Birthdays, Bumper cars, and Bonitas Dias

Hello Everyone!!
Sorry that I haven't posted in awhile- the internet was not working for a few days and even when it is, sometimes it's sketchy! :) Last week was a really fun week- we got to to do a lot of things with the kids and it is always good to see them smiling. Because my family and friends donated money for my trip and I had more than I could ever use, I have been looking for things that are needed or things that are really wanted :). My friends and family have bought shoes for 22 of the kids, supplied lots of materials for craft time, purchased a baby walker for little Jose David (who by the way- took his first steps over the weekend!!!!), made it possible for internet to be installed in the offices downstairs, bought lanterns for the casistas for when there is no electricity, and now, they have made first ever birthday outings possible!!! Emily and I decided that all of the kids deserved at least one evening out with just a few other kids for their birthdays. We want them to experience exciting things and for them to feel special. So on Wednesday we took the 5 kids who had birthdays in September out to see a movie and to dinner. I posted pictures and more information below about that outing, but when I was posting the other pictures, I ran out of time so they I didn't talk a lot about what we did. So I will just have to tell you about the other outing now! On Thursday we took the kids that have birthdays in October out for their birthdays. There are 4 of them and they are all just the cutest! We took Khirsty (13 in 5 days), Estephany (8), Dani (5), and Brayan (5 on monday!) out for the evening. First we went to the beach- one of the other madres was taking her casista to the beach and a place called Playland Park for a treat so we decided to catch a ride with them. It was so funny at the beach because the kids wanted to get their feet wet- so they would walk down to the water line and wait for the wave to come in, but as soon as the wave started crashing, they would run away!. You should have seen them all waiting and waiting and then screeching and running the opposite direction. I could not stop laughing and it looked like so much fun so i of course had to get in on the action! But the first wave I tried to run from (notice I say tried) was a bigger wave and went up past my knees! The kids got soaked to their waists but they were all laughing and giggling so much, I don't think they minded! After we left the beach we all went to Playland Park- it is like an amusement park/fair. It had rides that you see at a fair but it was permanent. There we drove bumper cars (much screaming and more laughing involved), rode the carousel, and a few other rides. Khirsty rode one of the rides that was only for older kids/adults with Julissa, and said afterwards that she didn't know if her heart could do it again!! After Playland park, Julissa and her casista went back to the Albergue and Emily and I with the kids went to Roky's. It is a restaurant that has a big play area and really good french fries, so we were all happy. On our way back to the Albergue, Khirsty kept saying 'bonita dia' which means beautiful day. . . she said that she didn't want the day to end and wanted to stay out until 3 o'clock or 5 o'clock in the morning! I was just so happy to see all of the kids happy and joyful. They laughed and smiled so much and everytime we did something new- they would look at me or Emily as if to say “Really? I get to do this??”. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings we did something fun and different with the kids- each night I would go bed content and happy knowing that I helped to make a child happy. It was the best!
Right now, quite a few of the kids are sick- once one child gets something, it passes around to all the kids in no time. Several of them have a cough, soar throat, and a fever. Please pray for them!!
Thank you again to everyone that reads this blog, prays for me and the Albergue, and especially to those that leave comments! (you know I love them!) :)
I love you all!!!
janie

Slumber party 2!

Emily and I hosted our second slumber party on Friday for Maria, Caroline and Yuli- First the girls jumped on the bed (above) and then all fell down together (below!) :) Maria and Caroline are jumping above, and all three are crumpled on the bed below!
Then we ate some peanut butter- because what is a Peruvian party without peanut butter??!!! From the left- Yuli, Caroline, Maria and Emily
Then we played Twister, which, by the way, Emily beat everyone but me at. It could have something to do with me pushing her over during our match, but who's to know??
And of course, no slumber party would be complete without being models!!!

October birthdays!

On Thursday we took October birthday kids out for the evening- it was so much fun!!! First we went to the beach and played at a small playground by the beach. . .

and then ran from waves . . . :)

Next we went to Roky's for dinner - it has a big play center for kids- this is Brayan.

