The Matamoros Children's Home is at it again, and we couldn't do it without you! Here is a message from CERI's National Director of Mexico, Dr. Saul Camacho:
While some young college students prefer to indulge themselves during spring break at beach parties and other activities, a group of CERI volunteers chose to become servants. This spring break, the Matamoros Children’s Home hosted two college teams who came to Mexico with an attitude of service. For one week, college students worked hard mixing concrete to extend our driveway on the west side of campus. I'm proud of their accomplishments and for showing God's love through their hard work.
We at CERI are so grateful for your faithfulness. Whether through missions or financial gifts, you are affecting vulnerable children with much needed love. Thank you!
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The child pictured was an orphan in 1999 near Balti and became the inspiration for donors and volunteers to help with subsequent winter shoe missions to Moldova. Her pensive and sad countenance along with her tattered sweater and folded hands accurately portrayed the plight of many orphans hopelessly housed in institutions. Darrell Hancock captured the mood of a young girl who personified thousands of other children like her. They have all received winter shoes over the years helping to keep feet warm and protected.
Last week a young girl testified: “CERI gave me winter shoes all of the nine years I have been at my orphan-age.” These comments and many others made all our efforts worth it. Volunteers from the US and Moldova delivered winter shoes made in Moldova at the Zorile Shoe Factory, and although most donations came from donors in the
U.S. other donations came from Moldova! Delivering over 8,000 shoes and slippers became a joint project with our Moldovan friends and CERI national staff.
It was one late evening when our team was wrapping up our stop at an orphan-age in the far north when I felt the arms of a small child wrapping around me in grateful thanksgiving for a few brief hours spent together at his home and of course a new pair of shoes! Those are moments I know will come but always catch me off guard. To hug a child back and catch a glimpse of his hope and happiness means everything to me. I know this was repeated over and over the two weeks of shoe distribution and every one of us will remember and forever be grateful for the opportunity God gave us to be His hands and feet in a place we have come to love.
The young girl pictured is now a young lady living in Tiraspol and working in the open air market. I am grateful that our CERI programs are now equipping and pre-paring youth for a fulfilling and meaningful life. I am also thankful for our dedicated CERI national team who works tirelessly to guide and teach vulnerable youth. Our shoe missions became doors of opportunity for us to reach youth and help them to fulfill their hopes and dreams.
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Disaster strikes again, but thankfully CERI is on the ground floor. In mid-December, heavy rains pummeled the nation of Sri Lanka resulting in massive flooding and devastating landslides, leaving thousands – including CERI foster families – in an already hurting economy homeless.
“The people of Batticaloa, even while facing the immediate problem of feeding themselves, having seen a large portion of their livestock destroyed and almost all of their farming land gone, still saunter about with an air that is almost casual. They speak of their problems in a matter-of-fact way… They are long-since jaded and have come
to the realization that you can only do so much to ask for help.” ~National Director of CERI Sri Lanka.
While several NGOs have worked alongside the Sri Lankan government to hand out dry rations and emergency supplies, CERI national staff was able to respond immediately by handing out emergency rations to CERI foster families affected by the crisis. Nevertheless, loss of homes, crops and livestock mean a tough road ahead for CERI families in Sri Lanka. The next order of business is to reconstruct and build homes for the families in the CERI program.
Would you join CERI in its initiative to boost income of Sri Lankan foster families and orphaned teens who have again lost everything? Thank you for your generous gifts!
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