Have you ever felt stuck? I’m feeling stuck.

Eight years ago, when we started collecting diapers and formula for the babies of Juarez, I had no clue what the future held—that we’d still be collecting supplies and taking them to Mexico. Mostly it was a day-at-a-time, donation-by-donation thing. Yet the passion I have for these families and their need has done nothing but increase over the years, which reminds me the fire is God-given!

So here I am—stuck and at a loss to fully convey what’s in my heart. If you’ve been down to the colonias you have seen the situation with your own eyes. It’s ridiculously hard for people to find work there. When they do, the average wage is $8-10/day. How do you provide food, clothing, shelter, water, and education for your family on $10/day? Diapers and formula are expensive to those of us with a much larger wage. Can you imagine buying them with a $10/day paycheck?

I want to share pictures of the last two supply loads taken down to Mexico. But first—a story. We hauled Load 52 down a few weeks ago, and while there, my friend Jacque and I had an unexpected opportunity to meet a young family who was receiving formula from you for the very first time. We were headed back to Leo’s office (Leo is the head national for Missions Ministries) on an unrelated errand and we found him meeting with this sweet couple and their four-month-old child. They had just come from the doctor, receiving news that their baby is dangerously underweight. Moms in Mexico try to breastfeed, but due to diets of primarily beans, rice, and tortillas made with lard, they usually don’t have the nutrition to do so. This young family had nowhere to turn and no means to buy pricey formula. Jacque and I could see the deep concern on their faces. Someone told them about the help offered through Babies of Juarez, and they went straight to the team center. We also saw a sense of wonder in them, like “is this really happening? Is it too good to be true?” Yet what could be more like God than seeing their need that day and showing up to meet it? When that formula was purchased on the clearance rack at Fry’s, God knew full well where it was going. May I never ever get tired of watching him provide. May the wonder of it never be lost on me.

I’m telling you about this family because we need your help. The number of babies being fed and diapered through this ministry continues to grow. An incredible gift and privilege! People come from many miles to get help for their families. Meeting this young family and sensing their anxiety over the need staring at them broke my heart and spurs me on.

It’s that time of year when the many needs of this world are (rightly) put before us at every turn. The holiday season and end-of-year push. We struggle to find balance between all we have materially compared to the rest of the world, and yet because of our culture we sometimes feel squeezed financially too. It’s an interesting rub, and something I hope we all grapple with as we enter this Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Our family heads back to Mexico on November 25, pulling a trailer we hope will be full of supplies for these in-need babies. I don’t really like to ask for help, yet on behalf of the babies, I’m asking today if you’ll help us fill up that trailer.

For my home address, please e-mail quincyjoyanderson/at/gmail.com.

amazon.com will deliver diapers and formula right to my front door. Super simple, right? Maybe you’ll feel such a gift tighten your budget, maybe you won’t. We’re all in different places financially. But I can promise—your gift will be felt in Mexico and quite possibly be the difference between life and death for a child.

And now—the lovely pictures of loads 51 (collected in Denver) and 52 (collected in Phoenix.) God’s jaw-dropping provision through you.

My cup overflows…

I have officially abandoned my search for words that might adequately describe this massive load of diapers and formula. I didn’t have any the day we delivered it and stacked it, and I don’t have any today. The pictures don’t quite do it justice either, but please trust me when I tell you it was overwhelming.

Behold…the beautiful load number 50. AKA “the mother lode.” (Given on Father’s Day. Oh the irony!)

As always, there were many contributors. Too many to name, and all playing an important part. I do have to call out Redemption Gateway, our children’s pastor Mark Andress, and his generous VBSers though. They took what would have been a marvelous amount of supplies and made it an extraordinary, mind-blowing amount of supplies. Thank you for your incredible support, Pastor Mark. Many babies were fed and given clean diapers thanks to your crew’s over-the-top giving. The body of Christ in action.

May God bless you all.

