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Consider the Lilies
By Jeremy | November 12, 2007
"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ..." - Matthew 6:28San Diego ended profoundly for me with a one-day excursion south of the border into Tijuana to visit Rachel and the children at Lily of the Valley Orphanage. Mama Sarah, Mama Dunia, and Papa Kevin have made a home for the eighty-seven children live at LOV. It's an amazing place, and they're the kind of people that when you walk in their shadow, you feel the presence and power of God. My thoughts are jumbled right now, but over the next week or so, I'll be posting reflections, videos, and pics from the visit. In the meantime, here were several highlights:
+ Ever since we first saw the video of LOV's children's choir singing 17 or 18 years ago, the ministry has been dear to our hearts. One of the little girls in that original video, Cathy (above left), is now a 23 year-old law school graduate and Rachel's roommate at the orphanage.
+ It was also fun to see my old Sunday School teacher Selma (above right), who moved to Tijuana to serve with LOV in the late 1980s. Even after surviving two cancer surgeries in January, she's still there, loving the children.
+ What a joy to be able to connect with day teams from two Southern California churches, Coast Hills Church in Orange County, and LOV's founding church, New Covenant in San Diego County. Coast Hills sponsored a Harvest Fiesta for the kids, complete with games, prizes, and popcorn, as they continue to nurture a growing relationship with the orphanage. Fiesta pics are here.
+ Groups from Coast Hills have been visiting for nearly two years, and in the past year the congregation has spearheaded a drive to renovate and expand the Tijuana facilities. With the final building permits now in-hand, along with the first $150K of its $750K goal, Phase 1 construction of a new school and kitchen begins in January. By the time the new campus is completed, the orphanage will accommodate 145 beds. Consider pledging a capital gift to LOV this Christmas.
The photos below include the existing facilities and the drawings for the new campus.
Topics: coast hills church, compassion, lily of the valley, mexico, new covenant church, orphans, rachel, tijuana | 1 Comment »
November 12th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Great Ministry to orphans. We have yet to visit that part of Mexico. we are closer to El Paso US Border to Juarez. I definatley add them to myspace. Great Work J.