Jazmin Premed Exam Update

I know everyone is eager to know what is going on with Jazmin and the exam she was scheduled to take on July 2.

Jazmin and her advisors have decided to postpone the premed exam until July 2016 to give her more time for extensive preparation for the exam.

Please continue to pray for Jazmin. She will do her preparation at La Familia.

Bill Lee

Downers Grove, IL Mission Team Visits La Familia

A team of 13 missioners from Saint Andrews Episcopal Church visited La Familia in mid June. The team made up of half youth and half adults got a lot accomplished in between highly competitive soccer, volley ball and basketball games with the children of La Familia.

Several projects were completed during this visit:

Everything on the kitchen shelves and the storage above the shelves was completely removed for cleaning.

Tables covered with "stuff"
Tables covered with “stuff”

While the shelves were empty, the youth on the trip painted them while the adults painted the walls surrounding the shelves.

L to R: Harry, Charlie and Mark
L to R: Harry, Charlie and Mark

One missioner in particular — Mark Spitalli — with bucket of concrete in hand, roamed all over the house and outside the house looking for sections of concrete that needed repair.

Mike Spitalli making repairs to the concrete wall
Mike Spitalli making repairs to the concrete wall

The area where the garbage is kept had become full of scraps of wood from the construction of the main home, so three of the missioners — Steve DePeder, Mike Maher and Mike Spitalli — built a huge bonfire behind some old concrete block and burned the debris.

L to R: Ben, Nathan, Harry, Mike, Steve
L to R: Ben, Nathan, Harry, Mike, Steve

A member of the Saint Andrews’ team — Mary Jane Haley — is a professional story teller. In her normal workweek, Mary Jane travels to schools in the midwest telling stories. Below is a photograph of her telling the Three Little Pigs nursery rhyme to the children of La Familia.

Mary Jane Haley telling Three Little Pigs story
Mary Jane Haley telling Three Little Pigs story

Because virtually everything the children eat at La Familia is fresh, there is a huge need for missioners to help out with the chopping of vegetables. See below a photo of some of our missioners — Vera Martin, Mary Jane Haley and Jordan DePeder — helping out with the chopping.

L to R: Vera, Mary Jane and Jordan chopping vegetables
L to R: Vera, Mary Jane and Jordan chopping vegetables

On our final night at La Familia, the children put on a show for us and afterward posed with the mission team for a group photograph.

Group Photo
Group Photo