Waiting for spring

One of the beautiful gifts I receive by being involved in Hilarious Givers is the group of friends I get to rub shoulders with. These are all folks I would likely not have even known about before Hilarious Givers, but who have so richly blessed my life - just by being a part of it.
Less than a year ago I was introduced to Greg. Greg is the director of Genesis Diez, a children's facility located in a beautiful valley not far from Ensenada.

Genesis Diez exists to give the kids who live in urban orphanages in Tijuana and Ensenada a learning experience. These kids spend their young years in concrete buildings, living in dorms and eating institution-style meals. Typically the population in one of these orphanages is 75-100 kids; they go to school, but beyond that, their existence is pretty much the same as if they were in prison.

The kids come to Genesis Diez for a few days a year and live in a rural environment, rich in experiential opportunies. The bright April day I visited some of the kids were making jewelry, others were painting murals.

Many of the kids were not on campus because they were off on a field trip. To see the joy on those precious faces, the sparkle in their eyes, the excitement in their voices - the couple of hours' drive from San Diego was a tiny price to pay.

Hilarious Givers regularly provides food and sanitary supplies to Genesis Diez. I had met Greg a couple of times since we were first introduced, but hadn't really had a chance to sit and chat with him. Two weeks ago I met Greg at our warehouse, and during a pause in our activities I got to know him, and Genesis Diez, a little better.

Genesis Diez, it turns out, is more than just a summer camp for disadvantaged kids. Volunteers from all over the U.S., and even Canada, come to spend time at the ranch. In addition to the camp I visited, there is another facility for families with handicapped children. And the towns, villages and campos in the valley all benefit from Genesis Diez; not only from their feeding outreach, but in the provision of school uniforms and supplies, and serving as a resource to the migrant families who come to tend the fields.

Numbers don't tell the story - but they help. Our feeding program helps provide nutritious food for 38 full-time residents and staff, plus the families of handicapped kids, plus augmenting the diets of the surrounding populace - over 1,000 people regularly benefit from the generosity and bounty of donors and volunteers from this side of the border! And while Hilarious Givers does not prostelize, it is clear that these blessings are the result of the grace of our Most High God.

And Genesis Diez is only one of the 40-plus organizations Hilarious Givers supports.

We are starting a fund to provide herds of goats and flocks of chickens to some of our supported facilities. Genesis Diez will be among the first - this is a project that definitely has the hand of God on it. Not only will we provide fresh meat, milk and eggs for the kids, but we'll be fostering independence among the families. If you would like to provide financial support to help buy a herd of goats, your generosity will be rewarded. A few tens of dollars buys a goat or flock of chicks, a few hundreds will provide a herd of goats for a small community.