Letters and News

The grand total collected by cashiers at the Sorianas is $119,095.25 mexican pesos ($10K USD). After visiting all of the orphanages in Reynosa in April, our's was chosen for this special fund raising effort! In order to receive the funds Sister Elma must travel to Monterrey and turn in paper work to the headquarters of this large grocery chain! Please keep her in your prayers! Brother Glen, board member from Opelika, arrived Reynosa yesterday, to help purchase materials and to prepare for mission groups arriving to begin construction of the second floor! Praise God for all of these blessings!

Below, is a post of the letter written in March 2006 by board president Bill White. This letter was the first announcement and request for funds to collect toward the second floor construction. Thank you to all who have given to accomplish the goal!

Dear Friend of Casa MAMi MX:

Some of us have just returned from visiting Sister Elma’s Casa Hogar Mami orphanage in Reynosa, Mexico. Everything that we have seen confirms that the Lord’s hand and His heart are with this ministry. In the past year the property and the first floor of the new orphanage building have been completed and paid for. This has allowed Sister Elma to house and care for as many as thirty girls between the age of three and seventeen. There are presently twenty-two girls at the orphanage. The old orphanage would only house six to twelve girls. These girls are all either abused, orphaned, or street children with special needs that are not wanted by the state-run orphanages. The love of Jesus is not only being shared with these children, it is being shown to them through the lives of people like Sister Elma. I am continually amazed at the number of miracles of God’s protection of and provision for these girls and Sister Elma. The most recent example occurred when we arrived on Tuesday, March 14, 2006. Sister Elma always insists on picking us up at the airport. This day she was not feeling well and Kathy Scruggs offered to pick us up for her. Surprisingly, she agreed to this. While Kathy was gone, the mother of two girls at the orphanage made a surprise visit to see the two sisters (ages four and nine). She never visits and she had a man with her that she introduced as her husband. Sister Elma and the girls came to the gate to let them in. the oldest girl whispered to Sister Elma that this was the man that had abused them. Sister Elma (thank goodness she was there!) told the mother she was welcome to come in, but then told the man he was not an approved visitor and he would not be admitted. He became angry and told her who he was and who he worked for as he placed his foot in the doorway. Sister Elma stepped in front of him and looked him in the eye and told him that she would call the police if he stepped inside the orphanage grounds. He backed away and did not come in. State-paid psychologists make scheduled visits to counsel with the girls there. It just so happened that two of these counselors came that afternoon. They just happened to specialize in dealing with abused children; Sister Elma had the sisters talk to them and the girls revealed all to these psychologists in a videotaped discussion. The authorities assured Sister Elma that the man will be in jail within two days. Sister Elma’s response to us was that she did not rejoice that this man was going to jail. She does rejoice that justice has been done. This is only one example of the miraculous ways that God is at work to help and protect these children and Sister Elma.
In the name of Jesus I am coming to you on behalf of this ministry to advise you of two very pressing financial needs. The second story needs to be built for a ministry to unwed mothers during their pregnancy. There is a desperate need for this on the streets of Reynosa, and there is a tremendous window of opportunity to accomplish this. If we can raise $20,000 in pledges and cash in hand by April 30, 2006, the Mexican government will match this amount with $20,000 cash. Any pledge needs to be accompanied by a letter that states it will be paid by the end of August. Sister Elma says that this will probably allow us to complete the entire second floor project. This money will provide the funds to hire Mexican labor for things the volunteer groups do not need to be doing (such as electrical). There are many businesses and churches in Mexico and America that provide materials and volunteer labor. Cash is hard to come by. To get the entire second floor finished for $20,000 out of pocket to the ministry is an unbelievable opportunity. The other need is operating income to pay employees. The staff needs have gone from two to three people at the old location to eight people at this location. The salary for a worker at the orphanage is eighty dollars per week. The total operating budget for the last year was approximately $70,000. With so few churches and people who are involved in helping financially and with so little in regular monthly donations, this budget is a challenge and is expected to increase after the second floor is finished.
We need your help. Will you please consider a one time donation or a pledge before the end of April? Will you also consider helping us fund the monthly income to pay for a staff person? I could see this being done by an individual, a business, a church, a Sunday school class or a combination of gifts from the above. Any way that you can help in the provision for this excellent and worthy ministry work will be appreciated by us and by the Lord. If you need anything from us to help you to help us, please call me.
Please note that any checks should be written to Casa MaMi MX, PO Box 382636, Germantown,TN 38183-2636.This is the official name and address of the 501 (C)(3) corporation that is registered with the IRS to receive money for this ministry.Thank you again for any help you can give us and may God bless our efforts as we work together to do His will.

Yours in Christ,

Bill White, Board Chairman
334-663-3418