Abby’s Garden Visit
We got back two weeks ago from a wonderful visit to Abby’s Garden. The older kids really know me now, and I feel more attached to them each time I go. With my next planned visit not until October or November, goodbyes were harder this time.
We invited all the moms to a meeting one evening, where we gave them small gifts and Divina shared some parenting encouragement, exhorting them from Deuteronomy 6:7.
Three of the four Abby’s Garden caregivers had birthdays within a few weeks of my visit, so I took them all out to dinner to celebrate.
Abby’s Garden updates
We are considering adding a roof and tile flooring to the backyard outdoor space in the house we currently rent. This would add enough space to accommodate 10-15 more children and 1-2 more staff. An architect has completed all the measurements required for an estimation, so we are just waiting to receive the estimates. Please pray for wisdom as to whether this is the next best step for Abby’s Garden at this time, and for the funds to complete the project.
Divina (our director) and I always have great conversations when I am there. She is perpetually dreaming about ways to grow and improve Abby’s Garden. Some of the older children are now preschoolers, so we discussed the possibility of expanding into a preschool as well as a daycare. We are both really excited about this opportunity! She is going to begin setting aside a couple of hours a week for education time with the oldest three children, and we will see how it goes. Look forward to more updates on this in the future!
Ben got to hold Baby Nazaret.
Update on my court case
Earlier this week, my lawyer let me know that the court came back with a ruling that I need to pay an equivalent of almost $12,000 to the young man who hit me on his motorcycle in the accident that happened in the Dominican Republic over six years ago. As you can imagine, this is not the outcome we were hoping for; it is unjust and feels overwhelming. This happened partly because two years ago they held a hearing without me. Our vehicle insurance company had provided a lawyer who didn’t know me or the details of the accident, didn’t bother to notify me (so I wasn’t present to defend myself) and did a poor job of representing me. My new lawyer really tried to help, but it was already a lost cause.
We are trying to decide if it would be worth it to start another case against the lawyer who didn’t notify me. It just feels overwhelming to try to fight something in another country, in another language, and within a legal system I am unfamiliar with. Prayers for wisdom about this situation would really be appreciated.
While I was there we made thank you cards with the kids’ handprints and babies’ footprints for our monthly partners. If this is you, look for one in the mail this week, and thank you so much for your faithful support!
**We still have a monthly deficit due to our added expenses of health insurance and taxes for each employee. Would you consider helping us make up this insufficiency?
With love,
Tonya