It was a wonderful night!!! From the left- Dani, Janie, Khirsty, Emily, Brayan, and Estephanie

September Birthday's celebration!

Last Wednesday night Emily and I took all of the kids that had a birthday in September out for the evening. We wanted to make them feel special and do something that they would really enjoy. We decided to take them to see a movie- we found out that none of the 5 kids we brought had ever been to a movie before. It was so wonderful sharing this first with them. They had never seen chairs that fold up like the ones in the movie theater so it took them awhile to figure it out. They thought the chairs were broken at first and I had to show them how to sit in them. :) This picture is before the movie started in the foyer eating some ice cream! (because what is a birthday celebration without ice cream??) From the left- Ana, Kevin Arnold, Junior, Fiorella, and Maria.
After the movie we went to a restaurant called Roky's for dinner, they have a huge play center for kids. This is Junior relaxing. :)

All five of the kids wanted to play in the ball room where they wrestled and jumped and generally had a great time. Emily and I had a good time watching them as well because they were soooooo happy!It was a night that i will never forget and I hope the kids remember it forever as well! :)

Family and Ice cream

Hello Everyone!
I have been here for 7 weeks today- can you believe it? Somedays it seems like I just arrived and other days I feel like I have been here for months and months. I really love it here- I love the other workers- they are so incredibly sweet, generous and caring. Friends are really important here so the people here would bend over backwards and drop everything to help a friend. On Friday night Emily and I got to spend time with one of the co-workers in her house in Trujillo. Rocio is a madre here and is very sweet and fun. I had stayed at her house one other night but this time the differences and the lifestyle here really impacted me. She and her family share a small house. It is actually a small house with 3 rooms and then another tiny shack behind the house. Half of the people sleep in the tiny shack and the rest sleep in one room in the house. They share twin sized beds- at least two people per bed, sometimes with a child sharing it as well. They don't really have running water inside the house. I think for only an hour or so a day they have the ability to run the shower. The shower and the toilet are in little stalls in the hall- they don't have doors and you have to use a bucket of water to “flush”the toilet. The ceiling is part thatched roof but mostly just tin. The tin is held on by rocks. The family runs a little booth at a local market. The market is open 6 days a week from 4 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon. They make food and sell it at the market so they have to get up really early everyday to get the food ready. Their kitchen is outside and consists of a small stove and a sink. They don't have a car, or cable, or a working refrigerator. But they are an amazing family. Anything they have, they will offer to you. They all work together to make sure everyone is taken care of. There are 6 or 7 adults that live in the house and 3 or 4 children and they all work hard but love harder. While I was laying there in the middle of the night, unable to sleep because of roosters crowing (umm, aren't they just supposed to that in the morning???), dogs barking and Rocio talking in her sleep, I kept thinking- these people have really figured out what is important. So often at home I start thinking- “It would be nice to have a new car- mine is only 7 years old, but it would be fun to get a new one” or “I want my own apartment with my own bedroom, kitchen, everything!” or some other thing that I think is really important. But being with Rocio and her family I realized that to them, none of those things even cross their minds, because it is out of the realm of possibilities in their minds. The things that they concentrate on are helping their families, being with their friends, and honoring God. It made me become introspective and really examine the things I concentrate on and spend my time thinking about. I realized that if i stripped everything away and was just left with the people in my life I would still be more than okay. I am so incredibly blessed- my family is amazing- always supporting and ready to help me with anything i would ever need. They love me for me and if we lived here in a tiny house without running water, we would still be happy and loving. You don't need a nice house or cars or anything to have a complete life. Your life is complete with the people you love and that are important to you. My friends and family are wonderful and I am so thankful for them. God has blessed me more than I deserve.
This morning I was thinking how blessed I am to be here. Everyday I fall in love with the kids a little more. They are amazing and have perseavered through some of the most horrible, ugly situations. Knowing that most of them have been abused makes me sick to my stomach. I can't think about someone hurting one of these kids without crying. Today we are taking 3 of the kids to see a movie and out to dinner. They are the kids that had a birthday in September- I am sooo excited about it and cannot wait for 3:00 to come! :) It is so wonderful to get to see the kids experience things that they never have before. I don't know, but I think that they have all been to see a movie before- but they can probably count on one hand the number of times they have been. The other day, Julissa (the madre) and I had to run some errands in Trujillo so we brought Yen, the 2 year old with us. His eyes were huge the entire time we were walking around. His little eyes darted from one thing to another and he kept pointing out things. Julissa wanted to buy something in a market that was really crowded and crazy so Yen and I waited at a nearby park. I decided we both needed a treat so I bought us ice cream cones. Yen had never had an ice cream cone before- He kept trying to take bites out of it and couldn't really figure out how it worked. I got to teach him how to lick it!! :) It was adorable because every taste he would look at me and say “rico”- which means yummy. He did this with every single bite- he was very serious and didn't even crack a smile. :) It was adorable!
Right now I am kind of frustrated with some of the kids- they have this week off of school and so are constantly around- which means that they constantly want to be with me and know what i am doing. So as I am typing this I have one girl hanging over my shoulder and another staring at me. Two girls also have popped out from under the table! :) Crazy chicas! But even when they are being crazy and I have to get a little upset with them, I love them and am so glad I am here!!!!!
Thank you again for all of your support and prayers.
Love you all!
janie

