Update

Personal:Mexican Target,Rodney took me to Tonala ( an artesian town on the outskirts of Guad) to buy a few things for my birthday। I found some amazing handblown glasses। At the last minute I noticed some packaged in a nice box that would be perfect for transporting them home. Once home, I noticed the box packaging....wouldn't you know it the glass shop is a supplier for Tटारगेट,। Small World!Potty TrainingEden is potty training.....she is still hit or miss. I will be glad when we are out of the diaper stage.BirthdaysTrinity and I celebrate our birthday's in the next week. She will be 7 and I will be 38. We are growing up so fast!MINISTRYWe are in the process of planning a whirlwind trip to raise support for the Hope House. This will be the first time that we are not actually making the trip. Meme Thorpe our fund-raising coordinator will be traveling to the South East and Mid-west in April and May. Meme is an excellent and dynamic part of the Shepherd's Heart Staff. She is passionate about world missions and her passion is contagious. She gives more than a report and a plea.... she is an inspiration. We are blessed that she will be making this trip on behalf of the ministry.We are in a critical stage of generating a support base for the boys' home that will cover the monthly expenses of housing and raising 22 boys. We need your help!If any of you would be interested in hearing Meme share about the Hope House, inviting her to share about the Hope House or helping support the boy's home. Please contact us.Blessings,Rodney and Kin

Uodate

Thank you for your patience! We’re excited to finally have the opportunity to post a news update। There have been so many exciting things happening ।

General : We now have 17 boys ranging in ages from 8 to 14 who keep us very busy! There are 3 boys attending the special needs school in Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos in the morning, 2 who attend Jr। High in the morning, one in the afternoon and 10 who attend elementary school in the afternoon। You can imagine how much our van gets used each day!We also have a wonderful, dedicated staff working tirelessly to provide clean clothes, nutritious food and a little discipline. When you have a free moment stop by and get to know them, they are:Georgia (or Gina) is our office administrator। It is her voice you will probably hear when you call us। Our office hours are Monday - Friday 9 - 5:00 pm and the telephone number is: (376) 762-00-32.Mario, Annel, Nahum and Lupe work closely with all our boys as “orientadores”. They make sure the boys follow the rules, take baths, make their beds, complete homework, etc.Lupe, Linda, Edith work as cooks. They plan menus and provide delicious, nutritious meals for all of us.Graciela (or “Grandma”) is our resident teacher. She works each day one-on-one with the boys in their schoolwork, teaching to sew and mend clothing or how to iron, learning to recycle and the importance of doing so, etc.Jorge is our resident chaplain. He is responsible for personal counseling, staff development and the spiritual development of our boys.And there is another Jorge in charge of maintenance and upkeep. He keeps the house functioning.Ma Elena works part-time to help us keep the house clean and tidy, while Cheli and Havliah dedicate their time to washing, folding and maintaining the laundry. And there is always ALOT of laundry.And finally, Rodney serves as the general director. He is assigned the task of keeping the house running smoothly.COMPUTERSOur last post mentioned that the home of the Rodney and Kina Dutro was broken into while they were attending church in Chapala and among the items taken were their personal laptop computers. Unfortunately many important documents and files for the Hope House, including the financial records, were on those computers. Fortunately they had made a full backup of those files and only needed a computer to be able to “boot” the external harddrive and make a full recovery. Individuals from the United States heard of their break-in and donated the funds necessary to purchase new (and faster!) laptops for them both! Thank you to everyone who responded to this need. The Hope House office staff hasn’t missed a beat and is back to normal.LUIS ALBERTOAs many of you know, Luis came to us completely deaf in one ear and could barely hear in the other. We have been working closely with David Huff, our volunteer house physician, to provide him with a hearing aid. Thanks to his great efforts, the Lake Chapala Society has donated a hearing aid to Luis! Luis is thrilled that he can hear what is going on around him. His only complaint is that “everyone talks to me ALL the time now!” He had to turn it off during dinner so he could “eat in peace and quiet”! The Hope House staff has already noted a positive change in his behavior. Thank you David!PROPERTY PURCHASEThose who have visited the Hope House may recall a corner lot across the street marked by a chain-link fence. Because of a very generous donation from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, we will be able to purchase the over 1,800 sq. mt. lot! Our desire is begin several workshops, such as carpentry, for our boys, plant and cultivate a small crop, raise chickens, provide staff housing and of course have more room for our boys to run and play. This property purchase has been very encouraging to the staff and the boys! Thank you!THRIFT STORE “SEMI-NUEVO”Many of you may have noticed the thrift store located on the highway in front of the 7-11 in Las Riberas. The Hope House helps to staff and maintain this store with the Lake Chapala School for the Deaf and we share the profits. So if you have anything in your house that has gone unused or “forgotten”, drop it off at the thrift store and know it will be sold to benefit TWO worthy organizations. And remember as you check off your Christmas list that the thrift store has many, many gently used items available for an excellent price! For more detailed information or to ask any question about the thrift store, please contact our volunteer coordinator Meme Thorpe at her home: (376) 762-16-86 or on her cell: (045) (333) 831-35-43.MILK, WAL-MART and FOCUS ON MEXICOWe are very thankful to Marcee, Pastor Bob and the congregation of the Lake Chapala Baptist Church for their commitment of providing 72 liters of milk EVERY WEEK! This has been a tremendous blessing for us! The boys are able to drink milk in the morning with breakfast and again in the evening with their “cena”. In addition, Focus on Mexico has also responded very generously to us, donating funds for special projects and the general operation of the house. And finally, thank you to the newly operational Wal-Mart in Las Riberas (and the children’s home “Ministerios de Amor” in Guadalajara who sponsored us in acquiring the donation) who graciously provide a donation (a very LARGE donation) every Friday of fruits, vegetables, breads, toys, cleaning supplies, canned goods, cereals, etc.CHRISTMASOur boys are finding it more difficult to contain their excitement about Christmas! They don’t know it yet, but because of many generous donors each boy will receive his own bicycle this year! Aqua Escondida, where we live, is a perfect area for bike riding. There is little to no traffic, wooded trails and miles and miles of road. A very big THANK YOU to everyone who made this is possible. This first Christmas will be very special for our boys.Also, we will be suspending our normal visitation hours during the Christmas and New Year holiday. Please feel free to stop by anytime during the day, just make sure to call us first, (376) 762-00-32 to make sure we are not out riding our new bicycles!

