Important Changes for Chubby Cheeks.

I have not wanted to write this blog.. It is hard for me to say but the time has come to share the changes that are taking place with Chubby Cheeks. While I have been saddened I am also excited to see how God has already provided and I look forward to the future….

I will be leaving Costa Rica shortly. My family and I find ourselves in a position that had made it so that we must relocate back to the United States.  When this became very evident I struggled with deciding what to do about  Chubby Cheeks.  I have only just began I thought. Am I to quit now? Then I began to pray about what to do.  Xenia has been with me from the beginning.  She has gone with me every time with the exception of when I had teams. But I knew she would not be able to continue with this alone as she does not have a car and has many other commitments. Then I began to think about Hazel. Hazel I have mentioned to you earlier as who helped me translate the literature for the packets. She has also been a sounding board from the beginning.  Hazel had her first child in one of the social hospitals here and we would swap “war stories”. She gets its, she understands, she has been in these women’s shoes. However, Hazel was very involved with young life as a mentor to teenage moms so I wondered if  I should even approach her. She had already gone with me to a visit and seemed to enjoy it so I prayed about it and decided to ask if she would be willing to be the “middle man” in Costa Rica. The day I was going to ask she told me before I had a chance to say anything that she had stepped out of her role with young life. That it was not what she needed to do at this time and was praying about what God had for her next. At first I thought “oh no” there is no way she would want to do this. After all she had just stopped the other.  But I decided to  put it out there anyway.  I said there could be a variety of ways she could be involved depending on her. If it was a matter of just delivering the kits to the hospital for them to pass out, to going herself whatever she felt comfortable with. While the preference would be of course that they are hand delivered just knowing that we have that open door and can get the kits with the literature into these mothers  hands is what matters the most to me.  She said she would pray about it and talk to her husband.  It was a couple weeks later when we went on another hospital visit that Hazel told me she would be willing to continue on in my stead and make the hospital visits. Later when I talked to Xenia she said she would continue too by accompanied Hazel.  This made my heart glad. I bought them both a pink polo shirt which I will have monogrammed with “Chineando Chi Chi” the Spanish name of the ministry. While I was sad to not be buying myself one I am glad to know that while people continue to participate in the donations, Chubby Cheeks will continue on.  I will post later on potential changes of how you can continue helping. For example, Water bottles will not be included in the packets rather they are purchased here and carried separately. We have done this the last few times so that we can fill it up with water at the hospital and give It out to those who did not bring one with them.  Also, I will be constructing the packets in the United States and then mail then already completed here.  I will be able to be more active in spreading the word State side in hopes to receive more involvement from churches and individuals. I will be continueing this blog with reports from Hazel and Xenia and of course be making personal visits whenever my family and I can return to Costa Rica for visits.  During the visits I like to ask Xenia to pray before we begin as she is a prayer warrior and also it is a good testimony with the volunteer ladies that guide us.  Then as we enter each room I give a short hello and introduction. However this visit I asked Hazel to then give a short conclusion and goodbye in each room. I was very pleased to see how beautifully she did. I look forward to us working together even from afar. I hope that as you read this, if you have been a part of making this ministry possible that these changes do not keep you from continuing with us but instead help spread the word so we can reach out to even more.