Karolina

This is Karolina- I have talked about her before and the trouble I had with her when I first arrived, but i wanted to share with you her story. She is 7 or 8 years old and full of energy. She likes to be a comidian and can get VERY hyper. She also loves to play with the little children here. I call her a mamita(little mother). Yesterday we took the little ones outside to play and she stayed with us the whole time playing with them. She was abandoned several years ago by her birth parents. She has been living here for about 3 years. At the beginning of this year she was adopted by a woman in Trujillo. But, 3 months later the woman left her at the orphanage.
So she has now been abandoned twice. The woman said that she didn't want Karolina anymore because she was disobediant. But Karolina told the workers here that the woman abused her and was very unkind. Karolina struggles alot with trust and her temper. I would too if i had a past like hers. On Sunday Emily and I got to spend some time with her and she was soo sweet. With a little love and attention, Karolina was a different girl. She wanted to hug us both and wanted to make sure that we both knew she loved us equally. :)
Karolina is in desperate need of a forever family. It will take her awhile to be healed of past wounds and disappointments. Please pray for her heart to be healed and for her forever parents to find her. Behind all of the pain, she has a sweet spirit.

Our afternoon outside with the little ones!

Jesus tried to play on the teeter-totter. . .
Jose David played with his lips . . .
Jesus and Yen pretended to be my babies . . .
Edwin played on the swing. . .


Abel played in the sand . . .
and we practiced saying "hola" (or should I say yelling "hola") with Jose David, Yen and Isaias. It was really fun and the kids were sooo good! :)

Jose David

This is Jose David!! He is the resident baby at Hogar de Esperanza and is the perfect little guy for it!! Jose David is 15 months old and very very sweet. He was born with a cleft pallet and a heart condition. When he was 6 months old, his birth mom abandoned him at a hospital because of all his health conditions...
Last year he had two surgeries to help with his cleft pallet but he won't require any more until he is older. Even though Jose David is 15 months old, he is very similar to a 6 month old in many ways. He is a tiny little guy- about the size of a 6-8 month old. His Madre, Sarita, told me that it is because his birth mother ran out of milk when he was a month old and gave him water and other things instead. He can't walk yet, but just recently he started to crawl a little bit! He is the proud owner of 3 very sharp teeth. He doesn't use any words, but he can make some very loud sounds! :)
This is Emily posing with Jose David.

Jose David is available for adoption- during the course of his life he will require lots of love and help with his medical issues. He is a sweet baby and is ready for his forever family!