Pray

Hey everyone-We need your prayers and encouragement।Sunday while we were attending church our home was broken into। Luckily we were not home and hence not physically harmed. I (Kina) arrived home from church with the 4 girls to find everything ransacked. The robbers cut a protective bar from the window in the back of our home and entered through a window through which only a child could fit. Once inside they were able to open one of the doors to remove the items. The best we can tell, they stole some cash, a little jewelry and both my and Rodney's new computers (along with all software & most of the documents for the Hope House). Fortunately they left my 8 year old computer and that is how I am able to communicate with you today.First of all we want you to know this because: all of your e-mail addresses were accessible from both the stolen computers. Please let us know if you receive any strange communication from us. It is my understanding that the passwords can be changed so that they can not download our e-mail, but the server for sending messages is not password protected and therefore can be utilized by anyone who has access to the computers. (So you could receive an e-mail which looks like it is from us, but in fact it is not.)Secondly we ask that you keep us in your prayers. This is such a critical time in our lives and ministry. The ministry is growing leaps and bounds and we are being stretched beyond our limit every day. We really want to guard against discouragement. And of course the restlessness that comes with your personal space being violated. Genesis was very frightened on Sunday and well as Trinity and Zion. We have been praying for a special grace and peace for them as they process this situation. And finally the ability to carry on. Every time I need to leave the house I find myself having difficulty actually getting out the door and then once I do, not being preoccupied with the idea of "will they come back"?*Please pray against fear and doubt. We don't want to live in fear and we don't want to doubt God's protection on our family.As if life was not busy enough, we now have an entire page of projects that we have to do in order to make the insurance claim. Upon making the claim there will only be enough money (if they pay) to replace a fraction of the items taken.*Please pray that we will have the stamina to keep going, to accomplish all the normal tasks of leading an international ministry, a children's home, while sowing into our marriage and family and to complete these new projects. Oh- and to re-do the old projects.*Also please pray against discouragement, there were hours upon hours of work saved in those computers. Accounting, our annual report ministry draft, all the governmental forms for the children's home....the list goes on and on, down to the ministry letter head. Not to mention the photos that we have lost because they had not yet been archived. When we stop and think it is really overwhelming as we remember item upon item that now will require additional hours of work to regenerate. (We do have a back up of Rodney's computer that was made about a month ago. However our antique computers are not capable of running the new software used on the computers which were stolen. So we don't currently have access to anything stored in the backup.)In addition to replacing the items stolen we have been urged by the police to increase our security here in our home. We are praying about what additional measures we need to take to help prevent this from happening again.Finally we ask that you would prayerfully consider helping us financially during this difficult time. We know that times are also difficult for many of you living in the United States and because of that we do not want to place any pressure on you. Please present our family and our needs before the Lord and if he urges you to give or even sacrificially give to help us during this time we urge you to be faithful to what God asks you to do.We thank you for you love, prayers, encouragement and support!Rodney, Kina & girlsPS: We lost many e-mail addresses with the theft. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who know who you believe may be interested in knowing and/or helping.Shepherd's Heart Ministries135 Bill Cox RoadJonesborough, TN 37659

http://www.shmius.org/The Hope Househttp://www.casahogarmexico.org/*All financial gifts given through SHMI are tax-deductablePlease mark support "Dutros".
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Our first update

Forgive us for taking so long to provide you with a news update! Our only excuse is... WORK!

