A BIG Thank You & Update from Displaced Fire Family

[Jzmackenzie]

The four girls whose home was totally burned Feb. 18 have been off school this week for Easter break. Mom has had a chance to go through piles and piles of used donated clothing. The outpouring from other Mexican and expatriate families has been totally amazing! The girls actually have choices again about what they can wear. Mom has been washing and ironing clothing in an attempt to put the family's life back into some order. A few precious toys have been donated, some school supplies, and one twin bed. That bed in usually lined with dolls, and covered in a pink blanket. Well, after all, there are four princesses (what their mother calls them) living in our stone apartment!

One day this week, we managed to gather the clothing and bed linens that had been stored at the burned out home. We loaded it into our truck, along with building supplies and a couple of darling girls. We carried it all to our home and stored it in our trailer. Mother Rocio was so relieved. The summer rains usually begin in May and mice can show up any time. Now, their precious future is high and dry!

Good Friday was another day of work on the house. It was the fourth of fifth day of digging the septic tank. Every person working described it as trying to penetrate solid rock. Even the backhoe had a very hard time, but by Friday evening it was the right size, the minimum for a family of 6. Now, the sides can begin being built.

Alejandro, the stone mason and architect who did all of our remodeling and new construction at our rented home, has been donating an hour each afternoon to come over after his regular job to make sure all is well. He is not only a professional at making sure every thing is safe, but he is also an amazing cost-cutter. He had numerous ideas on how to save some money.

Our regular ranch help, 16 your old Lalo,has been learning a lot about construction since coming to work for us. At this time, he is also learning about sore muscles. The septic work was grueling, but he had help from 16 year old Giovanni and 11 year old Kevin. Both Giovanni and Kevin are delighted to have some income. Their father, Arturo, was laid off from the mines about 6 months ago. Arturo is now in detention in the USA for trying to enter without the proper work permit papers. We are making every effort to get him back to help with the construction on the Nieto Sandoval home along side his sons.

This Easter Sunday, young Laura (16) has been at a four day retreat in Puentecillas with other teenagers. We took the happy teens there while mother Rocio was out selling her health products and Dad Memo was working in Guanajuato at the restaurant that donated a kitchen table and chairs in one photo. Later in the day, Mom, Samantha (14), Itzel (9), and Niaomi (4) were swooped up by an aunt to have a private retreat to celebrate Easter weekend. They all six want each of you to know how much it means to them to be smiling this weekend. Your generosity makes them even more humble than they have always been.

Happy Easter to your family too.

We are still short $500 from our original estimate of $3K - please forward this email to anyone who might help.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cm...YHMHNJYW3E

[cam00]

Thanks for the update and fotos. Great that the family survived the fire without any physical harm and that so many people have responded to their hour of need. Angels exist even in the flesh.