May 2016 Ministry Update

May has been a blessed, uplifting, productive, heartbreaking month but there's no other way we would've wanted it. God brought many new people into our lives; people we would never have met if God hadn't planned it. Many of you saw our Facebook post on a new family joining Happy Tummies in San Juan. To do a quick recap, the 4 year old girl was raped by a family member; when her parents started a trial against him the whole family turned on them. It went as far as threatening the little girl's life! The parents moved their family to San Juan; they are receiving counseling. Now they are receiving a meal and what we hope will be guidance to spiritual healing that can only come from God.

Our second family is Francisco and his grandmother, Maria. Francisco's mother is a prostitute, his father an alcoholic. We met Francisco through an organization that provides counseling along with physical, occupation, speech, and music therapy; he is 11 years old but has the mind of a 4 year old. He and his family are very poor. His father doesn't pay child support but his grand-mother does not want to report him, because if she does Francisco will certainly be taken by the state. The problem with that is that the government doesn't provide the resources for Francisco to continue with his therapy. Francisco has really progressed since starting therapy a few months ago, and they are hoping that joining Happy Tummies will help him a lot more. The last check-up he had the doctor told them he was borderline malnourished! We hope we are able to help in this aspect of his life, not to mention that he will learn of God's love and grace.

We also met George, a man in his 40's who suffers from a horrible case of what we think is arthritis. He's been self-medicating for some time now; however, he went to the doctor and is now on a prescription. The problem here is that because of his condition he doesn't have a job and depends on his family. They, however, don't have on the economical means to provide for his medicine. We have told him that we hope to start helping him with that expense. We don't have that money but we are faithful that God will provide and that this man will be able to live a relatively normal life once he is on the right medication.

We are sure that God placed these people in our lives this month for a reason. In the few days we've known them we already love them. Our hope and prayer is that everyone involved will feel God' comfort and love wrapped around them and that their lives will honor and glorify God.

Mother's Day Lunch at Happy Tummies Panyebar

Estella, Karla, Bella, & Chita (Rosita)

We are sure that many of you are familiar with Karla and Bella, they are beautiful little girls who have touched many hearts. However, their smiles don't show what a hard life they live. We met these little girls around 4 years ago and they were, in a way, our inspiration to start Happy Tummies. Their mother was a prostitute and no one knew the whereabouts of their father. They joined Happy Tummies right away but later moved to the coast and then they came back. They were always on and off at Happy Tummies because their mom wasn't very stable. They moved around in town due to not paying rent on time and every time we stepped in to help we would be taken advantage off. Still, we did not give up, we knew God had greater plans for these little girls. Their mom, Estella, would never show up to her shift (each mom has a shift in which they help with clean-up and making tortillas). We asked the rest of the mothers to be patient and that Estella would be an exception for the time being, not because we felt sorry for her but because we knew those little girls needed to be in Happy Tummies. We took it upon ourselves to pray and pray hard for the life of this family. Last year they were all taken to a safe house after a man Estella was seeing abused her. When she came back we saw a difference in her. She told us that because she was able to prove that her daughters were part of a ministry like Happy Tummies they didn't get taken away from her forever! At the beginning of this year, Estella started working chopping fire wood. To us this was great news because this meant she was done being a prostitute! The bad part was, she was gone all day and the girls had to stay home to watch their little sister, Rosita, or as we call her, Chita (chee-tah) who is 4 years old. So, we made another exception by accepting Chita into Happy Tummies even though she is still a little young. And then to our surprise, Estalla came and completed her shift! Some might say, that it's no big deal, but we were thrilled! We even had tears in our eyes to see her there. Her priorities were changing, her life was changing and we knew without a doubt that it was an answer to many, many prayers. Estella and her girls still have a long way to go, there are still struggles but the family we met 4 years ago is not the same and we give God all the glory for their change.

Pastor Luis' Corner

As a Christian who met the Lord many years ago I can assure you that according to the Bible there will never be a Christian who hasn't gone through a crisis. But, today, I want to invite you to focus on the result of one's character after a crisis. I want to share with you how Moses reacted to seeing God's hand in the midst of a crisis.

"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

"I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.

2 "The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.

7 "In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.
8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood up like a wall;

the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy boasted, 'I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.'
10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who among the gods is like you, Lord?
Who is like you- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

12 "You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies.
13 In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
14 The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with

trembling, the people[c] of Canaan will melt away;
16 terror and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone-
until your people pass by, Lord, until the people you bought[d] pass by.
17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance-
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands

established.

18 "The Lord reigns for ever and ever."

19 When Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought

the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on

dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand,

and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to

them:

"Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.""

We keep you in constant prayer.

God Bless you,

Pastor Luis