Allow us to briefly catch you up-to-date:Because of a very generous donation, we have been able to purchase to property where we are currently housing the boys!
We are so excited to finally have a permanent address, which is...
Casa Hogar "Mi Esperanza"Rio Lerma No. 4Col. Agua Escondida
Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos
Jalisco, MX 45850
Telephone: (376) 762-00-32

We now have 16 boys living in the Hope House and 8 staff working diligently to care for them. The boys are doing well. For the most part they are respectful and eager to please. They are very loving and are eager to receive and give affection. Although in their lives they have faced much hardship they are flourishing!
Most of the boys living at the Hope House are brought to us by DIF (or other governmental agencies); however, some of the boys are from homes where the parents just can't take care of them so they seek help through children's homes like the Hope House.

DANI'S STORY
Dani came to us recently asking if he could live at the Hope House. He has grown up in a rough neighborhood in Chapala and has seen the perils of gang life and surviving on the streets. He is one of 6 boys, none of which are really cared for by their mother. Those of you who live at Lakeside may have seen his little brothers, around 5 years old "working" in the Soriana parking lot. They have all roamed the streets since they were very tiny. Dani stated that if he was going to have a chance in life he had to get out of his current situation. One of his younger brothers already lives with us. Now Dani has been living with us for 3 weeks and is doing GREAT! This week he accompanied Rodney to his family's home and on the return drive, made the following comments.
"You know Rodney, I sleep a lot better now that I am at the Hope House." When Rodney inquired as to why he sleeps better at the Hope House, he said "Because there are not gang members standing on the corner outside my door getting high."
We are excited to provide boys like Dani with a safe home and lifestyle to help give him "Hope for a better future!"

FINANCIAL NEEDS:
Yes, this news posting would not be complete without a plea for help, right? Due to a generous donation we are currently able to keep things running at the Hope House, but that "nest egg" is quickly running out.
As you can imagine it takes a lot to feed, clothe, educate, transport, provide medical attention, protect and house 16 boys. As a matter of fact, on average it takes about $5000, usd a month. Current pledged support for the Hope House is around $1500 a month. Even the smallest amount makes a difference! Please prayerfully consider becoming a committed monthly financial supporter for the boys living at the Hope House.
PROJECTS:
If you are interested in helping meet one of the following needs please contact us for specific details.
Aljibe- (water holding tank)- Water only arrives to the boy's home 2 times a week. The current holding tank has a huge leak and is in need of being rebuilt.
Electrical Wiring_ The entire house is on 1 (one) circuit. It is essential that the house be separated into several circuits so that the needed appliances can work without throwing the breaker.
Additional land- Government inspection stated they would like to see more room for playing. We would also like to use this land for gardening and workshops for the boys to learn trade skills.
Staff Housing- The house has only 3 bedrooms, although they are large, there is certainly a need for live in staff to have a place to "hang their hat".
3 new water saving toilets and installation. (helping extend the life of the water that quickly runs out.
Office- Currently our office is located in the middle of the living room. Not exactly the best location for privacy and security of sensitive information.
Extended wall- the current security wall can be scaled by someone who really desires to climb it. It's height needs to be increased to insure the boys safety.
HOUSE/OFFICE NEEDS:
20 Heavy duty blankets for the boy's and staff's beds. Yes, it does get cold here in Mexico!Microwave (after electricity is repaired)And various other kitchen supplies including but not limited to: Blender, mixer, & large capacity pressure cooker
Food: Milk, Sugar and Meat
B&W or Color Laser printerink for printer/copier and scannerphoto copy paper
STAFF:Driver/Night Counselor Position:
Suggested Requirements:
must be 18 or older (single male preferable)
American or Canadian national and driver's license holder (in good standing)experience driving a 15 passenger van or large vehicle
Some basic Spanish (would be helpful, but is not required)
Ability to be a positive Christian role model for the boys
2 recommendations from a personal mentor (one has to be from a pastor)
Willing to serve 3 months or more on the mission field
Willing to raise personal financial support for time of service
*Current driver/night counselor returns to the States in early December 2008.
(Please write or call if you or someone you know is interested in this position.)