Weekend full of birthday parties..

February....
-the month of love. <3
-the month of the mister and I's half anniversary. 
-the short month. 
-the month full of birthdays! 

Yes, this short little month has proven to be a busy little one. 
This weekend we got to celebrate two special days. 
One on Friday and then another on Sunday. 

Friday night we celebrated Josue. Josue who was the smallest when Isanon and I arrived at Hope, is 15. He is growing and maturing every single day. I cannot begin to tell you the joy that Josue brings to us here at Hope Mountain. His hugs make my day, and Isanon and I truly feel so honored to be able to be a part of Josue's life and to be able to celebrate his special day with him. 

A week ago I asked Josue what type of cake he wanted, and he said a "cookie one". So, we had a cookie-cake, did a little treasure hunt, watched a slideshow of photos of Josue and then ended the night by filling our living room floor with mattresses and watching 'The Croods' together. :) 


On Sunday, we celebrated Rai - who also turned 15. Rai is another boy who has changed so much since we first arrived. Rai is the boy who says "thank you" (in english) when he should say "you're welcome". He is the boy who knocks on my door and asks if I need him to take my trash out or fill my water bottles. Rai is the boy who is growing up on us, and we couldn't be more pleased to have spent his 15th birthday with him. 

Rai's party went a lot like Josue's. We watched a slideshow, the boys prayed for him, we ate some (super yummy) fudge cake, and then watched the movie 'Red Eye'. It was a fun night. 

Happy birthday to our two special boys, thank you for letting Isanon and I celebrate with you! We love you both. 

Meet & Greet Mondays. {Renyvom & Roger}

Today's meet & greet is going to be a little different.

Last week, we had two of our boys run away. Two boys who are very dear to all of our hearts.
Renyvom and Roger are brothers who arrived here at Hope Mountain in August.

This is Renyvom..

This is Roger..

I do not know much about their past, nor do I know where they would have ran away to. It is my understanding that they do not have family to go to, so my heart is in so much conflict about where they have gone.

Renyvom is 14, and Roger is 12. Hearing that they ran away was such a shock to us all because they seemed, for the most part, happy here. Renyvom is a bit quieter than Roger, and seems like he holds a lot of anger inside. Roger is a goofy, care free boy who loves to play.

Please, please pray for these two brothers with us. We are praying that God continues to protect them wherever they are, and that they make their way back to us. Thank you for standing in prayer with us for these boys.

Let's dance, people.

I was sent this video from a friend and it seriously made my day.

Not only do I completely love this kid, but it is so true and inspiring.



If you can, take 4 minutes out of your day to watch this.

It is worth it.

Meet & Greet Mondays. {Geraldo}

A very Happy Monday to you! 

This past weekend was very relaxing for the mister and I. He had Saturday and Sunday off, so we slept in, went to a movie, ate Burger King, sat on the rocks at the beach, watched movies in bed, went swimming, and did some home projects. His one weekend off a month is always a great time for us. 

But....it is Monday, and Mondays are the days I get to introduce one of our boys to you. 

So, let me introduce Geraldo to you. 

Geraldo is 16 years old, and has been living here at Hope Mountain since September of 2011. Geraldo comes from a background of abuse. His mother died when he was young, and he lived with his father until he was 8 years old. His father was an alcoholic and would physically abuse him. He went to live with his grandmother, but she also physically abused him. He tried to live with his oldest sister, but she did not have the conditions to care for him, so he was sent to another home for boys, and then to us here at Hope.  

Geraldo is very well liked here at Hope by everyone. He is a good kid. Very seldom is he ever in trouble or caught doing things he shouldn't. For the most part, he is a really good influence on the boys around him. He gets really good grades in school, and has received scholarships to take extra academic courses. 

Recently, Geraldo began working. He was placed on a three month "work experience trial", but after only 3 days of work, he was hired. We have heard great things from his employer, and he seems to be enjoying his first job. 

Pray with us that Geraldo continues to be a light to those around him. That he will continue to enjoy life and the opportunities given to him. He is such a bright kid, and Isanon and I see so much potential in him. In the near future, he will be moving into the Republica, which is an apartment on campus that the older boys who are working and showing good behavior have the opportunity of living in. While living in the Republica, they are given the opportunity to get a taste of life in the "real world" and are expected to do a lot more for themselves. We believe that this will be a great experience for Geraldo.

We pray that Geraldo continues to chase after the dreams he has, and realizes that 

through Christ, all is possible for him! 

Our FAVORITE beach.

Our boys are out of school right now for Summer break.

And Summer break = beach trips. Lots and lots of beach trips. 

Wednesday we went to our favorite beach in Cetiba. 

Cetiba is about two hours away, but it is so worth the drive. 

Let me tell you some reasons why it is our favorite.

*Reason #1: it is beautiful there. 

*Reason #2: the rocks. Specifically the ones they we can jump off of. 

*Reason #3: We can park the bus and BBQ right on the beach. 

*Reason #4, 5 &6: Sand, Water & Sun. 'nuff said. 

 

*Reason #7: These hugs and smiles.  

*Reason #8: The 2 hour nap-time for them us on the way home.