I am really looking for the Lord. Days when I am frustrated, perhaps wondering if this is all fantasy and imaginative wishing about God. But this is when prayer becomes the real power. My favorite personal prayer after the Our Father and the Rosary is the Jesus prayer. Never has that prayer, of just repeating lovingly the beautiful name of Jesus, failed. I have a miserable temper when stupid things happen and that name Jesus doesn't come to mind that I do some yelling and I certainly fail in Charity. After a short time I come back to normalcy and laugh at my own stupidity. I often say,. "Jesus, please change me!" He replies, "You must change yourself. I am near you always, don't be fearful." We must remember that His love is unconditional. Just remember that you are beautiful, you have great dignity and most valuable and Jesus is always, always so very close pulling for us- 100%. What more could we ask for? We have it all (if we put these truths into practice). That is a challenge daily. I dislike failures for that shatters the humility that I am so proud of. Peace
VISITORS FROM COLORADO:
This past Feb. 25 Jack Kelly, Tony Cantu and first-timer Kelly arrived to buy and to set up the work details of cutting up and preparing for the fabrication of our new library. Then 15 more friends, including Leroy Salazar and John McClure arrived Feb. 27th to build us a very beautiful library, which they completed after working day and night for 5 days. Our workers and boys did the preliminary work. After lots of work and meetings between the Rotary Clubs of Montrose, Cob, Queretaro, Qro., Bakersfield Ca., and the National and International Rotary Clubs, we were granted a $28,000.00 gift for 3000 books, projectors and video systems for both the primary and secondary schools. So we are well on our way in giving our children greater access in cultivating their young minds. We praise God for the grandeur of all these many people involved in this wonderful project.
SECONDARY SCHOOL ROOF FINISHED:
Just before the heavy rains came our roof was finished, A beautiful roof it is! It should last for at least 50 years. Now we are waiting to put in the six classrooms, restrooms, offices, etc. The Good Lord always comes through sooner or later.
NEW ARRIVALS:
We have homes for normal children and also for problematic ones. 90% of the difficult cases arrive after Christmas. The majority of them are very aggressive and violent. Just the other day a 17- year-old girl came by force and one hour later broke down the front door and escaped. Drug addicts are the most difficult. We do our best with each child. The good Lord touches most. of them. Some of the conversions of many are incredibly beautiful and joyful.
FIRST EVER CROP OF ALFALFA:
Every year for the past 27 years we have been planting beans and a little corn. The first few years we were making our own tortillas, but with the growth in numbers it became impossible to continue. So this year I decided to plant Alfalfa and start raising more animals to supply our six homes with good meat. At the present we have one cow which is expecting and eleven pigs. Next month I hope to buy 50 rabbits, 25 lambs and 5-10 calves. We now will be growing our own feed for these animals. If you buy your feed, of course, it is a losing proposition. Yes we do grow some of our vegetables. We also recycle the water.
STILL LOOKING FOR GOOD VOLUNTEERS:
I have been to two universities in the past month, one in Mexico City and one in Leon, Gto. We talked to the directors in both schools, Iberno de America, which is considered as perhaps the best in Mexico. Yet I do hope to get some from the U.S. The short-term ones are not difficult to obtain but I prefer the 12- month volunteers--July 15th to July 15th If you are aware of any one who might be interested please have them e-mail or fax me.
Thank you very much and lots of love and hugs from all of us to each of you. Children, Sisters, staff, Father John and Fr. Cliff Norman.