Whoa! Can't believe it's been a month. Sorry!

I went to Gabriel House on Tuesday for a quick drop off - Jan and I loaded up the van with TONS of diapers that a guy has been storing for us since we don't have much room at the office.

We were praying soooo hard - it's always difficult to get stuff like this across the border, especially in large quantities. We've heard terrible stories of people getting sent back, their stuff being seized, huge import fees charged...and we just really didn't want any of that to happen, obviously!

We crossed and were waiting to be inspected, but our guy was "having breakfast." I asked how long his breakfast was and a border official goes, "Oh, something like 15 minutes or so." I immediately knew we were in trouble. Jan and I sat down, getting comfortable since we knew we were in for a long wait. A different border official started talking to us, asking what we were doing and stuff, and then asked if my eyes were really that blue. He was sure I was wearing contacts, so I showed him how if I move my contact around in my eye, the color doesn't change...and then I asked if he was the one who was going to inspect our car. He said no, but grabbed someone who was walking by, obviously headed somewhere else. He inspected our car, charged us less than $30, and we were on our merry way! 

Moral of the story: thanks for the eyes, Mom and Dad!

As Jan and I left Gabriel House, we left with heavy hearts, which happens often. Gabriel House is an amazing place and so much is happening with those wonderful kids. But there's always more to be done - more that we'll never be able to do. It's hard to balance all that sometimes, and discern what to tackle and what to leave alone. Anyways, as we were driving back and processing that, Jan's sister calls. She had spoken to her church a few months ago about Mexican Medical and briefly mentioned Gabriel House. That morning, she ran into someone from the missions board who told her they were so excited to partner with Gabriel House - they had already sent a check, were putting out boxes to collect items from our Christmas list, and want to partner with us by sending teams several times a year. 

Here's the thing. God could have waited. That random encounter could have happened next week. Jan's sister could have waited to tell us what happened. But no. 

In the very moment that we were struggling, God met us there. And he told us, yet again, that he's got this. And he always will. 

This week I got to be part of the Messenger mailing. Oh...my...goodness.
The Messenger is Mex Med's quarterly newsletter that goes out to over 8500 people. Volunteers come in to stuff, sort, tab, and label each letter so that we can get them out in one day, instead of the process taking days (or even weeks!) with just the 6 of us in the office doing everything. We are SO grateful for these volunteers and would really go crazy without them. I was assigned to the tabber, which seemed simple enough. This machine would pull one newsletter at a time, attach a circular sticky tab to seal it, and then spit it out. I just had to make sure the stack of newsletters stayed at a certain height.  All went well for about half an hour, and then the truth came out.
This machine was donated to us when it was on its last legs several years ago. Before they had the machine, people had to staple each newsletter to seal them shut, and that's what made the process take so long. So it's awesome that this (somewhat random) machine was donated. But being that it was about ready to retire several years ago, things have only gotten worse. Every so often (I'm pretty positive it was about every 20 minutes), a tab would get stuck because it wasn't fed correctly. I'd shut down the whole machine, take the unsealed newsletters out, pull the huge honker apart, jam a knife in a tiny little hole that my (apparently not so tiny) fingers wouldn't fit into, hope the tab stuck to the knife, pull it out, put the whole machine back together, run a few test newsletters to make sure everything was lined up correctly, realign the machine since it never was, and then put the stack of newsletters back, all the while maintaining the proper amount of pressure and speed. About halfway through the day, I was readjusting everything and a spring popped off. Now, in addition to everything else I just mentioned, I needed to keep my fingers on the broken piece in a constant state of steady pressure to ensure that the roll of tabs was fed correctly (see picture). If I pushed down too hard or not enough, the roll would get stuck and disaster would ensue. We sent over 9,000 newsletters through this machine - some had to go twice because they didn't get tabbed or it was done incorrectly.

