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
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We're on Twitter... @gabrielhousemex