One of our first boys, Augustine, who is married & has a son just graduated as an Aggregate Tecnician. I am very proud that he hung in there long enough to accomplish his goal.

Angie, Jim & Kate left for the US today.

I have to begin paying those end of the year double salaries.

The university students are taking finals this week.

Love has stages. First, there is kindness. This is when we meet someone and we can say, “I care about you.” There is a saying” People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care”. When childen first arrive at Casa it is important that the staff and the children make the new child feel safe, wanted and reassured. I remember a new girl of about 16 who arrived at Casa & she shunned me. Finally I overheard another girl tell her “He will not hurt you”. Evidently I reminded her of someone who had abused her.

Secondly, love will encourage a person to become all they can become. It is easier sometimes to just do it yourself. But if they do not do what is necessary you are only enabling them to depend on you. Love will always say, “You can do it.” Everyone here at Casa believes that the transition we are making will not be that difficult on the young people who are given the responsibilities but the real problem will be me letting go. It is going to be hard to go from being the quarterback to sitting in the stands.

Thirdly, love also means that you challenge the one you love. This is different from encouragement. It is making a person stretch out beyond what they believe is possible. It make be getting someone to give up bitterness or unforgiveness. You cannot believe how many time children have told me “I will never forgive my father for what he did”. How about someone who feels that they are not capable of further study or the ability to move to a better job or position. Challenging means that I help you to get to the spot we all know as “Nothing is impossible with God”.