I'm sorry that I took 10 minutes of your time explaining this in great detail. And I don't do it to complain - please trust me on that. I only say this to share the not so glamorous side of my job - it's not all rainbows and butterflies as I play with incredibly awesome kids in beautiful Mexico. It's encouraging for me to see the volunteers (mostly retirees) come faithfully to help us get these newsletters out to people who have supported Mex Med in so many ways over the last 50 years.
Also - it was hilarious and a much needed (although not necessarily desired) lesson in patience. I wish you could have been there!

Ladies and gentlemen...this is the moment I've been waiting for...I'm so happy to report that I am fully funded as of this morning!

I've been hovering at 98% for WEEKS now. Not a bad place to be stuck and I'm thankful that I was able to be stuck there, but what a joy and relief to finally be able to see that number hit 100%! In the midst of the economic downturn, this has happened. God is so faithful and I am in awe of the people he used to get me to this point. Some I've known my entire life and some I met just a few months ago. I'm supported by people all over not just the country, but the world!  

I started a cross country road trip (literally. San Diego to New York with many stops along the way...) on May 6, the day after attending Mexican Medical's 50th anniversary celebration as their newest missionary. It was such an exciting way to start this fundraising journey. 165 days later (including 3 and a half months of working full time at the MMM office/Gabriel House), this day has finally come!

I am so overwhelmed as I think back to all the appointments I had, all the individuals/churches/small groups I got to talk to, and all of the people that are now part of my team - not only financially, but also prayerfully. I'm excited to keep doing what I've been doing and let God lead me as I work with MMM and the sweet children at Gabriel House. 

How fitting that as the holiday season is upon us (too soon?! sorry) I am giving thanks over and over again for YOU and also to our Savior who has allowed me to get to this point. 

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
- Psalm 115:1 

MexMed's wall of missionaries and my business card!

We had a great day with the dental team last week! Dr. Tamez and Dr. David and Dr. Erica Cervantes (married - both dentists!) were with us and brought along dental hygienists. Almost all of our kids were seen - Sergio was at school and Javier only has 1 tooth - and we even had enough time to work on the GH staff as well. So thankful for clean teeth, even if some of the kids didn't feel that way!

And just as expected, I've officially hit the ground running. Ha! 
Between fielding phone calls from people wanting to donate all kinds of things 
to coordinating visits for prospective missionaries with Mexican Medical 
to helping the staff and kids process a baby's death just days after an adorable 1 year old with significant developmental delays arrives on our doorstep
to traveling back and forth to Gabriel House at least twice a month for the past 3 months...
it's easy to get overwhelmed and disheartened! 
But I have been reminded constantly that our God is so much bigger than my schedule. My calendar. My time. My everything. It's humbling and at the same time incredibly reassuring to realize that He is not counting on me to get all of this done. Yeah right! If that was the point, I know He would have given up on me a long time ago because I for one let him down constantly. There's so much freedom in that. Freedom to make mistakes but also to reach for the impossible, knowing that He has been and will always be there to catch me when I fall.

It's been a sweet, sweet time of drawing closer to the Lord as I feel like I'm trying to cup water in my hands and helplessly watching it flow through my fingers. There's always more to be done - more money needed, more kids that need to get better, more staff that need to be encouraged, more missionaries that need to come...and honestly, it will never all get done. 

Somedays it's just really frustrating. And other days it's encouraging to see how much has been accomplished and what's being put in place to get even more done. 

Some exciting things that have been happening lately:


- A man who came to GH in late July is coming back for two weeks in October with his wife to explore the possibility of being long term missionaries with MexMed at Gabriel House. She's a nurse practitioner (gah!!!) and he has an incredible heart for our kids with more severe disabilities. I'll be with them as they get to experience the dental team at GH, a MexMed health fair in downtown Ensenada, and some solid time with the kids at GH. 

