April 2021 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I am so glad that God doesn't leave us as orphans! He sees us as His sons and daughters. He accepts us just as we are in spite of all of our brokenness. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:5, "God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure." Can you imagine? He sees us as HIS very own!!
About six months ago, we met a very special lady that has a children's home in San Jose. It has been wonderful to get to know her; not only that, but to get to know the precious children she has in her home. They have been able to visit our home many times and have had a place to come and run and play. She has twenty-five children in the home and many of the children are dealing with an illness or special need. Many of you have prayed for little Genesis, who is three years old, and has a brain tumor. There are many other children that have special needs and face challenging situations.
Maria, the lady that started the home, loves the Lord and our hearts have been joined together. The burden she carries for these children has been great...at times it has been too much. We know the challenges we ourselves have faced, having a house full of children that have been through traumas and difficulties. Maria has asked for our help and asked Enrique if he could be the director and overseer of the home in San Jose. He feels the Lord wants him to be involved in these children's lives. All of the nurses and caregivers are women; the children desperately need a father figure and male role model. And there is SO much work to be done!
For two weeks, Enrique has gone to work and serve there, leaving early in the morning and arriving home sometimes late in the evening. There have been many visits to the children's hospital and Enrique has had to oversee special emergency cases. He comes home with the sweetest stories of the children; every night he has us all in tears. It is amazing how much beauty is found in the hard things, the difficult situations, and how our hearts grow more and more as we love and serve. Enrique's prayer has always been "Lord, help me to see the children as you see them." There is one girl in the home that reminds Enrique so much of our oldest adopted daughter, Daniela. The little girl is always looking for attention. When he saw her, it was as if he saw Daniela when she first arrived at our home, needing so much love and attention. And just as God has adopted each one of us and made us His own, each child becomes a part of us in our hearts and in our great big family.
Recently, a new nurse was hired to work at the home. She told us that her special needs daughter had recently passed away. And although the pain has been great, she wants to care and love for the children as if they were her very own. She said, "I can see my daughter in each one." Pain can make the heart grow and give us a much better understanding of the needs of others. God loves us so we can love others.
The last few months we have worked hard on the “"Carolyn House" in the mountains so it can be approved for special needs children. We hope that by early Summer, the government will be sending ten new children to live there. Some could have special needs. Enrique will be working to find the right caregivers and will be overseeing the process to get things ready. We would ask for your prayers. It has been a lot of work and long hours.
Please continue praying for sweet Genesis. Although the doctors are not giving her much hope, we know our God can do miracles. Enrique has seen her every day and prays with her. She is able to crawl and although she doesn't speak much, she can't wait to show Enrique her drawings every morning when He arrives and waits for tummy tickles, along with many others! We also want to thank everyone who has given a donation to help Esther! She has been a part of our family since she was a baby and we love her dearly. She wants to start her own business and sell baked good and yummy treats. She is a wonderful and talented baker. In spite of some difficulties and hardships through the years, she continues working hard to finish high school and has been a great support to her family. We want to help her get her business started. She could have great success! She needs baking supplies and an oven. She has had to borrow from neighbors and friends to practice and learn. She is a very determined young girl!
We will have to get some electrical work done in their house first before an oven can be installed, which will be an added expense, but we are trusting and believing that the Lord will provide! Thanks to your help, we already have the money for the baking supplies and have half of the money for the oven! Esther is so very grateful! We were also able to give out more school supplies this month to several families. Children and moms were so happy to get what they needed to continue studying. Our youngest foster baby, Dayan Danielita, continues to do great and we just love her! She has the sweetest smile and chubby cheeks and continues to get great reports from her doctor. We learned that her biological mother has been in trouble with the law and is in jail. Please pray for her. She is very young and we pray her life can changed.
We appreciate so much all your love and support. Pray for continued strength for Enrique as he has a lot on his plate and is praying God will give him favor with the new children. We certainly do love and appreciate you all! Your support and prayers mean more than you know. We pray the Lord will bless and protect each of you and your families.
Much love,
Enrique and Charlyn Mejia
March 2021 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
There is a song based on Zechariah 4:6 that we used to sing in church years ago: "It's not by might, it's not by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord. This mountain shall be removed by My Spirit says the Lord." God put this song in my heart one morning reminding me that He really can move mountains!
When you work and care for children that have been through so many traumas in life, it can be hard sometimes to know just what to do or how to help heal a broken heart. One day as I worried and fretted about a young girl that we help, and wanting to make all her pain go away, I felt the Lord say, "You can't see ALL that I am doing." Many times, as the verse says, we want to do things in OUR own might and in OUR own strength, but it is by His spirit that mountains will be moved! Traumas and hurts can be mountains hard to move for many children who have lost parents and have been abused. And although I would like to be able to fix everything and make all the hurt go away, my trust has to be firmly planted in Him.
