Francis Alexis Pineda and Nicole George de Pineda

We have moved!

Nicole George de Pineda — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:25:32 +0000

This picture of Joel playing at our new apartment pretty much sums up how we all feel here:

We are so thankful to be in our new home! As many of you know, we had been robbed at our previous place in recent months, and there were other robberies on our street, as well as some recent violence in the neighborhood, so we feel so blessed by God to be in our new home. We now have 24 hour guards with cameras that monitor the perimeter of the residence. We are living up on the 23rd floor of our building–very high up, but we love the view of the city from here. Everyone is so friendly and there are lots of children that live here, so Joel will be able to make lots of friends. Joel even sleeps a lot better now for his naps and during the night (which is great for us and him!) since the neighbors in our building are respectful and don’t scream or play loud music. There are several play areas for kids, too, so whenever Joel knocks on the door wanting to leave, I have somewhere safe to take him to! So we praise the Lord for blessing us with our new home, and you are all welcome to come visit anytime! :)

More Baptisms!

Nicole George de Pineda — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:00:02 +0000

We recently had three women baptized at the Foundation’s Church in Robledo. They faithfully attended discipleship classes with Alexis and were all ready to take this big step of obedience in their faith. They truly desire to keep growing in their relationship with the Lord and have been serving in the Church. So Iberni, Ingrid, and Flor are now baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Pastor Henry reading Scripture

The church gathered around in excitement to see

Pastor Henry baptizing Flor

Ingrid being baptized by Alexis

Pastor Henry and Alexis standing with the three newly baptized women

Some of the church kids

Merry Christmas!

Nicole George de Pineda — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:50:22 +0000

We hope that you all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS this year and enjoy this time with friends and family reflecting on the Lord’s birth. Here are some pictures of things going on with the Foundation and then some family pics thrown in. FELIZ NAVIDAD!

The boys from the Boys' Farm wish you a Merry Christmas!

The boys helped decorate the Home/Church

more decorating with Wanda (she and her husband founded Open Arms in 1991)

Luis playing with our son, Joel

Jorge and me

The pregnant and parenting girls making snowmen

one of the final products!

We recently spent some time walking around a fancy mall in Medellin with Alexis' family to see the lights and decorations on display. Joel's two cousins have been in town for the month and he has had a lot of fun playing with them!

Joel being curious as usual

Saying goodbye is hard

Nicole George de Pineda — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:30:32 +0000

The girls from the Casa Helena Girls’ Home were taken away to another institution yesterday because we are considered “too religious” (since we are Christians). The girls had previously written letters, protested, and talked with the government representatives about wanting to be able to stay with us, but the decision had already been made. The girls expressed that with us they have really felt loved and cared for and not just a number as in other instutions which some of them have passed through. It was a very sad day with many tears. Pray that the girls would settle in well to the new place and that they would not run away (several said that they are planning to do so). Pray also for the new staff there as they have never worked with this population and really do not (yet) understand the unique challenges and needs of these girls.

The Open Arms Foundation does not plan to continue with government contracts after the current ones expire because we want the freedom to share about Jesus Christ with our kids and help them experience true, lasting change in their broken lives. We have seen the difference in the kids’ behaviors and their processes when they are attending church, receiving devotionals, and praying, so we know that the Lord restores lives through hearing the Word. We may have to go a lot smaller and not be able to take care of as many kids without the government funding, but it is too painful to have our kids taken away like this.

Here are some pictures of our last gathering together yesterday afternoon:

Our final time of prayer with the girls

Up in San Pedro

Nicole George de Pineda — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:39:14 +0000

My son, Joel, and I visited the Boys’ Farm recently in San Pedro. I love going there and always look for an excuse to get to go if possible (especially since we mostly serve at the Casa Helena Girls’ Home). So this time I accompanied a missionary family (also serving in Medellin) who wanted to see the Home. The boys there are so sweet and so much fun to be with!

The boys are like big brothers to Joel.

Luis getting the snack ready for the other boys (yogurt and cookies!)

Wilder took good care of Joel. Every time he would go towards the cows or the cow poop, he would steer him in another direction!

Wilder showing Joel the chickens

Cristian (a graduate from the Farm who now works with the boys there) and Miguel (one of the adolescents that lives there). I actually had worked with Miguel in the Patio day program several years ago when he was still in the streets before he went to live at the Farm!

Some of the boys just hanging out

The Lord is working here!

Nicole George de Pineda — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:04:30 +0000

So my husband and I were robbed a few days ago and one of the things we lost was our camera. We are really disappointed that this means that we probably won’t be able to share any photos of exciting things going on here for a while now, but I do want you to know that the Lord is powerfully working in the lives of many of the Open Arms’ children and adolescents!

Here are just some of the amazing things that He is doing here right now (with a focus on the Casa Helena Girls’ Home since that is where my husband and I serve more):

1. The girls are much more stable now and not desiring to return to the streets (and if they do, it is a passing thought).

2. Many of the girls are taking their relationship with Christ much more seriously.

3. There are four girls who are in a class with my husband preparing to be baptized (Doris, Diana Katerine, Katerine, and Daniela).