Mother’s Day is a mixed bag for a lot of people. Some long to be moms, but aren’t. Others have lost their mom and miss her terribly. Some have strained relationships with their kids. And others have a strained relationship with their mom. And there are also so many who are able to enjoy the day fully. Regardless of your situation today, I’d like to take a minute to thank you on behalf of the moms living in the colonias we serve together. At some point (or many points!) over the last eight years you’ve made a big difference in the life of a mom down in Mexico. Imagine having a baby you can’t feed or a baby desperately in need of a clean diaper you have no ability to provide. Thanks to you all, many moms in the colonias of Juarez have babies with full tummies and clean pants. Now THAT is my idea of a happy Mother’s Day.

Load 47 was collected by and went down with dear friends from Colorado . . .

Load 48 went down over Thanksgiving. In part it was made up of Dorothy’s Match and a large donation from a few Banner hospitals in the area. (Thank you, Lara and Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church in Mesa. An AMAZING gift to the babies thru Banner and your hard work…) Also, some wonderful pediatricians in the area made the effort to donate their expired supplies. Bell Mortgage is a fantastic philanthropic organization that was also part of this collection. Thank you, Glen and Brad, for such an awesome gift that made its way to the babies in November.

Load 49 went down in March from Arizona. It was a beautiful combination of donations from family and friends.
Now doesn’t this make you want to be part of grand load number 50?! (FIFTY!)

Load 50 will go down on June 21. (Poignantly and appropriately…this is Father’s Day.) Montview Presbyterian’s MomTime group in Denver and Gilbert Pediatrics have already given us a beautiful start. Want to join them in blessing the socks off some moms in Mexico next month? Here’s how . . .
· You can drop supplies off at 2735 E Flower Court, Gilbert AZ 85298 and/or 10208 Rustic Redwood Way, Highlands Ranch CO 80126.
· You can email me to schedule a pick-up of supplies.
· You can give online at https://www.justgive.org/basket?acton=donate&ein=84-1589315. (Just put BOJ in the notes.)
· You can send a check payable to Babies of Juarez to 2487 S. Gilbert Road, Suite 106-266, Gilbert, AZ 85295.
Happy Mother’s Day to every single one of you! Thank you for making a life-changing difference in Mexico.

This update comes long overdue. So long overdue that I feel I should explain. During this very difficult year for me personally, I found it necessary to back burner many dear-to-my-heart things. I’m happy to report that a most welcome corner has finally been turned, and I can now put my renewed energy into something I love to do—send you this update and say thank you!

You can tell from the subject line that the babies haven’t been at all neglected. Thanks be to God! Many have been so faithful to keep giving despite my lack of expressed gratitude. Loads of supplies have been delivered to Juarez by friends in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Colorado. We’ve had churches like Christ’s Greenfield step up and take a massive collection—of both supplies and cash. Very special MOPS groups from Cherry Hills Community Church and FBC Frisco (in Texas!) stepped up in a mighty way to bless moms in Juarez. A generous young man named Chase asked for supplies last Christmas. (Can you even imagine?) Discovery Bible in Oklahoma has been collecting and taking supplies with them on their house-building trips. BAE Systems in Phoenix took up a huge collection that we got to take down earlier this year. Every single collection represents individuals who have given their time and sacrificed resources to give some babies in Mexico a future and to help carry the burden of some in-need families. I just cannot thank you enough.

The large groups represent only a portion of the supplies given. Many of you give as individuals—of your time to get the supplies to me and also of your resources. Almost every time someone hands me a single can of formula or an opened bag of diapers, they tell me it isn’t much and wish it were more. All of you dear ones, please take a close look at the pictures below to see what a bunch of people’s “not much” looks like when combined. Basically, you rock.