My heart broke as a very young girl, who had been through abuse, said to us, "This is going to affect me the rest of my life." She was only thirteen! But does it have to affect her the rest of her life? Does she have to live with pain and fear? God sets us free! He delivers us from hurt and pain and He can use all things for good. These are things He has promised. He calls me to love the brokenhearted, but He is the one who repairs hearts. And when I get discouraged, I look at my own children who are now grown and remember what He has brought them through. When we think it depends all on us, the weight is too much to carry, but when we know it depends on Him, we can keep on loving people and trusting in Him for their deliverance. He will use all the bad for a beautiful purpose that He has planned.
We would ask for your prayers for wisdom and strength. God has opened up doors for us to talk with children and young people. Not just our own, but others who are part of our lives. It can be hard to hear all they have been through. We need the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom. We need Him to move mountains and set them free. We pray they would be able to truly know Him. This last month, many children were able to start the new school year because of your gifts and love.
It has been a very busy time getting children back in school. Recently, when we went to pick up one our daughters from school, a man on a motorcycle hit the front of our car. He was going very fast and came into our lane. It scared us, but everyone...including the man...was alright. His motorcycle was damaged and his leg badly bruised, but we are so grateful for God's protection.
While we waited several hours for police to arrive, Enrique found out the man was running errands and trying out for a new job. His boss arrived where the accident took place to see if he was alright. The man was so distraught because he desperately needed the job. He was barely able to support his family. Because the police didn't arrive quickly, Enrique had a long time to share and encourage the man. And he even got to know the man's future boss too! Enrique and the man exchanged numbers and they have talked on the phone several times.
Our son Nelson, who knows a lot about motorcycles, was able to find the parts the man needed at a much cheaper price and we were able to help him get them. He was so grateful! Our car was messed up, but Enrique felt in his heart that the Lord was saying to reach out and befriend the man. Later in a conversation he said to Enrique, "I have been praying that God would send me a friend. What a way to find one!" God is working for a much greater purpose than we can see. And our trust in Jesus has to outweigh our own understanding.
We still have a few families in need of school supplies and books. Our friend Teresa, who we love and support, still has five grandchildren in desperate need of school shoes, books, and supplies. During the pandemic, many in her family lost their jobs and it has been a very hard time for them. We also would like to be able to donate two computers to families whose children are studying online. Most children go to school three days a week but two days a week have classes online. It has made it very hard for families who can't afford a computer or smart phone.
Our sweet baby girl, Dayan Daniela, just turned four months old and is doing well. She is holding her head up now and getting so strong. Because she went through so much in the womb, the doctors have been keeping a close eye on her progress. They are very pleased at the way she continues to overcome and gain strength!
"We know and believe that God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20).
Thank you for standing with us with your love, giving, and prayers! It means so very much to us and so many people here in Costa Rica. Please continue to remember us this month, as the Lord leads. You come to our minds so often, and it is an encouragement to know you are here with us. We pray for the Lord's protection and blessings for you and your family.
Much love,
Enrique and Charlyn Mejia
February 2021 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Last year, we were so grateful for the way the Lord opened up doors for us to be able to reach out to families through food boxes. It has been a tremendous blessing to so many! We are so happy that because of your support, we have been able to continue bringing food boxes and reaching out to many families.
This month is a big month here in Costa Rica as the new school year begins! This year, many schools will be opening up their doors again after being closed most of last year. We would appreciate your prayers as we get the children ready for all the changes coming up. Many families are nervous about sending their children back to school. Most schools are still offering virtual classes, but many people don't have access to internet or a computer, which can make things very hard.
Every child in Costa Rica is required to wear a uniform, but getting uniforms and school supplies can be expensive. Our hope is to help families so their children can stay in school and continue their education. There are many needs, and many people have lost so much during the pandemic. I have received some very sweet messages from little ones hoping they will have what they need. We are excited and blessed to continue helping these dear families.
We are so happy that our sweet little baby Dayan Daniela continues to get good reports! She recently turned three months old and has grown so much. She is starting to laugh out loud, which is so sweet! We are so thankful that despite the rough start she had in life, she is doing just wonderfully! She still wakes up a good bit at night, so we are hoping that soon, she will be sleeping better. We deeply appreciate your prayers over her life. We continue to pray also for her biological mother, who has suffered greatly in life and is so young. We know Jesus can heal all hurts and change lives; baby and mother too!
We also continue the work on the big house and hope before too long to start putting up a fence so the children will have a safe place to play. We are waiting for government permission to be able to care for disabled children in the future. Please pray everything gets finished and we are approved.
