Abraham Project Blog
Aliza, Lion, and Zhion are now officially U.S. citizens! Mom & Dad's arrival in Costa Rica was a sweet reunion! They spent a number of weeks getting to know one another and forming a tight bond. Today, the siblings and their adoptive parents are homeward bound. We trust the Lord to bless this precious family!
... And so the adventure begins ...
About a week ago, we received a call about three siblings that were aging out of another private organization. They were looking for somewhere to place them. After studying the case, we accepted two brothers and a sister! Leo, Glen, and Gleni are a handful, but we are excited to have them here at the project! Please pray for a smooth transition for these three and that they will feel loved and accepted in their new home.
We want to share some very exciting news with you. We are celebrating the arrival of the 100th child to the Abraham Project Children’s Homes! With the arrival of Naomi, Dominic and Cameron on August 7th, they represent # 98, # 99, and # 100. It should be pointed out, these children are not just mere numbers to us, they are God’s creation, children with life, joy, and contagious smiles, just to mention a few. These children represent the future and we are convinced that God has a unique and specific plan for each one of them. It is hard to believe that just thirteen years ago, we received the first four children into the homes. As we look back on the years, we realize how God has had His hands not only us, but also on each child who we have been privileged to minister to. We thank Him and give Him the glory!
This afternoon, just hours after saying good-bye to Alberto, we received a rambunctious trio. Naomi, Dominic and Cameron displayed some nervous anxiety about coming to the A.P. They are the products of a neglectful mother who left them alone for periods of time. We know that God has brought them here and we trust He will fill the void in their hearts. Please pray for them as they adjust to their new surroundings and that they will feel the love of Jesus in this place.
On August 3rd, Bernardo and Natalia arrived to meet their adopted son for the very first time! They were thrilled to finally get to know Alberto in person. Alberto’s national adoption was finalized on August 7th.
Since he has a big brother, he will be the "baby" of the family. Our prayer is that God would bless this sweet lil' family as they begin their new journey together.
Today we received a “Thank you” note from Lifeline Adoption Agency in the U.S. It read: Thank you so much for all your hard work and advocacy for the children of Costa Rica. We know it is a big job with many challenges; however, you are making an eternal impact on the lives of thousands of children everyday. So many children now have loving, forever families because of your passion and diligence. Our hearts and prayers are with you always. We love you, and we are so grateful for you!
What a sweet reminder that everything we do has an eternal impact in the lives of every child that comes to us. Sometimes it’s hard, especially for our house parents who have to deal with the children daily. Sometimes, they feel like pulling their hair out or just packing up and leaving. But it’s the call of God that keeps them here. It’s His mandate to make a difference that encourages them to press on. Please pray for Esteban & Gaby, and Jairo & Karla. Pray for God’s wisdom for each challenge they face. Pray for patience, compassion, and love for every child, no matter how difficult they are. Pray that they would remember that there is an eternal reward to those who diligently serve Him.
Last month we mentioned that Richard & Sandra’s file is currently being reviewed by a potential adoptive family. The family has requested additional information with regards to their academic performance in school. Last week, we asked their teachers for reports with regards to their progress. Thankfully, they gave them to us promptly and we have delivered them to the Office of Adoptions. We are now waiting to see what the family decides. Both Richard and Sandra have struggled since the beginning of the year. The transition of Aaron & Candace out of the home and two sets of siblings leaving in adoption the latter part of January has really taken a toll on these affectionate siblings. They are misbehaving so much, but we feel that the root is their desperate desire to have their own family. Please pray that God would provide the perfect home for this dynamic duo.
A special trio received good news during the mid year break. Aliza, Lion, and Zhion were told that they had been matched with a family! The kids were thrilled to know that they would be moving to the U.S. in a matter of months. House parents Gaby & Esteban shared an amazing story with us just before all of this took place. One morning, Aliza came downstairs and told Gaby that she had a dream the night before. In her dream, there was a bright light that was calling her name, but she was cautious about approaching it. Out of the blue, Valeria (Gaby & Esteban’s daughter) pushed her towards it. The light spoke to her and told her that something very good would be happening soon for her and for her little brothers. She told Gaby, “I know that was God speaking to me and I believe we’re going to get a family soon!” Two weeks later, the case worker from Adoptions came out to give them the good news! Proof that you’ve got to have faith like a child!
A few days ago, our house parents mentioned that one of their kids had been in their home for 2 years. The boy remember the date that he arrived here at the A.P. He told them that he was glad to be here because God has changed his life so much since arriving. He’s right, God has made a significant difference in his life and in the lives of countless children who have grown up here!
