Newsletter_July

Project Update

We really do not know all the reasons why we have been denied children for our project all these many months. Caroline may be due to Gloria's continued working with the DIF administrators and their finally coming around or maybe she is just the first one after Lauren that Heavenly Father wants us to nurture

Some time after Lauren came to us, Gloria was inspired that Zephaniah 1:7 applied to our situation with Lauren being the sacrifice to get the project off the ground and that all the guests or children that would come to us had already been invited. Therefore we continue to work the system but we know that the Lord has already selected those that we will help. We are sometimes impatient in this process but we must recognize that the Lord knows best.

Working Vacation

I was in Mexico for 2 ½ weeks in May and thoroughly enjoyed it. If anyone wants to spend a couple of weeks digging ditches, repairing the roof, cutting weeds, fighting ants, trimming trees, planting grass and a garden, laying concrete, building a playground, painting, repairing furniture, and of course, feedings, clothing, bathing and enjoying children, then you should consider a Los Alamos vacation some time. If you are really nice to Gloria, she might even let you go to the beach some time. I have done all these things on my trips and enjoyed everything about them with the exception of the ants and the mosquitoes. If you want to experience this work, call or write me and we can talk about it.

Fundraising

We haven't been pushing fundraising for the past year because our expenses have been low with only the care of Lauren and we have been able to handle it personally. However, with Lauren growing, we have been working to build a playground, making the ditches safer, laying concrete and grass, so the costs have been increasing. Now with the addition of Caroline, we need to raise more funds. Several soda and snack machines have been made available to us and we would like to place them in businesses around Albuquerque, so if you know of a good location, call me and we will discuss it. Over the years, many of you have made very generous donations and several of you have made monthly contributions to the work. We truly appreciate your help and ask for your continued support at this time if you are able. A small contribution of $100 from each of you will go along way to meet our current needs. Thanks for your consideration.

Correspondence

If you want additional copies of this newsletter or any other information on the work in Mexico, please let me know and I will provide what I can. Our address is Radiant Futures, 7001 Fairfield Greens Court NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111. If you want to be added to our e-mail list and receive more timely updates, send your e-mail address to radiantfutures@juno.com.

Thank you for all your constant support, prayers, warm wishes, and contributions to enable our dream of helping children that do not have parents, become a reality. Together we have saved two little lives and hope to always be able to say "Yes" to any and all children that can be given a Radiant Future.

Warm Regards

Stanford L. Call, Vice President

Friday, June 29th, Gloria received a phone call from the area social services (DIF) that a fifteen-day old girl had been abandoned at a hospital in Tapachula. She was asked if we had the room and ability to provide a home for her. Of course she said yes, and within five hours was delighted to receive this wonderful little girl and provide her with a loving home. She is a strong, healthy little girl who was born on June 14th and weighed in at three kilos (approximately 6 ½ pounds). She has beautiful big eyes, long fingers and toes, and dark skin. Gloria has decided to name her Caroline (Carolina in Spanish). Caroline has received a warm reception from the local townspeople with many visits. Gloria says that having a new baby in the house also brings a new energy level that she remembered having received when Lauren arrived 20 months ago. Lauren loves babies and is ecstatic that she gets to see one all the time, but she is also adjusting to her new little sister. She loves to give her kisses and wants to play with her while learning how to be soft and gentle, and beginning the process of learning how to share the sole attention she has been given over the past 20 months.

Lauren Update

As many of you may recall, we received Lauren as a newborn after she was thrown from the roof of a two-story hotel and abandoned by her mother directly after birth. She suffered from hypothermia, broken clavicle and brain contusions. Through much prayer, love and stimulation, her brain has responded and the original diagnosis of deafness and blindness has been replaced with a happy, healthy and active child who loves to dance, run, and this month ~ her first trips to the "potty". Which when she goes she claps, jumps up and down, and shows everyone in the house her achievement. While the injuries brought some delays in her motor and vocal skills, today she runs all over the place and is very active. She is now talking, mostly in English, and understands most everything in English and Spanish. Her latest favorites are watching Elmo and Sesame Street Videos, dancing to the "One Fine Day" soundtrack, kicking the ball everywhere, and eating Corn Flakes LOVES them!

Gloria is currently working to get Lauren a passport and visa to come to the United States, as she would like to have her evaluated by a neurologist here. We were originally told that some problems resulting from her brain injuries might not show up until later in her life therefore we want to monitor her often so as to recognize any problems early in their development. Of course, Gloria wants to come back home as well since this month marks an entire year that she has been in Mexico on this trip. If there is anyone who has contact with a pediatric neurologist who might like to evaluate Lauren, please let me know.