4. One girl (who was baptized many years ago) is drawing closer to God and in a process of reconciliation with Him (Daniela “Ani”). We will have a special ceremony for her when she is ready.

5. Several of the girls are serving in the Open Arms Church. Katerine and Daniela often prepare and serve the snack after the church service ends. ”Ani” is getting ready to play the tambourine during the worship time and desires to help collect the offering. Laura (already baptized) helps minister to the youth in the neighborhood of “La Huerta” on Thursday afternoons.

So even if we cannot show it in pictures, be encouraged that the Lord is indeed doing great things here! Thank you for your prayers and support that help us continue on in this ministry.

Robledo’s 2nd Anniversary!

Nicole George de Pineda — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:23:41 +0000

Last Sunday we celebrated the second anniversary of the Foundation’s Church in Robledo! It’s hard to believe that what started out as a little small group that met on Wednesday nights has now turned into a fairly large church (Relatively, of course! We have about 80 people each Sunday). It was a fun day with the kids, youth, girls from the Casa Helena Girls’ Home, and a special Vallenato music group all giving special performances. Please check out some pictures below!

Four of the Casa Helena girls (and Montes) doing a choreography

Laura, Estefania, and Tatiana (from Casa Helena) all dressed up and pretty for church

I was prepping "my kiddos" for their upcoming act.

The kids singing "Sobre la Roca" (Upon the Rock) with actions (a song based on Matthew 7:24-25)

Montes (in front) led a routine to music with some of the church youth

A Vallenato group that turned Christian in the past few years and now sings their traditional Colombian music with Christian lyrics for the Lord

My hubby, Alexis, sharing from the Word of God

If you look closely, you can see that Joel fell asleep on me (something that almost always happens sometime during the church service).

Katerine and Daniela (Casa Helena girls) served the snack. These girls have both become very helpful and desire to serve in the church.

The church's birthday cake. Unfortunately, we only had one candle since it should have been two!

We all sang "Happy Birthday, "Iglesia" (Church)"!

Pastor Henry gave some closing remarks, and then we distributed the cake and soda for everyone to enjoy.

Please pray for Cindy

Nicole George de Pineda — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:01:30 +0000

Please pray for Cindy. You may remember me sharing about her earlier in the year. She is a girl close to my heart (as was her sister) as I used to work with her in the Patio Day program for girls. When she was run over by a bus in August 2010 when high on drugs, she was very badly injured and then ended up at our Casa Helena Girls’ Home. She was doing excellent with us, got free from drugs, got “fattened up” a bit and became very pretty, was studying the Bible, and was even in discipleship classes with Alexis with plans to be baptized. However, in March of this year, she ended up returning to the streets in search of her sister, Maria Isabel, since someone had told her that she was not doing well. Once she found her sister in the streets, she ended up staying with her since they are very close. You see, Cindy’s and Maria Isabel’s father had died when they were little girls, and since their mother was not able to take care of them, they ended up in the streets together addicted to drugs and working in sexual exploitation.

All this to say that Maria Isabel was killed last week. She was also five months pregnant, so really two people were killed. Cindy is now alone in the streets. Please pray that she would return to the Casa Helena Girls’ Home and seek to change her life before something also happens to her. Pray that God would use this horrible event to have her return to Him and again seek help. We want her to have a future of hope in the Lord.

Cindy and Maria Isabel in the Patio Day Program in 2009.

Cindy soon before she left Casa Helena in March 2011 to go look for Maria Isabel(after being with us for 7 months).

Decorating cookies

Nicole George de Pineda — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:33:49 +0000

This past week we celebrated “Dia de Amor y Amistad” here in Colombia. The “Day of Love and Friendship” is fairly similar to Valentine’s Day in the United States. I baked some heart-shaped cookies and took them to the Pregnant and Parenting Girls’ Home (see the first five pictures) and then to the Casa Helena Girls’ Home (see the last four pictures). I also made some pink icing and got sprinkles for the girls to decorate. We had a lot of fun together!

At the Pregnant and Parenting Girls' Home

Joel had fun playing with a truck at the Home.

One happy little girl after gobbling down a cookie.

At the Casa Helena Girls' Home

Following the decorating party, Alexis and Joel with two of the girls (both of whom Alexis disciples regularly).

The Caminata

Nicole George de Pineda — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:43:14 +0000

We recently hiked from the Casa Helena Girls’ Home up to Bill and Wanda Perrow’s (the founders of Open Arms) home. It was ALL up hill and quite tiring (especially lugging our precious Joel up!), but lots of fun! The girls complained for much of the hike and kept asking “How much further?” and “Are we almost there?”, but once we made it, they were happy and in good moods, and we all really enjoyed the day.

Alexis and some of the girls

Crossing the bridge between "La Huerta" and "Villa Campiña"

The view of Medellin from the bridge

The girls swinging in the little playground at the Perrow's home

The girls picking lemons from the tree behind the house.

Some of what we picked.

Alexis and Yajaira playing basketball

We ended the evening with a great cookout. Note some of the girls drinking lemonade which was made from the lemons that we picked!

Katerine grilling