If you would like more information about Jose David, please email me! :)

Edwin (the cutey)

This is Edwin- I know I have written about him before but I will remind you about his story. . . He was born with a condition that made his head enlarged- it is not water on the brain or anything and will require no other medical attention, but because of that condition he is consisdered special needs. He is currently 4 years old and has been abandoned by his birth mom.
Edwin is so incredibly cute and when he runs his arms and legs go everywhere because he is so excited to be running! He doesn't know very many words but he understands quite a bit. He is a special child that needs a lot of attention- but once he knows that you love him regardless, he will be the first one to run up and give you a hug. His smile lights up a room and his laugh is bigger than life.
Edwin is available for adoption. Like I said, with love and attention he is a wonderful child. He has trouble expressing himself and doesn't always like to share, but his heart is sweet and he loves to see adults smile at him!
If you would like more information about Edwin, please email me. :)

Picnics, kids, and being tired :)

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. . . As always the past few days have been very full. 4 year old Dani is sitting on my lap right now helping me type- I think i spoke of him and his family earlier- they are a wonderful family- Dani is here with his 3 siblings- Karina, Aracely and Yen. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbvvvvvvvvvvvvv
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Dani thought he would help for a minute- I think that means "hola" :) Their family is from the jungle in Peru. Their mom had a series of abusive boyfriends and she eventually escaped with the kids. They met a woman on their way here that helped them make it to Trujillo and find Hogar de Esperanza. Their mom visits about twice a month and now has a new boyfriend and a new baby. Please pray that this man is kinder than the other men she has dated. The kids are all so sweet and have the cutest smiles you could ever imagine. I know I talked about them in another post but they are worth mentioning again because they are just so cute! :) Another little boy, Samir, is also helping me type- he is 8 years old. I don't know Samir as well as I know the other kids, but he is quickly becoming a favorite- he is very loving and very rambucious. Right now, he is hanging off of Hugo, a man that works here. :)
Now, I have Junior on my lap. He is 7 years old. I had alot of trouble with him when I first got here, because I didn't understand him and I didn't know how to best interact with him or help him. But now, I know him so much better and I realize that when he is inappropriate or violent, I just have to remove him from the situation or walk away. He craves love and affection and is always ready for a hug and a kiss. :)
On Saturday, Emily and I, along with David miller and Alex and his family went to a picnic for the church I have been attending- the church is called Centro Biblico. It was founded by Bert and Colleen Elliott- they are originally from Oregon but have been missionaries in Peru for 57 years. Bert's brother was Jim Elliott- the man that was a missionary in the jungles of Ecuador. His story is pretty famous so it is crazy for me to know his brother and hear the account first hand. OKay, back to the picnic. It was very similar to church picnics in the US- food, music and lots of laughter. The differences though were pretty outstanding- instead of hamburgers and hotdogs we had- what else- rice and beans, and instead of a park or a church basement, the picnic was held by Inca ruins. :) It was in the small village of Mocho- which is halfway between Trujillo and Salaverry (the small town