- We're getting ready for our dental team to come to GH - local dentists pay (!) to be at GH for the day, providing absolutely crucial dental care to our kids in MexMed's RV that's been converted into a fully equipped dental unit. Unlike some kids in the States, our kids are SO excited for the dentists to come - it means a day of fun and a prize if they behave well! 


- Lots of people have visited GH this summer - college friends and supporters of mine (such an awesome collision of two worlds), East Coasters (Calvary Chapel of Charlottesville and Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church woo hoo!), a worship band that supports GH as well as my ministry (www.emissaryband.com), and a girl from my neighborhood who's in school for social work. We're planning trips for this fall with my church and my neighborhood and I'm really excited for that. 


- Ines, the baby, came and quickly left. While it was hard for the kids and staff, every death is an opportunity for us to talk about heaven and what that means. Our kids get REALLY excited when we talk about being able to dance and sing and play with Jesus - where our bodies won't hurt anymore, we won't need wheelchairs or glasses or feeding tubes.


- Javier arrived! He's 1 and not doing anything a healthy one year old should be doing besides smiling - a lot! Which is better than crying. We've got an appointment for him that should help us learn more about him. 

- An occupational therapist in San Diego who comes to GH multiple times a year connected me with a man who runs a ministry that fixes wheelchairs. If you've ever been to GH you'll understand how huge this is. I've already sent him pictures of our chairs that need the most help and will be bringing him to GH in October or November to get started on fixing some of the chairs. I've heard about this guy - he's like the wheelchair whisperer. No joke. He can strip a chair down to the skeleton and build it back up as if it were factory made and fully customized for the child that will use it. SO awesome and SO needed!


- I've also recently gotten connected with a guy in San Diego who has special permission to cross the border with LOADS of supplies - diapers, medicine, food, etc. This stuff is almost impossible to bring across the border in large quantities these days but, shockingly enough, our kids still need it! We're setting that up for next month and I'm looking forward to using my best packing skills (thanks Dad) to load up our 15 passenger van with as much as we can possibly bring!


- School started! And as soon as he gets home, Sergio runs for his animals who he loves with all of his heart. He knows he can't have them at school and waits patiently to be reunited with them at the end of the day. It's good for the kids to have a routine again, although the transition has been a little tough, especially for Marcos and Alex. 


- The boys (Jose, Alex, Antonio, Marcos, and Teddy) and I have begun a special project that I'm really excited about. Here's a preview...expect to see the finished product around Christmas!




Thanks for your emails, calls, and prayers...I am so encouraged each time I speak with you! Please get in touch if you have questions or comments - I'd love to keep you updated on individual kids or give you more details about anything else you may be interested in. Keep praying for Gabriel House :)


Find me on Skype: hilary.holbrook
Email me at hilary@mexicanmedical.com
Like GH on Facebook! www.facebook.com/gabrielhouseofmexico
We're on Twitter... @gabrielhousemex

Ines - March 16, 2012 - September 11, 2012. Gabriel House is thankful for the opportunity to have kept her safe and comfortable in her last weeks with us, and we are rejoicing as she dances with her father in heaven alongside Luci, Gabi, Rosa, and many more. Please pray for the staff and kids as they process this! They'll be okay but it's always hard to lose a daughter/sister. 

Victor's feeling much better after a nasty stomach flu. Poor guy! I was so happy to see his funny faces last week!

Gabriel House has a baby again...a three and a half month old, 6.5 pound baby. She is TINY! And falling out of her 3-6 month baby clothes. She's the cousin of one of our boys, Jaime, and comes to us with significant malnutrition and hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is caused by an imbalance between how much cerebrospinal fluid is produced and how much is absorbed into the bloodstream. We had a shunt donated for one of our other kids that won't be able to use it, so hopefully it will work for Ines and we'll be able to drain the fluid. 

I was at Gabriel House last week and was able to take care of her as everyone continued adjusting to having a newborn in the house. I also went to the doctor with her as we Please pray for her health as she's already been to the doctor a few times for bronchial issues. Pray for Angelica who takes care of her at night and then works a full day as the director of Gabriel House, and pray for the other kids, that they would show her the love and grace that's been shown to them.