We want you to know that your monthly gift allows you to be a part of that “change” in each child’s life. You are making an eternal impact on every boy and girl that comes through our doors. Thank you so much for your unselfish sacrifice and for being a meaningful part of their journey.
After a dynamic week of VBS, the group from Grace Community treated the house parents and all of the children to a wet & wild field trip to a water park! It was the first time many of our kids had been to anything like this. It was a blessing for our houseparents as well, since the team members took charge of the children and watched over them all day long. The kids enjoyed themselves on countless water slides on the premises, the pools, and many different attractions.
We are so grateful for this opportunity to create special memories for the children!
Today we received a sweet 3 year old into our homes. José David is the son of a teen age mom (she was 13 when she had him). She has been unable to bond with him or assume her role as mother. PANI has begun the process of declaring him abandoned. We pray that the process will be quick and that he will be placed with a loving family soon.
Oh happy day! After a year of “fighting” with the Costa Rican government to find out any news about Derik’s case, we received word that he had been declared abandoned on December 19, 2016. Unfortunately, the local office in Limón didn’t notify us last year. So for the past six months, his case has sat around idly (while we have been writing letters to the President of PANI, making phone calls, etc.…). Thankfully, we are on the ball getting his adoption report, medical forms, and photos ready to send to the Office of Adoptions. Derik is a great kid! He’s a leader, he has an awesome smile that can brighten up anyone’s day, and he’s currently at a very stable place in his life. He will turn 13 in September. Typically people tend to be nervous about adopting adolescent boys. Please pray that God will bless this teenager with the perfect family and that he will fit right in! We have had so many issues, so many meetings, and so many hours invested in Guadalupe’s case. At times it seems like things are going well and at other times everything seems like it’s falling apart! She’s a creature of habit/routine. After having a successful ending to the school year, she was placed with a new teacher this year. This, after being told that she would maintain the same teacher in second grade. The new teacher has not known how to manage her and Guadalupe has taken advantage of the situation. On a number of occasions, she has bitten, clawed, scratched, and injured the new teacher. Back in May, the school suspended her for 30 days. Unfortunately, she thought she was on “vacation.” During this time, we sought help from the Ministry of Education. After performing a thorough evaluation of her, they suggested that we transfer her to a new school (this is the 3rd school in a year and 4 months!). However, the new school has an integrated classroom setting where there are only 7 students. The small class setting will definitely favor her. The idea is for her to catch up and acquire the skills she needs to eventually be placed back into a regular class setting. Honestly, Costa Rica does not have the resources to help kids like Guadalupe. They are children who are not consider “Special Ed,” but also fall through the cracks in a regular school. Pray for Guadalupe’s adjustment to her new school and for her behavioral issues. We believe that the good work God has begun in her, He will bring to completion!
Siblings, Richard & Sandra’s file has been sent to the Office of Adoptions. There is a potential, international family for them. They are requesting some additional information with regards to this duo. We are trusting God to place the children exactly where they need to be!
“All for the glory of God!” ~ I Corinthians 10:31
First of all, we wanted to remind you of the announcement we made in February with regards to the newly formed 501(c)(3) non-profit, “Abraham Project, Inc.” which is based in the state of Texas. It is super important to mention that for those who wish to donate, the instructions should be followed carefully as outlined in the “Financial Contributions” section on the back page. Also note, contributions for our personal finances will still be received by CornerStone, however all contributions related to the children’s homes (operational expenses and Phase II development) will be funneled through Abraham Project, Inc. From mid-January until now, we have already received and hosted 9 groups! Two thousand seventeen is proving to be a busy season. These groups have come from all over the U.S.: Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, D.C., Colorado, Florida, and Kentucky. We are so thankful for friends that love the A.P. and want to send teams to donate their time, energy, and resources to be a blessing to the homes and to our surrounding “barrio.” Thanks to all who have already come and to those who will be coming soon!
We are so excited to share that on March 11th, five children in our homes were baptized by immersion. These kids made a public profession of faith in Jesus in the waters of baptism. They wordlessly proclaimed, “I confess my faith in Christ and He has cleansed my sins away. I am now a new creation in Him alone!”
We are all familiar with the instructions that Jesus gave the church in Matthew 28:19 (on the left of this page). We, the church, are responsible for teaching God’s word and making disciples. We are incredibly aware of the weight that we bare to teach the word to the children in our care. Nothing but Christ changes lives and baptism is the outward testimony of the inward change in each little life.
Immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is an act of obedience that Yamil, Derik, Aliza, Valeria, and Lion chose to follow. They are testifying to their faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior.
Stephen was asked by one of the elders in our church to help him baptize the children. What a blessing it was to participate in such an important event in the kid’s lives! Valeria, our own Tio Esteban’s daughter, was one of those baptized. Esteban was able to pray over and baptize his sweet girl. We are so glad that lives are being transformed for His Kingdom’s sake!
Following His mandate to be baptized ….
Valeria (Esteban & Gabriela's daughter)
On March 1st we received a sweet duo into the fold—Samuel and his little sister Dalia. They had been placed in a public institution before PANI contacted us to see if we had room for these two. They are products of neglect due to alcoholic parents. House parents, Jairo and Karla have taken them into their home. Samuel is sweet and low key, but sister is pretty spunky and inquisitive. We love having this dynamic pair here and we are so thankful for the opportunity to sow into their young lives.
We are so happy to report that two groups of siblings literally left our homes today! Daniel & Brithany received the news that they would be placed with a family back in September 2016. In November, Stuard & Josua also found out that they would be leaving our homes soon. Incredibly, both sets of siblings left the homes on the same day, … that has never happened since we opened our doors! Luca & Monica arrived on Monday and began bonding with their sons immediately. Javier & Manuela arrived the following day and connected straightaway with their son and daughter. All four children were ready to leave the homes. We pay God’s blessing over them as they begin a new adventure and continue their journeys with the Lord.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest staff members, Jairo and Karla Vega. Our new “tíos” join us along with their son Mateo and will be assuming their duties in the children’s home. We are so grateful for their willingness to follow God’s call. We trust God will use them mightily to impact the lives of the children that come through their doors. ¡Bienvenidos y bendiciones!
At the beginning of 2016, Aarón and Candace notified us that they would be resigning from their duties as house parents at the end of the year. We are so grateful for the opportunity God gave us to work hand-in-hand with them for the past six years. They sowed their time, energy, and love into the lives of the children in their home and we trust God will reward their faithfulness.
Hebrews 6:10 promises,
“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Aarón, Candace, and Chanel will take a little time to regroup as a family and seek the Lord’s direction as to what He has in store for them in the future.
We pray God’s blessings over their family during their transition and upcoming year!
We would like to present a few needs we are currently experiencing. A considerable amount of time has been expended in planning for Phase II. This includes several trips back to the U.S. to raise funds. God has moved mightily and we trust He will continue to do so. Now it is time to focus on other aspects of the ministry. In years past, there has always been a little nest egg to rely on, in the event funding dropped. These reserves have served us well, but we are very aware that they too can run out. We need to shore up the accounts used for the children’s home’s daily expenses and the Thomas fund. This is where we need your help! See giving info below.
As 2016 draws to a close, we would ask that you prayerfully consider how you might help in this situation. We know God is always faithful and uses people just like you to accomplish His will. Thank You for your Consideration!
For those who desire to contribute financially, mail to the following address:
Cornerstone International, P.O. Box 192, Wilmore, KY 40390
Please make checks payable to Cornerstone International and note in the memo section “World Hope Outreach”
for Thomas’ personal finances, or “Operation Abraham” for child sponsorship.
Field Address:
Thomas Family, SJO 2326, P.O. Box 025216, Miami, Florida 33102Phone #: (956) 287-3131 Email: sgthomas@ice.co.cr Website: www.abrahamproject.org
This month we received a sweet trio of siblings. They include big brother Sebastian (who is only 13 months old) and his twin baby sisters Mariana & Isabela (2 months old)! Our house parents, Esteban & Gaby definitely have their hands full! We are so pleased that the Lord opened up the door for us to receive and minister to these three siblings.
Child abuse among Costa Rica’s children is a growing problem. Studies show that 1 in 4 children lives below the poverty line. Despite a relatively low poverty rate in our country, 16% of the population is affected by this problem, with children being the primary victims. On December 11, 2014, an article in the Tico Times reported that between 2006-2014 more than 20,000 minors were treated for some type of suspected abuse. This information came from statistics obtained from the National Children’s Hospital in C.R. With this in mind, we would like to take a moment to share what God is doing with Phase II and our reason for being here.