Last month, a very dear friend to us, Miss Mable Godwin, went home to be with Jesus. Several years ago, Miss Mable and her husband, Mr. Leon, came to visit the children in our home. It is hard to put into words just how much their visit meant to us and the children. They were like two angels the Lord sent to be with us that day. Miss Mable met our sweet Mabel Ann and they hit it off! She hugged and loved on the children, especially Mabel Ann, since they share the same name! Our Mabel had been through so many health challenges and having Miss Mable there meant the world to her.
Miss Mable sat our Mabel Ann, even as big as she was, in her lap; Mr. Godwin sat around our big long table with the children after lunch. He shared with all the older kids about the importance of finding a good husband or wife. He told us the sweetest story of how he met Miss Mable and shared with us how to have a good marriage. There wasn't a dry eye at the table!
Isn't it wonderful how God sends loved ones right when we need them? I am so grateful that God sends other people to speak into our children's lives! The words of love and encouragement and wisdom will never be forgotten. The Godwin's have made such a difference in our children's lives and the families we serve. Miss Mable was a true angel and loved by so many. We are grateful to the Lord for her life and love. Please see our Hidden Treasures Costa Rica Facebook Page for pictures and more information. And please pray for dear Brother Leon and their family.
We are so blessed by each one of you for standing with us so we can continue to serve and reach out to others. We know this work could not be done without you. I wish you could meet some of the precious families that have food on the table because of your love and see the relief on their faces to know their children will not go to bed hungry. It means SO much! We pray you and your family will have good health and be blessed in the months to come!
Much love,
Enrique and Charlyn Mejia
January 2021 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
We want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! December was a very big and busy month for us. Because of your love and support many children were able to receive food and gifts for Christmas!
A few days before Christmas, we drove up to our dear friend Teresa's house, where over twenty-five of her grandchildren and great grandchildren live. They were all waiting outside jumping and screaming for joy when we arrived. They couldn't wait to receive food and gifts; we even gathered up clothes and shoes of all sizes for children and grown-ups from family and friends. They were thrilled! We were able to deliver food boxes and gifts to families that are so dear to us. I can't tell you how much it meant to each one. What an honor to be able to bring a little relief to so many people suffering. Not only for us to be able to go....but for our children to go and be part of giving back. It is something they will never forget. When we give, we are changed, and there really isn't anything better!
We were really excited about giving to sweet Esther this year. Esther is a young girl we have supported since she was a baby. Her family has very little and with no computer or telephone, it was very hard to do virtual classes and pass the ninth grade last year. She got a job cleaning houses and working on farms to save up her money for a phone. After months of hard work, she went out and bought a phone...not for herself...but for her mother. She wanted so badly to be able to give something nice to her mother. It brought her joy to be able to give back. Esther worked so hard and she passed the ninth grade in spite of all the hardships and struggles. We were so touched by her story that this year we were able to get her a phone for Christmas. She said, "I knew by giving to my mother first that the Lord would give back to me!" Giving when it is hard brings a great reward.
In December, Enrique and I and the kids spent weeks getting our home ready for twenty children to arrive. These children are waiting to be adopted. We wanted everything to be just perfect for them. We cleaned every nook and cranny and put out flowers we had picked from the garden. We wanted them to feel right at home. It had been over a year since they had been able to go outside and run and play. They live in a small home in the city with no yard to play in. Can you imagine? In spite of the rain that day, they ran and played on the playground and screamed with delight! They grabbed our hands and we ran and played with them. Seeing them so happy brought us so much joy! They sang songs of God's blessings and love and were so grateful for a day to run and play. Some of them have serious medical conditions and need healing. These children will be coming to our home more and more. We are so happy that we can love and serve them.
Just like the month of December, January is already very busy too! We have lots of projects planned at the big house. We would love to put in a fence for the children. We need to make it safe for them, especially the ones with special needs. We are painting and fixing things inside in hopes that our home can get the government’s approval to have children with special needs stay or visit without any problems. Please be praying we will have all the resources to get everything fixed and ready. There is a lot of work to be done! In order to be approved, they will check EVERYTHING, every little detail. We have already started painting the inside and hope to clean and paint the gutters on the outside soon too.
We are also so very happy that our new little baby, Dayan Danielita is doing well! Her cheeks are getting chubby and she is starting to smile. She is definitely an overcomer! We are still not sleeping much, but we love her with all our hearts!
We would ask you to pray for our son-in-law, Jonathan, who lost his younger brother on New Year's Eve. He drowned in a river after being swept away in a strong current. It has been very hard on the family. We would appreciate your prayers. We have been able to help out with our sweet baby grandson while Jonathan and the family are grieving.
Sometimes I feel at a loss for words to express just how grateful we are for all of you who have stood with us, especially during such a hard year in 2020. Your love and faithfulness are very much appreciated by so many. We pray for you and your families and that the Lord's favor and blessings will be on each of you this year!
Much love,
Enrique and Charlyn Mejia