Two more quick things before I share pictures.
· One sustaining reason we’ve successfully met the needs of the babies in Juarez this past year: monthly gifts. A few of you generous people donate money every single month to BOJ. And I love to spend and stretch these funds. I regularly shop clearance formula and use coupons sent to me. We put every penny to great use, I promise you. And, one other noteworthy thing—every single dollar given goes to buy diapers and formula. Any admin costs of the ministry are covered by someone else. If a person gives $50 a month for supplies, $50 is spent on supplies. So if you’re looking for an opportunity to regularly make a difference in a child’s life, please consider us. You can send a check to Babies of Juarez at 2487 S Gilbert Road, Suite 106-266, Gilbert AZ 85295 or give online. It makes a huge difference.
· My oldest daughter and I had the coolest opportunity to make a special trip down in June to be part of the distribution of supplies. We took lots of pictures, but the story deserves a separate post, so you’ll have to wait to see all the darling faces. For now, just know that the beneficiaries of your continued support and generosity are some very precious babies and very grateful mamas.

I can’t do your giving justice with my words alone…so here are some pictures.

You’re all very near and dear to my heart. Thank you for sticking with me and continuing this work of feeding hungry babies.

Quinn
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. ~Helen Keller

Babies of Juarez is having a wonderful year! Since our last update, we had the joy of taking loads of diapers and formula down to Mexico in both June and October. And as I type, supplies in Colorado have been loaded into a trailer and are heading across the border tonight. There are so many great things happening…!

Here’s one of the many cool things about the shipment that’s going across now. This sweet group of girls from a church in Parker collected these supplies and delivered them just in time to make the load. (Adds extra joy, doesn’t it?!)

And this is load 38 in its entirety. Heading down and across today. Yay!

Of the other fun happenings, one that tops the list is our expansion into Oklahoma. Here’s our newest flyer with the added drop-off area. What an incredible way to increase the number of babies we get to serve. We couldn’t be more excited about this addition to the BOJ team.

In the last few months, two sweet girls collected diapers and formula during their birthday celebrations.

Babies of Juarez watched a fun donation come to Arizona via an old Michigan connection. That friend worked extra hard to get us his family’s gift to the babies. His baby couldn’t use the formula they had purchased, so he and his wife donated it to the babies in Mexico. From a baby here to a baby there! An especially fun exchange.

Initially a friend of a friend from Colorado but now my dear friend in Arizona continues to collect supplies for the babies. (And how cool is this? Her family will join us for the second time at a parking-lot build here in Gilbert. They’re busy sending diapers, formula, and homes to our neighbors in Mexico.)

We had a friend from school get involved with a sizeable donation through his generous, community-focused company, Bell State Bank. That gift fed many hungry children. The project called Pay It Forward: Community Connect is making a difference through its employees.

A friend of the project put together a drive in Mesa and collected this for the babies!

While this picture reveals our annual trip to the Nike employee store, it also shows a sample of what was relocated from Washington to Oregon to Arizona to Juarez, Mexico. When God wants to take care of his babies, he finds a way! Every one of six suitcases held a stash of diapers and formula. TSA maybe thought we were nuts.

And there it is…the hauled-down, stacked-in-Mexico (to show you all), ready-for-distribution photos. Loads number 36 and 37. Our distribution methods have evolved over time. For most of our operating years the diapers and formula have been distributed through the pastors of five local churches. They have a pulse on the greatest needs in the community and this way the supplies are rightly viewed as God’s provision. Just recently we’ve had one local pastor take on the role and distributes during set dates and times, sits down with the families and leads them in a Bible study, and then distributes the supplies. We’re very grateful for Pastor Martin and his approach toward helping people physically and spiritually.

We press on to finish this year strong—helping babies not only survive but thrive—and look forward to a great 2014. We will make our last trip of the year over Thanksgiving and would be grateful for all supplies and monetary gifts. (We shop clearance and often find bargains on Craig’s List!) (And…100% of all donations go to buy supplies. All operating costs are funded separately, so every dollar given can be used to care for babies in need.)

Thank you for your incredible support over the years. You’ve given a brighter future to a whole lot of babies. From the bottom of my overflowing heart, thank you.