I just got back from almost 2 weeks at Gabriel House!
Words can hardly do justice so I've included lots of pictures...

Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church stopped by for an afternoon while they were in Ensenada serving with Mexico Outreach. It was so great to see them - it felt like a little taste of home! Even though they were with us for just a few hours, the students jumped right in and made strong connections. I was able to visit them later in the week and their leader said that kids on their team were still talking about Gabriel House. Always a good thing - I love when people can't get the kids out of their heads! It means they need to come back :) Or find a different way to not forget them!

Hopefully they'll be able to come back next year...

Another group I worked with was from Reality, a church with several different locations in the LA area. They've been several times before, which is always great because we can just jump right into working and playing with the kids. This time we really stepped it up - we created a water park for the kids! It was madness...but the best kind. 

No one wanted to get out...

Sergio loves his bananas!

A couple from the Reality group came down to help fit a lot of our kids for wheelchairs. It was amazing - this tends to be a frustrating process of trying to make a chair fit a child that it was never intended for. There are always adjustments to be made, parts to be yanked off or taped on, and so on. This weekend was one that we will never forget, because every chair fit each child almost perfectly. Jim and Meg couldn't believe it as they put child after child in his or her new chair and there were no more adjustments to be made. Needless to say, it was very encouraging for us and the kids!

One of our newest boys enjoying the sunshine and swings.

This area used to be soft dirt and rocks - now the kids can play on their scooters!

Absolutely necessary for any summer night - S'MORES!

Teddy took this very seriously.

  After that, the GH kids and I hosted a team of 12 from Charlottesville, Virgina for the week. No one in their group had ever been to Mexico before, although they did have lots of other international missions experience. It was an incredible week. They had a lot of high school boys who were eager to do some work projects, of which the group started and finished many (no small feat!). The wonderful thing about this group though, and it's my desperate prayer for each group, is that they'll get it. That they'll understand how important and meaningful it is to "just" hang out with the kids. How their 10th trip to the park is just as exciting as the first time they went. How being held for half an hour is so much more than it seems. How a conversation between two different teenagers from very different places who speak very different languages is something that at least one of those teenagers won't forget soon. All that to say, it was great! Exhausting but incredible, both for the team and for the GH kids. "I can't believe this is my job!" was a phrase that I often had running through my head. A good way to start things off, I'd say!

Calvary Chapel of Charlottesville, VA. We loved having you with us!

Friends from college and faithful supporters who came down for the day! We made a crucial stop for tacos...

Leaving tomorrow for 10 days at Gabriel House! I'll be with a team from Santa Barbara for the weekend and Charlottesville Virginia for the week. Then I'll make a quick trip back to the States to pick up my wonderful friends from Michigan (okay, I'm not picking them up from Michigan...they'll already be in San Diego) and bring them to Gabriel House for the first time to be part of the life changing experience God gives us through the kids. I'll post stories and pictures when I get back!

I have a confession to make, and along with that an apology.

When I officially started fundraising on May 5, just two short months ago, my plan was to be completely funded and ready to be full time with Mex Med by July 1. I shared this with people along my journey, about how I would spend the month of May driving back to New York, visiting with family, friends, and churches along the way, and then spend the month of June fundraising in California with churches and friends out here, with the hope that I would have everything done by July 1.
People laughed at me. I know they weren't trying to be hurtful but it was their initial reaction nonetheless. After about a week on the road, after quite a few appointments and even more phone calls, I stopped giving the date of July 1. It was just too hard to explain to people, especially the overly skeptical. Over time, I stopped believing it too. It was just silly to think that in 2 months I would have the monthly commitments I needed! I've heard of people who spend years fundraising (plural. years)

The confession is that I stopped believing in my initial goal. I gave up on July 1. Best case scenario, I figured, was I'd spend the whole summer fundraising while working as much as I could at the office and bringing a few teams down to Gabriel House in the midst of all that.
Well, this is where the apology comes in. The apology goes to our Creator, who is capable of more than we could ever ask or imagine, and despite my unending doubt (when will I learn?!), will continue to fulfill his promises.