With the completion of Phase I, we now have our sights set on developing Phase II. This includes the construction of 4 additional children’s homes. Our goal is to provide hope for children who are hurting, abused, and afraid. Since opening our doors in 2004, we have received 91 children. Of these, roughly half have left in adoption. The others have returned to their biological families, while 14 are currently living at the A.P. These 4 homes will allow us to impact more lives. Our aim is to share Christ with every child that walks through our doors.
We are nearing completion of the permit phase. It has been a long, arduous task. Once permits are secured, we will begin with construction of a bridge. The bridge is needed to span a creek, giving us full access to the main portion of the property.
Several months ago, a team from the U.S. was visiting the A.P. During the tour, we approached a friend that had the capacity to help us with the task of building the bridge about funding that project. He thoughtfully told us that he did not feel led to donate for the bridge, but that he would give funds to build a house ($285K)! He also informed us that this was not an open ended offer. He would give us until the end of this November to raise the money. If we are not able to, he would withdraw his offer. Obviously, this has been a HUGE motivating factor for us.
We have been in negotiations with an outside company to construct the bridge. After several meetings, we were able to negotiate a final price of $88,000, which is much less than the original estimated cost of $120,000. Good news…at this point, we have already raised over $60,000! We only need $28,000 to meet our goal.
If you feel led to contribute, please contact us at sgthomas@ice.co.cr or call 956.287.3131.
On September 5th, Marco and Catherine arrived from Italy to meet their adopted son for the very first time! After communicating via SKYPE for a couple of months, they were thrilled to finally get to know Dominic up close and in person. He arrived at the A.P. two years ago, after having faced two failed national adoptions. Dominic’s international adoption was finalized on September 21st. Our prayer is that God would bless this sweet family as they begin their new journey together.
In our last newsletter, we shared about a couple of cases from the Province of Limón that are literally at a standstill. In May of last year, we received two children, Derik and Susana, who are waiting for their cases to be resolved. During the month of May, we had been communicating with the Limón office. Unfortunately, the attorney had been lax in moving the kids cases. On July 14th, we wrote a letter to the Director of the Regional PANI Office in Limón soliciting her intervention. Since that time, we have received no answer from her. So, we are moving up the hierarchical ladder in order to have our voice heard. We have now written another letter expressing our concerns to Management at the main PANI hub in San José. If they do not respond, we will continue up the chain of command until we have an audience with the President of the organization, if need be! Please pray for grace and favor as we fight on behalf of Derik and Susana. God knows their situations and his timing is perfect. We really do believe that! We continue to stand in the gap for Guadalupe. She was not accepted at the special education school, so the Ministry of Education is referring her to a public school that has Special Ed. services . There is also a teacher who is trained in behavioral disorders. Typically here in Costa Rica, the child is seen on a weekly basis. However, in Guadalupe’s case, we recommend she be seen every day. The lady at the Ministry of Education told us that they didn’t have the resources to do that, but that she would call the school we are looking at to see what they can do. She has not yet gotten back to us. This has been a long, harrowing experience. Pray for wisdom on how to help our girl and do what’s best for her.
We received good news a couple of weeks ago; siblings Daniel and Brithany have been placed with a family from Spain. Right now, we are waiting for the family to send a letter of intent before it is official. The children do not know yet, as it usually takes a couple of weeks to receive the letter from the parents. The siblings have been with us a little over a year. Please pray for them as they will soon begin a new chapter in their lives.
This past week, we received an email from the attorney handling the case of brothers, Stuard and Josua. If you remember, in our April newsletter we mentioned that they had been declared abandoned, but that their mother had appealed the decision. Their case was remitted to a higher court where 3 judges would review it. Well, they decided to uphold the decision of the lower court, so the boys are now officially declared abandoned, no more appeals! All this means that their file will be sent to the Office of Adoptions where they will begin promoting them for adoption. We ask that you pray because Stuard already turned 10 this year and it can be difficult to place a “pre adolescent,” but we know that nothing is impossible for God!
The Psalm on the front of this page declares God’s goodness to each of us. The reason we share these stories is because we believe that “Prayer moves the hand of God” and we encourage you to pray for the children. Learning about them isn’t by chance, it’s a call to action to stand in the gap for these little ones who can’t stand alone.
Today the team took our kids on a field trip ... to the bowling alley. Our kids had never been before, so this was a totally new experience for all of them!
Even the smallest kids enjoyed themselves.
... and the big kids too! (There's big Steve doing his thing)
Afterwards, we had lunch and headed home. Our house parents and the kids had such a good time we'll have to go back soon!