where the orphanage is actually located). It was really neat because there were small, man-made canals that ran along both sides of the road in town. The water was right in front of all of the little houses and there were just boards to get from the house to the street. It was actually really pretty. Yesterday we went to Church and then had lunch with the Elliotts. They are a very nice couple and obviously have alot of interesting stories- Bert told a story about a Boa Constrictor they encountered one day while working in the jungle- Anyone who knows me well knows that i am terrified of snakes so please don't count on me retelling the story- safe to say that I will never set foot near the jungle! :)
After Church I came back to the Albergue and planned on having a relaxing evening, but no such luck. The kids were coming to my door every 5 minutes with questions or requests and they did not want to listen to the answer unless it was what they wanted. :) When you live here, as I do, the kids will find you at all costs at all times of the day. The kids were behaving no different then normal, but for some reason by last night I was close to tears. I think it is because I am so tired. I realized I have not been away from the Albergue for more than a few hours since I got here (not counting the time I spent in the hospital :) ). Everyone else leaves for 2 days every week, but since I don't live here, I don't have anywhere to go. I woke up this morning not feeling any better. I was tired, weary, lonely, and then tired some more. I went downstairs for the devotional with the staff and started crying!!! I felt so bad because all of the workers got pretty worried- I explained to them in broken spanish why I was so upset. It was wonderful because then they prayed for me and offered me advice. Their first suggestion? Get out more! :) Emily has a friend here who lets her stay with her in Trujillo on weekends and Emily said that i could start going with her. I won't be able to this weekend, because I am all booked up, but the next weekend, i'm outta here! :) Emily and I talked alot after the devotional and we realized we both kind of feel the same. At home, when we get overwhelmed or drained, we can retreat somewhere to get refueled. Whether it is our room or a park or our car or a coffee shop, we can always find somewhere to be alone and to spend time with the Lord. But here, the kids know you are in your room so they will come find you, you better believe I won't be driving anywhere in crazy peruvian traffic, and it is dangerous to go anywhere by yourself so sometimes it feels like you are stuck. That is why i am really excited for next weekend- a whole 2 days away where the kids can't find me! Please don't misunderstand- I love the kids dearly and they are why I am here, but it certainly drains a person! I think between the language barrier, emotional issues and kids just being kids, I require an extra 2-3 hours of sleep than normal! :) But it was wonderful today because the kids were all just a little bit more loving than normal and my little one Yen has learned something new. He learned how to make me smile- I picked him up to hug him and he gave me a kiss on my cheek. He noticed that it made me smile so then he kissed my other cheek, my forehead, my nose, my chin, both ears, my eyebrows and then my eyes (don't worry I closed them!). With every little 2 year old kiss, I smiled a little more and he was so proud of himself that he did it 2 other times today!! What a blessing kids are!! Just when I was so tired and thinking "i can't do this", Yen came along and without knowing it, made me feel loved and cherished. He may just be 2 years old, but he is already making a difference!
Well that is all for now, I need to go work on Manualidates (crafts) with Emily.
I love you all!
janie