I am so excited to share with you that as of July 1, I am 85% funded. Meaning I'm $450 away from my monthly goal! This is HUGE. No, it's not 100%, but it's pretty darn close.

I certainly don't mean for this to come across as conceded, and to be perfectly honest I don't completely understand why God allowed this to happen so quickly. What I do know is that this allows me to focus my full attention on Gabriel House, which couldn't need it more than right now. So for that I'm very grateful! 

Today is my first official day in the office, and it's on! I'll be full time from here on out. I have one last trip planned up to Northern California next week to speak at a church and meet with a few friends/family, and then the rest of the summer I'll be hitting the ground running.

Thanks for your all of your support and encouragement so far! I am SO excited to be here :)

And just because I know this is really why you checked the blog...here are some pictures!

A very cranky boy minutes before this picture was taken...but once he got on the trampoline, he was all smiles!

Jamie is SO determined to get around on his own!

Teddy showing me his homework - very proud of his math skills!

Buckle up because this is going to be a good one!

Since the last time I wrote, I've come back to San Diego, been to Gabriel House twice, unofficially started working part time with Mexican Medical, seen several kids make significant progress in the past two months, and hit the 50% mark in fundraising - a huge and exciting milestone!

I left New York after about a month of traveling and intense support raising. I often had 2 or 3 appointments a day and while I had a wonderful time with family and friends, I got back to San Diego and was exhausted. I mean just so, stinkin, tired. I realized that it was more of an emotional exhaustion than physical - I was constantly pouring my heart out, multiple times a day, about something that I am so passionate about and want people to understand and love the way I do. So while it was a good kind of tired, it was still tired. I took a few days off after I Skyped with a ChristCare group and really focused on resting and being renewed by the Spirit. It was so refreshing.

I met with Steve and Jan at Mexican Medical and we talked about the next couple of months and decided that the most practical thing for me to do is begin working with MexMed immediately, as often as possible. Summer is so busy with trips going down - it would just be too hard on MexMed (and me!) if I wasn't available. So I'll be doing as much as I can with them while continuing to fundraise - hoping and praying that it doesn't take much longer than the summer months!

I was at Gabriel House twice last week and saw some wonderful things. I got to bring down some friends of mine who Lourdes introduced to Gabriel House - one of them is in a band that has led worship at the Mexico Outreach camps, another has leads a homeless ministry in Sacramento, and they brought their friend who had never been to Mexico before (!). Emissary Band has a huge heart for Gabriel House - they've donated so much over the years, including a van! It's always fun to be there with them. Also really exciting to be bringing teams down and hosting them as they serve at Gabriel House - this will be my life for the next few years, at least!

When we got there, I did a double take as I was looking for one kid in particular who stole my heart many years ago. Jamie was born without disabilities but contracted encephalitis when he was two and has been in a wheelchair and basically nonverbal ever since. He's got some muscle control but is very spastic and unpredictable. Anyway, our physical therapist has been doing some incredible work with him. 3 times a day, at least 5 days a week at meals, she works with him as he learns to feed himself. It's a tedious and messy process, but he's making significant progress. He also used to be totally strapped into a wheelchair. Literally, the only thing he could move was his head. He just wasn't able to keep himself upright if his chest wasn't strapped in. Well I walked into the yard when I arrived and stared at him for a few seconds because it just didn't look like him, and I couldn't figure out who it was. But it was Jamie! In a new wheelchair, with only ONE seatbelt...on his lap! As I continued staring, he put one hand on the wheel AND STARTED WHEELING TOWARD ME! I couldn't believe it! I have to admit, I never thought I'd see this day come. I mean, I was there for a year and he had never made progress like this. As I continued playing with him, he would speak - never more than one word at a time, but words that showed me he was totally aware of what was going on and what he was saying. AMAZING! Lots of therapy, perseverance, and prayers have gotten him to where he is today. And ohhhh, what a place for him to be. 

Sitting up in the wagon? Never used to be possible...we'd have to wedge him in between two other kids so he wouldn't fall over!

I'm glad to be back! Looking forward to bringing more teams down to Gabriel House and helping them experience this wonderful place. It will be a busy summer but an exciting one. I'm headed up north next month to speak a few churches in the San Francisco area, and will hopefully be at a few near LA this summer as well. 

Thanks for your prayers. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without them and you! 

Well. This has by far been the craziest two and a half weeks ever. Not too long ago, I was minding my own business over in San Diego, getting groceries, doing laundry, and catching up on emails like the rest of the country. Since then, I've driven through 13 states, seen so many friends and family, spoken at lots of churches (once in Spanish!), and been busier than I ever thought I could be. 
Throughout all of this,  God has been showing up in ways I never could have even dreamed of. Ephesians 3:20 has been running through my mind this whole time - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
You guys - this is so true. God has done more in these past few months, specifically these past few weeks, than I could have EVER asked or imagined. I've been blown away and so, so humbled by the appointments I've had and encouragement I've received. 
Jesus is working in people's hearts and they get it. They understand what God's called me to. They believe in being a voice for the voiceless. They tell me that this is an exciting opportunity for them, because at this point in their lives they can't be the ones to go, but by joining my team, they can still be part of this ministry. They tell me that they understand I'm not asking them for money but rather that I'm giving them an opportunity to be part of this ministry. 
I can't tell you the relief that I feel when that happens, because it means that God is doing this. I have no power to change people's minds or touch their hearts, but through me, the Spirit is doing just that. SO COOL. 

Speaking at Hopewell and making fun of my dad for giving me 2 minutes (TWO!!) to talk...


I still have a lot to do in the next week and a half that I'm in New York and will fly back to San Diego on June 1. Once I get back, I'll be visiting churches and friends throughout California to continue the support raising process. THANK YOU for your prayers that have gotten me this far! Please continue to pray for me as I visit with more people and churches, and as always, for the kids at Gabriel House. 

I'm baaaaaaack!
And this is how I feel.

I am SO EXCITED to tell you about how what's going on...
The past couple months have been crazy. God's been totally changing my plans (as usual!) for the better and has called me back to Gabriel House, but this time in a different way. I'll be working with Mexican Medical Ministries (MMM), a non-profit organization founded 50 years ago that brings healing and hope to the people of Mexico. I'll be based in the States at MMM's office just outside of San Diego, where I'll be focusing on the Gabriel House kids by working on advocacy, grant writing, special projects, intern coordination, and research and development on how we can improve Gabriel House. Additionally, I'll spend about half my time traveling to Gabriel House in Ensenada, Mexico either as I lead teams down or as I bring donations and stay for a couple of days to ensure things are going well. I'll also be checking up on programs that have been put into place and providing support to the directors and staff.   


I leave on May 6 to drive across the country, visiting friends, family, and churches as I spread the word and gather support for this new season unfolding before me.
I'll be in Denver, Holland, Grand Rapids, Detroit area, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. I'd love your prayers for safety as I travel and that God would create divine appointments. 


I'll return to San Diego at the end of May and will continue visiting potential ministry partners throughout California. My goal (and hope and prayer!) is to be fully funded by July 1 so that I can start working full time with Mexican Medical. 


If you have any questions or want to talk more about this, please get in touch with me! I'll have 3000 miles and almost 50 hours of open road to talk to you....so call me!
845.489.7106 or hilaryatMMM@gmail.com. 


Thank you, and I hope that you are one of the people I get to see in the next couple weeks!


And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:19