Slumber Party!

Emily and I hosted a slumber party last night- first we ate Peanut butter- they even took care of the lid!
Then we painted toenails and played twister. . .
Then we practiced our model poses and played hide and seek . . .
Then we ate some more and watched Mulan 2 in Spanish!!!

We had 4 girls and we plan on having all of the other girls at other times- It was so much fun!!!

Abel and Italo

Abel enjoying his lunch- he thought it was "finger licking good!" (okay so I'm cheesy, whatever!) :) He really can be a sweety and he is very loving.

Italo, with a picture he had drawn- he might have had a little help with the animal, but the rest is all him! :) Italo gives really good hugs- so watch out! For their entire story, keep reading! :)

Snot, Italo and mail

Hey everyone!
Today was such a funny day- all I can say is- I know I'm definitely taking care of kids! Twice a week I take some of the little ones to the library to read to them (in Spanish, it is not pretty!), and today little Yen decided he wanted to sit on my lap while I read. Well, Yen is potty training- notice I didn't say potty trained, because he had a little accident on my lap in the middle of a Clifford book! For all you Mom's and Dad's, I'm sure you have had similar experiences, but this was my first! I was so shocked I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! Then, later when we were playing with our 6 little ones, Jesus fell asleep on my lap. I was sitting there thinking how sweet and cute he was and how blessed I was to be holding him at that moment. . . then he woke up and rubbed his runny, snotty nose into my shirt!! After he woke up, Abel fell asleep on my lap, but this time, instead of rubbing his nose on me, he coughed on me- and let me just say, he has some congestion that is now all over my shirt! Needless to say, I am in desperate need of a shower and a washing machine! :) The kids were so good today and it reminded me of why I am here. I didn't get to see the older ones much, but it was a good day with the little ones (despite the issues I had!).
Also, it was really exciting because the other kids now want to be taken into the library and be read to. I'm not sure if it is because they want to read or just hang out with us, but either way it is so good. The literacy rate here is pretty low and with each Madre having 8-12 kids all with very different needs, it is hard for them to take the time to read to all of the kids and to encourage the kids to read. One little boy especially asks both Emily and I every day if we will read to him. His name is Italo- he was one of the first kids here. He was born to a single mother who was extremely poor. During the day she was afraid to leave him alone, but couldn't take him with her, so she dug a hole in the floor of her hut (it is a dirt floor) and would leave Italo there for hours. She would cover him with dirt and he had to stay in this shallow grave all day. Italo does not talk- he makes sounds, but he says very few, if any words. He is very sweet and very loving- I think he is also funny. All of the kids give each adult a hug and a kiss on the cheek when they greet you- one day I came down for lunch and there were 3 or 4 kids standing there waiting to greet me. Italo was the last one- as I bent down for him to kiss me; he gave me a hug and then hollered in my ear!!! At first I was startled because of the momentary deafness in one ear, but when I saw Italo grinning and starting to giggle, I couldn't help but laugh!! :) When Italo was 4 years old, his mother came back to the orphanage- Italo had been here about a year, I think. She didn't come back to visit though, she came back to bring her second son- she knew she couldn't care for him and so she brought him here when he was just a couple of months old- His name is Abel- He was the one I mentioned earlier that has congestion! :) He also doesn't speak very much and throws a hitting, kicking, body thrashing fit if he doesn't get his way, but when he is alone, one on one- he is an angel!! He is one of the kiddos that I take to the library- I take him by himself though because when he is with other kids, he wants all the attention. When he is by himself, he is sweet, obedient, and very very very cute!! Today I was reading to him and he was acting out the story as we went. Part of it was talking about a ball, so he pretended to pick the ball up from the book and throw it into the air- He pointed up and said "Mirar Tia, Mirar!" (look, aunt, look) (all the kids call me Tia). It was the cutest thing I have ever seen! He then pretended to catch it and then was so excited, he had the biggest grin- he was so proud of himself! Italo and Abel are available for adoption- every child that is available for adoption desperately needs a family very soon, but I feel an especially strong pull about these two boys because I feel that the sooner they get constant attention and someone to work with them in depth, the sooner they will grow. I would love to hear Italo say "Buenas Tardes Tia" or something and I would love for Abel to act calm and cute all the time instead of just when we are alone. So many prayer requests!!!
Many of you have asked for my mailing address here so you can send me care packages and other mail- while I would LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE to receive mail, it doesn't look like it will be possible. Most people that live here don't have a mailing address- it apparently is really hard to get one- the orphanage doesn't even have one! Also, the other night I was talking to David Miller and he said that when a package arrives here from a different country, the government goes through and assigns a value to each item within the box. They then decide an appropriate tax for each thing (which is outrageously high) and then you have to pay for it. During this process, the package sits in storage for up to two months- and you have to pay for the rent for storage! Crazy!! I am so sad that I won't be able to receive mail, but I love getting emails and I looooovvvvee getting comments, so please keep them coming! Also, you can just tell me what you were going to send me and I can try to find it here! :) :)
Anyway, I am posting pictures of Italo and Abel for you all to see- they are the first two kids I am highlighting- enjoy their cuteness!!
Love you all
janie

Busy Busy!

Hello everyone! It is so amazing how the days and the weeks just fly by! It seems like the day is over before I open my eyes. :) Today was a good day- I got kind of discouraged for awhile because I felt like all I said all day was "no". The kids really try to test the boundaries and see how far they can take things. I've learned that you have to set boundaries and then follow through with action if they cross the boundaries. If you say "no hitting or you have to go your Madre" and they hit, then you actually have to take them to their madre! But all day today it seemed like the kids were not listening and pushing me every step of the way. One of the activities that Emily and I help with is similar to book reports. Every two weeks the Madres choose a book for their casista and every day they read part of the book. At the end of the 2 weeks, the older kids have to give a book report. Our job is to make sure the Madres are reading and then to organize the time and place for the book reports. Today was the day for the book reports- so all of the older kids were in the chapel and each casista was taking a turn giving their report. Josue, Jesus, and Samir- three of the oldest boys in the Tesoro Casista were in there by themselves because their madre was busy with her other children. Like any kids without a direct supervisor they were goofing off and whispering and generally misbehaving. So I sat behind them and kept asking them to be quiet. They in turn were making faces at me and rolling their eyes. In that moment I couldn't help but think "why am I here?" I felt like the kids didn't like me and that I wasn't helping. Afterwards I told Emily how I was feeling and she was quick to remind me that children crave discipline and rules. She said that they respect me and that we both are helping. It was such an encouragement to hear her say that. :)
Also, this weekend was a really good weekend. Saturday I got to play with the kids for awhile and just enjoy their company. Saturday afternoons are family visit time- kids that have parents that still want to see their children can come for a few hours to spend time with them. Liz and the other workers decided to start having a mini-service with the parents every other Saturday. Emily, Liz and I are in charge of planning and implementing it. I actually said a prayer in Spanish (okay so I read it, but who is checking???)!. :) Liz shared the gospel with them and I kept thinking about the hope that the message contains. To know that you can be forgiven for anything that you have ever done in an instant and to be offered everlasting life- It gives me hope everytime I hear it. I know that all of the parents have had such hard lives and may have done some devastating things, but there is always someone who is willing to love them and take them in. One of the mothers decided to accept Christ- She is the mother of 4 of the children here. Yen (2), Dani (4), Aracely(5), and Karina (8)- they are some of the cutest kids you could imagine. I know there a few pictures of Yen on this site because he is one of the kids that I have every day. Karina acts like the mother of her siblings and can be very serious- but she likes to giggle like everyone else! Aracely is stuck between wanting to be grown up part of the time but loving to be a little girl. She is always ready to hug you and give you a kiss and she has the sweetest smile! Dani is all boy and likes to be thrown in the air and tackle other children. Yen has a sweet spirit and a killer smile- he likes to stand on the couch, chair, playground equipment, etc. . . and yell "hola, hola, hola!!" I love their family!!!!
Tomorrow Emily and I are going into town to do a little shopping. We need to get more craft supplies. Emily and I both have crafts two days a week. The children make beaded necklaces, bracelets, and ancle bracelets, braided jewlery and also two of the kids do embroidery work. We then sell the items to visiters or people in the states- anyone want a very genuine present?? :) They are so quick in making them that we are constantly running out of supplies- it is really hard to get bulk anything here, so we have gone to the tiny craft store 4 times since I have been here- tomorrow we plan on buying them out! :) Also, the electricity here sometimes goes out- because of maintenance or just because. Emily and I visited one of the casistas tonight while the power was out and found Melva, a madre, reading to her kids by flashlight- It was so sad to see- Melva doesn't have very good eyes to begin with and then to see her hunched over the book with a little flashlight- it was a sad sight! They don't have lanterns or anything so Emily and I have decided to buy one for each casista- so we hope to do that tomorrow as well.
I am going to start highlighting a few kids each week on my blog- I want you all to get a chance to meet each child, so I thought that would be a good way of doing it! :) Get ready to fall in love with these children- they have a tricky way of stealing your heart when you least expect it!!!
I love you all!
janie

Kevin

This is Kevin doing crafts-
Kevin is 12 years old and one of the sweetest boys I have ever met. He was abandoned 3 or 4 years ago. He is up for adoption. While he is 12 in years, he acts a lot younger. He loves to be hugged and he is always willing to help. He has the sweetest smile- he is very gentle and has a sensitive spirit. He is the oldest boy here and also the oldest child that is adoptable- Please join me in praying that God connects him with his family soon- he has been waiting!

views

These are pictures of all around the albergue- the first picture is of the shipping docks close to the Albergue- you can see it in the distance. The next is of Salverry Alto- the little community on the ridge above the orphagage, the next one is the view directly behind the Albergue- it is of a man herding his sheep up the hill- notice all the sand??? :) The last is one is of the sun setting- that white building is acually a slaughter house! Yuck!

surroundings

The view across the street- You can just make out the ocean in the distance- the reason that patch is green is because there is a spring there.

My Kids

My little guys and I- from the left- Jesus, Abel, Yen (front and center!) Isais, Me, and Edwin. Abel and Edwin are available for adoption. Abel is here with his brother Italo- neither of them talk very well and they need lots of attention. Edwin is as cute as can be- he also needs lots of attention and needs someone to work with him alot.
These are the kids I watch everyday from 3:30-5. :) I love them!

Yulissa

Madre Yulissa and I after church- she is the youngest Madre and is only 21 years old. She is very sweet. :)

Rainbow- que bonita!

This is the rainbow that we saw last week. It was a full rainbow but was so big and appeared so close, I couldn't get it all in the picture. . . It reminded me of God's Covenant and was incredibly beautiful!